“You’re not angry?”
“I am more disappointed than you can imagine. But I am not angry.”
He started the car. Once again they merged with the traffic and headed to her apartment.
“Would you like to meet her?”
“Not if I am going to be interrupting something important. Does she know about me?”
“No. We haven’t been in contact. But when she sees your roses, she’s going to suspect something. I’m too big a tightwad to ever spend money like that on myself.”
“They will stay beautiful for another week at least.” He didn’t sound quite as unhappy as before.
“Anatoly?”
“Yes, Gabriella?”
“I’d like you to meet her.”
“Then it is settled. But I will not overstay my welcome.”
She chuckled. “I’m not worried.”
Within minutes he’d pulled the car to a stop at the side of the building.
“I am excited,” he said as he helped her out of the seat and shut the door.
“Why?”
“I want to know everything about you. You have lived with this woman for many months. I am curious to see what kind of friend you have chosen.”
He put his arm around her shoulder. It felt so right, so natural, as they walked around the corner to the outside door of her apartment. Each time their hips brushed, a jolt of electricity went through her body.
It was on the tip of Gaby’s tongue to tell him she’d like to meet his friends. But she held back because she didn’t want to know anything that would force her to have to stop seeing him.
He followed her up the stairs.
“I’ll just slip inside and see if Hallie’s arrived. If she has, I’ll tell her to make herself presentable.”
MAX WATCHED her disappear into her apartment.
Hal was a woman named Hallie? His would-be assassin?
How could Gabriella have been living with a roommate all these months and the guys hadn’t turned up any evidence?
Good grief, what in hell was going on? Were they all flying blind?
Max hadn’t seen the guys on the apartment roof, but he knew they were in position to protect him physically.
What he needed was emotional protection, but it was already too late for that, because today he’d crossed a line with Gabriella.
The line they warned you about in training.
The line that said proceed beyond this point at your own risk. The line that meant you were in so deep you couldn’t think clearly anymore.
Karl had wanted him off the case two days ago. So had Gideon. But Max was beyond listening to them. It was as if Gabriella had given him some kind of drug that dulled all voices except hers.
It was possible that Svetlana was Irina. The details Sandra had offered fit Nikolai’s profile. But they also fit any number of mafia types. He needed to get on top of that right now. Yet here he was at the mercy of a woman who’d been setting him up all week.
The door opened. “Anatoly? You can come in.”
Lord. How could she smile at him like that and do what she was about to do.
Her eyes beckoned him. Could traitor’s eyes be so velvety brown and beautiful?
It was time to get this over with. He moved inside, prepared to hit the floor to escape the line of fire from his colleagues.
To his shock he caught sight of an attractive blond woman, taller than Gabriella. Wearing a long white robe, she stood in the room next to the lamp where he’d planted one of the bugs.
“Hello,” she said in a friendly voice. “I understand you’re Anatoly. My name’s Hallie.”
Trying to get a grip on the situation, Max advanced into the room. “How do you do.” They shook hands.
Gabriella was in the kitchen pulling sodas out of the fridge. “I’ve made submarines, and we’ve got plenty of chips and dip. Let me put everything on the table, then you two can help yourselves.”
A few minutes later Gabriella joined Max on the couch with her plate. Hallie had seated herself in the easy chair.
The rush of adrenaline he’d felt in the hallway had made him ravenous. His hostess must have noticed because she brought him another sandwich without him having to ask for it.
“We played stickball this afternoon,” Gaby said to her roommate.
Hallie smiled. “That explains the appetite.”
Both of them were looking at Max, whose mouth was too full to respond.
“He plays croquet well, too. Anatoly’s a man of many talents.”
“Tell me how you two met.”
“I don’t want to tell you, Hallie.” Gabriella’s eyes slid away from his. “It’s too embarrassing.”
“What happened? Were you body surfing and crashed into him on purpose?”
Max almost choked on the last of his sandwich.
“You got the crash part right. You’re beginning to sound just like Uncle Frank. He wanted to know if I had collided with a man yet.”
Both women chuckled.
Max smiled at them. “It was my lucky day.”
Hallie didn’t seem capable of being an assassin. For the first time in four days Max was beginning to wonder if Gideon hadn’t been right about Gabriella being a total innocent.
Watch your back. Gideon’s warning rumbled from a great distance off.
“Would you believe that after almost killing him, Anatoly brought me those roses?”
Hallie’s curious gaze flicked to Max. “Every woman should be so blessed. Neither of you were hurt?”
“No. But both our cars are in the shop.”
“How are you managing?”
“Anatoly’s been my taxi service. He uses his company van to whisk me around.”
“A knight in Russian armor.”
Max liked Hallie already. Hell.
“He helped me buy a bike.”
“I noticed it when I came in earlier. If I had known all this was going to happen, I would have gone away sooner. I bet you never even missed me.”
There was a heartbeat of silence before Gabriella answered. “Of course I did, Hallie.”
The blood flowed to Gabriella’s face. That wasn’t a reaction she could summon on cue. Max was starting to feel another adrenaline attack coming on. But this was different from the one he’d experienced out in the hall when he thought he might be taking a bullet in the chest.
Caught in the grip of intense excitement, he couldn’t sit still. Needing to channel his energy into something physical, he got up and took everyone’s plates to the sink.
Get out of here, Calder. You’re enjoying this too much. Your head’s not on straight. It hasn’t been on straight since the accident.
“Thank you for the dinner, Gabriella. Now I must go. What time shall I come for you tomorrow so we can shop for a new mallet?”
“Don’t leave on my account.”
His gaze flicked to Hallie. “Gabriella told me you have important things to talk about. I do not wish to intrude.”
“Please stay,” Hallie said. “What I have to tell her won’t take long, then I’m going to bed.”
“It is up to Gabriella. Do you wish me to go?”
Hallie lifted her foot to nudge Gabriella’s leg.
“You know you don’t want him to leave.” To Max, “She wants you to stay.”
While Gabriella’s blush was still in evidence, he walked back to the couch and sat down next to her. Without conscious thought he reached for her hand. Hers responded to the pressure.
“I know what you’re going to say, Hallie. Your postcard prepared me.”
The other woman’s expression sobered. “If I have a regret, it’s leaving you to find another roommate. Actually I have one more, but you don’t want to hear it.”
“What? That I won’t renounce the world and join you?”
Max couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer. “You sound as if you are leaving to go on some sort of pilgrimage.”
Gabriella let out a deep sigh. “She
is. Can I tell him?”
“Of course.”
She turned her head to look at him. “Hallie’s a lay nun. I met her through the San Diego Welcome Mission. She helps arrange temporary housing for new residents.”
“I could have used you when I first came to America,” Anatoly murmured.
“Poor Anatoly had to sleep in the same apartment with how many immigrants?”
“Thirteen.”
Hallie shook her head. “How awful.”
“We survived.”
Gabriella squeezed his hand. ‘But it shouldn’t be like that, Anatoly. Anyway, Hallie and I got along so well we decided to room together, and we found this furnished apartment.”
His mind leaped to the crucifix and missal in the other room. At the time he remembered thinking a nun slept here.
“When I realized Hallie had given up all her worldly goods, I decided it wouldn’t be nice to tempt her with my stuff, so most of it is still in storage.”
“That is why you have such a beautiful office.”
Hallie nodded. “I’ve had several close friends in my life, Anatoly, but none of them would sacrifice for me the way Gabriella has. Nuns everywhere could take lessons from her.”
“Anatoly’s not buying any of it, Hallie. He already knows I don’t go to church.”
At this point Max didn’t know what he knew anymore. But he’d come to one conclusion. Either everything was a con, or else he was sitting with two innocent, extraordinary women.
“My grandfather used to tell me church is what a person carries inside of them,” he said.
“It is!” Hallie agreed with him. “I’m not as inherently good as Gaby. That’s why I’ve decided to live the cloistered life for a time.”
“Oh, stop!” Gabriella jumped up from the couch. Hallie’s adulation appeared to embarrass her.
“All right. I won’t say another word, but it’s still true. Before I enter the convent, I want to help you find a new roommate.”
“I don’t want another one.”
Max looked at her. “How much do they charge for this apartment, Gabriella?”
“Twelve hundred dollars a month.”
“I know of a place where they only charge eight hundred dollars a month and pay the utilities.”
Her dark eyes flashed with impatience. “I’ve heard of that place too, Anatoly. Isn’t it in Death Valley?”
“That wasn’t nice, Gaby,” Hallie said, chuckling.
“Gabriella is a constant source of amusement to me. That is why I do not want her to be out of my sight.”
“I feel the same way about her, Anatoly. Giving up Gaby for the religious life is going to be like cutting off an arm or a leg.”
“Will you be allowed visitors?”
“Once in a while.”
“Then we will come.”
“I can’t imagine anything nicer.”
Gaby had gone to the fridge for another soda.
“How soon do you have to enter the convent?”
“I can go at any time.”
“You probably want to leave tomorrow.”
“What I want is irrelevant. I’m not going anywhere until I know you’ll be all right.”
Max rose to his feet. “Gabriella’s going to live with me.”
Both women stared at him in astonishment.
“The Frenchwoman in my apartment house has gone to live with her children in San Francisco. The landlady needs a new renter, but she won’t take just anyone. They have to come on the recommendation of someone she knows well. If I vouch for Gabriella, Mrs. Bills will be happy to have her move in.”
Gaby drew closer. “What’s the place like?”
“You will love it. It is an old Victorian house that belonged to her family. She had it remodeled into apartments.”
“Gaby loves old things,” Hallie interjected before standing up. “It sounds like a perfect solution. Now that you know about my decision, I’m going to say good-night. It’s been wonderful to meet you, Anatoly. I hope to see a lot more of you before I go.”
“I feel the same way. Good night, Hallie.”
When she’d disappeared he turned to Gabriella.
“Let me drive you to the apartment house.”
Her head lifted in surprise. “You mean right now?”
“Yes. It is a very nice apartment. Tomorrow is Sunday. Mrs. Bills will show it to potential renters. By the end of the day, it will be gone. Tonight I will give you the sneak preview.”
The corners of her mouth lifted. “I’m not sure it would be a good idea to move into the same apartment house with you.”
“I think it would be the next best thing to paradise.”
“Don’t talk like that!”
“How can I help it? When I learned that your friend was going to leave, I found myself wishing that we had known each other for several months so you would not be shocked if I asked to move in with you.
“But as it has not even been a week since you crashed into me, I realize I must give you more time. From the beginning I have wanted to be with you day and night. If you live with me, then after we say good-night, I will know exactly where you are. You will be lying in your bed on the other side of the wall from mine. We can tap on it to send each other messages. It will be very exciting.”
“I don’t know, Anatoly.”
“It will solve several problems for us. I will have less driving to do, and Mrs. Bills will watch to make certain we do not break the rules.”
“What rules?”
“There are six people in the apartment house. All are single. We can mingle as much as we want in the lounge. But after ten o’clock, we cannot have anyone else in our own apartment. She is very strict about that.”
“As good as that sounds, we might start fighting, and then we’ll be sorry we live under the same roof.”
“That is one of the things we have not experienced yet. I am looking forward to it.”
Gaby looked at him incredulously, then asked, “Does she make you sign a lease?”
“No. She only asks for the rent for the first and the last month.”
“It all sounds too good to be true, including the price.”
“She charges more for the larger apartments upstairs. Ours are on the main floor. She cut one side of the downstairs into two parts. That is why they are smaller, so she charges less money for them. But they do not seem small to me because the ceilings are so high. It feels like a home, not an apartment. I like that.”
“We can watch ball games in the lounge?”
Despite the fact that he had no proof she wasn’t mafia, a warm feeling crept through his body. This woman made him feel beyond happy. “Yes.”
“Well, I guess I could take a look, but I’m not promising anything, Anatoly, even though I appreciate the suggestion. You have to understand that.”
He loved it when she went all serious on him. “Of course. To stay on Mrs. Bills’s good side, we will not tell her about her broken croquet mallet until after you have made your decision.”
“I forgot about that.”
“Do not worry. I will assure her we had such a wonderful time we want to keep it a while longer. Shall we go? I want to beat everyone to the jab.”
“The punch, Anatoly.”
“Yes. I meant to say that.”
She reached the door ahead of him. “Have I told you how impressed I am with your fluency in English? I haven’t had to correct you hardly at all.”
“Three times.”
“That many?”
“Yes. I am keeping a list. I want to sound like an American when I become a naturalized citizen.”
Her eyes searched his. “How much longer?” she asked with an earnestness that confounded him.
“One month.”
“Have you been studying for the test?”
“Yes. However, I need a tutor to make certain I get every answer perfect.”
“You’re about as unsubtle as a sledgehammer, but if you want my help, I—�
�
He lowered his mouth to hers. This was the last of the brief kisses. Next time was going to be different. “Thank you, Gabriella,” he whispered against her lips. “You will come to watch me take the oath?”
“I’d be honored.”
“We will celebrate afterward.”
“What do you think you’ll want to do on your first night as a new citizen?”
“The way I am feeling right now, it would be better if I did not answer that question. If you do not understand, please do not ask me to explain. I am trying very hard to do the right thing with you. This is one of those times when I need your help to keep me strong.”
He heard her breath catch before she opened the door and preceded him into the hallway.
YOU’RE A VERY SMART GIRL, Irina. In some ways prettier than your mama. An important man will be here in a few minutes. His name is Yevgeny.
If you please him, he’ll give you things you never dreamed of. Clothes, a car. Maybe even your own apartment. If you don’t please him, that will not please me. You understand what I’m saying?
“Svetlana?”
Irina felt a nudge on her shoulder.
“Svetlana? It’s okay. You’re having a bad dream.”
She could hear a voice, but it wasn’t calling her name.
“Come on. Wake up.”
The overhead light went on. Irina blinked and raised her head. Sandra was standing over her. “What?”
“You were crying out in your sleep. A couple of times you moved around so hard I was afraid you’d fall on the floor.”
Irina sat up all the way, pushing the hair out of her eyes. “I have bad dream.”
“That’s what we call a nightmare. I used to get them all the time, too. After you’ve been here a while, it won’t happen as often. Do you want me to keep the light on or off?”
She rested her head on her upraised knees. “I not care.”
“You can call the nurse if you want. Maybe she’ll give you something to help you sleep without dreaming.”
Tears rolled down Irina’s cheeks. “My mother…” She could hardly talk as she rocked back and forth.
“I know you’re worried about her. Listen. You know the woman who picked you up? Gaby?”
Accidentally Yours Page 14
