by S. K. Lessly
Interlude 2
Three weeks ago…
Dante Perchenko sat on his covered patio looking out across the snow-covered vastness of his fifteen-acre property. A full glass of vodka gripped in his large hands. The liquid warmed his insides while the two lit stone fireplaces provided warmth throughout the space.
Perchenko loved his view of the outdoors. He had his house built in the Chornohora region with the Beskids Mountains as his background just so he could wake up every day to a spectacular view. Life in the mountains was ideal for him. He enjoyed the cold and the snow because it made him feel alive. The seclusion also allowed him to do his business in the shadows.
The events of the last few weeks had been busy to say the least. The spy bitch coming to him about his nephew was disheartening. He had been isolated from the world for a couple of months. His brother never got word about Evgeni and the trouble he was in. To hear that his nephew had gotten mixed up in some gun-smuggling fiasco disappointed him. The fact that he had lost his life during a sting had only made matters worse. If he’d had heat on his back from the U.S. government, all he had to do was contact him. He would have taken care of everything. But no such call was ever made.
It didn’t make things better to know that his own brother blamed him for the death of his son.
“You should have taken him in, Dante!” his brother yelled through the phone. “If he had been learning from you, my son would still be alive.”
Cupid didn’t believe that to be true. If his nephew was as stupid as Cupid surmised, then he probably would’ve had the young man’s blood on his hands instead of someone else’s. Regardless, someone needed to pay severely for the death of his nephew, although he was an idiot. He wanted to seek revenge right away, but he wasn’t a fool. He hadn’t gotten far in his life by acting carelessly. But knowing this suka was still walking around breathing when his nephew wasn’t, bothered him.
Cupid believed in the CIA agent’s plan. It was solid; he couldn’t knock that. He could potentially lose an asset, but the end would outweigh the means. What he hated and didn’t tolerate was the invasion of privacy. Cupid enjoyed that little private island in Brazil. He’d been going to that villa for years. Now, since Diane had made a surprise appearance, he couldn’t go back. He had to get rid of his existence in that small town, which included getting rid of everyone that had seen his face sooner than he had planned. Needless to say, it got messy. Now he was home with the first part of the CIA agent’s plan already set into motion and waiting for the second part of the plan to be implemented.
The sound of the sliding glass door behind him brought him out of his head and to the present.
The head of his security detail appeared next to the large recliner Cupid occupied and presented him with a cell phone. “She’s on the phone, sir,” Drago Yenin announced.
Cupid didn’t remove his eyes from the mountainous view. He extended an empty palm up and waited wordlessly until a cell phone was placed in his hand. He brought the phone to his ear. “I have a job for you,” Cupid said into the phone, getting right to the point.
There was a small pause before the caller answered, her voice hesitant. “Okay, what is the job?”
“First, have you completed the assignments I gave you?” Cupid brought the glass of vodka to his lips.
“Almost. One of the subjects was out of town for an unscheduled holiday. I plan to have that one wrapped up tonight.”
Cupid was extremely disappointed, but he never spoke a word. He didn’t need to. Those that worked for him knew how he was. He despised weakness, excuses, and incompetence.
The woman replied quickly, “I’m still at least four days ahead of schedule. I will have everything wrapped up within the next few hours. What do you need me to do?”
Cupid smiled inwardly, however he maintained his composure as he spoke. “The job I have is of a very personal nature. You know there are very few people that I trust. You are one of them. I’m giving you this task based on that trust.”
“Of course, sir. I understand completely. I’m honored you thought of me. Tell me what the job is.”
Cupid could hear the excitement in her voice, and this time he let the smile appear on his hard face. “Finish up tonight and grab your passport. I will tell you where I need you to be and once you get there. That’s when I’ll tell you the job.”
There was a slight pause before the woman replied. “You know you can trust me.”
“Oh, yes, I have no doubt that I can. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t be alive. No, this has nothing to do with you. As I said, this matter is of the utmost importance, and there is no room for failure. Once you get to your destination, I will tell you what I need you to do.”
“Okay. Where do you want me to go?”
Cupid brought his glass to his mouth. He took a sip of his vodka before he said, “Washington, D.C.”
Chapter Eight
Shane
I opened my eyes and looked up at an unfamiliar ceiling. I racked my brain trying to remember where the hell I was until I felt someone shift next to me and mumble my name. A grin spread across my face, and I turned my head to find Misty still sound asleep next to me. I turned my body toward her and pushed her hair from face. I couldn’t help the contented sigh that came from deep within me. It was about damn time this happened, and I wasn’t sorry at all. I remembered that I told her that I wanted to get lost in her if only for a night.
I scoffed lightly. Fuck that! After the night we’d just had, I was going to get lost in her every chance I got. Sex with Misty was out of this fucking world. She was amazing, and her stamina was just what I needed. She kept up with me even after I woke her up for round two. She was a beast.
I slowly pulled myself out of the bed and went to the bathroom, but not before lightly kissing her forehead and touching her face. It felt like I couldn’t function until I touched her. As I walked inside her bathroom, I was surprised at the size of the room, considering that this was a ranch-style home. The bathroom was a very nice size.
The moment I walked into the bathroom I noticed a nook in the wall to the left with shelves filled with towels, washcloths, toiletries, and shit like that. The left wall then gave way to a large acrylic jacuzzi-style tub that looked comfortable enough for two people. A large vanity sink and mirror sat directly across from the tub, and next to the vanity was the commode.
What impressed me the most about the bathroom was, the large walk-in shower that stood directly across from the entrance of the bathroom. Through the tall transparent sliding glass door, I noticed two shower heads protruding from one of the slate tiled walls of the shower. The tile covered the entire wall and floor of the stall and the same tile accented the wall of tub.
The colors of the bathroom were gray, purple, and black. The walls were gray, and the tiles were a mixture of gray, white, and black. The décor was inviting. She had customary bath rugs on the floor that made it very welcoming. There were pictures on the walls, and flowers accented the space. It was very feminine, which was something that I hadn’t expected from Misty.
I turned on the light and moved to the commode to relieve myself. Afterwards, I washed my hands and face and then hunted for an extra toothbrush in her vanity drawers. I hit the jackpot in the second drawer, pulled a purple toothbrush from a pack of four, and brushed my teeth. Once I was done and had rinsed out my mouth and the toothbrush, I sat it down on the counter and studied my reflection in the mirror above the sink.
“What’s next, Cooper?”
Yeah, that was the million-dollar question. One thing was certain: now that I was here, I wasn’t going to ever let her go.
I took a deep breath and decided to figure out what to do later. I padded back into her bedroom and stood at the side of the bed watching her sleep. She had passed out last night cussing me out for ruining her. I knew she had no idea what she was saying to me. She had lapsed into Spanish, Italian, and even French so many times she couldn’t have known what was coming out of he
r mouth. I bet you if I asked her later what she’d said to me last night, she probably wouldn’t remember.
I moved to where my underwear lay, grabbed them, and put them on. I then grabbed my black T-shirt, pulled it over my head, and walked out of her bedroom into the kitchen. It was close to ten in the morning, and I was starving.
Misty’s kitchen was a pretty decent size too. She had tall, dark mahogany cabinets, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. In the middle of the room was a small table with four chairs that faced a large window showing the view of the patio.
I remembered that I had seen some eggs in Misty’s fridge and pancake mix in her pantry when I was looking for snacks for us to eat last night. So, I milled around her kitchen to see if she had anything else to eat for breakfast to possibly go with pancakes. I found sausage links along with the ingredients to make the pancakes: eggs, milk, and syrup. This would do.
Misty had one of those gas ranges with a flat griddle in the middle of the eyes. I had also noticed something else as I surveyed her stove. It looked as if it hadn’t been turned on or used at all. I chuckled at that thought and turned the necessary eyes on to heat up the grill before I went in search of a bowl to mix the ingredients for the pancakes.
I had breakfast almost done, sausage sitting on a paper towel covered plate, pancakes stacked on its own plate, and I was wrapping up the eggs, when I heard her come into the kitchen.
I looked over my shoulder and saw the shocked look on her face.
I smiled. “Good morning. I figured I’d make you breakfast before I left.”
I turned back to my eggs, stirring them until they were cooked the way I knew she liked them. When I turned back around, she was still standing there looking lost almost.
“Why don’t you get the orange juice from the fridge, some glasses, and have a seat at the table? And get some plates and silverware too,” I instructed and moved the pan with the eggs over a large bowl that was sitting next to the pancakes.
At first, Misty stood in place, but then I heard her mumble, “Bossy bastard…” before I heard the refrigerator door open and close.
Grinning, I turned off the eye I was using, rinsed out the pan I had used for eggs, and placed it in the sink. I grabbed the plates filled with the sausages, eggs, and pancakes and brought them to the center of her kitchen table. Misty had the plates and silverware already placed in front of two chairs facing opposite of each other. I waited until she sat down and her light eyes fell on me.
“How many pancakes?”
She ran her hands through her hair. “Ummm... three please.”
I had learned from going to IHOP for lunch with Misty countless times that she hated whenever syrup got on her eggs. Keeping that in mind, I put three pancakes on one of the two plates she had in front of her. I then lifted the plates of sausages and eggs and placed two sausages and some eggs on the other plate.
She thanked me, and I nodded while I made my own plate. I piled pancakes, eggs, and sausages on one plate. I didn’t care where the syrup ended up because it was all going to the same place. When I sat down across from her, I noticed she had already poured some orange juice in my glass and placed it in front of me.
We said grace and as I started pouring syrup on my pancakes, she said, “I thought you had left without saying goodbye.”
I started cutting into my pancakes before I looked up and replied, “I bet my name was mud for a minute.”
She scoffed and started pouring syrup on her pancakes. “You have no idea.”
I smiled at her and was about to tell her that I would never do that because I liked breathing, but I suddenly noticed the look of discomfort creep across her face as she carefully lifted the bottle of syrup to pour it on her pancakes. The bottle wasn’t heavy. It was the movement that seemed to cause her discomfort. She tried to mask how she felt. I was sure if I wasn’t studying her in the first place, I would have missed it.
“You okay?” I asked. I kept my eyes on her face, waiting for her to meet my eyes. She didn’t.
She crammed a few pancakes into her mouth before she answered, “Uh-huh, I’m good. These are really good, by the way.”
“Thanks. Are you sure you’re good?”
She finally met my eyes with a little annoyance clouding them. “Yes, I’m good.”
I raised my eyebrow in response, but I didn’t say a word.
We ate in silence for a while. I catalogued the way she was gingerly moving about. I knew she had lied to me. I could see the pain etched all over her gorgeous face. I didn’t press, though, at least not yet. Instead, I asked, “What are your plans for today?”
She shrugged and chewed her food before replying, “I have to ride up to Doctors Ashton and Thomasina’s place. My mom wants me to go shopping with her and then have dinner with them tonight.”
Misty’s parents were amazing people. Her dad was a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in D.C, and Misty’s beautiful mother was a research scientist for the CDC. They had adopted my family just as we had adopted them. My parents and hers had been on countless trips together, and they go out to dinner all the time.
“What about you?” Misty asked, cutting into my thoughts.
I had shoved the last of my pancakes in my mouth so I chewed a moment before answering. “Actually, I was planning to take my dad’s boat out for a spin this afternoon and maybe do a little fishing, drink some brew, and relax. It’s my way of decompressing and getting my mind right for the next week.”
“Wow… That sounds like a relaxing day in the bay.”
I nodded. “It usually is.”
Misty started forking the last of her pancakes without another word. I placed my knife and fork on the edge of my empty plate, grabbed the glass of OJ, and watched her over the rim. She kept her head down while she ate, scarcely meeting my gaze from time to time, which wasn’t like her. I knew she felt me watching her, and she knew why. As much as she tried to hide her discomfort, I could see it all in her body language. Maybe last night the alcohol had numbed her pain, but in the light of day, she was definitely feeling it.
I sighed deeply, tired of her ignoring me.
“Are you going to tell me how you got that bruise?”
She remained quiet jabbing at her eggs.
“Grace!”
She looked sharply at me. “Shane, there’s—”
I held up my hand. “Listen, I’m not asking as your superior or your boss,” I cut her off just as she prepared to let out a lie from those luscious lips of hers.
“Oh no?!” she snapped curtly. She eased from her seat and stood, the chair scraping along the laminate flooring. “Look, thanks for breakfast. It was really good. I don’t know what you did to the pancakes, but they definitely hit the spot. With that being said, I’m sure you want to get started on your day, and I need to get myself together too. Don’t worry about cleaning up. I’ll take care of the dishes since you cooked. You can just leave them in the sink. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go take a shower. I’m sure you can find your way out. Don’t forget to lock the door behind you.”
Misty gathered her dishes and headed toward the sink located to the right of where I sat. I remained quiet as I watched her at the sink. She drank the rest of her juice and then rinsed out her plate and glass slowly before placing them inside the sink. Without another word or glance from her, she hustled in the direction of her bedroom, but I didn’t let her get far.
I was done with this act of hers. I reached out and gripped her wrist as I stood. My grip was tight although I knew she could get out of the hold I had on her if she wanted to. She didn’t want to get messy, and neither did I, which was why I slowly pulled her back to face me. Misty reluctantly turned around, pulled her arm away, and crossed it and the other one over her chest. She gave me a frosty glare that could’ve probably frozen the entire Eastern seaboard.
I ignored her defiance and said, “You can drop the attitude. I’m asking you what happened because I’m concerned. You
’re pretending that you’re not in pain, but I can clearly see that you are. It’s written all over your face. Misty, I’m not judging you or blaming you. I just want to know how you got that bruise I saw last night. I want to know that you’re truly all right.” I moved my hand to touch where I remembered the bruise had been, and she bristled and stepped back from me. I narrowed my eyes, but I didn’t say anything.
To be honest, I didn’t want to argue about this. I was still enjoying the high of finally getting the woman I’d wanted for a long time. I didn’t want to ruin what had started between us. However, her frustrating-ass was pissing me off.
“Well, I’ve already said that I am fine, Shane,” Misty bit out through a forced smile. “You don’t have to worry about me. And as far as how I got the bruise goes, I honestly can’t recall. Now, will you excuse me?”
Misty and I played the game of stare until someone turns away. Sadly, I lost. Frustrated to no end, I ran my hand through my hair and moved out of her way. I watched her storm past me, heading for the sanctity of her room.
A few seconds later, I saw her walk out of her bedroom with clothes in her hands and walked purposefully into the bathroom, slamming the door closed behind her.
I sighed, irritated and stood there trying to take a few deep breaths. That woman was insufferable to say the least. She was stubborn as all hell, had an attitude out of this world, and had a hard time trusting people. It didn’t matter who it was. Anytime she was questioned about her job or something she’d done, she always reacted as if she was backed up in a corner.
I understood her mentality and the fact that trust was hard for her from the job perspective. I was sure it was hard for her as a female in the marines. The instant discrimination, patronizing, the harassment; all of it was sickening. It didn’t help matters that she could definitely run circles around a lot of her fellow male counterparts in the marines. She got used to having to come out swinging to defend herself.
Like I said, I understood her train of thinking. The problem that I had was her directing that come-out-guns-blazing mentality toward my brothers and me. We knew how privileged we were to have Misty as a part of our team. Each of us have worked with Misty on countless missions, you couldn’t ignore the fact that she was an amazing solider. We were quite knowledgable with her strengths and her weaknesses. We all trusted her with our lives, but sometimes we weren’t sure if she felt the same way.
