"Are you on the pill?" I asked suddenly.
Sasha scowled. "Why are you asking me that?"
"Whoa there," I said. "Pretty sure that's a pretty normal thing to ask between people who are sleeping together."
"Of course, I am," Sasha said after a minute. "You think I wanted to have Aleksi's kid? No way. I'd rather die."
I took her in my arms and held her there. "I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean-"
"To insinuate that I'm some dumb irresponsible slut?" Sasha said coolly. Another pause, then she sighed. "Sorry, I'm on edge this morning. This whole Aleksi thing is messing with my head."
"I can see why," I said. "But you don't have to worry. I'm not going to let him get to you."
Sasha looked at me sadly. "It might not be up to you."
"Trust me," I said. "Adrian and I, we’ve got your back. I'm not gonna let that monster get anywhere near you."
Sasha’s phone went off again.
Picking it up, she left the room quickly, with a worried frown. "I better get this."
32
Sasha
"What is it?" I said warily.
"Just checking that you didn’t accidentally stab yourself in your sleep," Adrian said cheerily.
"You’re so funny," I said dully.
"I am. And I have some good news, I guess. The police are aware that Aleksi is in town and will be on the lookout. They don’t seem to think he’ll be able to move too freely without anyone noticing though so hopefully it was just a false alarm. Anyway, I'll be home in like two."
"You’re what?" I exclaimed, speed walking back to my bedroom.
How could Pierce and I've been so careless? We were lucky he hadn’t caught us as it was.
"Yeah, I'm almost there," Adrian said. "Just in the elevator now."
" You're in the elevator now, Adrian?" I said loudly, gesturing frantically at Pierce.
After a clearly weirded out pause, he spoke. "You sure you're okay?" Adrian asked. "I know the stress has been getting to you."
I raced over to the doorway, tied my robe up tight in front.
"I don't know, why don't you see for yourself," I said.
He came through the door, squinting at me. "You don’t look like you’re losing your mind," he said. "You ate the last mini muffin, didn't you?"
"Guilty as charged," I said, not moving from the doorway.
"You going to let me into my own place?" Adrian said.
Hearing the closing of the bathroom door, I exhaled. I couldn’t give Pierce any more time than I already had.
"Be my guest," I said, stepping aside.
Adrian looked around suspiciously. "Pierce is still here? I didn’t see him on the couch when I left."
Thinking as quickly on my feet as I could, I blurted out. “I guess he must’ve gone for a run or something.”
The sound of the shower turning on in the bathroom filled the room, and I could've collapsed with relief.
"You sure you're okay?" Adrian asked again.
"Certain," I said, walking over to my room. "In fact, I gotta get going."
That was the first thing I could think to say. Just then, a reminder had appeared on my phone – I had an appointment with a friend from back home. She was now a store owner in the city, and I wanted to do business with her. I only had half an hour to get dressed and get over there.
"Okay," Adrian said. "Want me to come?"
"No," I said firmly. "Unless you want to get your nails done too?"
Adrian's face darkened. "I mean it; this isn't a joke. Just because the police haven't had any run-ins with Aleksi and the guys, could just mean that they’re laying low before they strike. You have to be careful."
"I doubt that they're going to strike and at a nail salon in broad daylight," I said.
"Okay," Adrian finally said, "Just promise me one thing."
"What?"
"You'll take that knife with you in the car."
I laughed aloud. Then, Pierce's voice came over from the bathroom.
"He's right Sasha."
To hear him say it in that tone surprised me. Pierce clearly wasn't kidding. There was almost a viciousness to his words.
The door opened, and Pierce stood there, clothed and with damp hair, but looking at me firmly.
"I think you should let Adrian or me come with you."
I stormed over to my room, grabbed the oversize knife, shoved it in my handbag, threw on some clothes, and then stormed back out.
"I'm not going to be babysat by my brother or his best friend," I snapped.
Then stormed out of there.
Although, as the elevator made its way down, there was a curious tingle in my body at how Pierce had reacted.
Was that just the protectiveness of looking out for his best friend's little sister?
It seemed like the smoldering in his eyes, and the way they seemed to burn right through me suggested something more; an almost animalistic protectiveness.
I swallowed, going over to the curb so I could call a taxi. The whole thing with Pierce was becoming more than I had bargained for.
I arrived at Precious Nail Salon right on time. Tatiana walked up just as I was getting to the door.
"Sasha!" she said, and we hugged. She pulled away to get a good look at me for a minute.
"You look different."
I smiled. "You look the same."
That much was true. Back in school, Tatiana had been full-figured, with a round jolly face and expressive lips. The woman in front of me now had a few extra highlights in her hair, but that was about it.
"Who would've thought we would both end up in New York City?" Tatiana asked with a laugh.
"I know,” I said, looking up at the faded sign a bit dubiously. “You said this place is good?"
Tatiana opened the door and gestured me inside. "The best. Her prices are a little steep, but I'm telling you, my nails are gorgeous perfections for a good month after she touches them. And the colors!"
"And the gemstones," I said, catching a look at Tatiana's current nails.
"You'll see," Tatiana said confidently.
Minutes later, we were sat side-by-side while the owner, Rosa, tended to our nails.
We talked business for a while, which even turned out better than I'd expected. Not only was Tatiana's business booming, but as soon as she saw samples of my clothes, she wanted a whole batch of them.
"That's going to take me some time," I said.
Tatiana gave a dismissive wave of her hand then pursed her large lips. "Then hire outside help of course. I can help with that."
"We’ll see." I was about to say more when my phone rang.
I answered it, fearing Adrian calling ten times in a row if I didn't pick up. That wasn't something I wanted to explain to Tatiana.
As soon as I picked up, Adrian's loud voice blared over the line, "Your hubby and I just wanted to make sure you got there safely."
“I did,” I ground out and hung up the phone, scowling. Had Tatiana heard?
Judging by the interested smile on her face, she definitely had.
"My, you have changed," she said.
"It's not what you think," I said.
Tatiana was silent.
"Oh, screw it," I muttered silently to myself.
"I got into some trouble back in Moscow," I admitted to her in a low voice. "You remember Aleksi?"
Tatiana's face darkened, and her upper lip curled. "You stayed with him?"
I nodded. "Far too long. Anyway, I tried breaking up with him about a week ago when things got complicated. So, Adrian had this crackpot idea that my only shot at getting in the US was to marry his best friend."
Tatiana chuckled appreciatively. "That sounds like Adrian alright."
Even back in school, my brother had been something of a legend. He was constantly joking, getting into trouble, and driving the teachers crazy. But the rest of the students had loved him.
"It's all fake," I insist.
"All fake?" Tatiana smir
ked.
I could only stare at her knowing smile. “It is,” I tried to convince her.
Her smile broadened as she patted me appreciatively. "Don't fret. I know love when I see it." She sighed dramatically. "If only I could remember what it felt like. It's been years. Even though I do have a beau in the wings."
"It's not love," I said immediately, feeling my cheeks heating up. I didn't know what it was, but it wasn't that. "Pierce and I just made a mistake."
Tatiana just laughed. "Whatever you want to tell yourself, honey. Though, I think you should go for it."
I shook my head. "Adrian-"
"Will come around," she finished. “After all, it was his idea. You can blame him.”
Already, her words were ballooning into hopeful possibilities in my chest. I couldn't afford to let that happen.
"I don't know if this guy is relationship material anyway," I admitted. "I don't even know how he really feels. One minute he's all over me, the next minute he goes ice cold. It’s not going to work. Not to mention, it’s barely been a week. It can’t be love. It’s just infatuation or relief from being away from Aleksi," I rationalized.
Tatiana was utterly unfazed. "Of course, you don't know how he feels – you two are too busy trying to convince yourselves that it’s a bad idea to figure that out. The only way you'll find out is by giving it a real go."
I sighed. "You make it sound so simple."
"It is simple. You have to learn how to walk before you can run."
When Tatiana left to go to the bathroom and admire her new rose gemstone encrusted nails under the bright fluorescent lights, I sat there, thinking about Pierce. I wondered about the possibilities and things that I shouldn’t.
33
Pierce
“So you guys are going to have to make an appointment with Immigration soon,” Adrian was saying.
I nodded in agreement. “Ugh, I’d almost forgotten about that part.”
“Yeah, you’ll have to play the happy couple a few times so Sasha can apply for her citizenship. As soon as that’s taken care of, we can work on getting you two divorced.”
“Good, that’ll be good,” I said, though I didn’t sound convincing even to myself. Luckily, Adrian didn’t catch it.
“I’m thinking a few months, a couple of interviews, convince them you’re happy and that Sasha has gainful employment, and then you’ll be off the hook. No sense in dragging it out longer than need be.”
It made logical sense. So why, right now, do I want to see the goddamn woman so much?
"You sure you're good?" Adrian asked me for the fifth time. "Have you been overdoing it at the gym again?"
"No, Grandma," I intoned.
Common sense told me that the last thing Adrian wanted to hear was the truth.
"Seriously though," Adrian insisted, taking a savage bite of his pancake and patting me on the shoulder at the same time. "I'm a concerned friend. And as your concerned friend, I would truly like to know what the fuck is going on in that head of yours. You’ve been in a daze all damn morning."
I eyed him. Adrian was really asking for it. "You're sure?"
Adrian flung his hand to his chest. "Certain."
"Okay." He’d asked for it. I was tired of tiptoeing around. "Sasha and I have been together. Several times. I don't think it's just a fling. At least, it doesn’t feel like it for me."
Adrian's face stayed frozen in his expectant, interested expression, with his hand on his chest, for several minutes. Then, gradually, the expression gave way to one of complete horror.
"You're joking," he said in a very dangerous voice.
"I wish I was," I said. "This is really messing with my head."
The screech of a chair as Adrian stood up. "Messing with your head? Pierce Rowlings, tell me you are joking." He leaned in so that our faces were close, the deep V of his eyebrows and slits of eyes hyper-focused. "Tell me you are not fucking my baby sister."
I’m officially the worst friend ever.
"I'm sorry."
Laughter crowed out of Adrian, but it was anything but joyful. "You're sorry? So, Judas is sorry?"
His loud voice was already attracting attention. Not that I cared. I deserved it.
"There's no need to call me Judas," I said reasonably.
"And there was no need for you to screw my sister," Adrian said, getting to his feet. "I can't believe you. Did I not specifically state to stay away from her? Here all this time, I thought you were helping me out. Being my friend."
I stood up too. "I am doing this to help you. I am your friend. Adrian, I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
"But it did." Adrian's gaze cut through me. "It did."
He walked away without another word, leaving me standing there with his unfinished pancakes, my not-even-started eggs, and a giant helping of regret.
At the climbing gym, while working, things went from shitty to shittier.
"You told my brother about us?" Sasha demanded over the phone when I picked up.
"I'm sorry," I said. "It just slipped out."
"Just slipped out? That we’ve been fucking right under his nose? You do realize he's flipping out right now?"
"Let me talk to him."
"Oh no – you’re the last person he wants to talk to. He wants to beat the living shit out of you, Pierce."
"That's a bit over the top."
"I don't know if it is. How could you tell him? Especially when you didn’t even ask me first if it was ok!"
"I need your permission to tell the truth now?" I said.
A stunned pause. Then, "And what is the truth, Pierce? Do you want me? Or am I just a fling? Do you want to be with me? Or am I supposed to stay away from you? Do you want to try for something real? Or are you just helping out my brother? Make up your fucking mind because I’m getting whiplash over here!"
A beep and once again, I was alone, by myself with my regrets.
I flung myself further back in my office chair. Sasha's and Adrian's voices were still ringing in my head, battling with my own thoughts. Because really, what had I been thinking?
That was probably the problem. I hadn't been.
But the whole sneaking around business with Sasha was so tiring, and maybe, I wanted to give us a real go.
I’d been thinking of just myself. Selfish. Stupid. Just like me.
34
Sasha
"We need to talk," Adrian said, standing in the doorway.
I didn't even bother to ask how he found me at Marauders, one of the stores I was going to do business with. Instead, I just said, "Okay."
We were barely out the door, when he said, "How could you?"
"You already yelled at me about it over the phone earlier today," I reminded him. "My answers aren’t going to change now that you’re standing in front of me."
"After all I did for you," Adrian continued. "And you sleep with my best friend?"
“Listen, it wasn’t my idea to marry the guy,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, fake marry him, Sasha! Fake!” he bit back.
I blew out a breath. "I'm sorry, okay?" I said. "Not that that changes anything. But I didn't expect to be so attracted to him."
"And with Aleksi tailing your ass, you’re this close to making things even riskier by being with someone right now. If he is here and he sees you with another guy, he’s going to flip his shit, and things could get even more dangerous for you. Not to mention, are you even in a position mentally to move on and start over with someone new anyway?"
I swallowed. Adrian had hit the hail nail on the head, not that I wanted him to know that.
"We keep trying to stop it," I said weakly.
"Well then try harder," Adrian snapped. "Stay away from him. I meant what I said. I love Pierce like a brother – at least I used to – but he hasn’t had a relationship that lasted more than three months. He doesn't think relationships can work."
"So maybe it can’t. But after everything I’ve been through, would a rebound be
that bad?" I asked bitterly.
Adrian considered my question. "Pierce said it wasn't just a fling for him."
My heart stirred in my chest. He'd said that?
"I don't know what's going on," I said miserably.
"Well, I do," Adrian said. "You guys are staying away from each other."
"You're not the boss of me," I said.
Adrian gaped at me like I’d just said fairies were real. "Are you kidding me right now? I'm trying to protect you. Why won't you let me protect you?"
"Maybe because I don't need protection all the time!" I yelled back. "Maybe because I want the freedom to make my own mistakes, even if they'll hurt me."
"That's what I tried to let you do with Aleksi," Adrian said quietly. "I left you behind when I moved here because you said he was a good man. And look how that turned out."
I was silent. He had a point.
Adrian stared at the ground. He looked like a balloon that had all the air taken out of it. Deflated. "Still, I can't control you."
"I'm sorry," I said again, touching his shoulder.
Adrian shrugged off my hand and stormed away, saying nothing.
The meeting with the store owner didn't go as well as I had hoped since she wanted my items heavily discounted. Luckily, I had had enough success with other store owners that I could turn her down.
Back at the apartment, Adrian wasn't home. Something told me he was off drowning his sorrows somewhere, which was fine with me. It would be nice to have a chill night alone. I hadn't had one of those for a while now.
I did some sewing I'd been putting off, then watched an episode of Breaking Bad. Adrian still wasn't back when it was time for bed, so I brushed my teeth and tucked myself in.
I woke up to more creaks in the night. Reaching for my phone instinctively, I stopped myself at the last minute. No, I told myself, you are not calling Pierce.
The next second though, it was ringing. When I saw who it was, I picked up.
"Tatiana?"
"Sorry, I know it's late, but you have to know. I'm here at a party with my cousin, and he says he saw Aleksi, just the other day. At the shooting range."
Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set Page 81
