The Russian (Federal Hellions Book 2)

by Gray Gardner

  “Your rare coin assortment?” he smiled, waiting for her nerdy explanation of the historical significance of each coin.

  “No,” she shook her head, running her fingers across the glass. “This is how I know.”

  She seemed very excited, so he indulged her.

  “Know what?”

  “He loved me,” she breathlessly said. “This is proof that he really did love me. This one, I was the Junior Marksman champion, and my gold medal, and my science fair project that went on to the state science fair, and my first perfect report card, and my scores on—”

  “Burton,” he interrupted, looking down at the coins. “Your father loved you because he was your father. You don’t need proof that he loved you.”

  “Yes, I do,” she interrupted, looking desperately at him as they sat face to face. Her pink cheeks were still wet and sparkly.

  He rubbed his whiskers and studied her for a moment. He’d been sick with worry all night. He wanted to let her know how angry he felt, but the anger had dissolved into relief.

  “He… Nine times, see?” she said, in a shaky voice as she held out the frame. She gently set it on the comforter as she shook her head and wiped her eyes. “I only did nine things to make him proud of me.”

  “Okay, enough of this,” Connor said, standing and grabbing the frame. He held it above his head as she watched in a distracted way, and then smashed it on the shiny hard wood floor.

  Burton looked like she was going to have a heart attack. She leapt off of the bed and reached down for the broken glass and velvet board holding the coins when Connor suddenly grabbed her arm and pushed her down onto the pink trunk at the foot of her bed. He took the frame in his other hand, shook out the broken glass, and held it so that she could see the nine coins.

  “There are other people who are proud of you, too, Burton,” he said, still kneeling in front of her. He pulled out a quarter from his pocket and placed it into the tenth slot. “For graduating from one of the highest ranked secondary schools in Great Britain.”

  She wiped her nose as she stared at him in silence. There was anger and confusion swirling around her. She wasn’t protesting, though, so he continued.

  “For getting into UVA and graduating with top honors,” he said, placing a nickel in the next slot. “For the courage you found to go back to England and attend Oxford after everything. For graduating from Oxford with a double masters. For landing a job at Goldman-Sachs. For your honor, duty, and service in the US armed forces. For having the bravery to work for the CIA. For not marrying a douche like Ferguson.”

  She finally broke a faint smile as she sniffed and watched him pull out his final dime. He licked his lips and slipped it in the 18th slot.

  “For being so smart, and so beautiful, and so perfect, because you’ve made me fall in love with you and I really couldn’t be happier,” he quietly said, setting the framed coins on the broken glass on the floor and standing up. He tried not to make it look as hard as it was to say those things. He had a past too, and it was hurtful as well. He knew he had to go forward, though, and the only person he wanted to go forward with was her.

  She stared up at him, bewildered and torn between grabbing up her father’s love on the floor or the man who just outright told her that he loved her. It was so easy for him to say it. Should she say it back? Could she? She’d never really said it to her parents; that she could remember. She’d said it to Ferguson, and look where that had gotten her. Confusion was the main problem at that moment, but he’d just said something that had left him very exposed.

  She stood up and tried to say something to him, but he interrupted her with a long kiss. Now she knew. This was it. This was what she wanted. She wrapped her arms around him and was feeling very secure. Why couldn’t he just tell her before?

  They were tangled together on the canvas covered bed in no time, reaching for each other’s clothing and making love seconds later. Connor couldn’t stop telling her how he felt now. He wouldn’t waste his time with her ever again. He told her everything he loved about her, how he would spank her for running away from the base, and how he’d protect her as long as he could.

  She came again and again as he whispered those low, rumbling promises into her ear, gripping his muscular ass and pulling him into her even further.

  “I love you, too,” she softly said, looking into his eyes as his face grew determined and he came vigorously inside her.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry I wasted so much time,” he confessed, still lying above her on his elbows, waiting for his erection to ease and slide out of her.

  “No more time wasting,” she grinned, running her fingers through his hair as she looked up at him, loving the feel of his strong body on top of her. “And I am sorry I just left like that.”

  “Not as sorry as you’re going to be,” he grinned, watching her roll her eyes. “And not just from me, you naughty little girl. Gwinn’s got to come retrieve his boat and he’s probably going to make a detour over here to whip your thieving little ass.”

  She was about to comeback with another Gwinn insult when she frowned and turned her head to the side.

  “What?” Connor asked, sitting up and helping her right her clothes in the silence.

  Suddenly a scream and footsteps running away disrupted their passionate moment.

  “What was that?” Connor asked, protectively pushing her back as he got up and looked into the hallway.

  “Oh God!” Burton panicked, grabbing his hand and running down the hallway. “It’s the housekeeper! She’s going to call the cops!”

  Connor ran behind her as they turned a corner in the u-shaped corridor of the upstairs and practically fell head first down the tight service stairwell that led to the kitchen.

  “Rosa!” Burton called, suddenly stopping and holding up her hands. “Wait wait wait!”

  The frightened woman in a pale blue dress and white apron waved the frying pan in front of her as she tried to balance the huge old portable phone on her neck.

  “It’s Baylor!” Burton shouted, falling backwards and into Connor, who fell back onto the steep stairs as they narrowly avoided being smacked with the dangerous end of a frying pan.

  Rosa stopped swinging and paused. She dropped the phone to the floor and the pan onto the counter with a clang. Then she suddenly threw her hands up and screamed, “Winifred!”

  Burton and Connor winced at the shrieking as they stood up, then again fell backwards in terror as Winifred charged in through the back door with a shotgun.

  “It’s Baylor! It’s me!” she yelled, turning her head as Connor grabbed her and tried to pull them both back up the service stairs in a tangle of limbs.

  Winifred shrieked and both women began jumping up and down, clapping their hands and motioning for the pair to come out of hiding.

  “Oh Baylor!” Rosa cried, dabbing her eyes with her apron. “Come out and let me see you. You’re so grown-up!”

  “She’s wearing the same clothes as the day she left all those years ago,” Winifred smirked in her British accent, winking at her.

  Burton stood and brushed herself off in enough time to be tackled again with hugs from her long-time caretakers. Connor watched as they fawned all over her like proud parents. Her picture became clearer every second he was in this house.

  “Just make some tea, Winnie,” Rosa said, holding Burton’s face and smiling. “Now you tell us everything you’ve done, mi hija. And introduce us to your friend.”

  Burton wiped the kisses off of her cheek as she motioned for Connor to come over, introducing him as refreshments were passed around.

  The caretakers of the house glanced at each other and sipped their tea simultaneously. They liked the look of Connor. They loved having Baylor at home. And they had no idea what she’d been doing since she left with her aunt the day of the Burton’s funerals. They just got money in their accounts once a month, like always, and took care of the house and grounds, like always.

  “So,” Rosa began,
still looking Connor up and down. “What are you wearing to the ceremony?”

  Burton was still apologizing to Connor with her eyes when she replied, “Uh, ceremony?”

  “Didn’t you come back for the wedding?” Winifred asked, pouring more tea for Connor.

  “Who’s getting married?” she asked.

  “Why, Russell Campbell, of course,” Winifred said incredulously, gesturing at the Campbell’s house across the street. “If you aren’t here for his wedding then what are you doing here?”

  “I start my new job on Monday,” Burton answered, trying to smile but looking distant. “Okay, well, I’ll finish my tea on the front porch, thanks.”

  She ran out of the kitchen as Connor set his cup down and looked at the two surprised housekeepers.

  “She’s lost touch with all of her friends and she feels a little isolated,” he said, brushing his hands together. “I better go and talk to her.”

  “If you need anything just press the intercom, love,” Winifred said, pointing to the box in the wall. “We’ll be out of your hair in the back house.”

  “Take care of her,” Rosa nodded, as Connor briskly walked through the enormous house and out the large front door.

  She was sitting on the top step of the huge front porch, leaning against a white column and staring at the gated home across the street. He sat down and stared with her.

  She shook her head and looked down at her dirty tennis shoes. “He’s the sweetest guy on earth and he trusts everybody. He’s one of those guys who believes whatever people tell him because he has no reason to be suspicious…”

  “An optimist,” Connor grinned, wondering why she was cynical even before her life was turned upside down.

  “Exactly,” she nodded. “He’s so out of touch with reality.”

  Burton stared longingly at the colonial brick house across the street.

  “Okay,” Connor said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go.”

  “Wha…where?” she stuttered, as he held her hand and pulled her inside.

  Connor held her shoulders and firmly said, “We’re going to stop by your friend Russell’s house and wish him all the best. Get some closure with your friends. This is not up for discussion.”

  “Oh, yes, I called the Campbell’s wedding planner and they placed your names on the list for the cocktail reception at their house this evening.”

  “Uh, Rosa?”

  “The party starts in half an hour,” Winifred called from the hallway. “Now if you’re really that frightened then take Peter down to the parlor and fix yourselves a stiff drink.”

  She brushed a loose hair behind her ear and glanced up at Connor. He raised his brow and waited for a response. Shit. He turned and left, leaving her to throw something old on from her closet. She stared at herself in the mirror for 10 minutes before she finally went downstairs to join Connor. How did she let herself get talked into these situations? This was such a bad idea.

  She downed the scotch he’d poured her and took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she could do it. She turned and looked up at Connor, obviously in one of her dad’s old suits. He looked debonair and ready to make heads turn and she had to admit, it did make the idea of running into old friends a little easier to swallow if he was on her arm.

  After 30 minutes of psyching herself up, she finally nodded and began walking towards the front door. Connor quickly followed and winked at Rosa and Winifred as they stood and waved from the door to the living room, snapping a few quick pictures with their phones.

  Burton took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders.

  “By the way,” she began in an indifferent tone as they walked down the long sidewalk towards the street. “Don’t make yourself look so fuckable the next time we go out in public.”

  Connor grinned down at her and shook his head as they reached the street and watched the cars and limo’s pulling up to the long driveway. He reached down and took her hand, and she squeezed it tightly as they stood in silence.

  Connor and Burton slowly approached the large covered entry to the Campbell’s home, watching as the who’s who of DC and the entire eastern seaboard exited their expensive rides.

  “Friend of the groom or the bride?” he asked, a little too chipper as he held his pen to the clipboard and waited. He finally looked up in disgust and gave Connor a slight grin. “Military haircut. Must be a friend of the groom.”

  Burton looked at the guy as he drooled over Connor.

  “Russell joined the military?” she asked, swelling with pride.

  “Air Force,” the man giggled, closing his eyes and probably wishing he was a straight woman. “Uh, sorry. Friend of…”

  “Russell’s,” Burton nodded. “Burton and Connor.”

  “Enjoy,” the man smiled, stepping aside and tending to another guest. “Welcome.”

  Burton took a deep breath and held onto Connor tightly as they entered the Campbell’s foyer. It was just as she remembered, except with a dozen or so white floral arrangements spraying up towards the ceiling and about a hundred people crowding through a door to the large living area.

  “Honeysuckle and rosewater,” a young man said, standing behind Burton in a gray suit and sunglasses. “Now I haven’t smelled that since...”

  Burton closed her eyes and turned around. It was Russell, handsome as ever, standing right in front of her. His wavy blonde hair sticking to his head with some kind of hair product, and he looked almost like a sunglasses model.

  “Well what does an old friend have to do to get a hug and a kiss around here?” he asked, holding out his arms.

  Burton smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He laughed and hugged her back, not wanting to let her go either.

  “You’re getting married!” Burton cried, wiping her eyes and holding his hand, the wave of emotions at seeing her old friend making her tear up. “I never thought I’d see the day when Russell Campbell settled down.”

  “I never thought you would, either,” he grinned, taking her hand and reaching behind him for a little blonde girl’s hand. “Baylor Burton, this is my fiancé, Melissa.”

  Burton shook her hand and said, “It really is so nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Melissa smiled. “Ever since Yale I’ve heard nothing but Baylor this and Baylor that. And who is your gentleman friend?”

  “Wait a minute,” Russell smiled, taking a big whiff. “I smell a military man—Marines or a Green Beret, am I right?”

  Connor grinned and let Burton guide Russell’s hand to his.

  “That’s pretty perceptive, soldier,” Connor smiled. “Pete Connor.”

  “You’re a captain.” Russell nodded. “I’d know that tone from anywhere. Nice catch, Baylor. Did you pick him up at port this morning?”

  “Ha, Russ,” Burton smirked. “He’s my boyfriend.”

  The word didn’t just slip out. She practically choked on it, but she managed to say it regardless. She turned and looked up at Connor with a forced grin, but he pretended not to see as he concentrated on Russell.

  “Got yourself an American boyfriend in London,” Russell said, putting his arm around Melissa. “Well don’t screw it up, Baylor.”

  “Thanks a lot, Russ.”

  “No one knows you better than I do,” he grinned. “You little scallywag.”

  She shook her head and replied, “Don’t you have to have twenty-twenty vision to get into the Air Force, Goose?”

  “Turns out I’m a code breaker,” he smiled, tapping her head with his finger. “You don’t need sight to listen in on the enemy.”

  Burton watched Melissa admiring Russ and smiled as she stepped back.

  “Russ, congratulations. Melissa, it’s really a pleasure to meet you. Now we’ve monopolized your time long enough. You’re neglecting your real guests.”

  Russell took her arm and pulled her into a hug as she tried to back away.

  “Don’t wait another damned near decade before you come around again
,” he whispered. “You’ve been my best friend since, well, since forever.”

  “Congratulations,” Burton answered, sending him and his fiancé on their way. She turned and looked back at Connor. “Okay, I’m ready to go.”

  He nodded and stepped aside as she led the way back out to the almost empty driveway. Walking briskly, she finally stopped at the street and caught her breath. That was hard and easy all at once. Russell looked really happy.

  “You never mentioned he was blind,” Connor said, hands in his pockets, looking down at her.

  “I guess I never think about it,” Burton shrugged, looking down at her shoes and folding her arms in the cold night air. “He’s so successful! He graduated from Yale and landed a coveted position with the government and he’s marrying the perfect girl. And he deserves it all.”

  “And you don’t?” he asked, stepping into the street.

  She shook her head as the neighborhood grew darker and the lights from the party behind them grew brighter. Russell deserved everything he got. She couldn’t say that about herself, though.

  “Connor, you’re the best thing that’s happened to me in… ever. And, and I’m just really scared.”

  “Why are you scared?” he asked, as she stood up on the curb but even still was shorter than his 6’2” frame.

  “Because what if I lose you? I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t make it,” she replied, holding her head with one hand. “You are the only thing I have and I’m afraid that if I hold onto you too tightly and you still slip away there won’t be anything left of me.”

  “Hey,” he began, leaning in and wrapping his arms around her waist. “You aren’t going to lose me, okay? Okay?”

  She looked up at him with watery green eyes. She wanted to believe him. She really wanted to feel that secure. “You don’t know that…”

  “Well what’s certain then?” he asked, leaning down slowly and kissing her neck. She did smell like honeysuckle and rosewater.

  “Death and taxes,” she sarcastically replied, closing her eyes and trying to focus. She couldn’t really concentrate anymore when his warm lips moved along her collar bone.