by Roxie Rivera
When Dimitri finally emerged, he wore only pajama bottoms. He took the dish scrubbing brush from my hand and shook his head. "It can wait. Let's go to sleep."
"But Kostya—"
"Knows what he's doing," Dimitri gently interjected. "He's almost finished in there. He'll do my truck and leave." He pressed a concerned kiss to my forehead. "We need to talk."
With a nod of understanding, I grasped Dimitri's strong hand. We made our way to the bedroom, passing Kostya in the hallway. The serious look on the other man's face told me his night was just beginning. Making him a hot meal seemed like the very least I could do for him.
When we were safely ensconced in Dimitri's bedroom and the front door had been closed and locked, I asked, "How much do we owe Kostya?"
"Nothing." Dimitri slid onto his bed and tugged me down with him. The glimmer of moonlight coming through the wide slats of the wooden blinds painted his skin with bluish stripes. "This is a personal favor."
"It's a huge favor, Dimitri."
"I know." He slid his arms around me and cradled me against him. I pressed my ear to his chest and closed my eyes. The sound of his heartbeat eased the tension gripping my gut. With a rough sigh, Dimitri said, "The police will be here soon. I'm not telling you the details of what happened tonight. I want you to be able to be as truthful as possible with the police."
My head throbbed as anxiety took hold. "What am I supposed to tell them about Johnny being here tonight? Kostya made it sound like I’m supposed to pretend I didn't see him."
"You didn't see him tonight. You haven't seen him since your fight. He took your car and he left. End of story."
"I don't like lying, Dimitri. It's not right. The police aren't the enemy."
"No, they're not. The people who shot your brother? They're the enemy and they don't play by the rules. Your world view is colored by right and wrong, black and white, but that is not the real world, Benny. The real world is shades of grey and sometimes, to survive and protect the people we love, we have to lie our asses off. Do you understand?"
"Yes." I snuggled closer as a chill of fear coursed through me.
Dimitri must have sensed my fear because he caressed my arms and kissed my cheek. "You're safe with me, Benny. I'll never let anyone hurt you."
"I know you'll protect me."
"But you're worried about Johnny?"
"Yes."
"Listen to me, I can't promise you that I'll find an elegant solution to this mess, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep him alive."
I shivered at the stark reality Dimitri presented. My eyes burned as tears began to well up and spill onto my cheeks. I tried to cry silently but I sniffed a bit too loudly and Dimitri stiffened.
In the darkness, his rough fingertips stroked my wet face. He rolled me onto my back and gazed down at me, his face only just visible in the moonlight. "Lyubimaya moya." He kissed me lovingly. "Don't cry."
"I'm s-sorry." I felt like such a child as I wept but I couldn't make it stop. The fear and the pain and the uncertainty clawed at my heart. "I'm losing the bakery. I'm losing my brother. I'm losing everything, Dimitri."
After the awful turn our wonderful night had taken, I wasn’t taking any chances. I slid my arms around him and held on tight. He shifted onto his back again and dragged me onto him. His fingers threaded through my hair and his hand swept up and down my back.
"Not everything," he whispered lovingly and kissed me. "You'll never lose me."
I silently prayed that was true.
Chapter Thirteen
A loud, insistent knock ripped me from the deep sleep I'd been enjoying. For a split-second, I didn't know where I was. The feel of Dimitri's big hand sliding up my arm brought back the night's best and worst memories.
"Easy, Benny," he urged. "It's only the police."
I rubbed my face and cleared my throat. "How can you tell?"
He laughed. "That's a knock they teach at the academy." He squeezed my thigh. "I'll go deal with this. You should probably get up and make yourself presentable. They won't want to wait long."
The pinkish orange hue of early morning sunlight colored the room. Dimitri didn't even bother grabbing a shirt. He left the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and answered the incredibly loud knocks. My belly trembled with nerves but I forced myself out bed.
In the bathroom, I quickly ran through my morning routine. My hair was a wild mess but I managed to tame it into a low, sloppy bun. For the first time, I noticed the light scratches on my neck and the unmistakable love bites Dimitri had given me. I probably should have been embarrassed by the evidence of our lust-filled night but no longer cared who saw them. We were two adults. We loved one another. End of story.
Dimitri tapped on the door. "Sweetheart, when you're ready, there are two detectives here to see you."
I opened the door and stared up at him. "I don't know if I can do this."
He gripped my hand and kissed my cheek. "You can."
Dimitri practically dragged me out of the bedroom. My stomach somersaulted as I trailed after him into the living area. I felt sure I would puke—until I saw a familiar face.
"Santos?"
Detective Eric Santos stood just inside the door. He smiled at me. "Hey, Benny, it's been awhile."
"Yes, it has." I felt Dimitri's fingers tighten around mine. I glanced over at him but he wore that unemotional mask so I couldn't tell if he was jealous or curious about my history with the detective.
"Your girlfriend and I grew up a few doors apart," Santos explained. "I used to work downstairs in the bakery during high school and while I was at the academy." He looked a little sad. "I hear you're selling."
"Oh? Where'd you hear that?"
He shrugged. "People talk."
"At the moment, the plan is to relocate. We'll see how it plays out."
"Miss Burkhart," the other detective interrupted, "we've been here over a minute and you haven't asked us why we're here. Any reason for that?"
I managed to school my expression and muscle down the panic fluttering in my belly. "Detective…?"
"Carson."
"Well, Detective Carson, I have a young brother who thinks he's a gangster. When two police officers show up at my boyfriend's door this early in the morning, I just sort of assume he's done something really stupid."
"Where is he, Benny?" Santos arched an eyebrow. "We need to talk to him."
"I haven't seen him since yesterday. We had an argument and it got ugly and he left. He stole my keys and took off."
"Got ugly?" Santos' lips settled into a grim line. "Did he hit you?"
I shook my head. "No, it didn't get that far. It was an argument over selling the house and the building. That's all."
He didn't look convinced. Dimitri brushed his lips against my temple before he headed toward the kitchen to start coffee. He kept an eye on me as he worked and reassured me he was right there if I needed him.
Detective Carson pulled his cell phone from his pocket and tapped at the screen. "Is this your car?"
I moved closer and gasped. "What the hell happened to my car? Is that—was it on fire?"
Santos nodded. "It's lodged in an empty storefront ten blocks over, Benny. It's been shot up and, yeah, it caught fire. It's a total loss."
His information stunned me. Johnny walked or ran ten blocks after being shot and surviving that gnarly crash? "My brother was driving that car last night. Is he okay?"
"We don't know." Santos narrowed his gaze in suspicion. "You're sure you haven't seen him?"
"No. You would have found me in the emergency room if he'd come to me." The fact that I found it so easy to mix truth and lies made my stomach churn. What the hell kind of person was I becoming? "Did you check the ERs around town? Is he in one of them?"
Santos shook his head. "No one with his name or fitting his description came into any emergency room in the city." He hesitated. "I checked the morgues, just in case. He's not there either."
"Well where is he?" I did
n't know the answer so it was an easy thing to ask.
Santos shrugged. "That's why I got you out of bed at six on a Sunday, Benny. I figured if anyone knew where he was, it would be you."
I shook my head. "We aren't as close as we used to be, Santos."
Detective Carson turned to Dimitri. "And you, Mr. Stepanov? Do you know where Juan Burkhart is?"
Dimitri didn't miss a beat. He finished rinsing out the cast iron pan from last night and tugged the dish towel from his shoulder. "Johnny and I don't get along. I don't agree with the kind of life he leads. He wouldn't come to me for help. You'll probably want to ask some of the thugs and lowlifes he calls his crew."
"He's not the only one who has friends who are thugs and lowlifes," Santos grumbled as he jotted something down in his notebook.
Dimitri heard the snotty remark. Holding Santos' gaze, he said, "I'm sure you meet all kinds in your line of work, Detective."
Santos issued a short laugh and stuffed his notebook back into the pocket of his jacket. "Benny, I don't have to tell you how serious this is. This shooting? It could tip off a gang war. If you see Johnny, you've got to call me. He's not safe on the street."
"If he contacts me, I'll call you."
Santos stared at me. I could tell he didn't believe me. With a jerk of his head, he indicated his partner should head for the door. Dimitri got there first and smiled at them as he ushered them out of his place.
Pausing at the door, Santos extended one of his business cards to me. "You should be getting a call about the car soon. There's going to be a lot of paperwork so brace yourself, Benny. This isn't going to be a pleasant experience. Honestly, you probably need a lawyer. That building owner is going to want to sue."
I groaned and took the card from him. Could this morning get any worse?
Santos and Dimitri exchanged a look. Finally, Santos said, "You're friends with Ivan Markovic, so I know you're fully aware of the kind of shit these street gangs are willing to pull to save face. You better keep a close eye on Benny."
"I don’t need anyone to tell me how to protect the woman I love."
Santos left without another word and Dimitri shut the door. As soon as I was sure the two detectives couldn't hear us, I hissed, "Did you know about my car?"
Dimitri rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you can't fake surprise, Benny. The way you looked when that detective showed you the picture? They know you're in the dark now."
"But I'm not totally in the dark, Dimitri." I exhaled raggedly and wiped at my face. "I just lied to the police. The police! I'm going to go to jail!"
He clicked his teeth. "You're not going to jail. You don’t know anything. You haven't done anything. Hell, even Johnny didn't do anything truly criminal last night. He drove his car into a building but he was also trying to escape a barrage of bullets. He wasn't drinking. He probably wasn’t doing drugs. And I know he wasn't carrying a weapon because I confiscated his yesterday. At most, he could get charged with reckless driving."
"Then why can't we bring him in, Dimitri? You heard Santos. He can keep him safe."
"Where? In protective custody? If Johnny survives to testify at a trial, what then?"
"I don't know!" I threw up my hands and shouted at Dimitri. "I. Don't. Know!"
His expression softened and he embraced me. "Come here, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's not you. I just—I don't know what to do. I always have a plan. Lately, I feel like I'm screwing up everything. First, it was the business. Now, it's my brother."
"You didn't screw up the business. What's happened with the bakery is a combination of factors beyond your control. Are there things you could have changed? Maybe, but that's how you learn, Benny. We'll move the bakery and start over and you'll apply these lessons to the new venture." He swept his fingertips down my cheek. "And Johnny? He did this to himself. He's old enough to know right from wrong. Now he's paying the consequences."
"It's not just Johnny I'm worried about, Dimitri. What about you? What about Kostya? You two stuck your necks out last night. You helped Johnny because you love me. What kind of girlfriend am I to drag the man I love into my brother's gangster bullcrap?"
"Don't," Dimitri chided softly and traced my lips with his thumb. A teasing smile curved his sexy mouth. "You're the best girlfriend in the whole world."
I chortled and rolled my eyes. "Be serious."
"I am."
"No, you're being silly."
"I thought we could use a little silliness. The mood in this room has grown way too serious."
"There's a reason for that."
Cupping my face, he nuzzled our noses together. "Benny, everything I've done for you, I'd gladly do all over again." Before I could protest that he'd done too much and risked too much, he silenced me with one of those sensual kisses that made me a little loopy with desire. "Now, we're going to take a shower and have breakfast. Then I'm taking you home so you can get some clothes."
After being kissed like that, I couldn't think of a single reason to argue with him. Inside the steamy confines of the shower, Dimitri used those skillful hands and that sinfully talented mouth of his to make me forget all about the problems plaguing me. I slipped back into my dress from the night before but didn't have any clean undies. Of course, Dimitri loved the idea of me going without panties every day…
When we finished breakfast, I waited for Dimitri to grab his keys and wallet and phone. In the rush to make out last night, I'd left my clutch in his truck. As we came downstairs, I could hear the morning crew opening up the bakery for our short Sunday hours. I fought the urge to duck in and greet them. By now, they would have heard the news about Johnny. I didn't think I could face them right now.
Dimitri seemed to understand my hesitance so we took the long way around the building, ducking around the back. As we rounded the corner to the parking lot, my steps faltered at the sight of five Hermanos gang members loitering near a dark blue SUV. Always strong and so courageous, Dimitri didn't even slow down. He interlaced his fingers with mine and gave me one of those reassuring smiles that made everything better.
"Hey, uh, Benny?" One of the tattooed guys stepped forward but didn't dare get any closer. His nervous gaze jumped to Dimitri who smoothly moved just in front of me, ready to block whatever might come. "Uh, you don't know me, but I'm friends with your brother."
"And?" I didn't know this guy from Adam but the amount of ink on his neck and arms told me he was bad news. I probably should have been a bit more diplomatic but I didn't want him to know how much he frightened me.
"Have you seen Johnny?"
I shook my head. "No."
"You sure?"
"Are you calling my girlfriend a liar?" Dimitri took a step forward and they all stepped back. He towered over them by half a foot and had the bulk of so much lean muscle on his frame. These gang members were all thin and wiry. They couldn't take Dimitri in a fist fight but he'd be defenseless against a gun. I gripped Dimitri's hand tighter, afraid he would get badly hurt.
"No way, man." The Hermanos member put up both hands. "We're just trying to find our guy. We don’t want any trouble with any of Nikolai's friends."
"Then get the hell out of here!" Dimitri gestured to the road. "You don't need to worry about Johnny. He's been taken care of."
The gangbanger's eyes widened. Dimitri's statement could be interpreted many ways. The guy didn't stick around to ask which one it was. He whistled and his men piled into the SUV and sped out of the parking lot.
Dimitri grasped my arm and tugged me toward his truck. He unlocked the door and basically tossed me onto the front seat. His gaze moved around the parking lot, as if he expected trouble. When he got into the driver's seat, he didn't even bother buckling his seatbelt before he gunned it and got us out of there.
It wasn't until we were idling at a red light that he buckled his belt and glanced at me. He reached for my han
d and brought my knuckles to his lips. He kissed them softly. "I'm sorry I was so abrupt back there. I wasn't sure how to read that crew. I couldn’t be sure they weren't going to circle around and shoot at us."
"God, Dimitri, is it ever going to be normal again for us?"
"Soon," he promised and eased on the gas as the light switched to green.
"What did you mean about taking care of Johnny?"
"What I said," he answered matter-of-factly. "He's taken care of. They don't need to worry about him. Hopefully, they'll tell the other gang the same thing."
"But you made it sound like he was, you know, dead."
Dimitri's hand tightened around mine. Regret filled his voice. "Benny, for all intents and purposes, Johnny will be."
My heart stuttered, and my eardrums throbbed. "What do you mean?"
Dimitri winced at my squeaked question. "I mean that Johnny probably has a hit out on him. Both sides of this mess will want to shut him up before the cops find him. They already know Detective Santos and his partner were at my apartment. You can bet on that. They'll watch you and hope you lead them to him."
"I wouldn't!"
"Not on purpose," he replied, "but it's easy to accidentally let something slip, especially if he stays close by." With a shake of his head, Dimitri said, "No, Benny. He has to go away."
"For how long?" The thought of losing Johnny left me feeling so empty. My heart ached so badly.
"Forever."
My jaw dropped. "No, Dimitri!"
"Benny!" He said my name in that forceful, calm tone of his. "You have two choices here. Johnny stays nearby or he leaves. If he stays, they're going to find him and clip him. So you need to decide, lyubimaya. Do you want to visit your brother in another town or in a graveyard?"
When he put it like that, there wasn't really a choice to be made. Lower lip wobbling, I whispered, "Send him away, Dimitri. Save his life."
* * *
