“Your grandfather kept a notebook that had information that could hurt a lot of good people,” Mitya said.
“That would be the reason he didn’t complete the drop. He wouldn’t have wanted to be responsible for that. Especially if he knew or liked them.”
She was probing the wound in his thigh. It had bled a lot, but he’d had bad, and this wasn’t that bad. More like annoying. It hurt, but he’d had worse.
“It’s still in there, Mitya,” she said.
“Well, don’t dig around for it,” he advised. “Did you ever hear about a notebook?”
“No. If he told my father, the information was never passed down to me. My father would have told me. He probably would have told you. We need the car.”
Mitya opened his eyes immediately. “Kotyonok.” He whispered the endearment. “I’m going to be fine. I’ll live long enough to pull you over my lap and punish you for all your indiscretions.”
He wanted to make her laugh, but she didn’t. She looked scared. Her gaze shifted from him to Sevastyan, looking for reassurance.
“He’s the devil,” Sevastyan said. “You can’t kill the devil, little sister.”
“In the spirit of full disclosure, I feel I should state I have exceptional hearing. Lying up on the roof, the wind blowing toward me, I could hear every word you all said.”
Mitya looked at his cousin and shook his head slightly. He didn’t want Ania to know about their double life. They were already in danger from Lazar. That threat was a much bigger one, or at least it had been until Amory and Kris had come after a piece of evidence that could turn every crime lord against them. Ania might or might not have heard, but he didn’t want her brought any further into danger. Hopefully everyone would think she was a beautiful piece of eye candy on his arm, one that didn’t have a brain in her head. She’d run her father’s business for the last three years, but she was selling it. Maybe . . .
“Mitya.” Her voice was very soft.
He turned his head with a bit of an effort and looked right at her. Looking at her hurt, especially now that her eyes had gone a strange amethyst. Gorgeous. Such a deep purple, yet a hint of crystalline. He knew her leopard had to be beautiful. The little monster, wreaking havoc on all of them, but especially Ania.
“If I could get my hands all the way around your throat, I would strangle you with them. And if you fall asleep, I’m finding cuffs and you’ll be immobile while I spank your booty and see how you like it.”
Sevastyan turned away, coughing, as the car came up the drive.
She glared at him. “I have cameras everywhere and there’s bound to be a video of Mitya covering your body with his, and just so you know, Mr. Security Expert, the next time I want to go somewhere and your hotshot boss says I can’t go, I’ll be playing that video unless you play ball with me.”
“For God’s sake, Mitya. Who is this woman?” Sevastyan wiped his face, smearing blood and dirt with his hand. “I think I was wrong about her not being compatible. She’s the devil’s bride.”
Mitya shrugged his wide shoulders. Ania was leaning over him, wiping at the laceration bleeding profusely on his head, where a bullet had parted his hair. She smelled of gunpowder, the night, and that elusive fragrance that was all her. Her breasts were close to his face and all he had to do was turn his head slightly and nuzzle close. She wore a tank and little else. She must have gotten undressed to get in bed when she decided to eavesdrop. He would have to remember that she had excellent hearing and she wasn’t ever going to be that woman relegated to the background.
He would have to find a good balance for them both. He wasn’t going to have her carrying around a sniper’s rifle or, worse, have Sevastyan put her on Mitya’s security. He wouldn’t put it past his cousin. He turned his head just as she shifted forward, cleaning the blood with her wipes. The action pressed her breasts against his cheek. He felt the soft curves and instantly his body reacted.
Hell. He was in pain. He’d been shot. He was lying on the ground stark naked and he was reacting to her. It wasn’t her breasts. Well. Okay. It was and it wasn’t. Her body would always give him an erection. That was just something they both were going to have to live with. He liked her sass. He liked her attitude. It was ridiculous when he needed her to do whatever the hell he told her to do, but still, that attitude gave him the hard-on from hell. His cock ached almost as badly as or worse than his body.
Ania sank back onto her heels and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm. “It’s been a long night.”
“I’m sorry about your father, baby,” he said softly. “I swear, Ania, there was no turning back. He was too far gone, and he didn’t try, not even when you called to him. He looked right at me, and I knew he trusted me to end his leopard as quickly and as painlessly as possible.”
He had to tell her, even though he hated bringing it up again. He needed to tell her for both their sakes. Even though he wanted to do anything but talk about something that caused her pain and distress.
She brushed his bloody, matted hair from his forehead with gentle fingers. “I know, Mitya. Thank you. It couldn’t have been easy on you. I don’t know what to do about Jewel. She accepted your leopard, but now she is certain he will kill us both when she emerges. She’s very afraid of him. What did he say or do to cause that?”
He didn’t know, but he was sure as hell going to find out. The men were there, standing over him, ready to transport him to the car.
Sevastyan and Vikenti got their arms under him. “Are you ready?”
Mitya took a deep breath and steeled himself. Pain burst through him, radiating outward through his entire body, wrenching his gut. Sweat broke out. Air burst from his lungs, raw and burning.
Zinoviy had the door to the back seat open and they put him onto the leather seat. Sevastyan took the sniper rifle and put it in the trunk. Ania slipped in next to Mitya and Sevastyan got in close to her while Zinoviy took the front seat with Vikenti.
“I’ll find out, baby.” He had no idea. Dymka hadn’t shared with him any conversations he’d had with the little female, but something had upset her. Whatever it was had nearly cost him Ania. The leopard had helped to drive that emotional storm, feeding Ania’s painful sorrow rather than soothing and consoling her.
“Did you have a plan to leave me?”
He tipped sideways until his head was in her lap. She stroked caresses through his hair, uncaring of the blood she was getting on her or the seat.
“Of course I do. It’s a good one too. I don’t do too many things without a plan. Running wasn’t going to work. You obviously would have come after me. I knew at the memorial quite a few people would come, including Drake Donovan. He specializes in protection. I was going to ask him to help me.”
Mitya went still. Sevastyan did as well. Vikenti and Zinoviy glanced back at her.
“Ania, Drake is leopard. He has to abide by the laws of the leopard world. We’re a bonded pair. Jewel accepted Dymka as her mate. He can’t interfere.”
“Not as a leopard, but he runs a protection agency, and by all accounts, he stands for women. I would have approached him as a woman, not a leopard. I would have told him I was terrified and ask for his protection. What could he have done?”
“He would have been killed,” Mitya explained quietly, his heart pounding all over again. “I would never have allowed him to take you from me. I would have challenged him to fight and he would have had no choice but to accept. I would have killed him.”
She was silent, chewing on her lower lip, her brows drawn together in a little frown. “But that’s the leopard world.”
“It isn’t separate, Ania. He has to abide by the laws.” Mitya made every effort to keep his voice soft. He reached up to take her hand, pulling it from his forehead, although he hated to lose her stroking fingers. “I’ll talk to you more about this later.” Because truthfully, he was too damn
ed tired to go into it.
“Lights on. Doc’s car’s in the driveway,” Vikenti announced. “He was already on his way to Ania’s estate, so he was close.”
“Thank God,” Sevastyan said. He glared at Kiriil and Matvei, who both looked guilty. They stood right out in front, ready to be harshly reprimanded for allowing Ania freedom.
9
THE memorial for Ania’s father was held on the fourth day after his death. Mitya arranged everything. He stood tall and straight, looking so invincible, she knew no one would ever suspect that he was injured in any way. They held the short service at Mitya’s estate rather than hers because they didn’t want anyone wandering around.
The cleaners had come and had gone through the grounds as well as every room, mopping up every bit of evidence that anything violent had happened there. Her father had been cremated as all shifters were. No evidence of them could remain. Mitya and his staff had planned every detail, including adding more security. They did so in order to accommodate the various families attending the service.
Nearly every crime family was represented. Fyodor Amurov and his brother were there, along with Joshua Tregre, Elijah Lospostos, Emilio Bassini and Fredo Lombardi. The Caruso family as well as the Anwar family showed up from Houston. Jake Bannaconni and Drake Donovan arrived with their wives as well. So many people came to pay their respects to her father.
Ania stayed very close to Mitya, feeling so sad she could barely breathe. Mitya seemed well tuned to her every emotion because he kept his arm around her, holding her beneath his shoulder, sometimes answering for her when she couldn’t summon up any kind of pleasantry.
She liked having Evangeline and Ashe there. Although they mingled with the other women, they stayed very close to her and more than once diverted attention from her. Inevitably, Mitya had no choice but to let her go with the women while some of the men insisted on talking to him. He looked to Evangeline and Ashe as usual, and they came up on either side of her to shield her from the crowds.
“Let’s get you something to drink and maybe a pastry,” Evangeline said. “I’m sure we can find somewhere quiet to sit.”
The moment she was outside of Mitya’s protection, Alessandro Caruso came over to her with his father, Marzio. Ania would have avoided Alessandro if possible but knew it would be terribly rude to do so with his father. She let him take her hand and lean over it as if he might kiss her knuckles with old-world charm.
“Ania. You remember me? You used to come with your grandfather or father and sit on the floor playing while we talked. My beautiful Ann would sneak you treats your father said you couldn’t have.”
She managed a wan smile. “I do remember those times. They were wonderful.”
“Your father was my friend for many years. I should have visited him more often, but these last few years have been tough on my Ann, and I left most of the business to my boys and just stayed in with her. I regret that.”
“My father loved Ann. He wouldn’t have wanted you to do anything else.”
Marzio Caruso looked around the room and then caught her wrist very gently. His sons were suddenly there, all four of them, making a pathway for their father to the little room off the great room, the one few people had entered. She saw immediately that it was held by the Caruso security force.
“I would like to speak to you alone, Ania, and the matter is extremely private,” Marzio said.
She gripped Evangeline’s hand, her lifeline, and looked at Ashe, hoping both would stay close. “I’m not certain it’s a good idea right now,” Ania replied, keeping her voice steady. “I’ve been upset over my father’s death. I have no other family, and losing him has been a terrible blow.”
“I know how close the two of you were,” Marzio said. “But surely so many years of friendship warrants me a little bit of your time.”
She didn’t know how to graciously refuse him. She nodded to Evangeline and reluctantly let her allies go. Evangeline and Ashe moved just a little distance away.
The moment the two women put distance between them, Kiriil and Matvei moved close. “Ania,” Kiriil said gently. “Mitya gave specific instructions.”
Ania lifted her chin at Marzio, grateful beyond anything that Mitya, even out of her sight, was looking after her. “If you wish to speak to me, my bodyguards have to be with us.”
Marzio frowned. “They will report every word to Mitya.”
“There is no choice in this matter.” She was already on emotional overload and she was fearful of anything Marzio said to her. She was okay with not having the conversation, and the head of the Caruso family could clearly see that. He nodded abruptly.
Ania entered the room with both Kiriil and Matvei, who immediately took up the two best positions in the room. Once the Caruso family entered, everyone else left, leaving her alone with Marzio’s sons and their personal bodyguards. She was extremely grateful again for her two bodyguards, something she hadn’t thought possible.
Ania decided she had to come out of the fog she was in and take charge. She indicated the two armchairs. “Would you care for something to drink?”
“No, no, cara, I know you have spoken to Alessandro and he has indicated to you that Donato would like to purchase your business. That is for another discussion. This one is one I don’t wish to have because I fear it will ruin our friendship, and that is very valuable to me.”
She tried to keep her frown from showing. She didn’t have Mitya’s expressionless mask. “Please continue, signor Caruso.”
“Marzio, Ania. We won’t be formal. It is your alliance with Mitya Amurov that is distressing me. This man is not a good man. His father is one of the worst of the bratya. Everyone fears him. There are rumors of this man coming here to either kill his son or do business with him. In any case, you cannot win with a man such as Amurov. They are violent and have no problem killing women and children. They deal in things we would never think to deal with. They kill rather than keep their word. These are not good men.”
He patted her hand. “I don’t say these things to you lightly or to upset you. I weighed whether or not to approach you but could not neglect my duty to Antosha’s beloved child.”
“I appreciate that you care enough to talk to me,” she said, uncertain how to reassure him. Now she knew why he didn’t want a witness. She didn’t dare look at her bodyguards, and knew Mitya was going to know everything said, probably before she had a chance to tell him. It was obvious that Marzio was sincere. “But you do business with Mitya. All of you do.”
“Business is one thing, allowing a man like this to have a treasure is something else. Alessandro tells me your female is close to the Han Vol Dan.”
She glanced at his son. The brothers were across the room, giving their father privacy, but she knew they could hear every word. She inclined her head slowly.
“I have four sons, all good men. All willing to marry you and treat you with the respect you deserve. Alessandro in particular would very much like to have a chance with you.”
She leaned toward the patriarch of the Caruso family. So far, everything Marzio had said was the strict truth. She could hear the ring of sincerity in his voice. “My leopard has accepted Mitya’s leopard’s claim. They are bonded together. You know that’s sacred. Once done, the law of our people is strictly on his side.”
Ania was extremely glad that Mitya had touched on that very thing a few days earlier. She wouldn’t have known what to say.
“Your female isn’t as certain of the bond as you appear to think,” the older man said, his voice gentler than ever.
Ania cursed her wayward leopard. She was new at this, bonding with her female, happy she had her, but not knowing what to do when Jewel was so afraid of Dymka. She had to get Evangeline or Ashe alone for a talk.
“They’re bonded,” she repeated. “My female is nervous, yes, but she accepted the pairing.”
“It has to be her first cycle, and she can make a mistake.”
This was worse than it would have been had Marzio been talking to her about her father’s death. She feared that subject was coming next. She glanced toward the door. One of Marzio’s sons, Benedetto, leaned against it. He was a good-looking man and very serious. There was no laughter in his eyes, just that focused stare that told her his leopard was very close. She sent up a silent prayer that Jewel didn’t suddenly decide to rise.
“Marzio, it is too late to have this conversation, although I appreciate your concern.”
“He can be challenged.”
Her gaze jumped across the room to Alessandro. At the same time her heart accelerated, and every leopard in the room heard. She shook her head. “Don’t let any of your sons try that, Marzio, please. First, I know I am his mate. I know it. I can’t say in all honesty that I’m not nervous sometimes, but I can say I know I’m supposed to be with him. You can’t defeat him in a fight. None of you can.”
The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back. These men, his sons, were strong, healthy and full of pride. She had just as much as told them she didn’t think they were nearly up to challenging Mitya or his leopard—which she didn’t, but she should have been far more careful.
“You know a little of his past, Marzio. I know quite a bit more. His leopard is a fighting machine. In any case . . .” She made a move to stand. “Mitya is my choice.”
Marzio laid a gentle hand on her knee to keep her from moving. “If this is your choice and I can’t persuade you to listen to reason, I will have to accept it. Just be aware you have allies in the Caruso family. Your father was a friend I cared about. Do you know who was behind the supposed robbery? He spoke to me a few times right after the shooting occurred and he indicated at that time that he believed his family had been targeted.”
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