“Are you okay, angel?” he asks as he stretches out his hand to help me out. I nod, as I find my voice is non-existent. Placing my hand in his, I feel him pulling me towards him. When I’m finally free from the bed, he takes me in his arms, hugging me close. I can hear his heart racing under my ear. “You’re safe now,” he says as he kisses the top of my head.
“No one here,” I hear Vlad say as he appears in the doorway. “Is she okay?”
“Da,” Dimitri says as he looks over at Vlad. “Let’s see the cameras. Where was he, angel?”
I lift my head from Dimitri’s chest and look up at him. “He was by the lamp in the lounge. I think he was placing something there. Then he came in here, but someone phoned him and he ran out of here, but, Dimitri, he is Russian. When he answered the phone, he spoke in Russian.”
“Motherfucker,” I hear Vlad growl as he turns and walks out. Dimitri stands and helps me up. When we’re both standing, I see his eyes lower. Following his eyes, I see that my robe has opened over my breasts and my bra is in view. Hurriedly, I pull the robe together, trying to cover myself. I feel Dimitri’s finger under my chin, gently pulling my chin up.
“You are beautiful. Don’t cover yourself from me,” he says, which makes tears fill my eyes. If he saw the rest of my body, he wouldn’t say that. “Shh, don’t cry, angel. It’s over now.”
He thinks I’m crying because of what happened. To be honest, I don’t really know. I think I’m crying because of everything that happened today and before.
“Dimitri, we have a problem,” Vlad says as he walks into the room again. I quickly turn away as I wipe the tears from my cheeks. I feel Dimitri standing behind me, covering Vlad’s view of me. “I think the fucker was placing listening bugs in the apartment.”
Listening bugs? Does that mean he is a cop?
“We’re going to have to swipe everything and see where he has been. Is there no sign of him?” Dimitri says.
“Except for the bugs, no,” Vlad says. “Did you see what he looks like, Ruby?”
I finally turn around and look at him. Dimitri is still standing mostly before me, but I have the feeling that’s the way he wants it.
“I didn’t see his face, as he had a mask on, but I heard his voice and saw his shoes.”
Vlad frowns but nods at my statement. “Well, that’s something to go on. I just wonder how he got out without us seeing him on the way.” At his words, I think of the noise I heard before the crack of the door. Is it possible? Should I mention it? They might think I’m making things up.
“Maybe he’s still inside. I heard a light grinding noise that sounded like the doors of the dumbwaiter lift, but I don’t think he could fit in there.” At the mention of the dumbwaiter, I sense Dimitri’s tension. Before I can say anything else, he takes my hand and walks out of the room, with me hurrying after him. Vlad is a couple steps ahead of us.
“Stay here,” Dimitri says as he lets go of my hand at the entrance to the kitchen. Only now do I notice the gun in his other hand. Vlad is standing next to the door of the dumbwaiter; Dimitri goes to stand on the other side. Vlad nods at Dimitri before he stretches out and pulls at the door to the dumbwaiter, but it doesn’t open, which means it has gone down to the main kitchen.
“We must get rid of these fucking dumbwaiters,” Vlad says angrily. “This fucker could be anywhere in the building.”
“The only way he would get out at another apartment is if someone called the lift, and from what Ruby said, someone warned him that we were on our way,” Dimitri says as he pulls out his phone and dials. “Place the building on lockdown. No one comes in or out,” he says into the phone.
“I have to go tell Alexei,” Vlad says as he pulls his hands through his hair. “He’s going to want a meeting. I suggest you find out as much as possible.” Dimitri nods as Vlad starts to make his way out. I quickly get out of his way, but he stops before me, which has my stomach instantly knotting.
“I’m sorry this happened. We will find him,” he says before he continues on his way out of the apartment. Only now do I see the door to the apartment is off its hinges on the top. One of them must have kicked the door in for it to be like that. I jump when I feel fingers stroking my neck. Instantly, Dimitri pulls away.
“Relax, you’re safe now,” he murmurs as he leans down and kisses my forehead. “I need to go see if we can find the intruder, but I’m going to leave someone outside the door. If anything, just scream and he will be with you immediately.”
After what happened, I don’t want to be by myself, but I understand that he needs to go look for who was in the apartment. Before I can think about it, I take a step closer and place my arms around his waist as I lay my head against his chest. Instantly, that feeling of fear that was starting to overwhelm me starts to subside as I hear his heart and feel his arms surround me as he hugs me back.
“Try to sleep, angel. You will be safe for the rest of the night, and I will be with you as soon as I can.” For the first time in a very long time, I am looking forward to the company of a man again.
DIMITRI 9
As soon as I walk out of the apartment, I let my fury loose. When I find the fucker who entered my apartment and frightened Ruby, I will have his balls. I promised to keep her safe, but even with all the security in the building, someone got in. Luckily it doesn’t look like he was there for her, but if he had somehow found her, would he have hurt her?
The anger that courses through my body is like a volcano wanting to erupt when I think of the things that could have happened today. Whomever it is, he is either one of ours or he had help from one of ours. There is no way he could have gotten away in that lift if someone didn’t call it for him to get out. I doubt he got out in the kitchen, but that is the first place I will start.
Pressing the ground floor button, I send a message to two of my most trusted men. I’m going to find the asshole who frightened Ruby, and when I do, he’s going to suffer. Stepping out of the lift, I make my way toward the kitchen. As I walk in, I hear the usual chatter from the kitchen staff and the men who usually come in for a meal.
Alexei has this kitchen in the building to feed most of the men who live here and don’t have women to take care of them. Walking to the back where the dumbwaiters are, I start opening them and calling down the ones that aren’t here. “Are you looking for something?” Tatiana asks as she brings a covered plate and places it in one of the dumbwaiters and sends it up.
“Have all the dumbwaiters been working fine today?” I ask, and she frowns as she turns towards me.
“We have only had a problem with one of them, but the stupid thing is working fine now. This evening, it wasn’t working. Actually, I think it’s the one that goes up to your apartment.” She walks around me and points towards one of the dumbwaiters. “Is that why you are here? Is it still not working?”
“Yeah, just checking what the problem was.”
She shrugs and closes the doors to the dumbwaiter. “I have no idea, but it’s working now. Maybe someone didn’t close the door properly.” With that, she turns and leaves. I poke around, but there is nothing to find. I think whoever it is entered through one of the apartments.
“Is there a problem?” I look at Sin as he walks towards me. I have known Sin for a couple years, and he is a mean son of a bitch when crossed, but I know I can trust him.
“We are on lockdown; I need you to check if there is anyone in the building who shouldn’t be here. No one leaves until we are happy.” That is what I like about Sin—he doesn’t ask questions. He simply nods, turns, and leaves to go do my bidding.
I walk out of the kitchen and see Devon arrive; Devon is a genius with computers. If there is something to hack, we ask him. Devon was born to a Russian father and South African mother, but his parents were killed in a burglary when he was young, and one of his father’s relatives took him in.
Devon doesn’t talk much, but he’s the best listener. “I need you to check all the cameras and see if there is a
nyone suspicious in the building. Someone broke into my apartment this evening, and I want to know who.” At my statement, I see the surprise in his eyes. “I suspect he went down in the dumbwaiter. Therefore, check any other methods of escape that he could have used, or anyone leaving one of the other apartments who doesn’t belong there.” Devon nods and turns to leave. “Devon, I don’t want anyone to know just yet.”
He pauses. “No problem,” he murmurs, and leaves.
Time to check with the men at the entrance to the main lift if there was anyone new coming in. I have a feeling this is someone internal, but if that is the case, I need to rule out every other possibility first. Why would anyone want to bug my apartment? It’s not as if I discuss business there. Could we possibly have an undercover cop among us? If that is the case, he hides his tracks well, as Devon has always found hidden information about anyone.
Alexei will be furious if it’s one of ours, not to mention Vlad. He doesn’t do well with betrayal. A couple hours later, I have spoken to all the men on guard, when I receive a text from Alexei asking me to his office. I’m nearly certain of what to tell him, but not one hundred percent, and I don’t like not being one hundred percent, especially when it’s as personal as this has become.
Walking into Alexei’s apartment a few minutes later, I’m surprised to see him alone, his back to me as he looks out the floor-to-ceiling windows. When I close the door to his office, he turns. “Dimitri, what happened?” I know Vlad updated him on what happened, but knowing Alexei, he will want to know from me my intake of what occurred to see if there is anything we might have missed.
One thing that Alexei is good at is being thorough. He does not decide on things without being one hundred percent sure that the information he has received is correct. “I received a call from Ruby earlier tonight.” I go on to explain to him what happened until I left the kitchen. As he moves towards his desk and sits down, I take the seat before him before I continue with my account.
“I asked every man who was and is on guard if they saw anyone, or if there were any outside visitors. I have looked at all the logs for the last three days, and Devon is looking at every camera to see if he can find anything out of place. Until now, there has been nothing, which leads me to believe that it might be an inside job.”
Alexei nods as he sits forward and places his hands on the desk. “Vlad did a sweep of my apartment earlier when he came up and found no bugs. Why do you think this person would want to bug your place?” Alexei asks with a frown.
“I have no idea. It’s not as if I have any work-related conversations at home,” I state.
“You think who did this is working with the police?” he asks.
“For now, that is the only explanation that makes sense, but what doesn’t make sense is it being my place. Anyone who belongs to us knows that’s my apartment. Why would they target me?” I say as I pass my hands through my hair, feeling the frustration growing, as my questions aren’t being answered.
“Do you think this has anything to do with your wife?” Alexei asks. I knew this question was coming, and for the hundredth time since this happened, I ask myself the same question and once again come away without an answer.
“I don’t know, but how would they know she’s here, and what are they trying to find out from her that requires them to bug our apartment? She doesn’t know why this happened to her family.”
Alexei nods as he leans back once again in his chair. “We need to find who this person is. Vlad tells me that Ruby heard the man when he was on the phone.”
I know what’s coming. I want to refuse, but I also know it’s the only way to get to the truth.
“She might be able to identify him.”
“I can do this one of two ways; one, I keep us on lockdown while I have every man come into my office and have Ruby hear his voice. Or two, I lift the lockdown and take Ruby around in the next week, introducing her to everyone without lifting suspicion until she hears the person.”
“I want the first one,” Alexei says, which surprises me, as I thought he would choose the second option. “I want to find the traitor as soon as possible, and I want it done in my office. I will be here too, but we will start early tomorrow morning. I don’t want people walking in and out of the apartment at this time of night, waking up Jade and my son.”
I nod. Already my mind is planning the best way forward.
“Now go find some sleep, Dimitri. Inform your men what is happening and that we will start at nine in the morning.”
At his dismissal, I stand. “I want to find this son of a bitch. I don’t like the idea of how close he came to Ruby,” I say. “Goodnight, Boss.” With that, I turn and leave, heading downstairs to my apartment and my wife. On the way, I send a text to Devon and Sin to let them know what is happening, and the lockdown will remain until we are done with the inquiry. At the door to the apartment, I see Andre leaning against the wall. His eyes are alert, his stance ready for any foul play. Andre is one of the best bodyguards we have. He usually guards Jade when Nik is busy elsewhere.
“Anything happen?” I ask.
“No, but I heard your wife moving around inside. It sounded like she was cleaning.”
Damn, I’ve told her we can get someone in to do the cleaning, but she wants to do it herself. Says she’s bored not doing anything the whole day and it distracts her. She probably couldn’t sleep with everything that happened; I don’t blame her. Instead of staying home and making sure she felt safe, I had to leave. What the hell did I expect?
“Thanks, Andre. You can leave. If I need anything, I will let you know.”
He nods before turning and making his way towards the lift. When I open the front door, the first thing I see is Ruby lying on the couch, fast asleep. I quietly step inside and close the door behind me. Walking towards Ruby, I stand over her and notice that her eyes are puffy. Fuck, I should never have left. It’s clear to see that she has been crying. Of course, she must be scared. Why wouldn’t she be with everything that has happened to her?
Leaning down, I take her in my arms. Her sweet essence surrounds me, making me instantly hard. This woman turns me on like no one ever has before. “Dimitri,” she murmurs as she burrows her head against my chest. To know that she has come to a stage of feeling comfortable enough to be close to me and not be scared is accelerating. Walking into her room, I start to lay her down on the bed, but then she cuddles even closer to me. Oh, what the hell. Placing her on the bed, I kick off my shoes and take off my jacket before climbing onto the bed next to her. I take her back into my arms and hear her murmur in pleasure.
Well, one thing about my wife is she’s a heavy sleeper. I don’t know what it is about her, but ever since I saw her photo, I have had an overwhelming sense to protect her. Her eyes when she’s not aware express her emotions. The hurt I see there sometimes has me wanting to lock her away to keep her safe. Knowing that even with all the security I have in place and all the planning that has gone into the protection of everyone in the Bratva, that someone can still get in here makes me want to go bash someone’s head in.
At another time, I would have gone to the gym and punched my aggression out on someone, but with Ruby here, and knowing that she would be feeling more vulnerable than usual, I wanted to come home and see how she was doing. I have wanted to be in the same bed with her, holding her as I am now, since we came back to South Africa. Yes, in my mind, we were naked, but at least I’m here now. I just need to find a way to continue in her bed, and with time, the clothes will be divested.
I feel myself starting to drift away, her warmth and fragrance assuring me of her presence in my arms. The last thought in my mind before I drift off to sleep is of Ruby’s hand over my chest and how natural it feels.
RUBY 10
We have been at this for the whole day. My nerves are stretched to the point of snapping. It started the minute I woke up with Dimitri’s arms around me. How did I even get into that situation? Sharing a bed with him has been on
my mind since arriving here, but I never thought it would happen, especially after Dimitri gave me my own room. When I woke up this morning, I thought I was dreaming. I could hear his heart beating under my ear, lulling me into a relaxed lull until I started feeling his fingers stroking my back and I realized that it wasn’t a dream but very real.
I think I surprised both of us with the speed I sat up in bed. He seemed relaxed and content except for the surprise on his face, until I started off by blaming him for taking advantage of me. That changed his mood quickly enough. I can still picture his angry face in my mind as he sat up in bed.
“If I wanted to take advantage of you, I would have done so long ago. I simply wanted to comfort you after the day you had,” he said angrily. “From now on, I will be sharing this bed with you. Get used to the idea.” With those words, he got up and walked out, with me too stunned to say anything.
Fifteen minutes later, he came back in freshly showered to tell me that we would be going to Alexei’s apartment at nine and that I should be ready. He didn’t give me a chance to comment as he turned and left again. When I walked into the lounge, I didn’t get a chance to speak to him, as Vlad was there with him. When I entered, they quietened. After that, it has all been a rush, as I was brought upstairs to Alexei’s apartment and have been introduced to men one after the other. I know that the reason for this is to identify the man from last night, but having all these men close to me has my nerves on edge.
It doesn’t help that Dimitri is standing over me like an avenging angel and his frown can skin the dead. As men enter, they greet Alexei with respect and are told that they are called here to be introduced to me as Dimitri’s wife and they need to protect me as they do Jade. Twice, men have tried to approach me and shake my hand, but both times, Dimitri has quickly stopped them.
Mayhem: Bratva Fury (book 3) Page 7