I could hear the sneer on my brother’s face. “No fuckin’ way. Either you pick me up here or I’m going over there alone right now.”
Lyov was a lot like me – kind of a stubborn ass sometimes.
“Alright. But Alexei’s not coming. I’m not taking a high school kid into that scene.”
“No,” Lyov agreed. “He’s at school anyway. Mom made him go.”
“I’ll text you when I land,” I said, and we both hung up.
I’d get a quick shower and head to the airport. I wasn’t sure how I’d keep myself in my seat for the flight since I felt like a caged animal right now. Len had made a critical mistake not contacting me for the money Dad owed. If he didn’t realize that already, he would soon.
***
Fighting was part of hockey. I’d been a natural at it after growing up in a rough neighborhood. I got bloodied and bruised all the time in games, and I gave as good as I got. But none of that had prepared me for seeing my father this way.
My eyes burned as my gaze traveled up and down his immobile form. I couldn’t see the damage beneath the sea of white bandages that covered his body, but his face …
He was unrecognizable. Eyes swollen and bruised, lacerations bandaged and a row of stitches on his hairline. Len’s guys had gone way too far on a 58-year-old man who had no chance of defending himself.
He’d been beaten within an inch of his life. Dad had a bad hip, and he and Mom had never been able to afford health insurance. We all worried he’d fall in the walk-in refrigerator at the deli and no one would know he was there. Never had we imagined this happening to him at the place he and Mom had built over the past two decades.
“Pop,” I said, clearing my throat as my voice broke. His eyes lit with recognition, but he couldn’t seem to open his mouth to speak. “It’s okay, you just rest.”
His fingers lay limply at his side, and I brushed my hand across them softly. Mom stood beside me, and she wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned into me.
“You’re a good boy for coming, Nikola,” she said.
“Of course I came.” I squeezed her back and met my Dad’s eyes. “Pop, I’m paying Len off and I already told the hospital to send me all the bills for this.”
His eyes watered as he looked back at me, tearing a hole in my chest. This man was strong and proud, and Len had done far worse than the injuries we could all see on his body. He’d humiliated my father, who prided himself on taking care of his family. It’d been tough sometimes, but my Dad was the hardest worker I’d ever known.
Dad moved his head to the side slightly, wincing from the pain.
“Listen, Pop,” I said. “It’s already done. I love you. We’re a family. I wouldn’t have all this money if not for the sacrifices you and Mom made for the family. Things are gonna be different from now on. We’ll hire someone to manage the deli for a while so you and Mom can be home while you recover. I’m paying off every dime you owe to anyone.”
He closed his eyes, and a tear slid down his purpled cheek.
“Nothing’s more important than family, Pop,” I said. “I learned that from you. This family—” My voice broke and I cleared my throat again. “It’s all any of us have. Each other. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m the man you raised, and I’ll do everything in my power to protect and support my family. Just like you always have.”
Another tear slipped from his watering eyes, and his fingers curled around my hand. He squeezed it as hard as he could, pulling my hand against his soft bandages.
I sniffed and wiped the corner of my eye with my sleeve. Leaning down, I kissed the thinning gray hair on top of his head – the only spot I knew wouldn’t hurt him.
“I love you, Pop. I’m sorry I can’t stay. When you’re better, you guys are coming to visit in Chicago. I don’t really give a shit if you want to, you’re coming anyway. And I’m sending Lyov to get you guys a better apartment while you’re in the hospital. You can’t do stairs like this.”
I kissed Mom on the cheek and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I love you, too, Mom. Everything’s gonna be okay. We’re all gonna lean on each other from now on.”
She didn’t say anything, but I felt her sniffling against me.
“Keep me updated on how he is, okay?” I said, pulling back.
“We’re proud of our boy,” she said. “We’re proud of all of you, but you are the oldest. You’ve always been the protector, Nikola. Thank you.”
“I learned from you guys. I’ll see you soon.”
I hugged my sister Anna, who’d been watching silently from a chair by the window. Then, with a glance at the wall clock, I nodded at Lyov and we left. My flight home left in two hours, and I had business to take care of before then. I’d have to get my mind in the right place on the ride to Len’s.
***
Len Petrovich’s cover business for his illegal activities was a pawn shop. Hell, the way he ran his legitimate business should’ve been illegal, too. He took advantage of people in desperate situations, holding their most prized possessions for pennies on the dollar and then changing the loan repayment terms. Our neighbor lady Mrs. Maslov had lost her wedding ring to Len in one of those loans.
When Lyov and I walked in the dingy, overcrowded showroom of the shop, Len was sitting at a table in the back with two of his employees. His gray-streaked black hair was a little thinner now, but was still combed back in his trademark style.
I met Lyov’s eyes as I turned the lock on the front door. It was just us and them now. Blood pumped fast and hard in my veins, but it wasn’t from fear. It was all I could do not to launch myself on top of Len and beat his fat head against the table he sat at.
“Nikola Vereshkova,” Len said, amusement in his tone. “To what do I owe the honor?”
The click of a gun reminded me who I was dealing with. Len was a killer, but he wasn’t stupid.
“You gonna shoot an unarmed NHL player right here in your store?” I asked, grinning.
Len held his hands up in mock innocence. “No one’s shooting anyone. But we do keep weapons here for our own protection.”
I laughed bitterly. “Ironic since you’re the one people need protecting from. Did you get a thrill out of sending your guys to beat up a guy with a bad hip who’s spent his life in a kitchen?”
Len’s eyes showed satisfaction, despite his effort at a contrite expression.
“I heard what happened to your father. That was unfortunate.”
Lyov shook his head next to me. Anger was practically radiating off of him. He was only 6’2’, shorter than me, but he could hold his own in a fight. We’d thrown down ourselves a few times.
“You made a mistake, Len,” I said. “You should’ve come to me about the money first. I would’ve repaid it.”
“I’m not a fuckin’ nose wiper, Niko. People know the deal when they sign with me.”
I pulled out my cell phone and held it up. “I’m about to call the cops and complain about your business dealings. You ready for an investigation?”
Len’s eyes narrowed. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“I don’t think I am,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “Put the motherfucking guns on the table. Let’s settle this like gentlemen.”
“Go back to your ice skates and bitch fights,” Len said with a sneer. “You’re out of your league.”
I looked at the screen and pressed a button. “You fucked with the wrong family this time, Len.”
“Put the guns on the table,” he said in a rush. I pressed a button to end the call as the two men at his sides each set a handgun on the beat-up table.
“All of ‘em,” Lyov said.
The scrawnier guy looked at Len, who nodded slightly. A third gun came out from beneath the table. A second later, the stocky guy got up and bolted for a back room. Lyov was on him, pounding his head against a concrete wall.
Len didn’t look scared as I approached, I had to give him that. But he should’ve. I’d never felt such fury in my lif
e. It ran through my veins, molten and urgent. The image of tears on my father’s swollen face would never leave me, and this was the man responsible for it.
I pulled Len up from the chair, shoving him against a wall. The scrawny guy tried to jump me, but I kicked his gut so hard he hit the floor.
“You and me now, Len,” I said in a low tone.
“You’ll regret this,” he said, trying to sound menacing.
I smiled and got in his face. “No, I won’t. If you ever do business with any member of my family again, I’ll be back to cut your throat. I promise.”
He tried to push me off of him, but it was no use. I punched him with everything in me, never letting up. It only took a few seconds to draw blood, and he was too stunned to fight back. No one ever challenged Len in this neighborhood. He ruled with fear. It was about time for him to be the one feeling it.
The skinny guy jumped me from behind and Len got in a few blows on my face. I tasted blood and spit it in his face. When I landed a punch to Len’s jaw, a crack sounded and he howled like a wounded animal. I was fucking enjoying this. The more he hurt, the less I did.
I didn’t know how much time passed before the three men were all at our feet and Lyov was looking at me expectantly. I nodded and reached into my coat for an envelope.
“There’s your motherfuckin’ money,” I said, panting with exertion as I tossed it on Len’s chest. “20K. Don’t ever mess with my family again. I meant what I said. Money buys power, and I’ve got more than you do now.”
I turned for the door and Lyov followed. We glanced at each other and grinned when we hit the sidewalk. It was like old times, though the stakes were much higher this time.
“Your nose is gushing blood like a fucking hose,” I said.
“You don’t look so great yourself.” He reached for my shoulder and squeezed it. “Hey, Niko? Thanks for coming.”
“Anytime, man. I’m glad you called me.”
He wiped a sleeve across his nose and laughed. “I don’t know if I’ve got the balls to handle that like you did. I was planning to jump Len when he was on the way to his car.”
I shrugged. “Hopefully he got the message. You’re gonna need to get everyone into secure places. Even Anna and Alexei.”
He nodded. “Sure. I’m on a break from school, so I’ll get it done. I’ll stay with Mom and Dad and Alexei for a while, just to make sure they’re safe.”
I clapped him on the shoulder and he groaned from the pain. “I’ve gotta get to the airport, man.”
The smells of car exhaust and hot dogs reminded me that I was back in my hometown. But Chicago felt like my home now. I was torn between wanting to get back there and wanting to stay here and protect my family.
There was no choice; I had a game tomorrow night. And if I was going to play worth a shit, I needed to see Sadie first.
I hailed a cab, my bravado gone as soon as I stepped in and closed the door. A few tears slid down my face as I thought about visiting my dad. Never had I felt so helpless. Rage over what Len had done to him was still coursing through my veins. And now there was fear that Len would seek retribution against my family. I’d meant what I said about cutting his throat if he hurt my family – I would. But by then, it could be too late.
The emotions threatened to drown me, and my mind went to Sadie. I needed the soothing feeling she’d given me by blowing on my eyebrow when I was bleeding. The knowledge that she cared about me. The grounding presence of the strong, sexy woman who was a fighter and a survivor. I needed it more than anything. I just hoped she’d forgive me for not calling her for a week. It hadn’t been because I wasn’t thinking about her. It was the opposite, actually. She was constantly on my mind, and I didn’t know how to handle it. How could I kick ass on the ice when I had all these soft, sensual thoughts in my head?
Fuck it. I needed her. But tonight I was feeling anything but soft.
Chapter 10
Sadie
The one upside to living on the top floor of my building was getting to listen to the rain. I loved the sound of it hammering on the roof while I wrote on my laptop on the couch in a nightshirt with my feet curled up beneath me.
Tonight the rain was loud, because we were getting an icy December storm. The accompanying wind kept blowing the branches of a tree against one of my windows. I was glad I’d stayed in tonight. Dell had invited me over for dinner, but I’d told her I had work to do.
It was sort of true. Writers always had work to do. None of mine was pressing, though. I just didn’t want Dell to pull me aside and ask about Niko. He hadn’t called, he wouldn’t call, and I didn’t need to see Luke cuddling Dell like they were about to be separated for a year or something.
I was bad company anyway in this crabby mood. Getting a taste of Niko had ruined my resolve. Now I could openly admit that I wanted so much more with him. The way his lips had softly caressed my skin at the same time he fucked me harder than anyone ever had … well, I could see it being habit forming. And waking up wrapped in his Niko-scented bed sheets … I wanted more. More of that, more of him, more of everything. Being ignored by him hurt more with every day that passed. I’d been nothing but a quick, easy fuck to him, and now I was a blubbering mess over it.
It had at least inspired me to write a column about men being the more egotistical sex. It wasn’t even a contest. Niko had longer relationships with rolls of toilet paper than he’d had with me.
A gust blew the branches against the window and I looked up at the knocking sound made by the limbs hitting the window. A few seconds later, the noise sounded again, though the wind had died down.
There was someone at my door. I glanced down at my nightshirt. It was almost ten o’clock, who could possibly be knocking on my door at this hour?
I cracked the door open just as far as the chain lock would allow.
“Sadie,” Niko said, urgency in his tone.
“Niko?”
“Can I come in?”
I considered saying no after being ignored by him for nearly a week. But he was breathing heavy, and drips of water sounded against the hallway floor. He’d been out in this crazy storm, and I had to let him in to get dry and warm.
I pushed the door closed, unlocked the chain and then opened it. I wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted me. Niko had a fat lip with fresh-looking blood on it, a swollen black eye and a messy butterfly bandage over his eyebrow. His black leather jacket was soaked. Water dripped from the ends of his dark hair and ran in streams down his face.
He stepped in and closed the door behind him.
“Niko,” I said softly. I was overwhelmed by the questions I had and my need to tend to him. Where to start? Maybe with why he hadn’t called?
He put his large palms on my face, gazing down at me.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Sadie. I should’ve called. I don’t know how to handle needing someone. But I do. I need you.”
His dark brown eyes were imploring, and I reached up to brush a wet lock of hair from his forehead. It was my silent answer to him. I didn’t know how to handle needing someone, either.
When he pressed his lips to mine, the last of my anger dissipated. The slight tang of his blood hit my taste buds, and I wrapped myself around him tightly. I was half his size, where was this protective feeling coming from? I didn’t know, but it took me over. I wanted to drink him up and soothe his pain – let my tenderness make up for the hurt someone else had caused him.
But tenderness wasn’t on his agenda. He ran his fingers up the back of my neck and into my hair, pulling on it roughly as he picked me up and turned me around. He pressed my back into the door, water soaking through his jacket into my nightshirt as he ground his hips into mine.
I slid my fingers into his hair, wetness seeping through to my skin when I pulled on it. Niko’s groan against my chest told me this was what he needed. I pushed the jacket back from his shoulders and it dropped to the floor in a wet heap. His t-shirt was wet, too, and I worked that off while he kis
sed my neck, biting just beneath my ear in a way that lit my entire body up.
He pulled the nightshirt over my head and dropped it, his hands on my skin in an instant. He touched me everywhere, not missing an inch. We were moving slowly as he led me in small steps toward the kitchen, but then he swept me up in an instant and carried me the rest of the way to my table, where he lowered me in a sitting position and pulled my panties off.
His eyes were filled with something I’d never seen there before. They burned me with their intensity. As he lowered his soaked jeans and stepped out of them, his gaze stayed fixed on me. He bent to fish through a pocket and pulled out a roll of condoms, ripping one from its wrapper and rolling it on.
I was breathless. The need I felt coming from him was overwhelming. It didn’t seem to be just sex. Whatever he needed, I wanted to give it to him with everything in me.
A line of fresh, bright red blood stood out on his lip, but he was oblivious. He drove himself into me, setting my ankles on his shoulders. My loud cry was all pleasure. Niko did things to me no man ever had, and all I ever wanted was more.
His large hands wrapped around my shoulders, allowing him to pound into me deeper than anyone ever had. It was so good, just lying there and letting him use my body to work out his emotions. I gripped his forearms, my nails digging into his skin to urge him on. His eyes were dark and hungry as he looked down at me, and within a few more seconds, I arched my back off the table and screamed his name.
When the wave of my deep orgasm lowered a little, I let myself fall down to the table. Niko pulled me up by the hands, winding his fingers into my hair and pulling me close to him for a long, deep kiss.
I was ready to collapse into my bed with him, but as soon as I slid down from the table, he turned me around and laid a hand on my back. Reading his cue, I bent down and rested my elbows and forearms on the table. There was no way I could come again so soon, but I still wanted more.
His guttural groan when he slid into me made me feel sexier than I ever had. He held on to my hips and fucked me with the same intensity again, never letting up. I moaned with every thrust because it felt too good not to. The icy raindrops pelting the roof made the only sound in the room besides our mingled groans of satisfaction and the sound of his skin slapping into mine.
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