by Red Phoenix
“She did.”
She bit her lip, looking at him nervously. “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I wanted to, but…” Her voice trailed off and she became silent.
“I feel as if I was lied to,” he replied.
Lea looked crushed but nodded. “I can understand why you might feel that way.”
“There is no might,” he told her.
“If you remember, I told you no, but you kept insisting.”
“Had you said you and Ms. Clark were involved with each other, it would have ended right there.”
“But I didn’t want that to happen, Rytsar. Brie has always spoken so highly of you, so I wanted to scene with you. I know it sounds wrong, but if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t change anything.”
“You would lie again?” he asked, disappointed by her answer.
She looked at him sadly. “Yes, I would keep that fact from you so that we could scene together.”
“So you are saying that you are not trustworthy.”
“No, I’m not saying that at all.”
“Then explain, because your character seems suspect to me.”
She looked up at him, meeting his angry stare. “What happened that day was incredible. Not only as a kinky scene, but on an emotional level. I had no idea that would happen, and I’ve thought of little else since.”
“You knew of the dark history between your Mistress and me. How could I not feel betrayed that you had kept that from me? I bared my soul to you.”
“I never shared what we talked about with anyone. I would never betray your confidence.”
His eyes narrowed. “But you did. Even after, you could have come to me instead of letting me find out from the very person you were trying to hide from me.”
Lea stood up, her entire body visibly trembling. “You’re right. I should have told you. All I can do now is promise I will never lie to you again.” She made a criss-cross sign over her heart, saying, “Cross my heart, hope to die.”
Rytsar sighed. “I do not know how I feel about you now, and I am too tired to think about it further.”
She bowed. “I understand. Thank you for letting me say my piece.” She started toward the door, but turned around before she opened it.
“I don’t have those panic attacks anymore.” She smiled weakly as she walked out, quietly shutting the door.
As her footsteps grew fainter, Shadow appeared out from under the bed. He jumped on the dresser and sat, staring at Rytsar without blinking.
Rytsar chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned over to turn off the light on the nightstand. He laid his head back on the pillow and, before the covers even settled, he was asleep.
“You will need titanium plates if you want full motion again,” Dr. Hessen told him. “Your ribs were not just broken, they were fractured in many places.”
“You’re suggesting an operation,” he said, not liking the idea of going under the knife.
“Yes. We can screw titanium plates over each damaged rib.”
Rytsar growled. “I don’t trust doctors or hospitals.”
Dr. Hessen smiled, not taking offense. “The stability will allow your ribs to heal quickly and, following surgery, you will not only be free of the pain, but you should be able to perform normal tasks within a few months.”
“It sounds too good to be true.”
She laughed. “My job is not to convince you of anything, but to let you know that you have this option. What you do with the information is up to you.”
He looked at her skeptically. “You’re not like any doctor I’ve ever met.”
“What can I say, Mr. Durov? I believe knowledge is power. Fortunately for you, there is an effective solution.”
Rytsar frowned. The idea of being put under general anesthesia actually terrified him. Pain he could handle, but not the total loss of control.
He stood up and shook her hand. “Thank you for your time, Doctor.”
She smiled pleasantly. “I hope you found it helpful.”
“You have given me much to consider.”
Rytsar returned to the apartment and went directly to Thane. “Your doctor has messed with my head.”
“How so?”
“She says I can be swinging my ’nines again in a couple of months.”
“That’s excellent.”
“But it requires surgery.”
“You’ll recover quickly.”
“I have an unnatural fear of going under the knife, moy droog. I am not sure I can do it.”
Brie came into the room, smiling. “So did I hear right? Dr. Hessen can help?”
“Possibly, but it would require an operation and a stay at the hospital,” Rytsar explained.
“How long for recovery?”
“She said five days before I could return home, and months before I felt like my old self.”
“Only months? That’s incredible!”
Rytsar nodded, still not convinced. “Almost sounds too good to be true.”
Thane stared at him for a long time before asking, “Brother, what is it that concerns you about this?”
“I could be left in a vegetative state and be fed through a tube for the rest of my life.”
“Seeing me like that upset you.”
Rytsar gestured to him. “Looking at you now, it seems unreasonable. But, yes, I found it extremely disturbing, moy droog.”
“So what are the chances of that happening?” Thane asked him.
“One in one hundred thousand.”
“Those seem like good odds.”
“Not to that one person. And then there is Lilly.”
“Wallace can oversee that.”
Rytsar clicked his tongue.
“In the end, this decision has to come from you, old friend.”
“Da,” he growled.
Brie came over and put her arms around him. “Just think, if you go through with the surgery, you’ll be able to not only hold our little girl, but give her piggybacks or rides up on your shoulders when she’s older.”
His one kryptonite—the babe.
Rytsar looked at Brie’s stomach, the decision already made.
“I will do it.”
“And I can take care of you once you get out of the hospital,” Brie offered.
“Nyet, your attention must remain on your Master.”
Rytsar began pacing nervously, a flood of endorphins rushing through his veins as he confronted one of his greatest fears—and he accepted his fate.
“If I do this, I will move to my beach house and hire the best care so I can do what you are doing,” he said, looking at Thane. “I will work myself relentlessly until I am fully recovered.”
“We can spur each other on.”
Rytsar gave him a curt nod. “It is settled, then. The sooner the better.” He knelt, grasped Brie’s belly, and spoke directly to the babe. “When we meet, I will dance with you without pain.” When he looked up, he saw tears in Brie’s eyes and knew with certainty that his decision was the right one.
“Thank you, radost moya.”
“For what?”
“For reminding me where my priorities lie.”
Her bottom lip trembled as she looked down at him.
Rytsar stood up and kissed those expressive lips. “It’s not just moye solntse I wish to carry on my shoulder.”
He looked at Thane. “We still have an isle date.”
Thane smiled. “Yes, we do, old friend.”
Thane insisted that Brie join Rytsar the day he moved his belongings into the beach house. There was a feeling of sadness, leaving their place behind. Brie sensed it too and it showed on her face.
“Do not be sad, radost moya. I will still be near.”
“But I liked having you here every day. It won’t seem the same without you.”
“You need to return to the life you were building with my brother before the crash, and now I can be a part of it.”
She nodded.
When he went to shut his sui
tcase, he found Shadow sitting in it on top of his clothes and burst out laughing. “I know you don’t want to come with me, devil cat.”
Shadow narrowed his eyes in answer.
Rytsar picked the animal up and set him on the bed. “While I will miss my nightly suffocations, I’m certain you will find moy droog an equally tempting target.”
Shadow twitched his tail back and forth.
“You know where your duty lies, and soon there will be another for you to protect.”
Shadow put up with the indignity of Rytsar patting him on the head as he headed out the door.
On the drive to the beach house, Rytsar informed Brie that he needed to make a short detour. When they pulled up to Marquis Gray’s home, she grinned.
“Ah, you’re here for the pup, aren’t you?”
He’d already called Wallace to let him know they’d be coming. Although he knew the boy had grown attached to the animal, there was never any doubt who she truly belonged to.
It was made that much more evident as he approached the door and Mudryy started barking on the other side.
He grinned at Brie. “She already knows I’m here.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Brie said excitedly.
The moment the door opened, the dog was on him, licking his face as she danced on her hind legs. He went down on one knee and let her have her affectionate way with him.
“Oh, Rytsar, she’s adorable.”
Wallace stood at the door, smiling down at the animal. “Smartest dog I’ve ever met.”
Rytsar looked up and informed him, “We aren’t here for a visit.”
“That’s fine. Marquis and Celestia aren’t here, anyway. If you follow me to my room, I can give you all her stuff.”
They walked down the hallway, the whole time Mudryy making it difficult to walk as she wiggled around him.
“She really likes you,” Brie commented.
Rytsar shrugged. “What can I say? She has exceptional taste in men.”
Wallace had a large basket filled with items, and a bag of dog food.
He smirked at Rytsar. “But, wait, there’s more.”
Mudryy was wagging her tail wildly, staring up at Rytsar with a look of expectancy.
“You know how Marquis mentioned that she steals from their table? She also haunts Celestia in the kitchen, looking for anything she might get her teeth into and sneak out with.”
“Is it possible she believes she’s still starving?” Rytsar asked, looking down at the mutt in concern.
“No.” Wallace pulled back the cover of his bed and pointed.
When Rytsar moved closer, Mudryy raced under and came back with a stale dinner roll in her mouth, wagging her tail vigorously.
“She’s been hoarding food for you. I’ve been having a heck of a time keeping it clean under there, but I’ve allowed her to keep an odd roll or two so she doesn’t feel her efforts are wasted.”
Rytsar looked at the dog, his heart bursting with overwhelming love for the creature. He took the roll from her mouth and caressed her head tenderly, saying with amazement, “Even when I’m not around, you’re are still looking after me.”
The dog jumped up, licking his hands in joyful adoration.
Wallace confessed, “I am going to miss Mudryy. She is a very special animal.”
Rytsar looked at the pup with a new level of respect. “I agree. She is a very special girl.”
Brie knelt down on the floor to pet her. She stared into the pup’s eyes for a moment and asked, “You ever notice that some animals seem to have old souls?”
“Mudryy is definitely an old soul,” Wallace agreed.
“I get that same feeling with Shadow,” Brie told him, smiling.
Rytsar joined Brie down on the floor and the dog immediately switched her attention back to him. He looked deep into the animal’s eyes and felt a quickening in his spirit.
“I’ve been calling her by the wrong name.”
Wallace chuckled. “What do you mean?”
“Her name isn’t Mudryy at all.”
“What is it, then?”
He cupped her furry little head in both hands, smiling as tears of emotion ran down his face.
The animal’s sweet spirit reminded him so much of Tatianna.
“Her name is Vorobyshek.”
My little sparrow…
Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the 15th book in the Brie’s Submission series. The journey continues in In Sir’s Arms.
Click here to read the next in the series.
My dear fans,
The adventure isn’t over yet!
Get ready for the next part of the story –
told through Sir’s point of view.
It’s going to be sexy and hot as only Thane Davis can tell it ~Red
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(Release Date – Nov 21, 2017)
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Brie’s Submission series:
Teach Me #1
Love Me #2
Catch Me #3
Try Me #4
Protect Me #5
Hold Me #6
Surprise Me #7
Trust Me #8
Claim Me #9
Enchant Me #10
A Cowboy’s Heart #11
Breathe with Me #12
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Under His Protection #14
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In Sir’s Arms #16
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