by K. Marie
“I can find you a rich husband; Garland’s got lots of rich friends,” I said with a silly wag of my brows. “When’s the last time you dated anyway?”
Katherine had been a widow for four years now. She’d married her college sweetheart—her first love, right after graduation and quickly produced two children. I wasn’t sure she’d ever been with another man outside of her late husband.
“At the insistence of my best girlfriend of twenty years, I went on a date with a friend of her husband’s last year and hated it. The man undressed me with his eyes the entire time we were at dinner. In the new world of dating, jumping into bed with someone on a first date is apparently expected,” Katherine said with a shake of her head.
I laughed at the look of disgust on her face. “It’s a different generation; your old-school values are nearly obsolete these days. But, you’re a milf, Katherine, you can hardly blame the man,” I argued, giving her a suggestive wink.
Katherine’s an attractive woman. At five-foot-six, she was slim and fit with a nice figure, had dark shoulder-length hair that stayed perpetually up in a ponytail; oval-shaped chocolate colored eyes and had beautifully clear, toffee hued skin. She looked a lot younger than forty-nine.
“Well, if common decency and respect have fallen by the wayside in the dating world, I’ll stay happily single,” Katherine harrumphed.
Grinning in amusement, I brought my food over to the island and poured a ton of creamer into my coffee before taking a gratifying sip. After sighing my appreciation, I offered my two-cents just for the shock value.
“Okay—no dating, but, at least find a man to dust the cobwebs out. We all need a warm, hard body to rub up against every now and then.”
Katherine’s cackle was interrupted by the sound of Garland’s voice.
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” he declared, coming to stand next to the island.
“Why? It’s true,” I countered unperturbed, smiling up at him.
“Roman is too young for this conversation, I’m going to put him down for a nap,” Katherine interjected on a laugh, then cooed to the baby as she made her way out of the kitchen.
“You ready to go?” asked Garland, eyeing my bagel.
“Why do you ask?” I questioned curiously, holding up half of it in offering.
He promptly swiped the bagel from my hand. “Because we’re riding together,” he answered around a mouthful.
I was off to the hospital to visit Ann, who’d given birth to a son the day before. She was at the same hospital as Viktor—which killed two birds with one stone, as I’d intended to sit with him a little while afterward. My being there helped to ease Garland’s worry.
“Are you not working today?”
“Not today. Dr. Yanovich said he might discontinue the medication keeping Viktor in a coma, I should be there.”
Oh. He’s worried. “Viktor’s condition has been stable, Dr. Yanovich must believe it beneficial to have him conscious,” I offered in encouragement.
“We’ll see,” was Garland’s only response.
“I’ll get my things, give me five minutes,” I told him, sliding down from the stool.
“He’s beautiful, Ann, you did good work,” I gushed, smiling down at the tiny blue-wrapped bundle in my arms.
“Tell that to my sore hoo-ha, that stubborn little rascal just refused to come out,” she complained, face pained.
I took a seat on the bed and admired baby Ashton’s adorableness. “Yeah, but you know it was worth every stitch you received,” I countered knowingly.
“I agree—but only because my pain meds are starting to kick in,” Ann conceded with a loopy smile.
“You know our boys are destined to be besties, right? Our chance meeting at that uppity yoga studio was anything but—we were meant to meet. Nothing else can explain that bad choice,” I cracked.
Ann snorted. “You’ve got that right; I can’t even with those vapid Stepford Wives, I hope to never see any of them again. I won’t be held responsible for anything I might say.”
I giggled. Ann always had a way of making me laugh. “Well, I still have to see Tara; her daughter attends Autumn’s school. But I think you’ll like the new place; it’s a good mix of people there, no pretentious snobs. Plus, no pregnant bellies—we get to go as normal humans.”
I had scoped out the yoga place before, but didn’t end up attending because they didn’t offer prenatal classes; plus, it was a little further from home. However, considering the element of the one closer to home, I’d prefer to make the drive.
“I can’t wait to feel human again. I would also say I can’t wait to get my pre-pregnancy body back—but you’ve now set unrealistic expectations. So, lookout bitch; I’m going straight Khloe Kardashian ‘Revenge Body’ on you. I’ve already got my plastic surgeon on standby,” Ann announced proudly, a smug look on her face.
I hollered laughing, eliciting a wail of protest from Ashton.
“What in the hell kind of pain meds are they giving you?” I questioned, trying to contain my laughter and calm the baby at the same time. “I swear if you show up to yoga class with skinny legs and a big Kardashian booty; I’m going to pretend I don’t know you!” I threatened.
“I’m not that ambitious—I’m not trying to make it so I’ll have to buy a second seat on an airplane or pay for carry-on. Get it? Carry-on? My huge butt would be like extra luggage!” Ann tittered, laughing uproariously at her own joke.
Yep, definitely the drugs.
An abrupt knock at the door sounded right before it opened. I looked over to see, Igor; one of the Russian guards that had accompanied me today, looming in the doorway.
“Mr. Vidov says to answer your phone, he’s trying to reach you,” the guard informed me.
“Oh—okay, thank you,” I told him, immediately rising from the bed to get my purse.
Sure enough, the phone was vibrating when I reached inside to grab it. “Sorry, babe, my phone was buried inside my purse,” I said as soon as I answered.
“I’m on my way over to you; stay put and don’t leave, okay?” came Garland’s response.
“Is something wrong?” I asked with trepidation, sensing it in his voice.
“Possibly. I’ll explain when I get there; but don’t leave with anyone, Camry—not even your guards,” he said before disconnecting.
Shit.
A sense of dread washed over me as I lowered the phone from my ear in puzzlement. Turning to face Ann, I walked over and reluctantly handed the baby back to her.
“Everything alright?” she asked in concern.
“Yes, my husband is ready to leave the hospital so I’ll have to cut my visit short,” I explained, not wanting to alarm her.
“Drago looks scary; he your new bodyguard?” questioned Ann.
“Drago? Do you mean Igor?” I asked distractedly.
“Igor? That’s actually someone’s name? Shit, he was doing better as a Drago—like that Russian boxer from the Rocky movie. That’s who he looks and sounds like,” Ann said hilariously.
I couldn’t help chuckling; despite my worry. “You’re a nut, Ann. Poor Igor can’t help it if that’s what his parents named him.”
It was a messed-up name, though.
“You seem pretty loopy from the meds; should I call for Ashton to be taken to the nursery before I go?” I asked, eyeing her worriedly.
“Yes, thank you. I think the Demerol might be a little too strong for me, I’m feeling high as a kite,” she replied, starting to slur her words.
After ringing for the nurse, I took the baby from Ann and placed him back in his tiny bed on wheels. I then paced for what felt an eternity; but was actually only several minutes, as I waited for Garland. The maternity unit of the hospital was at the south side of the building; while the ICU was located on the north side. His journey should be a quick one.
By the time a knock sounded at the door, and Garland finally appeared, my nerves were frayed from worry.
After sa
ying hello and goodbye to Ann, Garland quickly hustled me out the door.
“What’s going on—is it Viktor?” I asked worriedly, trying to keep up with his long-legged pace as he pulled me behind him.
“No, Viktor’s fine. However, someone just had flowers delivered to his room; attached to those flowers was a notecard with a threatening message written on it,” he answered woodenly.
Double-damn.
“So, I guess it didn’t end with the Chvetski’s,” I concluded as fact, an ominous feeling settling deep within my marrow.
It wasn’t until we’d reached the elevators that I noticed we were surrounded by more guards. “Why did you say I shouldn’t leave with the guards—as though you didn’t trust them?” I asked quietly, not to be overheard.
“Always expect loyalty from those you entrust, but never place complete trust in anyone but yourself. It’s a saying my father is fond of and one worth heeding at a time like this.”
I had to suppress an insane and inappropriate urge to giggle.
His words sounded uncannily like a line from a gangster movie. The irony of the real-life comparison was not lost on me.
By the time we’d piled into the elevator and descended to the ground-floor of the hospital, my stomach was a big ball of nerves. When we exited into the parking garage, I saw two of the black Escalade’s parked near the elevator in a makeshift parking spot; but what caught my immediate attention was the body lying on the ground next to them.
A gasp escaped my mouth at the same time my feet halted.
“Shit!” someone uttered, right before pandemonium exploded.
My view of the body was instantly blocked as I got shoved backward—a towering wall of men forming like a shield in front of me.
Amongst all the shouting and commotion, I felt myself being propelled in reverse—my feet seeming to move of their own accord until I was once again standing inside the elevator. In a flash, I was pushed back into its corner.
As if in slow motion, I watched what looked to be a disembodied hand pressed a button on the panel, and then the doors slide silently closed; promptly blocking out all sound.
I stood frozen in place—staring at the doors as if I could still see what was on the other side of them.
It all happened in an instant.
My brain was still trying to process it when Garland’s voice penetrated my bubble of shock. “Stay back and stay down, Camry!” he commanded.
I immediately complied, gluing my back to the wall and sliding down into a squatting position.
When I jerked my head upwards, I saw a black gun gripped in Garland’s hand.
Oh, God.
“Wh-what the fuck is happening—who was that on the ground?!” I cried shrilly.
“It was one of the guards; I’m not yet sure what the fuck is happening because my priority was to get you to safety!” came his clipped reply.
I had an instant flashback to when we were shot at just a mere two weeks ago. Or was it only one week? Shit. Who-the-fuck knew at this point?
“Was he dead?” I asked, the thought of it causing my stomach to roil.
“I don’t know.”
Telling myself to calm down, I took a deep breath and tried to focus. The first thing I noticed was that the elevator wasn’t moving.
“Why aren’t we moving?”
“I enabled the emergency-stop—it’s safer to stay put, exiting on another floor could be dangerous.”
Okay…just breathe.
I focused really hard on not falling apart and blubbering like a pansy. I was scared as shit.
“I want one of those,” I heard myself say with a slight quiver in my voice, eyes focused on the gun in Garland’s hand. The thought had just popped into my head.
Fight or flight. It was as natural an instinct as breathing. I felt a sudden, animal need to not just sit here defenseless.
Both Garland’s attention and his gun were trained straight ahead, focused intently on the elevator doors, ready for anything that might come through them.
The crazy thing is, after sparing a quick glance back at me; he reached inside his jacket with his right hand and produced an identical gun to the one he was holding.
“Jesus, how many of these do you have?” I muttered incredulously, accepting the gun that he’d extended. I seriously wasn’t expecting him to be armed to the teeth.
“Make sure the safety is released and shoot anything that isn’t me,” he instructed in answer, the same as he did the last time he’d handed me a gun.
He must have been apprehensive about me accidentally shooting him.
A zillion nerve-wrecking seconds ticked by as we waited silently for God-knows-what. But it gave me some time to reflect.
“You were already prepared for some kind of attack, weren’t you?” I asked with surety.
Garland had left the house fully armed today; wearing a shoulder holster underneath his suit jacket. He might have a wholly-not-normal practice of keeping weapons in his cars, but he rarely kept them on his person. Not to mention his insistence we traveled together this morning.
“Yes. Though, I wasn’t anticipating it happening here,” Garland answered grimly.
“Why? Why today—what’s changed?”
There was a pregnant pause before he responded. “There was an incident at the Marina the other day.”
“What kind of incident?” I asked cautiously.
Another pause.
“Someone destroyed the Maxim.”
My heart did a flip in my chest.
“You’re joking, right?”
“Afraid not, I would never joke about something like that.”
Of course, he wouldn’t.
I sat in disbelief; blinking dumbly at his back. What the fuck?
That boat was his baby, his pride and joy. Not to mention, it was named after the son he’d tragically lost. Before I could speak again, a loud, startling bang permeated the quiet—causing my pulse to leap in alarm.
I gripped the gun tighter in my hand; watching nervously as Garland disengaged the emergency-stop and the doors of the elevator glided open.
“All clear, boss,” said Joe, glancing a look at me crouched down in the corner.
It wasn’t until he raised his hands in the air; I realized I was pointing the gun directly at him. After lowering it, I pushed a relieved breath from my lungs.
Fuck. My. Life.
“Whoever they were had already gone. Sam didn’t make it; and Akim is missing,” Joe reported gravely.
Shit. Poor Sam.
“Another message and another dead-fucking-body!” Garland barked angrily, before whirling in my direction.
Face furious, he tucked his gun away then extended one hand for the gun I was holding—and the other for mine to help me stand.
When he went to pull me from the confines of the elevator, I dug in my heels.
“I can’t handle seeing a dead body!” I protested with an adamant shake of my head.
Uh, un. No way. I felt terrible for Sam but didn’t want to see his lifeless body.
“The body has already been removed, Camry, it’s safe,” said Joe.
I almost laughed. I would say it was anything but safe.
Still a little reluctant, I allowed Garland to wrap a hand around my waist and escort me from the elevator. My eyes went immediately to the spot I’d last seen Sam laying. The body was gone, and if there had been blood there; it was now covered by the Escalade that had been moved to a closer spot. I was afraid to ask precisely how Sam had died.
“The cameras in this area were destroyed—which means nothing got recorded, so the sooner we make haste, the better,” Joe announced as we shuffled into the car.
Before I could blink, we were zooming away with engine revving and tires squealing. I sat in a numb sort of daze as I halfway listened to Garland make calls on his phone—barking orders and sounding peeved as hell. There were so many unanswered questions about what just happened—actually, about everything. I was stil
l trying to comprehend it all when I felt Garland’s warm hand touch mine.
“How are you holding up?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully.
“I know that was frightening, but you did well back there sweetheart,” Garland said in praise.
Yep, like every good little mob wife should.
I wanted to cry like a frigging baby but would hate for him to have to retract his proud praise. So, I asked questions instead.
“Any idea who’s doing this to you?”
“Nothing solid, but I’ve got some leads.”
“Is Viktor going to be safe at the hospital—considering what just happened?”
“Yes. Security has been increased and is on high alert.”
After a pause in silence, I heaved a reluctant sigh and voiced what I was feeling. “I don’t feel safe anymore.”
“I know, that’s why Tony is readying the plane as we speak. I need to ensure you and the kids are safe.”
I twisted my head to look at him. “Really? Where are we going?”
“To one of your favorite places, sweetheart, to Greece.”
I felt an instant surge of elation, then quickly batted it down. “Wait, who’s going to be here with Viktor?” I asked in concern.
Garland and his parents were basically Viktor’s only family. Both his mother and father were deceased, and his only sister was off somewhere in Thailand. According to Garland, the sister was a bit eccentric, and she and Viktor were all but estranged.
“I’ll be here with Viktor,” Garland answered.
“What—you’re not going to Greece, you’re sending us alone? But, you’re the one some maniac is trying to kill!” I squawked irately.
“You’re not going alone, Camry; you’ll have a security team, and both Marie and Katherine will be joining you. There’ll also be staff at the house and a groundskeeper,” Garland assured.
I glowered at him in anger. “When did you arrange all of that?” I questioned crossly.