by Roxie Rivera
In an instant, Nikolai had reached him. He pushed Katya onto the floor where she gasped and clawed at her bloody chest. Yuri reached back to touch the knife sticking out of his back but Nikolai gripped his hand. "Leave it alone. This is for the surgeons to handle."
Huddled against the wall, Lena sobbed loudly. Nikolai crouched near her and produced a knife from his boot. He quickly cut the ropes binding her wrists and ankles. Once she was free, she scuttled across the rickety floor. "Yuri!"
Bleeding profusely, he crawled toward her and rested his head in her lap. The throbbing pain of the knife embedded in his shoulder was easy to ignore when her soft hands touched him.
"Oh, baby, you'll be okay." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Just hold still, Yuri."
He reached up and touched the spot just below her bloody jaw. The wound would scar and serve as a reminder of all they'd survived. "I'm sorry."
"Don't," she whispered and bent down to brush a kiss across his temple. "I love you so much—and you came for me. That's all that matters."
A terrible rattling breath interrupted their declaration of love. Katya gasped for air as her lungs filled with blood. Yuri had seen enough chest wounds during the campaign in Chechnya to know the woman had only minutes. He wanted to hate her for what she'd done but he felt only the most supreme sadness. Her mind had been been twisted by that terrible, vile man she called a father and then filled with hatred when she'd been left orphaned and alone.
Showing the depth of her kindness and forgiveness, Lena grasped Katya's hand, the same hand that had wielded the knife that sliced her face, stabbed her father and her lover. Voice shaking but calm, Lena said, "You're all right. You're going to be all right."
It was a lie—and Katya knew it. Even so, the woman's expression softened. She dragged the final gurgling breaths into her destroyed lungs. Lena kept a tight grip on Katya's hand even after it was all over.
Dizzy from the blood loss and awash in adrenaline, Yuri started to fade. As he fought to stay conscious, he watched Lena hold out her now bloody hand toward Nikolai. "Give it to me."
Nikolai couldn't hide the shock on his face. "No."
"I'm not asking. Give me the damn gun and go."
"It's a clean gun." Nikolai hesitated for a moment before handing over the weapon he illegally possessed. He crouched down and gripped Yuri's hand. "I'll stay close by—just in case."
"Go," Lena urged.
As Nikolai fled the scene, Lena expertly unloaded the weapon and made sure to wipe down every inch of it—even the shiny rounds—before marking the gun and bullets with her fingerprints. The way she expertly handled the weapon would have impressed him under different circumstances. Today, it saddened him.
"You don't have to do this." He stayed on his side as she slid away from him and started to rifle through the drawers in search of another knife. When she found one, she used it to slash at the ropes that had been binding her wrists and ankles. She dropped the knife on the floor there.
"I do. He saved us. I know he's done some shady shit in his life but I won't throw him to the wolves. We'll tell them this was the gun you brought. If Nikolai's DNA or fingerprints show up on it, you tell them that Nikolai took it away from you because he didn't want you to go after Jake and Katya on your own. We'll tell them I was able to get to the gun when it was knocked off the counter after I cut the rope cuffs. I got behind Jake and shot him. Then I shot Katya."
Yuri cringed at the ugly idea of letting Lena take the fall for the shootings. "No. I won't let you do this."
"It's too late. This is happening." She reached into his pocket and withdrew his phone. "No one is going to charge me for defending the man I love and saving my own damn life."
He tried to stay awake as she dialed 9-1-1 but the blood loss made him weak and cold. There were so many questions racing through his mind. How Nikolai had come to be here still perplexed him. Listening to Lena take the blame for what had happened here soured his gut. He wanted to cry out that she was innocent but the numbness took hold.
For now, Lena was safe—and that was enough for him.
* * *
"It's not that bad. Really," Erin added with a reassuring smile. "That plastic surgeon did a really nice job."
Sitting in the hospital waiting room, I studied the swollen area along my jaw that had been sewn and glued shut in the reflection of the mirror she'd produced from her purse.
"Erin is right." Vivian comfortingly patted my arm. "It will heal nicely."
Closing the mirror, I handed it back to Erin. "I guess a faint scar is better than the alternative."
Erin hugged me from the side. Teary-eyed, she whispered, "I don't even want to think about that. I'm so glad you're all okay."
Okay was probably the best way to describe everyone. Kelly and Feodor were being kept overnight for observation after having the unknown sedative injected into their systems. Sasha's vet had made a house call to check on him and now Dimitri and Benny were staying over to watch him as he slept off the tranquilizer.
"Your dad looked pretty good," Vivi remarked. "From what I could see from the hallway, I mean."
I nodded and sipped cold water from the bottle Ivan had handed me before taking up a strategic seat across the room. He had the best view of everyone coming and going. No doubt he'd been tasked with watching over all of us.
"For someone who took a boot to the face and a kitchen knife to the back? Definitely."
"At least they'll be on the same floor," Erin said, clearly trying to find a silver lining to all this. "Yuri and your dad, I mean. It will make visiting easier for the next few days."
"How long do you think they'll keep them?" Vivi wondered.
"The doctor said Dad will probably go home in two days. I hope they won't keep Yuri very long. He won't be able to handle sitting still and doing nothing."
"Maybe it would be good for him to learn to enjoy a slower pace," Erin suggested. Lowering her voice, she said, "Ivan was a real workaholic before we got together. He still puts in some crazy hours but he's definitely learned to cut back and enjoy life more. That might be good for Yuri. All that stress can't be healthy for him."
"It might be good for both of you to slow down," Vivi remarked. "You two are exactly alike when it comes to work. In all the years I've known you, the last week has been the first time I've ever seen you take some time for yourself—and it took a dang cartel threat and some blackmailing nut to make you do it!"
When she put it like that…
"Miss Cruz?" A nurse in bright blue scrubs smiled at me. "Mr. Novakovsky is in his room now."
Even though I wanted to jump up and run down the hall to see him, I rose slowly as instructed by the doctor who had seen me in the ER for my smacked up face and the surgeon who had sewn me back together. Vivian gave my hand an encouraging squeeze. As I left the waiting room, Ivan winked at me and smiled.
The nurse walked me to Yuri's private room. Desperate to see him, I entered quickly and shut the door. The setting sun filled the room with a pinkish hue.
Yuri's tense expression relaxed as his gaze fell upon me. "Kitten."
Joy bubbled inside me like the fizzy champagne we'd enjoyed on his yacht. I couldn't get to him fast enough. Standing next to the bed, I visually examined him. Both of his arms were bandaged. The gaping neck of his hospital gown revealed another bandage on his chest and the top edge of the bandage on his back. An IV line snaked out of his right arm.
Cupping his strong jaw, I whispered, "How are you feeling?"
"Buzzed," he answered honestly.
I giggled. "I suppose that's a good thing right now."
"Very good," he agreed. His smile faded and he brushed his fingers across my cheek. "Are you all right?"
"The bruises will fade and my lip will heal. This too," I added while gesturing to the cut.
"And what about this?" He touched my head. "And this?" He touched my heart. "Are these going to heal so quickly?"
"I don't know. I don't think it's re
ally hit me yet." I swallowed hard. "I'm sure it will later, when I'm alone."
"I don't want you alone. You need to be around the people you love and the people who love you."
Thinking of Erin, Vivian, Benny and their men, I nodded. "I don't think that will be a problem. Dimitri and Benny are already at our house taking care of Sasha. I guess Vasya was able to carry him into his kennel after the vet saw him. And Ivan brought Erin and Vivian to the emergency room. They haven't left my side."
"Good." He hesitated. "Have you spoken to the police?"
"Yes. Have you?"
He shook his head. "Not yet but I assume they'll be here soon. Did you call my lawyer?"
"No but Nikolai did. Craig was at the house before the paramedics even had you loaded into the ambulance. He shielded me from the more aggressive questioning."
"Are you sure you want to stick with this story?"
"Yes." I still didn't know where my instinct to protect Nikolai came from but I trusted it. "Everything would come out, Yuri. Everything. If Nikolai wants to tell people about the abuse he suffered as a child, that's his business. I won't have that admission forced on him. Regardless of who shot Jake and Katya, there was no other way out of that situation. We were both going to die today, Yuri. Whether I take responsibility or Nikolai does, it doesn't change the reality."
Yuri looked like he wanted to argue. "I don't want you to suffer for more of my mistakes."
"And I didn't want you to suffer for the mistakes of my father and my cousin but you did. You risked so much to save them both, to save the people I love. This is my way of saving someone you love."
His eyes shut briefly. "I wish it wasn't so sordid, so dirty."
"So do I."
He tried to squeeze my hand but winced. "Sorry. They said there isn't any bad nerve damage but it may be a few weeks before my grip and dexterity returns."
"I guess it's a good thing you don't work with your hands."
Yuri grinned and his eyes gleamed impishly. "Oh, I don't know about that. I think I've done some of my best work with these hands."
Thinking of all the ways he'd sensually tormented me with those masterful hands, I blushed. "Yes, you have done some rather amazing things with them."
He chuckled. Eyes shining with love, he murmured, "I want to hold you."
I studied the bed. "Don't move. I'll just squeeze right in here."
After kicking off my shoes, I gently climbed onto the bed and insinuated myself between his side and the safety rail. I made sure not to put any pressure on his chest and watched his face for any signs of discomfort. He draped his bandaged arms around me. "I love you, Yelena."
"I love you, too."
"You realize I'm going to marry you someday."
Smiling up at him, I kissed his cheek. "I figured."
He snorted with amusement. "I suppose that answer will have to do for now."
"For now," I agreed.
"While the doctors were sewing me back together, I decided that we're going on a very long vacation after Dimitri and Benny's wedding."
"Is that so?"
He laughed quietly. "It is. You aren't fighting me on this one. You need some relaxation and rest as much as I do."
"Erin and Vivian just said the same thing to me. Apparently, they all think we're workaholics."
"We are. It's probably why we get along so well but life is about more than work and money and success." His arms tightened around me. "I've waited years to find you, Lena. I intend to enjoy every damn minute we have together."
His sweet vow touched me. "Ditto."
"You pick out the places you want to visit and we'll do them all."
My eyebrows shot up. "All of them?"
"Why not?"
"Maybe the top five," I said, thinking of how long it would take to visit all the places on my bucket list. "We have our whole lives ahead of us to get to the rest of them."
"Then top five," he agreed indulgently. He kissed the top of my head. "And add a stop to Los Angeles to that list."
"Los Angeles?" I scrunched up my face. "Why? Do you have business there?"
"No, but I thought you might like to see your mother."
His words hit me like a speeding truck. Voice shaking, I reminded him, "My mother is dead, Yuri."
He swept his fingers down my hair. "I don't know who told you that but it isn't true. She's alive. Her address was in the dossier that I shredded."
Suddenly nauseated, I bolted upright and off the bed. The awful truth, the one thing in the whole world I'd been willing to lie to him about, had been uncovered.
"I'm sorry." Yuri tried to sit up but fell back when the pain wouldn't let him. He pressed a hand to his shoulder. "I shouldn’t have told you like this. I wasn't thinking about what a shock—"
"I already knew," I said, my voice scratchy and my eyes burning.
Yuri blinked with confusion. "What do you mean? But you told me—"
"I know what I told you. I told you the same thing I tell everyone." Humiliated to admit the truth, I dropped my gaze to the floor. "I found her when I was seventeen. I saved money all summer and bought a bus ticket to Los Angeles the week before my senior year of high school began."
"You rode a bus? All the way to Los Angeles? At seventeen?"
I could hear the distaste in his voice but didn't dare lift my gaze to his. "Yes."
"Why didn't your father give you money for a plane ticket?"
"He didn't know I was going. We never talked about her after she left."
"You went across the country alone? Yelena, you could have been killed or kidnapped or—"
I held up my hand. "I know how stupid it was."
Still unable to meet his gaze, I wiped at the tears rushing down my cheeks. Realizing there was no way to keep the awful, ugly truth a secret, I let it all spill out of me. "I was so excited. The whole way there I kept dreaming of all the wonderful things that would happen. I thought we would hug and laugh and stay up all night talking and go to fucking Disneyland."
My painful sob echoed in the quiet hospital room. "But she wasn't happy to see me after all. She looked horrified—horrified—to see me standing on the doorstep of her big, beautiful new house."
I managed to force down the bile rising in my throat as the humiliating memories assaulted me. "When her husband asked who I was, she said I was a solicitor selling magazine subscriptions and slammed the door in my face. She had a whole new family. A perfect family," I added. "And she didn't want me poisoning it."
"Lyubimaya…"
"I went back to the bus station and bought a ticket home. Dad didn't even realize I'd been gone. He'd been fencing some stuff in New York. Right around Christmas, he found the address and asked me about it. I didn't know how to tell him the truth so I told him she was dead because we were already dead to her."
"Angel moy…"
"So I lied to you, too, Yuri." I sobbed into my hands, the broken gulps of air making my lungs burn. "I lied because there's no way you could love me if you knew that my own mother didn’t want me."
Yuri's strong, loving voice cut through my sobs. "Come here, Lena. I would come get you myself but I can't. Now come here, Kitten."
I forced my feet to move even though I wanted to run out of the room in embarrassment. Yuri grasped my hand and tugged me closer. "Onto the bed. Now."
I did as he commanded, sliding back into the small space I'd earlier occupied. Yuri shifted enough to gaze down at me. It wasn't pity or disgust reflected in those warm hazel eyes of his. No, it was love, the brightest, fiercest love.
"You listen to me, Yelena. That woman is a fool and there's no help for a person like that." He kissed me tenderly. "I'm no fool and I see what's right here in front of me. You are loved by so many people—by your father, by your friends and by me." He claimed my lips with such love. "I will never abandon you, Lena. You are precious to me."
Yuri's words started to fill that raw, gaping hole inside of me. For the first time in so long, I actually b
egan to feel a glimmer of wholeness.
"I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you're loved." With a teasing smile, he added, "And I'm going to take you to Disneyland."
Still crying, I laughed at his playful remark. Though it was said teasingly, I had no doubt we'd both be sporting mouse ears in goofy pictures someday soon.
After Yuri wiped my face with his hospital gown, he urged me to snuggle closer. Huddled close to the man I loved, I relished the flare of hope burning so brightly within me. If any man in the world had the audacity to be everything he promised, it was my Yuri.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Four Weeks Later
"I've got to hand it to you, Erin. This is one hell of a wedding!" Champagne in hand, I took the open seat next to her.
Grinning, she looked rather pleased with herself "It was fun to plan. Of course, having full access to Yuri's yacht and all the secret handshakes from Nikolai and Ivan's business relationships around town helped." She leaned closer. "You wouldn't believe how affordable this bash was. Like—seriously."
"I've seen you haggle when we go thrifting," I reminded her with a laugh. "I'm not at all surprised you got all this for less."
And it was a beautiful wedding. It was a mid-sized gathering of Dimitri and Benny's friends and family. Ivan had taken the role of best man and Benny had asked me to be her maid of honor. Johnny looked fantastic in his tux and watching him give away his sister had been a bittersweet moment to watch.
Because Ivan hated speaking in public, Yuri had given the best man's speech—and he didn't disappoint. We'd all been rolling with laughter and smiling as he delivered a poignant but witty speech, but it was Dimitri who had us wiping our eyes and cheering when he finished his heartfelt speech with an announcement of Benny's pregnancy.
I watched the happily married couple as they swayed on the dance floor. Safely out of her first trimester, Benny seemed to be over the worst of the morning sickness and the exhaustion. The cut of her wedding gown, an empire sheath, made it possible for her to keep their secret through the ceremony, but out on that dance floor, the fabric twisted just enough to show the rounded curve to her belly. Without even realizing it, Dimitri had been placing his hand across her tummy in a protective, shielding way all night.