This was the story of his life.
Instead of working, he jumped onto the lush bed and stared at the ceiling. So many things were going through his mind.
Truth be told, the woman at the other end of the hall was plaguing him.
After about twenty minutes of torturing himself, he decided to take a shower. As he stripped out of his shirt, there was a tap behind him.
When he looked around, no one was there.
Again, he heard it.
It sounded like it was coming from the window. Who would climb three stories up to tap…?
Then it hit him.
Shit!
Katerina!
Rushing to the window, he found her hanging from her fingertips.
“Can you pull me in?” she whispered.
He didn't know what to say.
Reaching out, her hand found his and he hauled her into his room.
“Katerina! Are you trying to die?” he whispered as she landed softly on her feet.
“I needed to talk to you.”
“Listen.”
“No, I need you to listen to me, Curtis. I got your note, and I have something to say.”
“I’m sorry if I crossed a line,” he said, gushing before he could control his mouth.
She put her hand over his lips to silence him. “I don’t have much time. I’m on patrol later, and we need to clear the air. Okay?”
He nodded.
She removed her hand.
Pointing at the bed, she headed there. Effortlessly, she hopped up and landed in the middle.
Curtis couldn’t help but be reminded of some gymnast. Katerina moved with ease, as if unhindered by gravity. It was just one more sexy little thing that endeared her to him.
“Thank you for the roses.”
He didn't speak.
“I want to tell you all about me. I know what you read in my file, but it’s better coming from me.”
Still he said nothing.
“You can talk,” she said, laughing. “I didn’t mean you couldn’t talk at all.”
“I didn't want to screw up again.”
“Yeah, about that. You didn't. I was just freaked out. When I think about my past, about my life before here, and my father, I get scared.”
Instinctually, he took her hand in his.
Katerina began, “He was a horrible human being. My father believed that in order to rule his house, he had to use pain as a deterrent. At first, he never touched me. As a small child, I was safe.”
He listened.
“Then, one day everything changed.”
Curtis knew what was coming. Had he not read the file, he would have seen the signs. When women were abused, they formed this wall and hid.
Katerina had built a castle, turrets, and all. She was more than abused.
She’d been tortured. He could see the demons in her eyes.
“He came home drunk one night and raped me. I won’t go into details, because they suck, but it was the end of my life.”
He touched her cheek with nothing but gentleness.
“I cried the entire night. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat, and I didn't want to live. Dimitri had left me behind to serve in the army. In Russia, you don’t have a choice. It looks decent from the outside, but trust me…its Hell.”
Katerina looked around. “I didn't come from a place like this. There were no fine linens, pretty walls, and peace. I came from a place mired in misery. I was born there, and I was created by it.”
“None of us came from this, Kat. We didn’t start like this. Emma lost everyone, I had no one to start my life with, and Tessa was discarded as a baby. Greyson and Dante were the only ones who had decent lives. ”
She was aware.
Maybe that was why she liked the people who were under this roof so much—they got it.
“By the time I was nine, I was stealing to survive. Then I was stealing for him. He made me do horrible things, and they created this void in me. While other kids learned to read, played at the park, and had a chance at love, I didn't. I was a drunken man’s concubine.”
He flinched for her.
“It’s the truth,” she said. “He used me, his vile friends hurt me, and I didn't fight because I wanted to die. It was a matter of time.”
“I’m sorry, Katerina.”
“No one wanted to save me. No one wanted to look at this little girl with the bruises, used by her father and other men. I was invisible. I would wake up every day and pray the night would never come. It always came, Curtis, and it was always the same torture.”
He stroked her cheek with his fingers, trying to offer her some soothing. Truth be told, he wanted to wash away all those memories.
Curtis wanted to save her.
“Is that why you do what you do?”
“I’m only good at one thing. Okay, make that two things, but that one was out of survival.”
Curtis wasn’t sure if she was talking about killing, sex, or stealing, and frankly, he was afraid to ask.
“When you said my name, it scared me. I don’t want you to know her. I want you to know me. She isn’t what you deserve. Honestly, at this point, I may not be what you deserve either. I’m damaged.”
He stopped her.
“Katerina, isn’t that my choice? Shouldn’t I be able to choose if I want to fall for you or…?” He almost said her name. “The other you?”
She stared at him. “I don’t understand you. Just when I think I’ve figured you out, you say something sweet and trip me up.”
He grinned. “I don’t understand you either.”
“Why?”
“I don’t see what you see in me. Why are you even interested in me?”
She tipped her head to the side and stared at him.
“Well?”
“You’re gentle. I want that in my life. I’ve lived harsh, cold, and brutal. I want to see what the other side is like.”
“And?”
“You’re smart. I watch you work, and I wonder what education would be like. I have street smarts. I can survive out there, but I don’t know how to survive in here,” she said, gently tapping his head.
“Let your hair down and find out.”
She did what he asked.
“No, that was a figure of speech. It means to relax.”
“See? I’m not smart or educated. I won’t make you happy. You’ll find me boring and discard me.”
There was the underlying fear for both of them.
Neither wanted to be tossed away.
They both wanted love.
He lifted her chin. “You do make me happy. When I was at my lowest, you offered me peace. When my wife died, you gave me understanding. Everyone walked around me on eggshells, but you were just you. That’s more important than anything. You may not have education, but you have something better.”
“What do I have, Curtis. What do I have to offer you?”
“Compassion, mercy, sweetness, and honesty—those are the things I want. They’re the things I need.”
“I hate to see people in pain.”
He got why.
She’d lived it.
“Why else do you want to be with me?”
“I watch you with Emma. You respect her. When she’s sad, you joke around to make her laugh. When you’re with Greyson, you always have his back.”
“They’re my mother and father, of sorts. They’re all I have in life.”
“I understand that. Dimitri is all I have. Well, him and Natasha.”
“Why else, Kat?”
“You’re handsome. I find myself wanting to play with that curl,” she admitted, touching the one in the middle of his forehead.
He grinned. “Then I guess I won’t get a haircut.”
“See? You’re gentle.”
“Why else?”
“I think you’re sexy. There’s something about you that attracts me. I knew when I saw you.”
Funny, he knew too.
That instant attraction helped him
get over loss, it lifted him up, and made him aware that he was still alive.
“When I kiss you, it feels right.”
He leaned in, meeting her halfway.
She didn't hesitate.
As her lips touched his, that peace, that love, and that heat erupted around them. It took everything for Curtis to set her free.
“I will hurt you,” she said sadly.
“Will it be intentional?”
“No. It will never be that. I just want you to know that if you become entangled with me, I will make a mess. I’m broken.”
“I was broken once. Know what healed me?”
She listened.
Kat was curious to find the magic cure to set the demons free. They screamed in her, reminding Katerina that she was damaged.
Less than worthy.
She wanted to vanquish them.
“What?”
“Love healed me. When Greyson and Emma loved me, I was fixed. Let me take care of you, Kat. I’ll make mistakes, but I’ll try. I’m still learning, but I’d like to start this journey with you.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Why with me?” she asked.
“Because you’re worth it. I look at you, and I see that flower. You’re all closed up and protecting yourself, but I know that once you bloom, you’re going to be the sweetest, most amazing flower on the vine. I see that beauty in you.”
The tears began falling.
No one ever wanted to see that beauty before.
“Come here, sweetheart,” Curtis said, pulling her to his side. Together, they fell back onto the bed, but instead of rolling around, he simply held her.
He offered her love.
Curtis didn’t want Kat for the sex, or what her touching him did for his libido. He simply wanted her for her heart.
It was beautiful, and for once, he wanted someone who saw the real him.
Like Kat did.
Chapter Eight
Friday Morning
A scream woke them.
It was so unexpected that Greyson and Emma were chilled to the bone. That blood-curdling wail was something nightmares were made of.
How was it possible?
They were safely tucked inside Terrace Glen, but something horrible was going on.
But how?
None of the alarms were going off. The house hadn’t been breached.
As they raced from their room, all the doors began opening, to see what was going on in the house. Pretty much everyone had a gun in their hand.
If someone had broken through security, they had made one hell of a mistake. This was the last place you wanted to venture to steal a painting.
It sounded like it was coming from Curtis’s room. As they raced down the hall, guns out, they found something disturbing.
Katerina was trying to pull her brother off Curtis. The young agent was shirtless, pinned to the wall, and a foot off the ground.
“You slept with my sister!” shouted Dimitri in anger. “How dare you!”
Curtis couldn’t speak. The man’s forearm was across his windpipe, and he was struggling to remain calm. If he escalated this, it would be bad.
He wasn’t a fool.
As Katrina fought to save him, Dimitri ignored her.
“I will kill you for touching her.”
The Russian accent was prominent, and there was no doubt that he was angry, but was he furious enough to kill?
That was the question.
Greyson rushed in, hoping to do something. When Katerina rushed her brother again, he shoved her so hard that she slammed into the dresser, hitting her head.
Curtis lost it.
That was all it took. Dimitri could manhandle him all he wanted, but touching Kat was more than he could take.
So, he began fighting.
With a punch, he had Dimitri staggering back. Immediately, he rushed toward Kat, who was lying on the floor.
When she moaned, he turned on the man who was angrily shouting in Russian. There was fire in his eyes, and his fists were clenched.
Curtis charged him, slamming him into the wall.
A fight ensued.
Greyson barely had enough time to grab Curtis before he attacked again.
“Stop!” Emma shouted.
Curtis pointed at Dimitri. “You hurt her! Don’t you fucking touch her!” He fought Greyson’s grasp. “I’ll kill you. If you put your hands on her again, I’ll end your life!”
Dimitri smiled. “That’s what I wanted to hear. We’re done here.”
With that, he walked out.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
“What the hell?” asked Dante from the doorway. “What just went on here?”
No one had a clue.
Greyson released Curtis, and immediately, he was at Kat’s side.
“Nothing happened,” he told Emma. “We were talking, and we fell asleep. We didn't have sex. She slept beside me, not with me.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me, Curtis,” she said, patting his cheek. “You’re an adult. This is your home. I’m just worried about Katerina. She hit her head pretty hard.”
“I’m good,” she said, trying to clear the stars from her vision. “He didn't shove me as hard as he could have. Dimitri didn't hurt me. To him, that was a love tap.”
Curtis didn't believe that.
He didn’t care.
There was no reason for a man to ever put his hands on a woman in anger. That was the cardinal rule at castle Croft.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said, getting up. “I’m going to kill a man and go to jail.”
“Son, don’t be stupid,” Greyson warned, placing his hand on Curtis’s bare shoulder.
“Oh, I’m three days past stupid into insane,” Curtis stated. “No one puts their hands on the women in this house. I don’t care if he’s bigger and meaner. There’s a line, and he crossed it!”
Natasha moved out of his way as he pushed through his family to get to the door.
“I’ll go make sure he’s okay,” she said, following after him.
Greyson was behind her.
This was going to be bad.
He loved Curtis. While Dimitri was part of their family, he was still new. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he’d kill Curtis or not.
That would really piss Emma off.
Yeah, and him too.
Outside, heading toward the pool house, Curtis finally caught up with Dimitri.
When he spun him around, the man was smiling.
“Are you insane?”
He laughed. “Some say I am. It’s debatable at this point.”
“What the hell was that? You threaten to kill me, you hurt Katerina, and then you walk away laughing? I think you need medication. Normal people don’t do that.”
“And if I hurt her?”
“I’ll kill you. I’ll get my gun and shoot you.”
“Why?” Dimitri asked as Greyson and Natasha approached. “Why do you care if she dies? She’s nothing to you.”
He punched him.
God help him, but the anger overtook him, and he sucker punched the man in the face.
Dimitri went down.
“She does matter! She’s not some tool you can use to advance your business and not care about her. She has feelings! She hurts! You’re an asshole for even asking me that. I do care! I’ll make sure people like you don’t hurt her. She deserves a chance to be happy!”
Dimitri got up.
Greyson braced for it.
He saw the glint in the man’s eye.
Here it came.
With one push, he sent Curtis flying backward and into the pool. He laughed the entire time as the man came up sputtering.
“For the record, Curtis, she matters to me, and I was just making sure she mattered to you too. I don’t trust my sisters with just any men. For all these years, I’ve been their father. I protected them. I know you didn't sleep with her. I know you didn't put your hands all over her, Curt
is, but I had to make sure that if I trusted you with her, you’d die to keep her safe. She’s my blood and my treasure, and she deserves to be respected. She deserves a man who will protect and cherish her like I do. Until this moment, I didn’t think you had it in you. I was wrong.”
Greyson wanted to laugh.
This Russian was insane.
No, criminals were insane--Dimitri was an escapee from some asylum.
Oddly, he appreciated that in a friend. For the last two years, he’d been trying to guide Curtis through life, and this was the big lesson.
Welcome to manhood. It appeared he’d learned after all. Every lesson he’d been trying to instill in the man had sunk in. Curtis was ready to play with the big dogs in the alpha arena.
“Get him out,” Dimitri stated.
Natasha helped Curtis out of the pool.
“You may date my sister. I’ll allow it. If you hurt her, you will end up in a pool, only it will be filled with concrete. Are we clear?”
He stared at him.
“You’re crazy.”
Dimitri glanced over at Greyson. “I’m sorry for the production. I needed to know that his intentions weren’t to have sex, knock her up, and run. Men can be such…assholes to women today.”
Curtis sputtered even more in horror.
This had been a test?
Dimitri wasn’t crazy. He was sick.
“You need to be locked up.”
He shrugged, and the laughter continued. “I’ve been locked up. I prefer freedom.”
Greyson shrugged. “I’m with Curtis on this one. You’re insane. With all the guns in this house, you could have been shot.”
“It won’t be the first, and it certainly won’t be the last. That’s why I always wear body armor. See? That’s the other reason. When you have sisters, or daughters, it comes in handy.”
Curtis was confused.
He didn't know what the hell he’d gotten into. Last night, he fell asleep with Kat, and this morning, he’d woken up in some other dimension.
Dimitri headed toward the pool house. “You have another name to add to the list. I found you an interview.”
Greyson was still amused as his wife came out still carrying her gun.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, looking around. Natasha was laughing, Curtis was wet, and it appeared the situation was under control.
Justice is Dead (Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 7) Page 20