by Leslie North
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Desi said, quickly trying to come up with a plausible excuse for how she would have met Stefan. Her eyes fixed on his tattoos and she smiled. “I met him a tattoo parlor down by the beach.”
“A tattoo? You were going to let him ink you?” Murphy asked.
“Why not? I mean, everyone has one these days. I…”
“So what did you get?” Johnson asked, eyeing Stefan’s numerous tattoos with something akin to envy.
“Nothing yet. I couldn’t quite decide.”
Johnson nodded. “That’s probably wise. You will end up buried with it, so might as well make sure you really love whatever you pick. I look forward to seeing what you choose,” he told Stefan with an affable grin.
Ramirez wasn’t grinning when Desi met his gaze. In fact, he looked downright furious. “Is there a problem, detective?”
“Weren’t you scheduled to work tonight?”
Desi swallowed, then slowly nodded. “Yeah, but I called in sick earlier today. I thought I was coming down with the flu, but I think I’m feeling much better now.”
“Evidently. You do know the department has rules against calling in with false excuses?”
Desi nodded, but before she could respond, Stefan answered, “Just what are you implying? Desi was feeling quite ill earlier today and followed protocol by calling the department with enough time for them to find a replacement for her.”
Johnson smiled and added, “Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better. Have a nice night.” He headed down the hallway. “You guys coming, or what?”
Ramirez gave her one more look, then shook his head and followed, tossing over his shoulder, “Go home and put on some decent clothes, Desi.”
Chapter 17
Desi breathed a sigh of relief after they stepped out into the night air. That could have been disastrous for both of them! Grigori was brimming with curiosity and pent up energy as they entered the vehicle.
“What took so long?”
“We ran into a group of police detectives that were very interested in little Desi here.”
“What? Desi, is that true?”
“Yes. They recognized me too. And Ramirez knows I called in sick.” Desi was more upset about that chance encounter than she was the meeting with David Patterson.
Grigori could see how shaken she was, and he exited the vehicle and climbed into the backseat with her, tossing the keys to Stefan. “Drive. You can fill me in on what you learned on the way.” They had decided to take Stefan’s vehicle, trying to keep Grigori’s presence under the radar for as long as possible.
Grigori could see Desi shaking, even though it was a balmy seventy-five degrees outside, so he pulled her against his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and grabbing her hand, placing it palm down on his thigh.
She gave a token protest but relaxed against him as Stefan headed back across town. “David is working on a solo seek and destroy mission.”
“Is he a liability or an asset?” Grigori wanted to know.
“Definitely an asset. He was talking about getting out and moving to the other side of the United States. He went in looking for his daughter; it turns out she was killed by someone unrelated to the mafia. He had already gained a position of trust when that information came to light, and he decided to stay in and help as many innocents as he could.”
“So what else happened? You were in there quite a while.”
“Then Misha Ryndin showed up.”
Grigori cursed and tightened his hold on Desi, making her squirm until he loosened his grip. “They recognized you.”
“Yes. I made it seem as if I had come there looking for them. Needing their help with a distribution problem I am having.”
“Brilliant! You appealed to their need for superiority and gave them the impression that they have something you need.”
“I’m meeting with both of them tomorrow.” Stefan let silence reign for a moment, then added, “At their private residence.”
Grigori met Stefan’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Why would they do that?”
“Do what?” Desi asked, not following their unspoken communication.
“Invite Stefan to their home. That is a very stupid move for them to make.”
“Why? I don’t understand. Isn’t their private residence the safest place to hold this type of meeting?”
Grigori looked down into her eyes and shook his head. “No. It is where they are most vulnerable. Very few people know where they lay their heads at night. Only their closest and most trusted members would have such knowledge. To give that to a rival leader is like inviting a cobra into your bed.”
He met Stefan’s eyes. “Think it’s a trap?”
“Not really. I think Misha is just showing how stupid he is. He’s started believing his own press that he and Karl are invincible. They think they got away with taking out Konstantin and his family and have grown overconfident.”
Grigori grinned, bearing his teeth as he said, “Why don’t we help them learn the error of their ways?”
“My thoughts exactly.” Stefan pulled the vehicle around to the back of the hotel. “I will make the necessary preparations.”
Grigori led Desi back up to his hotel room, nodding when she immediately headed for the shower. He’d known she was uncomfortable in the clothing and makeup Tasha had provided, but her foray into the Grotto had been highly profitable. To both of their missions.
He heard the shower start up and placed a call to Nikolai, standing in front of the window and looking out at the night as he waited for the line to be picked up.
“Hello?” came a very feminine voice when it was answered.
Grigori lifted an eyebrow, wondering if Nikolai knew Katya answered his cell phone late at night. “Katya?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“It’s Grigori. Where is Nikolai?”
“He’s in the shower. Do you want me to get him for you?”
“Yes, doll. Get him for me.”
“Okay. Hang on,” Katya said into the phone.
Grigori listened, then smiled when he heard Nikolai reprimanding her for answering his phone. “Grigori?”
“Yeah. Don’t be too hard on her. I only have a few minutes to talk.”
“What’s up?”
“Stefan helped me out this evening and has a meeting with the Ryndins tomorrow afternoon. At their personal residence.”
“What? Why would they do that?” Nikolai asked.
“I have no idea, but Stefan doesn’t think it’s a trap. I’m thinking of tagging along to see what sorts of information they may be willing to give up before they die.”
“You realize taking them out will let Leonid know his days are numbered?” Nikolai asked.
“So be it. I don’t plan on leaving Florida as long as he breathes.”
“What do you need me to do?” Nikolai asked.
“I want to know Danil’s reaction to the news that the Ryndin brothers are no more.”
“I’m meeting with him first thing in the morning. I will casually inform him and see what reaction he has. When is Stefan meeting with the Ryndins?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. I will wait for your call.” Grigori saw Desi come back out of the bathroom and kept his eyes on her as he ended the call. “Talk to you tomorrow. There’s something I need to take care of.”
Desi hadn’t thought to take extra clothes into the bathroom with her, so she had wrapped a large bath sheet around her petite body and exited the bathroom to retrieve her backpack. She always kept several changes of clothes with her, especially since she’d started sleeping in her car and following Ivan around.
She bent to retrieve the pack, and when she looked up, it was to see Grigori slowly walking towards her, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
“Forget something?” he asked.
“My clothes. I’ll just change and—”
Grigori reached out and let a hand brush down the soft skin of her arm. “You don’t need cloth
es for what I have in mind.”
Desi looked at him as she warred with herself. What he was offering sounded so good, but she just didn’t know. He’s mafia! You’re a cop! This is a really bad idea! Her inner voices went back and forth as she looked at him and let his fingers stroke her arm. There’s chemistry between the two of you. Sleeping with him would be amazing!
Grigori was having a similar battle in his mind, but for different reasons. She’s young and law enforcement. You represent everything she’s against. Her skin was so soft and smooth though, and his body had been hard since the first moment he’d held her close in the car. I bet her skin tastes as good as she smells.
Pulling her towards him, he let his hands play with the wet ends of her hair before trailing one down to where the towel met her upper back. Tugging on the towel, he placed his lips against her ear and whispered, “Let go.”
Chapter 18
Desi struggled with obeying his command, whispering back, “I don’t know if I can.”
Grigori didn’t give her much choice. Tugging harder, he loosened the towel and let it drop to the floor. He tipped her chin up so that her eyes met his as he lowered his lips once again, taking hers in a kiss meant to conquer and consume.
Desi had never been kissed like this before, and she gave herself over to the sensations he was creating in her body. He was burning her up with the touches of his palms against her back. When he reached between their bodies and palmed one of her breasts, she gasped, opening her mouth, and he took immediate possession.
Grigori kissed her until he felt her knees give way, giving him the perfect excuse to pick her up and deposit her in the center of the bed. Following her down, he lay on his side and let his fingers discover her body.
Desi allowed herself to float on the sensations he created for a few minutes, continuing to kiss him until the passion rising in her demanded she take action. She pushed against him, forcing him to rise up and raise an eyebrow at her. “Take your shirt off,” she urged, reaching to his waistband and pulling the hem of his shirt from his pants.
She quickly encountered his gun and raised her own brow. “You didn’t think to make love to me still armed, right?”
Grigori blushed, something he hadn’t done in forever. “No, but kissing you seems to have stolen my common sense.” He pushed himself up from the bed and removed his weapons—the one at his waist and the one in his boot—before pulling his T-shirt up and over his head.
He watched her eyes take in his body, her eyes following the lines of his tattoos with interest. Laying back down, he rolled over onto his back, encouraging her to look and touch to her heart’s content.
Desi needed no further invitation, leaning up on an elbow, uncaring of her bared state. She let her fingers trail across the various symbols inked into his skin: Cyrillic symbols, a pair of angel’s wings, an elaborate cross, and various other scroll-like designs. “Do these all mean something?”
“To me. Some of them are commemorative. Others are to remind me daily of who I am.”
Desi met his eyes as she let her fingers trail over his smooth chest. “No hair?”
“I had it lasered off years ago. It made getting the tattoos so much easier. So, no hair.”
She let her fingers trail lower, over his abdomen. “So who is Grigori Tokarev?”
“You know who I am.”
Desi shook her head. “No, that’s what you do. How did you come to be part of the Russian mafia?”
“I was born into it. It’s all I’ve ever known. My father was a Torpedoe, as was his father before him.”
“Have you ever thought of getting out?”
“You mean becoming a law-abiding citizen?” he questioned with a rueful grin. When she nodded, he grabbed her wandering hand and directed it below his waistband, pressing it tight against himself. “No.”
Desi didn’t let his actions phase her. Instead, she gently palmed the hardness beneath her fingers, watching his eyes darken as she did so. “What about finding something else to do that didn’t involve killing people all the time?”
Grigori thought back to the conversation he’d had with Nikolai and nodded, even as he moaned in pleasure. “Do you know what you’re doing to me?”
Desi smiled. “Why don’t you show me?”
Grigori needed no further enticement. He rolled her over to her back, grabbed her wandering hands, and held them above her head. Bending down, he took her mouth in a voracious kiss, putting into actions all of the pent up emotion he was feeling.
She struggled to free her hands, but she was no match for his strength or his size. He used his free hand to tickle a path down her stomach, dipping into her belly button before trailing them lower. She was warm, wet, and ready for him.
He played with her for a few moments, then released the snaps on his jeans. Letting her lips go, he whispered to her, “Don’t move your arm.”
He pushed from the bed and quickly shucked his jeans and boxers before lowering himself back over her. She readily spread her thighs, making room for him between, arching up to him as he laid his body along her. “You feel so good,” he murmured to her.
“So do you. Can I move my arms?”
Grigori was beyond playing games and nodded. “Yes, touch me.”
Desi let her hands learn the muscles of his back, arching her back in pleasure as he fit himself to her center and began to push his way inside. He was so much larger than any of her other lovers. He didn’t rush but took his time, ensuring all she felt was pleasure.
After going as deep as he could, he began to increase the tempo of their joining, bringing her up to the pinnacle time and time again, yet always bringing her back before she could reach the ultimate pleasure.
“Grigori, please don’t tease me anymore,” Desi pleaded with him. She dug her fingernails into his back as he began to increase the tempo once again.
“Don’t you like?” he teased.
Desi looked at him and decided to take matters into her own hands. Hooking her heels behind his hips, she pushed up with her hands on his shoulders as she twisted her body, deftly turning them so that she was lying on top of him, a look of incredulity on his face.
“How did you learn to do that?” he asked, the answer becoming unimportant when she pushed herself to a sitting position and proceeded to take them both to heaven. They both reached ecstasy at the same time, shouting out their pleasure before she collapsed on top of him, trying to regulate her breathing.
“God.”
“Sorry, doll. I’m just a mere mortal. Grigori’s the name.”
Desi leaned up and slapped him lightly on the shoulder before looking down into his face in awe. “I’ve never—”
Grigori stopped her with a quick kiss. “Me either. Now we both need a shower and some sleep. Stefan will be here early to pick me up.”
“I want to come with you,” Desi said as he set her off the bed and led her towards the shower.
Grigori gave her a look and shook his head. “No. You do not want any part of what will be happening tomorrow.”
“I need to know if they killed my father and brother,” she argued.
“I promise you, before I return tomorrow, I will have an answer for you.”
“If they’re responsible, I want them to be arrested.”
Grigori shook his head. “Doll, there’s one thing you’ve got to learn about Russkaya mafiya.”
“What’s that?” she asked, letting the warm water flow over her back as she watched him.
“We take care of our own problems.”
“But this is my problem.”
“No. You are now mine. That makes your problems now mine as well, and I will take care of it according to our code of honor.”
Chapter 19
Grigori left with Stefan early the next morning, leaving a very sleepy Desi still in their bed. She felt him kiss her on the forehead and heard the door close before she realized he was indeed leaving her behind. She had tried to convince him throughout the n
ight to let her tag along, but he’d been firm in his answer. No.
Sitting up in the bed, she realized it was almost eight in the morning, she had expended a tremendous amount of energy the night before, and she was starving. She quickly showered and dressed, leaving the hotel room in such a haste she forgot to grab her weapon off the dresser. She thought about going back for it, but she was only planning on going over to Molly’s Diner for breakfast and to see how Dennis was getting along.
When she arrived, she spotted Dennis in his usual spot. She waved to him, went inside, and purchased two of Molly’s famous breakfast burritos and two cups of coffee. She then headed back outside with them, juggling the small tray and trying not to spill the hot liquid on her hands.
She looked up as she exited the building and froze. Dennis had been alone when she went into the diner, but now he had company. Unpleasant company.
“Come on over here and don’t even think about trying to take off,” the uglier of the two men said.
“Desi, don’t listen to them. Get out of here,” Dennis urged her right before the other man cuffed him on the back of the head, sending him careening back on the concrete.
“Stop that! Don’t hurt him!” Desi pleaded with them, sitting the tray of breakfast and coffee down on the nearest table. “What do you want?”
“We want you to come with us quietly.”
“And if I don’t?” she asked, still watching Dennis and trying to see if he had any other injuries.
The ugly one pointed a very wicked-looking knife in Dennis’s direction. “Then I’ll gut him right here and you can watch him bleed out.”
Desi knew the man wasn’t joking, and she slowly nodded. “Fine. I’ll come with you. Just don’t hurt him.” Dennis hadn’t moved since he was thrown to the ground, and as she drew closer, she could see a small puddle of blood forming under his head. Dennis, I’m so sorry!
Desi swallowed when the two men reached out and grabbed her arms, ushering her quickly across the street and down the alleyway. They carried her between them, her feet just barely touching the ground, as they rounded the building and ushered her into the open bay of the dry cleaner. Ivan was waiting near a black SUV with a very wicked look upon his face.