by Apryl Baker
She took it into the bathroom and sprayed down the toilet and then the tub. She used one of the washcloths to clean them both.
“What the fuck are you doing, woman?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?” She stood and winced a little, her hand holding the small of her back.
“It looks clean to me.” You could eat off the fucking surfaces in here.
Sara rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. “Just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it is. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Viktor huffed. She should have told him to do it. He took the rag from her and turned her to face the mirror above the sink. “Hold onto the sink and lean forward.”
“Why?” Suspicion flared in her eyes.
“Because your back is hurting, and I can help.” He pushed gently on her shoulders, and she finally gave in. His fingers found the spot she’d been holding and began to knead it softly. He worked out from there and let his fingers run up her back, massaging every stiff muscle he found. It would be better to do a deep tissue massage, but he didn’t know if that was the best idea right now. From the low sounds of pleasure leaking out of her, he’d lay good money on it being a bad bet.
He did lean in closer, though. He couldn’t help himself with her scent tickling his nose. It was too much of a temptation.
She watched him in the mirror, her eyes wide and dilated.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he growled, his hands fanning out over the back of her neck. Her breath hitched, and he swore, but it would take a chainsaw to remove his hand from her skin right now.
“Like what?” she asked, her voice husky.
“Like you want me to fuck you, moye sokrovishche.” His thumbs swept back and forth over the area right below her ears. She let out a moan when he did that, and it pushed him to lean closer, his lips right by her ear. “Stop it.”
Sara leaned back into him, and when she settled against his chest, Viktor nearly lost his shit. She was everything he’d ever wanted, and he didn’t want to fuck this up, but it was hard not to kiss her. So damn fucking hard.
His phone saved him from doing exactly what his dick wanted him to do.
Dimitri.
He didn’t know if he wanted to curse his brother or thank him. Probably both.
“What?”
“Uh, hello to you too, brat.”
Viktor shoved a hand through his hair. “Sorry, been a long fucking day.”
“Sara okay? Her ex didn’t…”
“Her ex pulled some shit, but I don’t want to get into it over the phone. What do you want, D?”
“Umm, you did remember dinner, yeah? Becca and I are starving. Have you checked your email?”
“No, why?”
“We got pictures of our kid. Kade sent them while you were in the air, I’m guessing.”
“Really?” He couldn’t wait to get a look at his nephew.
“Viktor?”
“Yeah, brat?”
“You think Sara’s case is going to take much longer?”
“Don’t know. Why?”
“Kade needs us all home. Mateo needs us home.”
“What’s wrong?” Panic flared.
“You’ll understand when you see our nephew. They did a number on him, Vik.” The quiet way Dimitri spoke said more than any kind of rage could have. His brother didn’t get pissed often, but when he did, that quiet tone made you run for your life.
“Shit.”
“Enough of this for right now. I’m starving. Becca and I are heading over to Magnolia’s now. You and Sara get your asses over there.”
“Ready to go eat?” He slid his phone into his back pocket and turned his attention back to Sara.
“I think that’s probably the safest option.”
He couldn’t disagree.
Sara was quiet on the drive to Magnolia’s. She had this pressing weight centered right in her chest. Not heart attack inducing pain, but if she were honest, she was on the verge of having a mental heart attack. No, this weight was all emotion. Pressing against her chest so hard, she needed to scream.
Emotions she’d never felt before. Emotions she’d never written about before because she’d never experienced them.
Lust.
Pain.
Indecision.
Hope.
Those were things she knew, understood on a personal level. She incorporated all that into her writing.
But this emotion pressing on her chest was alien to her. It only occurred around Viktor, and she knew it was important. It was real. She wanted to break down in tears, it was so real. She’d been in lust, she’d been in love before, but never had she felt an emotion so intense, it physically ached.
And that was how she felt whenever Viktor touched her. That ache swam up and sat right there in the middle of her chest and dared her to ignore it.
The feeling had gotten worse since the night of the attack when he’d taken care of her. He looked after her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. When he saw how hard it was for her to eat, he’d stopped eating because she couldn’t. No one had ever done that for her, not even her parents. He’d run her a bath and then sat on the couch with her all night, talking and watching movies. She’d fallen asleep feeling safe and cherished for the first time in…well, ever.
There was no denying her heart was beginning to cave to him and his crazy intentions.
And here was where the problem came in. She didn’t trust herself. She’d spent so long in an abusive marriage, she was afraid to trust what she was feeling. Sara wanted to reach out and grab the carrot he was dangling in front of her, but she was so afraid of making another mistake. It wasn’t only her who would get hurt. She had to think about Delia. Her daughter would always come first.
And then that pressure in her chest tightened at the thought. It laughed at her, dared her to deny this feeling wasn’t real.
“We’re here.”
Viktor’s soft voice interrupted her silent debate. She looked up and found him studying her with the same intensity she’d been studying herself. Concern flared in his eyes.
“Are you hurting? We can go back to the hotel if you’re in pain. I’ll order in for you.”
And there it was. He was putting her first again. Her needs mattered to him. That pressure in her chest became almost unbearable.
“Promise me something.”
“What, moye sokrovishche?”
“That you’re not going to hurt me. I don’t think I can survive it.”
Oh, my God, that just spewed out of her mouth, didn’t it? She ducked her head, her face flaming with embarrassment. What was she thinking?
He made a sound, part guttural growl, part sigh. His fingers pulled her face up so she was forced to look at him.
And boy, did she want to duck her head again.
Right there in the deepest part of his onyx gaze, a light flared, burning brighter than a supernova exploding. It flared out until it consumed his iris, and her breath left her. The depth of the tenderness and sincerity slayed her.
“I’ve been searching for you since I was old enough to understand what I wanted. When I met you, it was clear as to me as a cloudless summer sky. I was born to love you, Sara Jane Riley. There’s not a force on this planet that could ever make me hurt you.” He cupped her cheek. “Even knowing that, I fought this. It scared me.”
“It scares you?” She searched his face, looking for and finding the truth. He was as terrified as she was.
He gave her that lazy grin. “Sure does, baby, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to fight tooth and nail for you.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “We need to sit down and talk, but now is not the time to do it.”
She nodded and felt bereft when his hand left her cheek.
He glanced at the restaurant. “We need to haul ass before Dimitri eats the place out of house and home.”
She laughed and waited for him to come around to let her out, another small thing he always
did. He opened doors for her and pulled out chairs. Sure, a lot of women didn’t like that, but she did. She more than liked it. He was always taking care of her, something she’d really noticed since that night on the couch.
The Magnolia Café was a trip from its ocean blue walls to its red upholstered booths. Classic diner. She loved it. Dimitri was easy to spot. He was probably the tallest person in the room. His blond hair was sticking up crazily like he’d been driving a convertible with the top down. As soon as he spotted them, he jumped up and waved them over.
Dimitri Kincaid looked absolutely nothing like his brothers, at least at first glance. He took after their mother with blond hair and blue eyes. Looking at the brothers side by side, you wouldn’t guess they were related.
“Took you long enough.” Dimitri hugged his brother. “My belly decided to start eating through my backbone.”
“Now, that, I believe.” Viktor’s eyes twinkled. He turned and pulled Becca from the booth. “I missed you, Library Girl.”
“Library Girl?”
Viktor hauled Becca into his side. “She hung out in the library all through high school. If she wasn’t there, I’d go looking for her to make sure she was okay. Nik, Conner, and I all watched out for her after Dimitri graduated.”
Becca rolled her brown eyes when Dimitri tugged her away from Viktor and tucked her into his side. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail today. The girl barely came halfway to Dimitri’s shoulders, she was so tiny.
Sara didn’t miss the way Becca’s gaze swept over the diner and how she leaned into Dimitri a little more. She suffered from severe anxiety when it came to crowds. Dimitri told her it was getting better since they’d been going out more, but it wasn’t simply going to go away overnight. Delia had the same tendency, so Sara knew firsthand how hard it was to overcome. It endeared Becca to her even more than she already was.
“You gonna tell me how you got a busted lip, sprained wrist, and more bruises than I care to count?” Dimitri drawled as he and Becca slid back into the booth. “Do I need to kick my brother’s ass?”
“God, no. If Viktor hadn’t been there, I don’t know what might have happened.” At Dimitri’s hard stare, she hurried to explain. She didn’t want him blaming Viktor for this. It was her own damn fault for not paying attention and listening when he was only trying to protect her.
“You haven’t caught the fucking asshole yet?” Dimitri pinned his brother with a stare lethal enough to smite the bravest of men.
“Fucker hasn’t shown up. He sent someone after her, scared the shit out of her mother, but no, he hasn’t done one thing I can legally use to get his ass thrown in jail. Uncle Pete’s doing what he can to get more of a state police presence in town. Fucker has too many friends in the local PD to do me a damn bit of good. State boys might change that, though.”
“I swear, did you two learn to speak at the bottom of sailor’s beer bottle?” Sara huffed.
“I think so.” Becca shook her head. “I swear he cusses more than the gang members I know.”
Dimitri lips thinned. “Knew, Becca, gang members you knew. We got all your shit packed, and they’re supposed to deliver everything to the house this weekend. Kade said he’d make sure everything got inside. Speaking of which, did you check your email?”
Viktor’s eyes widened in consternation. He pulled his phone out and tapped a few things. His breath came out in a strangled hiss. Sara glanced over, curious, and saw the face of a little boy. He was looking at the camera, but he wasn’t smiling. His eyes, as green as the spring leaves, stared out of the image. They were hollow, empty, a little dead inside. What in the world happened to him?
“I’m going to fucking kill whoever did this.” The venom in that statement made her pull away from him. Not out of fear this time, but so she could look at him. He was enraged, and for the first time since she’d met him, she knew it wasn’t directed at her, and even if it was, he’d not take it out on her.
“Kade and Conner already took care of it. Bastard didn’t make it out of the house alive.”
Viktor snarled, his fingers tracing the child’s face. “What the fuck did they do to our kid?”
Our kid?
“He’s our nephew,” Dimitri explained. “Kade and Angel’s son. They thought he died, but the cartel Kade pissed off stole him. Angel accidentally ran into him in New York. She had a physical reaction to him and was so distraught Kade looked into it just so he could show her the boy belonged to someone. Turns out he belonged to them. Angel knew he was hers, even though she knew it was impossible.”
“I’d know Delia if I was blind,” Sara said. “A mother knows her child.”
“Plus, he looks like the Kincaids,” Becca finally spoke up. Sara hadn’t pushed her to talk. She could see it was wearing on her being here.
There was no denying that. Even with the green eyes, he was a Kincaid. He looked a little like Viktor, honestly.
The waitress interrupted them by taking their drink orders and handing her and Viktor menus. Neither she nor Becca missed the way the waitress looked at their bruises and then slid a glance at the men, assuming they were the cause. It didn’t sit well with Sara at all since Viktor had done everything in his power to protect her. He’d been so kind.
“You get that look right off your face. Neither of these men caused my or my friend’s injuries. They’re the reason we’re safe right now.”
The waitress’s eyes widened, and she scurried away, her cheeks flaming.
“Damn straight,” Becca muttered, and she high fived Sara.
Sara ignored the men’s chuckles and opened the menu. Her mouth watered. So many options.
“You ready for tomorrow?” Dimitri asked, looking over the menu himself. “Damn, but I might order one of everything.”
She and Becca both looked at him, horrified.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Viktor deadpanned.
“You two aren’t really serious, are you?”
They stared right back, as serious as the day they were born.
“No,” she and Becca said at the same time.
“I’m hungry, krasivaya.” She’d seen women fall at his feet with that look, but not Becca. She looked annoyed.
“Don’t krasivaya me. I am not taking care of you if you overeat and end up crapping your brains out in the bathroom.”
“Aww, baby, why you gotta do me that way?” His lower lip popped out like Delia’s did when she tried to act all sad to get her way.
Becca laughed and shoved him good-naturedly. “Asshole.”
Once the food was ordered, they went back to discussing the signing tomorrow. Dimitri was still signing swag. The man procrastinated worse than anyone she knew.
“So, I was talking to Kade earlier.”
Viktor’s head snapped up, his eyes hard. He hadn’t said much since he’d put his phone away. The child’s expression bothered him. It did her too, and she wasn’t even related to the kid. No one had the right to treat a child so badly that their eyes looked soulless. God only knew the kind of help Mateo would end up needing. He might be damaged in ways that couldn’t be fixed. Only time would tell.
“He seems to think you’ve staked a claim on Sara Jane.”
Viktor visibly relaxed, and that lazy smiled appeared. “She’s mine.”
“I never agreed to that.”
Becca laughed, the sound so pure, it pulled Sara’s attention back to her. She’d never heard such an open, honest laugh. Becca’s brown eyes sparkled with laughter. “You don’t really have a choice in the matter.”
“Oh, but I do.”
“I thought so too. When the Kincaid men decide they want something, they don’t stop. They just barrel over everything in their path. I tried so hard to stay away from D, but he ignored my efforts, and look where I’m sitting now.”
“Does that mean you’ll marry me?” He looked so hopeful, Sara burst out laughing.
“Nope.”
“Why the fuck won’t you marry hi
m?” Viktor asked, curiosity all over his face.
Becca’s shoulders slumped, and Dimitri tensed, his arm wrapping around her.
“I…I guess I need to make sure this is real. I know him. He gets bored and…”
“You stop right fucking there.”
Sara’s eyes widened. She’d never heard Dimitri get mad, especially at Becca.
“I thought we’d settled this. Who have I called every single day since I was eighteen?”
“Me.”
“Have I ever once gotten bored with you?”
She shook her head.
“Eyes up.” His voice was hard, cold. The bite of the command in it made Becca comply.
Who was this man, and where had her friend gone? He reminded her so much of Roger in that second, she fisted her hands at her side and inched closer to Viktor. Old fears punched her in the gut. How had she never seen this side of Dimitri?
“I never want to hear that bullshit come out of your mouth ever again, Rebecca. Do. You. Understand. Me?”
Sara glanced at Viktor, who didn’t look concerned in the least his brother was acting like a first-class asshole.
Viktor shrugged, his concerned gaze centered on her. He hadn’t missed what Dimitri’s tone did to her. “He a control freak, and he needs to make his woman understands what he’s saying.”
“You’re going to marry me, Becca. You might as well just give in.”
His tone gentled, and she looked away from him. Sara saw the indecision in her eyes. Becca loved him, but she knew him. She’d call her later. Sara knew Dimitri too, and he loved Becca more than his own life. That stupid behavior a second ago didn’t diminish the fact she was it for him. Well, she’d call once she got past what this side of Dimitri brought out in her. She was afraid of him, an emotion she’d never associated with Dimitri before.
Dimitri reached for his glass, which was close to her, and she flinched away from him. She couldn’t stop herself. It reminded her of the way Roger spoke to her right before he decided to dish out his brand of punishment.
He went completely still, and Viktor sat up, ready to help if she needed him.