“You did. And it’s something I’ve realized I can’t live without.” He looked around, nodding to an older gentleman as he walked by them. “Come on, Sacha. Let’s take this inside?”
No! she screeched silently.
Alekzander’s head went down, and her hand came up to settle on her throat. He was smiling, fully and without reservation. Oh, God. So beautiful. She followed his gaze to see Tanner had a fistful of his pants and was jerking on the expensive material.
“Hey, buddy. Sorry for holding you up.” He spoke to the nine-month-old with ease.
Moving quickly, Sacha bent and removed the chubby hand. She then made the mistake of smoothing out the material before she realized by doing so she was also caressing the firm muscle of Alekzander’s thigh. She jerked her hand back and straightened with a snap, her fingers tingling. When she met his eyes, there was a pale flame staring down at her. Her head went back and forth in a slow shake of denial, meant for both of them.
“I cannot…I must…”
“Do all of the babies you care for live in your building?” he asked, interrupting her stuttering.
She followed his gaze to the three-story structure. The dark brick had seen better days, so too had the air-conditioning units and the zig-zag that was a fire escape she’d be leery of using. Across the street was a fenced in basketball court hugging up to a high school that was normally teeming with kids, during school hours or not. It was quiet today but for a group of boys hanging around smoking.
Was Alekzander judging where she’d ended up? Finding it lacking?
Of course, he was. How could he not, considering what he was used to? He wasn’t a snob, but this was very far from the Flatiron District in Manhattan.
“How do you know I care for—?” She stopped and glared at Maksim, who was tapping into his phone, no doubt invading someone else’s privacy. “Your friend is in need of a hobby.”
“He’s found one,” Alekzander returned with a mild humor. “Her name is Sydney.”
She tried not to roll her eyes. “How nice. I am sure she will keep him occupied for the evening. Maybe two, if she is very special.” She remembered the man’s penchant for variety. She also remembered him coming to their apartment one evening with two women on his arms. He’d never been fickle, or particularly secretive about his endeavors, and he’d always gotten a kick out of making Sacha blush.
“Sydney is different. We were out celebrating their engagement last night when you saw us.”
That took her aback. “Oh. I am sorry. I meant no disrespect.”
“I know. It’s not like we didn’t know who Maks was before he met her. She has a twelve-year-old boy, and they’re putting the wheels in motion to adopt Sydney’s deceased friend’s daughter.” He nodded toward his friend. “Family man.”
“How wonderful for them,” she said dutifully, only half meaning it. She hoped the womanizer was truly in love. How tragic if Sydney were to go through what Sacha had gone through. Even worse would be if those children were hurt in the process.
“Gabriel was married last summer,” Alekzander supplied then. “To my cousin.”
She reared back. “Your cousin? Gabriel is gay?” Now that she found shocking! “But Sergei is married. Er, well, I suppose he could have left Renee…” She stopped when Alekzander shook his head hard, his expression pained.
“No, Christ, no. Not Sergei. And Gabriel isn’t gay,” he said in a funny voice. He hesitated for a brief moment, as if considering his words, then he went on. “Last summer, my uncle shared with us that he has a daughter. Her name is Eva. She’s twenty-five. Vasily left her and her mother when Eva was an infant. They lived in Seattle until…”
“Until…?” She leaned in unthinkingly, her curiosity peaked when it shouldn’t have been.
“Eva’s mother was killed.”
“Oh, no.”
“The Baikovs claimed responsibility. It seems they found out about her through someone in our organization.”
Her fingers came up to cover her mouth. The hair on her nape rose, and she didn’t even have anything to do with the situation. But she could imagine the severe consequences paid for crossing the Vasily in such a way.
“Your uncle must have been very angry.”
She dropped her hand when her words came out muffled. Why was he speaking so openly about this with her? she wondered in a far corner of her mind.
“You could say that. He brought Gabriel in to watch over Eva while he followed the ones responsible back to Russia.”
He didn’t say anything more, but she could only imagine what the outcome had been. And call her evil, but she would be the last one to condemn the man for his actions. All she had to do was put herself in his place. Had her parents not died in an accident, had someone killed them, she would have wanted to seek revenge, too.
“And the two fell in love?” she found herself asking.
Alek smiled. “They’re expecting a son in March.”
She smiled back because she’d have done the same with anyone when they told her of a happy ending. Even though she hadn’t had the chance to know Gabriel as well as she’d gotten to know Vincente and Maksim—because Gabriel had lived in Seattle while she and Alekzander had been together—she’d spoken to him over the phone many times when he’d called the apartment. She’d liked him.
“One I think you might appreciate most; Vincente found someone.”
Again, as she’d have done with Justin or Angela, she unthinkingly reached out to touch his forearm. Vincente had always held a special place in her heart. “Really? What is she like? Oh, I hope she is a decent person. He deserves someone nice.”
After a few seconds, she became aware Alekzander wasn’t answering her. His attention slowly went from her hand on his arm to her face, and then back again. The softness that came over his expression and the blaze of approval in his eyes had her withdrawing. She came to her senses with a snap. What was she doing standing here reminiscing as though they were long lost friends who just happened to meet up by accident? He was telling her about his dangerous, criminal friends and their no doubt equally criminal girlfriends—
That wasn’t fair. She was no criminal, and she was this man’s girlfriend for nearly a year.
Okay. So the girls were innocent pawns, just as she was. One of them was having a son. She’d had a daughter. Alekzander’s daughter.
Tell him, a quiet voice in the back of her mind implored.
She couldn’t.
He has a right to know his child.
Then he would take Lekzi and Sacha would be left alone again. Her little family gone. She would have no one.
She reached in and covered the baby as much as she could without impeding her air intake, then she forced herself to remember how it had felt to see Alekzander with that woman. She remembered how she felt going down in the elevator, how she’d barely been able to breathe, and walking, shamed and humiliated, past the security guards in the lobby of the building because they’d known what she’d just walked in on.
Her heart cemented in her chest.
“Nika is a special woman who’s been through a horrible time.” Alekzander’s tone made it clear he’d noted the change in her. “She and Vincente are healing each other.”
“I am truly happy for him. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go.”
“Not yet.” He looked around. “Give me ten more minutes.”
Her eyes widened. “No. We have spoken, as you wished. That is enough.”
“We haven’t spoken about anything important. We need privacy to do that.”
“I am sorry, but, no.”
“Why?” It was his turn to ask.
“Because I do not want you in my home,” she said bluntly. And then felt bad for it. Especially when he accepted the rudeness as though he was deserving of it. Which he was. Sort of. Was anyone truly deserving of someone else’s contempt? They all made mistakes. They all hurt each other, some deliberately, some not.
Ugh. What was she thi
nking?
Look at what you’re doing to him. What you’re keeping from him.
“That’s understandable,” he murmured, looking around again. He seemed to be thinking hard.
Guilt wrapped her in its sticky web. This wasn’t right. What she was doing… She glanced down and saw Alekzander’s eyes staring up at her from the stroller. Oh, God. Her throat closed up. His baby.
Having him right in front of her was making it impossible for her to disregard what she’d stolen from him. Months of his child’s life. All because she was bitter and more malicious than she ever would have dreamed she could be.
Because of his actions! her pride snarled in her defense. He did this. Did he felt guilty fucking that woman in front of you? He didn’t even push her away or call out for you to wait so he could offer an explanation. No. He just continued fucking her.
She felt ill at the reminder.
Her cell chimed in her pocket and, giving her throbbing head a break, she withdrew it to see Justin’s number. She wanted to force a smile, make it wider than it would have been had Alekzander not been watching her, but she just couldn’t.
“Excuse me,” she said, and then forced herself to add, “I do not want to miss this.” Engaging the call, she put the phone to her ear and turned away a little but made sure to speak loudly enough that he would hear.
“Hello?”
“Good morning. Tell me I’m not interrupting your walk with the little people.”
“I am outside,” she admitted, grateful for Justin’s friendly, uncomplicated tone. “But you are not interrupting,” she clipped on as she held back tears.
“Excellent. I was calling to tell you I’m picking you up a little earlier tonight than we agreed on. I already spoke to Angela, and she said it’s no problem. Steve is working late so she’ll be on her own anyway and was glad for something to occupy the time. Will six-thirty be okay?”
It took her a moment to understand what he was talking about. The dinner. The one she’d agreed to attend with him when he’d asked a couple of weeks ago. “Er, yes. That will be fine.”
“You forgot. Not surprised. I had planned to remind you last night but with all the give-me-back-my-woman drama it slipped my mind.”
“Justin,” she chastised in disapproval. That’s when she saw Alekzander’s body stiffen.
“Sorry. The more I think about it, the more interesting I find the situation. So, are we still on? If you’re not up for it, I’ll understand.”
“No. I am up for it.” It would keep her occupied. “That leaves me plenty of time to get ready. How should I dress?”
“It’s black-tie. Is that doable for you?”
“Dewable…?” She tightened her fingers around her phone. Alekzander’s look was growing darker by the second. He’d always been possessive of her. Then again, maybe he was that way with all his women.
“Do you have a formal dress?” Justin elaborated with a smile in his voice.
“Oh, yes. Of course. I suppose black-tie is ‘doable’.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I’m heading to a lunch meeting right now, but I’ll see you in a few hours. I’ll tell you what Peggy said about your case tonight, okay?”
“Okay,” she said weakly. She didn’t want to have a case. “See you then.”
As she hung up and pushed her phone back into the pocket of her jacket, she raised her eyes just in time to see a vicious expression drop from Alekzander’s face.
“Sheppard?”
With her stomach rolling with nerves, she nodded. “Yes.”
“What is he to you, Sacha?”
Not expecting him to be so forthright, she scrambled. How badly did she want to throw Justin in his face. She wished she could gush and brag about how in love she was with her lawyer boyfriend. Tell Alekzander all the many ways Justin made her happy. But more than that, she wished Alekzander was still in love with her. If she knew for sure, she could invite him over one evening and have him walk in on her and Justin having sex. Eye-for-an-eye. He would understand that concept.
Too bad Justin was more likely to want Alekzander than her, and she was too much of a lady to have sex with someone she didn’t love.
If she could have, would she then feel vindicated?
Or would she just feel like a whore?
“Are you going to answer me?”
She rubbed her palm across the tip of her nose when it began to sting from the urge she felt to bawl her head off.
“Sacha?”
She turned at the sound of her name coming from behind and saw Olivia’s father step onto the curb. Confused, she looked at her watch.
“You’re good,” Pastor David said with the wide smile that distracted many of the women in his church during his Sunday service. He looked carefully between Sacha and her unwanted guest. “It’s me who’s early. Patrice sent me off when I started getting on her nerves.” He winked as he teased about his high-strung wife. “I told her I didn’t mind leaving her to come and spend some quality time with my beautiful girl.”
A low chuff of air came from Alekzander as the pastor approached. He bypassed Sacha with a touch to her shoulder and moved on to unbuckle and lift his daughter into his arms.
Sensing an opportunity, Sacha took it.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Alekzander,” she lied. “But I must be going.” He was watching the father and daughter. Sacha’s heart wrenched in her chest. Was that longing in his eyes? “Enjoy your day,” she croaked as she motioned Pastor David forward so Alekzander would have no choice but to step aside. “If you would come inside, I will get Olivia’s bag.”
She pushed the stroller into motion and couldn’t help but glance up from under her lashes, her body tingling in awareness as she came within inches of Alekzander’s solid frame.
“Opportunistic little thing,” he murmured as she passed by. The husky note in his voice slid down her spine to tickle her tailbone.
Feeling triumphant, and excited in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time, she couldn’t stop herself from tipping her head and squinting her eyes in a taunting, childish manner. She didn’t think for a moment he was going to just go away. Not yet. That wasn’t who he was.
And, God help her, as dangerous as that was, and as stupid as it made her, Sacha was happy for that.
NINE
As Alek’s eyes narrowed on his skittish angel, he smiled. He’d had her there for a minute. As he’d talked about the boys, her interest hadn’t been forced or merely polite. She’d been engaged. She’d reached out and touched him without thought. Her eyes had danced with genuine happiness when he’d told her about Vincente.
And had grown wide in shock when she’d misunderstood about Gabriel. He’d been about to tell her Renee and Evan were gone but hadn’t wanted to do so out in the open.
His satisfaction melted away when he acknowledged that she may have responded to general conversation, but the minute it became personal the shutters had come down hard. Which was expected.
He had to get her alone, he thought as he strolled over to Maks and Anton. Grigori was still there.
“Tell him,” Maks said to Grigori.
“Ms. Urusski was approached by a man who fell out of a pub with two others. He locked onto her despite the children and began following her. I did not wait for him to touch her before I introduced his face to some bricks. There were witnesses, and she was shaken. I recommended she avoid that neighborhood from now on.”
Alek looked to the doors Sacha had disappeared through with the too-handsome father of one of her charges who Alek had thought had come to spend time with his beautiful girl until the guy had picked up his daughter. All Alek could think was the guy had to be one of Maks’s enamored fathers.
“Did you notice any video being taken? Photos?”
“No. There was not enough time.”
“Did you hurt the guy?” Disrespectful fucking idiot to have targeted a woman pushing a stroller.
“Yes.”
&nbs
p; Alek put out his hand and vowed Sacha wouldn’t be on her own again. Not even if she was walking through the produce section at the grocery store. “Well done,” he praised, and after a firm shake, Grigori went off to join Lucas at the door. Some definite advantages to having the boys around.
“We off?” Maks asked.
“No. Just taking a break. Let’s circle the block and get the truck out of sight.”
They climbed in with Micha and Anton.
“You’re on that thing more than ever,” Alek commented, indicating the phone Maks was pulling out of his pocket because it was vibrating.
“Got some information. Finally.”
“What is it?”
“Nothing we’re supposed to be aware of.”
With his and Vasily’s conversation from last night ringing in his ears, Alek kicked Maks’s Di Bianco and was rewarded with a glare.
“Don’t scuff my shit, brother. You know I hate that.”
Maks was more of a clothes horse as Alek. They annoyed the hell out of Gabriel and Vincente. “I’ll take a Sharpie to the ugly things if you don’t start talking.”
“Better than those girlie Louboutins in your closet.”
“I only wear them with my tux. Which I’ll be doing tonight, it seems.”
Maks’s brow went up, and he nodded once as he dialed a number that rang over the Bluetooth.
“If you ask me what I’m wearing, I’ll hang up on you,” Sydney said on answering. Her Australian accent was as pretty as she was.
Maks chuckled. “Tell Samnang he’s on duty tonight. I need a date, and you’re it.”
“Wow. Have I told you lately how that romantic streak of yours makes me tingle? No? That’s because I haven’t experienced it yet. Where are we going?”
Maks smirked at his woman’s attitude. “Black-tie event.”
“You’re oh-for-two, Russia. Will I know anyone? Or will I just be there to make you look good?”
“You’ll be there to make me look good. But as an added incentive, you’ll get to meet, or at least see, Sacha.”
“For real? I’ll be able to come home and tell the girls she really does exist? Vincente said she’s classy like Grace Kelly but with Beyoncé’s body.”
Ultimate Vengeance (Wanted Men Book 4) Page 10