by T. C. Clark
The crazy part was her employee’s listened to him. He had strong allies in Shennelle and Devonte. They were now watching her as well. She was getting tired of it and could feel a fight brewing. She tingled because she knew inevitably what that fight would lead to; she inched closer to the door trying to catch the men’s conversation.
“How are you feeling?” Ada asked as she pulled a small bottle from the fridge and went about heating it. The only hiccup her friend had experienced with motherhood was breastfeeding. Little Nessa required a special kind of milk. It was funny to think that soon she would have to think about things like that as well.
“I’m fine other than Dmitri becoming an overprotective caretaker,” Eden said reluctantly giving up trying to eavesdrop on Dmitri and Nikos. Ada’s eyes said she fully understood what she was talking about. Nikos had been an obsessive father and he’d followed her around like a worried bull.
“Girl, I get it. That’s exactly how Nikos was with me.”
“How did you deal with it?”
“I didn’t. I just ignored him and kept it moving. He’s going to worry either way. Men are simple creatures. If you decide to do something anyway he will learn to adjust. I had to be like that with Nikos, or I would have spent my pregnancy in a bed surrounded by pillows.”
Eden laughed in agreement. She followed Ada into the living room so she could sit and feed Lissa.
“Have you heard form Mina?”
“Yes, it’s official. Her surrogate is pregnant with twins,” Eden exclaimed
Ada whooped with joy. Ada and Mina had become good friends ever since she’d attended her wedding. Eden loved that her small group of friends were now starting to really get to know each other, and with all of them having kids around the same time she knew they’d only grow closer.
“How is she handling it?” Ada asked true joy shining from her eyes. They both recognized how special this was for Mina. She had long since given up hope of having kids so the reality of her having two was truly a blessing.
“She is freaking out and Luca is going crazy. But, they are so happy. Once their surrogate was out of the first trimester I think they finally started breathing again.”
“I’m so happy for her. How is Aidan taking the news?”
“He’s been gone for a while now. I think it has something to do with another doctor, but I haven’t spoken to him lately. I don’t even know if he knows yet,” Eden admitted.
“Oh, are you happy, Eden? I know this is all happening so fast.”
“I am, but it’s weird. I mean Dmitri’s not perfect but this feels right. He feels right. But I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and it’s making me crazy. Like I’m not allowed to be this happy or feel this good…without paying a price. Is that nuts?”
“Eden, stop it. Enjoy this moment. You have the man that you want, a beautiful baby growing in your belly, and Matt’s forever out of the picture. Soak this in and be happy. You deserve this and I for one can’t wait to see what kind of baby two giants produce.”
Eden smiled at Ada and gave her advice a try. She couldn’t control the future. She could only focus on the present and enjoy this moment in time. Ada would never know the full truth about Dmitri’s past so she didn’t know her true fears. But her words applied none the less. She’d chosen to walk this path with Dmitri and she would enjoy it for as long as she could.
Nikos Stravanos had some questions that had to be answered before he let the Russian leave. Eden was basically his sister in law and it was his duty to protect her. She was a kind woman who deserved a good man. If Dmitri thought he could just waltz in without telling him what his intentions were he had another thing coming.
“So, tell me who you really are,” he said as he stood, feet braced apart, in front of him.
“What do you want to know?” Dmitri asked. He knew when they arrived what kind of dinner this was. Nikos had been aggressively questioning him since he walked through the front door.
“The truth would be nice. Before Aidan left the country he stopped by and asked me to keep an eye on Eden and look into you. He said something about you didn’t seem right and I have to say I agree.”
“Listen, cut the shit. What do you want?” Dmitri said starting to get annoyed.
“What is your real name?” he asked again.
“It’s Dmitri Pavlov.”
“Ah, Dmitri Pavlov has only been in existence for two years, so try again.”
“Dmitri Pavolov is my name. The only person I have to answer to is Eden. She knows my past and she knows who I really am. All you need to know is I’m not going anywhere and these scare tactics are not going to change that. She is my life now.”
“You say that and yet I still see a man with a cloudy past going after a woman who’s been hurt enough. Ada told me Eden wouldn’t tell her everything about you. So I want to be clear. Eden is my responsibility and I take my responsibilities seriously. Anything happens to her, one hair on her head is harmed, I will end you Dmitri. In a very permanent way.
“How did Eden become your responsibility?”
“She is like a sister to Ada, which means she’s my sister as well. She has no male in her life to protect her, so it is my job to do so.”
“I have no intention of hurting Eden and yes I do have an interesting past to overcome. But Eden and our child are my top priority. She is everything to me. But if anything ever happens that threatens her in any way, I will come to you.”
“Do you foresee something happening?” Nikos asked.
“Not if I can help it.”
“Why not just leave her here with us. If she isn’t safe with you, why not walk away? If you love her as much as you claim to.”
“Would you walk away from Ada and your child for any reason?”
Nikos nodded and looked away. There was nothing that could make him walk away from his family. He knew that made him a selfish bastard, but it was the truth. If Dmitri felt even a fraction of what he felt for Ada then nothing would drag him away.
He poured them both a scotch and walked over to the couch.
“Will you really put Eden above everything else in your life? I will not let anyone else hurt her and it’s not just me. There is a village of people willing to come after you if she is hurt in any way.”
“Yes, if anything happens that I can’t control or fix I will bring you in on it. But I’m a simple man now, and as long as my past stays there, our life should be an easy one.”
For a moment both men sat in silence taking each other in. Nikos knew he couldn’t force Dmitri to leave. Hell, he wasn’t sure Eden would let him. For now he’d done all that he could. He would just have to watch them closely. He knew Ada would tell him if he needed to intervene.
When Eden and Dmitri got home that night they put away their things and went to watch a movie on the couch.
“Thank you for this, Eden giving me a chance to prove I’m more than my past.”
She smiled as she moved over him blocking the view of the television. For once she wore the sinful smile. His body as always responded to hers. Every moment they spent together only pulled him further under her spell.
“You’re welcome, and now I think it’s time for dessert. I noticed you didn’t have any earlier,” she whispered as she gyrated against him.
He grinned at her. It had taken a long time for Eden to become confident enough to take control in the bedroom. He laid back and took it in, for once more than happy to give up control.
* * *
Eden sighed as she took another sip of her lukewarm decaf coffee. No matter what everyone said decaf was not as good as the regular stuff. As usual Dmitri moved throughout the place helping out where he could. He walked up to her placing a gentle hand on her growing belly and leaned down for a kiss.
Just a few months ago she would have been too embarrassed to respond. But now secure in his love she kissed him back, matching his passion. Although, she still blushed when Devonte let out a whistle and Shenelle fanned her
face.
Every day was becoming a routine for them. Whatever work he did for the Sanctuary was done in the early hours of the morning. The more he told her about the organization the more she understood why he took his commitment to them so seriously. Without their help he would have never been able to get away from the Red House.
She was working the cash register when trouble walked in. She was a shockingly beautiful woman with light brown skin and a short pixie cut almost exactly like Mina’s. She looked like Nia Long, Eden thought with a smile. Cat rimmed glasses framed large almond shaped eyes.
Her brown cardigan clung to her curves covering a fitted red sundress. Her small brown ballet style flats completed the outfit. She looked like everyone’s dream of a school teacher, yet she something about her sent a trickle of dread down her spine.
Maybe it was the way the smile never really reached her eyes, or the way she moved lightly on her feet, so much like Dmitri that she began to think she knew who this was. Dmitri had only told her about two members of the Sanctuary, the two he would call on if anything ever happened to him.
The beautiful woman walking her way had to be the Librarian. She prayed she was mistaken. She knew she would only show up here if something bad was going on. She went to meet her, but Dmitri beat her to it.
For a split second she felt a spike of jealousy. Seeing them together turned something in her stomach. That beautiful woman was from his world. She could see the parts of Dmitri’s mind that would never make sense to her. When Dmitri looked back at her, his face held an expression of dread and that look destroyed the petty emotion sneaking through her brain.
The Librarian handed him a card and started to walk away, but turned and headed towards her instead. Eden stood taller as her heart sped up. When she got to her she took her hand.
“Thank you for being what Dmitri needed,” she said softly.
“You’re the Librarian,” Eden whispered as the beautiful woman pulled her stiff body to the side.
“And you are Dmitri’s, Eden. I’d hoped we’d never have to meet. But something has come up and Dmitri needs to deal with it before it deals with him.”
“The Red House…”
She nodded. Her intelligent eyes going back to the blond giant still standing were she left him.
“He has to go after them first, but he doesn’t want to leave you. You have to make him fight for all of your sakes.”
“He’s given that life up,” Eden said.
“You know better than that. You’re an intelligent woman who knows almost everything about Dmitri. If he waits for them to come after him then all of you will be sitting ducks. I’m good, but I’m not an army. Even with me helping you, they would take us apart.”
“I don’t want to lose him,” Eden said as her eyes filled with tears.
“Then you have to let him fight. If they get to him first, you’ll lose him anyway. I’m going to be close by monitoring your area. I’ve already given Dmitri the information on the crew hunting you.”
“Why are you helping us? He said he only has one gold card left and he’s requesting the Sandman’s help if anything happens.”
“It’s a long story. Let’s just say I owe him a debt and I have to repay it. Your safety is my goal. It is what he asked of me and I will protect you. I just need you to convince him to protect himself.”
With those fateful words the Librarian turned and left. Eden didn’t hesitate she walked over to Dmitri grabbed his arm and pushed him towards her office.
“What is it?” she asked when they were alone.
“The guy that abducted you was having a rough time in prison. Somehow he found out that I was wanted on the black-market and started talking. He’s dead now, but the information is out there. The Librarian came in to give me the location of the two operatives running the retrieval team. It looks like they are out for revenge because the Red House is still dead.”
“You have to go back, don’t you?”
“I don’t want to Eden. But, I think I have to. I need to leave right now. If anything happened to you….the Librarian is right. If I wait or hesitate, they will come for us. I have to draw them to me and away from you. I need to go back to Russia.”
“I know you do,” she said quietly. She didn’t resist when he pulled her into his arms. His large arms held her tightly. She could feel the tension in his body and cried into his chest as the reality of the situation hit her. She could lose him, right now.
She kissed him then. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was reminder…a plea for him to return. It went on for minutes. She poured all of her pain into it and he responded holding her close to his body, wanting her to feel his reaction from the swelling of his cock to the fast rhythm of his heart. It all belonged to her.
This wasn’t a prelude to lovemaking. Just two people memorizing each other as they prepared for the days to come. When the kiss ended they moved silently. Dmitri gathered his things and Eden went to the front to ask Devonte to take over as manager for the next few days. She told them that they were going out of town.
She didn’t know what Dmitri’s plan was, but she knew that he wouldn’t want her to stay here where anyone could get to her, and she needed him focused on his task so he could get back to her. She didn’t know how or when he’d become a key piece to the happiness in her life, but she couldn’t deny that he was.
Some of her trepidation must have shown on her face because Shennelle pulled her to the side before she could leave.
“Are you okay? Is the baby…” she asked her green eyes widened as if a forbidden thought crossed her mind.
“The baby’s fine. Me and Dmitri just need some time to talk, that’s all.”
“Did he hurt you? Because I don’t care if he is 6’5. I will whoop his ass. I’m from the streets so he better watch himself.” Eden smiled at the thought. Shenelle was easily one of the smallest women she knew. But she knew she meant what she said. Their relationship had grown past the employer to employee stage and they were real friends.
“First off, you’re from Brentwood.” Eden said laughing.
“Brentwood has streets. True most of them are paved with gold, but we have streets none the less,” Shenelle said seriously.
“And secondly, Dmitri wouldn’t hurt me. We just have to work some things out. I’ll be back before you know it.”
When they got in the car he turned to her.
“I called Nikos. He told me that if anything ever happened that he would help. I don’t want to leave you with the Librarian. She works better alone and she can watch the building.”
“What building?”
“Nikos has an empty penthouse downtown. It’s a secure and very public place. I need you to stay there.”
“For how long?”
“Just give me a couple of weeks. I’ll leave tonight. Eden, you know that I love you. I wish this was different, that I was a regular guy. I wish…”
“Don’t do that. I love you, Dmitri. You’ve given me back a piece of myself that I’d buried so long ago and you also gave me this,” she said patting her belly. “I know who you are and you’ve made a point to tell me about the bad parts of your life. I knew this could happen. I prayed it wouldn’t, but I knew there was a real possibility that your past would catch up with us. I’ll do what you want. But you have to come back, please come back to me. I don’t want to go back to the way it was without you.”
“Eden, only death could keep me from you. I will come back, I promise you that,” he said kissing her lightly on the lips.
When they arrived at Nikos’ penthouse Nikos and Julian Stravanos were already there sitting in the living room going over some documents. Surprisingly, so was Luca Rossi.
“What are all you doing here?” Eden asked unable to hide her surprise.
“Well, I’m here to make sure you settle into the place and we go over all of the security features together. You are my sister, your protection is my right,” Nikos said standing straighter as he examined Dmitri wi
th cold eyes.
“You know that you sound like a grandpa, right?” she said shaking her head at his outdated attitude.
“I am who I am and you love me for me,” he said simply, smiling when Eden laughed.
“I’m here to offer any help I can to Dmitri,” Luca said walking over to her and pulling her into his arms with a gentle hug. “You are one of Mina’s closest friends and your happiness is important to me as well. I will help Dmitri in any way I can.”
“Do they know everything?” Eden asked wondering what Dmitri revealed. He’d told her so many times not to tell people the things he told her. She couldn’t believe that he told the others the whole truth.
“Only that I have to go to Russia right now to handle some business and that you are in danger. We are not allowed to tell them everything,” he said seriously his eyes sending her a silent message. Eden nodded. She would keep her mouth shut about the stuff she knew.
“And I am here, because I was already staying here. But I can act as your in house protection,” Julian said with a wink, ignoring the blond giant openly scowling at him.
“How long should we keep her here?” Nikos asked looking at Dmitri.
“I just need a few weeks,” Dmitri said quietly.
“And you can’t tell me more?” Nikos asked with a frown on his face.
“Not right now.”
“When you return we are going to have a long talk about all of this,” Nikos said seriously. When he’d told Dmitri to come to him for help he had no idea how quickly he would need him. This couldn’t be good for Eden or the baby.
“Sure,” Dmitri said accepting Nikos’ cold attitude. Honestly he couldn’t blame him for it. He knew how this looked. He’d already activated the Sandman and contacted the Librarian. This was the safest place for Eden, if he could overlook the young Greek fighter looking at her with more than just respect.
After the intense confrontation Dmitri walked Eden back to a bedroom that had been set up for her. He was thankful for the help. No one knew of his connection with any of them. He could hide his arrival by traveling on one of their private planes.