Understood? What does he understand?
Nikolai nods. "Good."
Now I'm confused. What does Rhett understand? What the heck just happened. Why would Rhett and Nikolai hold some sort of macho man stand-off in the middle of the grocery store? Was Alba, right? Does Rhett like me?
On the way back to my apartment, I muster up the guts to ask him the question that's been plaguing me since his showdown with Rhett. "Nikolai?"
"Yeah?"
I rub my palms up and down my pant legs. "What was the deal between you and Rhett back at the store? You were kind of mean to him, and he was only being nice to me."
Nikolai's grip on the steering wheel tightens as he answers. "I put him in his place."
Still confused, I ask, "What's his place?"
Nikolai takes his eyes off the road, leveling me with a look. Suddenly it feels like all the oxygen is sucked from the car. "Anywhere you're not."
Holy crap! What do I say to that?
11
Nikolai
The remainder of the short ride to Leah's apartment is filled with silence. My mood sour, after the call I received. I keep stealing glances her way only to find her staring out the window. She seems to be unsure of my brief interaction with Rhett. My intentions of taking my time with Leah will remain the same as before, but I have no problem making sure every man in this town knows she is mine. Rhett appears to be a good man. I don't know him personally, but I am aware of his contribution to our town. By the look of recognition when I gave my name, he's heard of me as well. Turning onto the road leading to the apartment complex, I circle the building, looking for anything suspicious before parking my car. Unbuckling, Leah swings her door open.
"Um. I'll be back in a few minutes." She slides her purse over her shoulder.
"I'm coming with you." I cut the engine and pocket the keys. Before she can protest, I'm out of the car and at her side. "Keys," I hold out my hand. Leah sighs as she digs in her bag, then hands them over. Using this opportunity to show her a small but important lesson, I tell her, "Always have your keys in your hand before exiting your vehicle." Flipping the key, I place the narrow, jagged end between my fingers so that it juts out like a knife's blade, and make a fist. "Holding your key like this provides you with a weapon. If someone attempts to grab you, swing, and aim for their face." Not moving, I open my fist. "Show me."
Leah does as I ask, exactly how I demonstrated. "Like this?"
"Good," I tell her. My hand settles on her lower back as we climb the stairs. Once inside, I linger by the door. Tossing her bag on a chair nearby, Leah throws me a quick look over her shoulder.
"Be right back."
While waiting, my mind drifts back to the call from Maxim. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I call Jake. He picks up on the third ring.
"Nikolai. How's it going?"
"Jake." The tone in my voice alerts him.
"Talk to me."
"Word is there's someone in town asking questions about Leah Winters."
"Fuck. I'll get the men on it," Jake says, and I have no doubts. That man knows almost everyone in this town. The club will find the fucker who's nosing around.
"When you find the son of a bitch…"
"You'll be the first to know, brother." Jake ends the call at the exact moment, Leah steps into the living room, wearing a knee length summer dress. "Everything okay?"
"It will be." I'm honest with her without divulging anything. She hesitates for a moment like she wants to ask more but doesn't. "Ready?" I ask.
"Ready."
Twenty minutes later, we're back at my place unpacking the items Leah needed for dinner. Crossing the kitchen, she peers out of the large window at the trees bending from the strong winds outside. "Looks like a nasty summer storm is moving in."
The storm threatening to move in hours ago has finally made its appearance with a vengeance. "I should get home before the weather gets worse." Leah tosses the couch pillow she's holding on her lap to the side and stands. No way in hell she's driving anywhere tonight.
"You'll stay here."
Her eyes widen. "Nikolai. I'm not taking your bed from you again. I need to go home."
I stand. "I'm not letting you drive in that." I point outside just as lighting lights the night sky, thunder follows, rattling the glass window panes.
"I'll drive slow and take my time." Leah looks anywhere but at my face while fidgeting with her glasses. She is so fucking adorable.
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" I take a step forward, looking down at her.
"A little."
At least she's honest.
I run my finger along the side of her cheek, tracing her jawline, then lift her face, bringing her eyes to meet mine. The sweet scent of the strawberry ice cream she just finished still lingers on her breath. "I have no issues with you sleeping in my bed, Malyshka." The way she nervously chews on her bottom lip has the act going straight to my cock. Damn. I want her so bad it hurts.
"Nikolai, I…" Leah's words are breathy from the effect I'm having on her. The woman has no idea she is my undoing. Reining in my desire to claim every inch of Leah's body, I take a step back, giving us both the space we need. "You can stay in the guestroom down the hall from mine if it puts you at ease, but you will be staying."
"If you don't mind, I think I'll turn in for the night."
Grabbing the remote from the coffee table, I turn off the TV. "I'll show you to your room." I take her hand, lacing her fingers with mine. Once upstairs, I lead her past my bedroom. Opening the door, I guide her inside the guest room, which looks much like mine but smaller. "You have a bathroom to yourself," I tell her, and she glances around the space. "Wait here."
Leaving Leah, I stride to my room, go into my closet, and snag a clean t-shirt, and sweat pants from one of the shelves. When I get back to her room, I find Leah staring out of the window overlooking the lake. She peers back at me over her shoulder. "There's something peaceful about stormy nights."
"I agree." I cross the room toward her, spellbound as I listen.
Leah hugs herself as she continues to watch the rainfall. "Wild winds and heavy rain. It feels like a reflection of myself and the chaos I feel inside. But, it's the wrinkle in time after lightning strikes. Just before the thunder?" Leah sighs, sounding a bit emotional. "I wait for those moments of peace. Not the calm before the storm, but the calm within it." Suddenly, Leah stops talking and faces me. "I'm sorry," she apologizes, and I don't understand why.
"Sorry for what?"
"I don't know." Her eyes fall to the floor.
"Don't do that again."
Leah's head jerks up. "Do what?" her eyes widen.
"Don't ever apologize for being who you are. You just shared something beautiful about yourself and how you feel. That is never something you are to be sorry for, Malyshka."
I place the clothes I'm holding in her hands, and she looks at them. "For you to change into."
"These won't fit." She tries to hand them back.
"They will fit." My eyes stay locked on hers, and all I can think is how much I want to kiss her. The worst part—I could tell she wanted it too. I fight my urges and take a deep breath. I need to put space between us before acting on my thoughts. "Goodnight, Malyshka."
"Goodnight, Nikolai."
Instead of returning to my room, I head downstairs to the office, where I lock myself away for hours, thumbing through all the information gathered on Leah's father as I might come across something I or someone else may have missed, but knowing I won't. I throw the papers onto the desk.
Crossing the room, I pour myself a drink. Leah is never going to feel safe until she's free of him for good. Cop or not, I want to kill the bastard. I'd like to make him suffer and pay for all the hell he ever put my woman through. Turning off the lights, I sink into the leather chair and stare out the window. I try to clear my head of everything, only for all my thought to lead back to one person. Leah Winters.
Hours later, I wake to the fact I'd
fallen asleep, my drink still in my hand resting on the arm of the chair. Suddenly the silence is interrupted by soft piano music, and I'm on my feet. What the fuck? I pull my gun from the desk drawer, gripping it firmly in my hand as I open the door and make my way through the house's shadows. My steps slow when I notice Leah sitting at the baby grand piano. Transfixed on every note she plays, I watch her fingers dancing along the ivory keys. I watch her body come alive as she continues to play. Slow yet mesmerizing, the music seeps into my soul. Quietly, I put my gun away—my heart beating with each tap of the keys as I quietly move toward her. The beautiful melody pours from her body as her fingertips move with the grace of a well-seasoned pianist. Her haunted eyes open to meet mine as I gaze upon her. To my surprise, she keeps playing. She's so fucking beautiful. It's like nothing I've ever heard before. Leah is telling me her story of pain, sorrow, and fear. I stand watching her until she hits the last beautiful note.
Once more, she avoids my eyes and stands from the bench. "Why do you feel obligated to take care of me—to protect me?" The pain in her voice causes my chest to tighten. "I'm not worth it." Her eyes stayed fixed on the floor.
Reaching for her, I grab her wrist, pulling her to me, and place her between me and the piano. "I do it because I want to—because I need to." Leah turns her head. "Look at me." Slowly, she brings her stunning eyes to meet mine. "You have worth, Leah." Unable to hold back, I grasp her face in my hands and press my lips against hers. Just like I knew it would be, her kiss is so damn sweet. She's shocked and hesitant at first but soon melts against my touch. With every ounce of willpower, I pull away from her before it goes any further—before lifting her sweet ass onto this piano, spreading her legs and making her come screaming my name.
"We should get some rest." Her big eyes look up at me, stunned, but she doesn't say a word, so I lead her back up the stairs. Before passing my room, Leah slows.
"I can't sleep."
I look at her waiting for her to explain further.
"Bad dreams. It's why I wandered downstairs in the first place," she admits.
Instead of leading her to the guest room, we step into mine and I lead her to my bed. I begin removing my shirt and notice the deer in headlights look on her face. "Get in, beautiful." Leah hesitates. Leaving my pants on, I slide into bed and lift the covers. "We're just sleeping. Nothing more." She removes her glasses from her face, placing them on the nightstand, then slips in beside me. Keeping a small space between us, Leah rolls to her side, staring at me.
Silence hangs between us.
Not one word is spoken.
My eyes grow heavy and start to drag shut as I watch Leah finally fall over. It doesn't take long until I slip off to sleep myself.
Just before sunrise the following morning, I wake to Leah draped over half of my body, with one of her legs between mine, pressed firmly against my hard cock. Her light snoring causes me to chuckle, which wakes her from sleep. The moment she realizes her body is pressed against mine, she stiffens.
"Oh my God," she whispers, and I try to suppress more laughter. Leah slowly raises her head. At the same time, she works at extracting her leg from between mine. I can't hold back my grin when her eyes meet mine.
"Good morning."
"Hi," she says shyly, her face reddening from embarrassment.
I snake my arm around her, keeping her in place, and take her in as she hovers above me, her wild curls framing her beautiful face. "A man could get spoiled waking to such beauty," I confess, and her face flushes a pretty shade of pink. I'm just about to claim her lips like I did the night before when the moment is interrupted by a knock on my bedroom door.
"Nikolai," Maxim calls out from the other side.
"It better be good, Maxim," I warn, not taking my eyes off my woman.
"Your father is home."
My father is home sooner than expected. That can't be good. Letting Leah pull away, I watch her disappear into the bathroom as I climb out of bed. Snatching my shirt from where I tossed it last night, I pull it on over my head and cross the room. I open the bedroom door to find Maxim waiting. "It's early, Maxim." I run my hand down my face.
"There is a pressing matter that cannot wait." The urgency in his voice sets me on edge. "Does this have anything to do with Leah?"
"No," Maxim is quick to assure.
"Make sure Leah gets home."
"Yes, sir," Maxim walks away.
Closing the door, I turn around and find Leah standing outside the bathroom with a worried look on her face, letting me know she heard part of my brief conversation. Meeting her across the room, I brush the hair from her face and kiss her forehead. "I need to take care of an urgent matter. Maxim will follow you home as soon as you're ready."
"Is it my father?" her voice shakes, and I hate that the mere thought of him frightens her this way.
"No," I tell her truthfully, but I can tell by her body language that my admission doesn't put her at ease. "I may be indisposed for a day or two. If you need anything, promise me you won't hesitate to call." Leah doesn't answer right away, so I tilt her head back, bringing her eyes to mine. "Promise me."
Leah swallows. "I promise."
"Good." I run the pad of my thumb across her lower lip, and her eyes flutter. Lowering my head, my lips brush hers for a second time.
Moments later, I'm fully dressed and have retrieved the weapon that I left downstairs. Slipping my gun into my side holster, I meet my father outside in the SUV, where he is waiting. I hate leaving Leah so abruptly, but knowing Maxim will make sure she gets home safely puts my mind at ease. The instant I climb inside, Victor pulls away. "Where are we going?"
"The Kings' compound. Jake asked for our assistance in getting rid of a problem they are having with Savage Outlaws," my father says, looking tired.
The ride is short, and minutes later, we are pulling up to The Kings clubhouse. Upon entering the building, we find the men hanging around the bar. "I heard some trash rolled into town, so I came to offer my assistance." My father greets them as we stride across the room, with Victor following.
Logan steps up, pulling our father in for a hug, and does the same to me. "Thanks for coming down."
Just as Jake announces he's waiting on a few more men to show, he sets his beer down, then pulls his phone from his pocket. "Our guests have arrived," he grins.
The unmistakable rumble of Harley engines grabs every man's attention. One by one, we file outside. Several men pull their bikes alongside the others parked in the front yard. Each man dismounting their bikes wears The Kings of Retribution insignia. The one wearing the President's patch brushes dust from his cut, then extends his hand to Jake. "I hope we're not late for the party," he grins.
"Just on fuckin' time, brother." Jake turns to face my father and me. "Demetri, Nikolai, this here is Riggs, Fender, and Kiwi. They're members of our Louisiana chapter. Men," he looks to his club members, "meet Demetri and Nikolai Volkov." There's a round of handshakes exchanged amongst us.
"I've heard of you, Volkov's. It's good to meet ya," Riggs says as Jake leads everyone indoors where we sidle up to the bar for drinks. Several of the women venture out of the kitchen to see who has arrived. While nursing a cold beer, I watch and listen to Jake introduce Sam's woman to Riggs, and fill her in on the club's decision to send another woman they've been helping with Riggs back to Louisiana. Luna has a past that is trying to catch up with her. It damn sure doesn't make it any easier the fact that she doesn't speak. "Bring her out," I hear Riggs exclaim.
A few minutes later, Sofia walks downstairs with a frightened Luna at her side. The way she shrinks beneath Riggs' hard stare and avoids making eye contact with him reminds me of Leah. The poor girl becomes frantic after being told she'll be leaving her new home for another with a man she just met. I think I can safely say that just about every man in the room is shocked as shit when Riggs stands from his stool and starts to sign as he speaks to Luna, and speaks loudly as he assures her she will be safe with him and his men. He pr
omises to protect her and keep her safe. As with most women, Luna doesn't take to being told what to do very well, and her hands move feverishly telling Riggs just what she thinks about it.
Riggs chuckles at her defiance. "Looks like I just did, sweetheart."
Luna goes to protest further, but Jake steps in. "Alright. That's enough."
Quinn being himself, opens his mouth. "Come on now, Prez. Where's the popcorn. This shit was gettin' interesting. I want to see what happens."
The rest of us chuckle. Quinn is one of a kind and always finds a way to lighten a tense situation. Riggs' eyes follow Luna as she retreats upstairs. Before long, we're all back to drinking as Jake lays out his plan of attack against the Savage Outlaw.
Hours later, the clubhouse erupts into chaos. Grabbing our weapons, my father and I rush downstairs to see what the hell is going on. It turns out Luna and Sofia were taken. All the men huddle around the security feed Reid pulls up on his computer. Luna had slipped out the back door, walking away from the clubhouse. But what she wasn't aware of was Sofia followed her. Before she could convince Luna to return, a couple of men stepped out from the fog beyond the treeline, taking them by gunpoint.
As we gear up for war against the men who took them, I can't help but worry about Leah. The current situation doesn't put her in any immediate danger, but it reminds me that she is hiding from a threat of her own.
After being asked to canvas the streets, looking for any indication of which way they would have gone, my father, along with Victor and I, load up in the SUV and take off down the road. The streets are dark as we search for clues. It's not long before I spot activity down the road near the old paper mill. "Stop here," I tell Victor, and he turns the headlights off, then pulls on to the side of the road. I point through the window. "You see what I see?"
"Bikers," my father states and retrieves his phone from his pocket. "We have eyes on the place—the old paper mill. From here, we count at least thirteen Savage Outlaw. We will stay in place until you arrive," my father ends the call.
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