Mayhem: Bratva Fury (book 3) Read online

  I feel her whole body tense, but I don’t pull back or push. I simply kiss her gently until she finally opens her lips and kisses me back. Her body is still tense, but at least she’s not pulling back. When we finally pull away, we are both breathing raggedly, and her eyes are glazed. I want nothing more than to take her under me right now and make her completely mine, but I don’t think she’s ready for that yet.

  “Let’s go,” I say, and hear the ruggedness in my voice. Now that I have tasted her sweetness. I know I won’t be patient for very long. I need to have Ruby trust and want me, and even though I know this kiss is a big step for her, it has me as hard as a teenager with his first girlfriend. Turning, I open the car door and step out, looking around before I walk around the car to open Ruby’s door. As I lean in to help her out, I see a car driving into the parking lot out of the corner of my eye.

  “Wait,” I rasp as I feel prickles down my neck. Something is wrong. I look up and see the car that has just driven in approaching. I notice a man inside by himself, but something about him has me straightening “crouch down” I say, and closing the car door again. Placing my hand behind my back, I take hold of my gun and wait. He is driving slowly, not looking directly at us, but I get the feeling he is seeing everything.

  He drives past our car, but that doesn’t stop my suspicions. Something is not right. I want to treat Ruby, but I’m not going to do it if it means she will be in danger. Walking back around, I get into the driver’s side.

  “What’s wrong?” she asks. Her voice is calm as she looks around, but I can see her fisted hands on her lap.

  I can lie and tell her I’ve changed my mind, but I want as little dishonesty between us as possible. I know it is also prudent that she be cautious while we are out. Even though I would like to think I can protect her, I still want her to be careful.

  “I’m not sure, but something isn’t feeling right,” I mutter as I start the car. When we’re on our way, I dial Vlad.

  “Da.”

  “I think we have a problem,” I state, as I’m sure the guy in the car was a paid assassin, and if that is the case, everyone is going to have to know about it.

  “Where are you?” he asks in Russian, and I can hear another voice, which tells me he’s not alone.

  “I’m on my way back. I’ll be there in the next fifteen minutes.”

  “Come to the office,” he states, telling me the other voice I heard was Alexei. We disconnect the call, and I continue making my way towards home. I keep an eye on the rear-view mirror, but I don’t see any sign of the same car following us. Looking over at Ruby, I see her tense body as she looks out her window. Taking one of my hands off the steering wheel, I place it over her fisted hand lying in her lap and squeeze lightly.

  She looks over at me, and I see her haunted eyes. I wanted today to be special for her, to be a good day, a day she would enjoy and come to remember with fondness. Instead, she is frightened, and our outing has been ruined. “We will do this again. I’m sorry about having to cut this outing short, but something is not right.”

  “What is wrong?” she asks.

  “I have the feeling we are being followed, and even though I can’t see any evidence of it, I don’t want to take a chance.”

  She looks over her shoulder behind us, and then back at me. “You think it’s whoever was after me in Russia?”

  “It shouldn’t have anything to do with you, as only the boss knows where we are,” I reply, but they could have figured it out somehow, and if they did, we have bigger problems, because that means the other families will find out where Alexei and Vlad are.

  Last year, we thought we were compromised, as one of the families found us, but he was on a vengeance spree, here to kill Nik, and didn’t go through the trouble of telling anyone else that he had found the location of the Bratva Fury’s heirs.

  I drive into the underground parking, nodding to one of our men guarding the entrance today. Parking the car, I turn again towards Ruby. “I’m going to go talk to Vlad and Alexei, but I would like you to come with. Jade is there, and now that you know her, it would be nice for you to start getting out. I know she would love it.” I see the uncertainty flash through her eyes before she lowers them. I know she’s going to refuse, so I don’t give her the chance.

  Turning, I get out of the car and walk around to help her out. Placing my hand on her back, I guide her toward the lift. I feel the heat from her back seeping into my hand, which immediately has me hardening. Darn, I really need to get some relief. I’m acting like a teenager with his first hard-on. The two guards standing next to the lift nod a greeting as we approach. I feel Ruby tense, but she continues walking next to me, not missing a stride.

  “I think maybe I’ll go to the apartment and just look for some plants online.”

  “Don’t worry about that. We will go out and buy plants soon.” I’m not going to let her get out of this that easily. When the lift stops on the top floor, she hesitates but then steps out. We walk towards Alexei’s apartment door, where Andrei is standing outside. I see his eyes running over Ruby, which has my anger rising. That surprises me, as I have never been one to anger so quickly, but the thought of another man looking at my woman makes me want to punch him.

  I know he doesn’t mean any disrespect with it, but I won’t allow it. “Andrei, this is my wife.”

  His eyes snap to mine in surprise. “You’re married?” he asks with a sceptical look on his face.

  “Da.” I don’t elaborate, but open the apartment door and guide Ruby in, closing the door behind us. I can hear voices from the vicinity of the kitchen, which tells me that Jade isn’t alone. I want Ruby to myself as much as possible until she gets used to my touch, my presence, but I also know that she needs the interaction of others around her. I won’t always be here, as sometimes I go away for a couple days.

  Guiding her towards the kitchen, I feel her tensing more and more with each step. Just before we enter, I lean down and kiss her cheek. “Relax, they are great. You will see.” She doesn’t say anything, just nods. When we enter, Jade has her back to us as she leans slightly over a pot on the stove, and Raven is sitting at the high table with a cup of coffee. She is just about to take a sip, when she sees us.

  “Dimitri!” she greets as she places her cup on the table and smiles at us. “This must be Ruby, whom I have heard so much about. I’ve been itching to meet you, Ruby.” Jade turns towards us and smiles as she makes her way towards the two of us.

  Reaching Ruby, she hugs her. “Welcome to my home. I’ve been looking forward to this. Come, let me introduce you to Raven. She’s Nik’s wife.” Ruby smiles and takes a step towards the table where Raven is still sitting with a big smile on her face.

  “Well, ladies, I’ll leave you to it, then. I need to go have a word with Alexei.” Ruby looks over her shoulder at me. I can see the hesitation still in her stance, but there is also a determination to fight her demons.

  “See you later,” she says.

  I wink at her as I turn to make my way towards Alexei’s office. This might have nothing to do with the Bratva and all to do with Ruby, but I need to have them aware that there might be an assassin around. I see the office door is open. As I approach, I can hear Nik talking. I know it isn’t confidential, as the door is open, so I take a step inside, and the men look up at me.

  “Dimitri, come on in,” Alexei says from where he’s sitting behind his desk. Vlad and Nik are sitting on the couch against the one wall of Alexei’s office. I close the door behind me and make my way towards one of the chairs.

  “We might have a problem,” I say, cutting straight to the chase. Alexei raises his brows but doesn’t say anything. Vlad sighs and lays his head back, closing his eyes. Nik sits forward on the couch, but his expression doesn’t change. “I went out with Ruby today. There was an assassin following us.”

  Vlad swears as his eyes snap open. Alexei stands and comes to sit on the chair next to mine.

  “Are you sure?” Nik asks,
a frown marring his forehead.

  “I had a feeling something was wrong, but couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t see anyone following us until we pulled up, and then I see this car approaching. I think he wanted me to know. I saw a tattoo on his arm when he was driving past. I couldn’t tell from that distance what it was.”

  “Are you saying he could be one of us?” Nik asks.

  “Yeah,” I reply.

  “Fuck, who the hell would dare to come here and not let us know?” Vlad asks as he looks at Alexei.

  “I will contact Russia and find out what is going on,” Alexei states. “Do you think he is here for Ruby?”

  “He could be, but he could also just be staking out all of us. You know I don’t like to assume the obvious,” I say as I rub my hands over my face. If this asshole is after Ruby, he will be disappointed. I won’t let anyone near her until I’m sure the threat to her is gone. “I’m going to get the men on it. I’m also going to see if anyone knows him.” As soon as I get a chance, I’m going to get hold of my contacts in Russia and find out what the hell is going on. If no one knows, I’m going to get the men to find this asshole, and Nik will get him to tell us what his mission is.

  “I want everyone paired. No one goes out alone again,” Alexei says. “Dimitri, needless to say, we need to make sure this building is airtight.”

  I always have as much security as possible in all the areas we live and work, but I’m going to go through all the security detail once again to make sure we don’t miss anything. If anyone decides to attack, they are not going to succeed on my watch.

  RUBY 8

  Today was amazing, I haven’t had this much company, or enjoyed it this much, in a long time. I feel a little guilty for having finally opened up and having this much fun. Especially when my parents were killed not so long ago, but I know they would have wanted this for me.

  Jade and Raven were wonderful. They didn’t ask any personal questions, and instead made me feel at home. I was wary for the dinner and being around so many people and especially such dangerous men, but I was amazed to feel safe and relaxed. I know it’s mainly because Dimitri was sitting next to me and that he would try to keep me safe no matter what.

  If someone had asked me a couple months ago if I would ever be interested in a man again, I would have said no, but even though we met and got married in the most bizarre circumstances, Dimitri has been able to wiggle himself into my trust. When he touches me, I don’t want to pull away or feel frightened like I have usually felt around men. Instead, I feel excitement. Today, he has touched me at every opportunity he got. I now crave his presence, his nearness, and unbelievably, his touch.

  He has never forced his touch or his kisses on me; instead, it feels natural. When we were having dinner, he would take my hand sometimes and give it a gentle squeeze. He even leaned towards me twice during dinner and kissed me. Once on my forehead and once on my cheek. Every time he touches me, I feel a tingling down my spine and butterflies in my stomach, something that I thought was dead inside of me.

  It was sweet seeing the other two couples, and it’s amazing to see these men, whom people fear, be so caring and compassionate with their wives and children. I also met Jade’s little boy and Raven’s two. That was the most difficult part of the evening, as I didn’t know how to react around them, but once again, Dimitri seemed to understand my battle and came to the rescue.

  When it was time to leave, I can honestly say that I was sorry that the evening came to an end, as I felt like I might have made friends tonight. Jade and Raven invited me to go to the park with them tomorrow, which I accepted but am unsure if it’s a good idea after what happened today. I know Dimitri talked to the men about what happened, and they must have come to a decision on the way forward, but as I suspected, nothing was said in front of the women.

  Dimitri walked me home and into the apartment. He kissed me tenderly once again, leaving me breathless and somehow wanting more, but still not sure how much more. He said he had to go check on some stuff and would be back later. When I first arrived, Dimitri showed me into my room, and he had an adjoining one, but we have never been in the same room. I wonder how it would feel to sleep in his arms, but every night since being here, I sometimes awaken with noise from the adjoining room when he goes to bed. Sometimes in the early hours of the morning, but not once has he attempted to come into mine.

  I wonder if we will ever reach that stage or if I won’t be able to give him what he may expect as a husband. After the things that happened to me, I am very conscious of my naked body and am reluctant to let anyone see me like that. Dimitri might like me like this, but will he still want to be with me once he sees the scars that I carry from what happened? I know that sooner or later, I might have to tell him everything, but I don’t know if I can.

  What will he think of me if he knows of the things that were done to me? Will he still be as gentle? Will he still want to be with me, or will he think that he made a mistake and that our marriage was the biggest mistake of his life?

  Dimitri is a handsome man; will he be happy with a woman less than perfect, or will he soon get tired of my issues and turn to another? Walking into my cupboard, I approach the mirror. I don’t usually look at the mirror much anymore, as I don’t like seeing the woman in the mirror, the woman I have become. Lifting the T-shirt off, I let it fall to the floor as I look into the mirror. I see a woman whose eyes seem to consume her face, haunted eyes, eyes that have seen more than they should in their young years.

  Those eyes look down at the body in the mirror, seeing its paleness, seeing the breasts encased in a black lacy bra, but what holds my attention is the light scars that cross my body. The words that were engraved in my skin, the words that no matter what I do, I will never be able to get rid of. My index finger lightly strokes over the word, and not for the first time, tears clog my throat. How can any man find me attractive once he sees this?

  Chris did a good job. He accomplished what he wanted. He made sure that I would remember that day for the rest of my life. Every time I look at my naked body, I will remember what was done to me. Can I ever let Dimitri see this? Even if he made love to me, he would never be able to love me. How could anyone love me after what happened to me? After the marks and the hidden scars I carry?

  This is the worst kind of torture. I thought I had come to terms with my lot, but now that I have Dimitri in my life, I want more, and I know I can’t be what he needs. This is so unfair. Why put him in my life when at the end of the day, he won’t be able to love me? If anything, he will end up resenting me for causing him to become attached to someone like me, someone broken, someone who will never be whole again.

  I unfasten the button of my jeans. Pulling down the zip, I slowly pull them down my legs. I stand before the mirror in my panties and bra. In general, I have a good body, but the marks mar the beauty, making it ugly. There is nothing I can do about it, but I wish I could. I wish I could be that woman Dimitri would love to touch, that woman he would love to be around and fantasize about.

  Sighing, I pull the robe off the hanger and wrap it around myself. I may as well go take a shower, as dreaming is not going to change anything. Stepping out of my walk-in cupboard, I hear a noise outside. Has Dimitri come back already? He gave me the impression he would be gone for a while. Quietly opening the door to the room, I hear the noise again. It sounds like someone is in the lounge. I’m sure it must be Dimitri. With all the security in this building, no one can get in or out without an alarm going off, but with everything that has happened in my life recently, I walk quietly down the corridor.

  Standing against the wall, I look up at the mirror on the one wall that has a full view of the lounge, and freeze. There is a man by the lamp, fiddling with it, his face covered by a black ski mask. I can feel my heart racing. This can’t be happening again. How did this man get in here?

  I hurry down the corridor, trying to be as quiet as possible. Entering my room, I rush towards the side table and dia
l Dimitri’s number on my phone. Please, please answer . . .

  “Ruby?” It’s the first time I’ve phoned him since he gave me the phone on the first day of being here, so I can understand his tone of surprise.

  “There is someone in the apartment,” I whisper. “He’s in the lounge by the lamp.” He swears, and I hear voices.

  “Hide, I’m coming.” His voice is a growl of anger, and I can make out that he’s running. “Stay on the line, angel. Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’ll deal with it.”

  “Okay, he’s wearing a ski mask,” I say just as I hear a noise from outside the door. Looking around, I rush to hide under my bed, as it’s the only place I can think of at such short notice. This can’t be happening to me again. What is it with me that all these things keep happening? I see the door to my room opening and shoes as the man steps in. I can hear Dimitri’s breathing as he rushes home. The man is walking closer, when he suddenly stops.

  “Da,” I hear him say. “I’m leaving.” And then he turns, and I hear running.

  “He’s leaving,” I whisper into the phone.

  “Don’t move from where you are. I’m nearly there,” Dimitri states. I don’t think I would move even if I could, as I can feel my legs shaking. This must have all taken about ten minutes or so, but it feels like a whole day. The memories from when my parents were killed keeps flashing in my mind. I hear a bang as if a door has been thrust against a wall, and then running feet and men talking.

  Suddenly, my bedroom door is also being pushed back. “Ruby, where are you?” At Dimitri’s voice, I feel all the energy leave me and the shaking intensifies. “Ruby?” This time, his voice is louder.

  “Here,” I murmur, which has him instantly kneeling and looking under the bed. I can see the relief on his face when he sees me.