My Russian Hero (7 page)

Dani cleared her throat, snuggling closer to him. It felt so nice to be wrapped in the safety of his arms, the strong musky smell of his cologne calming her. She sighed, worried that whatever might have happened between them was now shot to shit. Nobody would want to get involved in this twisted mess.

“Five years ago, I was attacked outside a bar. I couldn’t identify the man but he terrorized me for weeks after that. Finally, after things got really bad, I was given a new identity. Everything was fine – normal – for the last four years… but he’s found me again.” She bit her lip until the metallic taste of blood invaded her senses. She eased her hand to her mouth, slowly wiping away the blood seeping from her lip.

“Hmmm. I see. I am sorry this is happening to you, Milaya moya,” Sergei said, his voice gentle at first but quickly taking a firm, commanding tone. “You will both pack your things... now. He knows you are here so this place is no longer safe. You will stay with me.” He looked from Dani to Zoe, making sure they understood he wasn’t asking.

Dani nodded. She had felt ill after opening that damn box but that disquiet had been replaced by comfort shortly after Sergei had arrived, when she realized he wouldn’t run away from this. His presence alone made her worries wash away, his strong take-charge attitude making her feel safe. She knew he would do anything for her. She eased herself from his arms, immediately missing his warmth and comfort, and made her way to the bathroom to collect her things. Zoe was already zipping their bags when she entered the bedroom, her arms full of cosmetics and hair products.

“I’m so sorry, Zoe,” she said, barely meeting her friend’s gaze. “I know that’s not enough considering... everything, but I mean it.”

“This isn’t your fault,” Zoe said, her brows drawn together in irritation, left hand on her hip. “It’s that bastard stalker.” He’s to blame. At least we have Sergei to help keep us safe.”

“I know,” Dani said, rushing across the room and hugging her friend tight. She didn’t deserve a friend like Zoe.

The girls grabbed their luggage and headed for the living room. Dani’s eyes darted around the room until she saw Sergei standing before a window, talking on his phone. He spoke in a thick Russian accent, his words melting the room’s tension with each velvety word. She couldn’t tell what he was saying, but his tone was angry and it was easy to tell he meant business. He ended the call, placing the phone in his pocket. “Are you ready to go, ladies?”

“Yes,” they said in unison, eager to get the hell away from the hotel.

Sergei closed the little box of horror, squeezing it so tight the edges of the box buckled under the pressure.

“Why do we need that?” Dani squeaked, her lips drawing into a thin line.

“It wouldn’t be good for the staff to find it in your room,” Sergie said. “And my people will need it to track the delivery company. It is possible to find the sender. Yes?”

Dani hesitated before responding, wondering who
his people
were. It didn’t matter. “Oh… um… right. It’s just that the… the eye belongs to a friend of mine. I mean, I think it does.” Her stomach lurched as she realized the psycho had possible killed her friend, Margo. She looked away from the box, “Unless he lied, which is entirely possible.”

Zoe was outside the room, standing near the elevator, in full view of Sergei and Dani, a look of pure terror masking her face. No matter how hard Zoe tried to hide her fear, Dani knew she’d always be able to see it. She had lived with that very fear but the fear she felt now was different. It was still fear, but it was laced with a desire to make it all come to an end, no matter what the end might be.

Dani might not know who her stalker was, but all the research she had done after beginning her new life basically gave her a good idea about what to expect. Most stalkers began with watching and escalated into other avenues of torturing their victims. Some would break into their victims’ homes like hers had done, taking things or leaving unwanted surprises. ‘Gifts’ weren’t always a part of a stalker’s MO but they could be; sweet gifts a boyfriend would give a girl or darker, more vile ones like the eye. No matter the stalker, they all wanted the same result – to have the person they admired. They would seek them out at all costs. If the victim had snubbed the stalker in any way, as Dani had, then the game usually became deadly. If the stalker couldn’t have the victim he admired, then no one else would either.

Dani held Sergei’s hand as they walked across the hall to the elevator bay where Zoe waited. He quickly looked down the hallway in both directions, making sure the girls were safe. Stepping into the calm silence of the elevator, he stood so that his body was in front of the girls in a protective gesture. When the elevator shuddered as they reached the ground floor, he hesitated a few seconds before stepping out.

“Wait a minute,” he said, stepping into the lobby, looking around, taking in the faces of the guests that were milling about. Everything looked okay. He motioned for the girls to follow. When they walked out of the hotel, he say his driver standing by a black limousine parked at the curb, waiting for them. He opened the rear door and the girls quickly crawled in. With a last look around, he climbed in behind them while his driver placed the girls’ meager luggage in the trunk. Within minutes they were on the road, traveling through the lush countryside of St. Petersburg. Wildflowers grew along the roadside as they made their way deep into the country. Farm houses dotted the landscape here and there. Dani noticed Sergei had become rather tense the farther they traveled, his eyebrows drawn together, his jaw clenched. Something was definitely weighing heavily on his mind.

“Where are we going?” Dani asked. Zoe perked up at the question, obviously wanting to know as well.

“We are going to my family home.” Sergei replied. He swept a tendril of stray hair behind her ear and heat flamed within her. Something about this man drove her to the brink. She didn’t care that they hadn’t known each other but a few days. She could love this man, she thought, taking in the gentle soul tucked inside the brickhouse body beside here.

“Oh. Are you alright? You seem worried.”

“My family is – They’re different.” he said.

“I’m sure they are fine,” Dani said. “All families are different.” Sergei nodded and returned his gaze to the window.

An hour later, the car slowed, turning onto a gravel driveway leading down a long road that was lined with trees on either side. Up ahead, the road split, curving around a beautiful fountain set in the center of a beautifully-landscaped garden, forming a circular driveway in the front of a mansion. It was an old home, with a historic beauty that spoke of the rich life the home had lived. Dani wondered what stories it would tell if it could speak, imagining the things it must have seen over countless years. It was a breathtaking sight.

The car came to a stop just outside the entryway. A large muscular man dressed in a black suit and wearing dark sunglasses waited by the front door. Sergei pulled Dani across the seat into his arms and placed a kiss on the top of her head. She leaned into him, her eyes closing against the pain and sorrow of her life. Being away from the city was for the best. She couldn’t help but think about the man that was after her.

She had been lucky before. Surviving his twisted game now would probably be more difficult. More blood would be shed and more lives would be lost this time around. The man that was hunting her obviously wanted her to suffer and she knew he wouldn’t be opposed to using others to get to her. That was something she just couldn’t allow. The thought of someone she cared for getting hurt or killed because of her made her stomach do flip flops.

As the driver opened the car door, Sergei pulled away from her and climbed out of the car, his large frame blocking the sunlight that threatened to pour into the opening. As upset and concerned as she was, she couldn’t help but salivate over the way his tight pants hugged his well-sculpted ass. She could see his muscles move seductively beneath his clothes and it sent a charge of lust straight to her core. She shuddered as he reached for her hand to help her out of the car. Zoe slipped out after her, inhaling the fresh air. The birds chirped in nearby trees as bees buzzed about the flowers in the beds along the front of the entrance.

“It’s beautiful here,” Dani said. “The house is amazing.” A chill washed over her, feeling eyes pressing down on flesh. She franticly turned around, scanning the tree line for
him
. But she saw no one. Only shadows. Was he watching her even now? Had they been followed? Surely the driver or Sergei would have noticed.

“Let’s get inside and get you both settled.” Sergei said, eyeing the guard at the door. He refrained from showing affection until he had a chance to speak with his father. He had feelings for this woman. He had to keep her safe. He didn’t need anyone seeing her as a threat to the family plans.

“What about our bags?” the girls asked in unison.

“Mikael will see to them,” he said as he walked inside, the girls following close behind.

Dani and Zoe’s eyes bugged out as they entered the house. It was huge. A staircase to the right led to the second floor balcony overlooking the entryway. God only knew what else was up there.

A woman with long blonde hair stood at the top of the staircase peering down on them with a look that could only be described as extreme hatred. If looks could kill, Dani was sure she would need a body bag. She smiled up at the woman but the blonde didn’t return the smile, only turned in a huff and walked away.

“This way,” Sergei said, climbing the stairs.

“Your family doesn’t mind that we stay here?” Dani asked, her eyes cutting up to the landing.

Sergei grimaced, his brows drawn together as he followed her line of sight, catching the fluttering of a dress as Katya disappeared into a room. “If it’s a problem, we will go to my condo in the city. Do not worry, Milaya moya. You and your friend will be safe with me.”

“Anger is one letter short of danger.”

-Author Unknown

Chapter 9

Outside the vast estate, under the cover of thick foliage, he watched as the large Russian escorted Dani and Zoe into a large home. He had followed them from St. Petersburg into the country, making sure to stay a good distance away to avoid being seen. He had pulled onto the side of the road, walking into the thick woods to get a better view. As he knelt beside a tree, he watched, anger boiling inside him as the large Russian she had called Sergei comforted her.

“Bitch” he groaned, hating to see her with another man.  He would have to punish her for her whorish ways when they were together again.

Only a few nights ago, he had watched as the big Russian slipped into a private room and ravished her. He wasn’t angry at her for falling prey to such a predatory beast, but he would have to teach her what was acceptable, as he had been taught.

To those that knew him, Trent Ferguson was a quiet and gentle soul, a man who wouldn’t hurt a fly, as the old saying went. But looks were deceiving, especially in Trent’s case. The damage of a long and disturbing childhood had left its mark on him like a flaming branding iron, seared into his flesh forever. His mind was addled in a way few could understand. The voices in his head commanded him like a soldier, dealing out his misdeeds on unsuspecting young ladies. Dani wasn’t the first and if he succeeded in making her his she might not be his last.

None had ever escaped his grasp… until Caroline. And the voices never let him forget it. They hounded him, tortured him, left him curled up in tears like a child at night. For years, he had fought to find his Caroline and finally, after five years, he received his reward and the voices quietened.

His eyes glossed over as he learned of her trip to Russia and how easily he could slip back into her life, making her his again. In the airport, he had sat so close he could smell the vanilla scent of her shampoo, tempting him to touch her long hair. But he had resisted the urge, offended by the horrendous black hair hiding the true blonde locks he craved.

“That will have to change,” he hissed, stalking back to his car.

Now that he knew where the mighty Russian had taken her, he could complete his plan to make her his once more. He wouldn’t fail. Not this time. The voices in his head wouldn’t accept another failure. They needed her as much as he did.

“
The two women exchanged the kind of glance women use when  
      
no knife is handy.”

- Ellery Queen

Chapter 10

Sergei settled Zoe in the room next door to his, and Dani in his room. As the girls freshened up and rested, he headed downstairs to face his father. He knew the Pakhan would be unhappy that he had brought, not one, but two women into the family home with Katya there.

On his way down the hall, Katya appeared before him, “You will not cheapen our union by bringing a harlot to bed. I won’t have it,” she growled pressing a long sharp nail into his chest. “Do you understand me? My father will not stand for it!”

“You know nothing,” Sergei said, bluntly. “Get back into your room before you make a grave mistake.” He stalked away, shaking his head. The sheepish girl he had met the night before was gone, but the daughter of a pakhan baring her claws didn’t surprise him. She had grown up in a mafia household and knew full well how things worked. She had him by the balls… and she knew it.

Taking a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, he pushed open the sliding doors to his father’s study. Ivan sat at his large oak desk, the look on his face telling Sergei he already knew that two young girls had accompanied his son home.

“What the hell were you thinking, Sergei?” Ivan shouted. “Have you lost your fucking mind, son? Igor Antonov will have your head for disrespecting his daughter.” He shook his head.