Zel: Markovic MMA (20 page)

In that moment, nothing outside the walls of his office existed. There was no Ruby, no Andrei, no Albanian mob or Hermanos street gang. It was just the two of us—and it was perfect.

Ivan caressed my cheek. "Erin, I—"

The shrill ring of a phone interrupted him. Frowning in annoyance, he reached for the cell phone rattling across his desk. He answered gruffly in Russian. I spotted the instant change in his demeanor. Whatever was being said wasn't good. My gut clenched and I waited to hear the worst.

* * *

Ivan couldn't believe someone was calling right now. Erin had the sweetest, most tender look on her face. His cum was still wet on her belly. He needed to tell her that she meant something to him, that this wasn't simply a quick fuck to him.

Irritated, he grabbed the phone and answered. "Yes?"

"Ivan." Yuri's familiar voice filtered out of the speaker. He was barely audible over the thumping bass of music in the background. No doubt he was in the VIP section of one of his sleek, ultra popular clubs. "I found something you've lost."

He instantly perked up. "And what's that?"

"A certain limping fighter just tried to sell his cheap shit in my bathroom," Yuri said, his voice laced with disgust. "The bouncers tossed his ass onto the street before I realized who he was. He can't have gone far."

Ivan knew Yuri wasn’t about to send one of his own men after Andrei. He'd never put them in the crossfire of the Albanians or the Hermanos. "I'm sending Dimitri."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do."

"Is she very pretty?" There was no mistaking the amusement in Yuri's voice.

Ivan frowned. How the hell did Yuri know about Erin? "Nikolai?"

Yuri laughed. "Who else?"

Ivan glanced at Erin who looked perplexed. It occurred to him that she couldn't understand what he was saying. Even with that confused expression on her face, she was still the loveliest thing he'd ever seen. "Yes, she is."

"I'm glad to hear it. I'd hate to think you were risking everything for anything less."

Yuri's subtle warning came through clearly. Of their tight-knit group, Yuri had always been the most cautious and conservative. Undoubtedly that had been the secret to the multi-billion dollar fortune he'd amassed in oil and minerals.

"Thanks for the tip. I'll see you around."

"Be careful, Ivan."

He ended the call and pulled up Dimitri's number. As he waited for his friend to answer, he held Erin's concerned gaze. "We've found Andrei."

Chapter Four

My stomach churned with anxiety as Kostya navigated the heavy night traffic. I glanced at Ivan who sat in the front seat and wished he was back here with me. After what we'd shared in his office, I felt our connection more than ever and craved his heat and strength. If Ivan's friend was right about Andrei, Ruby might finally be within grasp.

When Ivan's cell phone rang, my ears perked. I held my breath as he talked in rapid-fire Russian. A few seconds later, he hung up and barked instructions at Kostya. The SUV switched lanes and made an unexpected turn. Before I could ask what was happening, Ivan looked back at me.

"Dimitri missed Andrei by a few minutes but he found someone else who knows Ruby. She's at a crack house across town. Dimitri is taking the kid with him to find her but we'll probably beat them."

I nodded and swallowed hard. My hands balled into fists on my lap. If Ruby was alone again, she was a prime target for both of the vicious gangs hunting her. I closed my eyes and prayed we'd get there first.

Within twenty minutes, we were driving the rough streets of one of Houston's more blighted neighborhoods. Broken-down cars sat in the front yards of ramshackle houses. There were few windows that weren't boarded up and covered in graffiti. Most of the houses looked unoccupied. There were only a handful of lights to be seen on the empty streets.

"Erin."

Ivan's firm voice drew my gaze. "Yes?"

"You will stay behind me. If I tell you to get back in the vehicle, you go. Understood?"

"Yes." After my narrow escape at the last crack house, I wasn't keen on repeating the experience.

As the SUV crawled to a stop along the cracked sidewalk, another pair of headlights came into view. The other vehicle, this one a silver truck, parked across the street from us. I recognized the man who climbed out of the driver's seat from the gym. Tall and blond, he sported the classic Russian look. His hawk-like gaze scanned the street before he gestured to the person riding in his front seat.

The young man who came around the front of the truck surprised me. The Latino boy wore a stark white wife-beater and low slung jeans and held tight to his waistband. There was no missing the dark black gang insignia tattooed across his neck.

Kostya mumbled something to Ivan who grunted. Curious, I glanced at him but Ivan shook his head. Whatever the story, I wasn’t getting it tonight.

Out on the sidewalk, I fought the urge to run into the house and frantically search for Ruby. Dimitri and the young man joined us. Kostya hung back, his shoulders pressed against the driver's door as he watched the street like some kind of sentry guard.

"Johnny says he saw Ruby and Andrei here earlier." Dimitri gripped the young man's shoulder tightly. The high-school aged kid winced. "Apparently, the Hermanos have a flop house a few streets over. Johnny supplies the place with stolen booze and drugs to keep the whores happy." Dimitri's gaze fell on me. "He says your sister went there looking for work."

My stomach lurched painfully. Ruby a prostitute? As if sensing my horror, Ivan gently rubbed the small of my back. Compassion flashed across his harsh face.

"She didn't stay," Johnny said, his voice low and soft. "When she realized who the house belonged to, she ran. I was worried she was going to get hit by a car or something so I followed her back here. She was in a bad way. I tried to get her to come with me but she was really confused and asking for a guy named Aaron."

"No, it's Erin. That's me."

"Oh." He looked a bit sheepish. "Well I tried to help her but then her boyfriend came back and I realized who he was so I got the hell out of there. I was going to tell my crew I'd Andrei." Johnny hesitated. "But then I heard that Dimitri and his crew were looking for the girlfriend and I thought maybe she'd be safer with him than out here with a big fucking target on her back."

His kindness surprised me. "Why did you want to help her?"

Johnny lowered his gaze. His jaw tightened. "I've got a sister."

I understood then. Looking to Ivan, I asked, "Can we go in now?"

"Hey, man," Johnny addressed Dimitri, "that place is packed with tweakers. They're all fucked out of their heads. You don't want to just go busting in there. One of those methheads might think you're a cop and pop your Russian ass."

"Then maybe I should send you through the door first." Dimitri pulled a flashlight from one back pocket. I spotted the outline of a pistol under his thin jacket. He glanced at Johnny and pointed at the truck. "Go. Now."

The kid nodded but I had a feeling he was going to run the second Dimitri's back was turned. With Dimitri leading the way and Ivan two steps behind, I followed the pair into the house. Once inside, the overpowering stench hit me. The putrid mix smelled of piss and so much more. I put a hand to my mouth and tried not to gag. How the hell could Ruby stand a place like this?

My eyes widened as Dimitri's flashlight beam bounced around the cramped rooms of the small house. There were bodies littering couches and the floor. A television blared a late show, the crowd's applause deafening as it ricocheted off the walls. Two faces turned our way but the two men seemed unable to focus. Their bleary-eyed gazes turned back to the television.

In the kitchen, one man was slumped over a table. A stark naked woman stood in front of the fridge and scribbled aimlessly on the once-white surface with a black marker. She mumbled incoherently. I couldn't drag my gaze away from the bizarre markings she'd placed on her bare skin.

Ivan grasped my hand and tugged me along. He brought a finger to his mouth, urging me to be quiet and keep moving forward. Dimitri popped into one bedroom but came out quickly. Shaking his head, he pointed to another door. This one Ivan opened. I peered around his brawny arm—and discovered Ruby.

"Oh god!" Terrified by the sight of my sister sprawled on the floor, I squeezed by Ivan and into the room. I started to kneel next to her but Ivan grasped me by the waist and lifted me up. He used his shoe to kick aside the dirty syringe I hadn't seen.

With an admonishing frown, he whispered, "Careful!"

"Sorry." Glancing around, I found a clean spot to kneel and gently rolled Ruby onto her side. Vomit smeared her face and speckled her hair. Urine soaked the carpet and her dirty clothing. Her cold, clammy skin scared me. I tried to find her pulse but my fingers slipped in the sweaty grime coating her skin. I bent my face and pressed my ear to her chest. Her fast, weak heartbeat filled me with hope. "She's still alive! Call 9-1-1!"

"No." Ivan denied my request. "There isn't enough time."

I sat back on my heels as Ivan crouched down and scooped Ruby into his arms. "But we passed a fire station—"

Ivan shot me a look and I finally understood. Our arrival to this house wouldn't have gone unnoticed in this neighborhood. We were sitting ducks.

"Erin. Go!"

I jumped to my feet and ran to the front door. Ivan, his arms burdened with my sister's unconscious body, shadowed me to the front door. Dimitri followed us onto the sidewalk. He cursed loudly upon realizing Johnny had fled while were inside.

Ivan growled at Dimitri in Russian but whatever Dimitri snarled back shut Ivan right up. Not wanting to get involved in their squabble, I rushed to the SUV and jumped into the middle seat. I grabbed Ruby's shoulders and dragged her onto my lap with Ivan's help. He slipped onto the other end of the bench seat and draped her legs across his.

"Seatbelt, Erin." Even with chaos swirling around us, Ivan's sole concern was my safety. I quickly grabbed my belt and jammed it into place.

Kostya didn't even need to be told what to do. He buckled up and punched the gas. We screeched out of there like a bat out of hell. Dimitri's truck followed close behind but I couldn't think about the risk of the Hermanos or Albanians catching up with us now.

My fingertips drifted to Ruby's neck. I found her pulse and kept my fingers there. The fast blips reassured me. This wasn't the first time she'd overdosed but I'd never seen one this bad. It occurred to me that I had no idea what she'd taken or how much. I prayed the emergency room staff would be able to save her.

"Look at me,
angil moy
." Ivan's stern voice infiltrated my fearful thoughts. He reached over and touched my face. The searing sweep of his fingertips reassured me. "It's going to be okay."

Because Ivan said it, I believed it.

* * *

The sun had just started to peek over the horizon when Ivan made his way out of the hospital to a bench near the smoking area. He fished his phone from his pocket and started making phone calls. There was no way he'd make it into the gym at his usual early hour. He'd rely on the other trainers to open up and get his fighters moving through their morning routines.

As he was finishing up his conversation with Paco, Ivan spotted Dimitri crossing the parking lot. His old friend carried two cups of coffee and a bright yellow bag stamped with the red logo of that Mexican bakery Dimitri lived above. Even though his friend had more than enough money to buy his own place, he stayed there in that cramped apartment. He swore it was the hot breakfast that kept him hanging around but Ivan suspected it was more likely the pretty dark-haired young woman who worked behind the counter…

"I thought you two could use some breakfast." Dimitri shook the bag. "They're still warm."

Ivan accepted the coffee and paper bag. A pang of guilt soured his gut as he remembered the awful thing he'd shouted at Dimitri when'd emerged from the house to find Johnny gone. He eyed Dimitri carefully. "Look, about the boy last night—"

Dimitri cut him off with a slash of his hand. "We're not talking about Johnny."

"We are." Ivan pinned his friend with a determined gaze. "I've been thinking about what I said to you and it was wrong of me. I didn't…" Ivan's voice trailed off and he glanced at the hospital. "I know I've been riding your ass about getting involved with the bakery girl, especially since her kid brother is up to his eyeballs in shit with the Hermanos, but I understand it now."

Dimitri's expression faltered. Finally, he said, "I’m not involved with Benny. I'm just her tenant. That's it."

Ivan wasn't so sure about that but he wasn't about to pry into his friend's private life.

"How's the sister?"

"Not good," Ivan said, his thoughts turning to Erin's distraught face.

Never one to ease into difficult conversations, Dimitri said, "Erin is still in danger. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," Ivan admitted. "I'll bounce some ideas off Nikolai but he made it perfectly clear yesterday that he doesn't want to get dragged into this."