CHAPTER SIX
Sunday, May 28
Stazi put the last of her clean clothes away and felt like she had accomplished something momentous. Every week, it was the same struggle to stay ahead of her chores before the work week began and for once she had managed it. Looking around her room, she silently congratulated herself because the apartment was clean, the fridge had a reasonable amount of food, and she had a nice stack of clean underwear. As far as she could tell, world domination would be next.
After smoothing out the comforter, she walked out of her room and thought about what she wanted to do for the rest of the day. She hadn’t had a lot of free time over the last year, so she had no idea what she wanted to do first.
Maybe nothing at all.
Running her hands over the books on her shelf, she decided a trip to the bookstore was in order because all she had were art books. Not one book of fiction was in the whole bunch, which told her that her focus had become far too narrow.
The single-mindedness she had directed toward her career for the last several years had netted her a dream job, but clearly little else. And perhaps now was the time to allow some other things in.
Like…a man.
A big, sexy one named Hank, for example.
The man was irresistible and she should just quit trying to pretend she wasn’t interested and give him a real chance. After all, men like that didn’t come along in every woman’s life and she would be a fool not to see if they had anything.
Her house phone rang and she wondered who in the world it could it be. The only people who called her at home were her family and she had already spoken to several of them earlier in the week. Lifting the handset, she answered, “Hello.”
“Hi, honey.”
“Hank?”
“Who else has your home number and calls you honey?”
“Well, up until this phone call, just my family.”
“Look out your window.”
Striding over to the window that faced the street, she saw Hank leaning against a black SUV with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He waved and spoke into the phone. “Come down and have a cup of coffee with me.”
“What are you up to?” she replied with a laugh.
“Come down and find out.”
“Give me five minutes.” She pressed the button to end the call and waved to him. What in the world was that big, handsome man doing here? Moving away from the window, she put the phone on the counter and walked into her bedroom. As she slipped on a pair of sandals, she tried to ignore the buzzing bees in her stomach and her shaking hands.
Hank Coleman was a force to be reckoned with and she didn’t have the first clue about how to manage it. Truth was, she didn’t want to manage anything…and just wanted to smooch his face and run her hands all over his amazing body.
And what an amazing body it was.
She discovered that yesterday when he and the guys from SAI had joined her and Lucky at North Avenue Beach. The memory of seeing Hank strip out of his clothes and jump into the ocean was burned into her brain.
In Technicolor.
And high-def.
As a student of art, she had seen a lot of magnificent bodies in all forms, but nothing compared to seeing Hank in his short swim trunks. He wasn’t wimpy like the statue of David. He was more like the Trojans that adorned Vatican City. Broad and muscled warriors with massive thighs and biceps.
Before yesterday, she never knew she had a type. When she saw Hank peel off his T-shirt, she discovered that perhaps she did. When he slipped off his sweat pants, she knew unequivocally that she absolutely did.
She was no better than any other woman who appreciated a hot guy and that fact bothered her very little. She was going to be thirty in a couple of days and she figured it was about damn time she understood what made her hot and bothered. And Hank the Warrior Coleman seemed to be exactly the man who made her very hot and very bothered.
Which, God willing, he felt as well. As she grabbed her keys and walked out her front door, she thought she was going to have the answer either way by the end of the day.
As she strolled out of her building, she saw Hank open his arms, so she did the only thing she could and walked right into them. When he enveloped her in a hug, she was immediately surrounded by his scent, which sent a shiver of excitement through her body. Inhaling the aromas of laundry soap, sunshine, and testosterone, she felt a smile break across her face. “What brings you by?”
“I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you.”
Tightening her hold, she felt the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear and wondered if he was as good as he seemed. When he released his hold, she looked up and noticed his smile but also something else. Whatever had brought him here today wasn’t about romance, and the deep creases in his forehead told her it wasn’t anything good. “How bad is it?”
Keeping their faces close, he spoke quietly. “Nothing that I can’t handle.”
“Oh jeez.”
Running his hand down her cheek, he gave her a warm smile. “I want you to know in no uncertain terms that I will never allow anything bad to happen to you. I’m one of the most feared warriors on the planet and I got you.”
Tightening her hold around his waist, she put her face back in his T-shirt. For a just a second, she wanted to appreciate the big arms surrounding her, the chirps of the birds enjoying spring, and the happy sounds of her neighborhood. Because she had a feeling after he told her what was going on, she was going to want to remember when her life was just about perfect. Girding her proverbial loins, she took a deep breath in and then looked up. “Do you want to head upstairs or go grab a coffee?”
Unwinding his hands, he gave her the flowers and smiled. “Are you hungry?”
Shaking her head, she let out a snort. “No, because I think whatever you’re about to tell me is going to be bad.” Leaning down, he quickly pressed their mouths together and she enjoyed the pressure of his soft lips against hers. Whatever came next wasn’t going to be good, so she decided to enjoy the kiss as much as she could.
“Take me to your favorite place,” he said after he released her mouth.
“Let me run the flowers up and then we can go.”
He held out his hand, took them, and then opened his car door. “We can leave them there for now.”
Leading him away from her building, she headed toward Bake, which was one of her favorite places and close by. As they walked down the street, she noticed that Hank held her hand firmly while his head moved from side to side. He was looking at the glass storefronts as they walked and she figured it wasn’t because he was interested in the merchandise.
She hoped he was going to tell her what was going on as soon as they got in the coffee shop. Whatever it was had made him come armed. When she had hugged him earlier, she’d felt the butt of a gun tucked into his jeans. Lucky had told her the men from SAI never left their houses unarmed, so when Stazi initially felt the gun, she wasn’t all that worried. But seeing how he was behaving on their short walk made her believe that maybe she should be.
They stood hand in hand in front of the bakery case and she wondered if pie might not be the best choice. There was a beautiful mixed berry one that was too good to ignore, and she quickly decided it might be the perfect breakfast food. “What are you going to have?” she asked.
“That pie looks really good, and I’ve decided that because it’s made of fruit, it’s the perfect breakfast food.” He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “But the chocolate chip scone that’s as big as my face has some appeal too.”
She laughed loudly, then covered her mouth. “I was thinking the same thing. Maybe we should get one of each and share.”
“I like the sound of that.” When it was their turn, he placed their order and then pulled out his wallet.
“Let me pay for it,” she said as she pulled some money out of her back pocket.
“Over my dead, cold body,” he responded firmly as he gave her a frown. “A man should never allow a woman to pay.”
“That’s an antiquated notion, but very sweet. Thank you.”
“It’s not sweet, just the right thing to do.” He grabbed their coffees and then handed her one. “Go add your cream and I’ll wait for our food.”
“Any other directions you want to give me?”
Leaning over, he gave her a quick peck. “Yes, but I’m going to wait until we know one another better before I give them to you.”
The bees that had been buzzing earlier were now swarming. Patting his chest, she gave him a faint smile and then walked away. As she dumped some cream into her coffee, she wondered what he had in mind. Looking up, she noticed his posture was relaxed, but his face wasn’t. He was tracking every person who entered the shop and then scanning the street. Taking a deep breath, she decided to wait until he told her what was going on before she fully freaked out. She knew when Lucky had been evasive yesterday about what she’d dug up about Firtash that he was worse than she’d thought.
***
Hank followed Stazi out to the patio and noticed she took the chairs that were closest to the back fence. Which was perfect because it allowed them a complete view of the space. They’d picked up a tail on the way over and he wanted to see the guy coming if he decided to get close and join them for coffee.
Not that he thought that would happen, but you never knew. The picture of who they were dealing with wasn’t complete and so he wasn’t going to take any chances. Every resource of his office was working on making that possible and he hoped to know more by the end of the day.
Until that happened, he was sticking to Stazi like gum. God willing, she wouldn’t think it was the worst idea in the world. “Honey…”
“Rip the Band-Aid off and tell me what’s going on.”
“Your instincts have been right on, and I want to encourage you to continue to pay close attention to them.”
“Making me nervous, Hank.”
He lifted her hands and held them gently. “You were right about Dmitry Firtash. He’s bad news and we’re in the process of coming up with a plan that ensures he never gets his hands on you.” Pressing a quick kiss to her fingers, he smiled. “Lucky and I were hesitant to say anything to you until we had a better handle on the situation, but I think you’re strong enough to deal with it.”
“Oxye нно!” she said quietly.
“Care to translate?” he asked with a laugh.
Lifting her coffee, she took a sip and then responded, “Means ‘fucking great.’”
“I look forward to learning how to curse in another language. Sailors are known for their ability to swear and once you teach me all the Russian curse words, I expect to be at the top of my game.”
“I guess there’s a silver lining to every cloud.”
“Honey, you are the opposite of a cloud. In fact, you’re a ray of sunshine.” When he saw her eyebrows rise, he decided not to say more. So what if he sounded like a freaking Hallmark card? It’s how he felt and decided to own it. “I wanted to tell you away from your apartment because when we go back, I’m going to check your place for audio and visual devices. I don’t want you to say anything when we go inside and just play along with whatever I say. I’ve got a bag in the truck and when we walk inside your apartment, I’m going to say that I finally brought over some clothes. As far as anyone is concerned, you and I are dating and about to be engaged.”
“Oxey tь!” she replied.
“Does that mean ‘Yeah, honey, I’m so excited’?”
Giving him a small smile, she replied, “Sure, why not?”
“You were right about being followed. Lucky took over the CCTV cameras on your block and determined that someone has been keeping watch. There have been a series of unmarked American sedans parked across from your building since Thursday, and someone has been tailing you since Friday afternoon.”
“Oh, God, I thought I was just being paranoid.”
“Nope, you were absolutely right. Whatever went down at the house has made some people very interested in you. Right now, we don’t have enough intel to know if it’s Firtash or the Russian mobster.”
“You mean crown guy?”
“Yes.” He noticed the color leave her face and he hated like hell that she was scared. “You and I are going to be together until we eliminate the threat. No one is going to disturb one beautiful hair on your head.” He lifted her chin, gave her a smile, and watched her nod. “I promise it won’t be horrible.”
“I know that, but it will be awkward.”
“Not really. We like each other, so all this does is allow us to spend a lot of uninterrupted time together.”
“That’s quite a positive spin you’re putting on the situation.”
“No spin. It’s the way I feel. We’re going to be stuck together like Velcro and I can’t pretend that it makes me unhappy.” Truth was, he was crazy for the woman sitting next to him and wanted a chance to see if she would eventually feel the same way about him.
The other thing he wanted was to slide his hand along her leg, under the hem of her shorts, and have her close her eyes—if only for a minute—so he could get a glimpse of what he was giving her.
But more than that, he wanted her to want it.
Being granted the privilege of an intimacy that would make this possible was what he desired most. When they had a connection so strong that nothing more than a glance would let him know he had not only the privilege but also the right, he would be…happy.
But that sort of intimacy took time and he knew it wasn’t something that could be rushed. So, he cleared his mind and concentrated on the situation they had to deal with immediately. “I know this is a shock, and truth is, we don’t know how much of a goat fuck this is going to be. The only way to keep you safe is for me to stay as close to you as I can.” When he saw her expression, he shrugged. “Yeah, not a hardship by any means. But please understand that your safety is my first priority and getting you into my bed a distant third.”
“Really?”
“Okay, a very close second, if I’m being totally honest.”
“Was there ever a second?”
“No.” There was only protecting and kissing. Anything else didn’t even come across his radar.
“So, the guy is as bad as I imagined?”
“Honey, I wish I could give you a different answer, but yeah, he’s dangerous. What that will ultimately mean is not known yet, but I’m not willing to take any chances, so I’m assuming the worst.”
“Maybe you have some Russian in your background because that’s pretty much our default mindset.”
“Lucky is meeting with Sam right now and they are putting together a file.”
“Perfect Sam Barton from the FBI?”
“Uh…I guess.”
“Interesting.”
“Really?”
“Lucky has mentioned his name before and she calls him Perfect Sam Barton,” Stazi replied. She lifted her fork, took a big bite of pie, and shrugged.
“Okay.” He broke the enormous scone in half. Leaning back in his chair, he started to eat it as he studied Stazi. She was handling the intel better than he expected. Sure, she was scared, but she hadn’t fallen apart, and for that, he was grateful because what lay ahead would probably challenge them in ways they couldn’t begin to imagine. The threat of whatever Dmitry was after was part of it, but entwining themselves like he was asking for could be the biggest hurdle of all.
He was clearly more than okay with it, because…he freaking loved the idea of them together. Whatever disagreements they were about to get into had to be solved because her safety wasn’t going to allow them to be apart. Which was going to make them work through it and not take an easy out.
What they were about to do was a great way to get over the petty shit that people seemed to get into when the lust goggles slipped off and reality set in. At least, that’s what he imagined happened. Both of his younger brothers were married and they both had said that there came a point when love and marriage became an everyday choice. You either fought for what you had or allowed yourself to become mired in everyday pettiness.
They were about to enter relationship boot camp and there was no way they were going to come out of it unsuccessful. Even if he had to haul her protesting ass across the finish line. In his mind, it was a lot like BUD/S. Those who succeeded went in with a mindset that said there was no way they were quitting. He’d been one of those guys, same as all the men he served with. And as far as he was concerned, this op and the relationship they were about to start weren’t any different.
Not that he needed to tell her. Best to keep those details to himself. “Questions?”
“About a million, but I’m not sure where to start. I figure I should eat this pie and let the sugar kick start my brain before I begin interrogating you.”
“The most important thing to remember is that when we get into your apartment, don’t say anything until I give you the signal. Also, I’d like you to pack a bag and spend the night at my place.”
When she choked a little, he pushed her cup of coffee closer and waited. “I have a guest bedroom. I’m not going to jump you…unless you beg me.” When her nose wrinkled, he figured the begging might take a very long time. “The guy who is tailing you is sitting outside the café down one block on the opposite side of the street. My guys are going to install some security measures while we lead Bozo out there on a wild goose chase.”
“Oh,” she replied quietly.
“We’re going to become cheese and crackers and let Dmitry and his goons know that you have someone on your side. Someone big and capable. It’s not going to stop his bullshit, but it may slow it down so the Feds can get what they need.”
“The Feds?”
“Yeah, they might have to fight Interpol for the privilege, but make no mistake, they are very interested in his activities.” He watched her set her coffee cup down and place her shaking hands in her lap. Moving forward in his chair, he ran his finger down her cheek. “I got you, Stazi. This is my wheelhouse. Know that I will keep you safe.”
A small tear tracked down her face and she nodded. “Okay.” She wiped her face with the back of her hand, then cleared her throat. “I’m a strong woman and I can handle this.”
“And when the load becomes a little heavy, just know that I’m right beside you.” He lifted her chin and dropped his mouth to hers. Kissing certainly wasn’t the answer to what they had in front of them, but it sure as hell made him feel better. If there was any justice in the world, hopefully, she would eventually feel the same way too.