CHAPTER FIVE
When Talli went into her office and began picking up the mess Russell had left, she felt a bit defeated. She felt her life was spiraling out of control and she didn’t know which way to turn anymore. At the age of twenty four, she realized she’d never given herself time to find out who she was or what she really wanted. Her parents were both gone now and she didn’t know why. She felt lost and alone.
Then she looked at the man waiting for her. He was tall and built like a brick shithouse and she had to smile. Remembering how she felt when she leaned on him in the middle of the night she remembered the fine feeling of how she felt in his arms. For a brief moment, she hadn’t been alone and for the first time in a long time, she’d felt safe again. He was so hot, muscled and sort of a quiet man. His facial expressions spoke for hm. He was commanding but he never pushed her, so far. She wondered what his lips would feel like, taste like. Talli shook her head. What is the matter with me? He wasn’t interested in her like that. This also wasn’t the time for these l kinds of musings.
Her thoughts turned to the hidden safe. She hadn’t looked in it since before her father was murdered. After he died, she didn’t have to heart to find out what secrets were hidden safe in there but now ten years later, she still wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Whatever was in there wasn’t worth her parent’s lives. She was now even more convinced Russell Jerome had killed her mother for reasons only he knew.
When the truth came out at long last, she wanted to be there when someone delivered the death blow that would end his life.
When Barshan entered the office, she glanced at him. Noticing his urgency she asked, “What is it?”
“We need to get out of here now.”
“Why?”
“Because someone other than our men is watching this place.” He urged her toward the door.
“How do you know that?” Talli felt the fear inside her rise as he pushed her toward the back door.
“Because there have been several cars circling the lot and the people inside keep staring at the place. I don’t like it and we’re leaving.” He growled as he pushed her toward the backdoor.
Talli tried to stop the forward movement. “I’m not running from this guy.”
Barshan growled and gripped both her upper arms as he brought her closer to him. “This guy has someone else watching you. I don’t know who or what they’re willing to do to get to you. If they come in here guns blazing, you could be killed and that isn’t gonna happen. Not on my watch. But I will tell you this, he isn’t going to get close to you. Not until we know what he’s after and why. He’s dangerous and I will not see him hurt you.” He shook her briefly. “I don’t know what he’s after but he isn’t going to get it.”
Talli swallowed her fear. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to keep you safe while the others get more information on this guy.” He pushed her into his car and took off. While he drove, he kept watch on the traffic behind and around him. Several times, he took sharp corners and wrong turns to elude anyone following him and finally he pulled into a quiet cul-de-sac. Then he hit a remote and a garage door half way down the street opened. He pulled the vehicle inside and closed the door quickly.
Talli closed her eyes for a moment then asked, “What is this place?”
“It’s a safe house. My safe house, no one else knows about this place.” He got out of the car. “It’s fully monitored both here and through Yuri’s security, so we shouldn’t have any surprises. Besides, our neighbors all work for Yuri so we should be safe here.” He motioned for her to lead the way inside the house.
Once inside, she noted the house was on the smaller side but it looked well protected. The kitchen opened into a living room and a hall beyond. Windows facing the back let in the sunlight and she walked over to them to view the backyard. It opened into a wooded area behind the house but now, everything was quiet.
Glancing over at Barshan, she saw him on the phone. Turning back to the woods, she tried not to listen. Instead, she thought back to the last few weeks. When her mother died, she felt the loss but her death never made any sense to her. She still had so many questions that went unanswered.
Then he trashed not only her house but her mother’s house as well before coming after her personally. She had a feeling he wasn’t going to let this go. She shivered.
Barshan watched her out of the corner of his eye while he spoke to Yuri about the situation. When he hung up the call, he walked over to her. He felt so badly for all that had happened to her. Wrapping his arms around her he said, “You’ll be safe here.”
She shook her head. “Will I? I don’t think there is any place in the city he won’t look for me.”
“I will keep you safe,” he vowed.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Please don’t make promises you can’t keep. Russell Jerome will not stop until he gets what he’s after, whatever that might be.” She stepped away from his embrace. “I just don’t know what he wants. I had a feeling from the very beginning he was using my mother for something. I just never knew what.”
“Then we have to figure out what exactly he’s after, don’t we?” Barshan growled. He ran his fingers through his hair.
“Do you have any idea who was casing the shop?” she asked.
“Not yet, but Yuri is checking it out. I have to turn on security.” He turned and walked down the hall.
A few minutes passed before he came back. “I want you to think about something…”
“What’s that?”
“We need to make sure you’re protected. As good as we are, there is another way.”
“How?”
“There will be times when having someone watching you is going to be a pain in the ass. I understand this and there will be times when we can’t be with you but I won’t leave you unprotected.”
She just looked at him without saying a word.
“I called in a favor and in a few hours my friend Callen will be stopping by to drop off a trained dog to watch over us, but mostly you.”
Talli frowned. “A dog?”
Barshan nodded. “This dog can be with you twenty four/seven, when we can’t be there. He can stay with you when you want to be alone.” He paused then added, “I think this is what’s best.”
Talli nodded. “Ok.”
Barshan was surprised at her acceptance so quickly. He expected her to fight the idea. She’d not exactly been easy to handle so far. “You’re okay with this?”
Talli nodded. “I’m not a fool. I do appreciate the care you and the others are offering. My parents taught me to be independent from a very early age. They also taught me to accept help when it’s offered if I think it’s warranted. My mother was a wreck after my father was murdered, so I didn’t have much choice about it. It took her years but she finally able to stand on her two feet again. I held everything together for a long time. I’ll do what I have to do to stay safe and let you guys do your thing.” Turning her head, she glared at him. “I don’t know what you hope to gain from this. My father’s will cannot be compromised. You’ll never get what Russell promised you. You’ll never get ownership of my father’s shop.”
Barshan glared right back at her. “I think this goes beyond ownership of your store. That’s what drew us in but this is something else entirely. This could bring chaos and blood to the streets of our city and that is something Yuri and Demi do not want. No one does. Living with that kind of fear is good for no one.”
Talli hung her head. “I’m sorry. I judged you wrongly but I’ve learned that sometimes greed rules men more often than not.”
Barshan barked a laugh. “You’d be right about that. Greed does rule more often than not. But that’s not the case here. I grew up with Yuri and the others in our group. We faced many challenges as we grew to manhood in the streets of our homeland. It wasn’t pretty. It was harsh and not many could live that way of life and come out decent and whole but we did. We did that because we all were together. We found we were stronger together, so together we stayed.” He paused then went on, “I can’t say the same about Demi and his group. We keep ourselves separate for a reason but this has brought us together for a reason. We have yet to discover what that reason could be but it is there.” He motioned toward her. “You brought us all together and if I know Yuri and Demi they won’t stop until this is resolved. What that resolution will be, is anyone’s guess at the moment. But they will run this bastard down and they will have their answers.”
Talli closed her eyes for a moment. “Then I hope they find the answers they seek and we can put this behind us.” Leaning against the window, she felt tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’ve lost so much I don’t know what else there is to lose.”
Barshan pulled her into his arms and just held her for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t be getting so close to her body. He just could not seem to help it, as he wanted to touch her all the time. He led her over to the sofa. “I know you’re afraid right now and nothing as you know it makes sense to you but it will. Know that for a fact. We won’t stop until we know what’s going on and you are safe again.”
Talli shuddered. “I haven’t been safe since the day my father died,” she whispered. “That may not make sense to you but it’s true. I know life goes on after someone you love dies but for me, my father was my whole world. He kept us safe and protected us from the rest of the world but after he died, I had to be strong for my mother and I was. It was hard but we had each other during the worst of it. Now she’s gone too and I’m alone. I guess that might scare me worse than losing them both.”
Barshan’s arms tightened around her. “It does make sense to me. You lost your family and I know how that feels. But know this, you aren’t alone, not now. Now you have me and the others. It might not be the solution you would choose but it is what it is. We don’t give up either and once we accept you, you can’t just walk away from us. We would never let you do that. We’re your family now.”
She pushed away from his chest and looked at him stunned. “You can’t be serious? I don’t even know you and you don’t know me.”
Barshan shrugged. “That doesn’t matter one whit. You belong to us now and we take care of our own.” What he didn’t tell her was that he planned to keep her. Yuri had been right, dammit. He was drawn to this woman There was something about her that called to him and he wasn’t letting her go ever.
Hours later, the doorbell rang and Barshan approached the door with a weapon in his hand. When he saw who stood there he put his gun away and smiled, extending his hand to the visitor. “Callen, it is good to see you again.”
Callen glared and grunted. Shaking his head, he crossed his arms over his massive chest and demanded, “Then why is it only when you need me that you call and invite me to visit?”
Barshan laughed out loud. “Life so very often interrupts us my friend. Days, weeks, and months go by so quickly.”
Callen nodded slowly. “I agree with you but it is good to see you again.” He motioned at the animal at his feet. “I have brought you a gift.”
Barshan smiled. The animal was huge and had wise eyes. It’s short haired coat had a brindle pattern on it and his sleekness portrayed both speed and strength. Moving back, he invited the two of them inside.
Talli was standing behind him in the living room area and when the new man and dog came through the doorway, her eyes went first to the dog then to the man. Her eyes were drawn back to the dog and for a moment, they stared at one another. Then the dog broke contact and looked up at Callen.
“Is this the person you wanted my Rugar for?” he asked Barshan. He held the dog’s collar in his hand but not too tightly.
“Yes, this is Talli Janick. Talli this is my friend Callen and his dog Rugar.”
Talli nodded and Callen then looked at the dog again. “He’s beautiful. Will he accept me?”
“Let’s find out,” Callen said as he let go of the collar and made a motion to the dog.
Rugar walked over to her and sniffed her hand. Then he sat down next to her and waited for her command.
Talli slowly knelt beside him and raising her hands, she began rubbing her fingers behind his ears. Leaning into him, she rested against his bulk for a moment.
Rugar didn’t move away, instead, he licked her cheek. When she moved away, the dog leaned into her and laid his massive head against her belly.
When Callen turned to Barshan, he wore a surprised look. “Well, that’s never happened before.”
“What?” Barshan questioned.
“Rugar has never taken to anyone that quickly before,” Callen explained. “I don’t think you’ll have a problem with him guarding her. He will die to protect her now.”
“Hopefully that won’t be necessary.” Barshan shook his head. “She has a nasty little man after her. We won’t yet know why but Yuri and Demi are both looking into the situation.”
Callen looked surprised. “Both Yuri and Demi?”
“Yes, both of them.”
“No wonder you need Rugar.” Callen whistled softly. He looked over at Talli and said, “We need to go over some of his commands. He takes command in both English and Russian but he also understands hand commands if the need arises.”
“I need him to watch over her but I also need to be able to command the animal,” Barshan explained. “I’m going to be here with her most of the time but I want him with her all the time. I need to be able to give him the order to protect her when I cannot. Is that going to be a problem?”
“No I had Rugar specially trained to accept orders from a couple. He understands male dominance,” Callen suggested.
“Well, that’s rather sexist isn’t it?” Talli smirked as she rubbed Rugar’s ears.
Callen shrugged. “The male typically rules the world sweetheart. Most of the time we’re stronger and more determined to make our mark on the world.” Then he smiled and added, “But every once in a while we come across a woman just as strong and just as determined to make her mark and instead of allowing her to do so, we try to take her down. Some of us men are too stupid to know when to reach out our hand and allow women that strong their place in our ranks. I’m happy to say I’m not that dumb.”
Barshan grinned. “Neither am I.”
Talli studied the two men in front of her. “What makes you think I’m that strong woman you speak of? You don’t know who I am, not really.”
Callen nodded. “I know who you are, who your father was. I may not know you personally but I know the name. Your father built his reputation on his creativity and turned a lump of gold into a thing of beauty for the whole world to see. After he died, the creations kept coming and the world was stunned to learn that his only child was even better than he was. You took his business to another level altogether. You have proved yourself strong in many ways a man isn’t because your strength comes from within your slender beautiful body. You have earned your own place in a male dominated society and most men would turn away from you for that very reason.”
Talli frowned. “Why would they do that?”
Callen and Barshan shared a look then Barshan took over the conversation, “My dear, most men appreciate his strengths and would offer his protection to a woman. This knowledge is something males are born with. It’s instinctive.” He shrugged and went on, “We need to know we are stronger than the fairer sex but a strong woman shows us that she doesn’t need us and we shy away from her because we have nothing she can’t get for herself. Like most women, we need to know we have something she needs. It may be wrong but it is the way the world has always been and we know it and appreciate it.”
Talli nodded. “That’s true but what makes you think I’m stronger than the average woman? I’ve made no claim like that.”
“Men look at you and just know.” Callen shrugged. “You run an international business and create beautiful design that leaves the world in awe. You don’t need a man to be complete and most men shy away from a woman like that. You don’t need anyone to be complete.”
Talli felt the tears building in her eyes. “But that’s not true.” Swiping her eyes before the tears could fall she turned away briefly. When she was more in control she announced, “Let’s just get this done.”
They spent the next few hours going over commands with Rugar. By the time Callen left after supper, Talli was comfortable with her new protector. When they were alone, Rugar began making his rounds of the house.
Barshan poured them both a glass of wine and sat with her on the sofa.
Talli rubbed her temples and tried to relieve the throb of a headache she felt blooming all afternoon.
Barshan frowned as he watched her. “Are you all right?”
“Just a bit of a headache. I’m sure after a good night’s sleep, I’ll be fine. As you can understand, I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night.”
“Turn around and back up,” Barshan ordered. “Let me help you.”
Talli turned away from him and backed up almost into his lap.
Barshan inhaled deeply and her scent washed over him. His fingers reached out and touched her skin. His hands gently massaged the muscles of her neck and shoulders. Barshan could feel the tightness lessen as he worked the area on either side of her head.
Talli closed her eyes and groaned as she let go of the stress. His fingers bit deep yet soothed at the same time. Her whole body was sore but after a few minutes of his hands on her neck and shoulders, she could feel the soreness lessen. She rolled her head to one side and moaned as his thumbs sank into her neck muscles. His fingers came close to the place on the back of head where she’d been struck yesterday but never touched it.
“Oh my, that feels so good,” she whispered as she groaned.
“Stress always feels better when you let it go,” Barshan assured her.
Barshan felt his body responding to her nearness. His heart began to pound while his cock throbbed in his pants. When she groaned as he rubbed her shoulders he could imagine it was for another reason altogether. He’d been watching her closely all day. The fire in her eyes when she’d confronted both him and Ivan sparked his attention and as things unfolded, he’d seen confusion and bewilderment creeping in. Today, he watched fear come into her eyes and the rage of betrayal toward Russell Jerome came back.
No one knew the reason behind his swindle yet, but he had faith that the man wouldn’t get away with it. “Can I ask you something?” he murmured.
Talli pushed away from him and turned slightly toward him. “Of course.”
He saw the change in her form as she faced him. “You told us you never trusted Russell from the day you met him,” He cocked his head to one side. “Why was that? Was it just because your mother was interested in him as a man or was there another reason?”
Talli looked angry and got to her feet. She walked over to the window and looked outside. “What you are suggesting would make me a horrible daughter.”
Barshan shrugged but didn’t say anything.
Talli stared out into the dark. “I know everyone thinks I’m greedy and won’t share what I have but I’m not that way. I loved my father and my mother very much. They loved each other too. I remember growing up in a house filled with laughter and warn hugs. My father was a big man and his arms felt so safe. He had a deep voice that was hardly ever raised in anger. My mother and I were so lucky. He loved us above everything and everyone else.” She paused for a moment then went on, “As I said earlier when I was around thirteen, I woke up one night to loud voices in our house. When I came out of my bedroom to see what was wrong my mother pushed me back inside and stayed with me for a long time. The four men I’d seen in the hall glared at me with something close to rage in their eyes. I didn’t notice it so much at the time but I remembered that rage much later. I remember it stunned me at the time because it was so different from what I usually saw in that house. I tried to ask my mother what was wrong but she held me in her arms and begged me to be quiet. I listened to her cry without making a sound for a very long time. She was very afraid of something that night. I know I was just a kid but I was old enough to feel the underlying tension. It took a long time for everyone to leave and even then, my mother stayed with me. It was close to dawn before my father came to us.” She sighed and continued to stare out at the dark.
Barshan stared at her rigid back as he waited for more. This couldn’t be all of it.
“I tried to ask him what was going on but he would never tell me. I told him I was growing up and could handle whatever it was but he still wouldn’t tell me. They both kept me in the dark about that night and no matter how much I begged, they would never tell me what happened. We never saw those men again but my father wasn’t the same either. There was a haunted look in his eyes and there were times when he just stared at me as if he didn’t know me anymore. A year later, my father was murdered and my mother and I were never the same without him.” Talli began rubbing her forehead.
Turning toward him Barshan watched as tears trickled down her cheeks.
“I loved them both so much and after my father died, my mother was all I had left. We struggled for the longest time after he died. My mother was so lost without him. Neither of us understood why he was killed, only that he was no longer in our lives.” She took a few steps back to the sofa and sat down on the edge of it. “It took my mother years to learn to live without him. To remember I was only a child and she was supposed to be my protector not the other way around. I became the parent at the age of fourteen. I never looked at that as a burden, though I was just as lost as she was. I kept the business going and came into my own as a designer during this time.”
Barshan sighed, knowing it must have been hard for a young girl.
She took a deep breath. “She came back a while later and was once again the strong woman I knew as my mother. Together, we struggled to fill the hole in our lives without him but we did it. I knew she was lonely so no, I didn’t begrudge her finding someone new. I was almost hopeful she could be happy again. Then I met him.” She glanced at Barshan and shivered. “Oh, he looked good and acted just right but there was something about him that he tried very hard to hide. I first saw it in his eyes. They seemed dead to me. When I looked at him, his eyes were cold and empty, almost as if he had no soul.”
Yes, the thing Barshan felt coming from Jerome. It had bothered him too.
“I tried to watch out for my mom but he began to isolate her. She didn’t see it at first and it wasn’t until after they were married, she finally caught on to what he was doing. That’s when I saw the fear in her eyes. She tried to stop it but he wouldn’t let her go. He tightened his hold on her and it was then that she got sick. I tried to get to her but he wouldn’t let me near her.” She paused then turned her head away from his gaze.
Barshan reached out and cupping her chin, he brought her face around to his again. “What happened then?” he asked her softly.
Talli stared at him with tears running down her face. “I think he killed her. I was out of town when I got a call from the hospital telling me she was there and they didn’t think she wouldn’t make it through the night. I left immediately but when I got home two hours later, she was already gone.”
“What makes you think he killed her?”
“My mother was never sick a day in her life. Not even after my father died. Emotionally weak maybe but never was she sick. She was a strong woman until he got his hands on her.” Talli sneered. “I don’t know how he did it but I know in my heart he killed her. What I don’t know is why. She had all the money she would ever need to live on. My father left her very well off. All she was looking for was someone to talk to, someone to lean on in the darkness of the night.”
“Did she ever regret him?” Barshan asked.
“I think she did,” Talli admitted. “She wouldn’t say anything but she was afraid of him in her last few weeks of life.”
“Why wouldn’t she say what was wrong?”
“My mother was a proud woman. I think she knew she’d made a mistake but for some reason she never admitted it, maybe not even to herself.”
Barshan simply stared at her for a moment. “Maybe the man did have something to hide.”