CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
VIC HAD BEEN so quiet when he’d gotten up she probably wouldn’t normally have even awoken. But it was the loss of his warmth, the solid, reassuring weight of him suddenly gone that had her surfacing enough to say his name.
He moved to her, already dressed, bending to kiss her. “Go back to sleep. I’ll see you later tonight.”
She listened until he’d gone. Waited for the sound of the keypad being engaged as the alarm was turned off and reset when he left the house. Then the snap of each lock being reengaged.
She let sleep drag her back under and when her alarm went off a few hours later, she woke up glad he’d stayed the night.
Alexsei and Maybe had already left for Whiskey Sharp so she was blessedly alone as she got ready, made herself breakfast, packed a lunch and then headed out to work.
It was raining. It felt like this last winter and early spring had been nothing but rain. But that day she got to avoid the miserable weather because she was going to be so busy she’d drive instead of take the bus.
And it also enabled her to escape if she wanted to as well.
Just after she’d parked, her phone buzzed with a call that turned out to be from one of her friends back from her Bureau days.
After a slightly awkward hello, Melissa got right down to it. “Your dad has been calling a lot lately. A few people have had to change their personal numbers because of it.”
Rachel blew out a long breath. “What is he saying?”
“He’s trying to get people to call you and convince you to come back. I’d love to see you back here, but he’s pissing people off.”
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea. We’re not...on speaking terms right now,” Rachel said, wishing the ground could swallow her up.
“I had a feeling it was something like that. He seemed a little manic to me. If it makes you feel any better, we all know you have nothing to do with this. We’ve all blocked him and at the office, his calls go into the kook file. He’s also been trying to report some Russian nationals.”
They were all citizens, for god’s sake! With the exception of Polina, and she was only visiting for four days.
Rachel told her that.
“No one is taking him seriously. But he’s annoying folks. Making a nuisance of himself. I thought you should know.”
Rachel thanked her and headed in to work.
* * *
“I OBVIOUSLY NEED to tell Maybe,” Rachel said to Cora some hours later. “I don’t want her to think I’m hiding things. At the same time, she’s stressed out about Alexsei’s mom being here and this can wait. Don’t you think?”
“You’re doing this adulting thing hard lately,” Cora said, approval in her tone. “I agree that this is a bad time but I also worry Maybe will feel like you’re hiding something from her. It’s already a sore point between you and she’s feeling especially exposed right now. As are you.”
“I’m not feeling exposed.”
Cora just looked at her.
“I’m just letting someone close. That’s not the same as feeling exposed,” Rachel said.
“What a bunch of word salad. Anyway. You and Maybe would be better off being totally honest. Even if she is stressed out over this Polina chick. It’ll let her focus on something else. And it’ll make her feel like you believe she’s capable of handling stuff.”
She knew Cora was right so she just sighed heavily. “I’ll just keep it simple.”
* * *
“DAD’S BEEN SNOOPING around and apparently has bugged so many of my old coworkers that they’ve all had to block his number,” she told Maybe that night as they were getting ready for the dinner.
Maybe gave her a look.
“I was going to wait to tell you until after Alexsei’s mom went back home, but after talking to Cora, we figured it’d be best to tell you now. I don’t think he’s got anything he can do any real damage with. Other than the annoyance factor, that is. I just didn’t want you to think I was sandbagging this.”
Maybe finished putting her mascara on before speaking. “Why can’t he live in Moscow?”
“You’d trade him for Polina?”
“Oh. Good point. That’s a fucked-up bargain to have to make,” Maybe said. “How are you taking all this?”
Rachel shrugged. “Right now I’m not so bugged. I think over the last month I’ve come to a place where I can separate my emotions from it. I worry about you, naturally. I am horrified that he’d try to hurt Vic’s family. To be honest, I’d quake to think about how they feel about this drama with our parents, but they’re screwed up too. And I’m shallow enough that it makes me feel better.”
“Irena freaking loves your guts. She’s never going to hold Dad against us.”
“I’m tired of being an impediment people need to overcome because they like me,” Rachel said.
“Well, you’re not. So there’s that.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just wallowing.”
“You get to wallow. You don’t do it very often. You’re in love with Vic, aren’t you?”
Whoa.
“That was a hit from the side there, wasn’t it?” she asked her sister.
Maybe snickered after she finished blotting her lipstick.
“Deny it all you want but I know you,” Maybe said in a singsong voice as she left the room.
“Look.” Rachel joined her in the living room a few minutes later. She’d chosen a simple, long-sleeved wrap dress. The fabric was soft and warm and hung well on her and the deep blue color accented her skin tone.
Once she’d assured herself Alexsei wasn’t lurking somewhere nearby, she began to swap out her handbag to an evening clutch.
“It’s not that I’m denying anything exactly.”
“No. But you’re careful. You think over every step you take. Love isn’t something you can control like that. You can’t plan it. It’s lightning,” Maybe replied.
“With Brad,” Rachel began but Maybe interrupted.
“Brad cheated on you. It didn’t work out. Because you tried to plan it. Handsome guy meets pretty woman, they’re both career-oriented but someday will want to have two children and move to the suburbs from their townhouse in the city. That’s a thing. People do it every day. But you can’t plan for the zing. You can’t plan for that, whatever it is when you’re seriously so into that other person you’re utterly screwed.”
Rachel couldn’t disagree with any of that but it didn’t mean she was just going to let her sister get away with being so wise. Not so easily.
“One could argue that since I’ve known Vic for over three years now, that it was my plan from day one to get to know him. Become good friends and then shift to love. I mean, I’ve always thought his ass was great, but wouldn’t be sniffing his side of my bed after he left either.”
Maybe grinned. “Oh. My. God. You’re sniffing the sheets and not to see if they’re still fresh. I’ll bet you fifty dollars right this moment that you never sniffed Brad’s side of the bed. Or wore his shirts or any of that stuff. You would have made a fine combination of genetics for gorgeous, smart kids. But you did not ever really go over for him. That’s the stuff that gets you through. The way you get a little lightheaded sometimes when they touch you. It’s easier not to be mad at them anymore when you can remember that.”
“My little sister is pretty wise.”
“Love looks good on you.”
“I don’t know if I’m at love just yet. But I’m on my way.” Rachel knew that was a lie but it was scary as hell to admit she’d been falling for Vic for some time now.
Love was a big deal. Once you said it out loud it changed things.
Maybe rolled her eyes.
“They’re going to be here shortly so ixnay on the love talk,” Rachel said.
“Like Vic isn’t totally head over heels in love with you? Like the whole world can’t see it in his eyes every time he even looks your way?”
“Seems to me you’ve got your own bushel of problems to worry about.” Rachel had attempted to sound prim but it was hard to do when your sister knew the right spot to poke your ribs.
She slapped Maybe’s hand away as she made a sound remarkably like that cute cartoon dough guy.
“I’m not sure what we interrupted, but if you two want to start a pillow fight, we’d be okay with that,” Vic said as he and Alexsei came into the room.
Rachel tossed a pillow at his head. He batted it down to the couch and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms and dropping kisses all over her face.
“What? Did I forget to promise to be on your team?” he teased.
He was so adorable her ovaries pulsed.
“Okay, don’t get started with any of that stuff. We’re due at the restaurant in half an hour,” Alexsei said.
Vic frowned and kissed her once more just to mess with his cousin.
When he stepped away at last, her lips tingled as she took him in. He wore a dark suit with a light gray shirt that was open at the neck enough to show a slice of skin she liked a lot.
The hollow of his throat was a place she loved to nuzzle and kiss. It smelled really good and he was supersensitive there so it got him all hot. And then it got her all hot because it was pretty amazing to have enough going on to make a man like Vic worked up.
“I don’t think it’s fair for you to look at me like that before we have to leave,” he said in an undertone.
“I can’t help it. You look handsome. Dapper.”
His hair had been freshly trimmed, along with his beard. He managed to be big and tall but also graceful and very masculine all at once. She’d never seen him look so dressed up and handsome.
“I want you to get started on my new tattoo next week.”
He wanted a hand and wrist tattoo.
“Did you decide what you wanted?”
“Birds and sage.”
“Is there a story behind that?”
“Sage reminds me of home. The scent of it, the look of it growing in a garden. The way it tastes. And birds, which have become important in my life too.”
“Finish making eyes at one another in the car,” Alexsei said as he jingled the keys while standing at the front door.
“I’m surprised your mouth was off my sister long enough to say all that,” Rachel said.
“He hates being late,” Maybe said, obviously trying to withhold her laughter. “And if we’re late, his mom will think it’s my fault so move it.”
“Fine. Fine.”
Vic guided her out and to the car where he even held the door and handed her a little square of chocolate.
“You’re being so nice to me I’m starting to worry about this dinner,” she muttered to him before popping the chocolate into her mouth.
“What bird do you want in your tattoo? One type or a few different ones?” She leaned into him.
“What’s your favorite bird?” he asked her.
“Gah! So hard. If I had to pick just one, I’d say a yellow warbler. I love their song. I think they’re beautiful.”
“I think two birds would be good. A yellow warbler and a blue jay, which is my favorite bird.”
“Honestly, it’s like I did some dark magic to have you come along.”
He grinned.
“Call and make an appointment. I’ll work up some sketches between now and then.”
“My hot girlfriend is going to give me a tattoo. That’s so badass I’m not sure what to do with myself,” he said.
She could think of a few things she’d like to do with him.
* * *
VIC COULDN’T SEEM to tear his attention from Rachel for longer than a few minutes. At the restaurant they’d been shown into a private dining room already full of friends and family.
Rachel’s sleek, dark hair framed her face perfectly. Her eyes had been lined more heavily than normal, but it lent her a mysterious air. Her dress was soft and body-hugging and she smelled like sugar cookies.
Even more alluring was the way she protected his mother whenever Polina went in for an unfair swipe. Rachel mainly stayed out of it, but in the times when his aunt had been too personal and too hard-edged, Rachel had smoothly interjected to change the subject or steer them into separate parts of the room.
“This is a really beautiful dinner,” Maybe told Polina. The restaurant, one of Seattle’s oldest, was owned by a family friend who’d graciously volunteered use of the private dining room that overlooked the Seattle skyline. “Alexsei and Cristian are so proud to have you here visiting.”
Vic had to hand it to her, Maybe was bound and determined to charm Polina or die trying. And in doing so, she’d put the other woman in a position where anything but kindness and civility in return looked vulgar.
Not that it would necessarily stop Polina from doing what she wanted, but it was a clever way to approach it and another reason why she was perfect for Alexsei.
“How do you know she can even have babies? If her sister is a spinster too?” Polina asked Alexsei in Russian.
“Stop with this. English from now on, please,” Alexsei said gently.
“Hey, I know, how about we all go get a drink and have a little nibble,” Evie said, linking her arm with Maybe’s, tugging her toward where Rachel was listening to one of his father’s stories, laughing.
Vic sidled up to Rachel, sliding an arm around her waist and bringing her to his side. “You can’t steal all the pretty women in the world, batya,” Vic teased his father.
“Lucky for me, you and your cousins keep bringing home all the beauties. That and your mother and I’m set for life.”
“You’re full of it,” Polina said, but she smiled as she did.
He waggled his brows at his sister-in-law.
They all started telling stories from the old days, which always fascinated Vic, but then the candlelight caressed Rachel’s skin and he had to dance her off to the bank of windows across from most of the party guests.
“Thanks for guarding my mother tonight,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“She really just wants your aunt to say she’s done a good job with Alexsei and Cristian. At the end of the day it’s about being appreciated by your sister.”
He should have known Rachel would see that.
“Or even thank you.” He winced at the bitterness in his tone. “Never mind that tonight. You have been good to her. And to my aunt as well.”
“Maybe wants to try to have a relationship with this woman. So I sort of feel like she’s got to be broken in her own way. Maybe is diabolical. She’s not going to give up until she gets what she wants. I’m just on the pit crew,” Rachel said dryly.
The words were on his lips before he could stop himself. “You’re a miracle to me. I love you, tigryonak.”
Her eyes widened, but she wasn’t afraid or turned off. A light shone in her eyes that felt like it was just for him.
“I’d meant to tell you at a different moment. More romantic. Less crowded with my family,” he said.
“What changed your mind?” she asked, a smile lurking on her mouth.
“You were just so you. And it struck me dumb a bit and then I had to tell you.”
What was there to argue over with that declaration?
“Okay then,” she said.