CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Saturday, September 16th
Sam walked into the apartment with a happy dog and bag full of donuts and wondered why Lucky had her clothes on. “Why’d you get dressed?”
“I find it’s not a good idea to go out in public naked because the risk factor of inciting a riot is way too high.”
“Smart ass.” He took Judit’s leash off and watched her walk over to her water bowl. “I was hoping you’d be warm and ready for round three or is it four?”
“I’ve got things to do today and can’t be tied to your bed, satisfying every single one of your naughty fantasies.”
“Now, what is the point of having a girlfriend if that doesn’t happen on a Saturday?” He kissed her head and then went over to fill a mug with coffee. “I got your favorite donut and I think you should get rid of your clothes and crawl back into bed to enjoy it.”
She opened the bag and peered in. “Glazed twist.” She took it out, took a big bite, and smiled. “I love these.”
Watching her lips wrap around the donut made him groan as he remembered what they felt like when they’d been wrapped around him last night. He slid into the chair next to her and took out his own twist and ate it in four bites. When the sugar rushed through his system, he felt like his brain kicked into action and he was able to think about more than Lucky’s naked body wrapped around his. “What should we do today?”
“I’m going home to soak in a tub and then tackle the chores that I never had time to get to this week.”
“That doesn’t sound like much fun; maybe I can come up with something more exciting.”
She lifted her cup and peered over the edge of it. “I’m sure you can, but right now I don’t need exciting. I need clean underwear and groceries.”
“All right, we can do chores.”
“There is no we in chores.”
He lifted her hand and wrapped it in his. “There could be.”
“Sam, give me a little breathing space. You inserted yourself into my life two weeks ago and have barraged me with your attention and affection. I’ve barely had a second to think. I need to go home…”
“And get your barriers erected so I won’t get too close,” he said with more frustration than he meant to convey.
Lucky let out an irritated growl and then stood up. “You don’t know what you’re talking about and don’t think you can shame me into feeling bad about doing what I need to.” Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she wiped at them as she turned away. “Why do you always have to push so much?”
Sam felt like the biggest asshole in the world and stood immediately, wrapping her in his arms. “I’m sorry, Lucky. I was a selfish insecure bastard and I promise that I won’t push anymore.”
When he felt her arms go around him, he let out a breath of relief. “I feel like I got the present I always wanted and don’t want to let go, so if you can give me a minute to pull my head out, I promise I’ll do better.”
“I just need a bit of time to adjust to the ‘new us.’ We went from frenemies to lovers in a short period of time and I don’t think my mind and emotions have caught up with the new developments.”
“Makes sense,” he replied as he rested his chin on top of her head. “I’ve been thinking about this since last spring, so I’ve had lots of time to get used to the idea of having you in my life. For a long time, it didn’t seem like a possibility, and now that it is, all I want to do is strangle you with my attention and affection. I’ve employed the old tactic of concentrated artillery bombardment, so you have no choice but to take me on.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured that out since you planted your very fine butt in my life for the last week.”
“At least you think it’s fine.” Hearing her laugh sent relief through his body and he let her go and took a step back. “Give me a call when you’re ready for some company. I’ll take Judit today and you go have a quiet and relaxing day.”
“Okay.” Taking her cup to the sink, she rinsed it out and put it in the dishwasher, and then grabbed her purse.
Sam walked over to the door and waited. When Lucky came over, he resisted the urge to grab ahold and kiss the hell out of her. She needed space and he was going to give it to her, even if it went against every one of his instincts. “See you later.”
Standing on her tiptoes, she gave him a kiss on his cheek and then opened the door and walked out.
He watched her walk down the hall to the elevator and waited until she got on; when she did and the doors closed, he walked back inside and collapsed on the couch and looked at Judit sleeping on her bed.
Seemed everyone had something to do and he could either have a pity party for himself or get the hell up and grab a workout and then do the errands he could no longer avoid. Standing, he shook off his disappointment and got on with his day.
***
Hunched over his laptop, Sam let out a frustrated groan and sat back. He’d been sitting at his table for hours, reading through intel on Anton Vazov, trying to determine if he was affiliated with the “Brothers Circle.” If it was determined that he was, in fact, tied to the transnational criminal organization, it might unlock more resources. The executive order that had been put in place by President Obama would allow them to block property, and if they could pursue that angle it might actually give them a shot at taking him down.
Dominating strategic assets was at the heart of the order and if they could somehow disturb Vazov’s assets, then he might not have the capacity to fund Yolkin, which, in turn, could slow the tide of black heroin flowing into the city.
It was a long shot, but so far it was all he’d come up with as a strategy to deal with the brastsy krug or Brothers Circle. And he knew the term or identification of the group wasn’t accepted by everyone, but understanding the vorovskoi mir or the traditional Soviet/Russian underworld was damn near impossible and he didn’t expect to achieve it in this lifetime.
Truthfully, he thought of it as a general term to describe the most respected and powerful of the vory v zakone or “thieves in law” who made up the underworld elite. Anton Vazov was an avtoritet and a true mover and shaker within the criminal subculture and if they could take him down, then they may have a chance at slowing down the bratvas in Chicago for more than a couple of months.
Scraping his hand over the back of his neck, he leaned back and looked at the ceiling and tried to determine the best way to move forward. Before he came up with any illuminating ideas, his phone rang. Picking it up, he saw Lucky’s name and grinned. “Hi, honey.”
“Oh, my God, you need to come home right now.”
Standing abruptly, he moved to pick up Judit’s leash. “Are you in danger?”
“What? No, of course not.”
Sitting back down, he took a deep breath. “Jeezus, Lucky, you had me concerned.”
“I was doing a little research and I think I’ve found Anton Vazov’s kassir on the dark web working a side hustle.”
“You found the bookkeeper?”
“Yes, come right now, so you can look at the intel and tell me if I’m on the right track.”
“All right, any chance after you’re done using me for my brain, you’ll want to use me for my body?”
“Absolutely. I made lasagna and it will be ready in an hour, so pick up some ice cream and hustle that sexy heinie of yours home and bring my dog back.”
“It’s our dog and she’s sleeping.”
“She’s mostly my dog.”
“All right, Lucky, I’ll do as you ask, but just know I feel a little cheap since it didn’t take much for me to agree with your whims.”
“I’m sure you’ll get over it after you’ve eaten, and we’ve done that thing you wanted to do last night, but didn’t.”
“Don’t tease a desperate man if you don’t mean it.”
“Don’t be a dramatic twelve-year-old. We had sex a bunch of times last night and so the last thing you should be is desperate unless you’re a sex addict and if you are, then that’s a whole different conversation.”
“I’m addicted to you and no matter how much time we spend together, it will never be enough. I’m hooked on the feel and taste of you and I’m never going to recover, so what you see is what you get.”
“Fair enough.”
“What kind of ice cream?”
“You pick.”
“See you in half-an-hour.”
“Sam.”
“Yes?”
“I’m wearing sweats, so don’t get dressed up because then I’ll feel bad that I didn’t put more effort into getting myself together for my boyfriend.”
A bullet of happiness exploded in his brain and he couldn’t decide what the best reaction would be. Grinning like an idiot, he decided to play it cool because Lucky wouldn’t appreciate it if he slobbered all over himself and made a big deal of the use of one small word. A damn important word, but a small one nonetheless. “Jeans and a sweatshirt, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Be there before you know it.”
“Hurry!”
He ended the call and looked over at Judit, who was now awake. “Seems Mom has finally decided to take me seriously and if I don’t screw this up spectacularly, we may have a chance at a happy family.”
A small snuffle was the only response she gave him, and he decided to take it as a yes. Signing off the secure server, he powered off his laptop and slid it into his briefcase. Seemed Lucky’s skills were going to be the difference between winning and losing once again.
***
Lucky opened her door and felt her heart beat a little faster when she saw Sam standing on the doorstep. “Hi there.”
Judit walked in and pressed her head into her leg as a greeting and then kept moving. “Guess she didn’t miss me.”
“I did,” Sam said as he stepped in and enveloped her in a hug.
Feeling his big arms hold her as he crushed her against his chest warmed something deep in her soul. Something she hadn’t been aware existed.
The feeling his embrace gave her was a mixture of comfort, heat, and desire. All the best things in the world rolled into one. His scent was now familiar and, as she breathed it in, she decided it felt like home.
“I better let you go, so the ice cream doesn’t melt,” he said as he released her. “Hugging you is reminding me why I like you in my arms and I need to keep it in check until after dinner.”
Taking the bag from his hand, she pulled him down and gave him a kiss that wasn’t completely innocent and then let him go. “Follow me and I’ll get you something to drink.”
“I see something else I’d like, but I guess that’s not on offer yet.”
“Soon, Sammy. Very soon.” Hearing him laugh as he followed her gave her a little jolt of happiness. Playing with Sam was a lot more fun than fighting, and the fact she could verbally spar with him and he got it was fast becoming one of her favorite things about him.
So far, he’d taken everything she’d ever sent over the proverbial net and returned it with ease. A smart man was one thing, but one who got the importance of verbal play was a whole other species. Walking into the kitchen, she heard the oven timer go off. “Let me check this and then I’ll get your drink.”
“Do you want me to open this bottle of Valpolicella?”
“Yes, please. I know Chianti is more popular, but I like this one more, so I hope you don’t mind.” She put the ice cream in the freezer and then opened the oven.
“Are you kidding me?” he said with a laugh. “I’m standing in a warm kitchen with my hot girlfriend who isn’t wearing a bra bending over pulling a delicious meal out of the oven. I’m living the dream, and I’m happier than I ever expected to be.”
“It’s the lack of bra that’s making the whole thing work…right?”
He lifted the corkscrew and pointed it at her. “It sure isn’t hurting.”
“Men are so easy.”
“You have no idea,” he replied as he uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses.
She closed the oven and reset the timer. “Twenty more minutes to cook and then it has to sit for twenty minutes.” She took the glass of wine Sam handed her and grinned. “Now that we seem to have crossed some line and are now…together, I will never wear a bra when I’m at home.”
“Is this some kind of bonus program that I’m unaware of because, if it is, then all I have to say is: thank you, Jesus.”
Sliding her hand on her hip, she looked him up and down. “Sam, when was the last time you were in a relationship and had a girlfriend?” She watched him drink his wine and then look up at the ceiling. “That hard to remember?”
“It was four years ago, and I was living in Virginia and was on HRT. When I was injured, she found it was too much and ended the relationship.”
Moving to a chair, she slid into it and propped her face in her hands. “Are you serious?”
“Like a heart attack,” he replied as he took the seat next to her. “Turns out having a boyfriend with part of a limb missing wasn’t what Shelly envisioned for her future.”
“There are a lot of names I could use, but I’m a lady so I won’t.” Moving her hand to his, she took it and noticed how much bigger it was than hers. “Maybe it was best to find out who you were dealing with before you got married.”
“I don’t know that marriage was in our future, but finding out what she could handle definitely worked in my favor.”
“Did she break your heart?”
“No, but she nicked it when she walked out of my hospital room.”
Not knowing what the right response was, she kept her mouth shut and drank her wine. She’d never come close to experiencing anything similar and the last thing she wanted to do was be disingenuous and say something flippant.
Sam was a good man and though he hadn’t always shown that to her, she saw it clearly now and for someone not to stick by him in the most difficult of circumstances pissed her off. “Good riddance to bad trash.”
“Are you getting angry on my behalf for something that happened years ago?”
“Yes! I don’t know why you find that so surprising.”
“Lucky Santorini, you are one in a million.” He leaned forward and cupped her face. “Can’t tell you how happy I am that you gave me the opportunity at a second chance.
She pressed her mouth to his and tasted the wine and his sincerity, and knew it was the sweetest thing she’d ever experienced. “Should we talk about my discovery before or after dinner?”
“Before, because the last thing I’m going to want to think about after dinner is a bunch of Russian mobsters.”
Standing, she held out her hand. “Follow me and I’ll show you my lair.”
He did as she asked and snorted. “With you, I know that you’re talking about your very own command central and not your bedroom.”
“You have a problem with that, Barton?”
“No, Lucky, your hacking skills are damn sexy and I’m happy to go wherever you lead.”
“Good answer.”
Judit followed them out of the kitchen and collapsed on her bed and rested her head. “How many walks did you take her on?”
“We had a long one in the middle of the day and that was it.”
“Okay, she seems tired.”
Sam stroked her head and then picked up the remote. “Maybe she was readier for retirement than anyone thought.”
Lucky watched him put on Animal Planet and then studied her dog. “I hope that’s all it is.”
“She’s adjusting to her new routine and I think she’s happy.”
“I hope so.” Kissing her dog’s head, she stroked her several times and then stood. “I’ll grab my laptop and bring it down here, so she’s not alone.”
Sitting on the couch, Sam nodded. “Okay, we’ll put on Sports Center and catch the scores in the meantime.”
Lucky walked to the stairs and stopped before going up. She looked at Sam stroking Judit’s head as he flipped through the channels. Why he looked like he fit perfectly into her life and into her house was as shocking as it was welcome.
What a difference a week could make.