The problem was with each passing day I’d missed him more and more. I’d missed the arrogant, infuriating way he would know what I wanted despite my protests to the contrary. I missed the way he would call me his beautiful girl in Russian. I even missed the high-handed way he would take care of me. Fuck, I had it bad. Despite all rational thought and reasoning and despite all my attempts not to… I had fallen in love with the man. No, I hadn’t just fallen in love. I had gone straight off the cliff, fallen deeply, irrevocably, he’s the one for me, in love. And then I just let him walk out of my life. Worse, I’d practically shoved him out of it.
After they got back together, I heard that Vaska was the one who had given Dimitri the kick in the ass he’d needed. Apparently, Vaska had lectured him about not letting the woman he loved get away from him. For days after learning that I kept expecting Vaska to show up at any moment, snatch me into his arms, and kiss me senseless while he demanded that we get back together.
It never happened.
True to his word, he had stayed away. Far away.
He had actually stayed away longer than two months. Technically, it had been two months, three days and fourteen hours—but who was counting, right?
When we passed the two-month anniversary and I still hadn’t heard from him, I knew it was truly over and my heart broke all over again. The hope and anticipation of a second chance died that day.
But that was then, and I had to set that all aside, because today wasn’t about me. There would be plenty of time to wallow in self-pity later. I looked at the alarm clock and groaned, knowing I had to get up soon. The day had finally arrived, the day of reckoning. The day I would have to steel my spine and not show the slightest emotion.
Today I will see Vaska for the first time in two months, three days and fourteen plus hours.
Because today was…
Emma burst through my bedroom door and pounced on my bed. “I’m getting married today!” she shouted with glee.
Chapter 19
Vaska
I turned to Dimitri and brushed a piece of lint off his tuxedo. He straightened my tie.
I patted him on the shoulder. “So, old friend, are you ready to become a husband?”
Dimitri smiled as he shook his head. “I never thought I’d find a woman I’d actually want to spend the rest of my life with, but I have to be honest, I cannot wait to make that beautiful woman truly mine.”
I slapped him on the back. “You are a lucky man, my friend.”
Dimitri nodded toward the girls’ closed apartment door. “Jump in, the water’s fine.”
Once the dust had settled between him and Emma, I’d told him more about my relationship with Mary. It was a new and still strange dynamic to our friendship. We had never really talked about women before. Well, at least not in these terms. Talking about which escort was worth the money hardly counted, but something had shifted in both of our lives after meeting these two quirky and fiery females.
It was a seismic shift in our lives. Everything had changed, from how we viewed our business endeavors to our very purpose in life. Now, instead of life being about the blood money and danger, it was about love and making our women happy. Fuck, we were both even talking about children. Soon, instead of discussing which barrel length, the 24” or 26”, was more accurate at a distance on the Remington Model 700 Tactical Chassis with the .338 Lapua Mag, we’d be comparing SUV model safety standards.
The thought should have terrified me. Instead, I couldn’t wait to join him, and I planned to start today. Mary’s two months were up. It was time to finally claim her as my own. No more watching over her from the shadows. No more seeing her face turn pensive and sad and knowing I was the cause but not allowing myself to comfort her. Being with me was not an easy decision, and I needed to be sure she was making it with a clear head. I knew if I had persisted soon after her friend had been kidnapped she would have hardened her heart to me and that would have been it. I knew giving her these months would provide her a chance to think about our relationship in different terms and to come to grips with her feelings about me outside of the chaos, danger, and fights. Or at least I hoped it would. I would find out in a few moments.
I held up my bottle of Moskovskaya vodka. “Are you ready to go ransom your bride?”
We were about to introduce Mary and Emma to one of the most hallowed of all Russian wedding traditions, the ransoming. Where the groom essentially searches the bride’s home looking for his intended all the while ‘bribing‘ her friends and family to let him carry her off to the church. Since it would just be us four, it would be less of a riotous affair but I still intended to send my friend off in true Russian style.
We both took a few steps back and eyed the door. Dimitri laughed. “That asshole landlord is going to be so pissed.”
“That’s one of the best parts of today,” I agreed.
We were finally getting the girls out of this stupid first-floor apartment. From day one we had both hated that they lived in a building so lacking in security. Their piece of shit slumlord of a landlord didn’t help.
We’d tried to upgrade the girls’ security with the insanely high-tech system we’d had installed, which monitored the doors and windows. The problem was neither of the girls bothered to learn the code or how to operate it, so it often was left unarmed. We finally just relented and put their apartment on twenty-four/seven surveillance. They had no idea, but we had actually taken over the apartment above them to the left and stationed several men there.
But after today, it was over. Emma was moving out to live with Dimitri. She had mostly been living with him full time on the weekends the last two months, but she still stayed here to keep Mary company during the week because it was close to her school.
Mary was also moving out—just not to where she supposed. She thought she was moving to a small basement apartment in Lincoln Square close to her new teaching job. Let’s just say I had other plans. She was making it easy for me by already having most of her belongings boxed up and ready to go.
I nodded to Dimitri. He stormed to the door and gave it a solid kick. The ancient wood door splintered and swung open, dangling from only one hinge.
“Where is she?” bellowed Dimitri as he entered the apartment.
I followed quickly behind him and came to a dead stop.
Mary stood there in the center of the living room, looking breathtakingly beautiful… and vulnerable.
In that unguarded moment, as her gaze swung to mine, her lower lip trembled as those gorgeous indigo eyes I had missed so much filled with tears. Her hair was upswept in an elaborate hairstyle of curls and twists. She was dressed in a black halter dress. A red crinoline peeked out below the hem, reminding me of the dress she’d worn the last time I had seen her. At her waist was a red belt that matched the red rose bouquet she was holding. Even her feet looked gorgeous with her black peep-toe high heels, which gave me a glimpse of her red pedicure. I really loved this quirky style of hers. It was so feminine and sassy.
I looked at the bodice of her dress but didn’t see the Cartier panther brooch. My gaze then flicked to her wrist, and the bracelet was missing too. Well, I would soon rectify that. I planned to buy my girl lots of jewelry and perfumes and all the dresses and heels she wanted, to her heart’s content. After today, never again would I not see some sign of my ownership on her body… or more important, her ring finger.