Yuri crossed the warehouse to the horizontal racks storing her canvases. The unit had swinging arms that allowed the canvases to be flicked through one by one. He couldn’t help but wonder what Nikolai had spent on this little contraption.
Studying the first canvas, he finally understood what Lena meant. This series of paintings staggered him. He leaned back as he gazed at the canvas so he could take it all in and digest it. The haunting portrait showcased a torso marked in prison tattoos. They weren't the Russian tats he was so used to seeing but the kind a man would get in a place like Mexico or Central America.
A few more canvases flicked by and he found Dimitri's phoenix. She'd painted the broad expanse of his back and the fine detail of his tattoo in the foreground but the background was a swirling mass of flames and smoke with fine ash littering the bottom edge of the canvas. If Dimitri didn't make an offer on this one after her show, Yuri intended to snatch it up for his gallery wall.
At the very back of the collection, he spotted a canvas covered with a cloth. Curious, he lifted the cloth and took a peek at the painting underneath. His heart stuttered in his chest as the sight registered.
The painting depicted an eerie night scene with a dilapidated two-story house and broken window along the top story. Bloody streaks marred the pointed shards of shattered glass. There, in the shadowy background, a tattooed chest was barely visible.
Yuri's gut clenched as he realized what she'd painted. It was the night she'd been shot while breaking into a house for her father. It was the night Nikolai had saved her life. It was the night the two of them had been inextricably bonded.
It was the night the lies between those two began.
Hearing her approaching footsteps, he hastily covered the painting. He tried to look nonplussed but she wasn’t fooled.
"I don't mind you looking at that one. I prefer to keep it covered because it's an ugly memory." She touched the covered painting. "Sometimes I think I remember more of the man who shot me but it's never enough."
Yuri eyed her carefully. "What do you remember about him?"
"Just that he had that strange tattoo in the center of his chest," she said while touching her shirt. "He didn't speak. He just shot me." She had a faraway look in her eyes. "And then I was falling and I hit the ground so hard. When I woke up again, Nikolai was standing over me. He had a hand on my stomach and he was whispering so softly." She inhaled deeply. "And then I blacked out again and woke up in the hospital."
"They never had any leads?"
She shook her head. "Nikolai said that he'd seen a dark-haired man running from the house after the gunshot. For a while, the police suspected my father had accidentally shot me. Then the theory was that one of the many men he'd crossed had done it." She shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anymore. It's in the past."
How Yuri wished that were true! He cast one final glance at the covered painting before asking, "Has Nikolai seen this collection?"
"No." She held out the folded sheet of paper but didn't let go when he tugged on it. "I'd prefer that you didn't tell him. I want the collection to be a surprise when he comes to the show. I want him to see what kind of beautiful art I'm able to create because of this wonderful space he gave me."
Yuri saw such excitement in her eyes. She clearly hoped to knock Nikolai off his feet—but Yuri worried his old friend would be reeling with a different kind of shock when he got a good look at the tattoo-inspired pieces.
"I won't ruin the surprise but perhaps you'd prefer to show him before everyone else? Maybe a quiet, private viewing for the two of you?"
Interest flashed in her eyes as she released the folded sheet of paper. "Maybe."
He prayed she'd choose that route. Yuri didn't know what would happen if Nikolai walked into that downtown gallery and spotted that painting hanging on the wall.
Yuri pocketed the list. "Thank you."
"Anytime, Yuri." She walked at his side as they crossed the warehouse. "Would it be all right if I dropped by your house to see Lena tomorrow? She mentioned that you've got her on house arrest to keep her safe."
He snorted with amusement. "Yes, I'll be a good warden and allow my prisoner to have some visits."
Smiling, Vivian said, "I'll have to bring my babysitter."
"Just Kostya or the Houston PD too?"
"I'm pretty sure your house is outside their jurisdiction."
"I highly doubt your cousin is going to let a little thing like jurisdiction keep him from watching you like a hawk."
She didn't argue that point. "I'll let you know when your painting is done so you can take a peek before the show."
"You realize I'll want to buy it, right?"
"Yes—and you realize I'm going to add a special billionaire's premium to the price, right?"
He laughed. "I expected nothing less."
"Tell Lena I'm coming to see her tomorrow."
"All right."
Walking out of the warehouse, Yuri couldn't shake the feeling that sweet Vivian was playing with fire—and Nikolai would be the one who felt the heat.
Chapter Thirteen
I knew the moment Yuri arrived at the house that evening. Sasha had been quietly sleeping at my feet in the kitchen as I discussed the staffing issues with Feodor but he jumped to his feet and raced to the front door with a loud, excited bark. Feodor started to follow him but I held up my hand and slid off the stool. "I'll go."
As I hurried to catch up with the beastly dog, I heard his growl change from that higher pitched excited whine to a lower, menacing growl. The fine hair on the back of my neck stood on edge and goose bumps broke out on my arms. Jake appeared from a nearby doorway, the one leading into the second living room, and gestured me back away from the door.
Trotting over to my side, Sasha pushed against my belly with his big head and forced me behind him. With his bottom just inches from my feet, Sasha used his body to shield mine. I put a gentle hand on the back of his head and brushed my fingers through his fur. Moving my hand lower, I gripped the back of his collar, just in case.
When the doorbell rang, Sasha let loose a series of barks so loud they made my ears ache. With a hand on the weapon holstered at his hip, Jake opened the door. A tall beautiful blonde woman came into view. Her panicked gaze jumped to Sasha who snarled and snapped at her.
I tugged on his collar. "Sasha! No!" I tried to remember the words Yuri had taught me during breakfast but blanked. I used the only Russian word I could remember. "Nyet!"
Sasha glanced back at me and grumbled before plopping his bottom down again. He wasn't going to attack but he didn't like having the door open or that woman standing there.
She raised her voice so I could hear her. "My name is Anna, and I work with Mr. Novakovsky. I've brought some paperwork for him. He was already out of the office when I finished it and I'm headed out for a personal trip." She flashed a glossy folder. The movement made Sasha bark and Anna took a nervous step backward. Extending the folder toward Jake, she said, "I'll just leave it here."
"I'm sorry," I called out as she backed down the steps. "Sasha isn't good with people. I'll make sure Yuri knows you stopped by this evening."