Clinch (The Underground Book 2) (11 page)

Every time his lips left her clit, she regained some brain cells. Every time he resumed his position sucking the swollen nub into his mouth, she inched closer to the edge.

Finally, she was right there. A tremor shook her as she willed her body to let it happen. Did she need permission?

Leo didn’t break contact. He continued to suck, harder with each draw. Surely he realized she couldn’t hold back. When his teeth nipped her clit, she screamed, shattering around his mouth. Every pulse made her cry out.

Her brain was scrambled.

He eased up but continued to lick her with lessening pressure until she was completely sated. She’d thought last night’s orgasms were top notch. She’d been wrong. That one was so much better.

Leo climbed up her body, stopping along the way to lick her nipples before his mouth finally landed on hers. He tipped his head to one side and thrust his tongue into her mouth, consuming her, taking everything he wanted.

And leaving her ruined for all other men.

When he pulled back, he pushed the blindfold off her head and then released her wrists. “Told you I was bossy.”

“Mmm. I’m not sure I’d call that bossy.”

He chuckled, a deep reverberating sound that shook her entire body. “You bring out something I didn’t know I had in me.”

“What’s that?” She ran her fingers over the short-cropped, brown hair on his head and then settled her hands at the base of his neck.

“Can’t put my finger on it. But I can tell you I’ve never had sex with anyone quite like you.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“Definitely good.”

“Turn around,” she said.

“What?” He lifted onto one elbow.

“Your back. I want to see your back. I only caught a glimpse of it before you killed me last night.”

He smiled and flipped onto his stomach beside her.

She rolled onto her side to trace a finger over the words running across his back. It was too dark in the room to make out anything specific, but she also didn’t read Russian, so light wasn’t going to help her. “What does it mean?” she whispered.

He turned his face toward her. “They’re Russian phrases, not unlike many American phrases. About truth and power and actions and courage and patience and knowledge. Words of wisdom.”

“That’s beautiful,” she muttered softly. It was amazing and gorgeous, and her heart beat faster as she continued to trace a finger along the lines on his muscles.

The doorbell rang, freezing them both in their spots.

Leo sat up, or bolted upright. “You expecting anyone?”

“No. What time is it?”

He glanced at the clock. “Five.” He pushed himself off the bed and took two quick strides to reach the window. When he pulled one of the slats of the blinds down, he was shocked to see a car in the street. Not just any car. Ivan’s distinctive dark green Buick Lucerne. “Shit.”

“Who is it?”

“I can’t see that close to the building, but the car’s Ivan’s.” He turned around to grab his jeans, finding Katie already wearing a pair of track shorts and shrugging a sweatshirt over her head.

He raced across the room, not bothering to button up. At the doorframe, he stopped short, making Katie run into his back. “Wait up here, babe. Let me see what’s going on first.”

“Not a chance in hell. Maybe someone’s hurt.” She followed him.

Had he really expected her to stay behind?

Taking the stairs two at a time, Leo was through the door to the waiting room and rushing across the carpet in his bare feet in seconds. Three people were out front.

Ivan, Mikhail, and Alena.

He could see all of them easily even though the only light streaking into the clinic came from two street lamps.

Mikhail was leaning against Alena and the wall next to the glass door. A long row of windows across the entire length of the front of the clinic easily showed anyone approaching. Leo both liked and disliked that aspect. On the one hand, there weren’t many surprises. On the other hand, it wasn’t very secure. One gunshot or hammer could permit anyone to break in.

Leo twisted the deadbolt and pushed the door open as fast as he could, his gaze landing on Mikhail, instinctively knowing something had happened to him.

His friend’s face was contorted, and he held one arm across his stomach. Appendix?

Ivan bent to take Mikhail’s weight with a shoulder under his arm and led him inside with Alena at the rear.

“What happened?” Katie asked as Leo shut and locked the door. She turned around and opened the door on the other side of the room without waiting for an answer, holding it so everyone could pass through.

Leo led the way, shooting straight for the first exam room and flipping on the light. He squinted at the brightness while Ivan helped Mikhail get onto the exam table.

“Stop fussing over me. I’m not dying.” Mikhail winced as he leaned back and then breathed a sigh of relief when he was settled.

Alena spoke first. “Some guys jumped him in the parking garage last night.”

Leo stepped up to one side of Mikhail. “Last night? Why didn’t you come here
then
?”

Mikhail spoke through another wince. “Didn’t want to bother you. I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s not that bad.”

Katie pushed Leo out of her way and set her hands gently on his torso. “Where does it hurt?”

“Ribs. I’m sure it’s ribs. It happened so fast. Somebody threw a mask over my head, two guys held me by the arms, and another guy delivered a series of hard kicks. Probably bruised. But these two didn’t think I should go unchecked.” He glanced at Alena and Ivan where they stood at the foot of the table.

She prodded his ribs, her hands working their way up each one.

Leo hovered in Katie’s space, probably making her want to slap him.

She nudged him several times with her elbow and shot him a glare.

He didn’t budge.

“I need an X-ray, but I’d agree it’s your ribs. Doubt they’re simply bruised, though. Probably a few cracks.”

Leo glanced at Mikhail’s face. “That’s it? They kicked the shit out of you and then ran off?”

“Pretty much.”

“No one saw it?”

Alena’s eyes were huge when Leo turned to look at her. “Ivan and I were already back at the apartment. We went in a separate car. When you didn’t come home, we figured you were here. But my brother’s stubborn. Didn’t think he required attention.”

Katie sighed. “Can you walk to another room for me? I’m sorry to move you, but I can’t do an X-ray in here. I want to make sure there are no shards threatening other organs.”

“Yeah.”

Leo helped Mikhail to his feet and down the hall, and then he waited with Alena and Ivan outside until Katie called them back in.

She held one X-ray up to a lit screen for long moments, turning it several directions and then hooking it to the screen and lifting the next one.

Leo inched forward until he stood right behind her, even though he had no idea what she was looking at.

“You sure this happened last night?”

Leo set a hand on her lower back and glanced down at her. “What do you mean? Surely Mikhail knows when he got jumped.”

“It must have been around eleven,” Ivan said. “No one else was in the parking garage as far as Mikhail knows.”

“I see.” Katie spun around to face the others, pasting a fake-looking smile on her face. “Well, it doesn’t look like there’s any danger to vital organs. Your ribs are going to hurt like a bitch for a few days. You’ll need to take about six weeks off before you risk injury to them again. Four are cracked. Three on one side and one on the other.”

Leo narrowed his gaze. There was something she wasn’t saying. But he didn’t want to call her out on it in front of the others.

She hesitated a moment and then spoke again. “Do you mind if I draw some blood?”

“Sure. What for?”

She shrugged. “Standard. Just checking to make sure there’s been no damage to the kidneys or liver.” She opened a few drawers and cabinets along one wall and returned with everything she needed.

Mikhail unfolded his arm and held it out for her.

Katie tapped a few veins, swabbed the area, and then eased a needle in. After filling two vials with his blood, she held a square of gauze over the puncture and then taped it down. “Why don’t you get some rest? You want anything for the pain?”

Mikhail shook his head. “No need. I’ll live. There was never any real doubt. These two got overzealous is all.” He nodded toward his sister and Ivan.

Ivan shrugged. “Hey, if Leo here is going to date a doctor, why not take advantage of it?”

Leo shot him a glare. Until about eight hours ago, he never would have voiced that out loud.

Ivan lifted his hands and his brows. “Just calling it like I see it.”

Katie ignored them all, took the vials, and left the room.

“You are, aren’t you?” Alena asked.

“I am what?” Leo shot her a glare too. He’d been living with Mikhail and Alena for five months. He knew her well enough to read the smirk on her face.

“Dating the doctor.”

“None of your business. Listen, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.” Perfect opportunity to change the subject. “Have you guys noticed those two idiots Boris and Erik hanging around more than usual?”

“No. Why?” Mikhail winced as he turned his head to face Leo.

Leo shrugged. “Noticed them a few times tailing me. Wondered if any of you had also?” What he really wanted to do was put them all on alert. He didn’t think either of those two assholes were a threat, but if his contact thought someone else was following them, that was a different story.

“Not more than usual,” Mikhail said.

“Other than that weird asshole growling in our direction at the fight last night, I haven’t noticed anything unusual,” Ivan added.

Alena leaned forward, setting her hands on the end of the table Mikhail was on. “Please don’t tell me I can’t leave the apartment again, because I’ll personally kill all three of you with my bare hands if you dare.”

Ivan chuckled.

Leo grinned at her indulgently. Even though she was Mikhail’s actual sister, she was like a little sister to all of them. At least Leo thought so. After last night, he wasn’t sure Ivan didn’t have other intentions. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I was just curious.”

“Good, because I was thinking of getting a job.”

“A job?” Mikhail twisted his head back to face her. “No fucking way.”

Ivan stiffened, his lips pursed.

Leo presumed the man had about two hundred retorts, but he managed to keep them all to himself. His face gave away his feelings on the subject however. Mikhail might not have noticed, but Leo didn’t miss a beat.

Yeah, Ivan Belinsky was definitely interested in Alena as more than his friend’s little sister.

Alena stood tall and crossed her arms—her full height being all of five-foot-two. Her white-blonde hair fell over her shoulders, and she narrowed her sky-blue eyes at each of them in turn. “I think I’ve had enough coddling for a lifetime from you three brutes. So stop it. No one’s looking for me. I’ve been here a year. Not one person has paid a bit of attention to me in all that time.

“Can’t we assume any threat was all in your heads?”

“No,” they all responded simultaneously.

She rolled her eyes. “So what if your manager brought me over and paid my passage? Who cares?”

Leo pointed out the obvious. “Oh, I don’t know. Probably the strange agency who held you for six months before Abram’s people found you and kidnapped you out of their hands. Maybe them?” Leo spoke with sarcasm, but this was no laughing matter.

He had no idea what the fuck the place was where the Russians held her, but he wouldn’t put it past the government themselves to have been involved—especially since Abram had managed to pull some pretty extensive strings to get Alena out of Russia. Was there any correlation between her captivity and whatever the FBI was investigating in the US? Who knew? But he wasn’t planning to take any chances to find out.

Too bad he was sworn to secrecy. If he didn’t have his hands tied behind his back, he would warn his friends more fervently about what was going on with the FBI and Yenin. As it was, all he could do was circumvent the real issue by tossing out a red herring. Boris and Erik. Two idiots they all knew were employees of Yenin who frequently followed them around.

Harmless? Maybe. Yenin would like them to believe that anyway. Grow complacent. After all, the two of them had been following all six fighters for the better part of a year. Keeping tabs for Yenin? That was undoubtedly the goal—to make the fighters believe those fools were watching and reporting back to their boss. What if there was more to it?

In the twelve years since Yenin seemingly saved his life and the lives of the other five fighters, Leo had done nothing but perfect the art of MMA and work odd construction jobs. As far as Leo was concerned, he was lucky. His life would have been pure shit if he were still in Russia trying to make his way in that poor country with no one to hone his ability to fight and no guaranteed income or place to sleep each night.

Anton Yenin.

It was years before the six of them began to scratch their heads, wondering what Yenin was really up to. He treated them like royalty compared to anyone else who worked for him. For a long time, they didn’t question it. They were all top fighters. The best of the best. Even now that they were over thirty years old, they still had the strength and stamina to take on about any opponent.

And they had Yenin to thank. He paid for the trainers who made them into the fighters they were. Was that all it was about? Money?

Perhaps.

But two years ago his perception changed when he was picked up by the FBI late one night on his way back to Vegas from the lab Yenin owned outside of town. His suspicions were confirmed. Yenin was not simply a fight manager with meth labs on the side.

After being interrogated by the FBI for hours, Leo had been given his future instructions.

Two years playing both sides of this field. And Leo had never breathed a word to anyone. Why would he? The FBI paid him well. He stashed the money in a private account. And he knew he had the ability to keep his friends safer and give them a head’s up whenever it was warranted.