Love Thy Enemy (Red Stone Security Series) (Volume 13) (14 page)

So he planned to be with her as much as he could. At least then he could protect her. Past that, however, he was in completely new territory. Sex before had always been detached, unemotional. Now…he wanted something different with Dominique. He wanted to make sure she was completely satisfied. Unfortunately he wasn’t sure how fast he should move. The more primal part of him said he was moving way too fucking slow. That they should be in bed right now. She should be flat on her back while his face was buried between her legs.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “You said you wanted to tell me something before?”

She set her fork down even though half of the dessert was still unfinished. “It’s not a big deal.” But something about her body language said otherwise.

He instantly went on alert, that familiar cynicism building inside him. He hated that he kept expecting something to go wrong, that he was expecting her to stab him in the back.

“It sort of ties in with what I was telling you about my family stuff… I just don’t have a lot of experience with dating.” Her cheeks flushed that sexy shade again as she watched him.

He felt like she was leaving something out, that he was missing something as she stared at him with those big eyes. “I don’t either.”

She huffed out a little laugh. “Somehow I think you have more experience than me.” This time her cheeks went crimson and he wanted to know exactly what she was thinking.

“I’ve never had a relationship.” The words were out before he could stop himself. If she was running some scam on him and
did
want to hurt him, she’d have already done her homework on him. She’d already know what he was telling her. Still, saying the words out loud made him feel too exposed. He knew he was probably going to regret telling her this, but fuck it. She’d been open with him—even if it was part of some con game she was running. “The first woman I ever thought I loved turned out to be a paid escort. Paid by my father to keep tabs on me.”

Dominique let out a horrified gasp, her eyes widening. “What?”

His lips pulled into a thin line as he shoved the anger and shame back down. He’d moved past that part of his life. “He was a bastard through and through. Thought I wanted to take over his organization.”

Viktor snorted at the thought. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Back then he’d been working on a way to escape, to get out and start his own legal businesses. He’d wanted nothing to do with his father.

“In my twenties I used to fight in his illegal rings.” Partially for the money he’d made betting on himself, and partially so others in his father’s organization would never forget that he could easily kill them. He’d always known he’d one day break off on his own and all those men would remember how he’d beaten men bloody. The visceral reminder was better than anything he could ever say. He cleared his throat. “She was at one of them—by chance, I thought.”

She’d been so damn sweet—though it had all turned out to be a lie. Everything about her had been a lie.

The humiliation he’d felt when he’d discovered the truth was something he’d never forget. “Since then I’ve only used escorts. You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to take out like this, on a real date.”
More than date.
But he left that part out. It didn’t matter now anyway. Now that she knew the truth about him she’d get up and walk out of here and never look back. Which was what he knew he deserved. He might be a bastard but he wanted her to know everything about him so she could just leave. He didn’t deserve a woman like her. Better to cut this off now before he fell even deeper.

“Oh, Viktor.” She reached across the table and slid her fingers through his, holding his hand tight.

Her reaction made him still, even as a tiny spark of…hope flared inside him. She didn’t seem disgusted by him and he’d given her an easy out. An easy way to tell him to fuck off and never call her again. “You understand what I’m saying, that I’ve only ever fucked escorts.” His words came out harsh.

She flinched when he said ‘fucked’ but she nodded. “Yeah, I totally got that. I’m so sorry that your father…that you got hurt like that.”

He pulled his hand back. “I wasn’t hurt,” he snapped. He’d been stupid and naïve, and it had taught him a valuable lesson. But something told him that if Dominique ever hurt him that same way, he might never recover. She fucking terrified him in so many ways.

The look in her eyes was something a lot like sympathy as she picked up her wine glass. “I’m still sorry.”

He started to respond just as a burst of staccato gunfire erupted from just outside the restaurant—in the lobby of the hotel.

Dominique jumped as pops sounded nearby. It took a moment for it to register that it was freaking gunfire! Before she could even think about moving, Viktor had a weapon out and grabbed her around the waist, dragging her to the kitchen.

Panic slammed through her as she ran next to him, her heels making it difficult, but Viktor didn’t slow. He had a hold on her and wasn’t letting go. She was vaguely aware of other men moving out of the woodwork like shadows, guns in their hands as Viktor barked out orders.

It was complete chaos and she wanted to cover her ears, to block out the shooting. This was nothing like the movies. Her ears rang and her heart pounded wildly in her chest as they breached the swinging kitchen door.

The chef she’d met earlier was standing next to an industrial stove, terror on his face as he remained frozen in place.

Viktor shouted at another man who Dominique had met earlier. Lyosha. If she’d thought Viktor looked scary, this guy was even more so. Tattoos crept up under the top of his shirt, covering part of his neck. He might look like a brainless thug but his sharp green eyes seemed to take in everything. And he didn’t appear to like what he saw when he looked at her.

Viktor said something to him in Russian and pushed her to him. She wanted to argue but was almost numb. The man’s jaw tightened and it was clear he wanted to argue as well, but he nodded once.

“Stay with him no matter what. He’ll keep you safe,” Viktor snapped at her before disappearing back out the swinging kitchen door.

She took a step after him, not really to go with him, but to keep him with her. Right now it felt as if her insides would break apart from the adrenaline pumping through her. Her fight or flight response was going haywire and she was having a hard time keeping it together.

A strong hand grasped her upper arm. “Come with me.” Lyosha pulled her with him.

“Where’s Viktor going? What’s happening?” She was terrified for him, that he’d run back into where men were shooting.

He didn’t respond, just looked over at the chef and shouted for him and the server to follow. The two men hurried after them as Lyosha tugged her through another door, none too gently—but not before checking outside it. She heard the distant pop of another gunshot, then nothing. Fear for Viktor swelled inside her. What if he’d been hurt?

Her heart continued that erratic beat as they stepped out into a small hallway she realized must be used for employees. “Where’s Viktor gone?” She wondered if it was a stupid question but she couldn’t believe he’d just raced back out toward the gunfire even if he did have a gun. “Has anyone called the police?”

But the man just hurried down the hallway, his gun at the ready as he stopped four doors down. “We’ll be safe in here. There’s an extra exit if necessary.” He stood back and motioned the three of them into what turned out to be a storage room.

Bins marked with different holiday decorations were stacked on tall metal racks that went all the way up to the ceiling. There was another door on the other side of the small space just as Lyosha had said.

“What’s going on?” she asked quietly as he shut the door. Her entire body was trembling so she wrapped her arms around herself. “You can talk now that we’re safe,” she snapped when he still didn’t respond.

He pinned her with a hard look. “I don’t know what’s going on. Someone is stupid enough to attack Viktor and I should be out there with him. Not watching you three,” he muttered, his jaw tightening again.

“Then go if he needs your help!” She hated that Viktor had raced right back into whatever dangerous situation without knowing what he was getting into. The thought of him injured or worse sent another jolt of fear through her. Especially after everything he’d just told her. She couldn’t believe his own father had done that to him—well she could, knowing who his father had been, but she still hated it. Viktor had looked as if he hated himself as he admitted to her he’d only been with escorts.

Lyosha simply frowned at her but didn’t respond, just pulled his phone out of his pants pocket when it buzzed. After a short conversation in Russian he shoved it back into his pocket then opened the door a fraction.

Hope bloomed inside Dominique that Viktor was there, but another man…Kir was there. The blond-haired, blue-eyed man seemed to have an easy smile for everyone. Now his expression was tight but after murmuring quietly to Lyosha, the other man stepped back and let Kir in.

“Protect the woman with your life.”
Or else
, seemed to be the unspoken words that followed. Lyosha’s words were sharp, deadly, and sent a frisson of fear down her spine.

Yeah, she was glad he wanted Kir to keep her alive, but the way he spoke was scary. Okay, everything about him was terrifying.

Kir turned to look at all of them as Lyosha left, and half-smiled. “Everything’s okay. We’ll be in here for just a little bit,” he said calmly, his words having a soothing effect on all three of them. “The threat has been neutralized so don’t worry. And Viktor’s fine,” he added before she could ask. “He sent me here to keep an eye on you. To keep you safe.”

That was all she needed to hear—that Viktor was okay. Yeah, she had a lot more questions but knowing he was unharmed allowed her to take a deep breath and let some of her panic go. She leaned against one of the racks and turned to look at the other two men who were standing in what looked like a state of shock. Especially the chef. His dark eyes were wide and his entire body was trembling as he more or less stared blankly at her.

She pulled one of the bins off a rack. “Why don’t you sit?”

He nodded and did as she said as if he was on autopilot.

“You should probably ask for a raise after tonight,” Dominique said to the server, hoping to dispel some of the tension in the small room.

Kir was standing guard and clearly not interested in making the two men feel better, and when she was nervous she tended to talk.

The server let out a shaky laugh but she could see some of the tension leave his shoulders. “No kidding. I’m Eric, by the way.”

She forced a smile, glad he seemed to be handling things okay. “I’m Dominique.”

* * *

Viktor eyed the fallen bodies, anger a live wire inside him, pulsing and ready to strike out at whoever had ordered this.

He didn’t recognize any of the men, and from experience he knew that these guys would be hired muscle. There were six men in all, each one wearing a bulletproof vest and armed to the teeth. They didn’t have on more tactical gear, however. Which made Viktor think they weren’t that well trained. Careful not to move the body too much, he pulled down the shirt of one and saw what he knew was a prison tattoo.

When he saw Lyosha striding across the lobby strewn with dead bodies, he frowned. “Why are you here?”

“Kir is with the woman and the others. They’re fine.” His words were almost dismissive, but Viktor knew better. He could see the worry in Lyosha’s gaze, faint that it was. “My priority is you. Are we calling the police or not?”

He looked around again. His men were all law-abiding citizens and worked for the security division of his company directly under Lyosha. He was their boss and from experience he knew they’d do whatever he said. “Someone could have heard the gunfire and called it in,” he finally said. He absolutely hated involving the police but sometimes it was better to show that he had nothing to hide. And getting rid of half a dozen bodies was doable, but not easy. He’d rather let the police take care of them and have all this on the record.

Lyosha nodded, clearly on the same page. “I’ll photograph all the dead men, remove any personal items—if there are any—and take their fingerprints before we call.”

“Good. I need you to take Dominique out of here. Kir can make sure the other two get home safely. I’m going to tell the police I was going over the layout of our new plans when we were blindsided. It will be like Dominique and the other two were never here.”

Lyosha nodded again. “Good. The chef is about to piss his pants, if he hasn’t already. I’ll make sure they know they’ll be compensated for their silence.”

Viktor nodded. It would be easier this way, less messy. He didn’t want Dominique dragged into anything and she didn’t deserve to get hauled to the police station where she’d be questioned for hours. No, she should be at his home, safe and resting. Her condo was easy to breach so that wasn’t an option. He needed her where he could control the environment more. “I’ll go talk to Dominique but I want you to take her to my home.”

Lyosha’s eyebrows raised. “I should be with you.”

“I need someone I trust with her. I need to know she’s safe while I’m dealing with the cops.” And Lyosha had been his driver for years, had joined him after he’d split from his father’s organization.

“Fine. But are you sure you can trust her?” There was no malice in the question, the only reason Viktor reined in his temper.

“Why?” Viktor wondered if his brother had said something about their history, but he immediately dismissed that. Abram would never betray his confidence.

Lyosha glanced around at his men and barked out an order for them to start taking fingerprints of the dead guys, before he turned back to Viktor. “I know the type of woman you like.” He rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. “No disrespect. I just don’t know if you should completely trust someone like her, even if she’s yours now.”

He blinked, realizing Lyosha had misunderstood him before. “She’s not an escort—never was. She works for Red Stone. She is my…she’s
mine
.”