Stone Cold Knockout (House of Pain Book 1) (25 page)

“
I don't like him, Rainbow. But you're changing the subject.”

“
No I'm not. Why don't you like him? You tell Mikhail to stay away, but
Donny
has a standing invitation for Sunday dinner?”

“
I've known that kid since he was eight years old. Maria is friends with his mother. He's family.”

“
He's scum.” Gennifer crossed her legs and pulled her pillow into her lap.

“
Does this have to do with that little bout of puppy love you two had?” Big J laughed, his belly shaking as he did. “You sure know how to hold a grudge, Rainbow. How many years ago was that?”

“
It's not that, Daddy-o.” Gennifer sighed, realizing that she was finally going to have to tell Big J what Donny had did all those years ago. Steeling her spine, she raised her eyes to meet his. “Remember when I was sixteen and Hector had to take me to the emergency room after I fell down the stairs?”

“
Yeah,” Bi J said, nodding slowly. “You broke your collarbone and bruised your ribs.”

“
I didn't fall down the stairs.” She squeezed her fist against the pillow.

“
But you told me...Hector told me you fell down the stairs,” the big man said, but she could see in his eyes that he knew what she was going to say next.

“
Donny beat me up. He got mad at me for some stupid reason—I can't even remember why. We got into a screaming match outside. He followed me into the house and smacked me around. When Hector got home, he took me to the hospital. Then I made him promise not to tell you what happened.”

“
Gennifer!” Big Jimmy hissed, standing abruptly. “I let that sonofabitch in my house.”

“
I took care of it.”

“
You should have told me!” he growled.

“
I know,” Gennifer agreed in a small voice, feeling like a teenager again. Big J shook his head and stared at the wall for a long moment, like he was trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

"Rainbow, protecting you has been my job since the first day you showed up on my doorstep. I been doing it for twenty years. But I can't do it if you won't let me,” he said gruffly, still not looking at her.

“I love you, you know that,” Gennifer said. “But I don't need you to take care of me.”

“
But you want that motherfucker Mikhail to take care of you?” He finally turned to look back at her, anger written all over his face.

“
I don't know,” she murmured, squeezing the pillow.

“
That Russian bastard beats on you too, and I'm just supposed to let that go?”

"Mikhail is
nothing
like Donny,” Gennifer said, with absolute certainty. “Mikhail wants me to be strong. He wants me to learn to fight and be as strong as possible. None of you understand the difference, but there is one.”

“
You were just in the hospital, baby. It killed me to see you like that.”

“
But I'm fine now. Like you said, nine lives.”

“
Every time you tempt fate, I get a head full of gray hairs,” he said with a deep sigh. “You got me over here looking like an old man.”

“
Well I'm going to be out of your hair soon, so you won't have to worry.”

“
Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Big J said, sitting heavily on Yasmine's bed again. “I'm your father. I'll never stop worrying.” They sat in silence for a moment, and Gennifer's mind wandered to Mikhail. She wondered what he was doing at this very moment. She wondered if he was thinking about her, too. “So Mikhail beat up Donny, huh?” Big J said after a moment.

“
Mm-hmm,” Gennifer said. “Sprained his wrist. He can't fight until it heals.”

“
He was supposed to make his big debut in Vegas next week,” Big J said, chuckling a bit to himself. “Maybe your Mikhail isn't so bad after all.” Gennifer smiled and laid back on the bed again, her headache suddenly back with a vengeance.

“
Glad you think so,” she murmured.

Chapter 21

“
H
ave you been brushing your teeth?” Gennifer asked the little boy sitting in the seat in front of her. Julian nodded vigorously, smiling a gap-toothed smile. “Every morning?” Another nod. “Every night?” A hesitation, then another nod. She glanced back at his mother, a friend of hers from high school, Adriana. “His teeth look good. His adult teeth are coming in well. One cavity.” Adriana nodded, looking tired. “From eating too much candy?” she asked, turning back to the boy.

“
No!” Julian shook his head, giggling.

“
What kind of candy do you like?” she asked.

“
Chocolate,” he said, thinking. “Grandma always buys me chocolate.”

“
And what about soda?”

The boy nodded, eyes glittering.

“Okay. Well after you eat some chocolate or drink some soda, can you do something for me?” Another nod. “Drink a big glass of water, okay? Get all that sugar off your teeth. You think you can do that, just for me?”

“
Okay!” he called out, squirming in the vinyl dentist's chair.

“
Alright. Now go pick out your toothbrush at the front desk. I think we got a fresh batch of green ones.” Gennifer helped him out of the chair and Julian took off down the hallway. “You can make an appointment for a filling sometime soon,” Gennifer said Adriana. “Whenever you get paid next.”

“
Thanks, G,” she said with a slow smile.

“
Anytime.” Gennifer followed her down the hallway to the front desk. “Don't forget that floss!” she called out to Julian, who was digging around in the rabbit-shaped wicker basket they kept just for kids. Gennifer stopped short when she saw Mikhail standing in the waiting room. He stared at her and she felt her throat constrict. She cleared her throat and handed Julian's chart to Libby at the front desk

“
Just a cleaning, this time. He'll need to reschedule for a filling,” she murmured to Libby, her eyes on Mikhail.  After a long moment, she turned back to Julian.“I'll see you soon okay?”

“
Okay!” he called out, clutching his new toothbrush. Gennifer waved to him, and gave a nod to Adriana.

“
He was my last of the day,” Gennifer said, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already 7:00. “I'm going to go tidy up, okay, Libby?”

Libby nodded, staring at the computer screen. Gennifer motioned for Mikhail to follow her down the hallway to her room. She hadn't seen him for almost a week, and the shock of him was still a lot to take. She could feel his heavy presence behind her. She could feel his intense gaze on her back. It sent sparks firing off under her skin. He didn't even have to touch her; his gaze was enough to send her reeling. She stepped into the small exam room and immediately put as much space between them as possible.

“I hope you brought my car,” she said, not looking at him as she closed out of Julian's chart on the computer. “I've been forced to take the bus and I hate
taking the bus.”

“
Here are your keys,” he said, setting them on the corner of the counter. Then he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was wrong to keep them from you.”

“
I'm still not going to your apartment,” she said, finally daring to look at him. “But I accept your apology.”

“
I am going away. I will not be at my apartment so you will be safe from me,” he said, his voice cold. He held up a card with an address scribbled on it. He placed it on the counter beside the keys. “Go to the front desk. They will take you to your car.”

“
Where are you going?” she asked, before she could tell herself not to.

“
Do you care?”

“
Not really,” she murmured, although of course she cared. He claimed to need her. He claimed to miss her. And yet, he was going away. “For how long?” she asked, anger flaring up.

“
I do not know,” he said.

“
Is this because I hit you?” She turned to face him, plopping her hands on her hips. “Because I'm sorry about that.”

“
I deserved it.” He shrugged. “I was being an asshole, as you said.”

“
What happened to your face?” she asked, finally giving herself an excuse to study him. There was a gash over his right eye. It looked several days old. His beard was growing longer as well, and she hated it, she decided.

“
I have a habit of being hit in the face,” he said, shrugging.

“
I know it was you,” she said. “Who got Donny.” He stared at her, his intense eyes unwavering. “Did you do it for me?” she asked softly. His face relaxed a minuscule amount.

“
Do not ask questions you already know the answer to,” he said, his tone matching her own. “It is boring.” She narrowed her eyes at him, aching to ask what it felt like to smash Donny's face in.

“
Gennifer?” Libby's voice called out and Gennifer jumped. Libby poked her head in the room. “I'm going to head out, if you're okay?” she glanced at Mikhail and then back to Gennifer.

“
I'll lock up. Have a good night Libby,” she said, nodding. Libby smiled and then walked away, leaving them alone again. Gennifer took off her lab coat, needing something to do. She tossed it over the dentist's chair. “When do you leave?” she asked, because she had to know.

“
Tonight.”

“
So you're going to leave, just like that?” She stepped closer to him, grabbing the stainless steel tray of tools away from the stand by the dentist's chair. “After what you said and what you
did
?” She closed her eyes as the memory of his fingers thrusting inside of her shivered through her brain. She slammed the tray on the counter, telling herself to get a grip.

“
Yes,” he said, simply, and she wanted to strangle him on the spot. “You need time. I respect that.”

“
I don't need time. I need my life back,” she murmured, more to herself than to him.

“
That is what I am giving you,” he said, answering her anyway.

“
Don't do me any favors,” she shot back. He took a step toward her and she didn't back down. She lifted her chin, daring him to come closer.

“
The other day in the hospital, I did not tell you the whole truth about myself.” He lifted his hand and traced the scoop-neck collar of her wine-colored blouse. “I always liked this,” he murmured. Her breath caught in her throat but she didn't move away from his touch.

“
What else do you want me to know?” she asked with difficulty. He sighed and raised his hands to scrub them over his face. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting expectantly. Her hands were less likely to roam that way.

“
I left Russia and my old life behind because...” he trailed off and dropped his eyes to the floor. He was struggling, and Gennifer's interest was piqued.

“
Because...?” she urged.

“
Because Igor Ivanhof killed a man.”

“
What?”

“
I
killed a man.”

***

Mikhail watched her eyes change as she listened to his confession. She looked so beautiful in her pretty silky shirt and her tight black skirt and little pearl earrings. Looking at her in her professional clothes reminded him of all the mornings he'd watched her get dressed for work. He could smell her perfume in the air around him and he knew he'd be able to smell it on his clothes for hours after he'd left her.

He hated to leave her, but he didn't have much of a choice.

Now that she knew what he was, he doubted she would want anything to do with him anyway.

“
What do mean you killed a man?” she asked, furrowing her brow.

“
We were fighting. I hit him and he hit the ground,” he said, keeping the story as simple as possible. He doubted she wanted to know all the gory details. Well, actually, she probably did.

“
So it was an accident,” she said, carefully.

“
It was not as simple as that,” he replied.

“
I'm sure,” she said. “But you didn't mean to kill him?”

“
No.” He shook his head, Itzak's bloody face flashing in his mind for the millionth time. She stared at him and he could see the gears turning in her head. He wondered what she was thinking. He wondered a lot of things.

“
So all this time, you've blamed yourself for that man's death?”

“
Yes.”

“
And you retired from boxing because you felt guilty?” she asked, and he nodded. “But you came out of retirement to beat Donny's ass?”

“
Exactly,” he said with a slight laugh because she understood. Of course she did. Nothing in his life was funny, but he laughed anyway.
He stared down into her brown eyes and felt himself getting wrapped up in her again. He broke his gaze and took a step back. “I do not want to keep you,
solnyshka
. I came merely to give you your keys.”

“
And to say goodbye?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned abruptly and opened a cabinet to extract her purse. “I have to get going anyway. It's my first night back at House of Pain. I feel so out of shape.” His eyes ran the length of her, down her long legs. She was in perfect shape as far as he could see. Longing shot through him and he knew he had to get out of there. He didn't want to fight with her again. He didn't want to haul her up on her dentist's chair and lick her pussy until she moaned his name over and over again. He didn't want to bury his nose in her hair and fuck her without a condom until they both came. Well, he did.

But he wasn't going to.

“I have to lock up. You can wait outside, if you want,” she said as she pushed past him, not looking at him. Mikhail nodded and did as she asked, because he couldn't do what he really wanted to do. The air was suffocating inside the office, anyway. Her scent was slowly choking the air out of his lungs. He left the building, pushing open the door. Outside, the early September air was humid but with a hint of a chill, signaling that fall was on the way. Mikhail pressed the heel of his hand against his temple, feeling a headache coming on.

The lights in the office went off and Gennifer stepped outside, newly dressed in her workout leggings, gym shoes, and T-shirt. Her hair, free and curly, cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. She slid her gym bag over her shoulder, avoiding his eyes. Her keys jingled in the still night as she locked up, and then she turned back to him.

“Did you bring your bike?” she asked, gathering her hair up and securing it in a ponytail at the back of her head.

“
I will give you a ride,” he said without thinking. She shook her head immediately, not even considering his offer.

“
I think I'll just wait for the bus,” she said.

“
You were scared the first time you rode on my bike,” he said, smiling at the memory. “But you liked it.”

“
I'm not scared,” she said, but then she peered around him to the street, where his bike was parked. “Where's your helmet?” Mikhail scoffed and shook his head. He had never worn a helmet; he wasn't going to start now. “News flash: that's dangerous. Take it from the girl who just had a head injury.”

“
I will get you to House of Pain safe and sound,
solnyshka
. Do not worry.”

“
I'm not worried because I'm taking the bus.”

“
You are always so stubborn,” he said, feeling a smile curling over his lips. She glanced down the street, as if debating what to do. Then she stared at him for a long moment, shifting her hips indecisively. Finally, she marched past him to the bike.

“
This is all your fault, you know. You should have just given me back my car,” she tossed over her shoulder. He followed her to the bike and straddled it.

“
But now I have you on the back of my bike. That is much better for me,” he said, glancing back at her as she climbed on.

“
You're an asshole,” she mumbled, adjusting herself until she was comfortable.

“
So I am told,” he murmured. He could see the fear on her face, not that she would ever admit to it. “Put your arms around me and do not let go.” She rolled her eyes, but she did as she was told, tightening her arms around his ribs. Her thighs clenched around his hips and he closed his eyes for a moment, letting the lust pass over him like a wave. Then he revved the engine. Her arms locked around him as they started to move. She held him tight as he sped down the West-Side Highway, squealing as he wove in an out of traffic. Eventually her frightened sounds turned to laughter, and her arms relaxed their grip. She pressed her cheek to his back, relaxing into the ride, just like he knew she would. He dropped a hand to her thigh and she didn't move away from his touch. He snuck a look back at her. Her hair blew wildly around her face in the wind and her brown eyes caught his and she smiled. He was just as much under her spell as he'd always been, he realized.