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Andrei and Viktor exchanged a look. Viktor spoke, “I don’t like this, sestrichka.”
A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Viktor went to the door, gun in hand, while Andrei stood in front of me, protectively.
“Boss,” Viktor said as he opened the door. Adrik walked into the apartment, his eyes searching until they landed on me. He stopped in his tracks and just stared for a moment before he walked to me. He put his arm around my waist, pulled me close, and kissed my cheek. I leaned into his embrace, filling my lungs with his intoxicating cologne.
“How did you sleep, solnishko?”
“Very well, thank you.”
He put his hand under my chin, inspecting my bruise. “Still too dark. Did you put more arnica on this morning?”
I nodded my head, suddenly feeling shy that Andrei, Viktor, and now Stephen were also in the room.
“Good girl,” he said as he kissed my forehead. “Now, tell me. What is this about taking your neighbor to the store?”
“I take Ms. Jackson, downstairs, to the store every Saturday. She doesn’t have a car and I don’t think she could drive if she did have a car. I take her to the store and any other errands she needs every week.”
His eyes brightened when he looked at me, as he pulled me just a little closer to him. He kept his arm around me as he turned his head to Viktor and said, “We are going to the store before we leave, then.”
“Yes, sir.”
Adrik looked at me and asked, “Is she ready to go? Do we need to give her time?”
“I haven’t talked to her yet today, but my guess is she’s ready to go. She usually has to wait for me to wake up. I can call her.”
Adrik nodded his head and told Viktor to let Ivan and Misha know. He noticed the first aid kit on the counter and his brow furrowed. He looked at it, then to me, concern on his face. “What is this for? Are you hurt again?” he asked, holding me at arm’s length to check me over.
I laughed. “No, for once, it wasn’t me. I stitched Ivan up. I’m guessing he got hit with debris in that explosion and had a pretty good gash. He’s going to have a kickass scar from it.”
He smiled at me and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around him, happy to be in his arms. “Thank you, sladkaya.”
“You all are in this mess because of me. It’s the least I could do.”
He sighed and said, “Not exactly. Anthony was already on my shit list before he laid his hands on you. You just sped up the process.”
I hugged him tighter, not wanting to think about any of it. He responded by wrapping his arms tighter around me. I heard Viktor make a call to Ivan to let them know the change in the plan. I stepped back from Adrik and said, “I’ll call Ms. Jackson and see if she’s ready to go now.”
I told Ms. Jackson we would have chaperones on our weekly trip to the store when I called to see if she was ready to go.
“Oh, child. Not those strapping young men that have been watching over you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, Ms. Jackson. Those strapping young men will accompany us to the store. Did you need to go anywhere else this week? Are your prescriptions good?”
“Can they take me across town to Edith Riley’s place? Maybe escort me through the old folks’ home like they’re my playthings?”
“Ms. Jackson! Don’t you think you’d get more mileage out of them if they took you to Bingo?”
She giggled into the phone. “Sephie, you are a genius.”
I chuckled. “We’ll be down in a few minutes to fetch you for this adventure we’re about to have.”
“Lord, this is going to be the best shopping trip of my life. No offense, Sephie. You’re precious. But you ain’t 6’5” of chiseled muscle precious.”
“No offense taken, Ms. Jackson. See you in a few.”
I was still laughing to myself and shaking my head when I walked back to the kitchen. Adrik was in my small living room, carefully studying each one of the handful of pictures I had on display. They were the only memories I had of happier times. When my mom was still alive. Before my life took a dark turn.
Adrik saw me walk into the kitchen and stood up straight, that smirk on his face that I was growing accustomed to.
