Page 71 of His Smile
The gentle vibrations of thequiet ride home carefully began to numb her still thrashing heart. Still heldtight she had looked up moments ago to a familiar pair of blue eyes and finallyrealized it was Dimitri who had carried her from the room. Sitting in his lap,she rested her head on his shoulder as they drove presumably back to the house.His words felt lost in a fog around her head as he calmly spoke, telling herthat she was safe now and not to worry and that Roman would take care ofeverything. How could she not worry, though? Did he not see the look on Roman'sface, that unsmiling rage like nothing she could have ever produced even in hernightmares? Yes, she knew she was safe now, but millions of questions lingeredin her mind about what happened, and more importantly, she was worried aboutRoman. Although none of her concerns were voiced. It felt as if her voice wastrapped in her chest. Each time she thought she summoned up the strength tospeak the pressure in her chest intensified, choking the speech further downher throat.
Dimitri’s sharp blue eyesseemingly noticing her struggles began moving the hand, that braced her by theupper arm, up and down comfortingly.
"You're in shock,"maybe for the first time since meeting the captain, she realized his blue eyesheld no smile, just an out of place look of concern. Through his worriedexpression, she realized how she must seem to everyone else.
Closing her eyes for amoment, she rested heavily against Dimitri’s firm frame.
The light shake to hershoulders startled her out from the darkness and Rahina opened her eyes.Blinking, she looked up at Dimitri who was giving her a small, sad smirk.
“You’re home,” he said,helping her sit-up before opening the door to the car. “Come on, let’s goinside.”
Allowing him to guide herpast the group of men who stood around the front door, all carrying long blackmilitary grade rifles across their chests Rahina finally found her voice,though it was barely a whisper. “Where is Roman?”
The image of him standingover the screaming, bleeding man replayed itself in her mind. She could hearthe man's screams more clearly now that she was away. It was as if during thatmoment, the man's curdling cries became muted and far removed from her mind.
Shrugging out of his suit jacket,Dimitri threw the jacket over the back of the couch. “He will be back once heis done,” he answered, looking at her where she stood stiffly near the stairbanister. “In the meantime, I want you to go up and take a shower, but when youget dressed I want you to wear pants, a shirt, and a pair of socks.”
“What?” she breathed, barelyforming sound as she thought of the implication to his words. “Why? What’sgoing on, are we leaving? Are we not safe here? Please, Dimitri, tell me what'sgoing on."
Holding his hands out as heapproached her, he gave her a rueful smile as he stopped in front of hercupping both of her shoulders. “You’re too damn quick to have let that slip by,huh,” rubbing each of her shoulders in a slow, comforting circular motion, hecarefully drew her closer to him. Being only a couple of inches taller thanher, she was able to stare at him directly, worry shining back in her eyes.“Calm down, I promise you are safe with me. But right now, someone has made thebiggest mistake of the century. All I know is that for some reason, some of theItalians wanted to capture you. They didn't want to kill you, they wanted tospecifically capture you. At this moment, I have no answers as to why anyonewould make such a stupid decision. But I can tell you one thing, Roman willburn this city to the ground to find out."
Rahina shuddered at that.“Should we stay here?”
"Nowhere could besafer, but I also don't take chances. I rather have you dressed and ready toleave at a moment's notice than have to carry you out of here in a nightdress,”he grinned lasciviously, which surprisingly relaxed her a bit. If Dimitri couldstill joke at a time like this then maybe she could take him for his word andbelieve she was safe. His hands moved from her shoulders and tenderly framedboth sides of her neck, pulling her gently closer until she did have to look upat him to meet his gaze. “I know you’re scared and I promise the moment I haveanswers I will tell you,” he assured her gently. “I promise I won’t letanything happen to you. Besides, I like you too much and more importantly, Irather not have my face curb-stomped into the pavement by Roman for lettinganything happen to you.”
Shocked, she stepped back alittle. “He wouldn’t do that to you.”
Dimitri gave her a deadpanstare that conveyed just how serious he was. "For you, yes he would,without hesitation."
Remembering the savage rageshe saw in Roman earlier, Rahina felt her chest constrict. She wanted Romanback home with her, she wanted him to console her and tell her everything wasall right. Tiredly, she let Dimitri coax her into showering and dressing, butshe shook her head at the offer of food. The thought of eating anything whileher stomach was knotted with worry made her sick. Sitting on the sofa, shespent the night cuddling Hannibal and Genghis before falling asleep next toDimitri who lounged at the other end of the couch.
Roman didn’t come home thenext morning or that following afternoon. Dimitri informed her that the dance studiowas quickly repaired that night after Roman had left with his men, all tracesof what transpired erased. She knew she should have been grateful for theattempt to not let this moment destroy everything she had worked for, but allshe could think about was Roman. What could he be doing? Was he hurt?
Each time she tried to hinther worries to Dimitri about his boss, he simply smiled and said: "Itwould be more accurate to ask who ishehurting, darling.”
Regardless, she continued toworry. Exhausted from her thoughts and fears she spent that day mostly in bedonly getting up for the bathroom and a meal which Dimitri threatened toexperiment with his skill at Japanese bondage if she didn’t eat. After eating,she went back upstairs with both dogs trailing behind her. She fell asleep onRoman’s side of the bed.
A familiar warmth strokedher cheek, and Rahina turned away, deeper into the pillow, with a grumble."Leave me alone Dimitri, I'm not hungry."
The warm touch paused anddisappeared before reappearing at her waist, tracing the curve of her body witha familiarity that should not belong to Dimitri.
Feeling her stiffen, thefigure beside her finally spoke. “It’s me.”
A surge of joy speared throughher tired mind. Sitting up with energy she did not possess before, she satstraight on the bed and looked at Roman sitting at the edge of the bed. Theheavy drawn look to his face didn’t deter her from throwing her arms around hiswide shoulders and tears spilling from her eyes. Framing his face with bothhands, she cried in relief as she kissed his unmoving lips. A few secondspassed, and she realized he had remained frozen in her embrace. The tenderspring of hope that grew to life in her seconds ago died a little as Rahinaleaned back and stared at him questioningly.
"Roman," shewhispered. "Please," she begged, unsure herself what she was beggingfor specifically. Answers? Reassurance? Affection? Or just anything besides theunreadable dark look in his fog gray eyes.
Like a breath of relief, oneof his thick arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him as he crushedhis lips against hers. Rahina moaned into his mouth as she tried to keep upwith the desperate, hungry kiss he led against her lips.
His hands tightening at hershoulders was her only warning before he ripped away from her and stood up,distancing himself from her.
“What?” The sudden absenceof his warmth made her feel empty inside. Watching him pace in front of thebed, Rahina clicked on a lamp beside the bed. “Talk to me please, tell mewhat’s going on.”
“I do not have all theanswers yet, but I know someone paid a couple of the Italians’ lackey enforcersto take a side job, off the books and unknown to their boss, to kidnap you.”
“Why?” she asked. She wantedto ask “to do what after they had her?”but the horrific things her mindcame up frightened the curiosity right out of her.
“I do not know yet, but Iwill soon,” he swore savagely.
