Page 12 of Deadly Protector
“That they were definitely linked. We just don’t know how. Yet. They could have done a job together or been planning to do a job. Or maybe Ryba gave something to your husband and thinks you still have it. Whatever it is, we need to figure out what, and fast. Because if his aunt is involved in whatever this is, she has a tendency to strike hard first and ask questions later.”
Zamira shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. She was so glad her children were out of the country. Still… “My kids?”
He shook his head. “Not in any danger. You might want to let your in-laws know to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary but…sending someone after kids across country borders is very, very risky and expensive. And Ryba has no money.”
“What about his aunt?”
“So far Lyosha doesn’t think she’s involved. Ryba’s phone records since getting out show that he’s had exactly one phone conversation with her. One she initiated, likely to tell him to keep his nose clean.”
“Okay so…what’s the plan? What do I need to do?”
“For now, nothing. I’m going to reach out to Ryba and set up a meeting.”
She slid off her seat and rounded the island, shaking her head. “I can’t ask that of you.”
“You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
“Okay fine, I can’t let you.”
He gave her a look that was pure male power as he shook his head. “I’m doing it.”
She stared up at him, a mix of emotions warring inside her. It was a relief to have someone helping her, but at the same time, they weren’t in a relationship. Not really. “You can’t just take over like this.”
He slid one of his big hands onto her hip, clutched her in what she could only describe as a possessive grip. “I am. Your safety matters to me. And…I used to be a different person than I am now. I wasn’t into violence like Ryba, but I still lived on the other side of the law.”
Given what he’d said about being caught breaking into someone’s home, that wasn’t a complete surprise. She stepped an inch closer, placed her hands on his chest, felt the steady beat of his heart. And couldn’t help but notice how incredibly muscular he was. Damn. No, focus. “And that means you’re the one who meets with him?”
“It means I speak the same language as him. We know some of the same people so he knows I’m not involved with law enforcement. If you go to meet him, he’ll strong-arm you. If I meet him, I might be able to get answers. Or at least figure out what he’s angling for. Did your husband have any bank accounts or a storage unit separate from your household stuff?”
“No. Not that I know of anyway. I went through everything pretty thoroughly after…” She cleared her throat. “My mama helped me too. I’ve got some of his stuff packed away. Some I gave to his parents and some I saved for the kids. But nothing worth anything really.”
He was quiet for a long moment, then said, “I think you should stay here tonight. In one of my guest rooms,” he added quickly when she tensed. “I’m going to reach out to Ryba and I want you where I know you’re safe when I meet him.”
“Dimitri, this is too much. I can’t—”
He grasped her hip again, squeezing as he tugged her to him. As he did, he shifted ever so slightly so that he pressed her up against the island, pinning her in place with his body. Despite everything, heat spiraled through her at the feel of his powerful frame against her.
“You’re not asking me to do this. I’m insisting. Do you really want to meet with Ryba alone? You’ve got two kids to think about and he’s an ex-con with an unknown agenda.”
She hated that he was right. And she hated that he might be putting himself in danger for her. “You’ll meet somewhere public?”
“Of course.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
She did the same, sliding her arms around his back as she laid her head on his chest. This all felt surreal. She might hate that he was being pulled into this mess, but she was glad to have him on her side. He made her feel safe—and that worried her. She’d made a mistake with trusting her husband and she could be making one right now. “What kind of gray-area things did you use to do?” she murmured.
He chuckled slightly, the sound reverberating through her. And when he pulled back and looked down at her, raw heat flared in his dark blue eyes. A thrill of warmth rolled through her. Then he gave a soft groan and stepped back. “I need to make some calls.”
A sense of loss swamped her as he moved away. She wanted to pull him to her, to wrap herself around him. “So you’re not going to answer my question?”
“I will, just not tonight. I need to reach out to some people, then make contact with Ryba. And the sooner the better. I want to get that taken care of. First I need a better picture of who he is.”
Of course. She just hated all of this. “Thank you for doing this. For helping me.” She wasn’t sure what she would have done. She wasn’t even sure she would have thought to go to Lyosha. He loved her sister, there was no doubt of that. But he was still fairly new to their lives. She might have called Juan, since he worked for Red Stone Security and she’d known him for a long time. He had a lot of contacts. But Dimitri was taking over so smoothly and…she was letting him.
Because she was afraid. For herself, her kids. Her family. And her kids only had her left. It was a knowledge she was very aware of at all times. It lived in the back of her brain, an extra worry that simply existed inside her. Sure, they had her family. And if something happened to her, she knew her sisters and mama would step up. But they’d already lost one parent. She didn’t want them to lose both. And she didn’t want to miss out on seeing them grow up because she’d taken a stupid risk.
“I’ll do anything I can to help. And for the record, whatever happens between us—or doesn’t happen between us—I’m helping you. I don’t want you to feel pressured for…anything.” He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.
Which just made her smile. “I don’t feel pressured.” Just hot for him, and she wondered if there was something wrong with her. She was definitely worried and on edge, but…she was also very aware of Dimitri as a man. And very aware that it had been a long time since she’d been with one. Something about Dimitri made her want to throw caution to the wind—along with all of her clothes.
