Saving Anya (7 page)

Biting his lip, he tried to control his imagination from running wild, from driving him insane and in that moment, he also had to imagine how his father felt, how lost he must have been at that moment. A feeling of deep despair washed over him and anger rushed through his veins like venom. He growled angrily, gripping the steering wheel as tightly as he could. His eyes were focused far beyond the view of the windshield. And all that he could see at that very moment was red. Blood red.

Turning off his car, he stepped out on to the gravel drive, rocks crunching under his black leather boots, and looked up at his home and the backdrop of perfectly clear night blankly. Numb and a bit dazed, he wandered up the white steps to his porch with his head down.

The sound of chirping crickets were at his backside and the occasional wind blew threw his blonde locks like all was right in the world. It was a false calm all around him, and he hated it. It would have been better for the storms to be raging and the clouds to be rife with dangerous bolts of lightning than to have the poor pathetic pretense of peace. Such was his life however, to appear something that he was not. Like the fact that even though he was the second Medlov man and the second Czar to live in this home, it still felt like his father’s house. And although he didn’t like to admit it, he still felt like he was living in his father’s shadow. And now, he was going
yet again
to fight his father’s war, only this time he wanted to fight it.

He didn’t have time to terry, but he knew that breaking the news to Renee that they had to leave immediately would create serious concern if not a possible argument. It was strange to him what a relationship could do to a man-even the most powerful of them. Yet, despite himself, Renee had changed him – spoiled him even- with her constant coddling, cooking and love making. They were polar opposites, he and Renee, but he thrived because of her. She had been the constant, reliable and truly peaceful force in his life that made the rest of his existence bearable.

Dmitry had told him that this would happen, and although he didn’t interfere in Anatoly’s relationship, Dmitry always worried that it would hinder him from being able to truly stand up to the task of being a true Czar. Now, Anatoly understood why. Before Anya’s abduction, it rarely occurred to him that someone – anyone – would be stupid enough to entertain stealing life from him, but just the thought of someone taking Renee sent him into a quiet panic, and he hated her for it.

Pulling out a cigarette as he stood on the porch, he delayed his entry for a minute. On the other side of that door was his real life – his dogs, his girl – and out here, where he lingered life was the ruse. Still he felt more comfortable out on his porch,
for all he knew
a target on his chest while he smoked himself to an early grave than stepping inside at the moment and bringing one more person into his family’s complicated little web.

Inside, only a few feet away, things were far from complicated. They lived together, talked, played, made love, enjoyed each other’s company and dared not discuss anything that didn’t relate directly to them. There was no Vor, no council, no guns, no money…just them. But out here, he was an underworld boss with the means to destroy whole populations, and he did so a daily basis.

Out here, his reach was as vast as the lands. He was feared, revered, opposed – public fucking enemy number one-living among the sheep as a cloaked wolf slaughtering the flock every time that he and his men made a deal. He was worse than any epidemic. The Medlov men were like a quiet cancer, eating at the fabric of every society.

Cigarette finished, he threw down the butt on the ground, crunched it under his boot and entered into his sanctuary.

His dogs were already at the door, having heard him lingering outside. Anatoly closed the double doors behind him and knelt in the foyer to rub them behind their big spiked up ears.

“
Hey boys,” he cooed. “Did you miss me?”

No matter how late he came home, the butler was there standing in the front room waiting beside the large table under six-foot-tall chandelier with mail in his hand and word of what had happened at his home while he was gone.

“
Morning, Benson,” Anatoly said, finally looking over to his English help.

“
Good morning, sir,” the balding white man said with a bow of his head.

“
It is morning, isn’t it?” Anatoly looked at his Rolex. It was ten till one actually.

“
Yes, sir.
Technically
, it is morning.” He walked over and handed him his mail. “Ms. Renee retired up to your private quarters over two hours ago. However, she left dinner for you in the microwave. I could warm it for you, if you are hungry.”

Anatoly took his mail and looked through it and then passed it back to him. “File it away.”

“
Yes, sir.”

“
I’ll grab something in a bit. Don’t go to bed. We have to pack and leave for my father’s house,” he said with his dogs following at his heels.

“
How many days should I pack you all for, sir?” Benson asked, following behind his boss a few feet back.

“
Indefinitely,” Anatoly said with a growl. He always hated leaving home, especially in a rush. “And make sure to pack the dogs as well. I don’t plan to leave them this time around.”

“
Yes, sir,” Benson said, excusing himself to go and get the Medlov luggage.

Anatoly walked slowly up the spiral stairwell, holding the alabaster banister as he willed his tired body to make the climb. When he arrived on their floor, he looked down the long, imposing hallway to the master suite at the very end and noticed a light on under the door. Renee had retired but she was still awake. She never slept with a light on.

“
One small favor from God,” he said snapping.

At the sound of their owner’s unspoken command, his dogs halted at the front of the hallway and went to rest in the corner for the night.

Since Anatoly had become master of this house, this hallway had become his dogs’ sleeping quarters. He could honestly think of no safer measure. Any man who would dare try to make his way down the hall undetected would be unsuccessful.

Getting closer to the room, he heard the sounds of a stereo. Marvin Gaye played on the surround sound. Yes, Renee was up…and horny.

He opened the door slowly and found her lying in the middle of their king-sized bed waiting naked with a pink bow around her stomach and a red note attached.

“
Took you long enough,” she said, biting her pouty lip.

Anatoly scanned her short, thick body - brown legs cascading over silver satin sheets, long, black hair fanned over the pillow, ripe breasts standing tall and pebbled at the tip- and licked his lips. “I can’t tell you how much I need this tonight,” he said, closing the door behind him.

Pulling off his shirt to reveal tattoos and taut muscle, he walked over to the bed in only his dark jeans and boots and kneeled over the edge. Her foot quickly raised and pushed up against his bare shoulder.

“
Long day?” she asked with a warm understanding in her eyes.

Anatoly shook his head. “We can talk after.” Grabbing her ankle, he pulled her body to him, kissing her calf in the process.

“
Wait, you have to open your present first,” Renee said, sitting up on her elbows. Her brown eyes sparkled in the dim light.

Anatoly’s hand was slow and deliberate. Running over her skin from her knee to her thigh and raking over her swollen mound, he slipped his fingers up to the note on her navel and quickly snatched it up along with tape attached to her.

“
Ouch!” she said, hitting him.

He grinned, revealing dimples. “What is this?” he asked, opening the note.

“
It’s your surprise,” she said, watching on baited breath.

“
You know that I hate surprises,” he said, putting her hand on his belt. “Work while I read, woman.”

Renee pulled away playfully. “No, I want to see your face,” she said, smiling harder.

Anatoly licked his lips and raised his brow. “I’m going to punish you for this,” he said, feeling his steely erection between the two of them. A small piece of white, slick paper was turned around in front of the note. He moved it out of the way and read the words on the note first.

Congratulations, you’re a daddy!

With his heart pounding, he flipped the paper around and looked at the ultrasound photo. He must have stared for minutes because the music went off.

Anatoly could literally feel his heart pounding against his chest cavity. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he wiped his sweaty hand over his mouth and then finally looked down at Renee.

Her voice was different now. “You don’t look happy,” she said, scooting away.

Anatoly reached down and caught her by her fleeting ankle. “Where are you going?” he asked seriously. His beautiful face was like stone.

“
To put on some clothes. I can tell that this is going to be one of
those
conversations.”

“
You don’t know shit,” he said, penning her down on the bed. With his hand over her small wrists, he looked into her eyes. Breathing hard, he pressed a kiss against her lips. It was rough and full of passion, drawing her in with the feel of his fleshy tongue searching her mouth.

Moaning, she closed her eyes and wrapped her legs around him. “So you are happy?” she asked, feeling his hands finally letting her go.

Anatoly didn’t talk. He didn’t want to. Instead, he pulled his jeans down roughly, not even fully taking the time to remove them and guided himself inside of her.

Renee grabbed his perfect backside, pulling him closer to her. Their hot skin met with a clash and then melted into each other. The feel of his sizzling, penetrating flesh pushing through her made her arch her back in submission. He grunted at the feel of her, warm and inviting, as he cupped his hand behind her head to hold her closer and bent to the curve of his breasts. Suckling them, he cradled his head into her bosom, sucking in the fragrant smell of her perfume and the silky feel of her skin against him.

The need in him had pushed beyond the point of conversation. Besides, what could a man rightly say who had all this shit poured on him in less than two hours?

He just wanted to go numb again. And pushing inside of her body might just provide him the escape he craved.

Renee didn’t know what to do. She could feel two forces pulling at them at the same time. He was here, but then he wasn’t. She could see the void in his eyes but at the same time could feel the unrelenting pump inside her. Grabbing his face, she stilled her body.

“
Hey,” she whispered. “Whatever it is…it will be okay. We’ll work through it together.”

Anatoly rose up and looked into her eyes as he slowly moved in her body. “Nothing’s okay,” he finally said, kicking his boots off. Rolling over in the bed, he made her straddle him. “Is it safe to still do this?” he asked, running a hand over her soft hip. That was all that he needed to hear was that he had lost this too.

“
Yes,” she said, planting her hands in the middle of his thick chest. Her fingers lingered in the creases of muscle. “It’s alright to do this.”

“
Then let’s do it right,” he said, pulling her face to him. His blue eyes glared at her. Swallowing hard, he let go of trapped breath. “Regardless of what else is going on, I’m…happy about this,” he frowned.

“
Your face could have fooled me,” Renee said with a chuckle. She waited for Anatoly to laugh but he didn’t. “Ana?” she asked seriously. “What happened?”

“
Just…make love to me first and then I’ll tell you everything,” he said, pulling her in to kiss her mouth again.

“
I love you, baby,” Renee said, moving with his hips as he stretched her body to enter.

“
I love you too,” he said, gripping her waist and pulling her down on top of him.

Chapter 6

When Dmitry jumped out of the bed earlier after receiving Davyd’s call, Royal had just drifted off into sleep. Dmitry had just given her a quick hot bath and washed her hair and promised a little foreplay later. For her, everything was calm and peaceful just as it should have been. She was used to his cell ringing at all times of the day and night, especially with who he was, so she ignored how quickly he answered and aggravation in his voice. But when she heard her husband ask if Anya was alright, if she was safe, Royal’s gears changed. She popped up in the bed to listen, worried that there had been an accident.

If only life was so simple.

When Dmitry had pulled his Glock from the nightstand and headed out of the room, she knew then that there was trouble. She followed behind him with her hands on her mouth, and when Dmitry called for Stepan to get the men and the guns to follow him, she screamed out for him, for an explanation, but Dmitry did not give her one. In fact, it was as if he could not hear her at all.

But he would hear her now.

Standing at the door barefoot with an M-16 on lookout, even though the guards had insisted she stay upstairs by her children, she waited on her husband’s return. Without official confirmation, Royal knew that her family was under attack
again
. God only knew by whom. But if Dmitry did not return with her daughter, it would not matter, because she would demand that he turn the entire world on its ear to find her baby.