Page 54 of Claim Me
I tossed the roses toward him. “Take those with you. I can’t stand the sight of them any longer.” The nearly black petals broke apart, fluttering to the floor as if this were a macabre wedding of the dead. He hadn’t bothered ducking, standing like some fucking statue studying me as if I was the problem.
His reaction only fueled the anger into rage.
Next came the jewelry. I hurled the box they’d been safely stored in toward him. This time, he managed to snap his hands around the wood. At least his jaw was clenched, highlighting his sheer annoyance with me. Who gave a shit.
He backed away, heading toward the door, placing the box on the stairs. When he did, I caught the glimpse of the weapon I’d seen on the nightstand and shuddered.
Whatever the meeting, I had a feeling only one would survive.
I wasn’t certain I cared.
With his hand on the door, he hesitated. The way he shifted so he could look at me created a knot in my stomach. “I understand your anger and your distrust, but what happened between us last night wasn’t about me using you. It was about me losing my mind. However, that can never happen again.”
“Wow. An unexpected news flash. From your perspective, why is that?” With the flash drive nestled tightly in my hand, I folded my arms.
“Because you won’t be safe unless I place my full attention on protecting you and I will keep my promise to Charlie. If after you’ve read the documents and had some time to process the situation we’ve both been placed in the middle of you don’t want me in your life, that can be arranged. But you will be protected every minute of every day. You have no choice. You will need to take a leave of absence from the orchestra.”
“I have a concert in two days, a charity benefit that I can’t back out of.” I’d forgotten all about the event. I wanted so desperately to play a solo, yet I wasn’t certain if the music would flow. How could it?
He took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds as if countering his frustration. “I’ll consider it. Just so you know, the items were gifts for a talented professional. You’re an amazing musician, Marissa. Never forget that.”
There were so many things to say, and maybe an apology needed for my atrocious behavior, but finding the right words wasn’t possible. I was just so very lost.
As he opened the door, he purposely turned his head away as if that would keep me from retorting.
Not a chance. If I didn’t say my piece, I’d never forgive myself.
“You don’t know me very well, Kazimir, and it’s obvious you believe me weak. I do appreciate you wanting to protect me and honor Charlie’s wishes. While it might not show right now, I can be very strong. My life is what I choose to make it. Not you. And you have no choice but to honor my wishes as we navigate these murky waters. Try and remember, all I have is my music. Nothing else. It was all taken from me. That’s something I believe you understand, although I’m certain you’ll never allow me to see that side of you. That’s what trust is about. Seeing and experiencing raw emotions.” Now I was the one who turned away from him on purpose.
No one was going to tell me how to run my life, including the man who’d awakened something deep, dark, and unforgiving inside.
When I turned back, he was gone.
For about a thousand reasons, I was more distraught than before. While the horror of my brother’s murder weighed heavily on my mind, the realization that what Kazimir and I had sharedhad been nothing more than a blip in time created the worst sadness of all.
A single sob left my throat and I stared down at the flash drive. Maybe I didn’t want to know the truth after all.
CHAPTER 16
Kazimir
Intimidation tactics 101.
That’s what my father had called strong-arming everyone who got in the way of our success. In the old days, there was no question that violence was necessary to make the correct point. While the body count had been significant after my father and uncle had established the Bratva after moving from Moscow, over the years death had given way to haunting reminders.
I’d seen my father’s work, including his expertise in knife skills. It was amazing how losing a finger or a big toe provided the incentive needed.
Fast forward fifteen years later and using brutality was usually not necessary. Why should it be when crushing a company’s success with hard work and a better insight into what customers preferred worked just as well? Or when developing alliances using trust and mutual respect lasted for generations? When all else failed, the use of hackers and social media contact became tools of choice.
Not knives.
Not guns.
Certainly not explosives.
That’s why Dmitriyev Enterprises was considered one of the most respected corporations in the world. We no longer needed to rely on brutality.
However… There were exceptions to the rule.
