Authors: Aliyah Burke
Reaching into his pocket, Dimitri pulled out a large zip tie and tossed it at her. “Put it on.”
She caught it with ease. “Two hundred fifty thousand is a lot of money. How much are you being paid to stop me?”
Shaking his head he said, “Not even close to that. It would take me a long time to make that amount of money. A very long time.”
Mara put her hands in the loop she made. As she brought the end to her mouth to pull it tight, she stopped. “I’ll split it with you.
Fifty-fifty, right down the middle.” With her teeth, she drew the black strap tight. He shook his head. “You sure?” she asked. “I could still make the shot.”
“Afraid not, Mara. Walk over here to me, nice and easy.” Dimitri saw her look longingly back to her gun and sigh.
“You win.” Her legs brought her near. Mara looked up at him, her deep blue eyes soft and gentle.
Dimitri stepped back and gestured to the door. “Let’s go.”
A sliver of warning snaked up his spine. It seemed like slow motion as he turned his head to see another man running at him, weapon drawn. Mara screamed. Firing at him, Dimitri cursed as the dying man got off a bullet that lodged in his inner upper thigh. He crumpled to one leg and fired at another man who had come around a vent. Another shot hit him. As he turned to check on Mara, the world grew fuzzy.
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Pain unlike any he’d ever experienced seared through him as he fell forward. Mara’s face was close to his and she shook her finger at him. He could see blood on her hands.
“Should have taken me up on my offer. But that’s okay. I’ll get another shot at the ambassador, while you…well, let’s just say I don’t think you’ll get off this rooftop alive. It’s a shame, really; we could have been really good together.” She pressed a kiss to her bloodied fingertips and touched his cheek. “Goodbye.”
Dimitri tried to respond, but he couldn’t. He could only lie there bleeding while Mara walked away without a look back. Breathing became increasingly difficult and his limbs felt heavier and heavier. He could barely keep his eyes open to register the concerned face leaning over him. All he could see were shadows.
“Hang in there, Merlin. We’ll get you home. Stay with me!” The voice was familiar though he didn’t recognize its owner. It calmed him as he fell into a deep abyss.
Landi!
She was his last thought before the darkness totally consumed him.
Sixteen
Landi groaned as she pulled into the gas station. A definite benefit to residing in New York City was she seldom had to do this. Getting out, she burst out laughing when she popped the gas-tank cover on Kacy’s Camaro to find a small note tapped to the cap.
Make sure you use the gas I said!
“Crazy ass woman,” she muttered, pulling the paper off and wadding it up into a ball that she shoved in her pocket.
Shoulda known
Kacy would pull a stunt like that.
As she filled the tank, her mind drifted back to Dimitri. Perhaps
returned
would be a better word, for he rarely seemed far from her thoughts.
She paid for the gas and went to the store to grab a few more things for the party Lex was having for the women. Being the one who wasn’t married, Landi had volunteered to go out and get the requested items. As she arrived back at the house, her stomach fluttered and flipped. There parked amongst the others sat Dimitri’s Jeep Wrangler.
“What the—?”
Her heart pounded erratically and her palms sweat. Parking, she shut off the powerful engine and got out, stopping at the trunk to grab her purchases. Landi hesitated a moment before entering the house full of feminine chatter.
“Hey, Landi, glad you’re back,” Lex said, approaching her.
“Been craving some of that chocolate.”
Without hesitation, Landi passed off the bag of chocolate and entered to the living room where the women sat. There were no men she could see. However, there was one woman she didn’t recognize.
She was very pretty, her hair in ringlets, with smooth brown skin and eyes. Her outfit was very casual—cargo pants and a ribbed tee-shirt.
“Landi, come meet, Affrica O’Shea, Aidrian’s sister,” Kacy said.
With a smile on her face, Landi approached the woman and shook her outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you.” Landi noticed a fire in Affrica’s eyes and in that moment, she realized why Aidrian had said she was stubborn and hard-headed.
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“It’s verra nice ta meet ya,” Affrica said, her voice tinged with the same lilt as her brother’s.
“Affrica just got back from India,” Kacy informed her.
“Really? That must have been amazing. What were you doing over there?” Landi asked.
Affrica smiled. “I’m a freelance photographer and was over there getting some shots. When I was done with that I stopped by to visit ma brother, but it turns out they’re gone. So I took Dimitri’s Jeep then came here.”
“You know Dimitri?” Anger pooled in her belly.
“Yes. He lets me use his vehicle.” She sent Landi another kind grin. “I recognize you now from the pictures of you he has up in his place.”
The fact this woman had free access to Dimitri’s vehicle and home didn’t sit well. The news her photo was up in his house, however, pleased her. Her emotions must have been plain on her face for Affrica reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.
“I’m naught but a little sister to him. Always have been and always will be.”
Landi blushed, a bit embarrassed she’d been so transparent. Affrica winked and leaned back in her seat. The remainder of the day was fun and relaxed. When Kacy dropped her off at Norfolk International, Landi pulled her in for a hug.
“What’s that for?” Kacy asked when they separated.
“For being such an awesome person and military wife.”
“Oh, sweetie. It’s going to be okay. He’ll be home soon. Both of them.” Kacy smiled and asked, “Are you sure you have to go? I wish you could stay longer. It always seems like you’re running off to different parts of the world.”
“I wish I could. I have a meeting tomorrow. I’ll be back soon, and definitely in time for the birth of little Landi.” She winked and laughed at the comical expression on Kacy’s face.
When the laughter had died, Kacy looked at her with tears in her eyes. “I’ll miss you.”
“Me, too, hon.” Landi hugged her again and got out of the vehicle. Leaning in through the open window, she said, “Call me if you need anything.” Standing up, she stuck her head back by the window.
“Oh, yeah, left you a gift in the guest room. I gotta run. Give the other women my thanks for including me today. Love ya, Kacy!” She blew 150
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her a kiss and entered the airport without looking back, her bags trailing behind.
Having boarded the plane, she sat in her first-class seat only half watching the rest of the people finding their seats. Landi thought about the clothes she’d left for Kacy. Hopefully, her friend would enjoy them.
Sipping her pre-flight drink, she thought about what it would be like to settle down, to leave her life in New York City and be in Virginia Beach.
What would my life be like?
The fact she had almost married him before didn’t matter. After being with the wives, the idea was even fresher in her mind. To be a part of that group of women, to be a part of Dimitri’s life. The big
what
if
?
She looked out the small window and reached for her mp3 player. They’d reached cruising altitude and so she put in her earphones and leaned back with her eyes closed. Dimitri sprung into her mind and she drifted off to sleep with him and strands of soulful R&B guiding her.
It was close to ten at night when she rode up the elevator to her loft. Landi stared down at her left hand. It seemed empty despite the rings she wore on her thumb and middle finger.
Landi got off on her floor and went to her door. “Damn them for getting me to think this way! I was perfectly fine with the way things were!” Even as she uttered those words, Landi knew it was a total fabrication. She longed for more.
Once inside, she took her luggage to her room and sank to her chaise, removing her shoes. Flopping back against the pale gold-and-pink, jacquard-pattern fabric, Landi closed her eyes and relaxed there until her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten. She’d not been hungry on the plane. Changing into some comfortable loungewear, she went to the kitchen to find something to eat. She ate about half of her frozen dinner, comparing the quiet she had to the jovial activities with Kacy and the rest of the women. Even her solitude didn’t seem as appealing as it once had.
Setting her fork down, Landi went to the bag she’d left sitting in the living room. With care, she withdrew the rolled photograph and spread it out on the leather cushions of her sofa. Affrica had given this to her from her portfolio. The square image was two feet long and done in a matte finish. It was of the tea fields of India and a large tiger was in one of the rows, a large regal head raised in silent challenge. There was immense power in his gaze and it made her shiver. The zoom on
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Affrica’s camera must be amazing for Landi could see the dew on some of the leaves. She hung the photo on her wall and then returned to the kitchen.
“I’m still not hungry.” She tossed the remainder of her food.
Looking around her apartment, Landi wondered if she
could
leave it all behind. She grabbed her bottled water off the table and went to her work area. Music on, she sat down at her design table and gathered the images she needed for the meeting the following day. That ready, she reached for a clean pad of paper and began to sketch. Soon she was lost in creating a new design. She heard her cell ringing over the music more than once but ignored it, wanting to finish what she was doing.
As she shaded in the dress, her home phone began to ring. Landi have every intention of paying no attention to it until Kacy’s voice broke through the music as she left her message on the answering machine.
“Landi, it’s Kacy. Hon, you need to pick up the phone. I need to talk to you—something’s happened! Call me as
soon
as you get this, no matter the hour! It’s about Dimitri!”
The lead broke against the paper and the pencil dropped. Landi bolted for her cell phone. Her hands shook horribly as she brought up Kacy’s number and pressed send.
“Landi,” Kacy said immediately when she picked up. “Where’ve you been?”
“What happened?” she demanded, ignoring the pleasantries.
“He was injured. Badly.”
Landi’s legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor before a chair. “Tell me,” she rasped.
“I don’t know the details, Landi. Not other than he’s stable for the moment.”
“His parents?” she asked. “They can’t lose their only remaining son! It would kill them! They’ve already lost one!”
“I don’t know if they’ve been told. I had to have permission to tell you, so you can’t say anything.”
Landi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Where is he?”
Kacy’s hesitation was blatant and she cried, “Kacy! Tell me!”
“I can’t.” Landi longed to hit her for those two words. “Landi, it’s not that I don’t want to, I can’t tell you. I don’t have that info yet.”
Kacy sighed and said in a gentle tone, “Just get down here. We should know more by the time you arrive.”
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“I’m hopping the first flight I can. I’ll rent a car and be at your house as soon as possible.”
“Landi…I’m sorry. Love you, hon.”
Hanging up the phone, Landi shut her eyes and ran her hands over her face. For a moment, she remained on the floor and fought to regain her composure. With a deep breath, she got to her feet, grabbed the house phone, and headed for the bedroom. Yanking her still packed suitcase onto her bed, she dumped the contents from her last trip on the pink-and-blue floral comforter. As she stuffed it full of clean clothing, Landi called the airport for the first flight out to Virginia Beach.
Standing right inside the door to her apartment building, Landi placed another call as she waited for her taxi.
“Hello?” a feminine voice heavy with sleep asked. Samantha Huff, Jason’s partner. They had yet to get married but acted as if they were.
“Hey, Samantha, it’s Landi. Sorry for waking you. Can I talk to Jason?”
“Sure, hang on.”
Landi heard her wake Jason as she went outside and got in her taxi, her lone bag beside her. Giving the cabbie her destination, Landi waited for Jason’s voice.
“Landi?” Jason’s sleep-laden voice came on the line. “What’s up, hon? Everything okay?”
Tears pricked her eyes. “I’m on my way back to Virginia Beach.
I’m so sorry to do this to you, but I’m going to need you to handle the meeting without me. Everything is ready; the portfolio is at my apartment by my workstation.”
“Landi?” he asked, concern laced his tone.
“I don’t have information at the moment. I’ll tell you when I know,” she responded even as she willed the taxi to go faster. “My cell will be on; call if you need me.”
“I’ve got it covered up here. Take care, you,” he murmured af-fectionately.
“Thanks, Jason.” Landi ended the call. She knew Jason was worried, especially since she’d never missed a meeting. Ever. This very meeting was the reason she’d not been able to stay longer with Kacy and had had to return home.
At JFK airport, she paced impatiently as she had herself and her bag checked by security. Once she sat in her seat on the plane, she leaned back and closed her eyes.
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Dimitri!
She shuddered at the thought of never seeing him again. Never holding him. In no way experiencing his touch, smelling his scent, or more unless in a dream. It made her sick to her stomach.
She faintly heard the captain speaking, but it didn’t register. She barely paid attention to the flight attendants demonstrating the procedures in case of an emergency. Landi struggled to remain calm. This was a five hour flight including the connection in Washington D.C.