Earth Bound (19 page)

He ran his finger down her face to her chin. “You're pretty much everything to me, Lexi, the only thing.”

She frowned at him, shaking her head, but before she could speak, he pressed his finger against her mouth. “Let me say this. I barely know my brothers. I would protect them with my life, but are they capable of taking away the life I've lived? Holding me here? They aren't, Lexi. How could they be?”

“You love them.”

“I don't know what love is unless it's standing in front of me. I'm loyal to them. Everyone has to have a reason to live. To stay alive and protect my brothers seemed a good reason. But then you came along and the ground's shifted right out from under my feet.”

“Gavriil.”

Her voice was soft. Sensual. He hadn't noticed that note before. Her voice slid over his skin like the touch of fingers, reached inside of him and grasped his heart.

“You love your dogs.”

“I do care for my dogs and I want them safe, I care a great deal for them, but again, I would have left them with my brothers. I wouldn't have stayed for them. I'm staying for you. I have never needed or wanted anyone in my life until you. There's a connection between us, and I can't walk away from that. I don't want to.”

“Do you have any idea how scary it is to think about this?”

“Yes. You make me vulnerable. I've never cared one way or the other if I lived or died. You gave yourself to me when I kissed you. You didn't have to. You had no reason to, but you did. I felt it.”

She blinked rapidly and he could see that her lashes were wet. “You gave yourself to me first. If you were going to risk everything, I was going to as well.”

“I'm going to turn into your shadow. And when I can't be with you, Drago and Kiss are going to be with you.” He wasn't going to lie to her. He was no prize. He was going to be difficult to live with.

“I think Kiss is going to be staying right here at home.” She looked around her, as if noticing the sun had come up for the first time. “I'm late. You made me late. I've got to go, Gavriil.”

Reluctantly he stepped away from her, inwardly cursing that he hadn't already introduced the rest of the family members to his dogs. He would have sent Drago with her, but it was too dangerous. The breed had been bred to be independent thinkers, which meant, if Drago thought Lexi was in danger, he would act to protect her without her consent.

Lexi stood a moment looking at his face. He felt the impact of her gaze and wanted to sweep her back into his arms.

“Thank you, Gavriil. For that perfect moment. I felt whole. I wasn't guilty or filled with sorrow or thinking of what happened to my family. I saw only you and felt only sensation. It was a gift you gave me this morning and I'm
going to hold it to me while I work. I'll be thinking of you this morning, not him. Not what he did to me or took from me. You can't know what you've done for me.”

He stepped close to her again, cupping her chin in his palm and looking into the cool forest of her eyes. “I know more than you think,
solnyshko moya
, because you did the same for me. I had no idea a woman was capable of wiping out my past so eloquently.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “A woman?”

He found himself smiling. “
The
woman. You. There is no other. I've been all over the world, and the first time I laid eyes on you, stepping out of the cornfield, I knew then I was lost. It never occurred to me that would ever happen.”

“It still might not, Gavriil,” she cautioned. “I have no idea if I can actually be comfortable or trust a man the way I would need to in order to be in a real relationship. A normal one.”

He stroked his finger down her cheek. “I have news for you,
solnyshko moya
, our relationship will never be normal. We'll make it work for us, not other people. And we'll go slow. You kissed me. That's trust, and it's enough for now.”

She nodded slowly. “You don't know it, Gavriil, but you truly are an extraordinary man.”

“Only you think so. Go out to your lettuce field and I'll be there as soon as possible. I want to talk to Lissa first and then Airiana and Maxim. The others can wait.”

“I'll be safe. Once I'm in the fields, the ground lets me know when someone's approaching. I won't be on the tractor.”

He understood what she meant. She was bound to earth—an earth element—and she could feel danger through the soil itself. Up on the tractor, she had no way to feel trouble coming at her. “You must have felt very vulnerable working at the farm alone at times.”

She shrugged. “It's our home. I'm good at growing things, but I'll admit, I did wish for a dog or two at times to guard my back.”

“Now you've got the dogs and me.”

“I don't know which is better,” she teased.

His answering smile faded from his face as he watched her slip from the house. Immediately she took the sunshine with her. He felt the cold slipping back into his veins. Shadows drew him, settled around him. The dark blue eyes went glacier cold and he was once more the man he was far more familiar with.

L
ISSA
Piner's home was situated on a small hill, surrounded by trees, but the trees were a good forty or fifty feet from her house. She had planted low-lying shrubs, flowers and ground cover all around her home. The grounds appeared well manicured, landscaped and beautiful. Metal structures adorned the landscaping surrounding the house. Each was a large, beautiful sculpture that flowed with the wind, creating movement. The house was two stories with the familiar wraparound porch the women all favored. At first glance it appeared to be the home of an artist. Gavriil wasn't deceived.

He studied the house from the shadows of the giant redwoods. She had the perfect spot for defense. There were no plants or trees that would offer cover to anyone sneaking up on her. He spotted several cameras as well as motion detectors. He would bet his last dollar that this woman not only had an arsenal in her home, but several escape routes involving one or more of the beautiful art pieces decorating the grounds around her house.

Out of habit he checked his favorite weapon, an FNP 45
Tactical with ambidextrous controls. It was accurate and had never let him down. He considered the weapon an extension of his body, and it felt that way in his hand. Fully loaded and ready, he slipped it out of sight and signaled to the dogs to stay.

Gavriil stepped out alone to cross the open space to Lissa's home. He knew within six steps that she was aware of his presence. He'd taken ten more before she appeared on her porch. She had one hand behind a column; the other she used to wave to him. There was no doubt she had a gun in her fist, hidden behind the large carved post. He didn't slow down or hesitate, but continued toward her.

“Is something wrong with Lexi?”

He read the anxiety in her eyes, although her face remained open and friendly. He shook his head. “I dropped by for another reason altogether. Lexi's working in her lettuce field. She said she had to finish planting or she would have come with me.”

Lissa nodded. “The helicopter used to kidnap Airiana set down in her lettuce field and tore it up. Of course she would have replanted. I should have offered to help.”

He had gained the stairs, and it forced her to take a step back. Her hidden hand went behind her for just a moment, and he guessed she had slipped the gun into the waistband of her jeans.

“Did I interrupt something?” He glanced through the screen to the front room where maps and brochures covered the floor. “I guess I should have called ahead, but I didn't think to ask for your phone number.”

She shrugged. “I'm planning a trip. It's not a big deal. I like to get away to other countries. It inspires me to see different architecture. I love the museums and art galleries and I like to blend work with vacation. I've got three clients who want chandeliers, big money for the farm.”

“Do you happen to have coffee?” He tried to look as innocent as possible but figured, when she shot him a look, that he'd failed. “Lexi doesn't have any.”

She nodded slowly. “Come in. My house is a bit of a
mess right now, but if you can keep from stepping on anything, and find a place to sit, we can talk over coffee.”

“Who designed your home?” he asked casually as he stepped inside. He felt an itch between his shoulder blades turning his back on her. He stepped aside politely, holding the screen to allow her to go in front of him.

“I did. I spent a long time trying to come up with the perfect home to suit me. I do a lot of glassblowing and metalwork. In the beginning I didn't have a studio so I had to improvise. I needed a basement until I could find a studio in town I could afford.”

Gavriil took a slow, careful look around. She had beautiful chandeliers, hand blown, as well as paintings and sculptures worth a fortune. He had no doubt some of the paintings were done by Judith, but she had a few masterpieces.

The maps on the floor were mainly of St. Petersburg in Russia. She had books strewn around of buildings and architecture, all Russian.

“You're thinking of visiting St. Petersburg?”

She made no move to close the books or remove the maps, a mark of a true professional. She seemed perfectly at ease. “I've wanted to tour a few of the cities there for a long while. Some of the buildings are so ornate and beautiful. One of the clients interested in my chandeliers is in St. Petersburg, so this is an opportunity I can't pass up. Traveling is a hobby of mine. I've traveled extensively and have managed to see some extraordinary sights.”

“Sicily?” He nodded toward the collection of photographs she had on the wall in her hallway.

“I think Sicily has the best examples of Baroque art and architecture you can find. Give me a minute. I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Do you take anything in it?”

He shook his head. “Just black is fine.”

She was smooth. Lev, Stefan and Maxim had all been around her, and they were very good at scenting danger, but not one of them seemed aware of what Lissa Piner was. He studied the maps and the books.

Lissa returned with a mug of coffee for both of them. She waved him to a chair and sank into the one opposite him. He was fairly certain there were weapons in the chair she had chosen to sit in.

“What can I do for you, Gavriil?” Her eyes remained steady on his face.

“I brought a pair of dogs with me. Black Russian Terriers. Are you familiar with the breed?” It wasn't a common breed in the United States, but he was certain Lissa wasn't originally from the United States.

She didn't even blink. “Not really.”

“They were bred in Russia's Red Star Kennel, a dog for military work. They have a high protective instinct, and my female is pregnant with her first litter. I was going to leave them with my brothers while I led Sorbacov's assassins away from here, but Lexi has convinced me to stay.”

Lissa nodded. “That doesn't surprise me. The farm is overrun with Prakenskiis. There must be some connection between elements that draws other elements. I'm actually glad you're here. I know, without a doubt, you'll protect her. I can see it in your eyes. I just wasn't certain she would let you stay for long.”

“It appears she has decided in my favor.”

“That's good.” She sat back in her chair, seemingly relaxed looking at him over the rim of her coffee mug. “Tell me about Sorbacov. Who is he and why does he want all of you dead?”

Her question didn't surprise him; in fact, he was waiting for it. “It's an old story.”

“But one still going on. He's threatening the lives of my sisters and their husbands. He's capable of sending his assassins here, you've said so yourself. All of you have mad skills when it comes to assassinations, yet none of you have gone after him. Why is that?”

Gavriil sipped at his coffee, studying her face, determining whether or not to give her the information she required. She was patient, waiting for him to make up his mind.

She loved Lexi. She didn't question that he would stay
with her youngest sister. She not only expected it, but wanted him there. “Perhaps, if I am going to give you details about our greatest enemy, I should bring my dogs in for you to meet. Once the introductions are made, they will lie quietly while we discuss this.”

“And they won't eat me when I come to visit.”

“That is the plan. Lexi told me you were uncertain about having dogs on the property. You, of all your sisters, seem most concerned with security and I would think you would want them.”

Lissa smiled at him, but there was no humor in the smile. “I've had a bad experience that colored my opinion. It's silly really. It shouldn't have. We had dogs when I was a child, and our handler betrayed my family. It was a long time ago.”

He felt the difference in the room temperature almost immediately. The warmth was subtle, but it was there. Lissa looked perfectly calm, her hands as steady as a rock around her coffee mug, her eyes as cool and serene as ever, but he knew the memory he'd just brought back was a trigger.

“Tell me what happened.”

“It doesn't matter.”

“You're asking me to treat you like a sister, to give you information I wouldn't ordinarily share with anyone. Give me that same courtesy. I know your real name isn't Lissa Piner and you aren't from this country. English is your second language, not your first, although your accent is impeccable. I know you've done work very similar to mine. You favor your left leg, just a little when you're tired, although it doesn't hamper your speed in the least, so it's an old injury that has healed but still causes pain once in a while.”

They stared at each other, two warriors who had recognized each other almost immediately. Lissa took another sip of coffee.

“Your home is a fortress, and you have an arsenal here. You're far better at hand-to-hand combat and self-defense than you let on, and to be with these women, you've lost a
family member to murder, which probably started you on your path.”

He was guessing on most of the latter, but it was a fairly safe bet.

Lissa shrugged. “I guess you did recognize me, and here I was trying so hard to cover my tracks.”

“Not that hard. You needed help for your next project so you let me see what you wanted me to see.”

She smiled for the first time. “So true.”

“So tell me about the dogs that attacked you. It's important to Lexi that you're comfortable here on the farm. My dogs saved my life. I wouldn't want them to frighten you to the point that you felt the need to protect yourself. They make good protection dogs, and Kiss should have six to ten pups. If each family takes at least one, they'll bond with that owner and protect the house and farm for everyone.”

“It's a good plan but . . .” Lissa pulled up the denim covering her left leg.

The scars were horrific. From her knee to her ankle she carried the evidence of a vicious attack. He waited until she pulled the material back into place.

“What happened?”

“My father was born into a certain family. I won't say he was a good man, but he was a good father. I was too young to know that he was mixed up in things he shouldn't have been, but his father before him had been, so he did what most sons did and became part of the family business.”

Lissa put her mug down. Her hands were still and steady as ever, but her eyes went hot. There was no doubt the room temperature rose another degree or two. He felt sweat begin to bead on his skin and he breathed evenly to accommodate the difference.

“There was a man from a rival family who saw my mother. Their family was much more dangerous than ours, more men, more territory, more money. He went after my mother and she turned him down. I heard her telling my father about it.”

In spite of how casual she tried to appear, her tone grew tighter. He expected the chair beneath her to burst into flames at any moment. The room actually took on a glow, as if the early morning sun had come inside.

“He told my mother to pack a suitcase fast, that we were leaving the country that night. He told my mother the man was psychotic and all of us would be in danger. His father protected him, and he would come after her for turning him down.”

She pressed her lips together, and for the first time he saw her hand shake as she lifted it to her bright red hair.

“Northern Italy,” he guessed to give her some time. “You don't find red hair often in southern Italy, but it's there in the north and your hair is natural.” There was no denying it now. The moment he said it, he could see the fair skin and very red hair, thick and luxurious as Italian hair often was, along with her striking deep blue eyes. The combination was unforgettable, not necessarily an asset in the work he suspected she must have done.

“Ferrara. A beautiful city. We had a wonderful home. I loved it. All the classic architecture. Of course there were men, guards, all the time, but I didn't really understand why at the time. They came as we were leaving, four carloads cutting us off from our ride and the men who would have protected us. I'll never forget the sound of gunfire or the smell of blood as the intruders killed everyone. Our servants. Our protectors. Even our gardener and his family. He had four young children.”

Gavriil inhaled deeply. He could almost smell the scent of gunpowder. He could hear the screams of his mother and the cries of the baby. His father calling out his love to his sons, telling them to be strong, making them promise they would always protect and look after the younger ones.

He lived in Russia, Lexi in the United States, and Lissa in Italy, and all three had been visited by men with guns, men who had destroyed their families. It was no wonder Lissa identified with Lexi and looked after her.

“Our dog handler, a man who had eaten frequently at
our table and even played with me in the gardens, a man my father trusted, betrayed us that night. He was working for the other family and he set the dogs after us. One of the dogs caught up with me and dragged me down. I couldn't keep up with my parents and they both turned back to help me. My father shot the dog but more kept coming.”