Stone Cold Knockout (House of Pain Book 1) (23 page)

“
Doesn't matter what she thinks she wants. She's coming home,” Big Jimmy said with a mirthless laugh. Mikhail turned his gaze back to her father.

“
I will drive her to your home,” Mikhail said.

“
No, you won't,” Big Jimmy shook his head. “You're going to go about your merry way and be glad that I don't put my foot through your ass like I want to.” Mikhail blinked, but otherwise gave no reaction to the harsh words. “As far as I'm concerned, you're the reason she's in this shitstorm of a situation. I take my blame, but you made her think she was actually ready for the ring.” He sighed deeply, running his hand over his face. Mikhail could see how much Gennifer's situation pained him. “You will not be welcome in my home. You will not see her. You might as well forget you even knew her.”

“
You can not keep her from me,” Mikhail said coldly, keeping his anger in check out of respect for the older man. They both wanted what was best for Gennifer, but Big Jimmy was a fool if he thought Mikhail would give her up.

“
Maybe you think I'm an old man who can't do shit, but she has all of us behind her. Hector, Tate—all of us. We stick together. We're closing ranks. So don't fuck with me.” Big Jimmy pushed past him and knocked on her closed door. “You decent, baby girl?”

“
Yeah, come on in,” she called, her voice muffled by the door. Mikhail took a step toward the door, but Big Jimmy held up a beefy hand and halted him.

“
Not you.” Mikhail felt his chest tighten and his fists flex. He wasn't used to being told what to do. And he hated being told to stay away from Gennifer. “Don't make me fight you, boy, cuz you'll lose,” Big Jimmy said, stepping into the room and slamming the door shut in Mikhail's face.

Chapter 19

G
ennifer rolled over on the lumpy twin bed, moaning as the bright light of the desk lamp hit her right in the corneas.

“
Yasmine, if you're just texting your boyfriend, can't we turn off the light?” she asked, throwing an arm over her face to block out the light.

“
I'm not texting, G,” Yasmine said, and Gennifer could hear the eye-roll in her voice. “I'm Snapchatting.”

“
I don't know what that is and I don't care.” Gennifer dropped her arm to scowl at her younger sister. Yasmine puckered her lips and raised her eyebrows in an exaggerated face, then pressed a button on her phone, taking a picture. “You look like a fool, you know that right?”

“
Ugh! When are you going home?” Yasmine asked, rolling over on her back.

“
Not soon enough,” Gennifer sat up, knowing that sleep was not going to happen as long as Yasmine was up. She tossed a raggedy stuffed bear at Yasmine, hitting her in the head.

“
You're so annoying!” Yasmine yelled, throwing the bear at Gennifer's retreating back. Gennifer dodged it and it hit the closet door with a soft plop. She stuck her tongue out at Yasmine, who responded with a face of her own.

“
I can't wait until you're not a teenage girl anymore,” Gennifer said, catching Tiny's eye. Tiny lay on her stomach on the top bunk, reading her tattered copy of the French language version of
Jane Eyre
. The skinny girl shrugged and grinned, seemingly on Gennifer's side.

“
You and me both,” Yasmine grumbled, eyes back on her phone. With a sigh, Gennifer left the overcrowded bedroom and headed downstairs. She'd been at Big J and Maria's house for a week, and she was seriously going to kill someone if she didn't get back to her condo soon. The only good thing about staying with her parents was the food. She flicked on the kitchen light and opened the refrigerator, scouting out the leftovers. Maria had been making all of Gennifer's favorites all weeks. Tamales. Plantains.
Sopa de pollo
. She'd been eating like a queen since she'd been home. The
piece de resistance
was the three layered lime coconut cake that Maria had made from scratch. Her mouth watering, she pulled the half-eaten cake out of the fridge and set it on the counter. Not even bothering to get another plate, she cut herself a big slice and ate it with her hands, like she used to as a child.

Licking her fingers clean, she put the cake back in the fridge and went into the living room. She slumped on the couch and turned on the TV. Flicking through channel after channel, she finally settled on a true crime show. She let her mind wander as the show went on. Even though she had stopped actively trying to remember the days, weeks, and possible months that she had lost, she still couldn't help thinking about Mikhail. She hadn't seen him since that day in the hospital. He had left without saying goodbye, and for some reason, it irked her. Sometimes a memory would come back to her, a little slip of a moment in time, and she wanted to ask him about them. For instance, she remembered meeting him at a restaurant named Tsar, but she didn't know when that had happened, or what they had talked about. It was just a flash of a memory, really. She remembered how Mikhail had sat next to her, his shoulder brushing hers. She remembered the feel of his hand on her thigh...

But that was all.

There were other memories too, but nothing substantial. Nothing that would help her piece her life back together. It was like putting together a puzzle
—she had a few pieces matched, on the corners and the sides, but the center was still a big gaping hole. She had a feeling Mikhail was the one that could help her figure it all out. Unfortunately, Big J had her locked down. She didn't even know where her purse was, or her car, for that matter. She couldn't escape if she wanted to.

The front door opened, interrupting her thoughts. Gennifer jumped, then caught herself as Brandon entered. He shut the door lightly behind him and then jumped himself when he saw her sitting on the couch.

“Where the hell have you been, out so late?” Gennifer asked, sitting forward. The boy shrugged, and glanced up the dark stairs.

“
They asleep?” he asked.

“
If you mean Big J and Maria, yes.”

“
Cool. So they don't have to know I was out late,” he said, eyeing her like the little con artist he was.

“
No, I think they do.” Gennifer crossed her arms over her chest. “Where were you?”

“
Out,” the kid said, staring back at her with the same stubborn look she probably had on her face. Gennifer narrowed her eyes at him.

“
Did you get something to eat, at least?” she asked. “There's leftovers from dinner. I'll heat them up for you if you want.”

“
Naw, G. I ate,” he said, his defensive stance softening. “But thanks.”

“
So where were you?” she pushed again.

“
Goddamn. At the movies. You happy now?”

“
What did you see?”

“
You are worse than Big J, you know that?” he asked, scowling.

“
I take that as a compliment. Now go to bed.” Gennifer leaned back on the couch, turning her eyes back to the TV.

“
You know that white guy is outside, looking for you.”

“
What? What white guy?” Gennifer said, sitting up straight again, her heart suddenly beating out of her chest.

“
Your white guy. Mikhail.” Brandon shrugged. “He's been out there every night this week.”

“
Shit.” Gennifer went to the window and threw open the heavy curtain. She couldn't see anything, just an empty street lined with cars.

“
So you don't tell Big J I was out late, and I won't tell him about Mikhail. Deal?” Brandon asked, his eyes lighting up with mischief.

“
Go to bed,” Gennifer said, already on her way to the front door. She opened it and stepped out onto the threshold, eyes darting around the seemingly empty street. She slid on a pair of Yasmine's flip-flops and walked outside, closing the door behind her. She was only wearing a T-shirt and a pair of tiny shorts, but she didn't care. At that moment, she could only concentrate on Mikhail.

Her heart caught in her throat when a dark figure emerged from the shadows.

“Mikhail?” she whispered, biting her lip.

“
Hello, Gennifer,” he said, finally stepping into the light. His face was handsomer than she remembered, she realized, even though his beard was fuller. There was something about his eyes that immediately drew her in. She stepped out into the middle of the quiet street, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He met her half-way, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants.

“
Were you just going to stand out here all night or were you going to come say hello?” she asked, goosebumps rising on her arms despite the muggy late summer night.

“
I have been looking at that window for the past hour,” he said, pointing at the window of the room she shared with Yasmine and Tiny. The light was still on. “Knowing you were in there, still awake. I was hoping you would come out, eventually.”

“
Why?” Gennifer asked. “Did Big J tell you to stay away from me?”

“
He is worried about you,” Mikhail said, simply.

“
Well, I'm fine. The tremor is gone and the doctors say I can go back to work next week.”

“
But you still do not remember.” He swallowed hard, his jaw clenching like he was trying to stop himself from saying more.

“
No,” she admitted, dropping her eyes to the pavement. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her nipples tightened under the thin cotton of her shirt as he leaned in closer, but he didn't speak. She wanted him to touch her, she realized. She remembered how he had caressed her at the hospital and she wanted more of that. She wanted more of him.

“
I have something for you,” he said after a moment, breaking the heavy silence. He turned and walked back to a bike that was parked under a tree. He pulled her something out of one of the side-bags on the bike and then turned back to her.

“
My purse!” Gennifer clutched the black designer leather bag to her chest in gratitude. “I was worried I'd left it at House of Pain or something.” She opened the bag and dug around inside. Her phone, wallet, and house keys were all there. “Oh my God. Now I can go home. I've been craving my own bed for the last five days,” she said, smiling wide at Mikhail. He didn't smile back. He worked his jaw, chewing gum, silently. “Wait,” Gennifer said, her brow furrowing as she realized something was missing.  “Where are my car keys?”

“
I have them,” he said, with a slight shrug.

“
And my car?”

“
It is parked in my garage, safe and sound.”

“
I need my car,” Gennifer said, a warning bell ringing low in her brain. What the hell kind of game was the Russian playing?

“
And you will have it.”

“
I can drive, my doctors signed off on it.”

“
Come and get it,” he said, shrugging again. Gennifer stared up at him for a moment, annoyance building.

“
That's stealing, you know? You can't steal my car.”

“
I did not steal. You gave me the keys and told me to drive you to my apartment after Bout It. I did so, and parked the car in my garage. Where it remains.”

“
I let you drive my car?!” Gennifer hissed, incredulous. “That doesn't sound like me.”

“
That is why I thought, at the time,” he said, his eyes glittering in the low light. “Obviously, you were not in your right mind.” His mouth ticked slightly, and she realized he thought the situation was humorous. Asshole! Slinging the strap of her purse over her arm, she stepped closer to him, pointing her finger at his chest.

“
I want my car,” she said, slowly so he could understand her.

“
Come home with me,” he said, staring down at her intensely, all humor gone.

“
And if I don't come home with you?”

“
You car will stay in my garage.”

“
You can't do that.”

“
Do not make me.” He grabbed her hips so suddenly that she gasped. He pulled her into him, her soft chest smashing against his hard and unyielding one. She let out a slow breath, trying to keep her wits about her. “I can not live without you,
solnyshka
. I need you,” he whispered, his voice straining. “Do not make me sleep alone for another night.” Gennifer could barely breathe at his words. She closed her eyes, wanting to remember so badly. She could feel his desperation and it scared her. His intensity was too much to bear.

“
Let me go,” she whispered, refusing to raise her eyes to meet his. He swung her around, pressing her back against a parked car. She moaned as he ran his hand underneath her shirt and cupped her right breast. She arched her back into his touch. She felt out of control. Her head was spinning with so many questions, but she didn't have any answers.

“
I have had every part of you. Your pussy. Your mouth. Your ass. You love fucking my big cock. Let me show you how much you love it," he said, his words filling her brain and pushing all other thoughts out. “I love fucking you, Gennifer,” he murmured, his thumb brushing across her nipple like a caress. “I love making you come. I love making you scream.” He pressed his lips to her neck and she shivered. “Let me show you.”

"I have to... I have to go back inside," she stammered, needing to feel in control of something. Mikhail was too much for her to handle. The thought of fucking him made her whole body clench from head to toe, but she was overwhelmed by him. If she fucked him, she had no idea what would happen. The mere thought was terrifying.

"Do not act like a shy virgin,
solnyshka
. It does not suit you," he said and she could hear anger in his words. Good. She could deal with anger. Anger was one emotion she could definitely handle.

"Being a cocky asshole doesn't suit you either," she hissed, shoving him until he took a step back.

"You never had problem before." His accent thickened as anger came over his face like a shadow.

"Well that was then, this is now." She shook off the raging lust and focused on her own anger. "I want my car. You can't keep holding it hostage."

"Come with me right now and you can have it."

"I'm not going near your apartment!"

"Why?" He was on her again in a flash, pinning her against the car. "Why are you afraid of me?”

“
I'm not afraid of you,” she said, lying through her teeth.

“
Nothing can keep me from you,” he said, and she could feel the pain in his words. She just couldn't handle it.