Inside Danger (Outside The Ropes Book 2) (26 page)

Dexter had texted too, asking where I was. I guess he’d finally come back to the gym for me. I didn’t want that. I had decided this morning that the best plan was to stay away from everyone, only focus on the gym, until Friday. This Friday. I would fight and then be done with it all. I just had to make it through the week.

Kiera padded into the kitchen as I searched for Pepto Bismol or ibuprofen or any medicine to put me out of my misery. I was about to ask her, she had to have some remedies for as often as she binged, but her smirk stopped me.

She poured herself a cup of coffee, but kept glancing at me, laughter on her lips. “You sounded like you were having fun last night.” She sipped from her oversized mug and leaned her hip on the counter as her eyebrow shot up. “Not so much this morning though.”

An angry fuse sparked and burned, running through my veins. But my heart stilled, any chance of Rusnak not knowing about Gage and I, gone. Unless, I could get her to keep quiet. I stopped my instinct to get in her face and throw her to the floor. Perhaps she was only referring to me getting sick and coming in drunk? Her smug smile told me that wasn’t likely.

“Your friend, I forget his name, the one with the curly hair, lives in this building.” I had her attention now and her smile faltered. “He stopped by for you on Friday. We had an interesting conversation, I didn’t realize you two were such…” I tapped my lips with my index finger considering my words, “good friends?”

The way her face paled and all expression dropped let me know I wasn’t wrong in my assumption. I had been bluffing and it worked.

Now I was the one smirking as I stepped towards her. I placed my hand on the counter in front of her and leaned in, meeting her eyes. “Stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours. Okay?”

She nodded, wide eyed. “I won’t say anything, if you don’t.”

“Deal.” Relief eased some of the tension in my muscles. I pushed off the counter, needing out of this place. We had come to a truce and I didn’t want to ruin it.

I was already dressed in leggings and a long sleeve t-shirt, so I slipped on my running shoes, grabbed my phone, headphones, and some cash, and then I walked out the door.

Stopping at the convenience store across the street, I picked up my much needed medicine and equally needed fountain soda. I hadn’t had soda in so long, not since Gage got me started on clean eating. Nan always said a coke was the best hangover cure, and she might be right. My hangover craved the carbonation and sweet, but refreshing, syrup. I had already wrecked my body last night, this couldn’t do much worse; it felt like it was helping.

I was dragging by the time I walked to The National Mall. I sat on a grassy spot in the sun, watching the people go by. Many families and friends zigzagged happily across the lawn, going from museum to museum. A group of teens played Frisbee nearby and their laughter soothed and irritated me. All this life around me was proof that there was a whole insanely normal and happy world that I wasn’t part of. How had I got stuck somewhere outside it all?

A charter bus pulled up, Tour America, written in big letters on the outside and paintings of different landmarks filled any bare space. As the group of tourist boarded I contemplated my chances of running on. I didn’t even care where it was going. My body pulsed with the thought, adrenaline already flowing. But something kept me seated on the cool grass. I only had till Friday, then I would board a bus going anywhere and get the hell out.

Turning up the volume on my music, I leaned back in the grass and attempted to relax, attempted to block out all thoughts. I needed to rest now. Then I’d jog back to the gym and put in a good workout. I needed it.

My leg jerked as someone kicked my foot. Opening my eyes, I shielded my face from the sun. How long had I been out, a minute, an hour?

“Fuck,” I groaned, sitting up, squinting at Boris.

“Get up.” He kicked my foot again before I could move it away. He shoved his hands in his pocket, his face its typical bored scowl. “Anatoli’s waiting in the car.”

I thought I might get sick again. I pulled my feet under me, taking deep breaths to still the rising queasiness. My fingers pressed into the soft ground as I dug for enough courage to get up and face him.

“After you.” He tilted his head to the dark town car parked in a fire zone on the side of the busy street.

Dread weighed me down, keeping my pace slow. Did he already know? The chill that ran through me was caused by more than the light breeze. But I kept my head up and walked towards the car and whatever was waiting for me. The fact that he found me here proved I would have never made it far on the bus earlier.

Rusnak put one finger up, silencing me as I got in the car. He was on the phone.

“Yes… Next week…Tuesday…”

His eyes were on me, watching me. I looked out the window as the car pulled away, feigning interest in the city passing by.

“He’ll be there…So everything’s still on schedule?” The tip of his finger touched the tattoo behind my ear and then trailed lightly down my neck.

I looked towards him. He was still on the phone but his finger trailed along the collar of my t-shirt. I pressed my lips together to keep myself from throwing up on him. My headache returned with a vengeance. Tangling my fingers in my lap, I forced myself to sit still. This was better than his anger, right?

“Good. Call me as soon as you know.” He ended the call, but kept the phone in his hand, eyes never leaving mine.

“How are you feeling?” His finger retraced its slow path, dragging back up to my ear.

“Sick.” There wasn’t enough air in the car and my skin was getting clammy.

“I shouldn’t have let you drink so much last night,” He murmured, dropping his hand to my knee. He turned his attention to his phone, his thumb bouncing lightly over the screen.

I braced myself for him to say more, but he didn’t. He kept a firm grip on my knee, but otherwise his attention was fully on the small screen in his hand. I let myself entertain the idea that Gage might have been telling the truth, that he somehow found a way to make sure Rusnak wouldn’t know he came over. Or maybe he just didn’t care? He had been with that other girl last night. I wasn’t about to mention any of it.

“I still need to go to the gym. I was just about to go before…” I shifted in my seat, hoping my escape plan would work.

His eyebrow rose, but he didn’t look up from his phone. “We can drop you off at the gym, but first I want an early dinner and you should eat something, it’ll help with the hangover.”

He lifted his head, looking out the window, searching the signs along the building. “And you missed your interview. You must have been feeling pretty sick this morning.” He clicked his tongue at me, but glanced over with a smile and a wink. “Good thing I know the owner.”

Recognizing the restaurant we pulled up in front of, I felt like I was in quicksand. It was the Italian restaurant I was supposed to have interviewed at today. I hesitated before following him out of the car.

“It wasn’t that. I don’t need a job there anymore.”

He looked over the roof of the car at me with a curious smile. “Why is that?”

I closed the door and stepped to the sidewalk, out of the way of traffic. Boris pulled away as soon as I was clear.

“I won’t be staying in DC much longer.” I shrugged and tried to act as if my stomach wasn’t tumbling painfully.

His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t say anything as a dark haired waiter in a crisp white shirt opened the restaurant door for us.

“Welcome.” His smile was bright. “Mr. Rusnak, your table is ready.”

The main dining room was nearly empty as we walked through it. We were led us to a back room divided by a large fireplace and sat in a secluded booth. After the server gave us our menus and walked away, we were the only ones in the room.

He set the menu down, eyes drilling into mine, but then he looked past me and his face broke into his perfect grin. “Francesco.” He stood up. “Are you cooking tonight?”

Francesco extended his hand, shaking Rusnak’s with warmth. “No, not for everyone. But for you Anatoli, of course.” He turned his dark eyes on me and I stood up as he reached for my hand. “And this must be the girl who stood me up earlier.” The laughter in his voice took the sting out of his words.

“Ah, yes. Well that was my fault, as I told you. This is Regan,” Rusnak introduced.

I felt extremely uncomfortable as Francesco looked me over. This was the type of restaurant that would have a dress code, and I was in spandex and a large t-shirt.

The salt and pepper haired man smiled at me. “Well, when can you start?”

Rusnak’s eyes were on me but he stayed mute as I decided how to answer.

“Next week.” The lie came out easy, although I wasn’t sure it was the right action.

“Wonderful. There is only a little bit of paperwork I need—”

“You two can handle that after we eat. I have somewhere to be soon,” Rusnak interrupted, sitting back down in his seat. He picked up the menu. “We’ll both have the Ossobuco di Agnello.”

“Of course. And to drink?” Francesco immediately turned his full attention to Rusnak.

I sat back down, stomach twisting with the thought of alcohol.

“Two ice teas.” Rusnak handed the menus back to Francesco.

Once we were alone again, Rusnak pierced me with a look. “So which is it? Do you need the job or not?”

Maybe I shouldn’t have lied? “I don’t—”

“Because you think you’re leaving DC? When?” He cut through my explanation.

“After my fight.” I spoke slowly, calmly.

“Then why did you tell him you would start next week?” He leaned back in his chair, voice icy.

I dropped my eyes to the napkin in front of me and shrugged.

“Look at me.” He leaned in close, dropping his head to capture my eyes again. “Now tell me. Why did you lie to him?”

“I didn’t want to make you angry.” I was too flustered to do anything but admit the truth. I had thought contradicting him in front of Francesco would have angered him. And my nerves were already raw, waiting on him to explode about last night.

He pressed his lips together as a smile tugged them up. “Sweetheart, you should take the job. You can’t go back to Baltimore, there’s still a price on your pretty little head. Remember, that’s why you’re here with me. I’m keeping you safe.”

I shook my head. The room was coming down around me. I was in the middle of a disaster. “You promised to let me out of all this when I was done fighting,” I reminded him, the beginning stages of panic tightening my chest. It felt like forever ago that he made that promise, the first time I went to the gun range with him.

He nodded. “I did. And I keep my promises, but I can’t let you get killed. When the threat is gone, you can go.” He reached across the table, capturing my hand in his. “But I do want to stay in your life.”

I looked down, avoiding his probing gaze. I didn’t want him to see how much those words affected me. How hopeless he made me feel. He shook my hand slightly, and I knew he was waiting for me to say something.

“I…” I looked up at him. “I want to move to California.” I chose the state randomly, somewhere far from him and this city. But it reminded me of the dreams Nan and I shared when we were younger. “I could move after the fight. There’s no threat there.” And once I arrived I would move somewhere different, somewhere that Rusnak couldn’t find me either. I’d only told him this much because I knew it would make it easier to leave if I had his approval.

He dropped my hand as Francesco delivered our drinks. The man didn’t speak or look at either of us, he must have felt the tension too.

“I have several connections there, in many of the cities. In fact, I own a winery in Napa Valley. I can set you up with an apartment.” He sipped his drink, always watching for a reaction. “What?” He smiled at me.

I swallowed the bile that was beginning to rise as I realized how far his reach went. “How many different businesses do you have?” I needed to turn the conversation. Stop talking about me.

“I’m a money man. I invest in whatever I think can make me money, with people I trust.”

I lay in bed that night, embracing the exhaustion from a long day and hard work out. But I think it was the stress of dinner with Rusnak that wore me out the most. He never mentioned Gage and neither did I. Maybe he really didn’t know.

Knocking on the apartment door pulled me out of my thoughts. Kiera’s footsteps traveled down the hall as she went to open it. Then she was pounding on my door.

“Wake up,” she slurred, annoyance clear in her voice.

The moment I opened the door, she was shoving a clothing box into my arms.

“It’s from him. For you.” The box crumpled slightly with the force, spilling the contents on the floor.

From a quick scan I saw the Lululemon symbol on some of the clothes and a running belt with a can of mace in it. The top of the box had a note that said,

For running in the city. –Anatoli

I met her glassy eyes and she backed away with a huff, running out the door.

The heavy anchor of dread followed me through the next day, gaining weight as the time passed. Nothing happened to add to the unease, but that was the problem, I kept expecting something that never materialized.

I tried to go to bed early. I tried to be thankful for the calm day. I had managed to avoid everyone with a slight change to my routine, Kiera, Dexter. The only person I interacted with was Kyle while I trained. Rusnak never tried to contact me, but I kept waiting, he had me on edge.

Pulling the sheets around me, I tried to remind myself I only had till Friday. Friday I would be out no matter what he said. But that promise did nothing to ease the weight around me, and it pressed into my dreams that night.

“Whore.” Rusnak’s face twisted in fury as he yelled at me, mere inches away.

I couldn’t move. My body wasn’t working. There was nothing but darkness and Rusnak.

“Stupid Bitch.” His face morphed into Damien’s, but it was Rusnak’s voice laced with venom.

Then he disappeared and Gage stood in the darkness, too far away to reach. His mouth fell open as if to yell.