Vicious Protector by Maggie Cole

3

Adrian

She's making me crazy.

How could she have associated with a Petrov?

Images of her on the thug's lap never seem to go away. All week, it haunts me. Then she brings their name into the gym—an Ivanov building.

The thought of her with any Petrov enrages me. I hate I'm still attracted to her. I'd give anything to go back and not do what I just did with her. Now I know what she tastes like and how she responds to me. It takes the notion of what I assumed she's like and blows it up. She's so much better than I expected.

Those goddamn lips.

She thinks it's okay to play with Petrovs.

I go into the bathroom and clean up. Maksim walks in. Things are still a bit off between us after the Cat's Meow debacle.

"You should tell your girlfriend to make sure her friends don't bring up Petrovs in our company."

Maksim's eyes turn to slits. "What are you referring to?"

"Ask your woman who sat on a Petrov lap."

Maksim reaches for my neck, and I reach for his.

"What the hell?" Obrecht yells when he steps inside and breaks us up.

"You better watch your mouth, Adrian," Maksim snarls.

"Petrovs," I seethe.

"We've gone over this. Aspen nor her friends knew who the Petrovs were. Stop blaming them. It was my fault Aspen was there. She didn't know," Maksim insists.

"That's funny. I don't recall you telling me to take them to the Cat's Meow and get so wasted they could hardly stand," I bite back.

Maksim angrily shakes his head. "Grow up, Adrian. It happened. It's over."

"This is only starting. Nothing is ever over with the Petrovs," I remind him.

He turns to Obrecht. "Talk some sense into your brother before he lets his anger get the best of him and he does something stupid." Maksim stomps out of the bathroom.

"What the hell is up your ass?" Obrecht asks.

"It's the Petrovs," I hiss. "Aspen and her friends were in a Petrov VIP room. On their laps."

Obrecht goes to the urinal and pees. He says, "Do you honestly think any of those women would knowingly get involved with a Petrov?"

"What if they are?"

He cocks his eyebrows. "What if they aren't?"

I shouldn't say it. It's below the belt, but I blurt out, "I think you, of all people, understand how the power of what if can destroy your life."

Obrecht's shoulders tighten. He finishes peeing, zips his pants, then turns. Scowling, he goes to the sink and washes his hands. "Since I'm in a good mood, let me teach you a lesson instead of slicing your tongue out of your mouth."

I snort. I would deserve it, bringing up Annika. She's the only woman he has ever loved. Obrecht may still love her for all I know. He wanted to marry her but found out the Petrovs planted her to spy on him and screw with his mind.

He turns the water off then pulls towels out of the machine. "When you let the past dictate the future, you let them win. You end up hurting people around you instead of the people who should receive your wrath." He tosses the towels and steps in front of me. "Those women out there don't know anything about our world or the Petrovs. So before you ignite a war with Maksim, try to remember Aspen's his woman. He's happy. I've never really seen him happy before. She's not the enemy, nor are her friends."

"You don't know if they are connected to the Petrovs or not."

Obrecht sniffs hard. "Of course I do. What do you think I did on Sunday, after Dmitri and Anna's wedding, when I found out what happened?"

Crap. I should have known.I stare at my reflection in the mirror, avoiding Obrecht's piercing blue eyes and clenching my jaw.

He holds my chin and turns my head toward him. "That's right, little brother. I researched every one of those women. Do you know the blonde is a kindergarten teacher in the ghetto? She's had numerous awards but refuses to take a position in a better district so she can keep helping kids who need her most?"

"Hailee's the innocent one," I mutter.

Obrecht tilts his head. "I've done my homework. I bet before the Cat's Meow they never heard the name Petrov. So why don't you take a breather and think about what a Petrov does to women."

"Don't ever act like I need a reminder," I seethe, anger bubbling again. The visual of Natalia's dead body fills my mind.

"You do. My guess is Aspen and her friends weren't in control in that room. And you know how the Petrovs take what they want."

Rage swirls so fast, my gut flips.

"Put yourself in their shoes before you do or say something you can't take back. And stop riling up Maksim. We're Ivanovs and on the same side." Obrecht pats me on the back and leaves.

I suddenly despise the reflection of the man staring back at me. Dread replaces my anger, and the color drains from my cheeks. Obrecht doesn't make mistakes. Since Annika betrayed him, he became the best tracker we have. He doesn't skip steps and wouldn't be confident if he had any doubts. Everything I just did, trying to prove a point to Skylar that I'm an Ivanov and not a piece of shit Petrov, makes my stomach curl.

What was I thinking?

She's going to hate me.

I hate me right now.

I leave the bathroom and go into the office instead of near the ring. The first round starts. I watch Aspen and her friends. Skylar doesn't have her normal glowing expression. She looks like she's going through the motions.

I'm such an asshole.

I debate about how to apologize and spend the entire match in the office, staring at her through the glass. When the fight ends, I attempt to approach her, but she steps between Aspen and Maksim and strikes up a conversation with him. As soon as it's time to go, I attempt to escort the women out of the gym with Maksim.

He turns and glares. "You're off the clock. My brothers and I will handle this."

Shit. He's still pissed.

I would be, too.

Skylar turns and practically runs down the stairs. I debate about following her, but it doesn't seem to be a good choice.

I go home, beat myself up all night, and decide I'll go to her apartment and apologize in the morning.

I don't sleep. The awful words I said to her play on repeat until the day's first light peeks through the window.

When I get to Skylar's building, she's jumping in a cab. I follow her to her office. She gets out, and I call after her.

"Skylar!"

She spins, furrowing her eyebrows. She realizes it's me and snaps, "What do you want, Adrian?"

I step toward her, and she retreats, so I stop. "I wanted to talk to you about last night. I—"

"I don't have time for your games." She takes several steps toward the entrance, and I reach for her biceps.

"Don't touch me!"

"Skylar—"

She pushes her magenta hair behind her ear. "I'm at work. Can you save whatever fucked-up speech you're going to give me when my boss isn't standing twenty feet away from me?"

I glance toward the building, and a man is scowling inside the lobby. He crosses his arms and appears to be waiting for Skylar.

"Tonight? Let me take you to dinner—"

She laughs. Her eyes glisten. "What is wrong with you? Jesus. Leave me alone. I'm not your toy." She turns and hurries inside.

"Fuck!" I cry out and go back to my car.

Not a minute passes when I don't think about what I did to hurt Skylar.

Why did it have to be while we were having sex?

What kind of monster am I?

Why do I still let the Petrovs get under my skin so much I can't think straight?

Nothing I contemplate seems to be a good idea to show Skylar how sorry I am. How does one make up for something like what I did?

No answer appears. Toward the end of the workday, I get a text.

Dmitri: Meet us at the hospital. Aspen got bit by a poisonous snake.

Me: Is she okay?

Dmitri: Not sure what's going on right now. We just got here, and we aren't allowed back. She was unconscious when she arrived.

I spend the quick car ride wondering how she managed to get bit by a poisonous snake in Chicago. When I get to the hospital, I learn Wes Petrov sent it to her. My hatred for the Petrovs sharpens once more.

Obrecht shakes his head. He mumbles, "You still think she and her friends are on his payroll?"

"I messed up. Last night, before I saw you in the bathroom," I blurt out, needing to talk to someone about my problem.

Obrecht's eyes turn to slits. "What did you do?"

"Something to Skylar."

"Like what?" he growls.

"I can't even say it. I got crazy with Petrov thoughts, and my mind wouldn't stop spinning."

He moves to the corner of the room. "You know you aren't supposed to be around people when you spiral."

I check no one is around us. "I was too far in. I didn't realize I was until it was over."

His face hardens. "Whatever you did, you better make it right. She's Aspen's friend. Maksim isn't letting Aspen go. She's here for the long term, which means her friends are going to be around. The last thing we need is any of Aspen's friends pissed off."

"I know. I'm not sure how to make it right."

"Get on your knees and grovel if you have to. Figure it out," Obrecht barks and joins Dmitri in his conversation.

The doctor comes into the waiting area and gives us an update. We slowly filter into Aspen's room. So far, Kora is here, but I haven't seen Hailee or Skylar.

Another doctor enters, and we all leave while he examines Aspen. Maksim finally comes out and tells us the update and to go home.

I walk down the hall, determined to go to Skylar's and tell her I'm sorry, when I see her, Sergey, Kora, and Hailee.

"How did—" Skylar sees me, and her cheeks heat. "I need to go to the restroom." She quickly turns and walks down the hall.

Great.

"Ladies. Aspen is passed out again. They expect her to sleep a long time because of her pain meds," I relay.

"What did the doctor say?" Hailee asks.

"The doctor said it was shallow and doesn't think she'll have any long-term issues. It's going to take a few weeks, possibly months, for her to be back to normal, or to know for sure," Sergey replies.

"Months!" Hailee shrieks.

I wince. "Easy there, killer. I'd like to keep my hearing."

"Sorry," Hailee mumbles.

I crack my neck. "Dmitri and Anna are staying with Maksim. He said to have the rest of us leave."

"I'll go get Skylar and tell her," Kora volunteers.

I walk past her. "No. I'll relay the message." I take long strides and am soon outside the women's restroom. I wait, hoping she didn't leave already.

Skylar steps out. Her eyes widen, and she turns and goes back inside.

I follow her.

"Adrian, leave me—"

I step forward, and she retreats until she's against the wall. Nothing I've done gives me a right to touch her, but I slide my hands over her cheeks.

She inhales sharply. Her bee-stung lips tremble. Anger and hurt morph into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, my printsessa."

She scoffs. "Now I'm your printsessa?"

I cringe. "I was an asshole to you. I'm sorry. The Petrovs—"

"Don't give you the right to treat me like a cheap whore."

I squeeze my eyes shut, loathing myself and what I did.

"Let me go, Adrian," she quietly says.

I step closer. "That wasn't my intention."

"No? What was?" She tilts her head, and tears fill her eyes.

"I was going crazy thinking of you with that thug."

"The one who wouldn't let me go and stuck his hand up my shirt?" she angrily says, blinking away a tear.

What did he do?

My chest tightens. I take my thumb and wipe at her tear. "What are you talking about, my printsessa?"

Her lip quivers harder. "Did you not hear a word I said last night?"

The thumping of my heart pounds into my chest cavity. I admit, "No. I'm sorry. I get in these...it doesn't matter. I'm an ass. The thug who did that to you, he will pay."

"You get in what?"

I focus on the white subway tile above her head. How do I even explain it?

She pushes my chest. "Take your silent self and—"

"They kidnapped, raped for over a year, and then killed my sister. I don't deal with Petrovs very well. I kept seeing you on that thug's lap, and it drove me crazy until I was spinning out and couldn't stop it," I blurt out.

She freezes.

Shit. Why did I just tell her that?

I step back. I take a big breath and release it. "I'm sorry, Skylar. You deserved better than what I did to you last night." I walk out of the bathroom and leave, wondering how I could have let the Petrovs get to me and screw up my chances with her. She's the only woman I've been interested in for a long time. I ruined us before we even started. The Petrovs once again destroyed my life, but this time, I let them.