Savage Tracker by Maggie Cole

26

Selena

"Don't look now,but he's checking you out," I tell Skylar, referring to the bartender who's getting ready for the reception. It's Kora and Sergey's wedding. There wasn't any water in the room Kora's getting ready in, so Skylar and I volunteered to go ask for it.

Skylar mumbles, "No more dating for a while. It's not working. I'm wasting people's time and my own."

"Is it that bad?" I ask. In all reality, I've dated very little. Nothing about Obrecht's and my situation was typical.

She sighs. "It's not the guys' fault. It's mine. I need to figure out how to get past Adrian."

I put my arm around her shoulder. Adrian wouldn't tell her anything about where he goes or what he's involved in. I don't know every detail about Obrecht, but I know enough. Obrecht said Adrian is afraid she won't be able to handle the truth since his ex-wife couldn't. I wish he'd come clean so she could have the choice, but it isn't my decision. I offer, "At least the bartender is cute."

She softly laughs. "Guess there's always points for eye candy."

We walk a few more feet. The bartender smiles, displaying his straight white teeth. His brown orbs eye both of us over but mainly Skylar. "Ladies. What can I do for you?"

Skylar clears her throat. "There isn't any water in the bridal room. Could we get a few pitchers and glasses?"

"Sure. I'll have it sent right over. Anything else?" He checks her out again.

"No. Thank you."

"No problem." He winks.

Skylar ignores his gesture, and we turn and leave. Adrian walks in. She freezes then says, "I need to go to the restroom. I'll meet you in a few moments."

"Okay." I continue toward the bridal room.

Adrian pecks my cheek and says, "Selena. You look beautiful."

"Thanks. You look nice, too."

Svetlana and Stefano turn the corner with Obrecht. Svetlana's face lights up. "Selena, that dress is stunning on you!"

I glance down at my chocolate-brown, off-the-shoulder cocktail dress. "Thanks. The same goes for you."

Svetlana's in a blue evening gown, which makes her eyes pop more. Her blonde hair is in a sleek French twist. Happiness radiates off her. The engagement ring Stefano gave her a month ago shines brightly.

Stefano kisses my cheek.

Obrecht puts his arm around my waist. "What are you doing out here? I thought you'd be engrossed in bridal duties."

"I am. There wasn't any water."

"I can't wait to see Kora in her dress," Svetlana says.

Adrian sarcastically says, "All of your bridal magazine dreams coming to life."

Svetlana smacks his arm with the back of her hand. "Watch it. Those magazines are full of beauty, happiness, and love. If you weren't so stubborn—"

"Don't start," Adrian warns.

Svetlana sighs and shakes her head. She pats him on the cheek. "Selena, can you show me where Kora is?"

"Sure." I lead her to the room.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" Nora exclaims when we walk in. "I need to go home and change."

"What happened?" Svetlana asks.

Nora spins. A wet spot covers her chest. "I can't stop leaking. Every time I go anywhere, I'm the poster mom for a hot mess. I knew I should have worn the pads."

"Can you use a hairdryer? Your dress is so nice," I say.

"No. It stains until it's washed. This dress is dry clean only, too."

"There's a rush dry cleaning service around the corner. One of the guys can take it," Svetlana offers.

Hailee steps in front of her and studies her chest. She smirks. "If you want, we could call your auntie and have her bring you a jacket. I'm sure she would disapprove of your sleeveless dress."

Kora groans. "Please keep your auntie's opinion about our dresses out of here."

"She's not coming in here. This is my break zone," Hailee says.

Nora raises her eyebrows. "Break zone?"

Hailee's face turns the color of a tomato. She winces. "Sorry. I know she's your aunt."

Nora scoffs. "Doubt you're going to say anything I haven't. What's going on?"

"Yeah, Hailee. Give us the details. Did she see your furry pussy and disprove?" Aspen chirps.

Svetlana's eyes go wide. The rest of the room breaks out in laughter. Hailee crosses her arms. "I do not have a furry pussy."

Kora slides her arm around Hailee. "We know. You wax."

"Probably several times a week now that Liam is down there a lot," Skylar adds, walking into the room.

Nora scrunches her face. "Eww. Still my cousin. Don't want to imagine Liam going—"

"Can everyone stop talking about this? Please," Hailee begs.

"Stop talking about what?" Dmitri asks, stepping into the room behind Anna.

"Hailee's furry pussy," Kora says.

Dmitri raises his eyebrows. "Still having issues, Hailee?"

"How do you know about it?" she blurts out, turning almost purple. "And I'm never telling any of you what men say to me online ever again!"

Dmitri chuckles. He kisses Anna. "You need anything before I leave you with these wild women?" He glances around then stares at Nora. "Did you spill something?"

She groans. "Nope! Good old breast milk leakage. Can you tell Boris to come get me?"

"Sure." He turns back to Anna. "Need anything?"

She smiles. "Can you see if they have any ginger?"

"On it." He pecks her on the cheek and leaves.

Hailee groans. "You all need to stop with that joke!"

"Who are these men you're talking to?" Svetlana asks.

"No one anymore. It was before Liam."

"Which goes back to the question, what did my auntie do?" Nora asks.

"Yeah, Hailee. Spill it. Inquiring minds want to know," Skylar says.

She shakes her head then plops down on the couch. "She heard I was making Liam his favorite potato soup. So what did she do? She brought a huge pot over on the same night I made mine. Then she taste-tested mine and told me all the things she thought I needed to do to make it better."

"She didn't offer to show you how to make it?" I ask.

Disapproval crosses Hailee's face. "I don't need her to show me. I can follow a recipe."

I glance at Svetlana. Over the last few months, I've spent tons of time with her, learning how to cook a lot of different dishes Obrecht enjoys. Every moment I spend with Svetlana, I love. I can't imagine not wanting her to show me or have her critiquing what I made.

"Sounds like my auntie," Nora admits.

"Yeah, well, she doesn't like anything Liam put in his house that I suggested. And the woman needs to learn to knock."

Kora sits on the couch next to her. "I feel like we're about to get something good here. Keep going, Hailee."

Hailee tilts her head. "Gee. Don't look so excited."

"Oh, come on. It's my wedding day. You can't deny me my fun."

Hailee rolls her eyes. "Fine. She came over and rang the doorbell. A normal person would leave when no one answers the door. Not Liam's mom. She walked around the back and came into the kitchen."

Kora leans forward. "And?"

Hailee's face is as red as Nora's hair. "Liam and I were...umm...well, we were on the kitchen floor."

"Naked?" Kora asks, her eyes light up.

Hailee puts her hands over her face. "Liam wasn't. I kind of was."

"Kind of doesn't work in court, so that won't work here. Keep spilling, Hailee," Kora says.

"Use your imagination."

"Raise your hand if you want Hailee to give more deets," Skylar says, holding her arm in the air.

Everyone raises their hands, except Svetlana, who has an amused expression on her face.

"Outnumbered," Kora says.

Hailee groans. "All I'm saying is, I was in the middle of O town when she walked in. I'm pretty sure she heard it from outside but still came in."

"Are you a screamer, Hailee?" Aspen asks.

Hailee points at us. "You all are missing the point."

Nora pats her back. "I'm not. My auntie means well, but she's a bit crazy when it comes to Liam. What does he say about it?"

"He wants us to get along. He said she's acting crazier since Darragh is dying, but I'm worried she's going to get worse when something happens." Hailee picks up her mimosa and takes a sip. She snaps her fingers. "Oh, and get this. I had my dress hanging in Liam's closet. She bought a matching shawl and wrapped it around the dress when we weren't there."

"Why does she have a key to Liam's house?" Kora asks.

Hailee finishes her drink. "Liam gave her the code. She claimed she forgot her glasses, but I think she just wanted access to snoop."

I'm suddenly even more grateful for how awesome Svetlana is. She's kind and respectful. She seems to be aware of her son's boundaries and always has made me feel welcome and special. I put my arm around her. "I guess not every mother can be as awesome as Svetlana."

She smiles. "You make it easy, dear." She turns toward Kora and Hailee. "I'm sure she means well. Kora, stand up and let me see you in your dress, darling."

Kora rises. Svetlana has her spin and says, "Breathtaking. I love the pink. Very unique and quite the fashion statement."

Kora beams. "Thank you."

Boris comes into the room, and Nora leaves with him. The pitchers of water arrive, and we keep chattering. When Liam's mom comes into the room, Hailee stiffens.

Svetlana embraces her. "Ruth, you look beautiful. How have you been?"

Ruth smiles but blinks hard. "Hanging in there. It's nice to have something to celebrate."

"We should grab coffee sometime," Svetlana says.

"Sure. I'd love to." Ruth turns toward Kora. "You look lovely, dear."

Kora nods. "Thank you. So do you."

Ruth takes the seat next to Hailee. She quietly says, "You look nice, Hailee."

Hailee puts on what I've come to learn is her tolerant face. I imagine she uses it a lot with the kids she teaches. "Thank you. You, too."

"Did you get the shawl I left in the closet? I know it's cold out and—"

"Can we talk outside, please?" Hailee rises.

The room goes silent. Tension fills the air.

Ruth nods. "Sure." She leaves with Hailee. I'm unsure whether I feel sorry for Hailee or Ruth right now. Ruth seems a bit fragile, as if something is upsetting her.

Obrecht comes into the room as they're leaving. My heart skips a beat. I'm too busy appreciating how sexy he is in his tux to notice the line between his eyes. "Selena, I need you for a minute, please."

My stomach flips from the seriousness of his tone. When we step outside, he guides me past Hailee and Ruth. I ask, "What's wrong?"

He holds his phone out. "Everything is fine, but can you tell me how you know this man?"

A chill digs into my spine. I grab Obrecht's arm to steady myself. "He used to meet Jack at the clubs we went to. I told Liam I knew him when he showed me a photo."

Obrecht takes a deep breath, as if to calm himself down. "Yes. He just told me. Why do you appear frightened right now?"

My insides quiver. I push the phone down so he isn't staring at me anymore. "He..." I swallow the lump in my throat.

Obrecht tilts my head. "It's okay, baby girl. Just tell me whatever it is."

I take a few moments to gather my thoughts. "Sometimes, Jack would make me kneel for hours in front of him when he had sex with other women. Then there were times he made me kneel in a cage. If I was out in the open, no one was allowed to come within ten feet of me. If I was in the cage, men could come as close as they wanted without touching the cage. He wanted to buy me from Jack. He would tell me all the things he wanted to do to hurt me."

Obrecht's face fills with rage.

"I'm sorry. I—"

"Why are you sorry, my dorogaya? You've done nothing wrong," he insists.

"I don't know. Why are you asking me about him?"

"Something just came to my attention. It has nothing to do with you, but Liam said you knew him."

I release a breath. "He isn't coming after me, then?"

Obrecht snarls, "No. But I'll make sure he doesn't have the choice."

My chest tightens. I usually don't worry about Obrecht. He can handle a lot of things. Over the last few months, I've never felt safer or more loved. A few times, he's been at the garage, but they are few and far between. He always has me stay at Nora's with Aspen, Anna, and Kora. I never know who the bad men at the garage are, except for Aleksei. Something about him going after Mack makes me nervous.

He dips down and kisses me. "I see you're worried, baby girl. Don't be. Today is not a worrying day."

"I don't want anything to happen to you."

"It won't." He drags his finger down my neck and over the top of my shoulder. "The wedding is starting soon. Let's go take our seats, okay?"

"Sure."

We sit with Adrian, Svetlana, and Stefano. By the time the ceremony is over, I've forgotten about anything bad. Obrecht and I spend the night dancing and having a good time with the Ivanovs and O'Malleys.

When Sergey and Kora leave, we all trickle out of the building. Obrecht tugs me close to him. The car pulls up to the curb, and he leads me to it. The driver opens the door, and bullets ring through the air.

"Get down!" Obrecht pushes me into the car. "Adrian!" he screams and shuts the door while ordering the driver to keep me inside and leave the vehicle running.

So much chaos erupts. Aspen gets shoved in our car. Neither of us speak as we peek out the window, watching the Ivanovs try to keep Adrian alive. Skylar is screaming. Sirens soon fill the air. It feels like forever before Obrecht and Maksim get in the car and we go to the hospital.

"Is he..." I can't finish the statement.

Obrecht tugs me into him and says nothing. His chest shakes, and his breath is heavy. He and Maksim are both covered in blood.

Right when we pull up to the hospital, Obrecht looks at Maksim. "As soon as we know he's okay, we need to take care of this. Darragh was right. She wanted a war. Now she's got one."

I've never seen Maksim's eyes so cold. They pierce into Obrecht's. When he nods in agreement, a new chill moves through me.