Deceitful Lies by Brook Wilder
Chapter 37
Paige
Two weeks later
That night two weeks ago still puts a hard lump of anxiety in my throat.
I continue to play my part, keeping busy with responsibilities in the house. And I try hard not to lose ground on the respect I earned that night. My attempt to appear like I belong has become easier.
Little by little, I stop acting like a guest who has overstayed her welcome. I’m the pakhan’s wife, after all—the lion tamer. But it’s a facade, and they must know it. My inner critic comes back with a vengeance, taunting me.
Andrei allows you to tame him; you don’t have him tamed. Do I really look like a wannabe in diamonds? When I leave a room, the staff whispers in Russian. They think I can’t hear them. But I know they’re talking about me when the conversation ends with laughter.
And though I eventually ask about that night, I’m kept in the dark. “What happened that night?” I ask Andrei. “Where did you go?”
We stand in a spare bedroom that’s being converted into a playroom. Paint chips are taped to a wall, and a new beige carpet is on the floor. The theme is a garden for either a boy or a girl, and a ridiculously large teddy bear sits in a new wooden crib designed to look like an antique.
Andrei slips behind me and pulls me into his arms. His hand touches my belly, and his lips touch my cheek. “Don’t think about it, Paige.”
“I try not to, but …”
“Don’t,” he says sternly.
He kisses my neck again and again until I feel that flutter in my stomach. My plan to leave has been put off again. It’s only easy to be determined when Andrei isn’t around, when he’s not touching me, when he’s not looking at me in that way that makes my heart flip.
“I have something for you.” Andrei pulls a box out of his jacket box. I don’t know much about jewelry, but I do recognize a blue box from Tiffany’s. I can’t help gasping as I grab it out of his hand and smile, admiring the diamond and pearl earrings inside. I put them on as Andrei grins, pleased with my flighty reaction. My hand touches his cheek, and I fall deeply into his gaze, my heart dancing in my chest, convinced that he must love me.
I wait, staring at him. He must love me. Then why won’t he say it?
Why won’t he reveal the secrets that I know he’s holding?
Tears come to my eyes, and I press my face against his chest to hide them. “Are you staying home today?” I ask.
I feel him nod and swallow back my tears. Why did Talia have to come here? You know why, Paige. She hates you.
I told Andrei the truth the day after. The look on his face made me stutter out a lame reason for not saying anything sooner. Andrei quizzed me on everything she did, and then he quizzed everyone else. I didn’t want to repeat the horrible things she said. But I’m not allowed to storm off and refuse to speak. Andrei knows everything, while I’m kept guessing.
The hurt floods into me, ruining my happiness. Why did Talia ruin it for me? Saying those things that I had only thought about. Saying them aloud and making them real. Letting everyone hear. I had them fooled that my marriage was more than make-believe or a strategy. Every day, doubts pester my heart. A sane woman would’ve left long ago, but a woman in love can’t walk away. It’s not that easy anymore to run away. And Andrei knows it. Maybe the gifts are to soothe me and make me ignore what I want.
I am scared—too scared to ask for the one thing that would make me stay. Dangle a diamond in front of my eyes, and like a frivolous toy dog, he has me dazzled and entertained.
“Andrei, we have a call in the office at noon.” Dmitri leans against the open doorway. Though he makes me uncomfortable with his condescending looks, I was glad to see Dmitri return after that night. His left arm is still in a sling, and today, the sling matches his navy tie.
I casually walk over to Dmitri and look him in the eye. “You still haven’t told me how this happened.”
He laughs. “I told you, Paige. The women fight over me. They grab hold of me like a tug-of-war, pulling me this way and that until they almost tear me apart.”
Andrei steps between us. “Dmitri, you handle the call.”
“No, Andrei,” I tell him. “You can find me when you’re done. I want to check on my father.”
They watch me closely as I sashay out of the room, playing the game better than they think I can.
***
Andrei and I spend the rest of the day together, and I make a show of it. Paige, one, and crime, zero. But soon, I’m reminded that I haven’t won yet. We walk through the garden, holding hands, past the detached garage that sends a chill up my spine. The door is open, and it’s empty. Good. But I hear voices nearby.
When we round the corner of the building, Natasha stands talking to Emma while Viktor sits on a five-gallon bucket, his leg stretched out in front of him as he pretends that we don’t exist. Several yards away is a bright-colored target pinned against a tree with scorched bullet holes in it, and Emma holds a gun in her hand.
They’re going to turn her into one of them.
Andrei smiles. “How is she doing?”
Natasha places her hands on her hips, lifting her chin. “She is improving. Pretty soon, she’ll be able to shoot with one hand.”
Emma avoids my shocked gaze, but smiles sweetly at Andrei, the way she used to smile at Dad. “Thank you, Andrei.”
He nods, and then I realize he’s given my little sister her own gun. The black leather case is open on Viktor’s lap, and the black foam insert is empty where it held a gun. No doubt, the small box inside has an extra cartridge. Andrei tugs on my hand, pulling me quickly away. I stumble a little to keep up with him as he walks toward the maze. I haven’t seen Eva all day and don’t know where she’s hiding.
I tug back. “No, you promised to let me drive your car.”
He looks surprised but then smiles. “Of course. If you like it, I’ll get you one.”
I grimace with relief. “I actually would like a Mercedes.”
I force myself not to glance behind us. But my shoulders tighten, and my neck is tense thinking about my little sister and that gun. It bothers me, along with all the fucked-up secrets in this house.
“Don’t,” he says, reading my mind again.
“I won’t. I don’t want to spoil our day,” I reply stiffly. “I’ll wait until tonight.”
He pulls me into his arms, but I jump when I hear a shot go off. Andrei laughs as if Emma is playing with firecrackers. The hot midday sun is beating down on us, but I feel ice cold. He holds me tighter, as tight as that night, not letting me go as I thrash about in his arms.
“Let me go,” I hiss.
Andrei does, and I start to run, not knowing where I’m heading. I run until I reach the overgrown gate leading into the woods. I could climb it easily. I could make it to the Thruway. I could do what I should’ve done months ago. Go to the police and tell them what these people are doing here.
“Paige, stop.” His muscles tense as he holds me, keeping me from tumbling over the fence. “I thought we weren’t going to spoil today?” he asks.
“How kind of you to take some of the blame,” I reply coldly. I continue to flail until Andrei is forced to pull me down to the ground.
He tightly wraps his arms around me and whispers, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Paige.”
His warm breath is on my neck, and I relax in his strong arms. Andrei pulls away slightly so that I can look into his eyes. His gaze is sincere, as if he wants to chase my doubts away. He leans in closer, his lips a breath away from mine. I close my eyes, feeling lost as Andrei’s kiss deepens, and my head spins. My apprehension is clouded as I reach for him, our bodies pressing against one another. The air is filled with the sweet smell of damp earth from the woods while the leaves sway overhead. The stippled sunlight makes a whimsical pattern below that covers our bodies. Andrei’s gentle touch sends waves of ease through me, soothing every inch of me until my fears return, fighting with the feeling of safety in his arms.
I squirm out of his grip, sprint toward the house, and fling myself at the garage door before he can catch me. I yank at it and hurry inside but can’t shut it. Andrei is standing in the way. He grabs my arm a bit too roughly. A moment of rage slips past his mask, reminding me of who he really is. And what he did to bring me here. I’m not what he wants. I’m what he had to take.
“What’s wrong with you?” he growls, his gaze blazing across me as if I’m crazy.
“You have nerve asking me that.” I do my best to stare him down though he towers over me. “You’re a criminal, a thief, a murderer. I’m not the one who has done anything wrong.”
“I explained it to you …”
“I don’t accept it; I don’t want to accept it.”
His jaw tics. “What do I have to do, Paige? I can’t do it if you don’t tell me.”
My bottom lip trembles. “Since when is it my choice?”
He shrugs his shoulders defensively before pulling me back into his arms. “It is now. So, what do I need to do? You know I can’t give my world up, but there must be something I can give you.”
The diamond earrings pinch my earlobes. “You won’t do what I want.”
His brow furrows in concentration. “Do what?”
“Tell me the truth—why am I here?”
He glances away, and I pray he won’t dare tell a lie. “Igor Karamazov wants you and your family.”
“Is that the only reason?” I press on despite my fear.
“No.”
Andrei silences my questions with a kiss that shoots down my spine and curls my toes. He doesn’t stop as he reaches behind his back and swings open the door of the closest Rover. He taps on the car’s panel, and the engine hums.
Tenderly, he helps me into the back seat, and I smile foolishly as we hide in the garage, where no one would ever think to look for us. My doubts are subdued as he tugs me next to him and kisses me again.
Slowly, I lean back until he’s on top of me, and it brings back the memory of when I first arrived here. He shielded me with his body as he pointed a gun out the window at our pursuers. I felt protected then and still feel the same way now. I rationalize that I can’t return to my old life. I’d rather be with Andrei than dream about him.
“Alexa, play yacht rock,” he orders the car, and I giggle as Player begins to sing “Baby, Come Back.”
“Paige, I want you to stay with me.” He nibbles on my ear. “Is that what you’ve been waiting to hear?”
His body moves over mine, shifting his weight off me as he tugs at the hem of my dress. The boyish grin is back, and so are my feelings from when he held me on the dance floor. I focus on the moment when it was infatuation before the shooting started. My doubts can’t reach me while his hands are on my body.
I spread my legs as wide as I can against the seat, letting him slip in between my knees, and then I kiss him hungrily. His hands move gradually up my hips, barely pressing into my skin. Andrei teases me with feather touches as he nibbles on my bottom lip. He bites it softly before his tongue swipes into my mouth. Andrei moves deliberately against me, but his hands grip my waist tightly, like I’ll disappear.
His heat against my body makes me pull my mouth away, and I moan deeply while clutching his muscular back. I touch the muscles stretched beneath his cotton shirt, feeling the strength in him as he makes me feel wanted, the weight of him as he pins me in place. Andrei moves his hand to the back of my head, pulling it closer so he can take my mouth again.
His tongue follows the curve of my neck to my breasts as I quickly unbutton the top of my summer dress. His patient caresses send wild shivers through my limbs that land between my legs.
I tug at the hem of his shirt, impatient to feel his naked skin. Andrei pauses and looks into my face, taking in how I bite my lip and my eyes flutter with need.
He smiles, confident that I want him no matter how many times I tell him to go away. Andrei slides his hand under the soaked fabric of my panties. He begins exploring my pussy with delicate touches that make me throw my head back and silently gasp. His fingertips slide into my folds, and I loudly groan, thinking how good it feels to lie underneath him.
The song changes to something mellower and slower—a sexy voice sings about second chances as if it’s preaching to us not to mess this chance up. Each of his strokes sends desire over my skin, and I press my hips into him until I’m lost in a haze. He pushes himself against me, and I feel his hard cock against my thigh as we grind against each other to the soulful music.
“What else do you want, Paige?” he whispers wickedly, knowing what I want.
“You’ll make me say it?” I ask, breathing heavily.
He buries his head against my hair and inhales before kissing my ear and whispering. “I want you to stay.”
My heart races as I lift my hips into him. “I want you deep in me.”
His mouth crashes against mine, and I can’t think straight, knowing I’m making him want. I can’t believe that any of this was ever fake. Not when Andrei looks at me like that.
He lifts off me long enough for me to catch my breath. Andrei yanks open his pants as I scramble out of my panties. I tense up and moan when he strokes my folds, making them swell and ready. He moves his finger inside me before pulling out and pressing into me. I sigh as he fills me, and I float away.
Andrei moves slowly, then faster as I wrap my legs around his hips, driving myself against him so I can feel my body smash against him. The feeling is overwhelming, and I can’t help but cry out as his thrusts become more powerful and more intense with each deep moan.
He holds out until I come with a scream, and his climax is explosive, from a slow climb to a complete release. Breathless, Andrei moves off me, and we sit side by side in the car. I lean my head against his chest and feel it rise and fall. He takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine. It feels so innocent, sitting together in the back of a car. But in the silence, my doubts return as I wonder again what he has planned for me.
“Dinner later?” he says, kissing my hand.
“Yes,” I reply, weakly smiling and nodding my head.
I don’t want another expensive gift or a fancy meal.
I want truth—the hard ones.
But above all, I want his love.
