Prima - Alta Hensley Page 0,66
never sets foot into your life again.”
“Can’t you call the police. Get a restraining order or something?” Judy asked.
“It wouldn’t do any good,” I said, shaking my head. “Those are all things law-abiding citizens care about. Things that make it easier to lay one’s head down to sleep at night. The world of the bratva… the mafia… isn’t like that. They live by one set of rules, and they are the ones making them.” I paused, snippets of conversations I’d overheard while I’d been with Nikolai played in my head, and I shuddered. “And they are the ones enforcing them.”
Setting my glass down on the tray before I dropped it, I stood and wrapped my arms around my torso as I began to pace around the room.
“There has to be something you can do. No one deserves to live in fear. This is America for God’s sake, not…”
“Russia?” my babushka offered when Judy abruptly stopped talking. When the caregiver nodded, looking a bit chagrinned, she continued, “There have been evil men among us from the beginning of time. It doesn’t matter where they live or what they call their nasty little clubs. It doesn’t matter if they wear uniforms with insignia that sets fear in people’s hearts or walk around in thousand-dollar bespoke suits. Strip them naked as the day they came screaming into this world and they are still evil.”
“You seriously think he is going to come back?” Judy asked.
“I don’t think it, I know it,” I said from where I was standing, looking out the window as if I expected to see his silver car roaring down the street.
“Then I think you both should come stay with me,” Judy said, and I turned to smile at her.
“That is very kind of you, but no,” I said, lifting my hand when she began to protest. “I don’t mean to be rude. It’s an extremely kind, very generous offer, but, Judy, this isn’t like trying to hide from a pissed-off ex. The moment I walked in and found Nikolai standing in my house, I knew there is no place on earth he won’t find me.” Walking back to where my grandmother sat, I knelt by her chair and took her hand again. “Baba, you should—”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Olga said, her voice stronger than it had been earlier. “I’ve lived far too long to allow any man to frighten me away from my… from our home. You are much stronger than you were four years ago, and you still managed to walk away. And, this time, you aren’t alone.”
“I love you with all my heart, but I’m not going to let you put yourself in any danger because of—”
“I’m not talking about me, child, I’m talking about the man who has won your heart.”
Inside I was already shaking my head before she even finished speaking. No way in hell was I going to let Alek dip a single toe in the swirling cauldron of Nikolai’s evil brew. Alek was a good man. He might have a kinky, dirty side, but his heart was as pure as the driven snow, and I fully intended to keep it that way. Still, I didn’t want to get into an argument with my babushka.
“Perhaps I’m overreacting. After all, Nikolai left when I asked him to. Perhaps he’s reconsidered his life and…”
“And perhaps he blows rainbows out his arse,” Olga said, rolling her eyes. “Dorogoy, leopards don’t change their spots.”
I couldn’t help it. I mean, who wouldn’t laugh when an eighty-five-year-old woman went from farty rainbows to dangerous leopards in a heartbeat? Judy was smiling as well, and I decided this was a great place to declare intermission.
“All right, but for now, let’s talk about something else. Tell me, exactly what the doctor said.” Returning to the footstool, I poured us all another cup of tea and listened while Baba and Judy told of how my grandmother’s tests had shown she qualified to enter the latest drug trials which could help her find relief from the crippling pain of her arthritis.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard in forever,” I said happily, meaning every word.
The plans I’d made earlier had instantly been nixed with Nikolai’s presence, but suddenly I knew that was the worst thing I could do. I’d spent years cowering in fear of what the man might do… perhaps because I knew what he could and would do. But, like my grandmother said, I’d changed. I was stronger now. If push came to shove,