The Healing Touch - Apryl Baker Page 0,46
I think I’m worth at least a sixpence. What do you think, Dimitri?”
He smiled. God, this woman. She pleased him so much. “At least.”
Charlene frowned, clearly confused. He opened the passenger door of his Jeep and waited until Becca was inside before turning his attention back to the woman who didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer.
“Look, Charlene, I’m sorry if you got hurt, but you knew what it was going into it. Stalking me isn’t going to get me to see the light. I am done. Move on and find your next rich boyfriend. I don’t want you.”
He didn’t give her time to respond, just walked over to the driver’s side and slid into the Jeep, pulling out before she could get her second wind. Damn that woman. How dare she show up here?
“Well, that was fun.”
He glanced over at Becca as she plugged the address of the event venue into the GPS. She didn’t seem upset. Amused, more than anything.
“I can’t believe she showed up.” He turned on the radio. “And telling me we just needed to work through our shit? No.”
“Well, I can see her point.”
“What?” The hell?
“Dimitri, you kept her around longer than the others. She probably thought she meant more to you, that she was the ‘one.’ I don’t know why this didn’t happen sooner.”
“Becca, we discussed this earlier. They know the score…”
“Yes, and had you tossed her away like you did the rest, this probably wouldn’t be happening, but you gave her hope by letting her stick around. This is as much your fault as it is hers. And possibly fate’s way of getting a good laugh at your expense because of how you treat women.”
“Fate can fuck off,” he said darkly, shoving his sunglasses on. “She needs to get her kicks somewhere else.”
“Karma, honey bear. Karma always comes back around and bites you in the ass.”
She snickered, and he wanted to spank her. Dammit, she was right. He had brought this on, and it wasn’t really all Charlene’s fault. He’d led her on.
“I’m an asshole, okay? I admit it.”
“Good. You need to understand your manwhorish ways can have serious repercussions. Like creating a stalker.”
“Fuck.” He slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “You think she’s a stalker?”
“Well, she’s pretty much splashed her intentions all over your social media, and now she’s shown up here.” Becca changed the channel to country, and he snorted. He didn’t mind; it was growing on him. “I think it’s something to at least consider. Is she dangerous? I don’t think so, but she might cause some trouble. You don’t want her spreading stories about you where your fans will see it. Some will come to your defense, others will wonder if it’s true, and even more still will take up her cause.”
“Her cause?”
“Used by the self-proclaimed manwhore and tossed aside.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. You’re a romance writer who writes about happily ever afters, D. It won’t sit well with some people.”
He used the Bluetooth to call Viktor, starting to really worry.
He picked up on the third ring. “What do you want, motherfucker?”
Becca’s eyebrows made a beeline to her forehead, shocked. Dimitri laughed at her expression. “Man, watch your mouth. Becca’s in the car with me.”
“Little Becca from high school?” Viktor’s accent was so much thicker than his own. Even he had to stop and decipher it.
“Yeah, little Becca from high school. We’re on our way to set up for this signing thing.”
“Apologies, Becca.” There was a shuffling sound then Viktor telling people to get the fuck out.
“Hi, Viktor. No need to apologize. I’m friends with this one, after all. He cusses in both English and Russian on most days. If my ears haven’t burned off by now, I think you’re good.”
“I always did like you, tikhaya devushka.” Viktor laughed. “Is he behaving?”
“When has he ever?”
“Hey!” Dimitri cut them off. “I’m sitting right here, you know.”
“We know that, motherfucker…shit, sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, dammit.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Dimitri rolled his eyes.
“What does tikhaya devushka mean?” Becca asked, cutting off their argument.
“Loosely translated, it means quiet girl.”
“Huh, I guess that fits. I am quiet.”
“I almost never got you to talk to me in school. Didn’t stop me from checking in on you, though.”
“I have a question for you.” Dimitri didn’t like the wistfulness in Viktor’s voice. Becca did not belong to his brother, and if Viktor had thoughts of that kind, he’d better fucking move on from them.
“What?”
“I seem to have gained a stalker.”
That sobered his brother up.