Chapter Ten

TEN

"I thought we were past this," Maestro said, leaning down to cup Azelie's face between his palms.

"I told you not to come here, Andrii."

She not only sounded terrified, but she looked it as well. It was all Maestro could do not to pull her tight against him.

"He has people watching me." That came out a whisper.

Maestro straightened to his full height. "Are you talking about the idiot who parks across from the complex, pulls out his phone and plays games on it? Babe, I clocked him the first time I was following you like the worst of stalkers. He's never seen me, and he won't. I've had my friend looking out for you when I couldn't be here, and that idiot never saw him either."

"You have someone looking out for me?"

She had beautiful eyes. When she looked up at him under that thick veil of lashes with a mixture of trepidation, desire and interest, his heart melted. Damn, but she was adorable.

He slid the pad of his thumb along the full curve of her bottom lip. It felt like silk. "Yeah, baby, I'll always have someone looking out for you when I can't do it myself. I'm not taking chances with your safety."

Her long lashes fluttered. "You're taking chances with your safety, Andrii. Billows is very dangerous. I've always known I would need to find a way to get out from under him, but I'm beginning to suspect he's far worse than I originally thought."

"Get ready while you're talking to me. Jeans, comfortable shoes, the blue top. We're in a time crunch."

"I can't be seen with you in public. He might find out."

The fear was real. He could see it on her face. In her eyes. Her lips trembled. He wrapped his palm around the nape of her neck. "I want you to trust me to take care of us. He isn't going to see us together. I want to take you out, Solnyshkuh . It's important to me. I planned for this, and I think you're going to love it. We can talk while you get ready." Deliberately, he ran his thumb along her high cheekbone, tracing it gently, feeling her shiver in response. "Can you do that for me?"

Her little studio apartment was small enough that if she dressed in her bathroom, they would have no trouble hearing each other.

She reacted to his voice, the one he used that was velvet soft yet compelling. He'd become a master at using that tone. The fact that Azelie responded to it every time was not lost on him. And she didn't want to disappoint him.

Maestro could see the conflict in her eyes—the need to protect him warring with her need to please him. Her teeth bit into her bottom lip and then she capitulated, going to the small closet to pull out the clothes he'd brought for her a couple of days earlier. She disappeared into the bathroom but didn't close the door all the way.

"I need to tell you something about Billows, Andrii. It's important."

"I'm listening, Zelie."

He was. He was also moving around her apartment looking for the necklace that held the key to the underground rooms.

"Months ago, when I was in the office, I heard a woman scream."

His head went up sharply and he froze, turning toward the bathroom. "A woman screamed?" he echoed, willing her to keep talking.

"I'm not ever supposed to leave my office when I'm working, and I never have. The offices are located directly beneath the Adventure Club."

He heard the rustle of clothing as she donned the pair of jeans he'd chosen for her. He found himself feeling warm and even happy, liking that she was wearing something he'd given her. He wanted everything she wore to be from him. He'd never thought about purchasing gifts for anyone until he'd laid eyes on her.

"Keep talking, Zelie. I'm listening."

"It's soundproofed down there, and I think, but I don't know, that the entire floor is taken up with various rooms. I've never explored because it's strictly forbidden. Cameras and motion detectors everywhere. Around two-thirty in the morning a couple of months ago, while I was working, I heard a woman scream. I'm not crazy, I know what I heard. She sounded in pain. Agony. It was terrifying, especially since I had been told never to go anywhere but the office, but I couldn't just leave her."

Maestro's heart clenched hard in his chest. She was so damned courageous. But she'd just confirmed the suspicions Torpedo Ink had about those underground rooms hiding trafficking victims. They were definitely held and trained below the Adventure Club before they were auctioned off.

She came out of the bathroom dressed in the vintage blue jeans and ash-blue off-the-shoulder sweater he'd gotten for her. The denim hugged her curves, and the off-the-shoulder sweater was perfect, sexy and innocent at the same time, just the way she was. His cock hardened just looking at her.

"You're so fuckin' beautiful, Zelie," he said. It was the truth. Absolute truth. He caught up her jacket. "You'll need something to take notes with, your laptop and your glasses unless you're wearing contacts." He was certain she didn't wear colored contacts. Her eyes were just that blue. "I've got everything else under control."

That got him another flutter of her long lashes and a quick smile that lit her eyes. "What are you planning?"

"You'll see. Hustle, baby. And we're going to finish talking about the woman you heard once we're on the way."

"We can't exit the building together, Andrii," she cautioned as she allowed him to take her hand. "I'll go out first and make sure Billows' man is nowhere around."

"No, you won't," he denied. "He's gone for the night. My friend saw him drive off and he hasn't been back."

"Your friend?"

He took the keys to her apartment from her and locked the door. "Shit lock, babe. We'll have to get you a better one."

"I have a chain."

He looked down at the top of her bent head in exasperation. "Do you think a chain would stop me if I kicked your door? News, baby, it wouldn't."

"I wouldn't expect you to kick down my door."

There was that hint of amusement in her voice. Despite everything, she'd still found something to laugh about and teased him with it. His ray of sunshine.

"You've met my friend a couple of times. At least you saw him with me. We went into the coffee shop together. His name is Lazar. We've known each other since we were boys. He was in the same school I was in. I'll tell you about that later."

He opened the car door for her and then rounded the hood to slip into the driver's seat. He didn't want them to be late. This was a special surprise that he was certain would mean something to her.

"Tell me about the woman, Zelie."

There was silence. She twisted her fingers together in her lap, portraying nerves. He reached over and laid his palm over her restless fingers, driving with only one hand. That had been practiced like every other skill he had. He was nowhere near Transporter's level, but he knew how to drive a car.

"You're safe with me, baby. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw she had turned her head to look at him. Assessing. He remained silent, waiting for her to decide. She'd brought the subject up for a reason. She just had to let go of her fear of Billows and tell him.

"I heard her scream and went to investigate. It's really dark down there and it's a maze. The hallways end and you're just looking at walls. I'm sure there are ways to enter more corridors and find rooms, but I don't know how. I tried to follow the sounds, and then all of a sudden, she just stopped. Really abruptly. That was worse than the screams."

Azelie crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. Maestro was aware of the shiver running through her body. He touched her shoulder, reminding her he was with her.

"You're doing great, Zelie. I know this is difficult to relive, but you had a point to this you wanted to make. It's scary, but you're safe with me."

She turned those vivid blue eyes on him. "But you're not safe with me, Andrii. I get that you're a badass in your circle, but I think Billows is involved with the Mafia." She sighed and rubbed her temple as if she had a headache. "I think he's part of it, or something very similar. Whatever it is, it's bad. His enemies disappear." She whispered the last.

His gaze slid to hers. She was looking up at him with fear. With dismay.

"He can't ever view you as the enemy, Andrii."

His heart clenched in his chest. Softened. Bog. This woman. She lived in the lion's den, but she worried about him, not herself.

"Are you safe?" He asked the most important question.

Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip for a moment. He was grateful she didn't just assure him. She thought it over first.

"For now. I won't be if I try to leave, which is why I've never given Alan the slightest inkling that I'm going to leave. He believes I'm working there to pay for my school and that I'll always work for him. I want him to believe that."

"You got in young and now you can't get out." He made that a statement.

She inclined her head. "That's true. I had no idea what I was getting into when Quentin first introduced us. It seemed like fun, and I was a bit arrogant in those days, knowing I was good at something most adults couldn't do." She gave him a faint smile. "The hubris of the young."

She was still young. A baby. She certainly had learned quickly.

"I'm working on an exit plan," she volunteered.

Azelie had a tendency not to share anything about her life, but with him she disclosed personal things. He loved that. He loved that she gave him that. That intimacy was important to him. He needed her trust even when he hadn't fully earned it.

"Tell me about it," he invited.

She hesitated. Rubbed her temple again as if the headache might be more persistent than nagging. "It isn't fully formed yet. Billows is so difficult. Moody. I sometimes wonder what personality I'm going to get when I see him. One moment he's matter-of-fact, another time he's rude and abrupt, and then he's acting possessive and almost jealous."

Alarm bells went off. Red flags. What the hell? Maestro felt possessive toward her, but Billows had no cause to exhibit that trait. Jealousy? Is that why Billows had a man on her? He wanted to ensure she didn't date?

"He acts possessive and jealous? Is he into you?" He kept his voice mild, casual even, when he wanted to rip the man apart. He detested that he had to stay in the shadows and not claim Azelie. Not show Billows she was under his protection.

"He never was before. Last night and when he came to my apartment, he seemed…different. And he was parked by my bus stop near the coffee shop, waiting to offer me a ride to school. I was lucky a woman who goes to the college saw me and recognized I was uncomfortable. She played it off as if we were studying together. I don't understand him, and I don't want to understand him. I'm just keeping my head down until I can get out from under him safely."

"Babe." He waited until he felt her eyes on him. He glanced her way, letting their eyes meet. Letting her see what possessive really was. "There is no safe way to get away from Billows. You're going to have to let me handle that."

Her breath caught in her throat. It was audible, and the tension in the car grew so tangible you could cut it with a knife. She began to shake her head. "No, no, absolutely not. You have to promise me you'll stay away from him. Promise me, Andrii. Nothing can happen to you."

She hadn't added "because of me." She'd simply stated, "nothing can happen to you," as if he was what mattered, not how she'd feel guilt afterward if Billows harmed him. She was killing him. So perfect when nothing ever was. He needed to talk to her. Make her understand what kind of a man she was dealing with. She might decide to bow out before they even got going, but he wouldn't be taking off. He would make certain she got away from Billows safely. Billows didn't have long to live, but that wasn't something he could confide to her.

"You didn't find the woman." He went back to the original topic. They were close to their destination, and he wanted to get as much information as possible to pass on to his brothers.

"No. Once she stopped screaming it was impossible to find her. Billows came out of nowhere, furious with me that I left the office. I'd never seen him so angry. Frankly, he scared me. When I told him about hearing a woman screaming, he told me he was watching a horror movie and he'd left the door to his office cracked open. Does he think I'm incredibly stupid?" There was disgust in her voice. "That was no movie."

"What do you mean he scared you?" Removing one hand from the wheel, he wrapped his long fingers around her wrist. He needed to touch her. Needed that connection.

"He can get intense when anyone crosses him. And he told me there were bombs down there, built into the floor." She lowered her voice even more.

"Do you think he was trying to scare you? To keep you from wandering around down there?" He was damned certain that wasn't the case. At least he had that information, and it would be critical for their mission to know about the floor being wired.

"I believe him, Andrii. I asked if a bomb were accidentally set off, would it be powerful enough to harm the innocent people in the clubs above that floor, but he didn't answer me. That's how ruthless he is. That's why it's so important that he doesn't know about you. I really think this is going to have to be the last time we…"

"Stop right there, Azelie." He poured command into his voice. Firm. Calm. Kept his voice low. He wasn't a shouter, and he never would be, but he could take control of a room filled with people with his voice alone. Another gift he'd worked at for years.

Again, her breath caught in her throat, the sound audible. Her large eyes fixed on his face immediately. She stopped speaking, pressing her lips together.

"I'm not going to stop seeing you. You aren't going to stop seeing me. I think you need to take a closer look at me, baby. You don't seem to get who I am, and that's important going forward. Do I look like a nice man to you? Really see me, Azelie, not who you're fantasizing over in your head."

Her long lashes did that fantastic fluttering thing they did that made him harder than a fucking diamond. His jeans were too tight for his body. It felt marvelous. Exhilarating. Real. For the first time in years, he felt alive. His woman. She didn't even know she could put steel in a cock that had been trained to never respond unless he commanded it. She took him over with that innocence in her gaze.

"I don't fantasize."

He lifted one eyebrow. "Babe. You do."

She pressed her lips together. Yeah. She knew she did.

"I'm going to tell you something about me, something that might scare you, Azelie, but I hope instead of that, it reassures you."

She flashed him an uneasy, anxious look. "I'm listening."

He had the urge to kiss that haughty look right off her face. Instead, he gave her raw truth. Ugly truth. "I was born and raised in Russia. When I was a boy, my mom wanted nice things. Really nice things. She didn't have a way to get those things unless she sold herself—or sold me."

Azelie choked. She hadn't expected him to share intimate details of his life. The genuine distress in her eyes made him feel as if she saw into him. She did that to him. Made him feel as if he mattered. As if he was someone other than the monster they'd shaped him into.

"I'll tell you the entire story someday, but not tonight. Tonight, I'm just going to say I was eventually taken to a school run by criminals and pedophiles. They were instructed to turn the students into assets for the country by shaping us into assassins. We were forced, at a very young age, to learn how to kill and to do it in many ways. I was a very good student, Zelie. Excellent, in fact, as were the other survivors of that school. Out of two hundred eighty-seven of us, only eighteen survived. Well, nineteen, although we weren't aware he had survived until recently. The point I'm making is that Billows may be a first-class criminal and a depraved lunatic, but he doesn't have the skills or experience that I have when it comes to killing human beings."

He took his eyes off the road long enough to see the shock and horror on her face. He waited for her reaction, a part of him certain she would condemn him. Liquid turned the blue of her eyes to a deep-sea blue. Tears sparkled like diamonds on the ends of her long lashes and then spilled over, tracking down her face.

"Pull over, Andrii," she whispered. "Criminals? Pedophiles? Two hundred sixty-eight deaths? Only nineteen survivors? That's insanity. Your life has been insanity. Pull over. I need to…" She broke off abruptly and put her hand on his thigh.

She was crying for him. Tears. Real tears, not crocodile tears. She was as genuine as it got. How the hell had he, of all people, managed to find a woman like Azelie? It made no sense. She made him humble.

"Baby, don't cry for me. That happened a very long time ago."

The tears continued to spill over and run down her face. He had a fierce desire to pull over and sip at those tears. He couldn't remember a single person ever crying for him. Still, they had somewhere important to be.

"You'll ruin that makeup it took you all of three minutes to apply," he teased her, hoping to avert more tears. He wanted to get her to their destination.

She lifted her chin at him. "I don't think where we're going is nearly as important as what you just told me."

"It's important to me, Solnyshkuh ." He kept his voice soft but firm. This was a very significant moment whether she knew it or not. He knew it was.

She wanted him to talk to her about his past. He wanted to take her somewhere special. He'd planned the date out carefully, and it was important to him. Mostly, what was critical was if she recognized that going on the date meant something to him and she put his desires before her own.

He continued to drive, very aware of her palm burning a hole through the material of his jeans to brand his thigh. He was aware of time passing and how quiet she'd gotten. The entrance to the mini-mall was directly ahead. He turned into the large parking area that ran around the outside of the stores.

Trees, shrubs and flowers were in brick planters all along the center of the lot. Around the sidewalks were more plants, neatly kept, some in wine barrels. Tables and benches provided eating and resting places in various alcoves between stores, cafés and restaurants.

"If that's what you want to do, Andrii, and it's important to you, then we're doing it. I'm not going to insist you talk about something that is clearly distressing."

Relief washed over him. Triumph. He hadn't been wrong in his assessment of her. His desires mattered to her. He parked the car and turned to face her. Just looking at her took his breath away. The fact that her soft skin was still wet with tears and the hint of liquid kept the blue ultrabright in her eyes sent heat coiling through his veins.

"Thank you, Zelie. I know it's important to you that we talk, and we will. It's important to me as well, but I have a surprise for you, and we can't be late, or they won't let us in."

She studied him for a moment and then looked around her. "Where are we?"

"Concord. We're going to Celine James' master class on suspense."

Maestro was grateful he was looking directly at her. Azelie didn't have a poker face. Shock. Disbelief. Excitement. Tears. There it was. All his. He may have found the perfect gift for her, but in receiving it, she filled him up, gave him what he'd never had before. He had thought he was empty and devoid of all feeling, even the capacity to feel, and yet that look on her face, being with her, changed everything.

He cupped her face between his palms, his thumb sliding through the wet trails on her face. "We've got to hurry, Solnyshkuh . They're locking the doors right at seven."

"Kiss me." She whispered the invitation, her voice soft with promise.

He pulled back immediately. "Can't give you that, baby. I start kissing you, we won't get in. I want you to have this experience. I'll give you a different one when I take you home."

A little shiver went through her body, and the blue of her eyes darkened with desire. He liked that a fuck of a lot. She wanted him. She was shy about it, but the chemistry between them was raw and visceral. He felt electricity sparking over his skin, keeping every nerve ending alive.

"Let's get going, baby." He dropped his hands and deliberately exited the car to get away from temptation. He wasn't going to be able to resist her for long. He was a man who had spent his entire life with discipline and control, yet with Azelie that control left him very quickly. He felt a little wild around her. Very predatory and dominant. Possessive and yet loving.

Loving. He hadn't known what that felt like. He hadn't told her the entire story of his mother and aunt and how they had betrayed a little boy. What they'd sold him into. What his life as a child and teenager had been. He hadn't known how to feel love until he'd found her, and it had happened so fast that he fell right off a cliff. Now he wanted her to leap off and trust him to catch her.

Maestro carried her pack to the door of the Barnes & Noble in Concord, where the master class was taking place. It was a new event, and the ticket price had been high, but aside from having the bestselling author there, the store had catered food and drink. They had limited room, and the author had insisted on each person having a comfortable space. All of that, including employees staying after hours to help, cost money. He would have paid any price to see that look on Azelie's face.

He spent the next two hours watching her. Savoring every look. Every word she exchanged with the author when the woman opened her talk up for questions. Azelie was intelligent, and the questions she asked were pertinent to what they were learning, not about the future of the Celine James books. Many of those in attendance wasted their time with the author asking about characters in her books and where she was taking her series rather than learning from her. Azelie was very focused on pursuing her knowledge, and her questions were direct.

Maestro found himself fascinated by her. He could watch her all day and never get bored. She might have an affinity for numbers, a way to see patterns in them, but it was apparent, not only to him but to Celine James, that she was also very gifted with her creative side.

During the break, when they were getting food from the two long tables, Celine went right up to Azelie and began a private conversation with her. Maestro immediately took her plate and indicated she go with the author to a small table, and he'd bring her food as well as something to drink. One of the employees was already getting Celine food.

Once he placed the plate and glass in front of her, he removed himself to give them privacy, but he took a seat facing Azelie so he could read her lips and expression. He wanted to ensure Zelie was having a perfect experience. That was what was most important to him: that he gave her things she'd never had. Everything, including clothes and jewelry, but mostly experiences.

He had no doubt that once he took her to bed, she would want more, but he didn't want their relationship to be all about sex. He'd been with countless women. None had meant anything to him. He'd been taught to use sex to get close to a target. Azelie may have started out as a target, but she certainly wasn't one now.

He loved watching her face light up. His sun. He called her Solnyshkuh . His little sun. She was. He had never felt sunlight on him or in him. Azelie had changed that for him. He'd never noticed how good a woman could smell. Or how her curves were so completely feminine, and his body was utterly masculine. She was a shining light. Her smile lit up the room. Celine James was drawn to her not only because she was intelligent and talented, but also because she was a bright star.

The moment the author got up to make her rounds in the room, several other participants hurried over to crowd around his woman. Maestro wasn't certain he liked that. Two of the five were male. One had a very hungry look on his face. Maestro unfolded himself from the fairly comfortable chair. The moment he did, he drew attention. Physically, he was a big man. Lots of muscle. Tattoos drifting up his neck. A few scars. He knew women found him attractive and most men avoided him.

The moment he stood, Azelie's gaze was on him. She'd checked with him several times during her visit with Celine James, her eyes on him and a lift of her eyebrow asking if he was okay. He had deliberately put off the vibes for others to stay away. When he did that, he might as well have been surrounded by a wall. He didn't want anyone to take his attention from Azelie.

It was important to him that she enjoy herself. If Celine had made her uncomfortable, he would have known, and he would have immediately shut down the conversation. Right now, it was important to him that the men move away from her, particularly Hungry Eyes. He didn't want to be the jealous idiot, but he had little trust in him.

She stood up in the middle of the small crowd that had gathered around her. Blue eyes fixed on him, she broke out into a welcoming, excited smile and practically flung herself into his arms. She gave a little leap at the end of her run and wrapped her arms around his neck, winding one leg around his thigh at the same time. Zero hesitation about showing the others in the room who she was with.

"Thank you, Andrii. This has been the best time ever . I can't believe you did this for me."

She lifted her face up to his and he brushed her lips lightly. The touch was featherlight, but he felt the jolt all the way to his soul. His cock reacted the way it seemed to whenever she was near. He fought for control, willing the threatening erection to stand down.

"We could go home," she suggested. "I could show you my appreciation."

He was tempted. How could he not be? She sounded shy and yet fearless at the same time. The combination of sultry temptress and sweet innocent was almost too alluring to pass up. The event had another hour and a half to go. Celine James had more to give to those who had paid to hear her advice. She planned on critiquing three pages of each of their works. Maestro wanted that for his woman.

He had the feeling Celine would be extremely impressed with Azelie's talent. He felt Zelie needed to hear others she respected praise her work. Azelie had grown up without compliments. No one told her she was doing a good job. No one gave her gifts or experiences. She fought hard for everything she had. She needed to know how others saw her. He wanted that for her. He loved her shyness, but he wanted her to have self-esteem, to see herself the way others around her saw her.

"You have another session with this author, and I think it's important. I have every intention of spending the night with you, Zelie. We'll have plenty of time for you to show your appreciation." He kissed the tip of her nose, giving her a reassuring grin when her expression told him part of her felt rejected. He had to remind himself she was as new to a relationship as he was, and she expected rejection just as he always expected betrayal. "I'm looking forward to it, Solnyshkuh . I want you to have every moment possible with Celine and get whatever it is you think is pertinent for your work."

Azelie nodded and reluctantly unwrapped herself from him. He was just as reluctant to let her go, his hands sliding over her as she stepped back. He held out his hand, and when she took it, he led her back to their table, where her pack and tablet were. Others were already moving to their places and pulling out their work in anticipation of the next hour and a half with the legendary author.

When they'd first arrived, Azelie was required to choose three pages of her work to send to Celine James to read. The other aspiring writers had already done so, and Celine had read their work and come prepared with her critiques.

The master class had been closed until Maestro offered enough money and used his voice shamelessly when pleading his case. Fortunately, the woman in charge was a romantic. She was also very susceptible to his voice. The money helped as well. When Celine was contacted, she agreed to allow one more writer into the class and said she could read Azelie's three pages on her break.

Each person received feedback on their story. Maestro found the entire process interesting. The various writers worked in different genres, and yet the feedback Celine gave each was encouraging and seemed to him to be spot-on. She took her time going over each writer's entry, talking to them, appearing to be interested and focused and genuinely giving them tips and helpful guidance.

Maestro found himself respecting the woman. She had knowledge of her craft and shared it willingly. She was careful to be encouraging. He was good at body language and the least nuance of a voice. He could tell when Celine didn't feel a particular writer was very good. She gave them the same attention as the ones she was excited about. He admired her for her ability to find positive things to say while giving them helpful tips to improve their skills.

He was holding his breath when Celine focused her attention on Azelie. After each writer had been critiqued, they gathered their belongings and exited the building so the event planners could begin to break everything down to prepare for the following day's business. That meant that since Azelie was the last to be critiqued, she had the author to herself.

Azelie admitted to Celine she had previously had three books published and a contract for a fourth. The books were still selling well, and her sales had increased, but not significantly. She hadn't really done much social media or marketing on her own. The publishing house hadn't done much marketing on her behalf either.

Maestro found it interesting that most of Celine James' conversation with Azelie centered around marketing and the publishing business rather than writing technique. She praised Azelie's work and seemed quite taken with her. Azelie was animated, laughing and at times very engrossed in the things Celine told her.

It was clear to Maestro that her writing was extremely important to her. She might be getting a degree in accounting, but the creative writing classes she was taking were where her passion truly lay.

She was excited and happy, but the moment they got in the car and were headed back to her apartment, she went quiet on him.

"Babe, tell me what's going on in your head."

Her gaze touched his and slid away. "It's just that you're so amazing, Andrii. I don't know what I have to give you in return for everything you always seem to be doing for me. I don't want a one-sided relationship. I'm bringing a man like my boss into your life. You need to worry about him finding out about us before I can safely get away from him. That puts your life in danger."

"Zelie." He said her name quietly. They'd talked about Billows already. He was willing to share more about his life, but not in the car.

"It's more than that. I'm not experienced when it comes to sex." She turned her head to look directly at him. When his eyes met hers, he read her fears. "I don't know how to please you, and clearly, you're very experienced. I don't want to be a letdown for you."

He could see the disparity between their experiences was a major stumbling block for her, and he wasn't going to simply dismiss her concerns. The fact that his enjoyment mattered to her made him happy.

"We'll take care of your worry when we're home, and I can hold you while we talk. Is that acceptable for you?"

She nodded, but she did so with a little frown. Just that look made him want to smile.