For Her: A Malsum Pass Novel Read online

  Both Daisy and Lily helped put groceries away and then all of them sat down at the kitchen table and prepared to learn how to play poker. A mere twenty minutes in and the phone rang. It was Tarvahl Pierce for Alek. Garrett Foley’s vehicle had been located at the end of the access road and Alek asked them to drive it to Mrs. Potter’s house as it would prove a useful prop in convincing Kramer that there was nothing more for the pride leader in Malsum Pass.

  Tarvahl also wanted Alek to tell Lily and Daisy that Conner and Jacob were currently spraying down the cabin with vinegar and the offensive scent of Garrett Foley would be gone in no time. With the call over, Alek resumed his seat and continued with the poker lesson. Light, amusing conversation flowed, but Daisy couldn’t help seeing Alek’s gaze continually returning to her face – more specifically, the injuries on her face – and frowning. She knew she wasn’t looking her best right now, but his continuing glances were making her self-conscious. So when she heard the car pull into the drive she jumped up from the table, eager to be outside and breathe in some fresh air.

  Alek was right behind her as she greeted Tarvahl who was getting out of a dark green sedan. “Good thing the keys were above the visor,” he was saying as he held out said keys to Alek, “Or we would have had to have Mike tow it here.”

  Accepting the keys, Alek nodded. “Care to fill me in on your plan?” Tarvahl asked though Daisy knew it really wasn’t a request.

  “Originally I was going to take some video of Lily and Daisy getting into a car and use it to edit over some security feed. Then take pictures of a wrecked vehicle with the vehicles tags on it. Proof to Kramer that Lily and Daisy had died in a car wreck.” Alek shook the keys. “Now we can show this car wrecked,” he said, jerking his head toward the vehicle, “And tell Kramer that the women were in Foley’s custody when all three were killed.”

  Tarvahl nodded, white teeth gleaming through his faded red beard as he smiled. “Sounds like you’ve got things all under control then. I’ll pass it on to the council.” With that, Tarvahl jogged down the porch steps and across the road toward the Malsum Pass border.

  As soon as they were alone, Alek pulled Daisy into his arms and she gratefully wrapped hers around his waist. She needed this right now. Needed to know that he wasn’t repulsed by her injuries.

  “Solnyshko,” he breathed against her hair. “I’m sorry that I can’t look at you without wanting to commit violence.” A kiss against her temple and then the top of her hair while his hands slid over her back and upper arms. “He put his hands on you, scared you, hurt you.” A low, agitated growl broke though and he pulled her into his body even tighter. “Tell me how to fix it, how to make it better.”

  Daisy tried to pull back and look at him but Alek resisted even that slight separation. “I know I’m acting primitive,” he growled, “but I can’t seem to stop. I love you so much, solnyshko. I can’t stand the thought of you being alone and scared while that male hurt you.”

  “I worried that you were disgusted that my face was all messed up,” she said, her words muffled against his shirt. “I’m not exactly very pretty, right now.”

  Alek squeezed her even tighter and Daisy squeaked a protest at not being able to breathe. “Oh, Daisy, no. You are so beautiful to me. There will never come a day when I don’t look at you and marvel that you would grace me with your sunshine. Please forgive me if I made you feel otherwise for even a moment. My anger is with that male. I wish I could have been the one to kill him.”

  Another growl let loose and Daisy chuckled with relief. “I love you, Alek.” She said kissing his shoulder, the only place she could reach in the tight hold. “Just being with you, and Lilly, and Mrs. Potter is enough.”

  She felt his nod against her hair and another kiss on the top of her head but he continued to just stand there holding her and breathing in her scent. Trying to lighten the mood Daisy said, “Oh, and ice cream. Ice cream always makes everything right again.”

  She was gratified to hear his laughter as the tight hold of his arms loosened.

  They played poker for another ninety minutes or so, ate ice cream, and Mrs. Potter shared some humorous stories about when she was Lily’s and Daisy’s age that had them all laughing. When Lily was caught trying to stifle a yawn, Mrs. Potter went into mother hen mode. She cooed to both Daisy and Lily about what a trying day they had had and that a nap was definitely in order. Both women did as they were instructed and went to lay down for a rest while Mrs. Potter settled in the living room with her knitting. Within moments she was softly snoring in her big comfy chair.

  Not wanting to disturb anyone, Alek grabbed his satellite phone and made his way to the loft above the barn. Kramer answered on the third ring, his tone grating on Alek’s nerves. “Stepanov, do you have my females?”

  Alek couldn’t hold back the growl. “Actually, Kramer, I’ve had some disturbing news come my way. You didn’t send one of your males on the hunt did you?”

  Kramer paused for a moment, perhaps considering his words before he said, “Of course not, why ever would I do that when I’m paying you?”

  Slippery bastard. “Well, I have to tell you that your females are dead along with a male named Garrett Foley. Does the name sound familiar?” He didn’t wait for Kramer to answer. He opened the wallet he’d found in the male’s car and glanced at the ID complete with a physical address. “They were in a car accident on some pretty icy roads just this side of the border. The male was the only one who had ID with him, but the two Jane Does match the description of your missing females.”

  Kramer was silent for a moment before he cleared his throat. “He must have gone off on his own. I didn’t sanction this.”

  My ass. “Here’s the thing Kramer. Those two Jane Does were bound hand and foot and gagged to boot when they were found at the crash site. They’re launching a full-scale investigation into the male, so if he’s one of yours, you may want to prepare for an official visit.”

  Alek could hear the man’s panicked breathing. Could practically taste his fear. “Ah, listen, Stepanov. I’ll double your fee right now if you make this go away. Can you do that?”

  Alek smiled smugly and leaned back against the wall as Kramer played right into his hands. “Consider it done.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Late that night, Daisy carefully slid out of the bed she was sharing with Lily and tiptoed quietly to Alek’s door. Knocking softly, she waited. If he didn’t answer she would know he was asleep and return to her own room, but if he did…

  The door was pulled open. Alek stood there in only a pair of sweatpants and Daisy drank in the sight of him. It didn’t matter that she’d spent almost all day with him. It didn’t matter that she’d bid him goodnight a mere hour before. She would never get tired of seeing him. Especially like this, with his torso bare, his hair slightly rumpled, and his skin glowing in the dim light of the room. She wanted to sigh, she wanted to purr. Instead, she smiled and whispered, “Dolgozhdannyi.”

  Alek grinned and pulled her into his room. He hugged her, his cheek pressed to her hair. “I was hoping you would come, solnyshko. I’ve dreamt of holding you through the night.” Scooping her up, he laid her on his bed, clicked off the lamp, and then came down behind her. Sliding one arm beneath her head, his bicep her pillow, he crossed that arm over her chest while the other wrapped around her ribs. She felt surrounded by him, his warmth seeping through her pajamas and into her skin and she couldn’t help but think she had never felt quite so comfortable in her life.

  She was quiet for a moment, just enjoying Alek’s arms around her but when he released a low deep purr of contentment, she smiled. “I want to see your tiger again. This time so that I can fully appreciate it.”

  “Now?” He asked kissing the top of her head.

  He began to pull his arm from under her head and she gripped it to keep him still. “Mm, not now. I’m enjoying this too much, but definitely in the morning.”

  Alek let out a small huff of laughter before he
nuzzled into her neck. He inhaled deeply. “This is better than I imagined, solnyshko.”

  Daisy let out a purr of her own in agreement and then let out a sleepy yawn. Alek stroked a hand over her hair, down her arm, and then over her hip. He kissed her temple, “Sleep, love. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  The next morning Daisy awoke to deep rumbling purrs and Alek nuzzling his face in her neck. She giggled and then yawned, still slightly sleepy. “Good morning.”

  “It is,” he said with a smile, “the best morning. I want nothing more than to wake up with you every morning for the rest of my life.”

  Daisy’s smile grew even bigger but the stretch over her still healing lip and the bruises on her cheeks made her flinch. Alek, seeing it, growled. He cupped her face gently. “Do you need an icepack, solnyshko?”

  Sliding her hand over his she shook her head and frowned. “How bad do I look?”

  Alek kissed the uninjured side of her mouth. “You are beautiful, Daisy.”

  She huffed out a laugh at his flattery knowing that she probably looked terrible; bruised with bedhead wasn’t exactly what most men wanted to wake up to. Not that Alek was most men. Thinking of that… “Shift for me.” She said, “I want to see you.”

  Dropping a quick kiss on Daisy’s nose, Alek rolled off the bed. “Probably best not to test the limits of the bed springs,” he said.

  Daisy shot him a flirty smile and a wink. “At least not that way.”

  She could feel her cheeks heat slightly at her daring remark, not that anyone would see it with the bruises, but she was gratified to see Alek’s eyes turn dark gold with a blaze of passion. “Tease me, love, and I’ll be crawling back in that bed and you’ll have to wait longer to see the tiger.”

  Alek pushed down his sweatpants so that he could shift and Daisy couldn’t help but stare at the proof of what her teasing had caused. His erection sprang free, bold and proud. She may have gasped. She may have sighed. She may even have reached for him. It was all rather a passion-hazed blur but she did indeed need to wait longer to see Alek shift.

  A little over an hour later, Daisy was kneeling in front of Alek as he lay on the floor next to the bed in tiger form. He was so much bigger than expected. Even seeing him the day before, his massive body standing protectively over hers, she hadn’t truly appreciated his size. She felt tiny. There was also more white fur around his face than she had expected, creating a fluffy partial mane that started just below his ears on each side. She couldn’t help but run her fingers through it. Alek purred in appreciation of her ministrations, he even yawned and licked his chops. Seeing that yawn and his impressive set of teeth was another revelation and she couldn’t believe that Garrett Foley hadn’t pissed himself or run away crying.

  Daisy shook her head and picked up one of his massive paws. She squeezed slightly and he unleashed his claws for her. Everything about Alek’s cat was built bigger, deadlier than her own feline but she wasn’t frightened. This was Alek and she was proud to have him as her male.

  Standing up on all fours, Alek stretched, his spine arcing downward as his front paws slid forward. Daisy stood as well and he thumped his head against her hand. She scratched behind his ears and then had to brace her weight so as not to fall over as that big black striped, orange body rubbed against her. He released another rumbling purr before he shifted back to skin and hugged her close.

  “You are truly magnificent, Alek,” she said, nuzzling into his chest. “I think I have a bit of feline envy. My cat is so tiny compared to yours.”

  Alek released a bark of laughter as he grabbed up his sweatpants and pulled them on. “I’ve seen you in shift, Daisy and I thought you were beautiful. You could definitely tell you were female, small and graceful. You should be proud of your cat.”

  Daisy smiled, marveling at how Alek always knew just what to say to bolster her confidence. She knew how bad his teen years were, so he must have learned it from his parents. Daisy was thoughtful for a moment. “Did you ever go back?”

  Alek looked confused so she clarified. “After you were freed. Did you go back to your village?”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he sat heavily on the bed. “I did. I’m not sure what I was expecting to find, but there was nothing left. With the exception of a few pieces of cottages that had long since collapsed in on themselves, nature had taken the land back. It was as if my village had never been.”

  Daisy sat next to him and took his hand in hers. “I’m sorry, Alek.”

  He nodded to acknowledge her words but continued to stare straight ahead. “There weren’t even gravestones or a cross or anything. I think that bothered me the most. There was nothing to mark their passing.”

  Daisy felt tears gather behind her eyes but stayed silent, letting Alek speak. “I placed a monument there for them. I wanted to carve all the names on the stone, but I was so young when I was taken and remembered so few names.” He shook his head, his expression bleak. “They didn’t deserve to be forgotten.”

  He turned to look at her then, his eyes so full of misery that Daisy felt like her heart was bleeding. She cupped his face and leaned her forehead against his. “We’ll find the ones who did this Alek and we’ll stop them. Every last one of them.”

  Alek stood and held out a hand to Daisy. His smile was a bit weak but she was impressed he had even made the effort. “We will. But right now, we have a night of dinner and dancing to prepare for.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Mrs. Potter’s evening was wonderful. She laughed, she cried, she danced and she thanked Alek, Daisy, and Lily profusely for their efforts. There were a few tense moments when Alek had told her that he needed to be moving on soon, but she had been happy that he and Daisy would be leaving together. “I’ll expect an invite to the wedding,” she said with a thump of her cane. “And don’t be marrying her somewhere on the other side of the world. I want to see my girl walk down the aisle.”

  Alek had smiled fondly. “Why, Eloise, I thought you would appreciate travelling to someplace exotic. A wedding invitation with plane tickets and travel arrangements would be just the excuse you’d need.”

  Mrs. Potter had twisted her lips in thought for a moment and then banged her cane again. “You’re absolutely right. Marry her in Italy.” They had all laughed, mostly because they knew she was perfectly serious.

  Then, once the dancing had started, Mrs. Potter had surely put Alek through his paces as she tested his dance knowledge. “The Lindy Hop,” she would say when a song came on, and Alek would oblige. “Foxtrot!” when the music changed again. When the strains of a waltz began, Mrs. Potter collapsed into her chair and fanned herself. “If I wasn’t having so much fun, I would think you were trying to give me a heart attack. I’m an old woman, for Pete’s sake. Dance with your Daisy.”

  Daisy had blushed and shaken her head. “I don’t know how.”

  A thump of the cane that was now back in Mrs. Potter’s hand. “Stand on his feet. That’s how my father taught me.”

  Alek, however, just pulled her into his arms. “Do you trust me, Daisy?”

  “I do.” Without hesitation.

  “Then just follow my lead and have fun.”

  She did try to follow him, only stepping on his feet a handful of times, but she definitely had fun. When the music had changed again, Alek tried to persuade Mrs. Potter to join him once more but she fanned herself again, “Give a body a minute, lad and dance with Lily.”

  Lily had looked incredibly uncomfortable at first, but eventually seemed to get the hang of things; the natural feline grace coming to the surface. She even smiled a bit.

  It was when the music switched to a song begging for the Cha-Cha that they all heard a vehicle pull into the driveway. Alek frowned and went to the window, his eyes shifting to see in the dark before he let loose a grin. He turned to look at Daisy, “It would seem Dev and Sam missed me. They’re here.”

  Mrs. Potter thumped her cane. “Two more men? Now it’s a party. Do they
dance?”

  Alek grinned. “I have no idea.”

  Leaning heavily on her cane, Mrs. Potter stood. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

  Lily, however, practically bolted to the kitchen, “I’ve got it Mrs. Potter.”

  Mrs. Potter settled back in her chair with a happy sigh. “Nice girl, so helpful.”

  Daisy felt a riot of butterflies in her stomach as Alek opened the door. These men were important to Alek; his team, a team she would be joining. It was like meeting his family. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and blew it out slowly.

  The first one through the door looked like he was of Native American decent with his wide cheekbones, thick, inky black hair, and deeply tanned skin. He was smiling broadly as he clapped Alek on the back and held up a leather satchel. “I come bearing gifts.”

  The second one through the door was a large black man. So large that he had to duck to make it through the entry. His head was completely bald, though a dark shadow was evident there, and on his jaw, confirming that he had to shave daily to achieve his current look. His skin was a deep, dark brown – smooth – with just a hint of red across his cheekbones and nose. His shoulders were broad, his arms thick as they crossed over his chest; his expression, a mask of stoicism as he surveyed the room.

  “This is Sam,” Alek said, clapping the larger man on the back and receiving a dark frown for his troubles. Alek didn’t seem to notice as he pointed to the other male, “and smiley over there is Dev.”

  Alek introduced the women and when Sam approached her the last thing she expected was for him to crook a long finger under her chin and gently tip her face up for his perusal. His eyes were so dark it was nearly impossible to differentiate between the pupil and the iris as they moved over her face. “Whoever did this, are they dead?” He asked, his voice was incredibly deep, more a rumble. His accented speech revealing his African origins. “If not I will gladly hunt them for you, little one.”