Alexei (Her Russian Protector #8) (41 page)

James confirmed it with a nod. “Dale’s a pretty good salesman. He’s not top of the pack, but he’s up there. I think maybe he’s not suited for this lot. He would be better at one of our pre-owned lots.”

“Call Tommy. Ask him if he can take Dale for a week or two. Make sure Dale knows we aren’t punishing him.” Alexei could already hear the complaints. “Let him know that we’re trying to find the most successful fit for him.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Alexei left James’s office and crossed the main sales floor. He felt his pocket vibrate with a text message notification but didn’t answer it. His attention had been pulled toward the all too familiar face walking through the double doors.
Blin.

Never one to back down from confrontation, Alexei strode toward Detective Santos and held out his hand. “Eric.”

“Alexei.” Eric gripped his hand with a strong shake. “Do you have time to talk?”

“Of course.” Wanting to control the situation, he gestured toward the second floor. “Come up to my office.”

“Sure.”

Alexei led Eric into his office and offered the detective a beverage that he declined. After closing the door, Alexei took his seat and pushed aside a stack of paperwork that needed his signature. “I suppose you’re here to talk about Shay.”

Eric got comfortable in his chair. “You don’t want to hear what I have to say when it comes to you and Shay.”

“Then keep it to yourself,” Alexei suggested.

Eric cracked a smile. “There’s the Alexei I’ve known for ten years.”

“Almost twelve,” Alexei corrected and settled back into his seat. “As I remember it, we never had problems, Eric.”

“We never had problems because you respected the rules.”

“I still respect them.” He steepled his fingers and stared at Eric. “Do you?”

Eric’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not a dirty cop.”

“I didn’t say you were.” But Alexei knew that Eric had gone rogue with Nikolai when Vivian had been kidnapped. He might not have put on Kostya’s black apron, but he had watched the former FSB operative do the dirty work.

“I’m not here to play mind games with you, Alexei.” Eric sat forward. “I know what your crew is like when it comes to protecting your women. You’ll keep Shay safe—but what about her sister?”

“What about her?”

“We know she checked into that motel that burned down on Saturday night. She used one of her well-known aliases to get the key. There was a body in the room.”

Playing along and pretending he didn’t know, Alexei asked in a voice laced with concern, “Was it Shannon?”

Eric shook his head. “It’s a man. We don’t have DNA back yet. The body was stripped and unrecognizable.”

“Ruben?”

“I doubt it. Ruben was a big dude. This body was smaller and thinner.” He paused. “I’m concerned it might be Lalo Contreras.”

“Fuck.” Alexei let the expletive loose for two reasons. One: to make Eric think that he was just as shocked. Two: because if Eric thought the body was Lalo’s so did everyone else on the street.

“If Shannon killed Lalo…” Eric didn’t finish his thought. “I need to find her before they do.”

“I don’t know where she is and that is the truth. I’m not bullshitting you, Eric.” Alexei made sure Eric could read him. “Every second that Shannon is missing is a second that Shay is in danger.”

“Do you know who Shannon was working for? With her little identity theft scam? She and Ruben didn’t have the money to do it on their own.”

Alexei shrugged. “It wasn’t my family.”

“I figured that out already. It wasn’t the Asian syndicate or Nicky Jackson’s boys either.”

Wanting to give Mueller a taste of some police harassment after that shit he pulled with Shay, Alexei gave Eric a little nudge in the wrong direction. “The newest face in town has been having some problems gaining territory and creating a market for his wares. He might be interested in growing a new side business.”

“Mueller.” Eric grumbled the name with distaste and rose from his chair. “I’ve said all I need to say. You know how to find me if Shannon makes contact with Shay.”

“I do.”

Eric walked to the door but didn’t open it. Looking back, he asked, “This thing you’re doing with Shay? Is it real?”

“I’m not going to discuss my relationship with Shay.”

“That’s your prerogative, but I’ve known Shay a long time.”

“And?”

“And I’ve known you a long time,” Eric shot back.

Alexei understood what Eric meant. He didn’t like the guilty feeling that clawed at him. Eric had every right to be concerned. He’d earned his reputation as a man who burned through mistresses for a reason.

“It’s not like that with Shay,” Alexei said finally. “It’s different with her.”

“It better be,” Eric warned.

Alexei bristled at Eric’s tone but let it slide. The last thing he needed was to get into a pissing match with a detective who could make his life a living hell. Even more than that, he couldn’t stand the thought that Shay would be disappointed in him if he got into a fight with Eric. Instead, he stayed in his chair and watched Eric leave.

Thinking of Shay, he decided to call her and see what she wanted to do about dinner. He pulled his phone from his pocket and noticed the text message he had ignored earlier. He swiped the screen of his phone and opened the message from Stas.

Your little bird has flown back to the nest.

“Shit.”

Alexei quickly cleaned off his desk and left his office, locking the door behind him. It didn’t take him long to figure out what had sent Shay running back home. Feeling like the worst asshole in the world for forgetting to tell her about the move he had arranged, Alexei made sure the dealership was in good hands and hurried out to his SUV, texting Stas as he walked.

Is my little bird still in her nest?

He was backing out of his parking place when the reply came.

She’s visiting a neighbor.

With his foot on the brake, he hastily tapped in his reply.

I’ll be there soon. Keep her there.

The sun began to set as he drove across the city. The rush of workers trying to get home slowed his progress and gave him plenty of time to think about his misstep. His first instinct was to do something special and give her an expensive gift to show how sorry he was, but as he pulled into the park and drove down her street, it occurred to him that Shay didn’t want things from him. She would want him to apologize for being an asshole—and to
mean
it.

He parked in front of her mobile home and climbed out of the SUV, making sure to lock the doors behind him. He spotted his Maserati parked in her driveway. On habit, he checked the driver’s door and found it unlocked. He had a feeling she had done that on purpose.

He climbed the rickety stairs to her small porch and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, he tried the door, found it unlocked and stepped into the house. “Shay?”

There was no reply. She was probably still visiting that neighbor.

He glanced around the living room and noticed how much larger it seemed without the furniture. He walked the length of the house and discovered every room was empty. The refrigerator had been cleaned out, and he could smell the lemon and pine scents of disinfectants and cleansers. Knowing Shay as he did, he was certain she had spent the afternoon scrubbing every inch of this place.

Without a place to sit, he left the house to wait for her outside. When he reached the bottom step, he heard the squeaky whine of bicycle tires that badly needed a shot of WD-40. He watched a young boy with a too-big backpack ride down the street, dodging potholes and puddles until he reached the SUV. The little boy clambered off the bike and popped the kickstand. Hitching his backpack up higher, the chubby kid asked, “Are you Shay’s friend?”

“Yes. Are you?” He leaned against the hood of his SUV.

“Yep.” The kid wandered over to the Maserati. Eyes wide, he carefully touched the gleaming silver paint, running his hand over side panel. “Is this yours?”

“Yes.” He reconsidered his reply and corrected himself. “It’s actually Shay’s now.”

“Really?” The kid seemed skeptical.

“Really,” Alexei confirmed. Remembering how much he had loved cars at that age, he asked, “Would you like to sit behind the wheel?”

“Are you serious? Like for real?”

Alexei gestured to the door. “It’s unlocked.”

The kid laughed and raced around to the driver’s side. He jerked open the door, yanked off his backpack and climbed inside. Ignoring the urge to tell the kid to be careful with those muddy shoes, Alexei walked around to the other side and sat on the passenger seat after moving the kid’s backpack out of the way.

“I’m Hector,” the boy said as he poked buttons and pretended to move the shifter.

“Alexei.”

“You’re Shay’s boyfriend, right? She was telling my mom about you.” Hector narrowed his eyes as if trying to decide if Alexei was worthy of Shay. “Mom thinks you’re sketchy and controlling. She says Shay can have any man she wants and that Shay needs to remind you of that.”

Alexei snorted at that. “You’re mother sounds like a very smart lady.”

“She is.” Hector pretended to drive the car while he chattered away. “She was glad that Shay wasn’t dead.”

“Why did she think Shay was dead?”

“Pelon said that Lalo, Shannon and Shay were missing. Everyone thinks Lalo killed Shay and Shannon and ran off to Mexico.”

“Who is Pelon?”

“My sister’s boyfriend,” Hector said. “He used to be in a gang, but he got out when they shot his brother. He’s a roughneck offshore now, but he’s still down. He hears all the good stuff.” Hector twisted in his seat “Hey, do you want to buy some wrapping paper?”

The swift change in subject amused Alexei. He started to tell the kid no but changed his mind. “Maybe.”

Hector reached for his backpack and dug around inside it until he found an ordering form and small catalog. “We’re raising money for school. If I sell enough paper, I get to take a limo to a pizza party with my friends.”

Alexei disliked the way the area schools pushed the kids to raise money like this. Every time he walked into the employee lounge at the dealership, someone was selling cookie dough or wrapping paper or some other bullshit. He hated the pressure to buy.

He flipped through the catalog and glanced at the order sheet. Shay’s name was the last one on the form. She had purchased three rolls of wrapping paper and a box of Christmas cards. The little smiley faces she had drawn inside each zero made him grin. She really was the sweetest thing. Maybe Hector’s mother was right. Maybe he did need a swift kick in the ass as a reminder that Shay could have any man she wanted.

Alexei did the math between what the kid had sold and what he needed to reach the grand prize level on the flyer. “I’m not interested in wrapping paper, but I’ll make a donation instead.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He wrote down the amount he was pledging in the correct spot on the form and then reached into his jacket for his checkbook. The last check he had written had been earlier that morning when one of the employees from the trailer park had come to the dealership with the invoice for Shay’s lease. As he scrawled on the check, he said, “If you don’t win that limo ride, you call Shay and she’ll tell me. I’ll make sure you and your friends get your party.”

There was a knock at the driver’s side window. A moment later, Shay’s face appeared. Alexei tore free the check and handed it to Hector along with the form and catalogue.

“Thanks.” Hector stuffed everything into his backpack. “For all of this.”

“When you get ready to buy a car, come by the lot for a test drive.”

The kid’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Sure.”

Hector practically bounced as he got out of the car. A few seconds later, Shay slid into the seat he had just vacated. She closed the door and put her hands on the wheel. Alexei waited for her to speak but it became clear that she wanted him to go first.

“I’m sorry, Shay.” It occurred to him that this was the second time he had said it to her today.
You’ve got to be more careful with her.
He was painfully aware that Shay could have any man she wanted. Right now, she wanted him, and he needed to work to make sure that never changed.

“What are you sorry for
exactly
?” Shay turned in her seat so she could look at him. “Because I need to know if you actually get it, Alexei, or if you’re just saying you’re sorry because you think that’s what I want to hear.”

“I should have told you about Spider having his daughter pack up your place. I should have told you—and not Stas—that those boxes were coming today.”

“You should have
asked
me if I wanted to move out of this house,” Shay corrected. “I thought you asked me to move in with you as a temporary thing. This is a
huge
step, Alexei. You should have made sure I was ready for it. You should have let me decide what to do with my home and my things.”

“I thought I was being helpful.” Alexei tried to explain his reasoning. “I’m used to the women in my life enjoying the way I take charge. I thought you would be relieved to not have to deal with it after everything else that’s happened in your life.”