Made Men 5: Dmitri's Denial (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Read online

  Her jaw dropped. “What?”

  “Yeah, well it seems they’ve been showing interest, and Giada has been brushing them off, but not anymore, if they have their way,” Sunny said.

  “Interesting update. I must find out more from Bella and Rayanna. How about this guy Puento, anything on the Fiorre side with an update?” she asked.

  “No. They don’t call Puento the ghost for nothing,” Vinny said in frustration.

  “I’m sure they’re very upset. Perhaps there is something we can do.”

  “How about we get you back to the penthouse and we spend a little time together? After all, we haven’t seen you in four days,” Sunny said, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips.

  She smiled.

  “I missed you both so much,” she admitted.

  “We missed you, too, and now we need to make that time up.”

  Vinny leaned over to kiss her. She held onto him and then hugged him until they were finally in the parking garage. She needed time to make love to her men and then talk to them about the secret she had explained months ago. Hopefully they understood the seriousness of the information and had kept it a secret. Maybe that connection could help to track down Puento and remove him before Rayanna or someone else she cared about got hurt or killed.

  * * * *

  “I’ll definitely be there tomorrow. I can have a look and figure out where that should go and how the runway should be set up in order to accommodate more guests. Yes, I understand. I’ll be there first thing in the morning,” Rayanna said and ended the phone call.

  She was glad to at least be able to work from home today and plan her week, despite all the arrangements. She got to speak to Giada, who was scared for her even though Giada herself could have been killed. Giada wasn’t happy about the arrangements, and her uncle was livid. It made Giada push Andreas and his cousins away from her. It was a mess. She had been talking on her cell phone all morning and refused to pack her bags to stay at Dmitri’s estate forty minutes outside of the city. He had left hours ago to take care of some business. Bodashka and Olek remained with her at the apartment.

  When her cell phone rang and she saw it was a client, Maxwell, she answered it as she gathered more papers and cleaned up her desk. She had the phone on speaker.

  “How are you, gorgeous?” he asked her.

  “Hello, Maxwell. What’s going on? What can I do for you?” She folded up papers and placed others in folders.

  “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  “No can do. I’m tied up with work. Is there a problem?”

  “You denying a dinner date. We can call it business.”

  She laughed.

  “Seriously, what is going on?”

  “I have a proposition for you. A job in L.A.—Brit Long is doing a beach-themed runway show. Invite only, but of course, he’s providing outdoor screens so fans and just fashion-obsessed gurus can enjoy the event from afar.”

  “When is it?”

  “Next weekend. I need you here by Thursday. I will have a wardrobe ready for you, and one of those French bikinis I know you will look amazing in for the pre-party at the mansion.”

  She heard someone clear their throat and looked over her shoulder to see both Bodashka and Olek listening in and looking pissed off.

  She exhaled. She thought they were in the other room. She hadn’t even heard them, and she was so used to Maxwell’s flirtiness it didn’t faze her anymore.

  “I may not be able to pull that off.”

  “Rayanna, I need you, baby. You are the best when it comes to this and dealing with these people. I’ll make it worth your while. The whole thing—the best suite in the hotel, first dibs on those thong bikinis. I can suggest the perfect ones for that sexy body of yours.” He continued to go on, and she took him off speaker and turned away from the two Russian guards.

  “I’ll think about it. Send over the contract. I can look it over and see what exactly I’m required to do.”

  “What will it take to break you down and get you in my bed?”

  “Maxwell, I’m not even your type. Now quit it. If you want me to take this potential contract seriously, then you need to stop trying to get me into bed.”

  “What?”

  The sound of Dmitri’s voice had her turning around, wide-eyed.

  He looked fierce, and she looked away and quickly ended the call.

  “E-mail me the contract and the details and I will send along any questions I have. A week is a short amount of time to prepare depending on what I’m needed for exactly. I’m in the middle of a project here in New York, but if it’s just the weekend in L.A., then I may be able to pull it off—for the right price of course.”

  “Of course. I will pay whatever you want. I’ll send it, gorgeous. Later.” She ended the call and placed the phone on the desk but didn’t turn around.

  When she finally got up the nerve and was ready to explain, Dmitri had his back toward her and was speaking in Russian to Olek.

  He turned around, and the two men walked away. His arms were crossed in front of his chest.

  “I didn’t expect you back so soon. Is it after three already?” She glanced at her watch.

  “Who was that on the phone?” he asked, not moving.

  “A business associate. Did you get things done you needed?” She pretended to fix what she’d already fixed on her desk.

  “Someone I should know about?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so. It was business, which doesn’t concern you.”

  “Hmm.” He walked into the office.

  She didn’t move. She leaned against her desk and watched him look at her books, design magazines, and various framed pictures of her and famous designers and models.

  He turned toward her and immediately caged her in against the desk, his hands on either side of her hips.

  “Who is this Maxwell who wants you in his bed or at minimum wearing thong bikinis he picks out for you?” he practically snarled.

  “It’s all talk, Dmitri. Just a business associate who likes to flirt and say things like that. It’s harmless.” She went to move, but he gripped her hip and then pressed against her.

  “Harmless until he makes a move and attacks you. Look at you.” He eyed her body, still gripping her hip. “You’re feminine, sweet, fragile.” He slid his large hand up her arm and encased it like nothing.

  “I want his name, copies of whatever he sends you.”

  “It’s business, Dmitri, and nothing more.”

  “Damn straight it is. You’re mine.”

  He reached under her hair, pulled her head closer to him, and kissed her. He slid a hand under her sweater and cupped her breast. He stroked the nipple through the material of her bra and then pulled away from her lips.

  “You accept no more talk like that from this Maxwell. If I find out he calls again and you don’t tell me, there’ll be punishments.”

  She squinted at him, felt her belly tighten, and immediately thought about Puento, about the way he struck her, was forceful with her. She looked down as tears stung her eyes.

  Dmitri cupped her cheeks and made her look up at him. He narrowed his eyes at her. It was as if he read her mind and put things together.

  “My punishments will bring you pleasure. In fact, knowing how stubborn you are, I might find you doing things on purpose to piss me off just so that you can feel my hand on your ass, spanking it.”

  Her lips parted and her eyes widened.

  “Oh yes. You will definitely be getting one later on tonight for allowing another man to talk to you about thong panties and romantic dinners so he can bed you.”

  He kissed her again, and her fear diminished and was replaced with lust. Was she out of her mind? She would allow Dmitri to spank her ass, issue a punishment after the abuse and treatment she received from Puento?

  He pulled from her lips.

  “I will never cause you harm the way he did. In fact, as you can see, I’m quite protective of what belongs to me.
I don’t handle jealousy well and don’t expect to get that from you again. Now, Grisha and the others will be here soon. There are things to go over. Questions for us to ask you about Puento so we can better track his whereabouts.”

  Her eyes widened, and she shook her head.

  “You need to be strong, perhaps redirect some of that stubbornness that had you unwilling to pack bags to leave tonight for my estate. Now they will be packed for you, and who knows what Bodashka might choose to pack for you.”

  “He wouldn’t. You wouldn’t do that.”

  “Test me, Yanna, and find out the hard way.”

  “Can’t we discuss that, too? I mean how am I supposed to work for Solencio and even take on these other jobs, like the one that was just offered by Maxwell?” she asked.

  He gripped her hips and bent slightly to look her in the eyes and give her an odd expression.

  “Maxwell, the man who wants you in his bed?”

  She smirked and shook her head. She placed her palms against his chest, and he stood straighter. “He’s harmless.”

  “He will be once he meets me before I allow you to accept any contract for work with him.”

  Her jaw dropped open. “What?”

  He clutched her chin and stared down into her eyes.

  “You are under my protection. I trust no one. Understand quickly and we can avoid any future arguments.”

  “I doubt that,” she replied.

  He leaned closer, kissed her cheek, and whispered into her ear as he pulled her away from the desk and slid a hand along her ass, “Punishments, Yanna. Remember?” he teased and gave her ass a smack.

  She gasped, and then he took her hand and led her from the office.

  * * * *

  An hour later, she was rubbing her temples and willing the tears away from her eyes. They bombarded her with questions. They took notes, typed on the laptop, and pushed her for every little detail she could remember about Puento.

  It was like being caught in the middle of a small circle surrounded by a bunch of oversized bullies who were charismatic and scary at the same time. She didn’t know any of them. She didn’t really even know Dmitri, although she had sex with him. God, maybe she shouldn’t have let lust, need, fear consume her to the point of no return?

  She looked out the window now, placing some distance between her and them.

  “Don’t shut us out. We need answers. Anything that can help us to find him so he can’t hurt you or those you care about,” Dmitri said to her.

  “What more do you need to know? I’ve told you all I can.”

  “All you can?” Grisha now pushed.

  She looked at him, at the other large Russian men. They were soldiers, killers, hunters, and feared men. How could she tell them about what Puento did to her? They wouldn’t think anything of it. How many men, or even women, enemies had they pointed a gun at or placed one to their head to instill fear? She closed her eyes, then opened them again and looked at the men.

  “Have any of you ever been in a vulnerable position? Ever been a victim of abuse or made to feel like your life lay in the hands of one person, and that person you knew you couldn’t trust?” she asked, voice cracking.

  They were silent.

  “I can’t. I think you have enough to go by. What he did to me, what I experienced—”

  She shook her head as tears emerged, and she wiped them away. Thank goodness her cell phone rang, and she excused herself to answer it.

  * * * *

  “Do you know what he did, Dmitri?” Grisha asked him. It was on his mind and the others’. They weren’t stupid, and it was simple to figure out and see the deep fear in Rayanna’s eyes.

  Dmitri looked at him and shook his head.

  “I think we have enough information, things we can work with. There’s no need to make her tell her secrets about the man. We know his type. We can assume many things, none good,” Bodashka said and looked toward where Rayanna walked away to take a phone call.

  Dmitri leaned back in his seat on the couch. He stroked his jaw and stared off to where she was.

  Grisha exhaled.

  “He will attempt to break her down. He will go after her friends again, perhaps her cousins,” Olek said now, and Grisha agreed.

  “I’ve spoken with the Fiorre cousins, all of them. They’re more worried about their women. We’re pooling all our resources, but I think Puento is underground,” Grisha told them.

  “I agree. I sent word to Nicolai, and he will contact who he can to weed Puento out from under,” Olek said to him.

  “Do you want us to send for things in Chicago and bring them here?” Paulo asked.

  “I need to think things through,” Dmitri said.

  Grisha had a feeling that his boss and friend truly cared for Rayanna but wasn’t ready to admit just how much. She was stunning, sexy, professional, and wealthy, all on her own hard work. Grisha cleared his throat.

  “And what about California for the long weekend?”

  “I need more information, and especially on this Maxwell who wants her in his bed.”

  “A woman of a made man, a Russian fighter, must not associate or ever be alone with men like that. You need to teach her more rules, Dmitri,” Andriy said to him.

  “In time, if things progress. Finding this Puento who dares to threaten me is top priority right now. See what you can do with the information you have. We stay again tonight, and I will work out the arrangement to stay at the estate for the remainder of the week. We’ll work out the commute to her job and appointments accordingly,” Dmitri said, then stood, and headed to the bedroom where Rayanna was talking on the phone.

  * * * *

  “I’m sorry that you feel that way. I didn’t have control over what went down, and I guess between Fedarro, my other cousins, and Dmitri. They made the decision,” Dmitri heard Yanna say. She was standing in the bedroom, staring at the bed and talking on the phone.

  “I miss you, too, and it does feel different not having you here to protect me, but I’m safe, Carlos. Dmitri’s men are quite resourceful.”

  When he realized it was Carlos, he felt annoyed. Why would a guard, a man who was her security, be calling and telling her he missed her? Did the man want her in his bed, too? Anger pooled in his belly.

  “Not really. Just Solencio’s job and a potential one with Maxwell in L.A. next weekend. I don’t have the details,” she said and chuckled.

  “Yes, he was a complete flirt as usual, but you know he’s harmless. Oh God, you sound like Dmitri. I was so used to letting Maxwell talk his nonsense that I had him on speakerphone and Dmitri’s men heard the things he was saying to me.”

  Dmitri got more annoyed. He was jealous of how she laughed and joke with Carlos, her old guard.

  “I don’t know yet, but maybe we can get together for lunch, or if you want to stop by, I can make sure the men know you’re coming over and it’s okay.”

  The floor creaked, and she turned around to see him standing there.

  “Okay, let me know what day works, and if need be you can meet me at Solencio’s, and we can have lunch together…great. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  He stared at her and looked her over, admiring her beauty, her classiness and sensual features. He stood in the doorway. “Carlos?”

  “Yes. He was checking in on me. We’re friends, you know. I trust him, and he always had my back the past year and a half.”

  She looked at him with a defiant expression that made him itch to spank her ass and make her submit to his authority and control. She wouldn’t like everything else in his life, in what he surrounded himself with. Yanna didn’t really know who he was and what he was capable of, and maybe it was better she didn’t.

  “Come here,” he said to her.

  She looked him over.

  He raised one of his eyebrows at her and she smirked.

  “Does everyone always listen to your commands and orders and instantly comply?”

  He caressed her shoulders and
then down her arms before pulling her wrists behind her back and stepping close to her. As he stared down into her eyes, restraining her wrists, he squinted.

  “What do you think, sweet Yanna?” He stared at her lips. It seemed he couldn’t get enough of them, of the scent of her shampoo, of the feel of her in his arms, of her everything.

  “I think I’m going to have a hard time complying,” she whispered.

  “Then you’ll spend a lot of time over my knees.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, so it’s better if you learn to accept the orders. It could mean the difference if you were ever in danger and you denied my order.”

  She stared at him and no longer smiled. She was serious.

  “Trust is earned, and also built with time and action. I want to trust you. I want to tell you everything, Dmitri, but part of me fears your reaction.”

  He stroked her cheek and then ran a thumb along her lip. “When you’re ready you’ll tell me, and perhaps the burden of that secret will give you the strength to accept my protection fully, as well as trust me completely.”

  She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. “We’ll see, Dmitri. We’ll see.”

  Chapter 8

  Rayanna was working at Solencio’s club. It was Thursday afternoon already when Carlos arrived for a visit. Paulo and Andriy were not polite in any manner. In fact they appeared pissed off and jealous, as if they were Dmitri. She swallowed hard, hesitated only a moment before Carlos pulled her into an embrace and squeezed her tight. She closed her eyes. He was familiar, a man she trusted and cared about. He was a friend. She accepted the hug and reciprocated it, and when he pulled back, he remained holding her by her hips. He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “You look thinner,” he said, reprimanding her.

  She held onto his forearms.

  “I’m okay. I haven’t exactly had much of an appetite.”

  He glared at Andriy and Paulo. “Don’t they feed you? Look out for your health and well-being?”

  “Carlos, please.”