Before he even spoke, Rya could feel Dimitri behind her like a shower of burning sparks falling onto her skin.
“Zaika moya,” he said in a low, deep rumble that vibrated through her bones and straight into her heart.
He knelt next to her on the couch and when she turned to look at him the rest of the world vanished. While Maks was handsome in a way that could land him on the cover of magazines, Dimitri had a masculine beauty that stole her heart. She met his gaze and anger mixed with tenderness in his eyes as he looked at the bruises on her neck. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her emotions totally overwhelmed her.
Dimitri wore a black leather jacket over a fitted white dress shirt that showcased his amazing muscles. As he moved she caught a glimpse of a gun holster, but that just made her feel safe rather than scared. If she’d had her gun last night she might have avoided all that bullshit. But it had been too big for her club purse so she’d left it at home. Tension filled her and she trembled as Dimitri examined her with anguish in his eyes. They stared at each other and she was vaguely aware of people talking around them, but it didn’t matter. He had the most beautiful eyes, and when he ran his thumb over her lips the invisible strings holding her in place snapped.
She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, clinging to him while she cried. The big muscles of his body shifted against her as he stood and held her to him. His scent filled her and she buried her face against his warm neck, breathing him in while he whispered to her in Russian. This was where she was meant to be, in his arms. The hard, coiled knot of anxiety inside of her slowly loosened and she shivered when he brushed his lips against her ear, still whispering to her in Russian while gently rubbing her back with one hand. She had no idea how long they stood like that, but her mother’s voice penetrated the happy fog enveloping them.
“Rya Marie DeLuca!”
Dimitri started to put her down, but she clamped her legs around his hips and lifted her head to give her mom a defiant look.
Kim, her mom, stood next to Rock looking every inch the biker babe. Rya favored her Italian Mom in her coloring, but where Rya was short and curvy, her mom was tall and lean. Dressed in a tight black t-shirt that showed off her still rocking body, her mom’s full sleeve tattoos were on display and her deep brown eyes were filled with displeasure as she glared at Dimitri. Putting her hands on her hips, she lifted her chin in Rya’s direction.
“Are you responsible for my daughter getting the shit beat out of her?” The traces of Brooklyn in her mom’s accent started to come through and Rya winced. That was not a good sign.
Rock sighed and grabbed Kim by the upper arm. “Let’s take this in the back.”
Dimitri followed Rock and Kim with Rya still in his arms, she whispered into his ear, “I missed you so much.”
“Never again,” he said back in a low, rumbling voice. “I will never leave you again, Rya. You come back to Russia with me?”
“I haven’t changed my mind. I missed you so damn bad. You have no idea.”
“I was pathetic,” he whispered back. “Constantly thinking of you, wondering where you were, stressing over not being able to protect you. And missing you so much. Never again. You wanted me, you have me and I will not let you go. My woman, Rya, mine. Believe it.”
They reached Rock’s office and Dimitri turned, giving a trailing Maks a nod while the stoic bodyguard stationed himself at the entrance to the hall leading to the office section of the clubhouse. Gears and a half-dozen other men from the club lingered near the hallway, all in their most badass-dangerous-man mode, but with Dimitri’s arms around her she felt safer than she had in ages. He was so warm, so big, and—thank you, God—he was here.
Once they were in her step-dad’s office Dimitri gently pried Rya from his body and placed her behind him. Rock’s office was cluttered with biker crap, motorcycle parts, and a huge flag with the Ice Demons logo on it over the back wall, blocking out the window. Before she could move Dimitri stepped forward and blocked her view of Rock and her mom.
She tried to step around him, but Dimitri placed a hand on her belly, keeping her behind him. “Kim, we talked on phone yesterday and I understand your anger with me. But believe that I would die to keep your daughter safe. She is most important thing in my world.”
Rya’s heart melted when Dimitri looked back at her and his expressionless mask softened for a moment before returning his attention to her mother. Kim started to take a step forward, but Rock grabbed her and pulled her back to his side. Not wanting Dimitri to face her mother’s wrath alone, she slipped her hand into his and moved to his side. It was nice that he wanted to protect her, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who hid behind her man.