Ivan(17)

"Seatbelt, Erin." Even with chaos swirling around us, Ivan's sole concern was my safety. I quickly grabbed my belt and jammed it into place.

Kostya didn't even need to be told what to do. He buckled up and punched the gas. We screeched out of there like a bat out of hell. Dimitri's truck followed close behind but I couldn't think about the risk of the Hermanos or Albanians catching up with us now.

My fingertips drifted to Ruby's neck. I found her pulse and kept my fingers there. The fast blips reassured me. This wasn't the first time she'd overdosed but I'd never seen one this bad. It occurred to me that I had no idea what she'd taken or how much. I prayed the emergency room staff would be able to save her.

"Look at me, angel moy." Ivan's stern voice infiltrated my fearful thoughts. He reached over and touched my face. The searing sweep of his fingertips reassured me. "It's going to be okay."

Because Ivan said it, I believed it.

*** *** ***



The sun had just started to peek over the horizon when Ivan made his way out of the hospital to a bench near the smoking area. He fished his phone from his pocket and started making phone calls. There was no way he'd make it into the gym at his usual early hour. He'd rely on the other trainers to open up and get his fighters moving through their morning routines.

As he was finishing up his conversation with Paco, Ivan spotted Dimitri crossing the parking lot. His old friend carried two cups of coffee and a bright yellow bag stamped with the red logo of that Mexican bakery Dimitri lived above. Even though his friend had more than enough money to buy his own place, he stayed there in that cramped apartment. He swore it was the hot breakfast that kept him hanging around but Ivan suspected it was more likely the pretty dark-haired young woman who worked behind the counter…

"I thought you two could use some breakfast." Dimitri shook the bag. "They're still warm."

Ivan accepted the coffee and paper bag. A pang of guilt soured his gut as he remembered the awful thing he'd shouted at Dimitri when'd emerged from the house to find Johnny gone. He eyed Dimitri carefully. "Look, about the boy last night—"

Dimitri cut him off with a slash of his hand. "We're not talking about Johnny."

"We are." Ivan pinned his friend with a determined gaze. "I've been thinking about what I said to you and it was wrong of me. I didn't…" Ivan's voice trailed off and he glanced at the hospital. "I know I've been riding your ass about getting involved with the bakery girl, especially since her kid brother is up to his eyeballs in shit with the Hermanos, but I understand it now."

Dimitri's expression faltered. Finally, he said, "I’m not involved with Benny. I'm just her tenant. That's it."

Ivan wasn't so sure about that but he wasn't about to pry into his friend's private life.

"How's the sister?"

"Not good," Ivan said, his thoughts turning to Erin's distraught face.

Never one to ease into difficult conversations, Dimitri said, "Erin is still in danger. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet," Ivan admitted. "I'll bounce some ideas off Nikolai but he made it perfectly clear yesterday that he doesn't want to get dragged into this."

"I'll look for Andrei. Maybe we can do a trade of some kind."

Ivan held Dimitri's hardened gaze. The unspoken words hung in the air between them. "It wouldn't be very clean."

Dimitri shrugged. "These kinds of horse trades rarely are but maybe if we can give them Andrei and some money, they'll leave Erin and her sister alone."

His chest tightened with the realization that such an ugly decision loomed on the horizon. "Find Andrei."

"On it."

He watched Dimitri cross the parking lot before heading back into the hospital. As he made his way up to the private room where they'd moved Ruby, Ivan scanned his surroundings. The small crowds in the waiting areas and huddled around the elevators drew his attention. It would be easy for either of the gangs after Ruby to send someone into the hospital to finish her off or pump her for information on Andrei and the money and the drugs. Ivan doubted she knew anything. From the state of the shithole she'd been left in by Andrei, the man didn't value her very highly. Maybe he'd decided to cut his losses and leave her behind for the gangs as a twisted kind of peace offering.

Ivan paused in the open doorway of Ruby's room. Pale and bruised, Ruby reclined in the hospital bed. Wires and tubes snaked from her thin, frail body. She desperately needed a bath and a good meal.

Erin sat in a chair next to the bed. She'd finally fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he entered the room as quietly as possible and placed the breakfast items on a rolling tray against the wall. He lowered himself into a chair next to Erin and sipped the strong black coffee.