“I don’t want to go either, Solnyshkuh, but you aren’t ready. The kind of relationship I want with you is based on trust, not sex. Although we’re going to fuck a hell of a lot. When you trust me enough to live with my flaws, I’ll take care of you, baby.”
A little shiver had gone through her body at his crude declaration, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she moved closer, clung tighter, held on. “Perfection,” he murmured and didn’t dare risk kissing her again. He had always been a man with control, but she seemed able to rob him of that iron discipline he’d learned in the school from hell. “I’m leaving now, Zelie, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He turned abruptly and walked out before she could remind him she had classes all day and an appointment with Billows. Before he could lose his resolve and stay to fuck her all night. To hold her close and let her in further.
SEVEN
China Christian caught Azelie’s hand as she made her way to the counter at the coffee shop. “Tell us. We’re dying to know. We know you went out on a date with Mr. Hottie. Sit here, honey. We’ve waited for days.”
Blanc Christian nodded. “At our age, that kind of anticipation could take years off our lives, and we can’t afford it. I’ll get your drink, and you just park yourself right here.”
Penny Atwater patted the chair beside her. “We snagged the best table so the four of us could sit together.”
“Did you have out-of-this-world wild sex?” China persisted.
“China Annabelle Christian,” Blanc chided, sounding shocked. Then she leaned forward. “Well, did you? Was he to die for?”
“Is he as good in the sack as he looks like he would be?” Penny asked, her voice a little breathless.
“I am not the kind of woman to kiss and tell.” Azelie did her best to keep laughter from bubbling to the surface, but it was impossible when the three women looked so crestfallen.
“I’m getting her drink,” Blanc said, rising. “Sister, you work on her. I’ll never be able to sleep again if she doesn’t give us the 411.”
Azelie laughed. “You three are horrible.”
“No, dear.” Penny shook her head solemnly. “We need to live vicariously through you.”
China’s eyes were dancing with glee. “It’s so true, Azelie. I was a beauty in my younger years and could have my pick of men. Your Andrii would have been my number one choice. I would have done anything to make him mine.”
Blanc had hurried back after putting in the order for Azelie’s coffee. “What did I miss? Seriously, Azelie, I can’t afford to lose any more sleep over this. I know you gave Shaila a big box and asked her to hold it for your man. He came in a couple of days ago to retrieve the box.”
“We begged Shaila to open it and peek inside,” China continued. “She wouldn’t do it.”
“I even tried to bribe her and David,” Penny admitted. “They said absolutely not.”
“I’ll have to thank them for keeping my confidence,” Azelie said, using her primmest tone. “At least they have morals when it comes to other people’s business.”
Blanc wasn’t in the least offended. She waved her hand in the air as if shooing away a bothersome fly. “Morals be damned,” she stated. “You have to live this life, Azelie. Grab on with both hands. That man is the kind of man who will give you hell, but hold on tight to him because the dance will be worth it.”
“Or he’s the kind of man who will cut out your heart and leave you with nothing.” Azelie shared her worst fear. “I don’t have it in me to go from man to man. And he isn’t the kind of man who can leave a woman unscathed if he left, at least a woman like me.”
There was a small silence while the merry widows digested that information. It was the most information about herself she’d confided to the women in all the years she’d been coming to the coffee shop. They seemed to be taken aback by her revelation.
Shaila called out Azelie’s name. Blanc immediately rose and hurried to the counter to get the iced latte that they all knew was Azelie’s favorite drink. Azelie had cash out to pay her back for the coffee, but Blanc shoved it back across the table at her.
“You buy us coffee often,” Blanc said firmly. “I think we can afford to buy yours once in a while.”
“Are you afraid of Andrii?” China asked gently. There was no hint of amusement in her tone. She was very serious.
“No, not like that. I think it’s possible he would hurt someone if he thought they were upsetting me. He’s a little on the overprotective side. But…” She trailed off.
The three women waited, showing extraordinary patience when Azelie hadn’t realized they were capable of such a thing. All three had sobered at her confession. A part of her felt warm and wished she had been able to connect with them on a more personal level sooner.
“Tell us, dear,” Penny insisted. “You have us to look out for you.”
The Christian sisters nodded in agreement. “We’re very experienced,” China added. “Between the three of us and the era we grew up in, we’ve seen and become very knowledgeable about the ways of men. And we’re very good at confidentiality, despite the teasing we just subjected you to. What you tell us remains with us.”
Azelie gripped the latte. Her reluctance wasn’t about trust. She had come to know the three women fairly well, at least their character, and she was certain they would always act with her best interests at heart. She had observed them for a long time and knew the affectionate way they teased one another. She was grateful that she was considered their friend. Her reluctance was about getting too close. Caring too much. Putting them in danger. Losing them.
Blanc leaned close to her. “We might be as old as dirt, Azelie, but our minds are sharp. We’re always going to be on your side.”
“You can’t be so nice to me,” she said. “I mean it. I act tough, but I’m not.”
The three women burst into radiant smiles. It was Penny who addressed that statement. “Dear, we are very aware of what a soft heart you have. Why do you think we’re so protective of you? I always wanted a daughter—or, in your case, a granddaughter. I have neither. I lost the love of my life long before we ever thought of making babies together. There was never another man for me, at least not one I wanted permanently in my life.”
China patted her hand. “Do you know why I was named China and my sister Blanc? Our parents were addicted to heroin. They thought it would be hilarious to name their children after their drug of choice. In those days there weren’t many protections for children, certainly not the way there are now.”
A fist of apprehension knotted in Azelie’s stomach. Pressure was suddenly severe in her chest. She had suffered intense trauma, and it had been very public in the news. Her brother-in-law murdered his wife and children and attempted to murder her as well. There had even been accounts of her mother’s abuse, done in her drunken rages. They knew. These women who had never once indicated they knew who she was, had never brought up her past.
“Our parents ‘gifted’ us to their drug dealer,” Blanc disclosed, and reached for her sister’s hand. Penny laid her hand on Blanc’s shoulder. “That abuse started when China was twelve and I was eleven. It didn’t end until Penny’s father stepped in. He was in law enforcement, and Penny told him what was going on. By that time, we were fourteen and fifteen.” She glanced at Penny and blinked away tears.
“We rarely talk about it,” China said. “Penny’s father died saving us. She has forgiven us, but to this day we find it difficult to forgive ourselves.”
“There was nothing to forgive,” Penny interjected. “I was the one who went to my father and told him how your parents treated you. I told him about the drug dealer and the arrangement with your parents. He was horrified. He took it upon himself to investigate. Those were our choices, not yours.”
Azelie’s heart felt as if it were pounding out of her chest. Her mouth had gone dry. There was a lump in her throat making it difficult to breathe.
“Our parents found out about the raid, that it was going to take place. We were both with the dealer,” China continued. “My father had a friend in the department, one who more than once had exchanged information for us. He called my father and asked for us in exchange for date and time of the raid. My parents rushed to inform their dealer. They wanted to take us home quickly so they wouldn’t lose their prize possessions in making money for their drugs.”
“How terrible,” Azelie murmured. She pressed her hand over her aching heart. “I’ve never understood how people can abuse their children that way. My mother beat me and more than once threatened me with a knife, but I don’t think she considered selling me. She did see me as a rival for men’s affections. I was lucky to have Janine, my older sister.”
“We didn’t have anyone, not a single relative,” Blanc added in a hoarse whisper. She cleared her throat. “When our parents arrived, pounding on the door, at first Marty, that was the dealer’s name, refused to answer. He was furious that they would bother him when he and his customers were having fun with us. There was a lot of shouting back and forth. Swearing. Marty even shot at the door. My parents had weapons, and they shot back through the door. At that point, Marty dragged China away from one of his men and put her in front of him as a shield.”
“Blanc was screaming at Marty to let me go. Marty had three men with him and four customers. Chaos ensued when he finally yanked open the door and my parents were pointing guns at him and he was pointing guns at them and his soldiers were yelling that they’d heard our dad say the cops were on their way,” China said.
“Then the cops were in the house, and Marty opened fire on them,” Blanc continued in a much stronger voice. “They broke in through the back and kitchen doors.”
She reminded Azelie of herself and the way she distanced herself if she had to repeat the story of her brother-in-law massacring her family. Azelie felt more connected than ever to the three women, and she felt privileged that they were telling her of their past when they didn’t have to.
“Our parents forgot all about Marty keeping me in front of him as a shield,” China continued. “They opened fire on the cops. I saw Blanc go down to the floor with blood on her chest. I thought she was dead. Marty’s men stepped on her and kicked her when they ran. Our father went down and then our mother. Marty kept firing at the cops. The sound of his gun was so loud by my ear I couldn’t hear anything.”
Subconsciously, she rubbed at her ear, and then she hugged herself. “I was certain I would die, and it didn’t matter if Marty shot me. Someone was going to sooner or later, and I didn’t want to live without Blanc. I fought Marty, throwing off his aim. I was able to break away but ran right between Marty’s men and the cops, with both sides firing. Penny’s father jumped out of the line of cops and tackled me, but he was hit from both sides.”
Azelie heard the sob in her voice, but China kept it together. Penny put her hand on China’s shoulder.
“He saved my life, Penny,” China whispered.
