Sea Haven 01 - Water Bound

gathering them all together and transporting them to the bedroom. Rikki stepped forward and peered into the briefcase, her hands behind her back, that familiar little frown on her face. Lev found himself smiling all over again as he returned and gently but firmly moved her out of his way by lifting her and placing her a foot to one side.
    “You might think about food,” he said.
    “You might think about putting that money in the bank,” she countered.
    “Someone is going to rob you.”
    He tossed a grin at her over his shoulder. “Who would that be, Rikki?
    No one knows about the money.”
    “Me. I’m going to rob you. I happen to have a bedroom filled with weapons. I think I could take you,” she added, still staring at the money.
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    He laughed softly. “I’ll spare you the trouble. If you want it, it’s yours.
    I’ve got at least four more briefcases stashed with the same sum in them and a bank account I’ve directed money to for years. I’m damn good on a computer, Rikki. When I’ve come across major corporate conspiracies, I’ve managed to redirect the cash flow without anyone being able to trace it.”
    She swallowed hard. “You stole money.”
    “From criminals.” Usually before he exterminated them. “And I received hefty paychecks for certain assignments.” Ones he would tell her about if she asked, but he sure wasn’t volunteering information. He indicated the money. “Take it if you want it. You certainly have shared with me.”
    She shook her head and stepped back. “Don’t joke about things like that. I’m going into the living room.”
    It was his turn to frown. He followed her as far as the doorway. She sank down into her favorite chair and began to rock slowly back and forth.
    He doubted if she was even aware of it. His first instinct was to go to her and kneel down so that he could look into her eyes and see what she was thinking, but with the way she was holding herself, he feared she was already on overload and needed some space.
    They hadn’t really been apart for very long since she pulled him out of the ocean. He thought he would have difficulties spending so much time with someone when he’d never done it, yet something had happened to him there in the sea. She was struggling to integrate him into her life and it was obvious that change wasn’t her forte. He went into the bedroom and found her weighted blanket. She didn’t move or look at him while he tucked it around her, but some of the tension went out of her. He stepped back out of the room and left her alone.
    He’d never been in a situation where he was unsure of himself. He knew she was drawn to him and their connection was getting stronger, but she was still reluctant at the thought of sharing her peaceful haven with anyone else. He couldn’t blame her; giving up hard-won peace for someone like him was a lot to ask.
    He stood over the briefcase, staring down into its contents. Too many names. Which one, if any, was really him? He’d been born Lev Prakenskii, but that boy had disappeared long ago. He should never have given his name as Lev, a distinctly foreign name. He’d told Rikki the truth—they would send someone to confirm his death and he’d left a loose end. Someone—
    Ralph—had seen Rikki put him in her truck the day the yacht sank. He could try to “push” the memory, but as a rule, sea urchin divers were mavericks, freethinkers, nonconformists, and that made suggestions difficult. Rikki hadn’t responded to his occasional push.
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    Ralph worked off the platform for a processing company. If he wasn’t a diver, Lev had a chance of making it work. Or he could just kill him. He pressed his fingers to his eyes. How could one shed an old life by starting the new one with the death of an innocent? He swore under his breath. The briefcase brought up a lot of memories he’d rather forget. If he was any kind of a man, he’d walk away from her and leave her untouched by the life he led, but he’d had a taste of freedom, a glimpse of a kind of paradise, and he wanted it so much he couldn’t find the strength to walk away.
    He hid the stacks of money in several places and secreted a passport and ID with each stash. His radar went off as he was putting his jeans in her closet. Someone was approaching the house. He stuck his head into the living room. “Rikki? We’re about to have company.”
    She pressed her hands to her ears and didn’t look at him, continuing to rock gently back and