by K. S. Ruff
Jase shoved the phone inside his pocket, stepped outside, and opened my door.
“Thanks for driving, Brady.” I eyed the sidewalk cautiously. I hadn’t bothered with snow boots. I was wearing three inch heels, and there was a thin dusting of snow on the ground.
Jase was still scowling when he offered me his arm. “I can’t believe Maxim snuck into that coffee shop. What was I thinking, turning my back on that door?”
“Jase, it’s fine. Maxim’s not a threat. He’d never hurt me, and he’s not going to force me into something against my will. The SVR? Now that’s a different story.” I paused in front of the door.
Jase tugged forcefully on the clear glass door. “You don’t get it.”
“Get what?” I hated the way he was beating himself up.
“Maxim wanted to be caught. He could have dragged you out that door without making a sound. If Maxim could pull that off, imagine what the SVR could have accomplished in that same amount of time. That was a rookie move, turning my back to that door. I’m pissed. My stupidity could have cost you your life. I need to find a refresher course and get my head square while you’re away.” He scanned the security guards, the metal detector, and the lobby before allowing me to proceed.
“I’m sorry, Jase. I’ll ask Maxim to give me a heads up next time he’s planning to be in town.” I set my briefcase on the conveyor belt.
He followed me through the metal detector. “Maxim won’t comply. He thrives on the element of surprise.”
We signed in at the reception desk and retrieved our visitors’ badges while waiting for Brady.
Maxim arrived a few minutes later. “Miss me?”
Jase folded his arms over his chest. “Where’s the rest of your security detail?” He was only accompanied by two other men.
“They’re around.” Maxim signed for his visitor’s badge. “Shall we?”
All six of us squeezed onto the elevator with a handful of other people. “Do you mind leaving your security detail in the reception area with Brady and Jase?” I whispered. “I don’t want to intimidate this woman by dragging all these men into her office.”
Maxim nodded. Once.
We stepped off the elevator, crossed the hallway, and entered the suite of offices that managed USAID’s Global Development Lab.
The receptionist’s eyes widened. She half-sat, then stood while gaping at us. “H-how may I help you?”
“Hi. I’m Kristine Stone, and this is Maxim Markov, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. We’re meeting with Ms. Dickson.” I smiled encouragingly.
She eyed the glowering towers of testosterone standing behind me. “Are they joining you?”
I leaned forward and whispered, “I was kinda hoping they could hang out here with you.”
“Oh.” The air rushed from her chair as she sank back onto the faux leather seat. “I’ll let Ms. Dickson know you’re here.”
Maxim reached for my arm. We strategized in hushed tones.
“Kristine Stone?” Ms. Dickson looked up from her notes.
“Please, call me Kristine.” I shook her hand. “This is Maxim Markov, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Ukraine. He’s in town unexpectedly, but I thought you might like to meet him. He can answer far more questions about the pipeline than I can.”
Maxim clasped her hand in his. He bowed slightly, as if tempted to kiss her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Dickson.”
Her mouth fell open just a little. A faint blush crept over her skin.
I bit back a smile. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only woman affected by Maxim’s presence. Or was it his accent?
“Mr. Markov.” She glanced at the remaining men.
“Our security detail,” I admitted apologetically.
She nodded politely. “Kate, please offer these gentleman a drink.”
The receptionist rose from her chair. “Yes, Ms. Dickson.”
“This way, please.” Ms. Dickson turned and walked down the hallway. She paused in front of their breakroom. “What would you like to drink?”
“Water, please.” I unbuttoned my coat.
“Water,” Maxim agreed. He coaxed me from my coat, removed his coat, and folded both over his arm.
Ms. Dickson returned with the bottled water. We entered an office on the other side of the hallway. She waved toward the chairs opposite her desk. “Ms. Stone, I’ve reviewed your letter of inquiry and the issue brief you submitted in support.” She dropped into the chair behind her desk. “This development project has some interesting implications.”
“Yes.” I eased into the chair Maxim was holding out for me. “The influx of fuel from Ukraine will decrease the price of oil for European consumers, which should increase the standard of living and reduce poverty in a number of European countries. More importantly, this pipeline will reduce the economic and political damage that results when Putin cuts off their oil supply. As I’m sure you’re aware, he cuts their fuel supply so he can force them into siding with him in international politics, which adversely impacts the United States. But that isn’t the only benefit for the United States.”
Her eyebrows rose. “What other benefits do you see for the United States?”
I glanced at Maxim.
He nodded encouragingly.
I took a deep breath and continued. “This oil pipeline will strengthen Ukraine’s economy… substantially. This will allow them to reduce their dependence on Russia for trade, and it will limit Putin’s ability to meddle in their domestic and economic policies. This will enable them to improve governance, strengthen democracy, and grow their military. Ukraine must improve in all three of these areas in order to meet NATO membership requirements, which has long been a goal of the United States and Ukraine.”
She jotted a few sentences in her padfolio before shifting her attention to Maxim. “Will Russia retaliate?”
“I am certain Russia will retaliate,” Maxim answered honestly. “Putin is preparing to invade my country, even as we speak. He is determined to squash the pro-democracy movement in Ukraine. He does not want his own people aspiring to such things. He stands to lose valuable assets in Ukraine, such as the naval base in Sevastopol which houses their Black Sea Fleet. The economic impact would be devastating. Russia would no longer be the sole source of fuel for European countries, this pipeline would no longer transport Russian fuel to Mediterranean countries, and Russia would see a reduction in trade with Ukraine.”
She set her pen aside. “That is my primary concern, aside from the expense, of course. How can we justify funding a pipeline that will be seized or destroyed by the Russian government? How can we fund a project that will lead to war?”
I glanced at Maxim. He nodded, so I responded. “We are pursuing a precautionary measure that will prevent Russia from destroying the pipeline… from attacking Ukraine and other European countries.”
She leaned forward, her interest clearly piqued. “I’m listening.”
“Mr. Markov has spoken with Secretary Gates. He’s offered to house the missile defense shield the United States developed for Poland. This defense system would prevent Russia from attacking Ukraine and our European allies. There’s just one problem.” I paused dramatically. “The Ukrainian government requires a revenue stream that will ensure adequate staffing, training, and maintenance for this equipment. This pipeline is that revenue stream.”
Maxim resisted the urge to smile. “The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has offered to loan us five hundred million dollars to extend the Odessa-Brody pipeline into Poland. We require only two hundred and eighty million dollars to fully fund this project. Once we secure this funding, we can extend the pipeline and install the defense shield in a relatively short amount of time.”
Ms. Dickson’s breath rushed through her lips. She looked as if she’d been sucker punched. As subtle as the message was, I had clearly conveyed how Maxim’s plans to install the defense shield were riding on her decision to fund this pipeline.
Insi
de, I was doing the happy dance. While Maxim and Kadyn had identified how critical the defense shield was to protect the pipeline, no one had really considered how vital the pipeline was to the defense shield… until now.
Ms. Dickson appeared to be at a loss for words.
I handed her my business card. “We aren’t expecting an answer today, Ms. Dickson. We thought you might like to speak with Secretary Gates before making your decision.”
She smiled shakily.
We stood. Maxim extended his hand. “Thank you for your time. I do hope you will consider funding this pipeline.”
“Thank you, Mr. Markov, Ms. Stone.” She escorted us to the front office.
Jase pushed off from the wall next to the door. He was the only man who wasn’t sprawled out in a chair with a soda in his hand. “Ready?”
I shook Ms. Dickson’s hand. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice. I look forward to hearing your decision.”
Maxim helped me into my coat.
Jase opened the door.
Quietly, we filed into the hallway.
Maxim grabbed me by the waist and spun me up into the air the second the door closed. He caught me and held me close. “You were… amazing.”
I giggled, equally elated.
He gazed up at me. “I knew we would make a good team.”
Jase yanked me out of his arms. “I don’t care how well the meeting went, you’re not kissing Kristine.”
“You would intervene?” Maxim seethed. “Why? Do you fear she is in love with me?”
My heart beat anxiously. “I’m engaged to Rafael.”
The elevator dinged. The lone passenger scurried down the hall.
Brady and Jase wedged between us as we stepped onto the elevator. I tapped Jase on the shoulder. “I need to speak with him.”
He moved. An inch.
I huffed out a breath. “I’m serious, Jase. Please?”
“He touches you and the conversation is over.” Jase switched places with me.
The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival on the ground floor. Brady held the door.
I stepped through the heavy metal doors. “Does Secretary Gates want the defense shield in Ukraine?”
“Yes.” Maxim fell in beside me.
“I think you should ask him to call Ms. Dickson, to answer any questions she may have about the defense shield. Make sure he understands how much Ukraine needs this pipeline. Take the same approach I did with Ms. Dickson. Explain how the revenue generated from the pipeline will help ensure adequate staffing and maintenance of the defense system.” I handed him the business card I snagged from her desk.
“I’ll request his assistance with Ms. Dickson.” He stopped abruptly. “Are you free for dinner?”
My heart skipped a few beats. “Rafael and I are spending the weekend in Portugal. I’m heading to the airport now.”
He looked… lost.
I briefly touched his arm. “I’m sorry, Maxim. I wish you would have told me you were going to be in town.”
He forced a shrug. “Another time, perhaps.”
I glanced at his security detail and mine. “Can you guys give us a minute?” All four of them had been standing there awkwardly, trying not to listen to our conversation.
Maxim nodded when his security team looked to him for confirmation.
“One minute,” Jase relented. He glared at Maxim. “I’ll be watching you the entire time.” He typed something into his cell phone as he and Brady walked away.
I swallowed nervously. “I… um… I want to ask you something, but I don’t want to offend you.”
He offered a single, solemn nod. “Proceed.”
“Did you pursue a relationship with me because of my political connections?” This question had been eating at me for weeks, ever since the dinner with Rafael and Oni. I wasn’t sure why, but the thought bothered me. It tainted my perception of Maxim, and left me questioning how much I could trust him.
Maxim barked out a rich and boisterous laugh. His eyes darkened when he saw my expression remained serious. With a single step, he closed the distance between us. “You believe this?”
“I don’t know what to believe,” I confessed in a barely audible whisper.
He remained silent for a very long time. “At first… it was this.” He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. His fingers sifted through my hair before he pressed my palm to his chest. “Your compassion for others breathed hope and life into my hardened heart.” His fingers pressed into my temples as he framed my face with his hands. “But this… this is what causes me to pursue this relationship.”
“My brain?” I was more than a little surprised.
His eyes closed when his forehead dropped against mine. “It is the way you think… the way you view the world… your intelligence, your selflessness, all the good that is inherently you.”
“What do you want from me?” I breathed between thunderous heart beats.
“Everything,” he whispered.
My heart ground to a complete stop.
Warm, soft lips brushed against mine. I fought briefly to pull away, but his kiss was filled with so much longing it shredded every last one of my defenses. I very nearly drowned as I sank against his chest. Maxim’s lips remained achingly tender, but they carried a promise… and a very clear threat.
For within that kiss, Maxim revealed who he really was. He was a man who would fight for a presidency… who would annihilate an insidious threat… and amass an entire army… so he could steal my heart.
* * * * *
“I tried to tell you,” Jase persisted.
My face remained hidden behind my knees, which were tucked against my chest. “How could I be so stupid?” My fingers clenched around fistfuls of hair.
“You’re not stupid,” Brady argued, “just naïve.” Like that wasn’t the understatement of the century.
Our flight leveled off.
All hell had broken loose when Maxim kissed me. Jase shoved Maxim off me and punched him in the face. Maxim was furious but hesitant to cause any more of a scene. Still, the way he looked at me when Brady and Jase dragged me away…
They were so convinced he would intercept my flight or have it diverted from England, they drove straight to my house, packed their bags, and stormed the jet.
I didn’t argue their decision. For the first time in my life I was terrified of Maxim, not because I thought he would hurt me, but because I finally grasped the true depth of his feelings for me. “But I’m in love with Rafael,” I repeated for the hundredth time.
Jase shrugged when I peered at him through tear swollen eyes. “I suspect that makes you even more appealing.”
Kari set a mug of herbal tea next to me. “This should help settle your stomach. Let me know when you’re ready to eat.”
I warmed my hands against the mug and sniffed the steam. Green tea with mint. I took a tentative sip. All of the provocative statements I’d dismissed meant something to Maxim. It wasn’t like he’d hidden his feelings. He laid them out there again and again. How could I misinterpret that?
“Why didn’t you take Maxim more seriously?” Brady easily read my thoughts.
The extravagant plane with the smooth leather seats, the built in chess board, and fireplace faded away as my thoughts turned inward. Suddenly, I was standing on the tarmac in Sevastopol, my hands clenched in Maxim’s shirt while the pillowcase was tugged from my tear streaked face. His eyes sought mine as he steadied me. “I’m releasing you from that promise, Kristine. I don’t want you returning to Ukraine.”
“I didn’t think he wanted me in Ukraine, not after everything that happened with the SVR.” The voice that answered was too far away to be mine.
“I think you should lie down.” Jase walked me to the back of the plane.
I blinked, thoroughly disoriented. The reel was still moving in my head. Michael’s plane. The guns. Mirrored lenses. Bullets and blood. My legs buckled as a strangled sound tore through my chest.
I curled onto my side while tears poured from my eyes. I shivered beneath the blanket.
Jase tapped the remote for the fireplace. “Rest,” he said. He sank onto the floor next to the bed. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
The reel skipped. My mind spiraled toward another time, an equally horrific time, when Rafael stood guard over my bed. “Rafael,” I whimpered.
Hushed voices.
Firelight… but which fireplace?
The room faded in and out of focus.
I shrank even smaller.
Someone was sobbing.
I think she lost a baby.
She lost so much more than a baby.
The reel flipped back to the airplane.
There was a kiss filled with blood.
“What’s wrong?” a man whispered.
“I don’t know,” another man answered.
It sounded like they were standing inside a wind tunnel.
My eyelids wouldn’t budge.
“Maybe it’s the PTSD.”
Hushed voices again.
Darkness claimed me before I figured out who it was.
* * * * *
I sat in a zombie-like state while the wheels skipped against the tarmac. Kari insisted I buckle up before the plane landed in England. We had to refuel the jet.
Brady and Jase stared at me while I stared at nothing. Somewhere in the back of my brain a clock started ticking. The clock was counting down to something. There was a finite amount of time. Before what?
My eyes grew feral when the door opened unexpectedly.
Jase ripped me from the seatbelt and shoved me to the back of the plane. Brady raced to the front with his gun drawn.
Kari yelped when she caught sight of him. “What? What’s wrong?”
“What are you doing?” Brady yelled. “Why are you opening the door?”
Kari’s jaw fell slack. She slowly backed away.
“Brady! What are you doing?” Rafael stepped inside the plane.
Brady tucked the gun into the back of his pants. “What are you doing here?”
Rafael laughed. “This is my aircraft.” He stopped laughing when he saw Jase trying to coax me from the floor. “What’s wrong?” He strode toward the back of the plane.