by Amy Deason
“She doesn’t think I can handle this.” The statement came out flat with only the barest hint of resentment.
Kirill tilted his head, his lips forming a grim line. “If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have sent you in the first place.”
Nikolas shook his head. “She didn’t have much of a choice.”
“Man, are you serious?” Kirill guffawed. “How long have you been with us? Two, three years?”
“Three, going on four,” Nikolas answered. Looking out over the fog covered water, he reflected over his time with The Perfect Order.
Three years? Was that all it had been?
Suddenly it seemed much, much longer.
“Yeah, well, in that amount of time, haven’t you figured out that Charlie always has a choice? She sent you because she wanted to send you. She needed to know you were all right.” Kirill paused, giving him a sidelong glance. “Well, are you?”
“Am I what?” Nikolas took a drink of his coffee. He knew what he was being asked. But he hated being checked up on like he was a child.
“Don’t play dumb. You know what I’m talking about.”
“Of course I’m okay,” Nikolas said. “Why the hell wouldn’t I be?”
With one hand on the wheel, Kirill leaned back in his chair and sipped at his own mug of coffee, staring at him over the steaming rim with glacier blue eyes. “The girl’s quite a looker.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” Of course he’d noticed. How could he not? She was a total knockout. Inside and out.
“Don’t try to feed me that line of bullshit Kozlov. You may be able to screw anything that walks like a mindless fucking robot but you’re not blind. I know you’ve noticed her tits and that tight little ass. Hell, you’ve probably already had your hands all over her.” A slow grin ran across the other operative’s face. “You fuck her yet?”
Nikolas shrugged, hoping it looked more careless than it felt. “No need. She doesn’t know anything.”
“That’s not what I asked but even so, it’s certainly never stopped you before.”
There was nothing for him to say. It was true. By now, he would have already been between those long legs, maybe more than once. But he hadn’t.
Why? What was so different about Cadence?
Nothing. There was nothing was different about her. It was just timing. Too much had been going on to accommodate for that type of stuff.
Another lie. He could screw anywhere, anytime and although he liked to draw the experience out, he was skilled enough to make it happen in record time. Several missions had required such rapid progress. So what was the deal with Cadence?
As if reading his thoughts, Kirill let his chair fall forward. “What the hell’s going on with this girl? I saw the way you were holding her hand back there.” Like laser beams, Kirill’s blue eyes scoured him, searching for something.
Nikolas stared back at him, playing it calm and cool. Let him look. What was he going to find? Nothing because there was nothing to see.
The other operative fell back in his chair, a look of horror crossing his Nordic features. “Holy shit,” he said, “you’re falling for her.”
Nikolas had just taken a sip of coffee. Now he was choking on it. The hot liquid sprayed down his shirt and onto his pants. Grimacing, he sat the cup beside him and swiped at his clothes.
“Are you out of your mind?” he asked, keeping his voice level and his eyes trained on Kirill. “She’s just a girl stupid enough to get mixed up in this shit. Once I get the formula and get rid of Dmitry, she’s on the next plane out of here.”
Kirill continued to look at him silently.
“Damn it, I am not falling for her.” That had to be the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. Falling for Cadence. Nikolas wanted to laugh but there was nothing funny about the accusation.
“Well, in that case, you won’t care if I give her a try then,” Kirill replied lightly. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement as he stood and stepped toward the door.
Nikolas grimaced as a thorn of possession pricked at his heart.
A thorn? More like a whole fucking sticker patch.
He wanted to jump up and knock the shit out of Kirill for even thinking about touching Cadence. She was his!
Wait, what?
Clenching his jaw against the unexpected surge of emotions, he remained in his seat, his gaze focused firmly on Kirill.
His?
He didn’t own her. He didn’t even like her. And even if he did, none of it mattered. He was not about to get involved with anyone, let alone Cadence Montgomery. So if Kirill wanted to have a go at her, then what did it matter to him?
“Go ahead,” he said, shrugging as if the idea of Kirill touching Cadence didn’t make his blood boil. Everything in him tensed, preventing him from strangling his fellow agent. If he reacted, it would prove Cadence meant something to him. But she didn’t, she couldn’t. He wouldn’t allow her to. But he felt sick to his stomach as he imagined Kirill putting his hands on Cadence’s warm, luscious skin.
Shit. Get a grip!
The silence stretched out, growing heavier as Kirill’s eyes continued to bore into him.
What the hell was he looking for?
Instead of heading out of the door, Kirill walked back to his seat, a look of understanding dawning on his face. “It all makes sense now.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” The man was really starting to piss him off.
“The reason you haven’t just fucked the shit out of her. It’s because you love her.”
The jolt went through him faster than a lightning strike.
No! It can’t be true. No fucking way.
Drawing every ounce of strength he had, he met Kirill’s stare head on. “I’ve already told you that’s crazy.”
“It may be crazy but it’s true. There’s no falling in love with her. You’re already there.” Kirill shook his head. “You ignorant son of a bitch.” His tone was soft, damning.
~ ~ ~
Dressed in dirty khakis and a stained T-shirt, a stranger stood by the bed, one dirty hand clamping a can of soda. She recognized the red hair spiking wildly above a narrow, creased forehead. He was one of the men in the sleeping bags. But what was he doing down here? Hadn’t the door been locked?
She turned her attention to the door to see it was closed tightly. But now the wooden chair was shoved against it, it’s back wedged underneath the doorknob. Fear bloomed in her heart as she looked back at the man in the room with her.
While her attention had been diverted, he’d closed the space between them until he stood only a few feet away. He tossed the soda to the floor as a lecherous smile formed on his face. The muddy brown eyes ran over her body, widening with interest at her skimpy attire. With the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, she cursed the almost non-existent clothing she’d been forced to choose from.
“Ain’t you a pretty little thang?” he said, his words slurring badly as he took another swaying step toward her.
Terror tore into her gut and she felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car but unlike at the hotel, she didn’t freeze this time.
Whirling around, she ran for the bathroom, propelling herself through the door. But she wasn’t quick enough to lock it before she felt fingers entangle themselves in her hair and yank her backward. A scream worked its way up her throat but was silenced as one filthy hand slapped over her mouth.
Clenching the strands of her hair tightly, the man spun her around until she was facing him. He dropped his face closer until she could see every grime filled pore on his face. The cloying smell of alcohol and bad breath made her stomach seize in revolt. She wanted to throw up but with his hand covering her mouth, she would probably choke on her own vomit.
Using both of h
er hands, she pushed against his chest but with his fingers gripping her hair, she wasn’t going far.
Where the hell was Nikolas when she really needed him?
“Where you think you’re goin’?” His thin, liver-colored lips stretched in a nauseating grin, revealing a set of nicotine stained teeth.
Her heart was ready to burst out of her chest with horror. She was trapped down here with this man and there was no one to help her. With limited resources in the way of weapons, there was only one thing she could think to do. Bringing her knee up swiftly, she nailed him solidly in the crotch. His ugly eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he roared in pain. Pulling his hands from her hair and mouth, he hunkered over and covered his wounded testicles.
Now was her chance.
Run!
Moving rapidly, she tried to shove past him but even in pain, he wouldn’t budge from the open doorway. Taking a different tactic, she brought her elbow down, hard, hitting him on the top of the head, hoping to drop him to the floor. But it was like hitting a piece of concrete with a crowbar. The jarring sensation spread through her arm, numbing it instantly. But it seemed to have no effect on the man blocking her only means of escape. Gripping her elbow in the palm of her other hand, she jumped back just before he came at her again. She slipped just out of reach, retreating further into the bathroom.
Anger painted his dirty features and without turning, he reached behind him, locking the door. The click of the lock being driven home slammed into her like a gunshot. This man was going to rape her and then kill her if she couldn’t figure out a way to stop him.
Never taking her eyes from him, she ran her hands along the counter, hoping for something, anything, she could use to protect herself. Latching on to the first object she came to, she brought it around and held it out in front of her. A bar of soap.
What in the hell am I going to do with that? Give him a bath?
He obviously needed one but unless she was able to blind him with it, the slippery white bar wasn’t going to do her any good. Taking her chances, she reared back and chucked it at him. It bounced off of his shoulder and fell into the shower stall with a dull thump.
Damn, why couldn’t I be good at something other than music? Like baseball?
She was met with a humorless sneer as he advanced toward her.
God, this could not be happening.
Trying again, her fingers connected with an open drawer. Shoving her hand inside, she prayed for something more deadly than a bar of soap. A gritty surface scraped the pads of her fingertips and she curled her hand around the foreign object, removing it from the drawer. As she swung it around into view, the light caught the edge of the silver fingernail file. With shaking hands, she held it in front of her like a sword, fearing this little piece of metal would be her last chance at survival.
The man’s laughter boomed in the tight confines of the bathroom. “What you think you’re gonna do, honey? Clean my fingernails?”
“Get out or so help me God, I’ll ram it straight through your eye,” Cadence panted, not sure if she could do such a thing. But if he kept coming, she would sure as hell try.
“I don’t think so, missy.”
He lunged for her and she raised the file up, praying it would hit something, anything to stop him or at least slow him down. She fell back with a shriek as his body crushed hers, pinning her against the wall.
Bouncing her head off of the blue-green plaster, she heard a soft, pop and felt something hot and wet spill over her clenched fist. She closed her eyes as she slid to the floor underneath his weight, her hands still trapped between them. Thrashing violently beneath him, her soft whimpers and cries mingled with the more guttural noises coming from the man on top of her.
Screaming at the top of her lungs, she continued to fight against him until she realized he was no longer trying to grab her.
She opened her eyes and found herself staring straight into his. Up close, they were even uglier than before but now the light had gone out of them, leaving them glass-like and lifeless. Finding a reserve of strength she didn’t know she had, she shoved as hard as she could and pushed his body away from her. He rolled to the side allowing her to scramble out from under him. As she tried to stand, her foot slipped in a wet puddle and she fell, catching herself on the counter. Whimpering, she turned. He lay face up, his blank eyes staring at the ceiling, and the fingernail file lodged deep in his neck.
Sinking to the floor, she drew her knees up to her chest and stared, unable to make a single sound as her mind shut down.
~ ~ ~
“Sir, we have some news on Montgomery.”
Over the speakerphone, Ivan’s voice cut through the sex-induced fog of Dmitry’s brain with quick and surgical skill. And just like the blood from dissected flesh, his thoughts began to first ooze and then flow rapidly, filling the awakened cavity.
“Well, don’t just sit there. Tell me what you found.”
Next to him, the petite girl stirred, pulling the red silk sheet over her naked body.
Reaching out, he yanked the crimson material back down, exposing every inch of her creamy flesh. Decorated with fresh scratches and bruises from their less-than-gentle fucking last night, he felt himself growing hard again. Entangling his fingers in the long raven hair, he pulled her to him. Her skin was cool to the touch but he knew how to heat her up real quick.
“It appears Montgomery made a side trip before coming to St. Petersburg.”
Damn it, he was tired of Ivan’s hedging.
“Stop pussy footing around and spit it out!” he roared.
The girl jerked against him in response to the ferocity in his voice, causing her hardened nipples to scrape deliciously over his bare chest.
With an inaudible groan, he yanked her on top of him, her slim legs surrounding his hips. He was pressing against the sensitive juncture between her thighs. Hot and wet, she was ready for him again but that’s not where he wanted to be just yet. Enormous green eyes peered down at him from underneath mascara caked lashes and a playful smile crossed her lush lips.
Oh I have plans for that mouth, all right. Just as soon as I got off the phone.
“He spent the night in Valaam. At the monastery.”
“The monastery?” Dmitry’s attention diverted momentarily from the lithe creature beginning to writhe over him. With an iron grip, he pinched the soft flesh on her hip, stilling the sensual movements. “Why in the hell would he go there? Was he in contact with someone?”
“It doesn’t appear so. As far as I can tell, he didn’t know anyone east of the United States. Most of his dealings were strictly within Texas and of course, the government officials in Washington.”
“Well, I doubt our friend simply wanted to go sightseeing. He went to Valaam for a reason and I want to know what the reason was.” Sliding his hands up, he clasped the cantaloupe-sized breasts in his palms and squeezed, forcing an excited gasp from the young girl’s parted lips.
Ivan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Uh, it’s possible he may have hidden the formula somewhere on the island. Hell, he might have even left it with the monks for all we know.”
“Well, we need to find out.”
“I can be in Valaam with a couple of hours.”
“No,” Dmitry replied. “If the girl is trying to trace her father’s footsteps, then she and the man she’s with could very well be there too. I don’t want you anywhere near them. By now they both know what you look like and if you show up, you’ll only spook them and they’ll run.”
“Then how do we get to them?”
“You can’t. But I have someone who can.”
Removing one hand from a rock-hard nipple, he pushed the button on the phone, ending the call. At last, he had a lead. It was about fucking time. And speaking of fucking time . . .
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nbsp; Placing both hands on her narrow shoulders, he pushed the girl’s body down the length of his. The soft strands of hair snaked over him, sending a thrill throughout his body. With her mouth hovering over him in just the right position, he moved, ramming himself between those scarlet lips.
“Suck,” he growled.
She complied immediately, swirling her tongue over his length and sending sparks along every nerve ending he had.
He felt the tantalizing scrape of teeth and fisted his fingers in her hair once more, moving her head to increase the friction to his liking. His last coherent thought was to make an important phone call later in the day. Time to bring in his ace in the hole.
Chapter 14
The fucking door was locked!
The aggravating conversation upstairs had been interrupted by a scream. Cadence’s scream. The sound went right through Nikolas, and without thinking, he’d reacted. Flying from the wheelhouse with Kirill fresh on his heels, he nearly fell down the steps trying to get to Cadence’s room. And now the door was locked.
What the hell was going on?
He shoved against it, trying to open the door but it wouldn’t budge. Pausing in his assault on the door, he listened intently but he couldn’t hear anything from the other side. Fear lodged itself in his throat making it difficult for him to breathe and for the first time in forever, he found himself praying.
Please God, let her be okay.
He couldn’t waste any more time trying to force his way into the room. He needed inside now. Pulling the gun from his holster, he squeezed the trigger, blowing the doorknob to smithereens.
Throwing the door open, he flew into the room. The refrigerator door was standing open and a can of soda was leaking into the beige carpet but Cadence was nowhere to be seen.