“Enough!” Nikolai shouted from the doorway.
They all froze.
Nikolai stepped into the room, pointing at them. “Sergei, Yuri, get out. I want a word with both of you in my office.”
The two men shoved away from each other. Sergei reached down to grab his shirt from the floor and pressed a quick kiss on her lips before heading out of the room.
Nikolai walked over to her, his expression wary. “Are you all right, Valya?”
She nodded, surveying the destruction in her room. “My furniture has seen better days. I had forgotten how messy the two of them could be when they worked out their issues.”
“I'll have them clean it up,” he offered. “I'm more concerned about you.”
Valentina shrugged. “There is nothing to say.”
Nikolai frowned. “You're still angry.”
“Yes,” she admitted, reaching down to find some clean clothing from the pile on the floor. At least they had enough sense not to touch her weapons. “I still don't want you to go to the towers, and I'm not happy about you giving Sergei an ultimatum. It wasn't your place to interfere, Kolya.”
“I understand your concerns about going to the towers,” Nikolai said, stepping around the fallen chair. “But if going there is the fastest way to resolve this threat and cement our alliance with OmniLab, I must do it.”
She tossed her clothing onto the bed and turned to face him again. “You don't know if it'll resolve anything. It could cause more problems. You know what's at risk.”
Nikolai sighed. “I spoke with Peter while you were busy working things out with Sergei, and he confirmed your suspicions. Additional weapons have gone missing from at least two other shipments, but he didn't have any details about the types or numbers. He suggested you work with Viktor to trace these shipments.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don't like Viktor's methods. He doesn't understand the definition of subtle. Besides, he spends more time flirting than focusing on business. I'll find them faster without his help.”
“I would appreciate it if you considered it. Viktor is Peter's right hand. Working with him again would help deepen my relationships with Peter's contacts, especially if we're going to be here for any significant amount of time. Besides, Viktor will most likely provide you with information Peter hasn't shared with me.”
“Fine,” she agreed with a sigh. “I'll contact him later and set up a time to meet with him.”
“Thank you,” Nikolai said, his shoulders relaxing a fraction. “I'm concerned about the number of missing weapons. Even with the two shipments we already knew about, whoever is responsible has amassed a large arsenal. If some of our people are planning a rebellion, we must do what we can to suppress it immediately.”
Valentina frowned, considering the implications. She'd hoped all of this was a result of a small group looking to branch out on their own, but if something larger and more sinister was at work, that could be disastrous. The idea that so many weapons were missing made her wonder if the culprits were better connected than she first assumed. “All of these missing weapons were taken from shipments in this area?”
“I believe so. If we move to the towers, it will be another opportunity to investigate the work crews to determine whether there's any truth to the possibility of a rebellion. The bulk of our forces in the area have ties to the new tower, either on the construction crew or harvesting resources. Between Pavel abducting Ariana and now these missing weapons, we need to clean up the mess quickly. Perhaps you can arrange to have Viktor meet you at the towers.”
She blew out a breath. “You've already made up your mind about going.”
Nikolai cupped her face and pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I'm sorry. Will you be able to do your duty even if you don't agree with me?”
“I need to get dressed,” she said and turned away from him, hating that she didn't have a choice.
“Valya,” he murmured, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “If you were in my place, would you do any different?”
She didn't reply. Instead, she asked a different question that had been plaguing her. “Did you ask me to stay in the towers because you wanted me to work things out with Sergei?”
His arms tensed around her, but he didn't release her. “Yes.”
“Then you never suspected him of betraying our people,” she said, having already guessed the answer.
“No.”
She pulled away from him. “Get out, Nikolai.”
“Valya—”
She spun around to face him. “No. I am done. I told you things in confidence, and you used them against me. You manipulated me by playing upon my emotions.”
“You still love him,” Nikolai said, taking a step toward her. “He loves you too. Would you deny all of us a chance to have our family back together?”
“The end does not justify the means!” Valentina shouted, her hands curling into fists. “I made peace with the past, Nikolai. You had no right to drag me back through all of this. Sergei and I are different people now.”
“You can't tell me you're happy without him,” he said in a quiet voice. “You will barely even look at another man.”
“I do not need a man to be happy,” she snapped. “Is that what this is about? Because I didn't jump into bed with either you or Yuri, you think I've been pining for Sergei all these years?”
“Are you telling me you haven't?” he retorted, beginning to show a faint sign of his usually tightly controlled temper. “Sergei left, and you retreated from both of us. You hold us at arm's length. Sergei comes back into your life, and you fall back into bed with him.”
“I love all of you!” she yelled. “Sergei left, and my world fell apart. Do you think I would risk the same thing happening with either you or Yuri? How many more people do I need to lose before I learn my lesson? I wasn't willing to risk looking at either of you that way. You two matter to me more than anyone else. It would destroy me to lose you.”
At Nikolai's startled look, she took a steadying breath and added, “I already lost Sergei. I knew I could handle losing him a second time if I didn't allow him back into my heart. It was just sex at first, but now I'm back where I was three years ago. I'm scared, Nikolai. If he didn't stay before, why would he stay now? I'm not strong enough to go through this again.”
Nikolai fell silent, and he squeezed his eyes shut. “I am sorry. I erred badly. I didn't consider the ramifications or how this would negatively affect you. I only saw an opportunity to heal our family and bring Sergei back to us.”
Valentina sat on the edge of her bed, suddenly weary. She hated arguing with him. “If you go to the towers, I will do my duty. I won't leave you without people you trust by your side.”
He nodded and approached her. Reaching down, he took her hand in his. “Please don't leave us, Valya. I know we don't always agree, but we all love you. I'm afraid if you left, you would leave a hole in all our hearts that we would never recover from.”
Valentina looked up into his eyes, her heart clenching at the raw pain she saw. She'd seen that same hurt in her own reflection for years after Sergei had left, and she wouldn't allow him to suffer the same way. “I promise. I will not leave you, Kolya.”
“Thank you,” he whispered and bent down to press a kiss to her forehead before leaving the room.
Valentina leaned back against the bench seat inside the caravan. It wasn't her preferred way to travel, but their group was too large to use faster modes of transport. In addition to Sergei, Nikolai, Yuri, and Lars, they'd brought five additional guards with them to the towers. They'd gone back and forth about which five were best suited, and Lars had offered to have each of them submit to the tower's version of a lie-detector test upon arrival. Nikolai was eager at the opportunity to get a closer look at these Omni abilities.
They'd kept their destination secret from all but the people within the caravan. Lars had made a secure transmission directly to Alec, with the express understanding their
arrival needed to be kept quiet. The accompanying soldiers hadn't even been told where they were headed until they sat down in the caravan. Even so, Valentina couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that had come over her.
Nikolai wrapped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her against him. He kissed her temple and whispered, “Thank you for coming with me.”
She rested her head against him. It was impossible to stay angry at Nikolai for long. “If we don't arrive soon, I might be tempted to get out and push.”
Nikolai chuckled, giving her a slight squeeze. “We're only a few minutes away now.”
Sergei leaned forward in his seat directly across from them. He glanced at Nikolai and then back at her, his expression unreadable. “The entrance area will be mostly cleared, except for necessary personnel. Alec will be meeting us there, along with the others we discussed. Lars has agreed to act as your host. You'll be staying with him instead of in the construction tower.”
Nikolai turned to Lars. “We appreciate your generosity.”
Lars nodded. “It's the least I can do. As Valentina can attest, I have plenty of room. That portion of the towers is more secure than many others, so it should suit your needs.”
“I will be staying there as well for the duration of this trip,” Sergei said, his eyes focused on her and making his intent clear.
Valentina lowered her head, gazing up at him through her lashes. “Wouldn't you be more comfortable in your own quarters, Sergei? I am sure Nikolai, Yuri, and Lars will have everything well in hand. I do not imagine your… services will be needed.”
“I will have to provide you with a demonstration,” he replied, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips as he slowly perused her up and down. “I have many… skills that may come in handy. Besides, after spending the past several years on a hard cot, I am looking forward to enjoying a softer place to sleep.”
She made a great show of sighing. “Very well. But I must warn you, Yuri snores. I have heard many complaints from people sharing a room with him.”
Yuri grinned and stretched out his long legs in the cramped space. “Ah, Valya, if he complains, so much the better. You know I tend to kill those who cause trouble. We shall see whether Sergei makes it through the night.”
“Perhaps I will find a different bunkmate,” Sergei suggested with a wry grin. “Otherwise, Lars will have to help me dispose of a body.”
“Scary motherfuckers,” Lars muttered.
Valentina lowered her gaze again and bit her lip, practically shaking in silent laughter. Nikolai squeezed her shoulder, and she lifted her head to see he was equally amused. It had been too long since they'd all been together like this and teasing each other.
The caravan halted a moment later, and their humor faded away as their training kicked in. Yuri and the guards exited first, followed by Lars and Sergei. Valentina stood, keeping her weapon hand free as she jumped out of the caravan. Nikolai followed behind her, placing his hand on her back as he led her toward Alec and the small group that had assembled.
“Welcome to OmniLab,” Alec greeted them with a warm smile. “I wish the circumstances were better, but I'm pleased you could join us.”
Nikolai nodded and replied in kind, but Valentina was only partly listening. She'd gone into sentry mode and was busy identifying all points of egress and evaluating each of the individuals in the room, looking for weapons and assigning them a point value according to their potential threat level.
In addition to Alec, the same individuals who were at the original meeting site were present, along with several other people. At least five of them most likely had some sort of supernatural talent, while the others appeared more comfortable with traditional weaponry. She placed her non-weapon hand on her leg, lifting all five knuckles to mark her count. Yuri gave an almost indiscernible nod, indicating he'd identified the same ones.
Alec gestured to two of the men she didn't recognize. “This is Marcus Staghorn and Devan Alivette, two members of our High Council. They have agreed to provide you with the demonstration you requested.”
One of the men regarded Valentina for a long moment. “You're the young woman who saved my daughter.”
Valentina blinked at him, taking a fraction of a second to note some similarities between him and Ariana. “We saved each other.”
The slightest trace of a smile crossed his features, making him appear much younger. She had the impression it wasn't a gesture he was used to making. “Ariana doesn't tell the story quite the same way, but whatever the truth, I want to thank you for your efforts in rescuing her.”
Valentina nodded.
The two men moved to stand beside the wall, and Alec gestured to a small mark etched on the floor. “Once someone stands here, we will activate the truth barrier. They won't even notice it, and the entire process is completely painless. You can ask them whatever questions you wish, and they won't be able to lie. I would suggest making your questions as specific as possible to make sure they aren't able to circumvent the truth.”
Valentina studied the mark on the ground. It appeared fairly innocuous, but so was a weapon if you didn't know its true purpose.
Sergei glanced over at Alec. “How far will this barrier extend?”
“We'll keep it contained to just the person standing over the mark. No one else in the room will be affected.”
Nikolai nodded and started to take a step forward, but Valentina grabbed his arm. Switching to their native language, she whispered, “What are you doing?”
He arched his brow, letting her know he wasn't about to ask his men to do something he wasn't willing to do himself. She narrowed her eyes and released him, walking over to the mark herself. There was no way she was going to allow these people to use their powers on him.
“Valya,” Yuri began, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. Nikolai couldn't afford to lose either one of them, but she would have the most latitude. If Devan Alivette was truly grateful she'd helped rescue his daughter, she was about to find out.
Her eyes met Sergei's from across the room. He didn't look pleased with having her stand there, but after a brief hesitation, he gave her a small reassuring nod. She relaxed a fraction, suspecting he'd be one of the first ones to drag her off if there was a threat. It was a little disconcerting how quickly she was starting to trust him again.
Alec glanced over at the two men along the wall. “Go ahead, gentlemen.”
A moment later, a strange sensation flowed over her skin, reminiscent of static electricity. Valentina frowned and flexed her fingers, trying to resist the urge to rub her arms to rid herself of the strange current.
Sergei straightened, his expression growing concerned. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, glancing down at her hands. They didn't look any different, but the strange crawling sensation was unsettling. It wasn't painful, but it was definitely noticeable. The fact she could feel it at all wasn't a ringing endorsement of Alec's honesty.
Nikolai frowned and took a step toward her. “Do you wish to stop?”
Valentina started to say no, but something held her back. She might want to stop, but she didn't need to. It was interesting that the truth barrier was able to discern the difference. She shook her head and was able to do that without any difficulty. “I'll be fine. The truth barrier appears to function, but it's limited to verbal responses. You'll need to be very specific in your questions.”
Alec hesitated, cocking his head and studying her. “Can you feel it?”
She blinked at him, the question setting her even more on guard. Dammit. She needed to be careful. Making an effort to keep her body relaxed, she frowned and pretended to be confused by his question. “I thought you said I would not. Was that wrong? Should I feel something?”
“You shouldn't be able to,” he admitted with a frown.
Sergei's jaw clenched as he started to move toward her, but she held up her hand to stop him.
“I do not feel any pain,” she stated before one of them decid
ed to yank her off. None of them looked happy with her being there. She turned back to Nikolai. “Your questions?”
“Very well,” he agreed, but the rigidity in his shoulders didn't lessen. “Did you have any part in the ambush yesterday?”
Valentina opened her mouth to say no, but nothing came out. She paused for a moment, considering how to answer. “I was present during the meeting but did not conspire in the ambush.”
“Interesting,” Nikolai murmured. “You're unable to say no because you were there?”
“It will not allow me to say anything that can be construed as a lie,” she replied. “Narrow the parameters of your question and try again.”
Nikolai nodded. “Did you have any part in planning the ambush yesterday?”
“No.”
“Do you know who helped orchestrate the attack?”
Valentina opened her mouth and closed it again when she couldn't respond. Realizing her knowledge of Regina was tripping the truth barrier, she suggested, “Try asking that differently.”
“Do you know who masterminded the attack?”
“No,” she replied.
“Do you know who shot Sergei?”
“No, but I will find out and return the favor,” she promised, meeting Sergei's gaze from across the room.
Nikolai hesitated and then grinned. “It appears to be working.”
The strange sensation faded away, and Valentina walked away from the mark to stand beside Nikolai once more. Nikolai motioned for one of the guards to come forward. He did so immediately, no reservation in his stance. Valentina nodded at him in approval.
Each of the guards who escorted them took their turn standing within the truth barrier and answering Nikolai's questions. Once they were finished, they all stepped back into formation. The two Omnis who had been holding the truth barrier in place moved away from the wall, and the strange sensation that had filled the area was gone. Valentina glanced over at the guards, but none of them had shown any signs of being affected.
Flames of Redemption Page 16