“When we get to the house in Salvation,” Chatham said to him and then he waited for her to emerge.
“What’s the plan, Cosivan? Will we be able to protect her there?” Viktor asked.
It was so crazy, but in these weeks that they searched for Nalia he learned so much about her. They dissected her past, her schooling, the job she worked at and had been offered a fabulous package at upon obtaining her MBA. She was smart, sexy, and had the whole world at her fingertips. He almost felt jealous, because she had the opportunity to explore her options.
His future was set for him. When he was sixteen, his father, Jordan, was murdered right in front of him. He didn’t think twice as he ran for his father’s gun, turned, and shot Turner Hanze. He was a big shot in the criminal world in their world of Russian mobsters. As shocked as everyone had been to learn what he had done, he hadn’t been shocked at all. He hardly even reacted. The anger at watching his father die at the hands of such a monster did something to Viktor. It had been his uncle, Nicolai, who took him into hiding, who taught him everything he needed to know about being a made man and a soldier for the Merkovicz dynasty.
Over time, his heart hardened and he was forced into another situation that made him have to kill someone he thought of as a friend. The trust was broken. He was broken, and he joined the military in order to evade being knocked off himself. Then he met his brothers.
He glanced at them as Cosivan talked about the house, the property he chose to provide security and a safe house for Nalia while further plans were made to handle Scarlapetti.
Then Nalia returned and she gripped the wall and looked off kilter. Boian got to her first.
“Whoa, slow down, honey. Are you feeling okay?” Viktor asked her as she held on to Boian.
She shook her head. “I think I need something to eat,” she whispered.
“I’ll grab some stuff,” Viktor said and he was surprised at the sort of jealous feeling he had at seeing her cling to Boian. He could tell Boian was protective of her. He had been a madman from the first phone call about her being in danger. He had been hard to control as he questioned people and became more and more violent to get his answers. He knew that Karlicov stopped Boian from training her and seeing her. It had been instant. One day he was meeting her and the next he was forbidden to make any contact with her. Even then, Boian was a monster for quite some time. He changed. He closed up and now, meeting Nalia, and knowing all he learned of her, he could see why. She was perfect. She was beautiful, sexy, smart, skilled, and a survivor just like each of them. She was also off limits. Karlicov chose them because they were the best at what they did. He knew that his daughter would trust Boian and eventually them too because of the time they shared years ago. It was a strategic plan. Viktor just had this feeling that sometimes plans backfire and watching over Nalia had all the basics for disaster.
Chapter 3
Nalia was grateful to have finally showered and changed her clothes. She barely remembered the town they drove into and then the outskirts of it. She kept dozing in and out. She hadn’t realized how tired she was. She remembered seeing the word Salvation and then another sign earlier for a place called Tranquility. Salvation was where they were staying. Someone met them at the airport terminal and followed them all the way to the town and even to the house. McCallister was the name or something like that. The house was huge, on a ranch-like setting with lots of land. It was secluded, and she wondered why they chose such a place. It made her feel like an easy target, yet the thought of being surrounded by strangers was worse. She knew that they knew what they were doing. This was Boian and his team’s job. She swallowed hard. She was a job for them. They were on protection detail and it bothered her.
She couldn’t help but to watch the men when she had a chance. Her attraction to Boian was as strong as ever. She never forgot about him or about the way his hands felt on her as he taught her so many defense moves. Nor the way he clutched her shoulder, laid his body over hers as she learned how to shoot many different firearms. She remembered the scent of his cologne and the gentleness in his touch, but also the firmness of his tone. When he gave an order it was intimidating besides arousing.
They were all pretty damn attractive and filled with muscles. It was their eyes, their expressions and body language that separated them from any other men she had come in contact with in her life. That hardness was a barrier of sorts. She knew they killed people. They did it in the service as Special Forces and they did it as soldiers in the Russian mob. Surprisingly it didn’t shock her or make her feel sick or scared. It was all a means of survival just as killing had been for her.
She looked at herself in the mirror and saw a similar hardened expression in her eyes. She killed, too.
Her heart pounded inside of her chest and that sick horrible feeling filled her gut. She didn’t think. She reacted. Those men she killed were going to kill her. They were going to drag her back to Vincent so he could rape her and force her to bear his children. How sick was that? How demented. Was this what men did to women on a regular basis to seek revenge? She didn’t understand it. She couldn’t process it until she thought about Cosivan and the whole team of men she now shared this house with.
She knew before the full question finished in her mind that the answer was no. They could never do such a thing. But other men were evil. Others like Vincent who sought revenge were capable of such things. Things a normal, civilized human being like herself would never even imagine doing.
She felt her chest tighten. She was capable of more than even she thought she was capable of. In the midst of danger, living on the run with killers on her ass, she, too, planned her revenge against Vincent for killing her father. She thought of ways to infiltrate his home. To allow him to take her to bed and to think her submissive and accepting to his control and then she would slit his throat or put a bullet in his head. She cringed and swallowed the terrible taste in her mouth. She didn’t even care about dying at that point. She even imagined her choices as his men came to find him dead or as she killed him then tried escaping and they caught her. She hadn’t cared. She would have wanted to die because her mother, her father, the only true family she had, were dead.
She shook the thoughts from her head as she gripped the sink and thought about the bullet that came so close to penetrating deeper. The wound was bleeding again and she reached for the dark towel to press against it. Her breasts poured from the black lace bra she wore. She had thrown on her panties and blue jeans with the rips all over them. They were her comfort jeans, or at least they used to be. There were no comforts now. Maybe never again.
She jumped as she heard the knock on the door.
“Nalia, are you okay?”
Boian.
“Yes. I’ll be out in a minute. I’m just trying to stop the bleeding,” she said and the door pushed open and he and Viktor were there.
She gasped, pulled the small towel over her chest, and turned away.
“Let us see,” Viktor stated and she swallowed hard and glanced at their images in the reflection in the mirror.
“Let me put something on first.”
“No. We can see better and you won’t get blood on anything and ruin your clothes,” Boian stated firmly and like a man who knew what he was talking about. She kept the washcloth over her breasts best she could but she was well endowed and as she felt the hands on her hips she realized her pants weren’t zippered up and they were slightly lowering. They probably could see her black thong panties, too. Oh God.
She swallowed hard.
“What’s going on in here?”
Dusty? Jesus.
“We need more bandages and some of the antiseptic. It’s still bleeding,” Viktor stated.
“She may need stitches after all,” Boian said, standing close to her with his hands on his hips. He looked so angry.
“I’ll be okay,” she whispered, her voice sounding sexy and breathless and she swallowed quickly.
Viktor’s warm, large ha
nds glided along her skin. One was on her hip and the other she felt tracing her tattoo. She glanced down at him.
“Sunflowers?” he questioned her.
Boian leaned closer. His arm grazed her breast as he gripped the counter with his hand to lean on, his face inches from her head. She felt his warm breath against her skin. “Her favorite flower,” he whispered. She turned slightly to the right. His lips were so close to hers. All she had to do was lift up slightly and she could feel them against her lips. But she stopped herself from being some foolish inexperienced woman with a crush on the sexy gangster that trained her years ago. It would never work. Her father would never allow it. He chose Boian and his team of capable men because he knew she could trust Boian. That was the bottom line.
As he pressed a little closer and she felt his finger graze over the trim of her thong, Dusty came back.
“Here, I got a bunch of things. Cosivan said he can do the stitches if need be.”
“He may have to,” Viktor said as he began to clean out the wound.
“What? No way. Does he even know what he’s doing?” she asked in a panic.
“I can assure you I’m so good you won’t even see a scar.”
She gasped at the sound of Cosivan’s voice. She turned and saw him in the doorway along with Chatham.
Thank God the bathroom was very large with a sitting area and a separate shower and bath. She felt claustrophobic though, with men this big in here surrounding her.
“Let me see.” Cosivan’s strong tone had her tightening up. When he touched her hip she dropped the towel and then went to bend to get it off the floor but his hands firmed. “Stop moving,” he ordered. She gasped and then placed her arm over her bra and breasts in an attempt to cover some of herself up. He locked gazes with her through the mirror.
“You need a few. I’ll get things ready. We have some supplies, but it may be a bit painful,” he told her, his hand on her hip. God, he was a hard scary man. His deep, angry expression with his eyes squinted, his jaw firm added to the intimidation factor. He had very short, crew cut strawberry blond hair. His eyes looked dark blue and he had this aura about him that put her on edge and made her immediately accept his power and control. There was no denying the man’s ability to lead and to get whatever the hell he wanted.
“Is it necessary? Can’t we wait a few more days?” she asked.
“No,” he said and then stepped back and started heading from the bathroom giving orders.
Boian caressed her hair from her cheek but not before looking at her breasts. “You can trust him,” he whispered and the tears filled her eyes.
She shook her head and lowered it, but then Viktor placed his palm over her belly and held her gaze in the mirror. “You can trust him. He saved lives more times than I care to remember.” Viktor then stepped away and walked from the room.
“We’ll help you,” Dusty said to her.
“Let me put on a shirt,” she told them as she turned and reached for her tank top.
“No need. It may get bloody,” Chatham said and she stared at him wondering if he were telling the truth and then he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I personally like the view and don’t want to cover it up quite yet.”
Boian gave him a smack. “Nice, Chatham,” he said and pushed him from the bathroom.
She felt her cheeks warm and her belly tighten. This was bad, really, really bad. How the hell was she going to get through this?
* * * *
“How are you feeling?” Boian asked Nalia as she downed another shot of vodka.
“I told you that I can hold my liquor. The numbing agent is enough. I’m not weak, or a baby,” she snapped at him. The others were all there too as Cosivan prepared what he needed to do the few stitches.
She stood up and lost her balance. Boian grabbed her around the waist.
“I think you are ready now,” he said to her and she glared at him. God, she’s so beautiful. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her in his arms and explore her luscious, sexy body. She wasn’t some high school girl and a freshman in college that he was training. She was voluptuous, smart, professional and a grown woman.
He held her close and cupped her cheek and she leaned closer like she would kiss him and he turned and cleared his throat.
“Let’s get you down on the bed,” he said.
She shoved him away.
“I can do it,” she stated firmly. Obviously insulted that he didn’t let her kiss him. He knew if she did then he would lose control and he would take her, make her his and probably get killed by Karlicov for doing it.
Cosivan gave him a mean look. Chatham and Viktor stared at her body. Dusty gave him a sympathetic expression.
She reached for the hem of her tank top and pulled it up over her head and threw it right at him. She lay on the bed and one look at her body and then his team and he could see they found her to be just as sexy and desirable as he did.
Viktor reached over and tucked the sheet into the waist of her jeans.
“I need to undo this,” he said to her as she held his gaze.
“Do it,” she said firmly but kept her eyes locked on Boian.
* * * *
Cosivan took in the sight of Nalia. She was all woman from head to toe. Her belly flat and trim, her breasts abundant and exploding from the bra she wore. The sight of the black string to her sexy little panties was enough to make him come in his pants. One look at the others and he knew they were in a heap of trouble. They were all attracted to Nalia. They felt protective instantly. They had been obsessed with her for the last several months as they tried to find out everything they could about her and who she was, who she hung out with, even who she dated. Which was no one.
She was never with a man and that led them to believe she was a virgin. If what their sources said was true, it was another reason why Scarlapetti sought her out as a means of revenge against Karlicov. He could take her virginity and taint her. He could rape her, force a child upon her, and then kill her. It made him so sick and angry he knew if and when he got the order, he would kill Scarlapetti himself.
He stared at her little dainty sunflower tattoo, her sexy hipbones, and then the gash to her side. She was so damn lucky the bullet hadn’t lodged into her side. There would be no way of protecting her in a hospital and with cops around asking questions. They would have knocked her off in no time.
“Easy breaths,” he whispered to her as he set up the needle and prepared to begin stitching her skin.
He pressed a hand over her belly and she swallowed hard, glancing at him.
“Trust me,” he told her and she held his gaze and started to look panicked.
“He’s very good. We’re here to protect you and ensure you don’t feel any more pain,” Viktor told her.
She glanced at him and took a deep breath.
“I can handle it,” she said and looked toward Boian. Whether she realized it or not, she continuously looked to him for support, for direction. Cosivan almost felt a little jealous.
“Here we go,” he whispered. She tightened lightly on the first pinch of needle to skin.
Boian held her hand. Viktor placed his hand on her shoulder. Dusty and Chatham watched over them.
“Why didn’t you come back, ever?” she asked Boian.
He looked away.
“I want to know. Was it that I was so young, unattractive, boring and too simple for you, a man who has seen so much and is so worldly? I know my father probably felt I was ready and trained enough, but you felt something back then, didn’t you, Boian?” she asked and tightened again on the second stitch.
“Nalia,” Boian whispered.
“Forget it.” She turned away.
Cosivan didn’t look away from her skin. He heard her words and he could tell that Boian had feelings for her. She tensed again as he made the third and final stitch. He was trying to be careful and to ensure there wouldn’t be a bad scar. Knowing her father, Karlicov would have that taken care of and no one would ever know
she had been shot.
He made the small knot and then reached for the scissors but Viktor was there to hand them to him. He cut the end, then added the ointment before securing the wound with a bandage.
“You did great, Nalia,” he said to her.
She glanced at him and gave a small smile. “Thank you, Cosivan,” she whispered and then Viktor pulled away the sheet from her jeans. Boian reached for the clasp to cover her up so they could no longer see her black panties but she pushed his hands away.
“I am more than capable of handling things myself. You can leave now,” she said to him. Boian opened his mouth to say something but then stood up and walked out of the room.
Cosivan got up and cleaned up all the materials he used and needed. Viktor was next to her.
“You should take some pain medication.”
“I’m fine,” she replied.
“There’s no reason to feel any pain. We have stuff here. In a little while you’re going to feel the ache from the stitches,” Cosivan said to her.
“I don’t mind pain. This is nothing compared to other painful things. So don’t worry. Just leave me alone to rest.”
Viktor placed a throw blanket over her. Then he and Cosivan walked out of the room.
* * * *
“You care about her,” Dusty said to Boian.
Boian took a slug of vodka and then placed the glass into the kitchen sink. He sat down at the table and ran his fingers through his hair.
“It’s understandable. She’s beautiful and sweet, plus strong, too. She’s not like other women,” Dusty added.
“No, she isn’t. But she’s Karlicov’s daughter and we’re here to protect her,” he replied.
“She still has feelings for you,” he added.
“Because she’s inexperienced and young,” Boian replied.
“Maybe—”
“Stop, Dusty. None of it matters. I can’t have her. We can’t have her,” he said to Dusty and Dusty swallowed hard. Cosivan, Chatham and Viktor walked into the kitchen.
The American Soldier Collection 13: Her Lucky Number Thirteen (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5