Biker Outlaw's Princess: An MC Romance

by Bella Rose

  “That—at least—I can promise you,” he said softly. “And perhaps, if things change?”

  “I don’t know.” She inhaled deeply and let it all out in a huge sigh. “I don’t know how much things can change. A bird can love a fish, but where would they live?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The dramatic sights of Moscow left Blair in utter awe. As the limo glided smoothly through the cobbled streets toward Red Square, she could see the spires of the Kremlin growing larger with each passing second. Nearby sat the unmistakable facade of St. Basil’s Cathedral.

  “What do you think?” Mikhail asked.

  She glanced away from the window long enough to smile at him. “I think I’ve spent far too much time as a domestic pilot and not enough time seeing the world.”

  “Perhaps that is something you can change,” he suggested.

  Blair gazed at his handsome visage beside her in the limo. He had put a respectful distance between them. It was both too much and not enough. He was wearing another custom-tailored suit. His shirt was a rich burgundy color that set off his dark complexion. His hair was only slightly tousled from the breeze.

  She had once thought he was harsh in appearance. Now she could read beneath the mask he presented to the world. The tightness around his lips that flattened their sensual bow told her that he was worried about the upcoming meeting with his brothers. The intensity of his dark eyes let her know that he was determined. For a man who showed very little emotion to the world at large, she had come to read him like a book.

  “What are you doing?” He cocked his head, his curiosity evident.

  She half lifted her hand to touch him and then dropped it back to her side. “I was just thinking that I used to find you intimidating.”

  “And now?”

  “Now I know better.”

  They pulled up in front of a large hotel not far from Red Square. The limo waited but a moment for the valets to usher every other car out of the way. The level of precedence that the Romanovs enjoyed here on the home turf in Moscow was unmistakable.

  Mikhail leaned over, holding the door closed when the valet would have opened it. He gazed at Blair. “Remember what you’ve just said about intimidation when you meet my brothers.”

  She swallowed back a lump of nervousness. “I will.”

  Blair felt like she was playing a part when she stepped out of the vehicle and threw her shoulders back. She raised her chin and pasted a cool smile on her face. When Mikhail emerged from the vehicle, any trace of his softer side was gone. His expression was set in stone and the set of his jaw was almost aggressive. Blair mourned the loss of the man who had been her lover, and yet she could also appreciate the strength of this enigmatic man.

  “Shall we?” He offered his arm.

  Surprised by the gesture, she nodded and placed her fingers in the crook of his arm. “Thank you.”

  The barely perceptible nod she received was just enough to tell her that the man she had been with in Rio was still inside this hard shell.

  He swept her into the hotel and through the lobby without stopping. The elevator doors opened as they approached, almost as if they had been engineered that way. Blair forced herself not to gawk at the ornate interior of the hotel. The place looked like a palace. Acres of marble, glass, and gold leaf surrounded dark wood furniture in an old fashion. It was a place of style as well as comfort.

  The elevator doors dinged as they closed, and Blair gave a little sigh of relief. “I think this might be the fanciest hotel we’ve been in yet.”

  “It belongs to the Bratva,” he said casually.

  “Really?” Blair cocked her head to one side, thinking about the way he seemed to enjoy luxury and paid such prodigious attention to his surroundings. “You run this hotel, don’t you?” It wasn’t actually a question.

  “I do.” His hard mask softened for a brief moment. “I would like to own my own hotel someday. Something that the Bratva has no hand in.”

  “I hope that you have that opportunity someday.” Blair gave a little self-deprecating chuckle. “I cannot believe I didn’t notice your hotel fixation sooner.”

  “I imagine you were somewhat distracted,” he teased. “What with being taken hostage, making unscheduled stops that required you to land your plane in the middle of nowhere with a certain lack of modern technology.”

  “There was that,” she agreed with a laugh. “But in Vegas you seemed so attuned to the surroundings, and then again in Rio you chose a hotel that only a travel buff would have known about. It was old, yet had been completely renovated for luxury. And it was located in the heart of Centro.” She gestured to the elevator they were riding in that had nearly reached the top floor. “And now I’m guessing we’re headed for yet another penthouse suite.”

  “You would be correct.”

  “Anything I should know, other than not to let your brothers intimidate me?” She licked her lips nervously and glanced down at her simple jeans and sweater. “I feel like I’m not even dressed for this occasion. You’re wearing a suit for cripes’ sake!”

  “You’ll do fine,” he soothed. “Just watch and listen. Only speak if someone asks you a direct question, and don’t question my brothers.”

  Those directives bumped up against everything Blair valued about herself. “You mean you want me to just sit down and shut up. Is that it?”

  “I might not use such a crass choice of words, but essentially that is what I suggest.”

  “Duly noted,” she muttered as the elevator doors opened.

  The foyer of the penthouse suite sported vaulted ceilings hung with exquisite chandeliers and marble floors inlaid with precious metals. Beyond that, Blair could see a living room on the right, closed doors—presumably bedrooms—on the left, and in the center a round space with a table where two men and a woman sat arguing.

  ***

  Mikhail could feel Blair’s nervous excitement. It worried him a little. Her American sensibilities did not give her a predisposition to be silent. She was an intelligent woman in her own right. Yet he did not want his brothers to somehow perceive her as a threat.

  He should not have cared about what his family thought of Blair. The two of them were done after this trip. Mikhail would send her home and he would never see her again. At least that was what he continually told himself. The reality was somewhat different.

  “Ah, Mikhail!” Ivan called out. “Come and sit! We have vodka.” Ivan reached over and smacked Aleksei on the back of the head. “Now you will see. Mikhail will tell you that your stupid plan is suicidal.”

  Mikhail frowned. There was a woman sitting beside his brother Aleksei. Mikhail offered her a nod. “Susanna,” he murmured. “I’m surprised to see that you have joined us.”

  Aleksei gestured to his guest. “It took a little maneuvering for our special agent here to come to Russia, but I thought it important that she be here.”

  Aleksei and Ivan shared a look across the table before Ivan gestured to Blair. “I see you are still keeping your pet close.”

  “This is Blair Edwards,” Mikhail offered. “She is anything but a pet. She was instrumental in evading the authorities.”

  Beside him, Mikhail could feel Blair’s indignation. Soon she would have had enough and would say something his brothers would take exception to, and the meeting would become useless. If one of his brothers insulted Blair, Mikhail had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to control his reaction.

  “I would think that your gratefulness for her assistance would not extend past the US borders,” Aleksei said with a sarcastic snort. “Unless she is currently serving some other purpose?”

  Blair snorted. Then to Mikhail’s surprise, she turned to Susanna. “I’m sorry, do they always talk about women as though they don’t have minds of their own?”

  “Yep. It’s a fact. They do,” Susanna said with a grin. Then she stood and held out her hand to Blair. “I’m Susanna Martinez, special agent with the FBI.”

  “Blair Edwards
.” Blair took the offered hand and gave it a firm shake. “I’m a pilot for Skye Aviation.”

  “Good God,” Susanna moaned. “What I wouldn’t give to sit in on a few of the conversations that take place on those flights!”

  “I bet,” Blair said with a laugh. Susanna moved to sit back down and Blair took the seat beside her new friend. “We certainly have an unusual roster of clients, as evidenced by my current predicament.”

  “Which brings us back around to what we were discussing a moment ago,” Susanna said expectantly. “Now that we’re all here, should we continue?”

  The men were looking at her with expressions ranging from surprise to annoyance. Then Aleksei narrowed his gaze at her. “Oh, you mean I can talk now?”

  “Of course.” Susanna waved her hand. “Why don’t I fill Mikhail in on the particulars?”

  Mikhail could not help but be amused by her boldness, and by the way Blair had sat right down and inserted herself into the conversation. He needn’t have worried about her. Mikhail waved at Susanna. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

  “As of now, I don’t have an identity on the informant who provided information about the Bratva to the FBI’s organized crime division,” Susanna said with annoyance. “They are keeping the identity of the source under close wraps.”

  Blair tugged thoughtfully at her lower lip. “Makes it seem like it’s someone on the inside, doesn’t it?”

  “Exactly!” Susanna said enthusiastically. “That’s what I said, but Aleksei and Ivan don’t agree.”

  Mikhail knew why his brothers would be so eager to turn away from that possibility. “I suppose it could be possible that someone on the inside would turn against us. I understand why my brothers are unwilling to posit the notion.”

  Aleksei sliced his hand enthusiastically through the air. “I refuse to believe that one of our own would turn on the family like that!”

  “Perhaps we are looking at this from the wrong perspective,” Ivan finally said in a reasonable tone. “Stop thinking about it as one of our own trying to hurt us and start coming up with what someone might gain from removing Mikhail from power. Who stands to gain?”

  “Who is next in line for the throne?” Blair looked around the table. “One of you?”

  Aleksei appeared to be considering this. “If Mikhail died now, I suppose I would be the one to step into his position. I’m the second son. Our father had handed the reins to Mikhail long before he passed away.”

  “Was there someone else before Mikhail?” Two lines appeared between Blair’s eyebrows as she thought about their situation. “Isn’t it usually a family member who feels that their inheritance was taken?”

  Susanna bobbed her head. “That idea has merit. What about Sergei’s brothers?”

  “Dimitri and Anton were never even interested in leadership. They just enjoyed the lifestyle,” Ivan argued.

  “Yes, but maybe one of their children is bitter about that?” Blair suggested. “I’m just wondering if you shouldn’t at least look into it.”

  Aleksei sat back in his seat and looked over at Mikhail. “Your woman has a quick mind and plenty of courage to use it, Mikhail.”

  “Thank you, Aleksei,” Blair said with a smile and a nod.

  Ivan gave Mikhail a long, slow once-over. “Are you sure you want me to keep the plane reservation?”

  “Yes.” Mikhail didn’t even waver in his decision. He could not afford to. He needed to get Blair home safely. “She leaves on the flight this afternoon.”

  Ivan glanced at his watch. “Then the time is now, Mikhail.”

  “Now?” Blair’s eyes opened wide. “Like I’m leaving for the airport right now?”

  “Yes.” Ivan’s countenance showed nothing of what he might be thinking.

  Mikhail saw her throat move as she swallowed, then she stood up from the table. “Then let me just say that it’s been a pleasure to meet all of you.” She turned to Susanna. “Especially you, Agent Martinez. I wish you all the best in your investigations.”

  And then like a princess, Blair turned and headed for the elevator. Mikhail started to go after her, but Aleksei grabbed his arm.

  “There will be a ticket waiting for you at the airport, Ms. Edwards,” Ivan called after her. “The hotel staff will see that you and your things get to the airport on time. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the staff at any time.”

  Blair did not turn. “Thank you.”

  The elevator arrived and she stepped in. Then she was gone and Mikhail felt utterly alone.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Are you certain your FBI database said that the informant was holed up in this safe house?” Mikhail looked dubiously at the apartment building across the street from their position tucked into a copse of trees.

  Susanna sighed, obviously irritated. “Yes. I’m certain. Why are you so sure that I’m wrong? Or do you just want me to be?”

  Mikhail’s phone clicked in his pocket, a signal from Aleksei that he and Ivan were in position. Mikhail suddenly turned and looked straight at Susanna. “Why aren’t you with Aleksei? Shouldn’t Ivan be stuck with me?”

  “No.” She gave a heavy sigh as though she really didn’t want to talk about it. “Your brother is an idiot. Okay?”

  Mikhail snorted. “Is he trying to get you to leave the FBI again so the two of you can be a couple?”

  “It’s not like I’m asking him to go straight so we can be together,” she said grouchily. “If a woman loves a man, she knows that sometimes his work or his family, or something, makes it impossible for them to be together.”

  A wave of melancholy hit Mikhail so hard he nearly doubled over with the pain of it. It had been three weeks since he’d watched Blair walk out of the hotel suite in Moscow without even saying good-bye. Yet what Susanna said made plenty of sense.

  “You’re thinking about Blair, aren’t you?” Susanna guessed.

  “She told me in Rio that she cannot handle the violence of this life,” he admitted quietly.

  Susanna’s face settled into thoughtful introspection. “But she never gave you an ultimatum, did she?”

  “No. She just told me that our lives were too different, but that my choices were my own.”

  Susanna laughed. “That woman has it so bad for you, Mikhail!”

  “What?”

  “She loves you, you idiot.” Susanna sighed. “She would never make you choose, because she loves you. But it’s killing her that your career choice is keeping the two of you apart. She’s not going to call, because that would be like putting pressure on you. And she wants you to come of your own will if you go at all.”

  “Women are indecipherable creatures,” Mikhail muttered. “You really believe all of that?”

  “Sure,” Susanna said with a firm nod. Then she peered at the windows of the apartment building. “Oh, our guy is on the move. I can see him.”

  Mikhail reached into his pocket and signaled his brothers. They were planning to grab their suspected mole when he walked out of the building. Hopefully just knowing his identity would help clear matters up.

  Susanna stayed on his heels as he broke cover and got behind his target. She wore a black mask over the lower half of her face to protect her identity. Mikhail had thought it was a foolish notion, but Aleksei had insisted.

  There was something familiar about the slumped shoulders of the man in front of them. Mikhail was closing fast, but he had the impression of lank, balding hair and an almost eerily pale complexion. The man wore an overcoat even though it was quite warm outside, and he had his hand shoved into his pocket like he was carrying a weapon.

  In front of the man, Aleksei and Ivan strolled casually down the sidewalk. Their intention was to distract the man so Mikhail could grab him from behind, but something went wrong. The man straightened and began to crouch. He knew Aleksei and Ivan. He had to know them well enough to think that they would instantly recognize him.

  Just as the informant made to duck into an alley next to
his building, Mikhail reached out and snagged the back of the overcoat. The man gave a squeak and started to shed the coat in his frantic attempt to escape capture.

  “Grab him!” Ivan shouted. “It’s Luka!”

  Luka! Mikhail’s stomach tied itself into a thousand knots. How could his own cousin have set him up like this? Blair had been right! Mikhail flung his arms around Luka and braced his feet against the ground. His cousin wasn’t big enough to wrestle away from Mikhail.

  Aleksei went for the van as soon as he was certain they had Luka well in hand. Mikhail dragged their cousin into the shadows of the alley. There was no need to catch the attention of any passersby. Luka was wheezing and cursing in Russian, still trying to pull away.

  “You have no right!” Luka snarled. “I am a Romanov, just like you. I have the protection of the Bratva.”

  Susanna pulled her mask off. There was no need to protect her identity from Luka. He already knew she worked both sides. She looked to Mikhail. “Is he right? Will the other council members defend this sack of shit?

  Mikhail shared a look with Ivan. “It’s possible. His father was technically the eldest son, but Dimitri never wanted the responsibility that went with leadership.”

  “My father was worthless!” Luka hissed. “But Sergei should have given the position to me. To me! It was mine as the eldest son of Dimitri Romanov.”

  Mikhail gazed at this man and wondered if staying with the Bratva meant he was doomed to a lifetime’s worth of sorry attempts at a coup. “If you wanted the position, Luka, you should have petitioned the council for it. They would have listened.”

  Luka’s face went blank for the span of two seconds. Mikhail had loosened his grip. It didn’t feel anymore as though Luka was going to run. He seemed more shocked than anything else.

  Ivan snorted. “Yeah, dumbass. I’m sure you’re thinking how much easier it would have been to go through the proper Bratva channels instead of selling yourself out to the FBI. Do you have any idea what the council will do to you now?”