by Nic Saint
“I’m with you there, buddy,” Mike grunted. “If I know even a dozen people here it will be a lot.” Then he gave them both a pointed look. “That’s why I’m so glad you guys decided to show up. I don’t know what I would have done without you. And that goes for Emily as well.”
Emily’s family had broken all contact with her when she ran away years ago to join the Russian Mob. She’d invited only one guest, her best friend Laura. Even her former employers, the Demiakov family, had decided to skip the happy occasion, pissed off that she’d decided to jump ship and marry a Petrov.
She gestured to Yulian and Roman, who were engaged in a lively discussion with Dad. “What is that all about?”
Mike glanced over. “No fucking clue. Since I moved to Montinia, I haven’t kept up with news from back home.”
“Uh-huh. This got nothing to do with us,” Rob knew. “I overheard Yulian talking to the king. Apparently something is cooking right here in Montinia.”
Mike arched his brow. “That so? I wonder why they haven’t told me. I’m supposed to be in charge of security around here.”
“I guess they don’t trust foreigners,” mocked Rob.
“We’ll see about that,” Mike growled, and stalked over to Yulian and tapped the big man on the shoulder. Yulian looked mildly annoyed at the interruption but then included him in the conversation. That was her big brother for you. If he wanted something, he went after it, consequences be damned.
“What do you think’s going on?” she asked Rob.
Rob shrugged. “From what I can tell King Rudolph is going into business with Yulian, and in exchange they’ve got Roman shoring up security.”
“Shore up security? Why? Is there a threat?”
“Just rumors. Some nutcases making threats. I wouldn’t worry about it. Who the hell would want to attack this sad excuse for a country?” He turned to a gorgeous woman drifting by. She batted her eyes at him and he grinned. “They do have some interesting natural resources, though.”
“I just hope Mike and Emily will be all right,” Diana muttered, biting her lip. She and her brothers had been called out to Mexico only a few short weeks ago, when Erik had run into some trouble with a gang of corrupt cops. She couldn’t imagine something like that happening in Montinia. “It’s such a fairytale country, and so peaceful.”
“Yeah, it’s a genuine Disneyland,” Rob agreed. “Though if you ask me, Mike will be bored out of his skull in weeks.” He spread his arms and made a comical face. “I mean, there’s only so much you can do in a place like this.”
“You mean like going to the beach every morning for a swim in the Mediterranean? Partying with Europe’s jet set every night? Chatting with celebrities and getting on a first name basis with all your favorite movie stars, pop stars, royals and sports heroes? Yeah, I can see how that might get old after a while.”
“Smart-ass,” he grumbled.
Diana arched an eyebrow. “Jealous much?”
“I’m not jealous,” Rob declared vehemently. Then he sighed. “Though it is true that Mike really found a great little place here.”
“And a great woman to share his life with,” Diana added softly as she let her eyes glide over the bride. Her brother’s bride looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress, and was positively glowing. Her new sister-in-law, also known as Stiletto Tonya, had been a contract killer when she and Mike met, but right now looked like a genuine princess.
“Yeah, Mike’s one lucky guy,” Rob said with a sigh, then caught himself when Diana gave him a knowing smirk. “Well, for a marrying man, that is. Guys like me, who aren’t into that kind of stuff, obviously don’t care one way or the other.”
“You’ll find the one for you one day, Rob,” she assured him.
“The day I get hitched is the day I die,” he solemnly declared. “Marriage is an outdated institution only fit for fools and old people.”
Diana had to laugh at that. One day the notorious bachelor would meet his match. She was sure of it.
“What about you?” he asked, his voice suddenly soft, his eyes searching. “When are you going to get hitched up?”
“Never,” she declared without missing a beat. “Like you said, marriage is for fools.” And she’d been played for a fool when her fiancé had dumped her, she silently added.
He nodded, then extended his hand. “Kindred spirits,” he declared.
“Kindred spirits,” she agreed.
“When all of the Petrov brood have fallen prey to marriage, we will stand alone, defending the honor of the bachelor.”
“Sounds about right,” she agreed, but a thrill went through her when she suddenly noticed the hulking male had returned. He was scanning the room. Then his eyes fell on her, and her heart skipped a beat when he started making his way over. Christ. He was coming!
CHAPTER THREE
Surreptitiously, she brought a hand to her hair, pushing back errant blond curls from her brow, preparing for impact as he homed in on her with all the intensity and focus of a cruise missile.
Her breath hitched and her throat was suddenly parched.
Then he stood before her, easily a full head taller, scowling as if she’d just offended him.
“Diana Petrov?” he called out in a gravelly voice that melted her bones.
She merely nodded, wondering if she was under arrest or something.
“You’re coming with me,” he grunted, taking her arm and propelling her along.
She threw a panicked gaze over her shoulder at Rob who stood staring after her with a bemused expression on his face.
Finally, she found her voice again. “What’s this all about?”
He didn’t deign to respond, but merely held her arm in a viselike grip, escorting her out of the ballroom. As they passed the dozens of smartly dressed wedding guests, she noticed they were attracting a lot of attention. Her face now thoroughly flushed, she felt her temper rising. Though she’d been taken by surprise, she was no pushover, and she jerked herself free before they reached the door. “If you don’t tell me what the fuck is going on here—”
Furiously, he turned on her, his jaw working, and she was treated to a close-up of a pair of remarkable eyes. She’d been right. They were amber, and at the moment they were shooting fire, rage visibly simmering there. Around them, all conversations had ceased, and a pin drop silence had descended.
“I’m warning you not to make a scene,” he grunted.
“I’ll make a scene whenever I damn well want to,” she bit back.
“You’ve been tagged,” he growled.
She frowned. “Tagged? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you need to come with me before I throw you over my shoulder, Miss Petrov,” he shot back.
Her eyes went wide. “What is this? Am I under arrest or what?”
“Something like that,” he snapped, then took a grip on her shoulder and shoved her out the door and into the empty hallway.
“Hey!” she cried. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, buddy, but you can’t treat me like this. I’m Mike Petrov’s sister, who happens to be the head of security in this fucking place!”
“I know who you are,” he said tersely, and made it sound like a threat.
Having had enough of this charade, she turned around. Without missing a beat, the guy simply picked her up and threw her over his shoulder!
What the hell was going on? Then it shot through her mind that this must be a practical joke. This asshole was probably working for Mike and was playing a trick on her! Well, if Mike thought this was funny, he had another thing coming.
“Put me down!” she bellowed, pummeling the man’s broad back with her fists. He didn’t even break stride.
They reached the end of the corridor, and he shoved open a door, then carted her inside. Not bothering to flick on the light, he shifted her to his other shoulder as if she was a bag of peanuts, then walked straight up to the back wall.
It was then that she heard the sound
of rotors overhead. A chopper, hovering over the royal palace.
“Fuck,” the man grumbled under his breath. He’d heard it too.
He flipped a painting aside with a flick of the wrist. It swung out on its hinges and revealed a keypad. He punched in a few numbers, and before Diana’s surprised gaze a part of the wall opened up with a hissing sound. What the…
Just at that moment the unmistakable sound of an explosion rocked the palace.
She cried out when a piece of debris dropped from the ceiling and came crashing down. Wasting no time, the man threw her down on the floor, pinning her beneath his massive frame. The thundering sound of another explosion rent the air, and plaster rained down around them. Before she understood what was happening, he’d picked her up again, and dragged her into a small room.
Huddled on the floor, she watched as the door hummed closed behind them, sealing them off from the devastation. Lights flickered on, and she was astonished to find herself in some sort of safe room, the metal walls indicating the place was armored.
“You’re safe here,” he rasped.
With long strides, he moved past her and disappeared into the next room. She rose to her feet, her heart racing, and followed him. His hands pressed down on a panel of some kind, she found him scanning a wall of security monitors. They seemed to cover the entire palace. His eyes were riveted on the ballroom, and she drew in a sharp breath when she followed his intense stare.
Horrified, she watched as armed and masked men rappelled down into the ballroom through a breach in the ceiling.
“What the hell is going on!” she cried.
On the screen, the men were brandishing automatic weapons, shocked guests throwing themselves onto the floor.
His face set, the man grunted, “Terrorists.” He shook his head and slammed the panel with his fist. “Fuck! I told them!” He then turned his fiery gaze on her, leveling a steady look. “It’s you they’re after, Diana. Which is why I decided to act the moment I got intel on the imminent threat.”
This was not happening.
“But don’t you have guards, soldiers…an army?” she yelled.
He frowned. “We do, but if the man in charge won’t listen to advice… It’s too late to set the machinery in motion now. The only thing I could think of was to bring you to safety before the terrorists had the chance to take you.”
“You could have told my brother! You could have talked to Mike!”
God, her brothers, her family. They were all out there with the terrorists!
His lips tightened into a thin line. “The king should have ordered your brother.”
“But why me? I’m just a girl from Brooklyn. Why would anyone want to take me?”
He moved his massive shoulders in a shrug, and eyed her intently. “You tell me.”
She drew her fingers through her hair, and noticed her hands were trembling. Her eyes slashed back to the screen, where more men were pouring into the room. How many were there? A dozen? Two dozen? What the hell!
Her eyes flicked back to the man. “You still haven’t told me who you are.”
The answer was as much a surprise as the attack. “I’m Rudolph’s brother. Name’s Jack.”
Diana’s jaw dropped. “Jack…Jacques? You’re Prince Jacques?”
“That’s right.”
She shook her head. This was all wrong. “Mike told me you were in Iraq. Deployed with French Special Forces.”
He nodded. “I was, but when I learned of the potential threat, I took emergency leave.” His scowl deepened. “The House of Montinia is under attack, Diana, and it’s you they want. Now tell me, who are these people and what do they want from you?”
Buy Russian Enforcer’s Royal Engagement Now
Copyright © 2015 by Nic Saint. All rights reserved.
Published by Puss in Print Publications.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
Table of Contents
Russian Enforcers Box Set 2
RUSSIAN ENFORCER'S RESISTANT RESCUE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
TO DEFY A RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
RUSSIAN ENFORCER'S BURNING OBSESSION
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
RUSSIAN ENFORCER'S DANGEROUS GAME
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
About Nic Saint
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Excerpt From Russian Enforcer's Royal Engagement
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