by Anna Antonia
I was blindly helping Marcus fulfill Grigor Konstantinov’s dying plan to save his secret son from either being thrown in jail or having to be in a government faction’s pocket and doing their dirty work.
I was currently in possession of a billion dollar nanotechnology experiment that would get me either killed or kidnapped if exposed to the wrong people—which might have already happened.
I’d been keeping company with the Volkov crime family.
I’d just been warned things were about to get dangerous.
My pro column had only one entry.
Sweet pea.
Despite everything that had gone wrong and might still, was it crazy and selfish of me to want to keep this baby?
40
DAMIAN
“Report.”
Exhaustion had been my default state for almost two months, but the adrenaline spiking through me was enough to jolt me. Risa was in this sprawling city and I knew where. I could have her back within the hour.
“Preliminary intel has the target in the penthouse suite at the St. Regis. She’s there with Sascha Volkov, four soldiers, an unknown male who we cautiously presume to be Marcus—”
My teeth ground against one another upon hearing the name. It all started with him.
“…and a physician just left.”
Wolffington’s words sucked me out of revenge fantasies involving Marcus and an array of weapons.
“Repeat that.”
The blond bear of a man consulted his secured notebook. “Dr. Samuel Warren. Fifty-six years of age. License revoked once he was convicted of drug charges involving prescription fraud.”
“Why was he there?”
“That’s unclear. We assume he was there to see a patient considering the luggage he carried.”
“I want to know who he saw and why. Can you detain him now?”
Was Risa okay? Had she been hurt? Did Sascha or Marcus harm her?
My heartbeat accelerated as more adrenaline flooded my system. I’d kill anyone who hurt Risa. No matter how much I hated her, she still belonged to me. No one would hurt her and live.
Wolffington shook his head. “His escort remained with him. I decided the possible exposure was too high. We can circle back to Warren this afternoon.”
“I want to know who he saw and why. Get his equipment, notes. Everything.”
“Will do. Word is Iliya Volkov is on route with his son Ivan. Their jet will land within the hour. All sources indicate they’ll be headed to the St. Regis.”
Good. Almost the whole nest was going to be there.
“Where’s Alexei?”
“Apparently on vacation.”
Iliya’s youngest son was the only legitimate business member of the bunch, but that meant little. I was the legitimate son and look at me—I was in a warehouse plotting to break several local and national laws. Besides, Alexei was a Volkov and the Volkovs aligned themselves with my enemies which made them all my enemies.
“Where?”
“Fiji.”
“Confirmed?”
“Yes. He’s with a young woman. A Nina Benton. Our intel has determined Alexei is not part of this situation.”
Fine. One less snake to deal with. For now.
“I want Risa back ASAP. How do you suggest I meet that objective?”
“Let the record show I think we should give it another day.”
“Noted and denied.”
Wolffington scowled but then continued. “Volkov soldiers are on every corner of the top floor in shifts of three. They’ve also put surveillance up on the roof and in the lobby. Sascha has four soldiers with him at all times and there are two guarding the outside.”
This could’ve been your life.
It might be just yet.
“Where are the weak points?”
“Hotel staff, slim as it is. They’ve already received a list of approved employees so substitutions won’t go well. Remember, this extraction is high on containment. We don’t want Atlanta P.D. to show up.”
Impatience burned through my good manners. “Get to the point. How do we get Risa out? That’s all I care about.”
“We’ll send sweepers in first. I’ll need you stationed at a tourist spot 9 miles away.”
“That’s too far even if traffic cooperates. Which it won’t.”
“With Iliya and Ivan coming this means they’re expecting something big. It might be the Black-Prices. We don’t want to blow this because you can bet they’ve had you watched. They might already know you’re here. The sweepers will find out if that’s the case. Besides, we need to build up an alibi for you—just in case things go south.”
“You’re professionals. You won’t let that happen.”
“We’re some of the best, but we’re not infallible.”
I tapped the outside of my thigh. Wolffington wanted to slow things down. Cautious and methodical, the pre-Risa Damian would’ve agreed. I wasn’t that man anymore.
“I wait and then what?”
“Go sightseeing. Get yourself on camera. Once you get the all clear we’ll pick you up. Then we make our move. You’ll have Risa and then we all get the hell out of Dodge. And in your case—the country.”
There was too little detail and too much uncertainty, but the advantage lay with Wolffington. As he reminded me, he was one of the best. Surely better than the Volkovs and even that damned Marcus.
“Understood. When do we put this in play?”
Wolffington consulted his phone and let out a sharp whistle. “Now.”
41
RISA
“I need to get out of here, Marcus. I don’t care where. I need some time to clear my head.”
Dr. Warren had just left. My belly felt a little sore from the needle, but I was far more worried how the next couple of days would play out. I’d get the preliminary results but it would still take a couple of weeks for the full workup.
More than halfway expecting Marcus to deny me, I was surprised when he agreed. “Ever been to an aquarium?”
“Not in a while.”
“If you’re ready we can leave now.”
“I’m ready now.”
All eyes turned towards us when we got to the spacious living area. “I’m taking Miss Kelly out for a couple of hours. Contact me if necessary.”
No one objected. Sascha returned to his laptop, dismissing us as if we were already gone. His men escorted us downstairs to the car. Marcus apparently gave them a signal because none of them came along except for the driver.
Waiting until we pulled away from the hotel, I asked, “Do they know why Dr. Warren came?”
“Yes.”
I inhaled sharply. It felt wrong that these strangers knew I was pregnant but my child’s father didn’t.
“It was necessary, Miss Kelly. Secrets breed distrust. We need the Volkovs on our side.”
“I see.”
What unnerved me was that I meant it. As much as I disliked my present circumstances, I understood that I needed the Volkovs. Without their support, everything I’d suffered from the beginning would be for naught.
It has to mean something.
Because right now my life looked like a tornado had torn straight through it, I didn’t know what the future held, and even if everything worked out in the end, Damian might never forgive my part in it.
Come hell or high water, my sacrifices had to have a greater meaning.
Sweet pea. Maybe sweet pea is the point of all this.
“We’re here, Miss Kelly.” Marcus helped me out of the vehicle. I looked around the parking garage, automatically searching for hidden threats. Clear.
For now.
“No bodyguards?”
Marcus’s eyes were hidden behind his designer shades, but I sensed the smile in them.
“Nope. It’s just us.”
“Is that safe?”
“We’re at the aquarium, Miss Kelly. It’s one of the safest locations for you to be. I promise.”
A tiny weight
lifted off me, just enough for me to breathe. “Good.”
We bypassed the entry lines and soon stood in the middle of everything. Marcus deferred to me. Scanning the different portals, I picked one and started walking.
He trailed a few feet behind me, only coming closer to keep me from getting jostled by overeager crowds. I appreciated the relative privacy. I had a limited amount of time to get my head in order.
If I continued with Grigor’s plan then I’d put myself and my baby in physical jeopardy.
If I didn’t Damian might never be free and my child would never know her father.
If I continued my child might never know her father because Damian would want nothing to do with either of us.
My thoughts remained as varied as the exhibits. Peace eluded me.
Damian suffered for the sins of his father. His mother did as well. Would our child suffer the same fate?
A little girl brushed past me. Her voice, so sweet and excited, called for her daddy to “Look! Look it’s right there!”
I pressed a hand against my stomach.
There was every reason in the world for me to believe I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I was an only child which reasoned I was inherently selfish. I loved sleeping in. My maturity level didn’t always match my age.
Damian wasn’t any better. He was obsessed with control. A neat freak. Callous in his logic. He constantly made decisions without consulting the very people they affected.
And then there was my relationship with Damian.
We loved each other madly but didn’t trust each other enough. We hurt one another even when we didn’t mean to. We used sex to chain the other tight.
Who were we to be parents to any child?
And yet we already were.
I carried life inside my body. My baby’s heartbeat proved it. In just a few short weeks, she’d learn my voice. Earlier if her intellect was anything like Damian’s.
I drifted from one corridor to another until we entered a darkened room that took my breath away. Transfixed, I moved closer to a floor-to-ceiling tank filled with all manner of salt water fish.
The crowds and their chatter faded as I watched the fish swim peacefully in the enormous tank. Whale sharks circled round and round, surprising me with each pass of their enormous bodies.
I made my way to the viewing platforms. Choosing an empty spot further back and away, I folded my legs and sat down. Marcus stood by the railing behind me.
How could anything bad happen in the world when such beauty like this existed?
My breathing slowed. Stripped of jewelry, makeup, gowns, and heels, I felt more myself than I had in months. Except now I wasn’t alone.
As I watched a sea turtle gracefully flap its fins I wondered many things. Would my child be tall or short? Have my eyes or Damian’s? Be solemn or talkative?
I desperately wanted to know.
Once again Marcus had given me choice, albeit with limited information. I could choose to leave and hope for the best. Or I could choose to stay and fight for my family and our future.
There was no choice at all.
I would do this for my baby and her father. Whatever sacrifice I had to make was worth their freedom.
Our child had a right to her own life, one free from her grandfather’s legacy. The only way that could happen was if we made our stand. Otherwise, my daughter would become another pressure point used against Damian. There was no guarantee his enemies wouldn’t just take her from us.
The thought of it enraged me.
Over my dead body.
Grigor felt the same. Even though I’d never met the man, I truly believed Grigor would never have asked for my cooperation if he had any inkling I’d become pregnant.
He would’ve found another way.
I knew this because a man who’d sacrificed being in his son’s life in order to give him a better one was not a man who took family lightly.
The room’s darkness hid my watery eyes. I couldn’t imagine the agony Grigor must’ve went through. He’d lost everything and still his thoughts were for Damian. That kind of love humbled me. Better, it inspired me.
I needed to be as strong.
No more feeling sorry for myself. No more feeling like a victim. No more feeling passive.
I carried the future of me, Damian, and all our families right now. Countless people toiled and sacrificed so that this baby could exist. I would protect her with all of my power just as they did.
Just as Grigor Konstantinov did.
Lifting my face up, I watched all the different fish swim in harmony. They didn’t seem to know or care about the people watching. They simply swam. The simplicity of their instinct soothed me.
Everything now felt lighter.
I didn’t know how it was going to all work out, but I had faith. I would get back to Damian even if he hated me. Even if he called me a lying bitch every time he saw me.
I’d wait until he was ready to see not my sins but me. Then we’d rebuild our lives again. He loved me. I just had to be patient enough until he remembered. Unlike last time though, I wouldn’t be fretful and anxious, afraid he didn’t love me enough.
Damian loved me and my faith in that love would see me through anything.
Marcus drifted to my side. He sat down next to me, one leg bent and the other relaxed. Peace must’ve reached him too.
Or so I thought until he leaned close and whispered, “The alarm is about to go off because you’re about to make it happen. After it does I want you to move. Quickly.”
I didn’t have to ask why. Without looking behind me, I knew.
Damian had found me.
42
DAMIAN
I’d done as planned.
I killed time at the aquarium while Wolffington’s scanners penetrated the St. Regis. I expected to receive word at any minute.
Still nothing.
I passed through the crowds, noting them but not a part of their cheerful obliviousness. I mentally blocked out the families because their existence contrasted against the barrenness of mine.
No family. No unpaid allies. No Risa.
I couldn’t allow myself to think about what life might’ve been like if I was normal. I tried that with Risa and it failed. Just the fantasy of it acted like a thorn in my paw.
Better to accept Risa and I were forever denied that which swarmed around me. No babies in their strollers reaching up for Da. No wives leaning on husbands to get a better view of the sea rays swimming above in the wondrous tunnels. No simple life for us.
Not with the blood on my hands and the blood yet to be spilled.
I’d get Risa back, no matter who stood in my way, but normal wasn’t for us.
Checking my watch, I wondered how much longer. Risa was out there, ensconced in Sascha’s suite. Jealousy pumped bitterness in my veins.
Set on this course, I refused to let Risa go. Even now. But the longer I swam with the crowd, the longer I observed the purity of their lives, the more I wondered if I’d been mistaken since the moment I heard Risa walk out of my penthouse with Marcus.
Should I give up my revenge?
After all, I’d given Risa everything I had and it wasn’t enough. She’d turned away from me when I was at my weakest. She abandoned me.
Once my vengeance was satisfied what then?
I’d never trust Risa again. Even if I had her body for my exclusive use how would I stand sleeping next to her? Every time I looked at her I would think about how she left me there, drugged, frozen, and completely at the mercy of whoever stumbled across me.
That night, lying frozen in bed, I spent eight hours alternately between rage, sorrow, and wretched fear. I couldn’t defend myself and the humiliation alone was enough to make me loathe Risa on sight.
And yet…
I couldn’t forget how sweetly she curled against me when we were alone. How her eyes danced whenever she saw me. How precious her arms felt when they wrapped around my waist.
How she
sounded when she came beneath me and swore she loved me.
Logic stated I should let her go. But my passion denied it. Even at this very moment, sunk in my musings, I refused to let Risa leave me. Not until I knew why she’d left. Maybe not even then.
There was no point in my ruminations. They served no purpose other than to agitate me. Married to this course, I would not be swayed from it. Vengeance, love, hate, passion, misery—I was committed to experiencing them all with Risa.
But if things could’ve been different I would’ve wanted a different life for us. One like these people…
Despondent, I found myself in a dimly lit room. The wall of water and sea life dominated the collective view. Sting rays, whales, and hundreds of fish swam in perfect harmony. Children pressed against the glass, high-pitched voices crying in wonder and excitement. I felt the same but for an entirely different reason.
The happy families surrounding me, the babies in their strollers, sticky-faced toddlers, and elderly couples all disappeared. The room’s soothing music dissolved beneath the drumming of my heart.
No one else existed except for Risa.
The darkness couldn’t hide her from me. I recognized her beautiful face as well as my own. The pert nose, full mouth, her hairline—they belonged to Risa.
She sat there, legs crossed at the ankles and one hand resting against her stomach. My love was magnificent. To put it simply, Risa looked like an angel.
So fucking sweet.
This woman was my salvation. Despite the betrayal and abandonment, I knew I belonged to her and she belonged to me.
There was no question about leaving. She was it for me.
Fixated on my other half, I moved through the crowd. My feet automatically sidestepped anyone who’d gotten between me and Risa. Body tingling with anticipation, I laughed. Wolffington sent me here to wait and here was my love.
Unaware her time of running had come to an end.
Risa, I’ll get it right this time…and you’ll make it right for me.
I was so close to her. The shifting light played upon her upturned face as she watched the fish swim. Risa radiated peace. I hung on a thin string of madness because she was so ethereal.