In that moment, Guy was torn between wanting to kiss her and wanting to teach her a lesson for her defiance. Her strength of character could be a force of nature.
McDonald looked her up and down, then glanced briefly at Guy. Even though he would have preferred Maddie not to be involved, he wouldn’t undermine her by siding with Mac. Nor was he going to do or say anything that justified Mac’s attitude. The man was known for acting like a Neanderthal throwback at times.
The frosty atmosphere warmed a few degrees. Mac gave a curt nod of acknowledgement. “Consider it reassessed, Miss Scott.”
“Good—and it’s Maddie.”
Guy’s mobile phone vibrated. When he saw who was calling, he put it on speaker and slid it across the table upon which they’d laid out the blueprints of the hotel. “Quinn.”
Ryan’s report was concise. No more hostages had been harmed, but the Russians were growing more nervous. In his opinion, time was running out, and the situation could take a turn for the worse at any moment.
“Thanks for the report, Quinn, but it’s time for you to get out of there. That’s an order,” Mac added. “I don’t want you getting caught in any crossfire.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You need me here. And I don’t take orders from you.”
“I don’t fecking care, Quinn. I want your arse out of there now.”
“No, you don’t. I’ve got an idea…”
>>><<<
An idea that was both inspired, and elegant in its simplicity. Although the gang had used explosives on entering the hotel, they hadn’t rigged any further IEDs. Instead, they’d relied on their firearms to maintain control of the situation by terrorising their remaining hostages.
Ryan continued to observe and report back on all the gang’s movements. His information was critical in enabling Mac and his unit leaders to prepare for mounting a coordinated assault with surgical efficiency.
Mac only just got all his men in position when all hell was let loose with the discovery of the dead Bratva members’ bodies by a roving patrol of their fellow heavies. Tension in the hotel lobby skyrocketed, so Ryan did the only thing he could. The confusion created when he hit the fire alarm gave Mac’s men their cue to storm the building.
Professionals to the core and trained to deal with situations such as this, Mac’s team put a swift end to the crisis. Thankfully, no more hostages had been harmed. Although the man who’d been shot had lost a considerable amount of blood, paramedics reached him in time to ensure his wounds weren’t life-threatening.
The same could not be said for the criminal gang members. While most of them survived relatively unscathed, there were unavoidable fatalities as Mac’s team gained control of the situation.
With a quiet sense of satisfaction at a job well done, Guy watched as the security services rounded up the Russians. Each man was fitted with handcuffs before being herded into an unmarked security services vehicle. He turned to Maddie, and the celebratory comment he was about to make died on his lips. “What’s wrong?”
“Kuznetsov. Where is he?”
“They haven’t already taken him into custody?”
“No, and I haven’t see his body either. He must have got away. What do we do?”
“Notify Mac. Kuznetsov will be a marked man, but for now, that’s all we can do.”
Even with her eyes closed, Guy picked up on his woman’s anger, frustration and fear as he gathered her in his arms. So much for thinking it was over.
EPILOGUE
Guy raised Maddie’s hand to his lips. Light coruscated from the engagement ring, distracting him momentarily from the cuts and bruises she’d sustained during the attack on the hotel. At the same time, he was reminded of as-yet unanswered questions. He gave a resigned sigh.
Once the security services had finished debriefing them, they’d returned to Stonehaven, survived a lot of fussing from Heather, and retreated to his private suite for sleep and sex. Ever discreet, Heather had kept them fed and watered with a succession of trays of delicious food and drink left on the table in the hall. The latest had been a totally decadent breakfast. He’d have to double his gym sessions for a month after all this overindulgence.
Much though he wanted this idyll to continue, Guy knew they both had to face reality, and sooner rather than later. And while he didn’t want the intrusion of that reality here in the bedroom at Stonehaven that had become their sanctuary, it could be avoided no longer.
“Pet, I know you decided to take up Alex’s job offer because of what happened at the hotel, but are you sure that’s what you want to do?” Much though he wanted her there beside him, he wanted her to be absolutely certain she’d made her choice for the right reasons, and it wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment reaction.
“I’ve been thinking about that.” She settled back with her head on his shoulder and her arm draped across his abdomen. “Before I went to Russia, I convinced myself I could do that and then walk away from the intelligence business. When I came back, for a while I was right. After what happened there, I couldn’t stomach dealing with a situation like that again. I couldn’t even face the risk of having to deal with it.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised. What changed your mind?”
“The conversation with Ros put the first crack in my defences. The attack on the hotel blew them apart. I suppose, in a way, I’d forgotten all the reasons why I joined intelligence in the first place, and the attack on the hotel reminded me of them. Maybe telling Alex when I did was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but I’ve thought about it since, and I know it’s the right thing for me to do.”
“That’s what I thought you’d say. One condition.”
She stiffened in his arms. “What’s that?”
“Your office is next to mine, and we have an interconnecting door.”
Her husky laughter brought a smile to his face. “Guy, we can’t!”
“Can’t what?” He did his best to feign innocence. “All I’m suggesting is a way of shortening the trip.”
“What trip?”
Her puzzled frown brought a smile to his face. “The trip one of us will make to the other’s office on a regular basis.”
“To what end?”
“So we can take our breaks together.”
“There’s nothing like forward planning. I’ve a pound says you don’t intend to use those breaks for coffee and biscuits.”
He gave a careless shrug. At least he hoped it came across that way. “Coffee. Biscuits. A quickie on your desk. Or mine. I don’t mind.”
The swift elbow in his ribs had him shaking with laughter, in spite of the serious nature of their conversation. He’d never know what he’d done to deserve having this wonderful woman in his life not once, but twice.
Maddie cuddled a little more closely against his side. “Guy, much though I hate to change the subject, I’ve been thinking about how the Bratva found me.”
“We already decided it had to be a mole. They’ll uncover the truth, I’m sure.”
After the siege at the hotel, an internal investigation of the department involved was due to start within the next few days.
“I hope so.”
“But?” he prompted. There was a definite ‘but’ lurking in her expression and her tone of voice.
“But… I can’t shake the feeling that William Matthews is implicated in this, somehow. He was my handler for the op—the start of it, at any rate, although he’d moved on by the time I brought Yana back.”
Guy gave a derisory snort that managed to convey both impatience and disgust. “I never could stand that oily bastard. Always had an inflated idea of his own importance.”
“Was he still around when you came back?”
“No idea. I transferred to another section almost as soon as I arrived back in the UK, and then I heard a while later he was transferred to Central Records. Word was he wasn’t too happy about it.”
“Oh shit.”
Her reaction set his internal alarm bells ringing. �
�Maddie?”
“If he was in Central Records, he could easily have uncovered my new identity.”
“And betrayed you to the Russians?”
She frowned. “Why, though? That’s the connection I’m struggling with. What would he stand to gain?”
“Could be anything, but I’d be willing to bet money’s at the bottom of it.”
“Well, whoever it is, and whatever their motive is, the Bratva will keep coming until they achieve their objective. This won’t stop them, especially since Kuznetsov escaped. If Matthews is the leak, it’s just as well I circumvented Central Records to set up Yana’s new identity. At the very least, it’ll buy us some time to work out the best way to protect her.”
Guy was impressed. Central Records was pivotal in establishing assumed identities, and for Maddie to have set something up without their oversight showed a remarkable resourcefulness. “A roadblock, yes, but we can’t be sure it’ll stop them completely.”
“I’m sure it won’t. I remember all too well what I heard about the Srenko Bratva. Kuznetsov’s only the brigadier—Viktor Srenko’s the pakhan, and he’s as hard-ass as they come.”
“How can you be sure Srenko’s still in charge? You’ve been back here for years. The command structure could have changed a dozen times by now.”
“Mikhail… Let’s say, he has sources and a way of keeping me updated, and the last update I received was a couple of months ago. Guy, they’re worse than you can imagine. Kuznetsov is the most vicious, inhuman bastard… In your worst nightmares, you couldn’t dream up someone like him. He’ll exploit every advantage he has, every weak link he can find. If Matthews is the source of his information, he’ll be the weakest link imaginable. If he hasn’t produced the goods, Kuznetsov’ll put more pressure on him until he gets what he wants. If Matthews hasn’t changed, and depending what they’re using for leverage, even he could be incentivised to dig deep enough to uncover the truth about Yana.”
“That’s a lot of ifs.”
“We can’t afford to ignore any of them. There’s too much at stake for Kuznetsov to give up.”
“You think he’ll regroup and try again.” Guy’s voice was bleak. “And if Matthews is the traitor we believe him to be, they’ll continue to put pressure on him. The longer that goes on, the more desperate and determined he’ll become.”
“We haven’t stopped anything, have we?”
He hated her hollow acceptance of the situation. “They won’t succeed. I meant it when I said to get to you, they’ll have to go through me first.”
“No. I won’t let you be hurt because of me. I’ll go away. I can lead them away from you.” Shaking her head, she clung to him as if his life depended on it—as if she could protect him.
Damn woman. Would she never learn? He was going to have to teach her a lesson the hard way.
“Like hell you will. Madeleine, you’re not dealing with this alone now. We aren’t dealing with this alone. And we aren’t hiding away for the rest of our lives. We’re going to end the threat to you and Yana once and for all.”
“How can we do that? We don’t have the resources. This is the Bratva, remember? They can reach—”
“Yes, I remember, and you’re wrong about the resources.” He tucked her against him again. “You know as well as I do how easy it is to doctor official records.”
“Yes—when you’re an official. You resigned, remember? You’re a private citizen now—you don’t have the same power.”
“No, but I have the contacts, and enough leverage to get them onside with this. In addition, Spectrum isn’t just any security company. We have resources other companies don’t, access to agencies they can only dream about.”
“What are you saying?”
“We’ve been looking at the problem from the wrong angle. Protecting you and Yana isn’t the answer. That would be a never-ending task, because there’d always be another group after the bounty they’ll have put on the two of you.”
“You’re saying we need to remove their reason for looking for us? I’m not sure I like where this is going. I wish we could keep Yana in the dark about this. I pulled all the strings I could to get her set up with a new identity. They did a damn good job, too. She’s been safe all these years, and she’s built a good life for herself.”
“And she’ll continue to be safe—once we convince Srenko that both you and she are dead.”
Maddie shuddered in his arms. What he was proposing was risky. It was an all-or-nothing strategy, one that would either work brilliantly or could go horribly wrong. If it did go wrong, the consequences could be fatal—she knew it as well as he did.
“I know you want to run, but think about it logically—we have to take a stand. And if Yana deserves a chance to continue living a safe, peaceful life, so do you.”
And she was going to live that life with him. He was convinced his strategy was the right one to deal with their current awkward situation. He also fully intended to be there to protect her as well, until the last breath left his body.
“But what about Mikhail? Surely we aren’t going to tell him she’s dead?”
“Of course not. We’ll get word to him, but it’ll mean they can’t have any contact—ever.”
Which was pretty much the current situation anyway. Guy felt for the young woman, but if they were to succeed in their mission to protect her, it was the only way.
“I need to call her, let her know what’s going on.”
Guy watched her teeth clamp down on her lower lip. The familiarity of the expression punched him in the gut. He’d last seen it on a training exercise he’d conducted almost two decades ago. She was considering her options, evaluating the pros and cons before making her decision.
She was also acting as if she were working alone—she was so wrong about that. They were a team, together in this as they were together in other aspects of their relationship. Their lives were irrevocably intertwined now, and it was time for him to help her clear her mind.
“Madeleine.” He turned on his deep Dom tone, letting her know it was time to shut themselves away from the world. “They aren’t going to come after you and Yana today. Go to the playroom. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Yes, Sire.”
He watched her leave, knowing she’d need a few minutes to prepare. His beloved masochist needed a scene as much as he did, and when it was over he’d take care of her, as he’d always take care of her.
Then tomorrow she could call Yana, and together, they’d figure out what to do.
>>><<<
After all these years, it hardly seemed possible that her father’s enemies had come close enough to threaten the life she’d made for herself in London.
At the end of the call, the young woman once known as Yana Petrova replaced the handset in its cradle. She’d always feared this might happen, and now that it had, she was on the verge of being physically sick.
That she’d been safe for as long as this was no mean feat, thanks to the woman who’d been on the other end of the phone. Yana had first known her as Elizaveta Baratynskaya, and still thought of her that way. Elizaveta—or Madeleine, as it appeared she was now called—had created a watertight identity for her, right down to a list of fictitious loser boyfriends. That identity had served her well for a long time, enabled her to make friends and have a real life. She’d even...
Probably best not to dwell on those two. What had she been thinking? Two men at once just wasn’t normal—at least, not in the circles she usually inhabited. She’d done the right thing when she’d ended that relationship.
They had been mouth-wateringly attractive, though, and their attention during the party at that club, after her friend’s collaring ceremony, had given her a massive ego boost. Then reality had set in, and she’d made the decision to break off all contact with them. It was all for the best. At least, that was what her head told her—her heart, however, still didn’t seem to have received the message, and was hell-bent on flouting conventio
n.
Barefoot, she padded to the mirror on the other side of the room. Over the years she’d grown accustomed to the poker-straight, jet-black wig. She could have dyed her own hair, of course, but platinum blonde roots would have been too startling a contrast.
Heart aching, she laid her palm on her reflection. She didn’t want to be Yana again, or anyone other than the woman in the mirror. When her new identity had been created, Elizaveta had drummed into her what they’d need to do if ever she was in real danger of being compromised. That time had now come, and she wanted to rage against the injustice of it. Why should she have to live in fear? She had a life, a job, friends—why should she have to leave all of that behind and start again somewhere else? Start again as someone else?
As she continued to stare at her reflection, her fear receded in the face of mounting anger. A picture formed in her mind, of a future of endless fleeing, of moving on every time they found her—it was a picture she hated. Her father might have sent her away to protect her, but the genes that made him a fighter were her genes, too. She’d obeyed her father when he’d ordered her to turn her back on him and her life in Russia. She wasn’t going to do the same to this life, no matter what his proxy might prefer her to do.
During their phone call, Elizaveta had laid out her options and told her to take some time to think about what she wanted to do. Yana didn’t need that time. Her call back was answered without delay.
“Maddie? I know you wanted me to think about this before making a decision, but I don’t need to think about it. Not any more. I’m not running, not even temporarily. I did it once, but that’s it. I refuse to spend the rest of my life reinventing myself over and over again and living in constant fear because of those bastards. They’re not taking me back, and I’ll do whatever it takes to stop them.
“I love my father, but I’m not Yana Mikhailovna Petrova anymore. I haven’t been her for the last eight years. I’m Jenifer now. I’m Jenifer Peterson, and no one’s taking that away from me.”
No Going Back (Club Aegis Book 6) Page 23