Vengeance (SSU Trilogy Book 1)

by Kier, Vanessa

  Chapter 16

  Somewhere along the ride home Jenna’s anger morphed into excitement. Pride. She walked into Niko’s cabin feeling more alive than she’d felt in years. Colors jumped her. Smells dueled for dominance. Sounds pierced her eardrums. Energy raced around her bloodstream at the speed of light, making it impossible to stay still.

  She jigged as she walked. Moved her head side to side as if she were listening to music.

  She’d kicked butt tonight. It had been so easy to start the fight. And she hadn’t panicked! Nope, not her. She’d let anger take control and after that, nothing could hurt her.

  God, she felt fantastic! She’d needed this so much.

  All week she’d been growing increasingly frustrated and angry because there was still no news on Kai. The SSU’s searchers hadn’t found so much as a trace of him, and despite wracking her brain, she couldn’t come up with any information likely to pinpoint his whereabouts.

  Every night before the nightmares woke her, she dreamt about finding Kai. About serving vengeance and finding peace.

  Being unable to act drove her crazy.

  And her sessions with Niko only made it worse. True to his word, he sparred with her, but she’d been acutely aware that he was holding back.

  Sometimes she came close to taking him down, but Niko was relentless, ruthless, and unpredictable. He always managed to best her. No matter how well she fought, he never praised her. Mostly, he looked disgusted.

  Even tonight he wasn’t happy for her.

  Well, tough. She was so electric, even his rain-drenched mood couldn’t dim her. She was the queen of the world tonight. And she wanted to celebrate. For the first time since the attack, she felt like dancing. She turned to Niko, about to suggest—

  “Come on,” he ordered gruffly. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  “Geesh,” she muttered as she followed him upstairs. “Who put a bug up your butt?” Although, she thought, tilting her head to the side to better watch his body as he climbed the stairs in front of her, Niko’s butt is very fine. Eyeing the taut muscles as they worked beneath his jeans, she wondered what he’d do if she leaned up and nipped him.

  Ohmigod. She clapped her hand over her mouth. Her feet jammed into the stairs so hard, she overbalanced and almost toppled backwards.

  Where the heck had that thought come from? She’d never wanted to put her teeth on a man before. Yet…she really did want her mouth on Niko. The thought totally turned her on.

  God, she should have seen this coming. The other reason their sparring sessions left her frustrated was her growing attraction to him.

  Since that night in Moscow she’d been intensely aware of Niko as a male. Waking in his arms each morning, her cheek against his heart, was a new source of comfort. And the close contact of their training sessions left her hot from more than just exertion.

  Well, why shouldn’t she act on her attraction? Just for tonight. If she could seduce him, it would certainly discharge her excess energy. And prove she’d fully healed from the attack.

  Then tomorrow she’d lock her desire away again, so it wouldn’t interfere with her mission. But tonight was about her.

  “Jenna? You coming?”

  She rolled her eyes up at Niko, knowing she must look like an idiot, standing in the middle of the stairs with her hand over her mouth. She let her arm drop and nodded.

  Then she followed his sexy butt up the stairs.

  Niko had the basin half full with steaming water when she walked into the guest bathroom. He’d lined up face cloths, antiseptic and bandages along the side of the sink.

  “Sit.” He pointed to the other side of the counter.

  Feeling strangely awkward, like a teenager forced to sit next to the boy she had a crush on but was scared to death to talk to, Jenna hopped up and sat on the edge of the Formica.

  Niko tested the water with his finger and nodded in satisfaction. Her mouth went dry as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing muscular forearms sprinkled lightly with dark hair and intersected by white scars.

  Tiny butterflies started fluttering in her stomach as she was hit with another wave of sexual awareness. Oh damn. Maybe letting these feelings rule wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  She was reacting way too strongly to Niko.

  But then Niko wet one of the cloths and touched it lightly to a cut on her forehead. The heat from the cloth seeped into her, relaxing her despite the slight sting as water met wound. The gentleness with which he moved the cloth made her throat tight and achy. She felt…treasured.

  Her sexual awareness changed into something softer, but infinitely more dangerous. Afraid of what she was feeling, Jenna closed her eyes.

  Yet without sight, she became hypersensitive to Niko’s scent—sweat, clinging odors of cigarette smoke and alcohol from the bar, his uniquely spicy fragrance—and his sounds—the soft scrape of his shoe against the linoleum, the even rhythm of his breathing, the splash as he wrung out the cloth and rewet it.

  For a time she just floated, basking in his soothing ministrations. Even when he cleaned the cut along her hairline, hesitating before touching the ridge of scar tissue, the peaceful spell cocooning her didn’t waver.

  But when he dabbed at a cut at the corner of her mouth, her eyes flew open on a sudden jolt of arousal. He was close enough that she could see the tiny beard hairs pushing out from their hiding places along his cheek. Could count the grooves of his full bottom lip.

  Mere inches separated her from his mouth. Suddenly nothing seemed as important as reaching forward and tasting him.

  Her tongue darted out to wet her lips.

  His breathing hitched and he jerked the cloth back, quickly turning his head away as he rinsed it out.

  She inhaled deeply, then let the air out very slowly, trying to tell herself she wasn’t disappointed he’d turned away. But she’d never been a very good liar.

  This time, when he turned back to face her, he held a bottle of antiseptic. “This might sting a bit.” Was it wishful thinking, or was his voice a bit husky?

  She shrugged to let him know she accepted the discomfort, then almost groaned in sensual delight when the cotton ball slid over a cut at the corner of her eyebrow. It was sweet torture, the bite of the antiseptic negated by the gossamer touch of cotton.

  And despite her best efforts, her eyes closed again.

  Lost in her rising desire, it took her a moment to realize Niko had moved away.

  She opened her eyes and saw him reach for the tube of antibiotic ointment. Who would have guessed that watching a man uncap a tube and squeeze ointment onto his finger would be erotic? But as she watched him, she felt herself grow damp with need. And when he touched her, stroking his finger lightly over her wounds, her breath backed up into her throat and her nipples hardened.

  This time, she managed to keep her eyes open, but only by severe force of will. It was worth it, though. Niko’s eyes darkened as he moved from cut to cut. The tempo of his breathing increased.

  Fire raced up from her belly and spread through her limbs as she realized he was feeling some of the same heat.

  When there was only the cut at the side of her mouth left untended, Niko’s arm fell to his side. His eyes fastened on her lips and he leaned forward.

  Every cell in her body quivered, waiting for his kiss.

  But with an angry hiss, Niko jerked back.

  “Sorry,” he muttered. Keeping his head turned away from her, he washed his hands, then returned the first aid items to the medicine cabinet.

  Dammit, no!

  This was the first time she’d wanted a man since before the attack. No way was she letting him ignore the sexual tension between them.

  She waited until Niko moved away from the sink, then hopped off the counter. Before he could step away, she put her hand on his cheek, went up on tiptoe, and pressed her lips to his.

  Every nerve in her body leapt joyously at the contact. His lips were soft and slightly open in surprise, and as she took
his breath inside her, she could taste the beer he’d been sipping at the bar. It made her senses spin. Hmmm…drunk on Niko.

  This must be how a recovering addict felt, tasting the forbidden after months of abstinence. Seconds ago she’d thought she was alive. Thought she understood what she needed.

  She’d had no clue.

  She moved her body against Niko, wanting to feel his arms around her and nearly groaning in frustration when he kept his arms rigidly at his sides. When after a few moments he didn’t return her kiss, her heart turned to lead.

  He didn’t want her.

  Oh, God. Disappointment flattened her. The burn of arousal flared into a hot flush of embarrassment. But as she started to step away, Niko’s lips moved tentatively against hers, gently exploring the outside of her mouth as his arms swept around her in a light embrace.

  She felt a flash of fear at being contained, but it quickly faded as Niko kept his touch gentle. He was treating her with such exquisite care, tears stung her eyes. When was the last time she’d been treated with gentleness like this?

  Long before she was ready for it to end, Niko broke away. He stared at her like he’d never seen her before, his eyes wide and dark with confusion and a host of other emotions she couldn’t identify.

  Then he blinked and his face hardened. “That was a mistake. I can’t—” He cleared his throat and licked his lips as his eyes went to her lips. When he realized he was staring, he swore in Greek.

  He spun around and headed toward the door. “Our relationship has to stay professional,” Niko snarled.

  Then he was gone, his anger lingering in the small room like a cloud of exhaust.

  Jenna stared after him for too long, trying not to feel hurt by his words. Letting a tinge of anger creep through her. Professional? Was soothing her after her nightmares professional? Was holding her throughout the night so she’d sleep soundly professional?

  With a sigh, she turned toward the sink. She glanced in the mirror and winced. She looked like Frankenstein’s monster’s disreputable sister.

  Without the distraction of Niko, every ache and sting from the fight suddenly made themselves known. Weariness crashed into her.

  Hands shaking, she grabbed a couple of ibuprofen and chased them down with a glass of water. She must have misunderstood Niko’s reaction. He’d responded to her on instinct, as a male holding a willing female.

  Not as Niko wanting Jenna.

  Which, she tried to convince herself, was okay. Niko was right. Theirs was a professional relationship, nothing more. It had been wrong of her to push the boundaries.

  Only…he’d tasted like paradise. Of every pleasure she’d denied herself in her quest for vengeance. Seeing the Christmas presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Biting into a rich chocolate truffle. Laughing with her girlfriends.

  Coming apart in her lover’s arms.

  Stop it! Niko did you a favor by walking away. Vengeance, remember? That’s all that matters.

  Unconvinced, she brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. As she pulled back the covers on the bed, she told herself that it was a good thing Niko had rejected her. She couldn’t afford to give in to his type of temptation.

  Her mission had to come first.

  Even if it meant crawling into bed alone.

  And lonely.

  #

  Saturday, Night

  Andes Mountains, Peru

  “There is a man who has been inquiring about Mikhail Nevsky,” Doña Serafina said, her voice through the speakerphone sounding so close she might have been sitting next to Alvarez on the sofa.

  Alvarez pulled his robe closer against his body and stood up. “What is this man’s name? What does he look like? Tell me everything you know about him.” But he knew who it was. Kai Paterson. Who else would be searching for Doña Serafina, Dr. Nevsky’s mistress?

  “I have not yet met the man. I wished to speak with you first and get your instructions. He will not give me his name. The man only says that he has information for me regarding a bequest Mikhail left me, but that has been tied up in the American legal system since his death.”

  Clever. Who wouldn’t want to learn more about an inheritance?

  Alvarez paced from one end of the room to the other, his bare feet slapping against the polished wood floor. But why would Paterson need to talk to the woman? What was he missing that had prevented him from selling the microchip on the black market? Was there some code Paterson was after that would unlock the data?

  Bah. It didn’t matter. This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

  A chance to catch Kai Paterson.

  The cool air swirled around his bare calves as he turned and walked back into range of the speakerphone. “This is what I want you to do…”

  After Doña Serafina hung up, Alvarez stared at the now mute phone, running possibilities. Trapping Paterson alone was too easy. As long as the man was in Acapulco, Alvarez had him.

  The one he truly wanted was Niko. Niko was supposed to return crawling on his knees, offering Paterson and the chip in exchange for his aunt. Since things were not going according to plan, it was time to make the game more challenging.

  Alvarez activated the phone and called his personnel manager. “Who do we employ who could pass a piece of information on to the SSU?”

  #

  Saturday, Night

  Rocky Mountains, Montana

  Niko’s heavy breathing played harmony with the slap of the jump rope against the gym’s wood floor. He’d run for half an hour, lifted weights for forty-five minutes, and at minute eleven of jumping rope he still hadn’t settled down. All thanks to Jenna and that amazing kiss that never should have happened.

  Stop thinking about—

  A hard male body slammed Niko to the ground. Furious blows rained down on his head so fast Niko barely blocked them in time.

  “You told us she was dead!” a familiar voice bellowed.

  What the fuck? “Rafe? What are you doing here?”

  “All these years we thought she was dead, you bastard!”

  Niko caught his brother’s hands and flipped them both over. “Jenna?”

  He pinned Rafe on his back, hands overhead.

  “Who? No. Aunt Madalena, you bastard,” Rafe snarled. “You told us she died, but…” Rafe went limp, his eyes closed.

  “Ah, shit. You saw the video. What the fuck were you doing in my office?” Niko sighed and sat back on his heels, releasing his grip on Rafe’s arms. “I’m sorry.”

  Rafe hit Niko with a look molten with betrayal and fury. “Sorry for what, you bastard? Sorry I found out the truth?”

  “Rafe…” Niko shook his head and climbed wearily to his feet. God, he’d tried so hard to keep Alvarez’s ugliness away from the rest of his family.

  “You told us she was dead.” Rafe’s voice shook. “You said Alvarez killed her a year before he was arrested. Yet that—” He motioned in the direction of the house.

  Niko glanced away, wishing there was some way he could erase the images from his brother’s mind. “Aunt Madalena was ashamed of the way she’d been used by Alvarez. She considered herself soiled. She made me promise not to tell the family the truth. After the raid I set her up in a little cottage in Spain with a contingent of guards I trusted.” Niko made himself meet Rafe’s angry glare. “Somehow Alvarez got to her anyway.”

  Niko offered Rafe a hand up, but he slapped it away. So Niko crossed his arms over his chest as his brother surged to his feet and stalked over to the water cooler.

  “She was a prisoner of Alvarez until the raid?” Rafe asked. “Being treated like she was in the video?”

  “Yeah.” Niko forced the word out, trying to block out the memories.

  Rafe gulped two cups of water before turning to nail Niko again with a hard look. “Why didn’t you get her the hell out of there?”

  Niko grabbed a towel and started mopping up the sweat and new blood dripping down his face. “You don’t think I tried? We had an
escape all planned. Someone betrayed us. She was caught and forced to sit by while Alvarez punished me.” Alvarez had nearly tortured Niko to death while his aunt watched. Alvarez had even forced Madalena to wield the whip against Niko’s already shredded back, under threat of turning Niko over to his dogs if she didn’t. But hell if Rafe needed to know that.

  Rafe crushed the paper cup and shot it into the trash basket. He opened his mouth to speak, but Niko cut him off.

  “She swore she’d never put me through that again and refused to let me try to arrange her escape, no matter how hard I begged.”

  “Fuck that.” Rafe took a step forward until he was practically sharing breath with Niko. “You should have knocked her out and gotten her the hell out of there.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole. I did knock her out. We got as far as the gate. She woke up, somehow got the gag off, and started screaming.” Niko shoved Rafe away. “That was the last time I saw her in person until after the raid. But Alvarez made sure I was kept updated on his sessions with her by sending me home movies.” The content still starred in his nightmares.

  “Niko—”

  “Don’t you think it fucking killed me to see her with Alvarez? To know what sick, bloody games he played with her and be helpless to stop it? Dammit, I tried everything to get her out of there. But every time I got close, she did something to screw up my plans. She was terrified of what Alvarez would do to me.” He shook his head.

  “As long as she was with Alvarez, he owned me. All he had to do was threaten to give Aunt Madalena to his men for a night, and I’d do anything he ordered. Anything, Rafe. I killed men for him.” He’d told himself the dead men weren’t law-abiding citizens and not to mourn their deaths, but Niko had grown to hate the man he saw staring back in the mirror every morning. “God, Rafe, every day ate away a piece of my soul!”

  Rafe stared at him a long time. “You’ve never talked about…” He shook his head. “I remember how you were when you came home. Wild. Bleak. I was scared we were going to lose you.”