The Defender

by Donna Grant

  Anatoli shook his head. “North, no. Norway? Now that, I can see.”

  Shit. That hadn’t even entered her mind. “Of course. Norway.”

  Lorraine quickly sent out messages to the Swedish and Norwegian teams. This time when she set down her phone, she smiled because she finally felt as if she were closing in on the couple.

  Anatoli shot her a grin. “I told you everything would be all right.”

  “I won’t believe that until I have both of them in custody.”

  Anatoli made a sound in the back of his throat. “They could’ve split up.”

  “Up until now, they’ve worked together. Why would they do that?”

  “You assume they’re allies. What if they aren’t? What if they had to work together to get out of Ukraine, but now that they accomplished that, they went their separate ways?”

  “And since we’re looking for a couple, we’d pass right by them.”

  Anatoli nodded. “If I wanted to live, I’d set out on my own.”

  She gave a bark of laughter. “No, you wouldn’t.”

  His blue eyes turned deadly as they slid to her. “You remember the young man I was. I’m not the same anymore. I learned from the best.”

  Lorraine knew he referred to her. She looked out the windshield and tried not to let his comment hurt her, but it did. The Anatoli she’d fallen in love with had been a good, honest man who would do anything for those he loved.

  Her mistake was thinking that he was still that man. She believed he’d offered to help her because he might still have feelings for her. Now, she realized she might have underestimated him.

  He’d acted as though her leaving had hurt him but that he was over it. Could it be that he wasn’t over it? Or worse, that he was and no longer had any sort of feelings for her? In which case, she needed to watch her back.

  She hadn’t wanted him to come, but she hadn’t once thought that he would try to hinder her or take credit for anything. That wasn’t Anatoli’s way.

  Or it hadn’t been the way of the man he’d once been. Perhaps she needed to reevaluate some things. Lorraine had made a critical error with Reyna. She couldn’t afford to do the same with Anatoli.

  “If you’re here to try and ensure that I screw this up, then leave now. Or I’ll kill you,” Lorraine said.

  He laughed softly. “You still don’t trust anyone.”

  “And you’ve given me ample reason not to trust you.”

  Anatoli blew out a long breath. “Don’t pretend you ever did.”

  “I did. Once.” She couldn’t help but glance at him.

  He had his head turned away from her so she couldn’t see his face. “Let’s get this straight right now,” he said. “I’m here because I was ordered to be. If you fail, then I fail. I’m not ready for my life to end.”

  Before she could reply, he opened the door and got out. He didn’t slam it closed in a fit of rage as she would have. Instead, he softly shut it and walked back to the docks to talk to his team.

  Lorraine watched him. The team members were quick to give reports and even smiled at Anatoli. But that was his way. He was easygoing and yet commanded respect effortlessly.

  It wasn’t the same with her. She had to fight for everything she had. Including respect. She liked that the people working for her feared her. That kept them in line. She didn’t want them smiling at her and talking to her like a friend. Because friends found it easy to betray.

  Those who feared, stayed in line.

  Despite knowing that, Lorraine was still jealous of how easily Anatoli fit into his role. He didn’t fight for anything. He set his gaze on something and conquered it. Whatever it was. A target, a position within the Saints...even her. It all fell into line so smoothly and naturally landed in his lap.

  Lorraine heard his laughter, even from the distance. It brought her back to twenty years before when he used to tell her jokes just to make her smile. Usually, it was his laughter that did the trick, not his stupid jokes.

  He had the best laugh, though. It was full and boisterous, the kind that made you want to be a part of it, a part of him. His eyes would crinkle at the corners, and he’d hold her tighter. Just thinking about it made her smile.

  With him, Lorraine felt comfortable. Safe, even. It was the reason she’d left since it had felt as if the world were passing by without her. But there were those rare times when she thought about what life could have been.

  Especially around her birthday. Her parents had never made a big deal about the day of her birth. Anatoli, however, had gone all out. Every year, there was a cake, balloons, flowers, and presents. It wasn’t the size of the gifts that mattered, but the thought that he’d put into them.

  She lifted her hand to her chest and felt the gold L pendant beneath her clothing. It had been his first gift to her, and she was never without it. He didn’t know that, though—and he never would.

  While many women took time off to have children, Lorraine had never felt her biological clock. She didn’t care that she went home to an empty house since she always had so much work. She didn’t care that she spent holidays alone because that meant she didn’t have to deal with anyone’s bullshit.

  But all of that was a lie she told herself.

  Because if she let the perfectly crafted world she’d created crumble, she’d never be able to resurrect it. She’d chosen the path she was on, and she was proud of it. So what if she got lonely at times? It always passed.

  The only reason she was having trouble now was because Anatoli was with her. His presence brought all the things she refused to think about to the forefront of her mind when she should be focusing on Reyna and Lev.

  “Damn you for that,” she said.

  Suddenly, he turned and looked at her over his shoulder. Their gazes met, but he didn’t walk to her. He turned back to his men and continued talking.

  Lorraine knew it would be pointless to leave. He’d just find her again. He might be there to watch her, but it also gave her a chance to observe him. If there was even a remote chance that he might try to take credit for the capture of Lev and Reyna, she was going to make sure the elders knew the truth.

  She started the car and put it in reverse. Let him stay out here. She was going back to the hotel to wait for word from her team. There were choppers on standby to take her wherever she needed to go in case the couple did head in one of the other directions.

  As Lorraine drove, she thought over everything. Reyna and Lev had been decisive about their every move. If they were going by boat through the Kattegat strait, the Saints would’ve found them.

  They’d headed in another direction. The problem was figuring out which one. She had her teams stretched thin in search of them. That could make it easy for the couple to slip through. Then again, her team wasn’t the best for nothing.

  She pressed a button on her phone and called her assistant. “Check all outgoing private plane routes from the States to Europe.”

  “All of Europe?” the woman asked in surprise.

  “Yes, all. I especially want details regarding any planes flying into Germany or Norway.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get right on that.”

  Lorraine disconnected the call. The Loughmans factored into this since Lev was with them. They’d gone to great lengths for their friends in the past. They could again. And if they did, Lorraine would be prepared for it.

  19

  The house looked just as they’d found it by the time dawn broke. Lev reactivated the alarm before he and Reyna set out. Dawn had yet to break when they started walking.

  The air coming off the water was cool, and Lev would have preferred staying in the warm bed with Reyna to being back out in the weather. But neither wanted to chance remaining and being found by the Saints.

  Of course, the Saints could find them at any time. But it was harder to do when they were on the move versus sitting in one place, waiting to be located.

  Lev took Reyna’s hand in his. She looked his way and smil
ed. The few blissful hours he’d had last night were the best of his life. And he wasn’t just talking about the sex.

  Holding Reyna, talking to her, listening to her, had formed a bond he’d never had before. One that had begun when they fought to stay alive together. Now, he was closer to her than he’d been to any other human in his life. It was shocking to feel so...connected to another.

  And yet, it felt right at the same time.

  He hadn’t wanted to sleep, but his body hadn’t given him a choice. Besides, he needed to be rested and focused for the day ahead. He hated that he’d lost those hours in sleep when they could have been spent talking to Reyna or enjoying holding her.

  Oddly enough, he’d slept peacefully. He wished he could say that it was because they were in a house where the Saints couldn’t easily find them, but he knew the reason—Reyna.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Better than okay.”

  “Me, too.”

  To anyone who looked at them, they appeared to be a normal couple starting their day. If only things were that simple. Lev found himself envying Cullen and his brothers the ease with which they could be with their women.

  Sure, the Saints were after the Loughmans, but they weren’t running for their lives. The entire lot of them were on their ranch in Texas where they could see the Saints coming at them from miles away.

  That wasn’t the only reason Lev was jealous—an emotion he detested with every fiber of his being. Cullen had a home with Mia. They had a life together.

  The same couldn’t be said for him and Reyna. Even if they were together, with the Saints breathing down their necks, every minute was a gift. And they spent it trying to make it to the next hour.

  “You look worried,” Reyna said.

  He met her dark brown eyes and forced a smile. “Just thinking.”

  “I know the feeling. It’s going to take about four hours to cross Sweden. Then another three or more to get through Norway. I know where to cross into Norway where the few checks the border patrol does won’t affect us.”

  “That’s good news. I think we should steal a car here and then another across the border.”

  She nodded. “Agreed. Better to keep everyone on their toes. We should also get another phone.”

  “Not until we need it. I don’t like holding onto them longer than we need to.”

  Suddenly, she smiled at him.

  He frowned, worried about what had brought on the grin. “What?”

  “I haven’t held anyone’s hand in ages. I like it.”

  That had him smiling like an idiot. “I can’t remember the last time I held anyone’s hand either. I think it might have been my mom’s.”

  “Not a girlfriend’s?”

  He thought for a moment and shrugged. “Maybe. I’m sure I probably did, but it’s been a while.”

  She snorted and shook her head, causing her hair to move against her back. “We should be planning for attacks and where to go next instead of talking about holding hands.”

  “I’d rather be talking like we are. The other will always be there.”

  She leaned her head against his arm for a moment. “It’s easy to pretend that the part of our lives that has us going across Sweden is just a dream.”

  “We’re here. Alive and together. That’s enough for me. For now, at least.”

  “For now?” Reyna asked teasingly as she gazed up at him.

  He nodded and looked ahead. “I’m not the kind of man who gives up easily. If the Saints want to catch us, they’ll have to come at us with everything.”

  “You’re looking ahead,” she said softly.

  “To life in the States? I sure am.”

  She lowered her eyes to the ground. “I’ve not dared allow myself to think like that.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s dangerous. You can lose focus on what’s important.”

  “Life is important.”

  She tightened her fingers on his. “I’m coming to realize that. When you think about the future, what do you think about?”

  “Walking down a street just like this while holding your hand. Except I’m not worried about the Saints. I’m more concerned about finding the perfect restaurant to take you to.”

  He spotted her soft smile. His words pleased her, which made him happy. It was such an epiphany that he nearly stumbled on the sidewalk. As long as Reyna was happy, then Lev was, as well.

  Could it be that simple? That...straightforward?

  “I’m not picky about food,” Reyna told him. “I should warn you that every so often I want a reason to get dressed up and be taken out to the symphony or theatre.”

  “Or a ballet?” he asked with a grin.

  She busted out laughing and met his gaze. “I actually like the ballet. So, yes. Though I don’t think I’ll ever look at another without thinking of you.”

  He loved hearing her laugh. It was soft and easy, as if the sound couldn’t wait to be released and touch everyone near. “I think I can handle such a request. How are you with gifts?”

  “Meaning?” she asked with a frown.

  “Are you the type that finds the perfect gift for someone easily? Or do you struggle?”

  She shook her head as she chuckled. “I’m the type who sends gift cards.”

  “Oh. Then I’m not sure this can work,” Lev teased.

  She feigned shock, her eyes widening. “You mean, you buy gifts? Actual gifts?”

  “Absolutely. I put in a lot of thought when I purchase something for someone.”

  Reyna halted and faced him. He was a half-step behind her, but he stopped and looked her way. “What?” he asked.

  “I’m having fun.”

  He raised a brow, skeptical. “By the frown on your face, I wouldn’t agree.”

  “I’m frowning because I’m having fun.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She smiled sadly. “I don’t want to have fun with you. I don’t want to wish we could return to the house and continue on with our lives as if nothing over the past few days has happened. I don’t want to dream of a life with you. But I am.”

  “And it scares you,” he guessed.

  Her head bobbed up and down. “It terrifies me. I’ve lost one man in my life. I can’t l—”

  “Don’t say it,” Lev said over her. “We’ve a long road ahead of us. Anything can happen, both good and bad. We have each other. That’s not something the Saints have.”

  He pulled her into his arms and held her as he closed his eyes. He too wanted a life with her. They had been thrown together by Fate, but it would be their skills that kept them alive. It was a long shot, he knew, but one he was very willing to take.

  They remained there for another few minutes before they once more linked hands and continued walking. Thirty minutes later, they found a car. This time, Reyna got behind the wheel while he navigated.

  The miles quickly fell away behind them, but neither spoke of the future again. Or their feelings for each other. Lev wasn’t even sure how to put his into words. He knew he wanted Reyna by his side. And for now, that was good enough for him.

  Dover Port, Maryland

  * * *

  Sergei was glad he’d gotten to talk to Lev for a few minutes yesterday. He missed his Brigadier, but not because Lev was good at his job. He wished Lev were here because he was the son Sergei never had.

  He leaned back in his office chair and looked over to the corner where Lev usually stood. Sergei would’ve given up his position years ago if Lev had taken over, but Lev had been adamant about not wanting it. Sergei had hoped the years would change Lev’s mind.

  Perhaps it was time to broach the subject again when Lev returned. Sergei was getting tired. Besides, Lev took on so much of the duties, he was all but the boss anyway—though Lev didn’t know it. Sergei had been sneaky in how he’d gotten Lev to begin taking on more duties.

  Sergei downed his shot of vodka and looked at his phone where he had a picture o
f him and Lev together. It was a rare instance when Lev was smiling. The same photo was framed in Sergei’s house.

  He frowned as he worried about Lev’s return to the States. He knew from his communications with Mia and the Loughmans that things had not gone well for Lev despite Lev telling him that everything was fine. The Loughmans were worried about Lev, but Sergei wasn’t.

  None of them knew his Brigadier like he did. If anyone could get out of Europe and away from the Saints, it was Lev. He had what his father never did—drive. An inner force that had Lev reaching for the stars—and knowing he could obtain them if he worked hard enough.

  Lev didn’t know the meaning of quit. While he navigated life in the gray area, he was innately noble and fair. It’s why he commanded respect quickly and easily. And why he was the only one who could take over Sergei’s business.

  There was a knock on Sergei’s office door. He bid the person to enter.

  One of the Byki, the bodyguards, poked his head around the door. “Your car is ready to take you home.”

  “I’ll be right there. Did Alexi get our cut from the most recent arrival to the docks this afternoon?”

  The man grinned, showing a missing front tooth. “He did. It’s in our warehouse and being distributed between our men.”

  Sergei pushed himself up and walked around the desk. “That’s good news.”

  “Any word on when Lev might return?”

  “Soon,” Sergei replied with a grin.

  The man gave a nod. “It’s not the same without him.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  Sergei reached the door, and they walked out together. He nodded to the others who worked for him. He knew all their names, but it was getting harder and harder to remember them each time. Age had a way of affecting minds that way.

  He walked out of the building and drew in a breath as he looked at the moon. It was three in the morning halfway around the world. He wondered what Lev was doing.

  “Be safe, my son,” he murmured.

  Sergei got into the back of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. The Byki shut the door and turned to walk away.