by Beth Abbott
“They probably would.” Zach snorted. “But not as beautiful as ours.”
“Obviously not!” Sacha smiled wistfully.
“Did the doctor get back to you this afternoon?” Zach asked, his mind obviously in tune with hers.
“No, but one of her minions did.” Sacha nodded. “They can definitely fit me in for the surgery on Sunday.”
“Yeah?” Zach smiled. “That’s great, although I wish I was going to be with you.”
“It’s a minor procedure, and I’ll be out by the evening.” Sacha smiled. “Vicky and Candy are both coming with me to the hospital, and they’ll bring me home later. Hopefully, I may even be home in time to speak to you before Sunday’s fight starts.”
“Do you need me to transfer some money to cover the bill?” Zach asked. “I’m not sure that our health insurance will cover it, so I’ll make sure you can use your credit card to make payment if you need to.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Sacha smiled. “Tuck has insisted he will cover whatever it costs, and we’ll settle up with him when we’re back in Philly, once we know whether the insurance company will pay any of it. Drew reckons it will cost hardly anything over here compared to the cost in Philly.”
“I don’t care what it costs, baby.” Zach shook his head. “I just want you to have the best and safest treatment.”
“Everything will be fine, Zach. I promise.”
Before he could respond, Sacha heard a noise behind him.
“Honey, I’m sorry, but Drago needs to speak to his people, so I need to get off the tablet.” He smiled apologetically. “If I fight tonight I’ll call you later to reassure you I’m Ok. If not, then I’ll call you in the morning. Is that Ok?”
“It’s fine, Zach.” Sacha nodded. “I love you to the moon and back, y’know.”
Zach smiled and blew her a kiss.
“Love you to the stars and beyond, baby.”
“Be safe, and kick ass!” She instructed.
“Will do.” Zach grinned, and with a wave, the call disconnected, and the screen went black.
Tears threatened at the back of her eyes, but Sacha refused to give in to them.
Her Zach was strong and fierce, and would kick, punch and whack seven kinds of shit out of anyone who thought they could go up against him.
Please God he came up against someone the size of your average ten-year-old!
Chapter 34 – Kellen
Kellen stood inside the entrance to the entertainment area, leaning against the wall, watching the organised chaos as the workmen set up the ring and seating areas.
He listened to the instructions being shouted, and despite the fact that the woman doing the shouting was half the size of the men, each of the orders she barked out was obeyed to the letter in double-quick time.
Micky was in full voice, and she knew exactly how she wanted the room set up. The guest chairs couldn’t be so close to the ring that the occupants got sprayed with bodily fluids. Nor could they be so far away that you couldn’t see the skin split as a particularly vicious punch or kick landed.
Kellen guessed that she knew exactly how she wanted everything to look, because that was probably exactly the way Sergei Lebedev liked it.
As she moved around the outside of the ring, he could see her pointing and hear her yelling, and even without speaking a word of Russian, Kellen had a good idea how the room would look when they were done.
As she issued a final few instructions, Kellen saw her turn towards the door as if to leave, her eyes never leaving the papers in her hand.
She took a few paces towards him before looking up, and when she saw him, Kellen noticed she startled slightly.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He gave her his most winning smile.
“You didn’t.” Micky lied. “I just wasn’t expecting to see anyone down here.”
“I was just out for a stroll.” Kellen shrugged. “I don’t do well sitting still for long periods. Being stuck in a cabin with the other guys gets old really fast, even when they’re good friends of mine.”
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’re going to have to go back upstairs again.” Micky smiled apologetically. “Mr Lebedev doesn’t like his fighters coming down here ahead of the first fight, except for mealtimes. He doesn’t want to risk you bumping into your opponents.”
Micky stepped out through the door, holding it open for Kellen to follow.
“Is there anywhere else I can go to kill some time?” He glanced around the hold and up at the deck. “I’m gonna go stir crazy if I have to go back to the cabin already.”
Micky glanced up as well, and then back at Kellen.
“Have you been back up on deck since we left the dock?” She asked. “It’s an amazing view.”
“We’ve left port?” Kellen grinned. “I didn’t realise. It doesn’t feel like we’re moving yet.”
“We’ve been moving slowly so far.” Micky turned towards the stairs. “But once we’re out of the estuary we’ll be picking up speed. By the time the fight is due to start, the lights of Murmansk will be tiny twinkles in the distance.”
Kellen followed Mickey up the staircase that would take them up on deck.
“If you come up here on your own, remember not to go further forward on the ship than our hold.” She warned him. “We can do what we like down this end, but that’s it.”
Kellen followed Micky as she stepped out on deck, immediately moving to the rail and looking back to see where they’d come from.
“We’re already travelling quickly.” Kellen couldn’t hide the shock. “I guess the size of the ship flattens out the waves, so you don’t notice the movement.”
“Yeah, come and tell me that when you’re in a full-blown storm, and the waves are battering the sides of the ship and tossing it around like a plastic toy.” Micky smiled. “I can promise you that you’ll most definitely know you’re at sea when that happens.”
“I’m seriously hoping we won’t be on the ship long enough to enjoy that experience.” Kellen smiled.
They stood in silence for a few minutes, staring at the shoreline way in the distance.
“Have we met before?” Micky asked, without turning her head to look at him.
Kellen turned to face her, frowning.
“I’m sure I would have remembered if we had.” He shrugged. “Besides, I like to think you’d have remembered me if we’d ever met before.”
Micky snorted a laugh.
“Confident, much?” She teased.
“Not really.” He shrugged, his manner still teasing. “But I mean, come on, lady! Do you really mean to tell me that if you’d ever met me before you’d have promptly forgotten me? I don’t exactly blend into the wallpaper!”
“No, you don’t.” Micky conceded. “But that wasn’t why I was wondering. It was actually the way you stared at me when we first met that led me to thinking. It was like there was some sort of look of recognition on your face.”
Kellen watched the slight blush in Micky’s cheeks.
“That was probably because I’d seen a photo of you before we came out here.” He admitted.
“Oh, God!” Micky groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t see that picture my dad carries around in his wallet. It’s awful!”
Kellen chuckled.
“Yes, I did see that one, but I didn’t think it was awful. I thought you looked pretty.” He admitted.
Micky pulled a face that told him exactly what she thought of the photo, and they both returned to looking at the scenery.
“You do know we’re going to rescue you this weekend, don’t you?” Kellen said quietly.
Micky turned to stare at him, a playful smile on her face.
“Rescue me?” She laughed. “Like you’re going to sweep me up into your manly arms and carry me off into the sunset?”
Kellen smiled, but didn’t turn to look at her.
“I could do that as well, if you liked.” He shrugged. “That would be very pleasurable, I’m sure.�
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Even though he kept his eyes forward, he could sense that Micky was staring at him.
When he couldn’t hold out any longer, he glanced sideways to find her grinning at him.
“You’re obviously the joker on your team.” She laughed. “Or the team flirt.”
He turned his body to face her now, loving the way her blue eyes sparkled when she laughed.
“I think you like me flirting with you.” He teased. “Of course, the next thing you’re gonna want to know is whether I flirt with all the women I meet.”
“Why would I want to know that?” Micky tried to deflect.
“I don’t.” Kellen continued, as though she’d never spoken. “In case that makes a difference.”
Micky stared at him, open-mouthed.
“What makes you think it would make a difference to me?” She sounded just a little bit flustered.
“I only flirt and joke with women I find extraordinarily attractive.” Kellen admitted, ignoring her question. “That’s probably why I’m so bad at it. I don’t get much practise.”
Micky opened her mouth, but she was obviously flummoxed, because no words came out. Whatever conversation she’d been expecting when she’d brought him up to the deck, he doubted that this was it.
Kellen tilted his head to one side, as he considered how honest he needed to be with her.
“Do you believe in fate?” He asked, studying her face as she considered the question.
“You mean, do I believe in the stars aligning and meeting your soulmate?” She snorted. “Hardly. I believe that there are a lot of people in the world with whom each of us would be compatible. I also believe that’s what half of the world have settled for, in the belief that they’ve met their one true love, and most of them live a relatively happy life.”
So, Micky wasn’t a hearts and flowers romantic after all.
“But the reality is that most people latch onto the first person they meet that they are even the tiniest bit attracted to, and they hold onto them as though their life depended on it, because the alternative, which is potentially being alone all their life, is scarily possible.” Micky shrugged. “Few people hold out long enough to find someone they are truly compatible with, because they’re too afraid of ending up alone.”
“Wow! What a jaded, weary outlook on life.” Kellen whistled. “Anyone would think you came from a broken home with parents who fought all the time, but I know that’s not true.”
“My parents were very much in love.” Micky smiled sadly. “I don’t think a day goes by when my father doesn’t speak to my mom, even though she’s been dead for twenty years.”
“Then you know that people can find their soulmates.” Kellen pointed out. “But you just don’t want to admit to yourself that you might not find yours.”
“This might come as a shock to you, but some of us are perfectly happy with the idea of being alone.” Micky argued. “We have dreams and desires that don’t involve a white picket fence, a husband and two kids.”
“The fact that some people are happy spending their lives alone comes as no surprise.” Kellen smiled. “The possibility that you’ll be one of them is so remote that frankly, it doesn’t exist in this galaxy.”
“I don’t know if you’re saying that to be reassuring, or just plain ornery and argumentative.” Micky narrowed her eyes, as though trying to get his measure.
“I dreamt about you.” Kellen said suddenly, ignoring her previous statement. “Well, you or your doppelganger.”
“Really?” Micky snorted.
“About a week ago.” Kellen continued. “I was on a beach and there were lots of beautiful women, but I didn’t pay much attention to any of them until I saw you. You were speaking to me.”
“How can you be sure it was me?” Micky was obviously disbelieving.
“She had the same black hair and blue eyes.” Kellen shrugged. “She was tall and had a beautiful body.”
“Oh, I see!” Micky exclaimed. “Because obviously I’m the only woman in the world with black hair and blue eyes, it must be me.”
“She had a little cluster of freckles on her skin, just above her heart.” Kellen smiled. “Of course, that could’ve just been a smudge of dirt. I wasn’t quite close enough to be able to see properly.”
“Strange how your eyes were drawn to that part of her anatomy.” Micky smirked.
“What can I say?” Kellen grinned. “She was wearing a swimming costume. Anywhere I looked would have been inappropriate.”
“Well, I’m sorry to say that you’ll have to keep looking if you want to find your mystery girl.” Micky turned away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and see to some last-minute preparations, and then get ready for tonight. Don’t lose track of the time. You need to be ready to go downstairs in less than an hour. The first fight will start no later than nine o’clock.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Kellen stood straight and threw Micky a salute.
As he watched her walk down the stairs and turn the corner, Kellen couldn’t help but grin.
Freckles or not, she was most definitely his dream-girl!
Chapter 35 – Micky
Micky hurried down the stairs until she reached the bottom and stepped through the door to the entertainment area.
The ring was finally ready to use, the chairs were all in their proper place, and all of the clutter had been tidied away.
She glanced across the room to see Stan by the door to the dining room.
“Good enough?” He held his hands out, looking around the room.
“Everything seems to be in place.” She nodded. “I’m going to get changed. Can I leave you to make sure nobody comes in and messes with anything? Sergei will be pissed if he arrives with his guests and things aren’t in the right place.”
“Sure, I can stay here until you get back.” Stan shrugged. “It won’t just be you he gets pissed at if everything isn’t where he likes it to be.”
Micky nodded and stepped out of the room, heading back up the inside stairs to her cabin.
Slipping inside and locking the door, she allowed herself to collapse onto the bed, kicking her shoes off so she could pull her feet up.
So, Kellen had been dreaming of a black haired, blue-eyed woman, had he?
Micky closed her eyes, picturing the scene… her lying on the beach in a skimpy black bikini, Kellen stepping out of the water like a God in his swim-shorts, a goggle and mask in his hands, the water dripping from the muscular, tanned body as he strode up the sand, dropping to his knees in front of her.
She imagined him leaning over her to plant a scorching hot kiss to her eager lips, while droplets of water splashed onto her overheated skin, like fire and ice.
Oh, for the love of all things holy! Micky sat up quickly, shaking her head to clear the vivid image from her brain.
Kellen was a gorgeous specimen of manhood, for sure, but the last thing she should be thinking about was a hook-up with one of the fighters.
Ok, so he was much more than just a fighter, but none of Lebedev’s men knew that. If one of them had seen her just now and reported it back to Sergei, she had no doubt he would be seriously pissed at her. That was the last thing she needed right now.
Truthfully, Micky couldn’t remember the last time she had been with a man. Eight years, maybe? Nine?
While she had been a teenager studying in college, she’d been watched constantly by her father’s men, everyone making damn sure that the little tech genius came to no harm.
When she’d first gone into the military, she’d had a little more freedom, and had even managed to have a boyfriend or two, during the short time she’d been stationed away from Moscow.
They hadn’t been serious relationships, and never with anyone in the military, but when she’d gone into the FSB proper, the opportunities had dried up, and with them her need to connect with anyone.
She lived for her job, and nothing ever got in the way.
Besides, when you worked with peopl
e like Lebedev in the casino and saw first-hand what the supposedly upstanding citizens of Moscow would do to one of the casino hostesses, while their wives were happily shipped off on a spa weekend, it wasn’t surprising that she’d gone off the idea of a relationship with any man.
Frankly, the men she came into contact with were the scum of the earth, and the thought of one of them touching her left her skin crawling like she was covered in fleas.
Micky shuddered, trying to get the images out of her head.
It really was a pity Kellen would only be a fleeting visitor to her world. Some other time and some other place she might have looked at him in a whole different light. But right now, she almost had to forget he even existed if they were both going to make it off the ship alive.
Micky forced herself to stand up, and she slowly undid her jeans, pushing them down over her hips until they pooled at her feet. She bent to pick them up, and folded them neatly, placing them on the dresser.
She stepped into her bathroom and leaned into the cubicle to turn the water on to heat up.
The attraction she felt towards Kellen was understandable really, she could admit, because any woman who found Kellen repulsive would seriously have to be deaf and blind or simply have no pulse.
He was a huge guy physically, and the thought of her seeing him in just shorts later had her heart rate trebling in anticipation.
If she had to say what she liked most about him though, his body would probably have to take third place.
His face would probably come in second, with those steel grey eyes twinkling every time he smiled, that straight nose and full, eminently kissable lips hiding those perfect straight white teeth.
Not that she’d paid him that much attention, of course…!
Surprisingly, the best part about Kellen was his personality.
He was funny without having to be crass, flirty without coming across as a creep, and considering he was so much bigger than her, he never gave her a second of concern that he could be a threat to her.
That last one was pretty important in a world where most of the men she came into contact with would rape her without hesitation if she wasn’t under the protection of Sergei Lebedev.