“You watch her Casey, orI’ll cut your fucking balls off. Do you understand?”
“I will.”
“I can’t lose her too. Howwould that look if I can’t protect my family?” He turned and wavedat the package on his desk. “Get this fucking thing out ofhere!”
One of the other men movedquickly removing the package from Peter’s sight leaving theroom.
Peter ran his hand down hisface. “Ivan. Double security.”
“Yes Mr.Nickolov.”
“I’m going to find thosesons of bitches and rip them to pieces, bit by bit like they did myAnna, but I’m going to do it while they’re alive, so they cansuffer a far worse fate. The last thing they’ll see is satisfactionon my face while I’m stuffing their balls in their mouths!” Heturned back to Ryan who still held the note. “Is there anything inthere that would lead to who they are?”
“No. It’s typed, and Ihonestly doubt they left fingerprints, but I can have itchecked.”
“Do that. The packagetoo.”
“As you wish.” Ryan turnedto leave, until Peter spoke again, making him pause.
“You watch my baby girlCasey, or I’ll do to you what I’m going to do to them.”
Ryan didn’t answer, butnodded without turning around and left the room. He heard somethingcrash against the far wall as the doors were shut behind him. He’dhad threats before. Peter’s didn’t bother him, but now he knew whowas watching them that day. As for Peter, it wasn’t about love, itwas about pride, and someone getting the better of him. That manwas not capable of affection of any kind.
Ivan was in the entrancewhen he came down the hall. “I need a car, and the package that wastaken out of that room.”
Surprisingly the man didn’tquestion him. He obviously knew he had orders from his boss,although his mouth curled into a bit of a snarl. Then he turned andnodded to another man standing by the front door. The manimmediately left.
“Wait here. He’ll be back.Don’t touch her again.” Ivan warned before he walkedaway.
Ryan smirked at hisback.
It was after three o’clockin the morning when he returned. He would have the results in a fewdays over the items, and Ivan was waiting for him when he got back.He told him the news knowing that’s why the man was still awake. Henever said another word to him, but listened, nodded curtly, andthen walked away.
He then went to his roomand checked on Katya. She was still sleeping. He was concerned thatshe’d had another night terror and sought him out when he was gone.Why that bothered him, he didn’t know. Maybe he just didn’t want tohave her deal with that alone. Well, that’s what he told himself,because he couldn’t deal with liking the feel of her againsthim.
He removed his shirt andpants, pulled on his pajama bottoms, washed up, and got into bedstacking his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. Thegarden lights from below reflected off it to illuminate his room ina soft glow. It was actually pleasant.
The adjoining door creakedand his hand instinctively slipped under his pillow, to grip hishandgun. It was Katya. She’d put on a robe and was standing in thedoorway.
She never said anything butapproached the bed, and then just stood there staring athim.
This wasn’t sexual. Hecould see the fear in her eyes, and it looked like she was crying.Against his better judgment, he moved aside and she moved down onthe bed beside him, curling up against him, placing her head on hischest. She never said a word this time, and soon he could hear thesoft rhythm of sleep from her. Well, at least one of them would getsleep. His hand moved along her back and soothed her, then restedon her lower spine. This habit was becoming quite trying on him.Yet, he felt the need to protect her from this pain. Pain that herelived every time he thought of Georgy. This wasn’t her fault. Itwas her father’s, and she was paying for it.
Katya woke up to the sunshining through the sheers. The patio doors to the balcony wereopen and a slight breeze drifted over her. She sat up, andremembered where she was. She was also alone. Although he did pullthe covers over her at some point in the night because when shejoined him, she was on top of them, curled up to his warmbody.
One thing was certain, sheslept like a rock. He didn’t know it, but he was really goodtherapy.
Now, where washe?
She flipped back the coversand swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her robe was strewnover the chair next to one of his shirts. He’d somehow managed toremove that off of her too. Well, he probably wasn’t short ofexperience in getting a woman’s clothes off.
She walked over and hoveredher hand over it, paused, looked around, then reached for his shirtinstead. She lifted it to her nose and inhaled slowly and deeply.There was that faint scent of cologne again and with it, hisdistinctive masculine scent. He smelled quite nice—it wasattractive. She rolled the material between her fingers. It was anexpensive material too. He had good taste—in all things. Sighingshe picked up her robe and went through the adjoining door to herroom to have a shower.
She was in the bathroom,dressed and pulling her hair into a ponytail when she heard himwalk in her room unannounced.
“Katya?”
Her heart did a slightgallop at the deep timbre of Ryan’s voice. She sighed and looked ather reflection in disgust and silently chastised herself. It woulddo her no good to fall for a man like him. “Bathroom.”
He pushed open the door andsaw her. She was watching him in the reflection of the mirror. Hewas actually wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt, not his usualdressy attire. She stared at him confused. This was unusual attirefor him. She’d always seen him in an expensive suit.
“Don’t youknock?”
He shrugged.
She rolled hereyes.
“I’m going to take you fortarget practice?”
“Don’t you have normaltargets?” she smiled.
The side of his mouthpulled up. “Smart mouth.”
She actuallylaughed.
“How’s thatarm?”
She looked down andclenched a fist. There was a throbbing at the action, but it wastolerable. “It’s better.”
“Do you think you can gripa pistol?”
“I think so, this is myleft. I’m a righty.”
“You do need both
