Ryan followed closelybehind with Porsha hanging off his arm.
Ivan relented and flankedPorsha’s other side.
That’s the way it was thewhole outing. Kat leading and the three behind, from boutique toboutique; chin out, back straight and with strength in her gracefulwalk. Ryan thought she was incredible. He was certain this was hertrue self; stubborn, elegant, and sexy. It only needed anger tohave it come out. You’d never know that she’d experienced a traumaa short few weeks ago. Look at her now marching ahead of themindependently with the material of her skirt tightening over herbottom with every tenacious step. Jesus, he felt as though heneeded a cigarette, and he didn’t smoke.
Neither man spoke to oneanother the whole morning. Although there were challenging staresexchanged. Ryan already knew the man was as jealous as hell when itcame to Katya. He was dreaming. He was twice her age for one thing,and, a complete idiot. She was too classy for him. Yet, he thoughtbecause he worked for a thug like Peter Nickolov that it inflatedhim; made him smarter and powerful. Well, he would have the rugpulled out from under him when Ryan took down Nickolov’sempire.
Ivan paid for the items ateach boutique they stopped in with a credit card. Ryan wascollecting the bags when Ivan finally said something.
“You can’t have her,” hemumbled while signing the bill.
Ryan never said anything ashe considered the older man. His expression remained passive and hestayed silent until Ivan finally lifted his head to meet his eyesdue to the lack of response. Once Ryan let him see the coolness inhis own eyes he answered him. “Neither can you.” He turned with anarmload of packages and walked toward the women. He didn’t need tobe told who ‘her’ was. Kat looked incredible today, especially whenshe was really really pissed off. Oh, he knew she was. You’d haveto be blind not to. She was shooting daggers at all three of themfor the last two hours. He knew he’d get the wrath later for theattention Porsha was showering him with, but he rather liked herangry. She was as sexy as hell.
Katya tried things on, butrefused to buy anything. She would not let her father pay foranything for her anymore. She had a small inheritance from hermother that she got when she turned twenty-one, and that’s what sheused to pay for her final year at university.
When she finally receivedher degree, she would disappear. She wanted as far away from himand his organization as possible.
Porsha chatted nonstopwhile they waited by the doors of the boutique. Katya was tired andhungry and her ears were ringing from Porsha’s constant yapping.She tried blocking her out by looking somewhere else in the shop.She saw the men exchange words, but couldn’t hear them overPorsha’s nattering in her ear. Finally, she’d had it and held upher hand cutting her off. “Porsha, I know you get lonely being inthat big house by yourself, and my father has this incredible habitof ignoring women under the same roof as him, but Mr. Caseyis not yourplaything.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Now, I don’tmind being your friend, because I know what my father is like, butkeep your hands to yourself. Got it?”
Porsha’s mouth fellopen.
“Keep them off Ryan. You’vebeen petting him like a homeless puppy for the last hour.” Porshawas actually speechless, and from the blush entering her cheeks,embarrassed. Katya almost smiled. It was the first quiet she gotsince they started out that morning.
“Kat! Get down!”
She turned toward Ryan atthe sound of his sharp voice. He dropped all of the parcels andlunged at her, just as the familiar sounds of gunshots rangout.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Glass exploded around themas he slammed her to the floor. She yelped in pain. He was heavy.The salesladies were screaming and trying to get out of the way ofthe spray of glass and bullets.
“Stay down!” he breathed inKat’s ear. He drew his gun and rolled to his knees to see above thesill of the broken window. She tried to get up and he shoved herback down roughly. She whimpered in pain. There were shards ofglass poking her through her clothing. “I said stay down!Ivan?”
“Behind you.”
Ryan nodded but didn’t turnaround. He scanned the street as people were still running around.They didn’t know what from, but gunshots in a rich shoppingdistrict can cause panic any day. He’d seen the familiar blacksedan cruising slowly by, and then the window rolled down. He knewwhat would follow. Thankfully he reacted in time. Right now she wascovered in broken glass, but she was alive.
He could hear her panickedbreaths beside him, but she listened and stayed still.
“Clear,” he finally saidand went to her. The sedan was gone. “Are you hit?” He gripped hershoulders and helped her sit up. She had some superficial cuts onher face and down her arms and legs from the broken glass, but shewas unharmed. His fingers brushed aside her hair and he cupped herchin, turning her head from side to side to examine her injuries.Then he tilted her head up so she’d look at him.“Katya?”
“No they missed,” shefinally answered in a shaky whisper.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’ll be fine.” Her voiceshook.
He stared at her a momentto make sure she was telling the truth. Her arms folded across hermiddle and she was trembling. She was scared, but she was going tobe okay. “Is anyone hit?” he asked without taking his eyes off ofhers.
“Casey.” It was Ivan’svoice.
He turned and saw Porsha.Eyes open and staring blankly off in the distance. Dead. A gunshothole in her chest.
Katya screamed.
CHAPTER FOUR
William sat behind his deskchewing on the end of a pencil while he regarded the unreadablemystery man across from him. “I told you not to bring this acrossmy desk.”
“I didn’t.”
“Yet, you’re still here.”William thumbed through the stack of permits that Ryan handed himto verify his sidearms.
Ryan took that time to lookacross the room at Katya. She was seated on a bench against thewall. She was given a cup of coffee from a female detective whileshe
