So, that was why they were all in a tizzy. Chan was in there. "And why would Joey Chan be here?" Tatyana grasped onto that lifeline. "For a Kaerta security guard? For a threat only to our family?"
"His people are dead, too. Nine of them," a cousin yelled from the back. A rumble of unease flowed through the men.
Nine. Although Tatyana felt faint, she managed to maintain her pissed off expression. "Joey Chan has come here to meet with our family. For advice. Nine of his people are dead compared to our one. And you have the balls to whine about this family's counsel." Her voice rose. "What the hell?"
There was silence. Stepan flapped his jowls but no sound came out.
"Exactly." She shook her head in disbelief. "Now, I have a message to relay." She did have a message to relay, for Nikky to stop being a stubborn ass and let her draw out the killer.
"Are you going to let me pass? Or should I wait until another person dies?"
"I didn't meanȄ"
"I don't care what you meant," she yelled at Stepan. "I care about this family. For the last time, I'm telling you. Let me pass."
"CousinȄ"
"Boris." Tatyana twitched her head in Stepan's direction.
The cousin swallowed hard and moved out of the way.
She advanced to the private room. Pavel stood in front of the door, his massive arms crossed. "He said no one is to pass."
Damn it. Not again. "That doesn't include me, Pavel." She smiled sweetly up at him. "I'm his fiancee."
The big man winced. "Your name was specifically mentioned, Miss."
That hurt. They were a team, her and Nikky. He shouldn't block her. "Pavel, you know I have to talk to him." She tapped her foot, growing angrier by the second. "And you know why." He was the only one, other than Nikky and Grandfather, who knew the full situation.
Pavel shifted uneasily. "The boss doesn't tolerate insubordination, Miss."
"This is the exception." Tatyana would suggest Pavel look the other way, except Nikky had an even lower tolerance for ineptitude. "He can't do this without me."
Although Nikky's number one man didn't say anything, his stubborn expression seemed a little less certain.
"You saw the files." She touched Pavel's arm. "You know the only solution. If he tries anything else, he'll die. I don't want him to die, Pavel. I've seen enough death."
A heavy sigh. Pavel stepped aside.
Seven
"Protect the strong so they may protect the weak."ȄSergei Kaerta
"We can do this without her. Have him believe she's there and stow her safely elsewhere."
Even as Nik proposed the idea, he knew it wouldn't work, but he wouldn't use his fiancee as bait, he wouldn't.
"If he's truly after her, which I don't think he is." Chan, that paranoid bastard, was convinced he was the true target. "Would you storm my home without visual proof your prize was inside?"
Tatyana was not a prize, Nik wanted to yell. She was a living, breathing, amazing woman. "If he can see her, he can shoot her." And no way would he allow that to happen.
"According to her information, he's been tracking her for years." Grandfather's bored expression was a sure sign he was concerned. "He would have had the opportunity to do that before now."
The idea of this killer watching the brat pierced Nik's gut. "So, what does he want? And why her?" What was special about Tatyana? Nothing in her history stuck out.
"Those are questions for another day, Nikolay." Grandfather shrugged, telling Nik he had his suspicions but no concrete answers. "Today, we focus on the plan and the plan is we set you and Tatyana up in Chan's home." Chan nodded. "Under the guise of negotiating a business deal. We put our best security teams in place. We wait."
"No." The man had killed nine of Chan's men. He was a professional. He could get past them and Tatyana would die.
"Yes." She stood in the doorway, her tiny frame braced, ready for a fight. "Let's trap this asshole."
"Language, Brat." What the hell was she doing here? He told Pavel no one was to enter. "Go back to our..." He narrowed his eyes at Grandfather. Fuck Igroek, they were staying together. "... room. This isn't your discussion."
"No." Flat refusal. "This is more my discussion than yours. I'm staying and I say we do this."
"You don't know what you're agreeing to." It was his job to protect her. His, not hers. "You could die." A world without Tatyana in it, it was unthinkable.
"I could die here." Her frizzy head tilted. "I'm more likely to die here. You have a half decent security system, right?" she addressed Joey Chan.
"The best." The man's eyes gleamed. Because he'd have her in his home. Nik's hands balled into fists.
"The best," she repeated. "This is a casino, anyone could walk in. A home would be more secure."
"Tatyana." She had a point but...
"I trust you to protect me, Nikky." She covered one of his fists with both of her hands.
"That'll be easier to do if you isolate the threat."
"There has to be another way." Something they hadn't thought of.
"There isn't. That's why Pavel let me through. He knows there isn't. Grandfather knows there isn't. You know there isn't." She held his gaze. There was no uncertainty in her eyes.
"We'll do this together, you and I."
He paused. There was no other way. "We won't fail." He couldn't. He'd keep Tatyana safe.
"We won't." Her smile reassured him.
"Then, it is decided," Grandfather declared. "Tomorrow, Nikolay and Tatyana will be your guests." He shook Joey Chan's hand. "And tomorrow, we end this."
"Gladly." Chan stood. "I'll go. I have much to prepare for."
Nik walked with him to the door. "As do I." He would double up any security Chan had.
Tatyana was his responsibility.
"Tatyana will see you out, Chan. I have use for Nikolay."
Nik gritted his teeth. Called to heel like a damn dog. "Tatyana."
She gave him a brave smile. "I'll be okay, Nikky." She reached up and kissed his chin. "Boris and
