An exchange of nervous glances. "Surveillance shows she left on her own free will, Boss."
"What?" He stopped. She wouldn't, she promised she'd stay...as long as he wanted her to.
"She was alone, Boss."
Shit. She didn't think he wanted her to stay. They had sex in the tub. What else did she need? Nik continued walking.
"She had three damn bodyguards assigned to her." She was one small woman. What kind of joke operation were they running? "Pavel?"
"She got lucky, Boss. It happens."
"Lucky? She's the unluckiest person who ever lived." Did she still live? Nik entered the restaurant, moving toward the private rooms. The hostess took one look at his face and allowed him by. She had to be alive. She had to.
"At cards. She evaded a professional killer for decades, Boss."
She had. That luck better hold or he would kill someone. Nik swung the door open, furious.
"You!" This was all Grandfather's fault.
"Relax, Nikolay." The others hurried from the room. "We know who took her." Smoke swirled around them.
She was taken? Boris had said... "Who?" His fists clenched.
"Your new friend, Joey Chan."
That was no comfort. "My new friend has a hard on for my fiancee," Nik ground out. "Where is she?" Last he heard, Chan was recovering at his bullet-riddled home.
"I suspected." A touch of humor in Grandfather's voice. Why? There was nothing remotely funny about any of this. "I neglected this part of your education, didn't I?" He puffed on his cigar. "But then, how would I know you'd find a woman like your grandmother? Didn't think another one existed."
He wanted to talk about grandmother, now? "Where? Is? She?" Nik was seconds away from strangling the old man.
"If you want her, truly want her, you're going to have to fight for her, Nikolay."
"I'll kill for her. Where is she?"
Grandfather nodded. "I almost killed Igroek for your grandmother." Nik stared at him.
Igroek? "She was his fiancee first, lucky bastard."
Oh, shit. Grandmother was the reason for the partnership falling apart. Nik would worry about that later. "If you don't tell me where she isȄ"
"She's at his house." Nik turned. "Bring her back, Nikolay. If you love her, give her a choice."
She regained consciousness, confused, with a killer headache.
"My apologies, Miss Tatyana." The voice was familiar. Not Nikky's, but familiar. Her forehead was stroked with cold fingers. "I told my man to pick you up. I should have clarified I didn't want you drugged."
Drugged. Chan. She stilled in horror. The wife killer. That was his breath on her cheek.
"Nikky?" Her fiance would keep her safe.
"Will be here any minute, I suspect." A warm chuckle. "My men have been told to let him in.
Not that bodyguards could stop him. He is very protective of you. As he should be. He knows I want you."
Fear trickled down her spine. She inched away from Chan's pockmarked face. "I love Nikky."
"My man said it looked like you were leaving him."
She had been. "I needed space to think."
"Ahhh..." A smug smile. "You're having second thoughts about your Nikky. I understand. He is only second in command. I can give you more." He waved his hands. "Much more."
Had Chan been talking to Stepan? Those were the cousin's exact thoughts. "Nikky has enough. More than enough. Too much. He chose the family over me."
"No." Chan shook his head. "He chose the family knowing you'd understand why he had to.
He's responsible, Miss Tatyana. Him and I, we both have to be that way. We love." Chan winced. "But the family must come first. Always. IȄ"
"If your family comes first, you shouldn't have taken me." Nikky would kill him.
"I want you, Miss Tatyana," Chan stated bluntly. "I take what I want."
She wasn't some object to be acquired. "You can't have me. I'm engaged to Nikky."
"Engagements end." He shrugged. "Marriages end."
Her mouth dropped. The man was insane. "You'd never give me up?"
"Until there's a baby in your belly, I won't." Chan grinned proudly.
She didn't like the way his gaze lowered. She had to leave. "I should get up." Tatyana pushed off of the mattress, her head spinning, her stomach heaving. She flopped down again. "Maybe in a few minutes."
"He used too much. You're so tiny." Chan peered down at her, concern on his face. Not for her, Tatyana knew. For his object. "I shouldn't haveȄ"
"I agree." There was a loud click. "You shouldn't have."
"Nikky." She propped herself up by her elbows. He stood in the doorway, face dark, his gun pointed at Chan. "Nothing happened."
"You're on his bed, Brat." Nikky's voice was tight with fury. He looked ready to pull the trigger.
"Safest room in the house." Chan had no fear. "And no, Kaerta, nothing happened. Not yet."
"If nothing happened, why is she so pale?" Nikky motioned with the gun. "If youȄ"
"She is so pale..." Tatyana willed Chan to remain silent. "... because she inhaled something she shouldn't have."
"She shouldn't have been playing with fire." As she hoped, Nikky assumed she meant smoke. He really would kill Chan if he found out she'd been drugged. "You gave me your word you wouldn't leave me, Tatyana." His hurt thickened his voice.
"No, I said I'd stay as long as you wanted me."
"Damn it, Brat." He tucked his gun behind his back. "Didn't I show you I wanted you? Two fuckin' times."
"Whoa, whoa. More information than I need to hear." Chan raised his hands as he moved toward the door. "You'll want to talk to me before you leave, Kaerta."
They both ignored him.
The two times was sex. She was talking about love. "Then you left me. I slept alone. I don't like sleeping alone, Nikky."
"And you think I do, Brat?" A deep sigh as he took Chan's place on the bed. "Us sleeping apart doesn't mean I don't want you." He touched her face.
Want, not love. "It's a sign." A first sign. If he didn't love her by now, he never would.
"I'll always want you." He kissed her forehead.
Want was not enough. She needed a love like her parent's had. Only that would last. "You think that
