“After clearing away the castle, you are welcome by the way—”
“I am sorry.”
“Don’t say sorry. Get things done, Mikhail!”
I groaned.
“Regardless, the vault was ransacked. Gold gone. Jewels. But most important—”
“Kazimir’s babies.” I opened the freezer and pulled out the vodka. “I’m on it.”
“You better be on it. Kazimir will find out.”
“Not until I get them back.”
“But do you know who took them?”
“I assume the French did it somehow.”
“No, it was that whore Celina. She was always the worst mistress. At least the others did not get him in trouble.”
“Celina.” I scowled, stomped over to the cupboard, pulled out three glasses, and poured vodka in each one, assuming Maxwell would want one once he returned.
“Thank you.” Rolan came over, grabbed his, cheered my glass, and drank. When he took two large gulps, his joyful expression shifted to a scowl. “Why didn’t you tell me about the missing codes?”
“Because you had enough going on with my father’s missing body.”
“I found it.”
“And?”
“His followers took it, burned the body up, made it into a tea, and drank it. I found them in the hospital yesterday. It appears it is not a good idea to drink the ashes of a dead body, especially one that has been rotting for a while.”
Disgusted, I took a drink and came close to finishing the glass.
“But we do not need your father’s body to do a proper funeral.”
“Correct.”
“So, come on. We can go to Prague in an hour.”
I finished the glass, relishing in the hard burn. When I finished, I set the glass on the counter. “We are not leaving right now.”
“Why not?”
I headed away. “The codes.”
“Where are they?” he called after me.
“Paris.”
“Kazimir is in Paris.”
I stopped and faced him. “How do you know that?”
“Because Kazimir sent Abram to Prague to look things over which is why I left. Abram is enough of a freak to enjoy that house of horror, but in his drooling over the insanity of your father, he told me.”
“Abram?” I shook my head.
Abram was another one of Kazimir’s cousins on his father’s side. Like Pavel, he’d been a part of Kazimir and Valentina’s little gang from their youth.
I shook my head. “Why is Kazimir reconnecting with these idiots?”
Rolan crossed his huge arms over his chest and glared at me.
“What?”
Rolan’s voice rose as he shifted to Russian, “Because you won’t stand up and take his side. He’s resorted to the only idiots that has been loyal for years.”
“I cannot be on Kazimir’s side. It’s a fulltime job.” I headed back to my bedroom.
Rolan followed and returned to English. “Well, it is clear you have no other job, but sticking it to that ballerina.”
I groaned. “Will you be nagging me your entire visit?”
“Yes!” He entered my bedroom and scanned it. “This room looks depressing. All bare. And no pictures of me.”
Pain hit my temples.
I rubbed my forehead.
Rolan shook his head. “I have sent you many pictures.”
“Yes. A lot. In frames.”
“What?” He walked around, exploring my space. “Those are proper presents.”
“Not for my birthday.”
“But, you love your batya.”
“However, it is a bit presumptuous to send gold frames of yourself to people on their birthdays.”
“The ladies like it.” At sixty-two, Rolan acted like a horny teenager. Kazimir guessed that he’d been taking special dick pills.
I surely didn’t intend to ask him. “It does not matter if they love it, I am no lady. Next time, send a card.”
“And I’ll put a nice picture of myself in the card.” Rolan sat on my bed, laid back, folded his hands in the back of his head, and crossed his legs.
I stood there and scowled at him. “Are you comfortable?”
“More comfortable than in that damn castle.”
“You’re going to bother me until I go to Prague, aren’t you?”
A huge smile spread across his face. “That is my plan.”
“It is unnecessary.”
“What are you going to do about the codes?”
“I have a team tracking them. The nukes are in Paris. Naveen is on his way there. I’m supposed to fly out tonight.”
“Good.”
I thought of Ava’s lush body, shivering as I moved inside of her. “But, I may leave. . . tomorrow.”
Rolan rolled his eyes. “Either way, I will go with you.”
“No.” I considered the new addition that Rolan could bring to the situation. While he doted on me like a father, he was the Big Bear. Murderous. Treacherous. Nothing went by him. And any enemy that came near him was sure to die. I grinned. “You will protect Ava.”
“Me?”
“That is the only way I would feel comfortable with leaving her here.”
“Fine. If it will get your ass moving on getting things done, I would love to babysit your ballerina.”
“Maybe, you will end up being useful, instead of driving me insane.” I went to my closet. “Did you bring a nice suit?”
“You do not like what I have on?”
“We need less hot pink.”
“Why?”
I frowned and pulled out my own suit. “We are going to the ballet tonight. I’ll have my designer rush over and fit you.”