“I know you will.”
A knock comes on the door.
“Sir? Do you have luggage for us to take?”
“I’ve got it, thank you,” he says. He waits until the footsteps retreat before he slides his phone out of his pocket. Still holding me to him, our hearts still hammering together, he brings his phone to his ear.
“Nicolai,” he says with a sigh. “Cancel the flight. She’s coming with me.”Chapter 13StefanThere’s no tenderness in my touch, no gentleness in my voice as we leave the ship. I take Taara by the hand and half drag her with me in grim determination. I can’t believe I’ve let her talk me into this, but at the same time, I’m relieved. I hate the idea of being apart from her. And if she’s with me, I can be the one to protect her, instead of trusting her to someone else.
There are no easy choices in this.
I observe everything I can as we load our bags into the car I’ve called for us to take us to the hotel, but there’s nothing out of place. I recognize a few faces, but nothing stands out. Tonight, we’ll stay at the hotel that’s adjacent to the airport so we can easily catch our early morning flight to Russia. But before then, we have work to do.
We.
Jesus.
“Don’t look so happy,” she mutters, when I hold open the door for her. “Your face might freeze that way.”
“Taara.” My warning is a grumble, and I swear to God I remind myself of my father. My ruthless, asshole of a father, who spoke in grunts or fists, however the mood struck.
She only sighs and slides into the seat, and when I join her, gives me a little smile. “Yes, daddy?” And if that doesn’t just melt my goddamn heart. She knows it does, too. I reach over and tug a lock of her gorgeous, midnight hair, but don’t let go. I wrap it around my finger and rub my thumb along the strands. She watches me, her eyes bright and beautiful, but she can’t move too far from me.
“Behave yourself.”
She opens her mouth to speak, but something out the window catches her eye. I let her hair go and slide my hand to her upper thigh before I give her a little squeeze.
“That fucking asshole,” she says under her breath. I look where she does and see the woman she talked to and her master from the night before. Her head hung low, and she’s walking as if she’s in pain. He drags her around beside him, careful not to make too much of a scene because we’re in public now, and no longer aboard that godforsaken ship. But he hurt her, and it’s obvious. He says something in her ear which makes her cower and cringe, and I make up my mind right then. It isn’t just about the threat against the brotherhood. I’m no saint. Hell, I’ve earned damnation ten times over the for the shit I’ve done. But I will do whatever the hell I need to, to end this bullshit once and for all.
“Taara,” I say, this time my warning more meaningful. “Careful, baby. If you’re going to work with me, you have to keep your temper in check.”
“Says the man who nearly killed that guy last night,” she mutters. “Ow!”
I tap the leg I just squeezed. “That smart mouth will get you in trouble.”
She sighs and shakes her head. “It already has. Like many times.”
We fall into silence as the car begins to drive toward the hotel. The streets of Boston are always teeming with people: pedestrians and bikers, business people, and construction workers. Our ride will be slow through the city streets. For now, though, I’m grateful for the tinted windows on this car, it allows me to get a good, long look as people leave the cruise ship. Many of the men from the private party come out first.
“That’s funny,” Taara murmurs to herself. “That’s really weird.”
“What is?”
“That woman over there,” she says, jerking her chin toward the woman with the violet hair who accompanied Mikahl the night before. “She’s holding someone else’s arm today. It isn’t the man from before.”
I look, but shrug. “That’s not unusual, sweetheart,” I tell her. “Few in this game are monogamous.”
“No, I know,” she says, shaking her head from side to side. “But there’s something else off about this. I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
But soon we pull too far away to see them as we head toward the hotel. I take a few minutes to make some calls, checking in on my men in Atlanta. All is well, and it pleases me to hear Rafael relay that Nicolai is leading well. Though in my heart of hearts, I’d prefer my son not entangled in the danger of Bratva life, I know how this works, and I know Nicolai. He’s as dedicated to the brotherhood as I am.