Hot Protector(82)
Grigori’s heart hammered. “You would kill me after everything we’ve been through? We are brothers, Sergei.”
Sergei looked almost sad as he shook his head. “No, I won’t kill you. I can’t. But Oleg can.”
“You’re insane,” Grigori hissed. “Insane!”
“You’ve taken too many risks, Grigori. You’ve let your ego outweigh your caution, and that is not good. You cannot be trusted any longer.”
“Don’t do this, Sergei,” Grigori pleaded. “We can fix everything. They have no proof, no way of making it stick to me—”
“You’re a loose cannon. It is time.” Sergei looked at Oleg, who nodded his big head without ever taking his gaze off Grigori.
“Got it from here, boss,” he said.
Sergei walked out the door and Grigori turned to run. If he could make it to the bathroom, he could lock the door and—
He dropped before he’d taken the first step.
ONCE HE REACHED THE CAR, Sergei picked up his private cell phone and dialed a number.
“Is it done?” the man on the other end clipped out.
“Yes. You may rest assured that Zoprava’s support of your campaign will continue. We trust that your support of us will continue as well.”
“It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. So long as it stays that way, I see no reason for either of us to pull out of the deal.”
“Do svidaniya, Congressman.”
Sergei punched the button to end the call. Then he started to whistle.
SOPHIE SLEPT. When she woke up, she felt woozy, kind of hungover, but mostly she felt okay. She turned her head and saw she was in a room with some seriously nice furniture. Silk drapes, antiques, tall ceilings that looked like they belonged in a historic home. She pushed herself up on an elbow and took in her surroundings.
A hotel perhaps. A nice one.
But the door opened and a familiar figure walked in. He was carrying a tray, and her heart leapt with joy. When he looked up, his eyes tangled with hers—and the truth hit her hard.
She was a goner. A total goner for this man.
He did not feel the same way; she knew that. And it hurt so much, like someone had taken a hot poker and jammed it right into her heart. It was excruciating, and yet she was just desperate enough to keep on feeling it so long as he didn’t go away.
“You’re awake.” His smile was like sunshine after weeks of stormy skies.
“Where are we?”
He came over and set the tray on the table beside the bed. “At Hawk and Gina’s place.”
She blinked at him. “I…”
“Waterman’s Cove on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Cute town, historic. Gina bought this place when they got married, and they live here most of the year. Hawk’s not in, uh, the military anymore, but this is still one of our homes away from home.”
Sophie processed this. “I don’t remember coming here.”
“You were pretty out of it. The doc says Androv injected you with fentanyl in order to control you. Once she determined you were going to be okay, we brought you to Hawk’s since I don’t have a place anymore.”
A twinge of guilt spiked inside her. “I’m sorry. I know it’s my fault.”
He sat on the bed and put his hand against her cheek, into her hair. Her skin flamed where he touched. Oh, she wanted more of that. So much more.
“It’s stuff, Sophie. Stuff is replaceable.”
She swallowed. “What happened to Grigori?”
Chase’s mouth tightened, his eyes hardening for a second. But then he smiled and ran his thumb along her cheekbone. “He’s not going to hurt you, Sophie. Not ever again.”
She sucked in a breath. “You didn’t—?”
She couldn’t say it. She didn’t want another man on Chase’s conscience for her sake, but she was very much afraid that he did.
“No, it wasn’t me,” he said, and relief washed through her. “We turned him over to the police. He bonded out eventually—and someone shot him in his hotel. It was on the news a couple of hours ago. No idea what happened, but he’s dead.”
“Oh my God.”
“Are you sorry he’s dead?”
She shook her head. “No… and maybe that makes me a terrible person, but no, I’m really not. It’s still a shock though.”
“Yeah, I guess it is. But I’m glad someone iced him. Saved me the trouble if he ever got near you again.”
“I was afraid he’d killed you. When I woke up and realized I’d been kidnapped, I thought the worst.”
And her heart had nearly broken in two.
“They only tased me, thank God.”