Love and Triumph: The Coltrane Saga, Book 8 (29 page)

Boris raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Well, that’s all I have. Eat it or go hungry, but make up your mind, because I’m ready to go to bed.”

“Well, I’m not!” she cried indignantly, ready to start an argument so she could storm out and be
finished
with him forevermore.

Getting to her feet, she snapped, “I must say, sir, that you are not a very polite host. Not only do you not ask me in advance about my food preferences, but when you learn you’ve prepared something I don’t like, you don’t even care. If that’s your attitude, then I doubt you’d have any regard for my preferences in your bed, and—”

“Oh, but I do care!” he said with a roar, leaping to his feet so quickly that his chair tipped over and hit the floor with a bang. “And now I’ll show you. I promise that you’ll not only like it, little
milochka
,
you will beg for second helpings.”

“No…” She tried to stand, but he was too quick for her. He grabbed her and lifted her in his arms. Then he carried her across the room and threw her on the bed.

Terror rose bitterly in her throat as she watched him quickly pull off his clothing.

“No…” she repeated. She tried to get up, but he threw her back down roughly. “No, you can’t do this...”

“Oh, yes, I can!” He laughed, then fell on top of her, straddling her as he began to tear at her dress.

She fought with every ounce of strength she possessed, but she was no match for him. When she was completely, naked and totally vulnerable beneath him, he glared down at her with lust-filled eyes. “Now, you treacherous little vixen, you’re going to find out what happens to women stupid enough to think they can fool Boris Gorchakov.”

He tried to spread her legs with his knee, and Marilee twisted from side to side, clawing out at him.

He slapped her, then he backhanded her. “Goddamn you!” he bellowed. “Stop fighting. I will have you again and again, as much as I want.”

He tried to slap her into submission as he continued to rant. “And I am going to love every second I am fucking Drakar Mikhailonov’s daughter!”

Marilee froze in sudden shock. He knew who she was!

He took advantage of her momentary stillness and was about to enter her when she came alive at just the last second and caught him off guard. She threw him off-balance, and he fell to the floor with a mighty thud.

Scrambling off the other side of the bed, she raced across the room, not caring that it was freezing outside or that she was naked. All she knew was that she had to reach that door and escape.

Boris was scrambling to his feet. Marilee was so terrified that she tripped and fell, and he was on top of her at once.

“I’ll take you right here!” he screamed. “On your knees like the bitch you are!”

He attempted to mount her, but she fell forward, screaming in terror.

Boris had lost patience. He knew he was running out of time, and that if she kept on yelling someone might come to demand what was going on.

He fastened his huge hands around her throat and squeezed.

Marilee felt herself choking. The world was getting darker, and she was getting dizzy. Suddenly the yawning blackness of oblivion gave her momentary peace.

Satisfied that she was merely unconscious, Boris picked her up and threw her down on the bed roughly. Then he positioned her for his pleasure and prepared to proceed.

So intent was he on his lust that he had not heard the scraping at the lock, nor was he aware when the door quietly opened.

He did not even notice the sudden blast of cold air as Cord Brandt let himself in.

Boris knew nothing until he heard a whistling sound.

But there was no time to wonder what was happening. He felt an explosion of pain at the base of his skull, then he slipped into unconsciousness.

Chapter Thirty

Cord rushed to Marilee’s side and lifted her in his arms. He whispered her name, cold dread seizing his heart at the thought that Boris might have killed her.

He laid her down on the bed and saw with great relief that she was breathing. He then tapped her cheek in an attempt to bring her around.

Her eyes opened slowly. She coughed and gasped, shaking her head to dispel the roaring in her ears. Then she looked up and awareness dawned in her eyes. “You! What—”

He cut her off. “Are you all right, Marilee? Did he hurt you?”

Then the nightmare came flooding back to her. She turned her head to see Boris lying in a heap on the floor.

In answer to her unspoken question, Cord told her, “No, he’s not dead, just unconscious. We’ve got to get out of here before he wakes up. I’ll tie and gag him, to give us extra time before he sounds an alarm. Try to get yourself together.”

Marilee suddenly realized she was naked, and immediately began to fumble for her clothing, suddenly feeling terribly self-conscious. But Cord was not paying any attention. He began to look around for something to tie Boris with, finally settling on his belt.

“Hurry up,” he snapped when he saw she was still not dressed.

Her gratitude was fast turning into humiliation and fury. “I’m not going anywhere with you,
Herr
Brandt,” she told him scathingly. “I found out how to get my father out of that prison, and I’m heading for the Whites to enlist their help. If you try to stop me, I’ll scream to high heaven, so help me, because nothing is going to stop me now.”

Cord was bent over Boris, who was moaning as he started to come around. Glancing over his shoulder at Marilee, Cord gave her a crooked grin. “You still don’t believe we’re on the same side, do you?”

She shook her head adamantly. “And I don’t know what you think you’re accomplishing by trying to convince me otherwise.”

He stood and came toward her. When she backed away, he grabbed her and held her tightly against him. “Because I love you, Marilee…” he declared fiercely. His blue eyes searched her face for some sign of trust. “I think I’ve loved you since that first night I held you in my arms—”

“When you thought I was someone else!” She gave him a violent shove and darted for the door. He had been about to kiss her, and for one instant she had almost let him, even wanted him to. She knew that if she did not get away from him quickly, she would succumb to the desire burning within her.

Cord started after her, and they both froze as the door suddenly opened. Rudolf was standing there with a pointed gun.

Cord muttered an oath and Marilee gasped. Rudolf was the last person either of them had expected to see.

He stepped inside, grinning in triumph. Pursing his lips, he made a smacking sound in Marilee’s direction. Then he scowled as he saw Boris trussed up on the floor.

“Untie him. At once,” he commanded tersely.

Cord could not argue with the gun aimed right at him. He only wished he could get his hands on his own. Rudolf sensed what he was thinking and ordered him to unbuckle his holster and toss it aside before he proceeded. He had no choice but to obey.

He freed Boris, who was rubbing the back of his head and groaning. Rudolf asked him if he was all right, and he blinked dizzily. Then he said that if he had a little vodka he would be just fine.

“Get it!” Rudolf ordered Marilee.

“Get it yourself!” she retorted, instinctively moving closer to Cord.

Boris struggled to his feet.

Rudolf continued to point his gun at Cord and Marilee. He watched as Boris staggered over to a cabinet and grabbed a bottle of vodka, then held it to his lips and drank eagerly.

Boris wiped his lips with the back of his hand, then he turned and glared furiously at Cord. “You…” he snarled, “…will wish you were dead before I and my men are through with you.”

“I had my orders,” Cord said, pretending that he was still on the side of the Bolsheviks. “In case you don’t know who I am, I was one of the leaders of the Zurich Zealots in charge of the abduction of Marilee Mikhailonov. She escaped. I was sent to track her down and bring her back. You were about to rape her. You think she’s worth anything to us once you rip her to pieces?”

He spoke so coolly that with each word Marilee hated him all the more. “You bastard,” she said between clenched teeth. “You goddamn bastard!”

He winced ever so slightly, hating what he had to do but knowing that it was necessary to save their lives. “So what?” He grinned arrogantly. “Can I help it if I don’t like seconds?”

She slapped him then, losing all control. He just stood there and forced himself to laugh.

“Enough of that!” Rudolf exploded. To Boris, he cried, “He’s lying. He’s a traitor to our cause. I’ve been in on this from the beginning. He fell in love with her when he was holding her for ransom in France. That’s why my sister got mad and told the enemy everything. He’d been trifling with her, too. He’s no good as an agent, and he can’t be trusted. All he wants is Marilee, and you promised her to me…” His voice trailed off in a whine.

Marilee was repulsed. “I’d rather die than have you touch me, you spineless little coward!”

“No!” he said, a grim expression on his face. “You won’t die, Marilee. You’re going to learn to love me, the way I love you. I’m going to be so good to you, you’ll beg me to take you again and again…” His eyes had taken on a glassy look, and he spoke thickly, as if in a trance.

Marilee told him he was crazy.

Boris snickered. “I really don’t think she wants any part of you, Rudolf. Maybe we’d better reconsider our agreement.”

Rudolf’s eyes grew darker, and the hand holding the gun began to tremble slightly, as though he were fighting an inner battle to keep from turning it on Boris. “What did you say?” he demanded.

“I said…” Boris paused to lift the bottle to his mouth once more and take a long swallow. “I said that perhaps we should reconsider our little bargain. Our little Natasha, or I should say
Marilee
,
doesn’t seem to want any part of you.”

“Well, she sure as hell doesn’t want
you
!”
Rudolf cried, indignant.

Cord almost made his move. Rudolf lost his concentration for one split second, but just as he started to leap forward, Rudolf lifted the gun once more and snarled, “I’ll kill you, Brandt, I swear it.”

Then he looked at Marilee. “Gorchakov would have your father executed. Brandt is a traitor and can’t be trusted. He made a fool of my sister. He’ll do the same to you, if you let him.
I
am the only one you can trust, Marilee. I am only here because I love you.”

Marilee threw back her head and laughed. “You fool! I’d rather die than have you love me! Love your cause, Bolshevik,” she went on contemptuously. “It’s a worthy cause for your lust.”

He winced, as though he’d been slapped like Brandt. His eyes narrowed. Brandt and Gorchakov both snickered, which only served to infuriate him all the more. “Enough!” he shrieked, enraged. “You’re coming with me. Get your cape. Now.”

To Gorchakov, he said, “Brandt is all yours. We’re leaving.”

“You wait a damn minute!” Boris stopped laughing, his mouth suddenly grim as he set the bottle aside and started toward Rudolf. “I think you forget who I am!
You
take orders from
me
,
Citizen
Hapsburg. I say what will happen. You are going nowhere.”

The two Bolsheviks had their backs turned to the door, and were unaware of the movement behind them.

But Cord and Marilee saw—and remained frozen.

Cord contained a sigh of relief as Irina slipped quickly and quietly inside the room, holding a knife at her side.

Marilee was puzzled. She had seen the woman at the restaurant, washing glasses. Who was she, and why had she come? Yet another Bolshevik? But if she were also the enemy, why was she sneaking up behind Boris with a knife?

And then there was no more time to wonder; as the blade arced through the air and sliced through the back of Boris’s thick neck.

Cord lunged, knocking the gun from Rudolf’s hand and punching him in the face.

Both men crumpled to the floor simultaneously.

Boris lay in a rapidly forming pool of his own blood, his eyes already glazed as death gripped him.

Marilee stood watching in astonished silence as Cord spoke to the woman.

“You got here just in time.” He gave her a quick hug, then said tersely, “We’ve all got to get out of here. Rudolf may have men stationed nearby who will be suspicious when he doesn’t return.”

“There was nobody about outside,” she told him. “It’s snowing pretty hard, and all’s quiet.”

Marilee wondered what the stranger’s part was in all this. If she was a friend of Cord’s, why had she just murdered a Bolshevik?

She noticed that, despite having just killed, the woman had almost an ethereal air about her. The shadows in her eyes revealed that she had obviously suffered and endured much in life. Yet she was lovely, and the smile she bestowed on Cord was compassionate and caring.

Another of his women, no doubt, Marilee fumed. But it did not matter to her.

She began to inch toward the door. Cord’s back was turned as he knelt to tie Rudolf. He did not notice the way Marilee was stealthily moving, but the woman saw. “Please don’t leave us, Marilee. We mean you no harm,” she said quietly.