Retribution (11 page)

“I’ve got the car
waiting.”

That was thoughtful. “Thank
you.”

“Ready?”

“Yes.” She grabbed her
purse off a nearby table and walked toward him. He took her elbow
and opened the door leading her down the stairs and out of the
house toward the car.

It was the dark grey
limousine. Her father had several cars, but this was the one she
usually had. The driver was not one of his henchmen, but just a
driver. Jose was his name. He was trustworthy and quiet and usually
drove her in the past. He’d been with the family for about fifteen
years. She was wondering if Ryan had arranged it to have him
instead of Ivan or someone else. She was grateful just the same.
She said hello as he opened the door, and she got in. Ryan slid
beside her and she saw him adjust his suit as he settled in the
plush leather. Jose shut the door. She reached over and touched
Ryan’s side arm under his jacket. Her eyes met his. “You have a
gun.” It wasn’t a question.

“I have two, one either
side, and a spare strapped to the inside right of my
calf.”

“I want to learn how to
shoot one.”

There was no hesitation in
his response. “All right.”

That was easy. “Can you
teach me?”

“Yes. I can.”

She felt great relief at
those words. She had a feeling that Ryan was very particular, and
good, at something like that. She wanted to learn how to shoot
correctly and not take lessons from a gangster like the ones her
father employs.

“I can also teach you some
self-defense Katya. Trust me. It’s handier than a gun.”

“I do trust you.” Those
words slipped out unexpectedly, surprising herself. He seemed
pleased with her statement. It wasn’t obvious in his expression,
but the corner of his nicely sculpted mouth tilted up letting her
know he was suppressing a smile. “I would like that
too.”

The rest of the ride to
Miami University was in silence. He seemed quite comfortable with
it. She felt a little awkward alone with him but it was
overshadowed by nervousness of being out in the open again with a
crowd.

The car pulled into the
parking lot and Ryan got out first, walking around to open the door
for her. He glanced around before he held out his hand and she took
it that time. He released her and shut the door.

She scanned the people on
campus and felt that familiar nervousness creep in. This was
another really big step for her. She’d never dealt with agoraphobia
before, but she was determined not to let it rule her.

“Ready?”

His voice was just the
reassurance she needed. It was a reminder that he’d be with her.
She nodded and started walking toward the admissions
building.

He waited patiently while
she paid for her classes. The place was busy with potential
students, but his attention was always on her. There were a lot of
young women there who gave him welcoming glances, but he acted as
if he hadn’t noticed. Katya was nervous and he certainly didn’t
need her having another hallucination in front of everyone to draw
attention to herself. Even when his phone buzzed in his pocket he
didn’t remove his eyes off of her as he pulled it out. Only to
flick a glance at the message from his superior, Ned.

He quickly messaged him
back that he’d contact him later and tucked the phone back in his
pocket just as Katya finished up. She was slipping her wallet back
into her purse while turning toward him. “I don’t want to go home
yet.”

“No problem.”

“Would you mind if we just
went for a late breakfast?”

That’s right, they didn’t
eat. A mistake on his part. He should have made sure she ate to
keep up her strength. Come to think of it he was hungry. “I could
always eat.”

She smiled at
him.

He took her upper arm and
led her back out to the car. They found a quaint bistro not too far
from the university. She insisted on sitting on the patio, outside,
and he wasn’t too keen on it, but he agreed.

The waiter took their
orders and disappeared.

“Don’t like our Miami sun?”
she smiled while sipping a glass of orange juice. He didn’t look
too pleased about their seating arrangements and she did notice his
hesitation after the waiter suggested it, but she really wanted the
fresh air. Well, he said he was from Chicago, so maybe the heat did
bother him.

“I spent five years in
Iraq.” It was hot where they sat, but there was a breeze, and he
was comfortable. He’d been in hotter places and wore more
gear.

Good God, did he? Who stays
five years in a war torn hellhole? She tilted her head. “You really
continue to surprise me. What is it then, if not the
heat?”

Now that was a pose he
could really admire. It was as if, for a moment, she was untouched
by the ugliness of what had happened to her. She had this slight
look of amusement as if he’d told a joke, but hadn’t yet revealed
the punchline. It was curious, but angelic. A strand of ebony hair
escaped her chignon and trailed across her lovely face with the
slight breeze and he resisted the urge to reach over and tuck it
behind her ear. Her dark hair was a stunning contrast to her deep
sea green eyes—and fucking distracting. He cursed inwardly and
looked away.

“Mr. Casey?”

He met her eyes again. Now
she just looked annoyed. All that sexy innocent demure was
abolished, and he was thankful. Now he could get back to being who
he was. As for the reason he didn’t want to be out on the patio,
they’d been followed since they left her father’s place, but he
wasn’t going to tell her that. A black sedan was keeping its
distance, and it was now parked down the street. He’ll have to
check with Ned to see if someone was tailing them from his
department, but he somehow doubted had anything to do with his
organization or something like it.

It suddenly occurred to her
that he was different—alert. She stilled and slowly set down her
glass but still gripped it tightly. “If not the sun, it’s something
else, then.” She was beginning to feel that familiar prickling of
fear.

“We’ve been followed.” So
much for not telling her, but it looked as though she was about to
faint.

Her hand started to shake
sloshing the juice.

He reached over and
steadied it with one of his own. “They aren’t going to do
anything,” he reassured softly.

“How do you
know?”

“Because they would have
done it already. They had opportunities.” This was about him. He
was new, and if they were as informed as much as he thought they
were about Peter’s organization, the new guy would raise eyebrows.
They were being cautious and he was sure now that Katya was still
in danger.

She narrowed her eyes in
anger. “Why didn’t you say something to me sooner?”

He released her and sat
back in his chair. Anger was a good compromise from fear. “You
didn’t need to know.”

“Mr. Casey, how can I trust
you if you don’t tell me anything?”

“You’ll just have to. You
don’t need to know everything, Katya, or you’ll never relax. A
moment ago, you looked as if you were going to pass
out.”

Well, maybe he was right
about that, but still she couldn’t help feel irritated. She wasn’t
a wilting flower. “Fine. That’s just fine. I’ll just let you be the
macho bodyguard and me the damsel in distress, but don’t expect me
to jump when you want.”

He actually smiled.
Oh, you’ll jump when I want all right because I
won’t give you a choice.

There was that challenging
smile again. The same one he gave her when he was tying her sneaker
before they went jogging. It made her breath still in her chest.
This man was way too good looking. “Why didn’t you tell me,
really?”

“I had to assess if they
were a threat at the moment or not. They aren’t. I didn’t need you
going into another panic attack.”

He had a point. “That makes
sense. I don’t like it, but it makes sense.”

“My first concern is your
safety. You don’t have to like anything I do.”

He’d meant that. She met
his confident gaze just as the waiter brought their food. “I don’t
know if I even like
you
,” she added with irritation. To her surprise he smiled again
not even bothered by her statement.

She turned her attention to
her food. Arguing with him was a lost cause and she was starving.
She’d hardly eaten anything the night before, and despite his
confession about being followed, she was still hungry. She knew
why. She really did feel safe with him near her. She didn’t like
feeling like she needed anyone, but she already knew, she needed
him.

Surprisingly, she cleaned
her plate. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he did either. He
had a healthy appetite, but she should have expected it with his
physique. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your run this
morning.”

It was refreshing for him
that she didn’t hold onto her anger too long. Another trait of hers
he liked. With her father, of course, it was a different story. “I
did.”

Her brows arched. “You did?
When?”

“I went at five thirty. You
were still sleeping when I got back.”

Didn’t this man sleep?
“Aren’t you tired? I mean, did I keep you up?”

He sat back in his chair
and stared thoughtfully at her. “No.”

She flushed a little and
pretended to look at something past him. Apparently he got by on
very little sleep and found it amusing that she jumped from
ridiculing him to concern.

The waiter brought the
check and he paid for it even when she argued. It was her idea, but
he smirked and said he was pretty sure he could afford twenty five
bucks.

Once back inside the car,
she felt the need to ask. “Is being a mercenary lucrative?” He
looked slightly chagrined. “What?”

“We’ve discussed this. I’m
not really a mercenary.”

“You are a gun for hire,
though.”

He shook his head. “Not
quite. I’m specially trained and I don’t run around assassinating
people because someone pays me to.”

“I guess I don’t really
know the difference.”

“I pick and choose who I
work for. Money has nothing to do with it. There are specific
reasons why I do what I do. I do not harm people unless I’m
defending myself, or protecting others.”

“You’ve killed people
though. How many?”

Ryan stared down at her. He
shouldn’t have said that. She was still so innocent in a lot of
ways despite what she’d been through and for some reason that
worked against him. This wasn’t the first time he’d said too much.
“I won’t share that part of my life with you Katya.”

Door closed. She bit her
lip and stared at him. Yes, he had killed people. Again, it was
that look in his eyes, the same one her father had.

He could see she was
debating his soul. He certainly didn’t want her scared of him. “I’m
not a murderer. Just remember that.”

“That’s your way of
reasoning it, I suppose.”

“It’s the truth.” Yes, he’d
killed people. Maybe too many, but it was always for the sake of
others.

She sighed deeply and
turned away from him. She honestly was no better. She wanted those
men that hurt her and her sister dead and rotting in the ground.
She told him that. He never said anything.

She was full of hatred and
anger right now and wanted revenge. So did he. He wanted it so much
he could taste the bile rise in his throat.

***

That night after Katya
retired; Ryan messaged his boss and gave him an update. He replied.
The sedan wasn’t theirs. He should have known. Also, they haven’t
found any more on that end about Georgy’s death. Well, neither did
he. He was impatient, which was something no one could accuse him
of before, but this was different. It was personal. He stood up and
walked to the adjoining door. Katya was sound asleep, on her side
again, facing him this time. She looked like sleeping beauty and
she certainly was beautiful. He eased the door closed to a crack
and turned back to his bed stripping off his shirt and tossing it
on the chair he occupied moments ago. He was heading into the
bathroom to wash up for the night when there was a soft knock on
his door. It was Ivan.

The man’s eyes went down
the front of him. “Do you ever wear a fucking shirt?”

“What do you want Ivan?” He
suppressed a grin. What did this man expect? It was one in the
morning.

“Boss needs to see you
again. There’s another parcel.”

Ryan nodded and grabbed his
shirt off the chair, buttoning it up as he followed
Ivan.

This time it was a ring
finger and with it, a ring.

Peter had removed the
jewelry and was spinning it on the tip of his little finger. “This
was her mother’s. Bastards! What does it say?”

Ryan scanned the note that
Peter handed him, then looked at Peter. They were toying with the
old Russian and it was taking it’s toll. It looked as though he was
wearing. There were bags under his eyes that weren’t there before.
He returned his attention to the piece of paper in his hand. Then
he clenched his jaw. The note actually commented on how pretty
Katya looked today. That she was looking almost as tasty as her
sister.