The Professional (24 page)

“This discussion is over. The situation has been made crystal clear to me.” He opened his car, slid his big frame behind the wheel, then slammed the door in my face.

Corner, meet Natalie.
“You asshole!” As he started the engine, I banged on the window with the bottom of my fist and launched my boot into the side of the car.
ABC, baby!
Always Be Crazier. “You rip me out of my life and then expect me to live up to your expectations?” Another kick. “Well, fuck you!” I leaned down so
my head was level with his. “Go find some submissive bimbo who’ll give you what I obviously can’t.”

He cast me a cruel smirk. “Planning to, pet.” The engine revved, and he was gone.

I
looked like a bucket of fuck.

Felt like one too. Outside, another dreary, rain-filled day was coming to a close, dusk falling upon Berezka. Inside, I sat before my mirror, pinching my cheeks, scowling into the glass.

To brighten my outlook, I’d dressed in a royal-blue peplum top that looked sassy with a skirt of superfine merino wool and slouchy leather ankle boots.

It hadn’t helped my outlook. Not even a little.

Deeming my appearance
good as it’s gonna get
, I set off for Paxán’s study to discuss some things with him.

My paleness and dark circles shouldn’t surprise me, considering the last thirty or so hours of sleeplessness, confusion, and fury. Since Sevastyan had sped off yesterday morning, I’d run the gamut.

Dinner last night had been a miserable experience. I hadn’t realized how much I would miss his company. No, he hadn’t spoken to me much over the last two weeks, but at least I’d felt his presence, his palpable strength and protection.

Both Paxán and I had been out of sorts. Though he always politely turned off his cell phone during meals, last night he’d checked every message, every ring. He hadn’t seemed to know what to do with himself, so unused to any conflict with the man he considered his son.

I’d felt a pang, wondering how much more Paxán could be expected to deal with. Aside from danger and unrest, he now had to live with this drama between his daughter and his enforcer?

Not to mention the tension between Filip and me. The guy must’ve heard I’d had a falling-out with Sevastyan, because he’d showed for dinner. Too bad that he’d been uncommunicative and drunk. Which had seemed to perplex Paxán.

After dinner had been just as miserable. All night I’d watched for Sevastyan’s return. He hadn’t come home, had probably spent the night in some other woman’s bed.

At dawn, I’d clutched my balcony rail, anger ripping through me. He’d expected me to make all the right moves, all the time—though I had no reference to guide me. That anger had a way of clarifying my thoughts. I’d screwed up; he’d screwed another, removing himself from any chance of reconciliation.

He’d axed his limb off my decision tree. Which was a kind of decision.

With one decision down, I’d formulated others. Hence my meeting with Paxán this evening.

As I tromped down the stairs, I wondered if I’d see Sevastyan. I figured he’d be back today, if for no other reason than his undying loyalty to his boss.

Speak of the devil—I reached the gallery leading to Paxán’s study just as Sevastyan did. On his way there as well? “You’ve returned?” My voice was scratchy, and I sounded as exhausted as I knew I looked.

“I still work with him,” Sevastyan said in a low tone when we both slowed to a stop, as if by silent agreement. “I won’t be kept away right when he needs me most.”

Finally we were on the same page. “We need to talk.”

Sevastyan canted his head at me, much as he had at that bar
the first night I’d met him. His pupils dilated, his eyes lit with more than simple interest.

Realization hit me. “You think I want to talk about . . . you and me? That ship has sailed.”

He narrowed his gaze. “
You
are angry with
me
?”

Utterly pissed! But I needed to keep a lid on it, to calmly state my new proposal.

“You have a lot of nerve, Natalie.”

“I’ve got . . . I’VE got nerve?” There went the lid. “Listen up, manwhore, you don’t get to talk to me like that anymore. You revoked that privilege with your behavior yesterday.”

“My behavior? You’ll have to enlighten me.”

“When you heard something out of context, flew off the handle, and headed out to bury your relationship sorrows—balls deep—in another woman.”

He eased closer to me. “You’re
jealous
.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please. My shallow infatuation with you is done. As they say in the movies: you killed it dead.”

That jaw muscle ticked away as he grated, “Then what did you want to talk to me about?”

In the dim light of dusk, rain pattered the gallery windows, casting shadows over his face. The face that I’d lovingly kissed.
Stay on topic, Nat.
“I’m worried about Paxán. He’s got enough on his plate without all this.”

“Agreed,” Sevastyan said. “What do you suggest I do?”

“I suggest
we
go in there and tell him that we’ve worked out our differences and can be civil. We’ll tell him that we’ve ended whatever it was between us, so you can continue to live here. I think if we present a unified front, it will ease his mind.”

Sevastyan parted his lips, but I interrupted him: “This isn’t up for debate.” I turned away and strode toward the study.

He passed me to open the door, saying over his shoulder, “I haven’t been with anyone else.”

I stutter-stepped. My heart did the same. “Should I believe that?” For the second time in as many days, I found myself mentally urging him:
Say yes, say yes
.

“I don’t care if you do or not.” I’d never seen the Siberian this ice cold.

But I did believe him. Well, hell, then he
hadn’t
been axed from my decision tree? Maybe that meant it
wasn’t
over with him?

He added, “I was called away by work concerns.”

In other words, he’d merely taken a rain check on the manwhoring.
So over!
“You’re such a dick,” I muttered. Yet when we entered the room, I pasted a huge smile on my face for Paxán.

He called to us, “Good evening to both of you. Aleksandr, it’s good to see you here. And with Natalie!”

“Can we speak with you for a minute?” I asked, nearly wincing when his eyes twinkled even brighter than usual. He must think we’d come to announce something more than:
we’re totes just friends!

“Of course. Sit, sit.”

Sevastyan sank back on one of the settees, resting an ankle over the opposite knee; at the other end, I perched on the edge of the cushion.

Wasting no time, I said, “Paxán, we want you to know that there won’t be any future improprieties between us.”

He raised a disbelieving brow at Sevastyan. In response, the Siberian stretched his arm across the back of the settee toward me, all casual. But I sensed tension thrumming in him.

Heedless, I carried on. “So it shouldn’t be a problem for both of us to remain here at Berezka. I know you would feel more
comfortable if Sevastyan was on site, helping to keep everything safe—and so would I.”

Before I changed my mind, I plowed onward to announce one of my new decisions. “And there’s more. I’d like to stay on here permanently. When this danger ends, I’ll start looking into transferring schools.”

I noticed Sevastyan stiffen beside me. Because he was surprised? Pissed? What?

Paxán, of course, beamed. “You mean that?” Then he slanted Sevastyan an expression that looked a lot like
I told you so
.

I nodded firmly. Over the long hours of the previous night, I’d grasped how much my indecision and hesitancy were limiting my life. I’d done a postmortem on my past and concluded that I needed to be bolder in my future. Yes, I’d acclimated to the new things Sevastyan and I had done with a certain cheek, but rolling with the punches was not the same as swinging first.

The utter joy on Paxán’s face wrecked me. One thing I’d learned about him? It took so very little to make him happy. “This is good,” he said simply, getting a little misty-eyed.

I glanced over at Sevastyan to gauge his reaction. Even more tension roiled from him. Which I didn’t care about.

“This is cause for celebration!” Paxán said. “A true welcome, a permanent one, to your home. And we have some good news for you as well . . .” He trailed off, turning his head toward the entrance.

Sevastyan was already on his feet, peering in the same direction. I followed their gazes, spied Filip in the doorway.

The man’s angelic face was crumpled in misery. His left hand was bandaged, seeping blood. In his other hand, he carried a machine gun—pointed at us. “Well, isn’t this touching?”

“W
hat are you doing, Filip?” Paxán paled as he and I stood. “That’s not a weapon you want to aim in close quarters.” The gun was heavy for Filip, and he only had one hand to hold it. His arm was already quaking. “Much less with the safety off.”

When Filip glanced down at the gun, it swayed in his grip. My heart lurched as the barrel’s aim swept from me to Sevastyan to Paxán. “I’m taking you from here,” he said to Paxán. “For the bounty from Travkin.”

What??
Filip was working for that bastard? And there was a bounty? That was the heightened security risk no one would tell me about! Travkin had put money on my father’s life.

“Just set the gun down and talk to me,” Paxán said, his tone deceptively calm.

“No time to talk.” Filip raised his bandaged hand, his voice breaking as he said, “The next go-round, my creditors won’t be as merciful as three fingers.”

They’d . . . maimed him? I covered my mouth, fearing I’d be sick. He had pawned his watch and car, and it still hadn’t been
enough. I’d wondered how deep in he was. I’d never imagined this.

Sevastyan grated, “Let Natalie leave.”

Paxán added, “She’s not involved in this in any way.” He was all coolness on the surface, but I sensed his dread.

“She is!” Filip waved that machine gun toward me, making Paxán hiss in a breath and filling me with fear. “Natalie is the reason I’m in this situation. I was an heir! Then word got out that you were leaving her
everything
.” Tears began to spill down his blotchy cheeks. “But when my creditors got wind of my courting her, they knew I could win over any woman. Suddenly they couldn’t give me enough money.” He aimed at Sevastyan. “Until they heard that the heiress is with the
enforcer
. They called in their debts.”

“We spoke about this just two days ago,” Paxán said. “I asked if you needed help.”

That was what they’d met about?

“And I didn’t need it”—he nearly spat at Sevastyan—“until he made his move the same day!”

“Then let’s fix the situation,” Paxán said, drawing Filip’s attention away from Sevastyan. “Money is no object. For the memory of your father, I pledge to settle anything you owe.”

“You don’t understand. I need
more
.” Tears continued to spill; the gun shook erratically as his fingers seemed to cramp. “The bounty Travkin posted is more money than I could ever see.”

“Take me.” Sevastyan’s expression was filled with menace. “I’m a valuable prize for an enemy.”

“I’m here for the old man.”

Paxán swallowed. “Take your finger off the trigger, Filip, and I’ll go with you.”

“I give the orders! You send the bulldog away, then we’ll talk about your long-lost daughter.”

Sevastyan grated, “That won’t happen.”

“You don’t give a damn about yourself, do you? But what if I threaten your precious Natalie?” Filip aimed—directly at me.

I was staring into the barrel of a gun—too terrified to keep my eyes open, too terrified to close them.

The weapon jogged in his weakening arm . . . only a matter of time . . .

“Harm her and your life ends today,” Sevastyan vowed in a chilling tone. “I’m giving you one chance to leave this room alive.”

Filip’s bravado began to dissipate. “I-I don’t have a choice.” He lifted his free hand toward his forehead, then sniveled at the reminder that he’d lost his fingers. In a wheedling voice, he said, “Just let me take him, Sevastyan.”