Turbulent Sea (43 page)

"I am going to marry Ilya Prakenskii. I'm in love with him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. None of you have to agree with my decision, I'm not asking you to, but I expect you to treat him with respect, the same way you treat every other man in this family."

She wasn't asking. She was stating, and staring her sisters down while she did it.

Hannah reacted first. To Ilya's dismay, she put her arms around him and hugged him. "Welcome to the family. Please forgive our former rudeness, we were just very shocked. Joley normally communicates with us, and she failed to tell us she was even contemplating marriage."

Sarah nodded. "She's been rather opposed to it." She still eyed him warily, as if he might have cast a spell on her sister.

Jonas stuck out his hand. "Why so quick? You'd think you were in a hurry. Mom and Dad are going to want to be there."

"I want to be there, too," Hannah said decisively.

"We all do," Libby added. "Joley, you can't run off and get married without your family."

Hannah waved her hand, and a tray floated in with tea in mugs and a platter of fresh-baked cookies.

"It's just better," Joley said. "Once we're married, he'll have to quit his job." She took a cookie and a mug of tea and went over to Abbey, who was huddled on Aleksandr's lap in the corner. "Here, have some tea, it's good for you, and let's declare a truce."

Abbey broke into a smile and took the mug. "Accept my apology."

"Done." Joley flashed Ilya a smile. "He can't work as Nikitin's bodyguard if he's married to me. He'll be splashed all over every tabloid around the world and there goes his career."

"Is that why you think we're getting married immediately?" Ilya asked. He took a mug as the tray floated passed him.

Hannah looked up, her gaze sharp and focused. "Your magic is different from ours, close, but different. The mark on Joley's palm, can that be removed?"

"No man would remove his mark from his woman," Ilya said and took a sip of tea. "I can't stay long, so make your questions count if you need to know something."

The slight smile faded from Joley's face. "They don't need to question you."

"Actually," Hannah interrupted, "I have a question. Are you the seventh son of a seventh son?"

Joley whirled around, sending hot tea streaming out in a half circle. Ilya lifted his hand, and the liquid remained in the air, then refilled the mug.

Joley glared at her sister. "Why in the world would you think that?"

"His magic works differently, yes, but not that much different, and he has all the gifts, not just one or two, and his gifts are highly developed. It makes sense."

Joley raised her chin and glared at Ilya. "We'll it might make sense, but he's not. You're not, so don't even pretend. It's not funny. Do
not
give them ammunition." She sank gracefully onto the floor and sipped at her tea. "You aren't funny, Hannah, to even think of that." She sent Ilya another warning look.
You aren't, so forget teasing me
.

"I don't understand," Matt, Kate's fiancé said. "What difference does it make?"

"None!" Joley said. "None whatsoever."

Kate cleared her throat and took the plunge. "If Ilya is the seventh son of a seventh son and his line works anything like ours, then he's destined to produce sevens sons with all the gifts."

Joley shuddered. "Well, he's not."

Ilya grinned at her. "The cookies are very good, Hannah. You'll have to give me the recipe."

Jonas nudged Joley with his foot. "You look a little pale there, Joley. Maybe you're protesting a bit too much." He lifted an eyebrow at Ilya. "
Are
you the seventh son of a seventh son? You know, Joley, I've never forgotten that little pro and con list you made for Hannah when I was trying to convince her I should marry her."

"She did that?" Ilya asked. "She's still doing it. She has a list for me."

Joley narrowed her eyes and looked down her nose at both men. "The cons are stacking up fast, Ilya. I wouldn't get too smug. Siding with them and teasing me goes on the con side."

"Being the seventh son of a seventh son might just go there, too," Jonas said.

"Stop saying that!" Joley put down her mug and clapped her hands over her ears. "I'm not listening to any of you until you start to make sense."

She might not be listening, but she was looking around the room at her family. Every sister was staring at Ilya with a shocked, apprehensive expression. There wasn't the humor Jonas seemed to find in the situation, and Joley's stomach began to tie into little knots. Her gaze jumped to Sarah's face. Sarah, who often knew things. Joley's mouth went dry. Sarah simply stared at the floor, impossible to see what she was thinking—and that was a bad omen. Joley looked up at Ilya.
You're not
.

Ilya bent and brushed a kiss on top of her head.
I told you not to rely so much on your birth control
.

If she'd been pale before, she went white now, blinking up at him, her stomach going from hard knots to a roller coaster. She could feel the blood draining from her face down her body until she was dizzy—actually dizzy. She shook her head. "I'm going to throw up. I am. I'm really going to throw up."

Ilya calmly crouched beside her and laid a hand against her abdomen. The rolling immediately ceased. Joley shoved him backward, hoping to knock him on his butt, but he kept his balance.

"You're not funny. I'm not having children, let alone seven of them. Sheesh. Everyone can just quit looking at us that way. Ilya hasn't a clue about his family, he's making it up." She flashed him another smoldering glare.
You'd better be making it up, because the sex wasn't that great
—
nowhere near, in fact
.

Then I'll have to work on it, won't I?

No amount of great sex will make me sign on for having seven sons. I mean it, Ilya. I wasn't ever going to get married, I'm certainly not going to produce seven sons. Have you seen a pregnant woman? Swollen ankles. Labor pains. Water retention. Labor pains! No way. Are you out of your freaky little mind?

He took her hand, the one with his mark, and kissed her palm. "We'll be fine. I can't stay,
lubov moya
, I have a job to do. Have a great performance this evening. Joley, you stay with security at all times. Change your dance patterns, stay away from the edge of the stage."

"I can't do that. I can't be thinking about where I am on the stage while I'm working."

"You're going to have to. And the moment you're done, you get back to your hotel room until I'm there to escort you to the next concert."

She made a face at him.

His expression hardened. "Jonas and Aleksandr are going to make certain you do as I've said. Whoever put that bomb on your bus wants you dead."

"They've arrested Lucy. Jerry called me this morning and told me they found parts she'd used in her hotel room when they searched it."

"Lucy Brady is not capable of making a bomb that sophisticated, Joley," Ilya said. "She was set up. Someone used her to get to you."

"Nikitin?" Sarah asked.

Ilya shook his head. "Nikitin has his own reasons for wanting Joley alive right now. I can't see him for this. We've got another player mixed in, but it sure isn't Lucy."

"When she was threatening me with the bottle, she referred to 'he' several times. At first I thought it was Logan, but that didn't make sense now that I really think about it," Joley admitted. "But I have no clue who she might have been referring to. I can ask…"

"You don't ask anyone anything at this point," Ilya said. "You go out on the stage, do your job and get back to cover as soon as possible. I want your word."

Joley looked mutinous.

He shrugged. "You can always cancel tonight if you'd rather. It's your choice. Going onstage isn't the best of ideas when someone is trying to kill you."

"You can't stop me."

"The last time I looked, I was a lot bigger and stronger than you."

His voice was absolutely mild, not a hint that he was angry, or even getting close to getting upset, but there was resolve as well, an implacable determination that made it very clear to her that if she didn't agree, he wasn't above using physical force.

Joley took another sip of tea, waiting for the flickering flames to die down a little in her stomach so she could look at him without wanting to throw something. "I really don't like being told what to do, Ilya. I'm an adult, quite capable of making my own decisions."

"Then as an adult, make the adult decision to be safe. Give me your word now, Joley or I'll be hauling your ass back to my place and you won't be leaving there until I feel it is safe."

She inhaled sharply. "I don't like threats."

"That wasn't a threat. I don't make threats."

Her breath hissed out between her teeth. "I don't like being treated like I'm not quite bright, that I can't get that there are safety issues."

"I don't think that at all. I know you're bright, Joley. It's just that you think more about other people than you do yourself. So give me your word, because I know you'll never break it and I don't want to have to worry about you."

"Fine then. I'll do whatever." She didn't like the little thrill she'd gotten when he said he knew she was bright, or the way his voice had caressed her when he told her she thought of others, because she just capitulated when she should have made it clear she would follow security for herself, not for him.

With my child growing inside of you, it would be good to take extra precautions.

She snatched her hand away from him. "That's not funny. Run, you coward. You can't know who your brothers are or how many you have or even if you're the youngest. I'm not buying into that. Go away and be careful. I'll kick your ass if anything happens to you."

Ilya stood. "Did you get the information I asked for, Jonas?"

Joley grabbed his hand again. "What information?"

Later, Joley, when we have no one around.

She wanted to protest, but his life was dependent on secrecy, so she just nodded and blew him a kiss he didn't deserve as he followed Jonas and Aleksandr into the kitchen.

"John Dylan seems to be turning up quite often," Ilya said. "Lucy Brady had his ID. He claimed she stole it when he took a break and removed it, then left it on the table in the room where they were eating lunch. Most of the crew sleep during a performance because they have to work again breaking down the set and equipment right after. He says he went to bed and didn't notice he didn't have his ID."

"Bullshit," Jonas said. "They know where their ID is at all times, especially during heightened security. The crew protects their band. They're like a family. Why would he even take it off in the break room?"

"He said he broke the chain and was fixing it when someone called him out of the room." Ilya shrugged. "It's plausible, but not probable. But he wasn't anywhere near that bus, not for a moment, which is a little suspicious in itself. He can account for every moment of his time and has witnesses."

Jonas's eyebrow shot up. "Every moment?"

"Yes. He was questioned along with other members of the crew, and he had his entire day mapped out. Everything checked out just like he said, right down to when he used the can."

Jonas and Aleksandr exchanged a long look. "No one can do that, Ilya."

"Exactly. He's in this up to his ears, but he has an accomplice," Ilya said. "Dylan was also with Dean when Joley saw them with the teenagers, and several of the crew told me he spent a lot of time with Dean, but when I questioned him he said he barely knew him."

"Dylan isn't in any way connected to the Russian mob other than maybe if Dean was working with them to feed them an occasional groupie. He's got connections here in the States," Jonas supplied. "He's a nephew of a man named Dominic Dylan. Have you ever heard of him?"

Ilya shook his head. "Should I have?"

Jonas tapped a manila folder. "Here's what we have on him. He's been making a name for himself. He's got a big family, lots of siblings and cousins, and he's spreading his net. He went to jail for tax evasion, but they suspected him of everything from arms dealing to running a human trafficking ring. Are you starting to see a connection here?"

"He wants Nikitin's front line," Ilya said. "He's looking to take over his business."

Aleksandr nodded. He'd worked for the Russian police for years and then Interpol, and still had the connections. "That's what we suspect. The DEA has been keeping an eye on him for a long time. Homeland Security has their hand in as well. We stepped on a few toes getting that information and we called in a few favors owed. Dominic is bad news. He has a large organization, has mobilized a lot of gangs, mostly from being inside, and his particular plague has spread like wildfire."

"Do you think he had Dean killed?" Ilya asked.

"If the kid was working for Nikitin, bringing him the girls, then yes, I have to say, that's a good bet," Jonas said. "He made it look like a Russian hit to throw suspicion on Nikitin—or you. My guess is, John Dylan took professional pride in showing his uncle he knew how to do a solid hit." Jonas glanced at the door and lowered his voice even more. "Is it possible the bus was meant to take you out? Had anyone seen you with Joley? Could someone have connected you and put you there?"

"Brian knew. Her driver, probably. It's possible Brian voiced his concerns to the other band members. Certainly Tish knew, and if she did, Logan probably did." That hadn't been discreet of him. He could have gotten her killed.

He had known from the beginning that getting involved with her would be dangerous to both of them. He shook his head at his own stupidity. He'd been thinking with other parts of his anatomy rather than his brain. "Yeah. Others knew." He hated to admit it, hated making such an amateur mistake. In his entire career he'd never made such a selfish, risky error. He couldn't blame it on Joley and the spell she cast over him. The ultimate responsibility was his.

Aleksandr tapped the folder. "This man, Dominic Dylan, is a huge arms dealer, Ilya. He's been photographed with Kolochek and the German, Heinzman. They only talk to the top men in the business. Word on the street says Dylan wants a bigger piece of the pie. Human trafficking brings in tremendous revenue, as you well know. Anyone who has done their homework knows they have to get rid of you to get to Nikitin. Without him, that branch goes down here in the United States and creates a vacancy."