Keep Me Safe (10 page)

Kane snaps his head towards Storm. “What the fuck are you talking about? I know he’s doing his job.”

“Then why are you looking like you are ready to nail his ass? Are you in deep?”

“In deep?” Kane scowls in puzzlement.

“You and Sky. What you have going on.” Storm pokes out his chin, gesturing to the garden.

“There is no me and Sky.”

Storm rolls his head back, momentarily closing his eyes. “You sure about that, buddy?”

Chapter Fourteen

Alexei Bortsov pulls his heavy eyelids apart and is immediately blinded by the glare of the overhead lights inside his private hospital room. Confused and disorientated, he slowly lifts his head to find both arms are attached to machines by an abundance of wires. He lays his pounding head back against the pillows, swallowing hard. His tongue feels swollen and alien in his mouth. For a brief moment, he is scared, until the realisation dawns upon him that he is alive. At least he thinks he is.

He blinks away the fear trying to remember how he got here. Has he been in an accident?
How long has he been here? Think, think.

The door to the room opens. His gaze falls upon a heavy breasted nurse who smiles kindly as she walks purposefully towards the
plethora of beeping machines. She pats his hand lightly, leaning into his face.

“Well, it is good to see you fully awake, Alexei. You have been drifting in and out for a couple of days now, but you probably don’t remember any of that. I will get you something to wet your mouth in a moment. How are you feeling? You will be confused, I am sure. But all of this will be explained to you by the Consultant who is on his way. Are you in pain?”

“My head hurts. How long have I been here?” He struggles to form words as his tongue gags in the dryness of his mouth.

“I will get you something for your headache. Now let’s try to get you sitting up a little so you can sip some water.”

As she elevates the bed into a slight upright position, the door opens again to expose the presence of a uniformed Police Officer holding position. For a moment Alexei and the Officer hold eye contact. His forgotten and buried fear returns to lay heavy on his chest.

“Why is there a Policeman guarding me? I want to know what happened to me.” Alexei grunts trying to sit
up fully before dizziness beats him. He slumps back into the comfort of the pillows.

The nurse pats his arm reassuringly. “Hush now. The Consultant will be here any moment and will answer all your questions. You just focus on trying
not to gulp that water or you will make yourself sick.”

***

Brains looks at me, her eyes wide and her mouth loose. “You’re not going to do it, are you?”

“He caught m
e off guard. I was in a rush, just wanted to get him off the phone as quickly as possible, and besides, he agreed to send my fee to a hospice that I support. I had forgotten all about it until now. It was months ago when I stupidly agreed to do it but now I’m obliged. And anyway, Lily Cole and Dr Victoria Zdrok are doing it. Think of it as empowering women, right?” I fold my arms across my chest as if to emphasise the point.

“If you say so. Will you be naked in the pictures?”

“It’s
Esquire Magazine
, not some tit and ass publication. They assured me it would be tasteful and I have no reason to disbelieve them. The feature is Beauty and Brains, not
get your tits out for the lads
!” I huff defensively.

***

Kane is not happy. Storm and Dalton have spent the majority of the morning mooning over the idea that Sky will be posing, probably near naked, for a men’s magazine this afternoon. Kane had tried to talk her out of it giving reasoned arguments against the prior commitment, but she matched each reason with a counter. Eventually, she sunk him with the fact that she was actually free to leave the house if she wanted to. It was her decision to remain in a Safe House
and that
he
was employed to keep her safe…..not imprison her.

And so here he is driving her through London towards Broadwick Street, Westminster to the headquarters of the UK Esquire Magazine. Storm and Dalton are shadowing in the car behind. He is in a foul mood
yet he has convinced himself that it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she will be posing seductively for millions of men to ogle at.
Absolutely nothing to do with it
.

He pulls up outside the glass fronted building ushering her quickly inside. She is greeted by the features editor and taken through to the dressing area adjacent to the studio where the photographer awaits. Kane follows
closely behind. In answer to the questioning look from the editor, Sky passes Kane off easily as her
quote me and I’ll deny it
new beau.

***

“Can you give us a minute, guys? I’d like to speak to my
girlfriend
alone for a couple of seconds.” Kane smiles through a clenched jaw.

The photographer, his assistant and make-up artists all huff in unison but quickly do as he asks when he
folds his arms purposely across his broad chest. As the door to the studio closes, I hurriedly cover myself up with the dressing gown, before throwing a scowl at Kane.

“What do you think you are doing?” I
question him.

“I could ask you the same thing!” He barks at me.

“What is your problem? You know what I am here for……”

“Yeah, to pose near naked for all the world to see.” He growls.

“Again, Kane, what is your problem? I can do whatever I please. You are acting like some jealous boyfriend. And yet you made it quite clear that I am merely your client……and nothing more.” I smirk emphasising my point.

He strides right into my personal space before grabbing me roughly by the shoulders. “I am here to keep you safe, not make love to you.
You know the situation. Do you need to know if you still affect me, is that it, Sky?”

“
I know the situation. Leave me alone, Kane…..I….I….” I stumble over my words as a sob traps in my throat.

He shakes me gently before pulling me in the direction of the chaise long. “If that’s what you need then take the dressing gown off. I’ll fuck you wherever you want, Sky.”

His words sting, enraging me. I push hard against him and force myself out of his grasp. I slump down onto the sofa, and let the tears that were threatening to come, flow free.  He curses himself before crouching to engulf me in his arms. I wriggle and fight against him but he holds me tighter still. “I’m sorry, Sky. I didn’t mean it. You do affect me. You affect me too much.”

I take a deep breath inward peeking up at him through wet eyelashes. Suddenly he crashes his mouth upon mine.
He growls deep onto my lips and I feel the vibration of his arousal, sending heat surging through my body. My body instantly melts against him. My lips part under the increasing pressure of his tongue and suddenly he is inside of my mouth, tickling and dancing, taking what he needs, tasting me. A groan escapes from my mouth, my tongue finding his. He sucks the tip of my tongue building the heat to my sex. I can feel his erection building hard against my thigh. I reach out for the nape of his neck, pulling him deeper into me.

We hungrily
seek our fill before a gentle knock at the studio door pulls us apart. I straighten myself before getting up to open the door. As I turn the handle, I turn my gaze to Kane. “Can you wait outside please? I won’t be long.”

He makes to speak but I raise my hand to silence him. He stalks out of the room, his fists clenched at his sides.

The photographer enters, instantly puzzled, as he watches me begin to scoop up my personal belongings. I throw him a quiet smile. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time but I have changed my mind. I will pay back my fee of course” And with that, I make my way to my dressing room to put my clothes back on.

Chapter Fifteen

DCI Jack Mercer thumbs through the contacts of his mobile phone. He presses the little green telephone image and lights up a cigarette almost before he has exited through the entrance doors of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

His call is answered after three short rings. He grunts his usual greeting before making the reason for his call known. “Bortsov must be blessed, after all. He woke up a couple of hours ago. I have spoken to him briefly but his head is all over the place so I didn’t get much sense out of him. But he did admit he is afraid - for himself and for Sky. He was insistent that she should know that. He cannot remember why at this time, but he knows whoever did this to him, will try to do the same to her. Kane, I’ll keep you updated as you know. Tell Sky I will call her later.”

Kane tosses his mobile back into his pocket. He takes a swig of his coffee. “That was Mercer. Bortsov woke up a couple of hours ago.
By the sounds of it, he’s not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. But he’s alive so now hopefully Jack and his team can get some answers.”

Dalton nods. “What else did he say?”

“Bortsov is afraid but he can’t remember why…..he just knows he is. And he is afraid for Sky. He wanted her to know that.”

The three guys exchange knowing looks. Storm gestures towards the kitchen where Brains and I are passing away the time with mundane chores. “
I am assuming we don’t pass on that little gem of information.”

“Agreed”

***

Hours have passed by but I have not noticed so engrossed am I in my investigation. I must address that niggle that haunts me playing constantly in my mind. It is an itch I cannot reach…..until now.

“Oh my God! There she is. I’ve found her.” I leap up excitedly pointing at the screen on my laptop as the team rush into the living room at the sound of my squeals.

“Found who, Sky?” Brains scans the screen bewildered.

I point again at the face of the exotically beautiful, raven haired woman. There is no mistaking those violet almond eyes. “It says under the photograph that her name is Natalya Asmik. She is the woman who attacked me in the powder room at the Hilton. But how is she connected to all of this? I’m calling Jack.” I reach for my mobile beginning to make the call.

Kane clamps a hand over mine disrupting the process. “Are you really sure it is the same woman?”