NIKOLAI (Her Russian Protector #4) (36 page)

Nikolai's heart skipped a beat. Was Romero
Valero dead? Had one of the Marshals guarding him clipped the son
of a bitch?

On screen, a blue truck weaved in and out of
morning traffic while dozens of police cruisers with flashing
lights and sirens raced after it. Nikolai remembered Vivian telling
him about the blue truck that had brought her father down the
street in front of his house.

"Details are sketchy at the moment but here's
what we know. The Marshal driving the blue truck and attempting to
evade capture is believed to have provided sensitive information to
this recently paroled convict—the witness he was guarding and who
is believed to have committed last night's brutal murder outside
Sugar Land."

Romero's mug shot popped up on the screen and
Vivian gasped. Nikolai cringed at the horror contorting her
beautiful face. "Turn it off, Kostya."

"No," Vivian said quietly. "Leave it on. I want
to know."

He hated that their wonderful morning had been
ruined in this way. Catching Kostya's gaze, he gestured toward the
door. Once out in the hall, he shut the door and turned to Kostya.
"Tell me everything you know."

"Looks like Lorenzo Guzman got Romero popped
from the pen to do his dirty work," Kostya explained. "Romero
blackmailed his guard and got the location of the witness who was
threatening the Calaveras and the cartel. I'm hearing that the
Marshal had a sick kid in the hospital downtown. Romero probably
threatened to have someone on the cartel payroll hurt the kid or
the wife. Maybe he offered money for treatment."

"Is that it?"

"If you'd watched a longer, you would have seen
the rest of the morning news. Someone shot up half the Calaveras
crew last night."

Nikolai's brow arched. "The half that stood
against Romero, I'm sure."

Kostya nodded. "Yeah. And the framing ruse
seems to have worked. I heard that they rousted a dozen of those
skinheads early this morning."

"That’s something positive." Nikolai rubbed his
face between both hands. "Where is Romero now?"

Kostya held up his hands. "He's probably gone
by now. I'm sure Guzman had a plane waiting for him."

Nikolai shook his head and glanced at his
closed bedroom door. "No. He's still here. He has unfinished
business."

"What do you want me to do, Boss?"

"Find him—but very quietly. You'll have to do
it from here." Nikolai pointed toward the floor. "I'm entrusting
Vivian to you. This is too big for Sergei or Danny."

Kostya touched his chest. "My life."

Nikolai didn't doubt that his right-hand man
would gladly lay down his life to keep Vivian safe. "I expect the
police will be here soon to question us. Keep them in the living
room."

"Done."

Before Kostya could leave, Nikolai put a
warning hand on his chest. "Don't come into our bedroom like that
again. This is Vivian's home now and she has the right to feel safe
in her own bed."

Duly chastised, Kostya dipped his head. "I
understand."

Nikolai gave Kostya's shoulder a squeeze before
stepping back into their bedroom. He found Vivian staring at the
television in a daze. The blanket and sheet had fallen to her
waist, revealing her breasts. Even from here he could see the
reddish burn from the stubble on his jaw and the purpling mark he'd
made when they'd been made love atop that drop cloth. It seemed
like an eternity ago now.

"
Solnyshko
moyo...
"

"I want to say that I can't believe
he would do something like this but I'm not even surprised. I'm
disgusted. I'm
horrified
. But I'm not
surprised."

The sadness in her voice clawed at him. "Don't
feel guilty about this. You can't change what your father is. He
makes his own decisions."

Not wanting her to get any more depressed or
upset, he crossed the room and shut off the television. "That's
enough. You need to get dressed. The police will be here soon. I'm
sure you don't want to deal with them but it's best to get it over
with now." He helped her out of bed and kissed her. "I'll call
David. You'll need our lawyer for this."

Resigned, she sighed loudly and disappeared
into the bathroom. His hopes for a steamy shower and the chance to
run his greedy paws all over her nubile body were dashed. Instead
he grabbed his phone and called David who had seen the news and was
already on his way over.

He'd just finished up that call when his phone
began to vibrate and ring again. He almost didn't take Ivan's call
but something told him to answer. "Vanya?"

"I fucked up." Guilt pervaded Ivan's gruff
voice.

Nikolai frowned. "What? How? Did you do
something to upset Erin?"

"No. It's about Vivian."

"Vee?" He gripped his phone tighter. "What do
you mean?"

"I promised her I would make sure Santos got
home from the reception safely. I saw him leave with those two
women and I didn't think anything of it. I was too busy trying to
get Erin home so we could—"

"Vanya," he interrupted and pinched the bridge
of his nose. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I called Santos yesterday morning to see if
he'd gotten home okay but he didn't answer. I assumed he had a
hangover so I let it go, but this morning I started to worry. I'm
at his house right now."

"And?"

"And his door has been busted in. There's blood
on the floor. I've already called the police. They're on their way.
I thought you should know." He hesitated. "Is this about us? About
Grisha?"

"You spoke to Yuri."

"Yes."

"Have you seen the news this
morning?"

"About Romero? Erin called me. She's worried
about Vivian."

Nikolai glanced at the bathroom. "Tell her not
to worry. I'll keep her safe."

"What do need me to do?"

Nikolai smiled sadly at Ivan's willingness to
help. "I need you to stay out of it. You left this life behind—and
for good reasons. You tell the police the truth and then you go
home and keep Erin close. This is my mess, Vanya."

"If you change your mind…"

"I know. You're with me."

"Always, brother."

Nikolai ended the call and sat on the edge of
the bed. He dropped the phone onto the comforter and held his head
in his hands. If Santos was still alive, he probably wished he
wasn't. There was no doubt in Nikolai's mind that Grisha had taken
him—and Grisha had a love for inflicting pain. Why he'd taken the
detective remained a mystery to Nikolai. Not that the reason
mattered. Whatever his disagreements with Vivian's cousin, he'd
never leave the man to die.

Vivian stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a
towel. She had another wound tightly around her wet hair. His
heartbeat kicked up a few notches as he extended his hand and
prepared to tell her about Eric. "Come here,
sweetheart."

She refused to move and gripped the front of
her towel. "What's wrong?"

"Come here."

Reluctantly, she forced her feet to move and
allowed him to pull her down onto his lap. He tugged free the towel
around her head and let it fall to the floor. After brushing his
fingers through her wet hair, he dragged her close for a passionate
kiss. She whimpered and slid her arms around his neck as their
tongues danced.

He eased off the kiss and gazed into her sweet
face. There was no other way to say it but bluntly. "Eric is
missing."

Startled by the information, she started to
cry. "But I saw him at our reception and Ivan promised—"

"He saw Eric leave with two women and he
followed up the next morning. When he didn't hear from him, he went
by Eric's place this morning. He saw signs of a struggle and called
the police."

"Oh my God." She sobbed even harder. "Is this
because of us?"

He wasn’t going to lie to her.
"Yes."

She shoved off his lap and turned her back.
"Eric warned me. He told me what would happen if we got married.
This is my fault. I did this to my family. I brought this into
Eric's life."

Nikolai flinched at her frantic rambling. He
didn't believe for an instant that she regretted marrying him but
it didn't make her words hurt any less. "I'll get him
back."

She pivoted to face him. "How?"

"I'll find a way." He stood and headed for the
bathroom so he could shower and dress. It was going to be a long
day.

Vivian snatched his hand and stopped him. "I'm
sorry for what I just said."

He used his thumbs to brush the wetness from
her cheeks before claiming her mouth. "We'll get through this.
We've gotten through worse."

"I'm sort of sick of slogging through the
swamp, Nikolai. It has to get easier, right?"

He didn't want to make a promise he couldn't
keep. Instead he kissed her forehead. "I hope so."

She patted his bare chest. "Shower. Get
dressed. I'm going to get ready and go downstairs to fix
breakfast."

Nikolai held tightly to her hand. "Don't talk
to the police until after we've spoken to David. If they beat him
here, show them to the living room, offer them coffee but nothing
else."

"All right."

His instructions given, Nikolai closed himself
in the bathroom and hurried through his morning shower and shave
routine. By the time he came out to dress, she'd already made the
bed and disappeared downstairs. He chose his usual suit and tie.
This morning his wedding band felt more natural on his finger. He
began to enjoy the comforting familiarity of its weight.

Downstairs, Sergei pointed back
toward the kitchen to let him know where Vivian was. He found her
wearing an apron and scrambling eggs and held back for a moment to
simply watch the domestic scene.
This
was what he wanted with her. No
missing cousins or crazy mob captains or murderous fathers on the
lam.

Just this. Simple. Easy. Normal.

But he couldn't have that unless he finished
this business once and for all. Whatever the cost, it had to be
done.

Before they'd finished their meal, David
arrived. He'd already jotted down notes for Vivian and sat at the
island to coach her responses to the questioning. When the two sets
of detectives looking for her father and Eric arrived, he led them
into the living room and then retrieved Vivian from the kitchen.
She trembled with anxiety but bravely faced the cops. She'd do
anything to find Eric and started sketching the two women she'd
seen him dancing with at the reception.

The detectives made it clear they had no
questions for him so he took advantage of the opportunity to
retrieve the hidden pack of cigarettes in his office. He brushed
his fingers across the lighter he kept on him at all times. His
conflicted feelings toward Maksim, toward his biological father,
welled within him.

Out in the backyard, he enjoyed the bracing
cold. Walking up and down the paved paths he'd carefully built,
Nikolai lit a cigarette, his first in weeks, and enjoyed the
initial drag. He didn't like disappointing Vivian but he had a
feeling she would overlook this one.

He was halfway through the cigarette when his
cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at the text message
alert. Not recognizing the number, he opened the text message and
the photo attached. He turned his phone sideways, blowing up the
photo, and nearly choked. The house was a different color now but
he'd never forget it. There was no question as to the identity of
the sender.

You know what I
want
.

Nikolai had a very good idea what
Grisha wanted all right.
Me.
Dead
.

He looked back at the house where Vivian was
safely surrounded by Sergei, Kostya, Danny, police officers and a
lawyer. He tapped the touchscreen.

Let's finish this
now
.

With a final drag on his cigarette, Nikolai
dropped the butt on the brick paver and crushed it under his shoe.
He headed straight for the garage, slid behind the wheel of his car
and flipped down the visor to reveal the pistol he kept tucked up
there. After checking the magazine, he reloaded the pistol and put
it nearby.

Someone wasn't walking out of this one
alive—and he'd be damned if it was him.

Chapter
Twenty-Three

Seated on the couch facing the detectives, I
had a perfect view of the picture windows overlooking the front
yard. I couldn't believe it when I spotted Nikolai driving away
from the house. His windows were tinted darkly enough that I
couldn't be absolutely sure he was behind the wheel but I'd never
seen anyone else drive his car.

I hid my confusion well and
continued to answer the rapid fire questions. As I recounted the
visit I'd had from my father in the storage room of the gallery, I
watched Sergei's silver SUV drive slowly away from the house. No
doubt Kostya had sent him after Nikolai. My anxiety levels started
to skyrocket.
What the hell is
happening
?