by Roxie Rivera
Yuri's chest tightened as they prepared to meet the cartel for the handoff. Turning back to Lena and Vasya, he walked down the aisle to the giant guard. With a flick of his fingers, he indicated the taller man should dip down. In their shared language, he whispered, "If anything happens out there, you tell the pilot to take off and get Lena to safety. I've already spoken to him. He has my orders. You get her to Nikolai. Understood?"
Vasya's silent nod assured Yuri Lena would be safe. Holding her gaze, he winked. A smile cracked her tense expression. She mouthed three words. I love you.
Feeling the weight of the upcoming transaction on his shoulders, Yuri followed Jake and Derek out of the jet. Kelly shadowed him down the stairs to the tarmac. The darkness left him uneasy but the knowledge they were being surveilled by men Kelly trusted bolstered his confidence in the mission.
The two parked SUVs were still running. Their headlights illuminated a small space on the tarmac. Yuri remained just outside of the bright circle of light, refusing to make himself a clear target. Doors started to open. His anxiety skyrocketed as silhouetted men poured out of the vehicles. Scanning the men, he didn't see one visible weapon. Maybe Lorenzo Guzman was a man of his word.
The drug lord in question strode forward into the circle of light. "Yuri."
Outmaneuvered, Yuri reluctantly crossed into the light. "Lorenzo."
"You have the painting?"
"I want to see Joe Cruz first."
Lorenzo made a gesture and a door on the closest SUV was opened by one of the cartel minions. A hooded and cuffed man was produced from a rear seat. Joe Cruz shuffled forward under the guidance of the cartel muscle. He was left at Lorenzo Guzman's right side. The cartel leader plucked the hood from Joe's head.
The shock of light left Joe Cruz blinking and ducking his head. Yuri looked him over to make sure this was the man in question. He looked exactly like the driver's license photo in the dossier. From the looks of him, he'd been beaten badly when first kidnapped but he looked well into the healing process now.
"I kept my word. No one has touched him since we made our deal." Lorenzo Guzman pointed to the fading bruises on Joe's face. "He's been fed, showered and provided with clothing."
"On my tab, I'm sure," Yuri replied dryly.
Lorenzo laughed sharply. "Of course."
"My accountant has deposited the balance of the funds we agreed upon in the escrow account. Once we land safely in Houston, I'll give word to release them to you."
Lorenzo waved his hand. "I wouldn't be here if my accountant hadn't already assured me that the money was there." He shoved Joe forward. "Take him."
Yuri reached out to steady Lena's father. He held the other man's gaze for a moment before gently pushing him out of the way. Looking to Kelly, he gave a curt nod. "Get the painting."
"I suppose you won't tell me who had it."
Yuri shook his head. "No."
"It matters very little to me now. I caught the man who stole it from me." Lorenzo's eyes narrowed. "He was working with someone from your side of the fence. You wouldn't know anything about that."
"No."
Lorenzo studied him. His gaze jumped behind Yuri to the painting being carried down the stairs by two flight attendants. "Well—I suppose this concludes our business."
Yuri stared at the hand Lorenzo extended. A silver handcuff key rested on the man's palm. Though it made his stomach pitch, he grasped the kidnapping drug lord's hand. "This ends here. Tonight."
"Don't worry, Yuri. You're too high-profile for my tastes. I prefer to keep things quiet."
With the handoff complete, Yuri turned away from Lorenzo Guzman. He placed his hand between Joe's shoulders. "Let's go."
Jake, Derek and Kelly surrounded them as they crossed the tarmac. He sent Joe up the stairs and into the jet first. When they stepped into the jet, Lena jumped to her feet. The relieved and excited expression that lit up her beautiful face made all of this hassle worth it. Knowing that he'd been able to give this to her filled him with the strongest sense of happiness and pride.
Standing back, he watched the tearful reunion as the doors were secured and Kelly gave his friends one final phone call. Lena led her father to the private seating area in the rear of the jet. Yuri turned to Jake. "Let's get the hell out of here."
*
"Sit, Dad."
He dragged me close and looped his cuffed arms around my neck. "I'm so glad to see you, mi'ja."
Swallowing the sob clogging my throat, I whispered, "I'm so glad you're safe."
Shaking with relief and adrenaline, I helped my dad into one of the cushy seats. Yuri tapped my shoulder and presented me with the handcuff key. I wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss him until he was breathless and panting but my father's presence put the kibosh on that urge.
After unlocking the cuffs, I unwound them from his wrists. The sight of raw, reddened patches upset me. Yuri obviously sensed my anger. "There's a first aid kit at the front of the jet. We'll patch him up here but I'll have the doctor come by the house tonight."
My father's grateful gaze settled on Yuri. "Thank you. For everything."
"It was my pleasure to help Lena." He reached down and grasped my hand. "We're about to takeoff."
I took a seat across from my father and buckled my safety belt. Yuri sat next to me. On instinct, he reached for my hand but pulled it back at the last second, almost as if he felt uncomfortable. I gripped his hand and dragged it onto my thigh. His sweet smile made my tummy flutter and we interlaced our fingers.
Soon we were in the air and racing back to Houston. There were so many questions I wanted to ask my father but I suspected a barrage of them was the last thing he needed right now. When it was safe to remove our belts, I stood up and excused myself. "I'm going to grab the first aid kit. I'll be right back."
"Ask one of the attendants or Jake. He always knows where these things are." Yuri made his way to the private bar. "Would you mind closing the door?"
I shook my head and glanced at my father. It was clear the two men had things they wanted to discuss. "I'll take my time."
Yuri's almost imperceptible nod was my answer. Slipping out of the private section of the jet, I shut the door and slowly walked down the main aisle.
Kelly looked up from his comfortable kicked back position. "How's the old man?"
"I don’t think he's really processed that he's free yet."
"Give it time. He's probably going to crash when we get him back to Houston. He may be difficult to be around for a few days. Just give him some space."
Kelly seemed to be speaking from experience. "I will."
"If he seems to be struggling, I'll talk to him." Kelly sat up in his chair. "Did you need something?"
"Do you know where the first aid kit is? My dad has some bad bruising and raw stripes on his wrists."
"Sure." Kelly headed for the flight attendant station at the front. He opened a couple of cabinets before finding the bright red box. "Here you go."
"Thanks." Armed with the kit, I returned to the private area Yuri typically used as his in-flight office. At the door, I hesitated. Apparently, I hadn’t closed it firmly because it was ajar enough for me to hear my father and Yuri talking. Even though I knew better than to eavesdrop, I couldn't help myself.
"So what happens to Tommy now?" my father asked.
"He can leave the safe house as soon as he likes. Whether that's a smart idea, I can't say. He absolutely is not welcome anywhere near my home."
"And me? Am I welcome?"
"Of course you are. Why wouldn't you be?" Confusion colored Yuri's voice.
"After all this trouble I've caused, I'm sure you want to see me far away from Houston."
"Make no mistake, Joe. I'm not a fan of trouble and I won't have Lena dragged into this sort of mess again. But—you're her father and she loves you. As long as you keep out of trouble, I will welcome you into our home with welcome arms."
My heart stuttered at Yuri's mention of his home as o
urs.
"I'm not doing this again." Dad sounded beaten and emotionally exhausted. "I was planning to retire from fencing before the end of the year. That timetable has been accelerated."
"What do you plan to do?"
"Landscaping."
My father's answer seemed to stun me as much as it did Yuri.
"Landscaping? Do you mean a small business?"
"I used to do yard work and construction in between jobs, before I built a reputation as a high-end fence. I always loved that work. It's calming. It's quiet."
"I think quiet is a very good idea. In fact, I'm happy to help with whatever it takes to get you into your retirement."
I held my breath as I waited for my father's reply to Yuri's offer. I wasn't the least bit surprised that Yuri wanted to help him into something legal.
"And what strings come attached to that offer?"
"No strings, Joe. I'll do whatever it takes to give Lena peace of mind. I don't want her worrying about you."
"Are you sure you're not making this offer because you're concerned about the way a criminal father-in-law will make you look?"
Eyes wide with shock, I pressed my fingertips to my lips and waited for Yuri's answer.
He laughed. "If I was worried about the way my association with ex-cons looked, I would have walked away from two of my friends years ago. I'm not embarrassed by your history but I'd rather not have it rubbed in my face. I can see you want out—and I know Lena wants you out."
"It seems you'll do anything to make her happy."
"Anything in my power to give is hers."
"You haven't been dating her very long."
"That's true, but when a man knows, he knows."
"Is this your way of asking for my blessing?"
"When it's time, I'll ask properly. I don't think Lena is ready to even discuss that step yet."
"And you?" my father asked.
"I'd marry her tomorrow morning at the courthouse if she'd have me."
Yuri's steadfast answer sent me reeling backward. I bumped into a hard male chest and barely managed to smother a yelp of surprise.
Spinning around, I came face-to-face with Jake. He had a teasing smirk on his face. "It's not very nice to eavesdrop."
I smiled at him. "I trust you to keep my secret."
A fleeting look of sadness flashed across his face. "You'd be surprised at the secrets I'll keep."
As Jake backed away and returned to his seat, I wondered what secrets burdened him. Working in the private security business probably entailed a great deal of secret-keeping. What secrets of Yuri's was he keeping?
"There you are!" Yuri pushed the door open and held out his hand. "I was starting to worry."
After hearing how much he loved me and how serious he was about our relationship, it was all I could do not to grab the front of his shirt and jerk him down for a passionate kiss. He was right. I wasn't ready to have that discussion but there was no doubt in my mind that he was the one for me.
Patting his chest, I explained, "I got sidetracked talking to Kelly and Jake. Is everything okay with my dad?"
Yuri leaned down to kiss me. "Everything is going to be just fine."
For the first time in days, I believed it.
Chapter Twenty
"Dad, are you sure you want to go home today? Yuri really meant it when he said you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."
I sipped my coffee as we finished our breakfast in the kitchen. Sasha nudged my leg with his big furry head and silently begged for some of the bacon left on my plate. Even though Yuri had asked me not to feed Sasha from the table, I couldn't deny those wide dark eyes gazing up at me so adoringly. From the moment we'd walked through the door last night, Sasha hadn't let me out of his sight.
Feodor puttered around in the background, always ready to offer a refill or more of the scrumptious muffins he'd thrown together. I cast the older man a concerned glance. He'd been waiting for us when we'd arrived a little before midnight. I'd urged him to sleep in but I was positive he'd been ready with Yuri's coffee when he'd been called out a few hours earlier to deal with some last-minute negotiations to secure the final approvals on the pipeline.
"I know he meant it." My father ran his finger around the rim of his coffee cup. "I'm thankful for the offer—for all his offers of help—but I should get home and get things sorted out with Tommy."
Even though my curiosity begged to be satisfied, I didn’t ask how things would shake out between my father and my cousin. "Is there anything else in that warehouse of yours that I should be worried about?"
Dad looked chagrined. "I've always been so careful but this time?" He smoothed his hand over the wooden tabletop. "I'm done." He reached across the table to take my hand. "If it wasn't for you, I would be dead."
I didn't even want to think about that. "But you're not. This is your chance to go legit."
"I won't waste it. I'll make you proud of me."
Gripping his fingers, I confessed, "I may not have always been thrilled to have a criminal father but I've always been proud to claim you as my dad. I know that you made big changes when you got out of prison and again when she left."
His eyes darkened with sadness. "She would have been proud of the successful young woman you are."
Bitterness crept into my voice. "No, she wouldn’t."
Dad held tight to my hand, refusing to let me pull away and retreat emotionally. "You have to forgive her for leaving. She's gone now and there's no use hating a dead woman."
I swallowed hard as the old guilt started to gnaw at me. Instead of telling the truth and shaming the devil, I simply nodded. "You're right. I should forget her."
Because I damn sure wasn't ever going to forgive that woman for leaving us.
He let go of my hand but tapped my fingers gently. Looking uncomfortable, he cleared his throat. "You love Yuri."
"I do."
"I'm glad. I want you to be happy." He pulled back his hand and drank the last of his coffee. "Don't let the mistakes I made with your mother and the mistakes she made hold you back, Yelena. Me entiendes?"
"Yes."
"Good." He stood up and Sasha instantly jumped to his feet. Thankfully, the overprotective dog didn't growl at my father but he pushed against me, reminding me that he was right there to defend me. My dad shook his head and gathered up the empty dishes. "I can't believe Tommy was dumb enough to break into a house where a dog like that lives."
"I don't think Tommy realized Sasha lived here."
"How did he miss a dog that size?" Dad asked as he carried the dirty dishes to counter near the dishwasher. "You said he figured out a way to bypass the alarm system. If he studied the house that much, he wouldn't have been able to miss that dog."
I glanced at Feodor who looked to be following my train of thought. Yuri's fears that this was more of an inside job than he'd first suspected seemed more likely. I tried to remember exactly where everyone had been that first night. Hadn't Derek been the one in charge of the alarm?
"Will you give me a ride back to my place?"
"I'll have Kelly or Jake drive us." I crossed the kitchen to the phone mounted on the wall. "My car is still in the parking lot at my apartment."
"Uh-huh," my dad said slowly.
I knew that tone but I had already dialed Jake so it would have to wait.
"Jake here," he answered a bit breathlessly.
"Hey, Jake, can you drive my dad home and take me to run some errands?"
"Yes for your dad but the errands are a maybe. Where did you want to go?"
"By my apartment to get some things."
"All right. We'll make it work. Give us a couple of minutes."
As I hung up the phone, I caught my dad's eye. "What?"
"I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life—"
"But?"
"But," he said carefully, "you've worked damn hard to earn an education. Don't throw it all away on being a kept woman."
Feodor choked on his
hot tea. Rolling my eyes, I stepped closer to him and patted his back while he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. He waved me away with an amused smile on his face. "I'm fine."
I fixed my dad with a glare. "I'm not a kept woman. Right now, things are very dangerous and uncertain and I'm staying here because it's safer for me, for Vivian, for my friends. And, yes, technically I am unemployed right now but I have no plans to mooch off Yuri. I have plenty of money saved to get me through my unemployment and I'm already looking into starting a new business with a friend of mine."
Dad exhaled with relief. "Okay. That's all I needed to hear."
The side entrance off the butler's pantry opened and Sasha rushed off to inspect the newcomer. Certain it was Jake or Kelly, I didn’t call him back. I started to ask Feodor if Yuri had mentioned anything about dinner plans but a high-pitched yelp from Sasha stopped me cold.
Terrified, I hurried to the arched pantry entrance. "Sasha?"
Skidding to a stop, I discovered poor Sasha collapsed on the tile floor with a dart sticking out of his neck. My panicked gaze jumped to the side door but the gun muzzle pointed right at my face was all I could focus on in that horrifying moment.
"Walk backward slowly and don't try anything stupid…"
* * *
The intercom on his desk buzzed. He grunted at the annoying interruption and dropped the stack of faxed paperwork from the final pipeline negotiations onto his desk. Punching the key, he growled, "What?"
"Ty Weston is here to see you, sir."
The last thing Yuri wanted to deal with today was that gossipmonger. No doubt he'd come here to ask if Yuri intended to support Lena in the proposed business. "Tell him I don't have time. Ask him to make an appointment."
He hit the button and ended that discussion. The pile of notes and email backing up in his inbox irritated him even more. Anna's last-minute trip to deal with an ailing family member had been extended another couple of days, and he desperately needed her help.
