Bad Nerd Falling

by Grady, D. R.

  Bad Nerd Falling

  The Morrison Family Series

  Book 8

  D.R. Grady

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Known locales are also used fictitiously.

  If you enjoy this book, please buy a copy for someone else to enjoy. Please do not download or buy this from anywhere except where the story is offered legitimately. All rights reserved - including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  Copyright 2014 by D.R. Grady

  Smashwords Edition

  Please Note: While I had help with this story from several knowledgeable sources, there are still likely mistakes on my part. Authors also like to stretch and change things to make their story work. So this book does not necessarily reflect reality. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

  Dedication

  To Delynn Royer and Sunni Rose Blendette - two fabulous critique partners. A huge thank you for your wonderful suggestions and comments! I can’t express how much I appreciate your help.

  To all of CPRW - you know why.

  To my hubby, Roy, for your unswerving support as I continue on this writing journey.

  To you, the reader. Thank you for your patience and for loving these stories as much as I do. I hope you feel like a part of the family now!

  Bad Nerd Falling

  By: D.R. Grady

  Prologue

  U.S. Navy SEAL BUD/S training

  13 years before

  His lungs burned while the ankle he twisted earlier throbbed. All of his muscles ached and his hands were nearly raw from this latest sadistic exercise. Vladimir Wellington kept running, pushing through the pain. All around him guys were ringing out so often it sounded like a constant peal, driving him crazy about quitting. Like a litany. “Time to quit, time to quit, time to quit.”

  Next to him, his swim buddy’s jaw hardened. Like Vlad, he seemed to concentrate on placing one foot in front of the other. Also like Vlad, he represented another country, but had been sent here to obtain these skills. They would never become a part of the elite SEAL Teams, but their countries both thought they would benefit by completing this training.

  “You quitting?” his swim buddy asked, panting.

  His own jaw hardened. “No.”

  A smile, more a grimy grimace, creased his swim buddy’s face. “Me, either.” He shook his hands, and little droplets of blood splattered the sand beneath them. “My country needs me to finish this. So I will.”

  Relief made him a little light-headed. That’s exactly why he didn’t have the luxury of ringing that stupid bell. There were too many people counting on him. The image of his prince, leader of their country, a tiny nation in the very center of Europe, rose up before him like an unruly but determined ghost.

  “No matter what, you cannot quit, Vladimir. Rurikstan needs you. You must complete this training. Do not quit.” The prince’s mouth was grim, his eyes serious. He received the message loud and clear then. Now he re-purposed within his heart to finish this. It didn’t matter that his own hands were raw, that his lungs still burned and his ankle throbbed. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t seem to breathe. What mattered was that he finish.

  Rurikstan wouldn’t stand a chance if he rang out. That meant the girl he left behind might suffer.

  He gritted his teeth and put one foot in front of the next. He would continue this until the training ended or it killed him.

  Chapter 1

  What was that stupid American saying Tia muttered the other day that she had to look up? Oh yes, “Hindsight is twenty-twenty.” Unfortunately, she could now relate to this ridiculously true saying all too well.

  Helena Dubrinsky realized a little too late that she should have never encouraged Vladimir Wellington all those weeks ago. She castigated herself for the dumbest act of her life thus far. Perhaps this negativity stemmed from utter frustration because she rarely saw him…

  Sure, he was a fine example of manhood. He was smart, fast, and she feared, lethal. And not just the deliciously yummy, protective type of lethalness, but she was pretty certain the man could take on just about anyone and win.

  At the time she had been convinced, smitten really, that Vlad Wellington was her future. No other man had ever made her heart react like he did. No other man had ever smiled and her entire world was suddenly bright and sunny, even through the pouring rain. She couldn’t think of one other man she had ever been even remotely attracted to, other than Vlad.

  Was this normal? Because it should be illegal.

  She pursed her lips. Vlad Wellington should be declared illegal. The man was far too tempting. Right now she didn’t need that. She didn’t need him. Not really.

  “Helena, where is your brain today?” Tia Morrison, her boss and their princess-to-be asked as she dropped into the seat beside Helena and eyed her knowingly. She was tall, blond, and utterly beautiful.

  “It’s not here.” She was grateful that Tia nearly missed the stool. If it wasn’t for her penchant for clumsiness, their future princess would be perfect. At least that’s what most of Rurikstan thought. Since agreeing to marry their prince, Tia wasn’t nearly as clumsy now. It was like she’d finally gained the confidence owing her.

  Where had she gotten that confidence? Because Helena needed a healthy infusion right about now.

  “I noticed. Is this about Vlad?” Tia tapped the benchtop with one elegant finger. “Who, by the way, I still haven’t met.”

  Her eyes widened as they darted to Tia’s bright blue-green ones. Glowing gems that matched her gorgeous engagement ring perfectly. The overhead lights caught in the old jeweled facets and nearly blinded her. Throwing her hands up to ward off the tear-inducing stream, she blinked a few times to clear the ache.

  “Careful, that is a registered weapon.”

  Tia blinked. “What’s a registered weapon?”

  “That jewel on your finger.”

  In response, Tia smiled down at the heirloom. “It is nice, isn’t it?”

  That was a given, if a serious understatement. Yet the utter beauty in Tia’s smile of contentment and love was far more lovely than the ring. A lonely ache stabbed her heart. She wanted a love like that. But how did you go about getting it? Especially when the only man you’d ever been interested in was Vladimir Wellington - the most frustrating man on the planet. Four months into a—whatever they had—with him and she knew frustration intimately. If they had dated in the past rather than dance around each other, she might have a better understanding of relationships but alas, she had no idea.

  Then what Tia said penetrated. “Wait, you haven’t met him yet?” She darted a quick look at his mother, Maria. Who probably outshone even Tia in beauty.

  “No, I haven’t met him. I’m sure, because he probably looks like Aleksi and Maks, right?” Meaning he was tall, dark haired, and dark eyed, traits that all applied to Vlad.

  “Sort of.” She tapped her pen against the lab notebook she was supposed to be writing in.

  “Sort of?” One beautiful blond brow rose.

  “He resembles them, but Vlad is…” She frowned as the word escaped her.

  “Vlad is…” Tia loopy-de-looped her hand in an encouraging manner.

  “Lethal.” Aleksi de Leos, their crown prince, supplied behind them. Tia did fall off her stool in her haste to face her fiancé.

  Aleksi caught her with ease and drew her close; so tight it looked like Tia couldn’t breathe. Tia didn’t appear to mind. Her arms slid around him and she lifted her face for the kiss she definitely received.

  “I don’t want to see that,” she whined as the two love-birds cooed at each other. Really, people in love were sickening.

/>   From the corner of her eye she caught sight of Maria Wellington scampering by. Leaning out on her lab stool she noticed the champagne haired woman wore heels that had to be three inches, if not four. “Maria, you’re going to break your neck in those shoes.”

  Both Tia and Aleksi leaned out with her to survey the shoes. “Don’t those hurt?” Aleksi asked.

  “Yes.” Both she and Tia agreed emphatically on that score.

  “Of course not.” Maria overrode them with a casual wave. She scurried from bench to bench, collecting the microbiological materials and tools she needed like she wore comfortable American sneakers.

  She glanced down at her new sneakers. She had convinced Maria to find her a pair during her recent visit to America. The first time she put them on she decided she was never wearing heels again. She was even starting to think like an American, since Maria returned sounding like her home country and Tia worked here.

  She glanced at Tia’s feet. “I thought you were planning to start wearing jeans and sneakers in the lab.”

  “She can’t today, we’re getting our engagement pictures.” Since becoming engaged to Tia, Aleksi’s English had transitioned from the more proper British sounding to a much more American twang. She liked it.

  “Once the pictures are finished, I’m going to change.” Tia glared at the dress she wore, complete with high heels.

  “I thought you said you couldn’t walk in high heels.” Because she appeared to be doing just fine.

  “I taught her how.”

  She turned to Maria who still flitted about the lab, procuring items. “Of course you did.”

  “She and Gracia made me.” Tia’s eyes drilled into Maria. “Neither of them are nice,” she added, speaking of Aleksi’s mother, Princess Gracia.

  Maria’s tinkling laugh warmed the area. “You are much more confident, love.”

  “The thing is, you are quite adept in them now. That negates one of your fears of becoming our princess.” She tried to keep the grin out of her voice.

  “What were those fears again?” Aleksi looked expectantly between them.

  Her lips kicked up while Tia’s mouth flattened. “Pink, makeup, and high heels,” she rattled off since Tia wasn’t going to.

  “I’ve mastered the high heels because of General Wellington over there. I’m never doing pink.” Tia sounded firm.

  “Good for you.” She scratched her chin. “If you don’t like it, don’t wear it.”

  Tia eyed Maria’s soft cashmere sweater in a beautiful dusty shade. “When I look that good, I’ll start wearing pink.”

  “You’ll never look that good. No one will.” She and Tia stared at their lab mate.

  “That’s why I said it. Now I never have to wear it. Ever.”

  Laughter bubbled. She heard Tia giggle as Aleksi murmured something in her ear and the two became encased in their little bubble of love.

  She sighed.

  Aleksi kissed Tia before waving to everyone. He left the lab and Tia turned on her.

  “Vlad Wellington is lethal?”

  Chapter 2

  Inhaling deeply, Vlad savored the familiar scents of the town. He liked how the vegetation had turned green again and there were once again people out and about on the streets. Thanks to Tia Morrison’s knowledge of microbiology and her subsequent cleaning up their water well problems, Rurikstan City no longer needed to boil their water. They could freely use the resource again, while the not so healthy were better, and Rurikstan had returned to everyday life.

  Thinking about Tia’s lab turned his thoughts to her lab helpers. One was his mother, the other… he still wasn’t certain how to classify Helena. The most beautiful woman in the world had very wisely waited for him. From the little tidbits he picked up on his brief forays home, he learned she didn’t date.

  That was good for her.

  He refused to share her. All through the grueling years, he never lost the picture he’d painted of her in his mind. Her brown-red hair that curled in spirals to her waist and those bright green eyes and light caramel skin had kept him going. In his darkest hours he could close his eyes and hear her laugh. See those perfect lips arch into a smile, her head thrown back, curls cascading to her hips.

  That picture of beauty and home kept him alive so he could continue with his assigned task. Not that he hadn’t also cursed this assigned task. He had. Often. Yet knowing why it was his duty helped him as he struggled to complete each assignment. There were times when he was certain he couldn’t.

  He had completed his training, not always without complaint, and not always without some really nasty thoughts about his prince, but he had accomplished everything asked of him.

  The problem now was his prince no longer sat behind that heirloom desk in the Prince’s office. That good man had died of lead poisoning from ancient pipes and conditions of a weak heart a year ago. The man who had sent him out to become a warrior was no longer waiting to hear of the lessons learned.

  Instead, his son sat behind that desk.

  So the current prince had no idea about his assignment. He wasn’t certain anyone in Rurikstan other than the former prince knew of his special training. This meant the meeting with Prince Aleksi was going to be rather interesting.

  He practiced the opening sentence.

  “Yeah, Aleksi, great to see you. Nice weather we’re having. By the way, your father turned me into a super-soldier.”

  Chapter 3

  After swallowing the lump in her suddenly tight throat, she nodded. “Yes, lethal is the correct word.”

  “Why are you dating someone lethal?” Tia hissed. They both noticed Maria watching them with feigned nonchalance.

  Since Vlad was her son, they better not discuss the man in front of her.

  “If you haven’t met him…” Heat burst through her so she fanned herself.

  “Mmm, that nice?” Tia all but purred.

  “You’ve been hanging out with Maria far too long.”

  “Hey, you learn stuff that way.”

  “I wonder if some of her magic will rub off on me.” She fiddled with her notebook pages. The ones she still hadn’t written anything on.

  Tia snorted. “Like you need any magic.”

  “I don’t think princesses are allowed to snort.”

  “Love me, love my snort.”

  “You’re so very much what Rurikstan needs.”

  “That’s what Aleksi says.” Tia’s eyes turned dreamy.

  “He’s so besotted he would say anything,” Helena mock scoffed.

  Tia’s smile took on a sultry quality. “I like him that way.”

  “You like him any way you can get him.”

  “Yes.” Tia’s dreamy look vanished to be replaced by her I’m-seeking-information one. It spelled Tia careened down the path of enlightenment and she didn’t intend to bail until she got what she wanted.

  She all but groaned.

  “So, my overly beautiful friend, spill on the boyfriend.”

  “I am not beautiful.”

  Jorge, who had just seated himself at the bench across from them, snorted. He was white haired, bearded, and sported dark glasses and a scholarly air.

  “You’re spending too much time with Tia.” She tried to glare at him.

  “I like Tia.” Jorge started his calculations. “And you are one of the most beautiful women in the world.” Jorge glanced around the room. “I’m the only man in the Beauty Pageant lab. I love coming to work.”

  He started his calculations with a happy sigh.

  Helena turned accusing eyes on Tia. “You’re the one who started the whole Beauty Pageant lab misnomer.”

  Tia stared at her. “You are probably the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. That was my first thought. Of course, that was until I saw her.” Tia hooked a thumb over her shoulder at Maria.

  “Like any woman can compare to that one.” Helena spun on her stool to stare at their lab mate. “She’s gorgeous.”

  “So are you, my friend.” Ti
a patted her shoulder. “So when can I meet Vlad?”

  “I don’t know as I’ve barely seen him myself.”

  “He’s been here for two or three months, right?”

  “No, I think he arrived around the same time as you. So it’s only been about a month. But sporadic.”

  Tia tilted her head. “How many times have you seen him?”

  “Twice, maybe three times—for a very short time.”

  “He’s not living here then?”

  A bunch of her questions suddenly made sense. “You know, that might explain a few things. Like why our time together is short and random.”

  “Maybe you should ask him if he’s actually living here.”

  “He might not answer me.”

  Tia blinked like a blond owl. “Why not?”

  “Vlad is the king of vague answers.” She sighed. Really, he always had been secretive. And bossy.

  Before he left Rurikstan, they had engaged in a massive argument, because he was unhappy about her coed study group. They hadn’t even been dating at the time. She couldn’t quite remember, but she was pretty certain she had flung her physics book at him. If memory served her right, her aim had been true, but Vlad was fast and avoided the spiraling textbook. He left home soon after and she hadn’t heard much of him since.

  She heard of his travels to America and then all over the world. What she hadn’t heard was what he’d been doing since then. All of her subtle and not-so-subtle questions were left unanswered.

  She scowled.

  Tia raised her hands in the universal surrender gesture. “I didn’t do it, I promise.”