Bad Nerd Falling

by Grady, D. R.

  “He’s doomed,” Maks said to Vlad and Aleksi.

  “Yep, and he won’t even know what hit him.” Ben shook his head sadly.

  “Call Dad,” Vlad directed Maks.

  “Done.” Maks hit the send button on his text message. “He’s coming to rescue the poor man.”

  “Shively doesn’t know he needs rescuing.” Rex stared at the pair. He looked like he rather wanted to switch places with Derek.

  “He does, trust us.” Aleksi stroked Tia’s arm as she watched the pair.

  “She’ll eat him alive.” Vlad didn’t sound upset by this prospect.

  Since she was tucked tight into his side, she had to crane her head back to stare up at him. “That’s okay?”

  It was Ben who answered. “He’s had it really easy with women all his life. It’ll do him good to get his heart broken for a change.”

  “That’s not very nice.” Tia bit her lip and sent a look to Aleksi.

  “I don’t know the man so I’m not worried,” Aleksi replied.

  Both she and Tia tried to poke him. He evaded her finger but caught Tia’s. Aleksi immediately drew it to his mouth and kissed the tip. She was certain that short circuited her friend’s thought processes.

  Vlad shifted his weight a bit, and when she looked up, noticed Maria and Derek were closing in on them. With a smooth, simple movement she envied, Vlad eased between them and tucked his mother behind him. He turned Derek so he was facing his colleagues. Ben reached forward, and tugged him out of Maria’s orbit.

  “Foiled again,” Maria drawled as Graham popped into the lab.

  “What trouble has she been causing?” He immediately asked his two sons and Aleksi.

  They all pointed to Derek.

  Meanwhile Maria pouted. “Why is it always me who causes the trouble?”

  Graham’s eyes swept over her in what only could be called a loving sweep. “Because you’re you, love.” He turned to Ben, Rex, and the still blinking Derek. “I’m Graham Wellington.” He shook Rex’s hand first, since Rex was closest, then went down the line.

  “Graham, this is my cousin, Ben.” Tia indicated him.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Ben.”

  “Thank you, Graham, it’s also nice to meet the man who fathered Vlad.” Ben’s tone remained circumspect.

  Graham turned to Vlad. “You know my son?”

  “He’s had our back in plenty of combat situations. Vlad doesn’t let you down,” Rex answered in his radio announcer’s voice.

  Ben and Derek both nodded. It was obvious they respected him. Vlad’s cheeks suffused with color.

  The guys all grinned at making him blush, and she expected there would be ribbing later. “It’s what being a team means,” Vlad rumbled.

  Graham smiled. “We’re proud of him.” Maria moved under his arm and he wrapped her close.

  “Yes, we are.”

  As if reading the situation quite clearly Ben stepped forward and she was certain Vlad was relieved. “We have work to do,” and he looked pointedly at the two SEALs and Vlad.

  Vlad released her, then bent down and kissed her another time. “Like you heard, we have work to do.”

  “Why?” Helena stared up at him with huge eyes.

  “We have a meeting with Aleksi and Dad.” He tapped her nose in the most affectionate gesture yet before he repeated the process with first his mother and then Tia who wrinkled her nose at him.

  The men left rather abruptly so that she, Tia, and Maria were all staring after them.

  “Did we miss something?” Maria turned to stare at the door.

  Jorge, who must have been hanging out in the storage closet, snorted. He dumped a large assortment of supplies on his bench.

  “What was that for?” She shoved some hair off her cheek.

  “Of course you’ve missed something.” Jorge stacked some pipets into a drawer. When he didn’t clarify his remarks, the three of them converged on him.

  He managed to escape but he sadly shook his head. “Think about it. Rurikstan is a small, but extremely wealthy nation.”

  “Yes, and?” Maria kept glancing at the door.

  “And that means we’re a tasty morsel to others who are looking for wealth.” He stared at them like they weren’t very bright.

  Tia and Maria didn’t seem to notice, but she bristled. “Explain, Jorge.”

  “They’re all concerned that we might become appealing to terrorists and the like.” Jorge gestured toward the doorway.

  Maria’s eyes grew huge. She dropped onto a stool as the blood rushed out of her face. “That’s why Vlad is home.”

  “I gather he came home because he’s finished his training. Now he’s ready to do what was always intended for him.” Jorge popped some bacterial loops into another drawer.

  “What was always intended for him?” Maria’s voice sounded far away.

  He explained about de Leos warriors and terrorists and the like and Helena had no idea what he was talking about. Her companions at least had the sense to ask questions. Jorge’s patience was legendary, but even he started to fray around the edges by their lack of comprehension.

  “I don’t know for certain, but I’m guessing Prince Aleksandr shaped Vlad into the epitome of a warrior. Since all the tendencies were there, it was in Rurikstan’s best interests to have a highly trained soldier on hand when the fighting begins.”

  “You think there’s going to be fighting?” Tia was now as pale as Maria.

  She kept her cool only because all her synapses ceased firing properly. Her thoughts turned sluggish and mushy.

  “If terrorists want our wealth, definitely.” Jorge sounded very sure of his facts.

  “Jorge, how do you know all of this?” Tia’s voice hit the squeaky range.

  “Because I enjoy military stuff. I’ve been watching ours for a while now. The first thing Aleksi did when he became prince was start overhauling our military. That was wise. I’m guessing he’s aware of the things that are going on.”

  “What things?” Tia asked.

  She was thankful because she couldn’t. Maria didn’t appear any better off.

  “The usual. The different strengths and weaknesses of each branch and how to shore up our defenses. We’re not a big nation. That means we need allies. I’m guessing Prince Aleksandr realized that as well. That’s why he sent Vlad all over the world to be trained.”

  The thought of Vlad touring the world’s militaries was scary and disconcerting. Jorge mentioned all this so matter-of-factly. Yet it made her a little crazy.

  “I don’t want my son doing this.” Maria fixed her stunned gaze on Jorge.

  Jorge sent her a wry look. “It’s a little too late for that.”

  Helena’s heart clenched. “Why?”

  “Vladimir Wellington is going to go down in Rurikstan’s history as our best and most useful weapon.”

  Chapter 15

  When he knocked on Helena’s door that evening he wasn’t in the least bit surprised when DuBois opened the door. “Figured you’d answer the door.” As greetings went it probably lacked something.

  “You’re late,” DuBois greeted in turn.

  “Yeah, had to figure out accommodations for some buddies.” Vlad entered the apartment and groaned as soon as he breathed in the fragrant air.

  “She’s making roast beef, mashed potatoes and all the fixings.” DuBois verified. “I’ve been smelling that roast all day.”

  “Worked from home?”

  “Yeah. It’s been torture.”

  Helena left the kitchen and lifted her face for his kiss. He liked having this woman meet him with supper, a warm smile, and hot kisses. If this was how married men lived, he was ready to sign up. “You’re late.”

  “Your buddy already mentioned that.”

  “Where are the guys?” She peered around him.

  “We found them a place to stay. Actually, Tia pulled rank and settled them in the palace.”

  “Oh, so they’re eating there.”

>   “Yes.”

  Helena smiled again. “Tia pulled rank? How did she do that?”

  Behind her, DuBois laughed.

  Vlad grinned. “Tia outranks everyone, except Aleksi.”

  “She outranks him, too,” DuBois overrode.

  “Formally speaking, Aleksi is the supreme sovereign of the country. But everyone knows a female can sway his vote.”

  “Everyone knows Tia can sway him. If you have her ear, you’re golden.”

  Helena eyed DuBois. “You sound a little bitter.”

  “I’m not.”

  When both he and Helena raised their brows, DuBois looked a little chagrined. “Okay, maybe I am, a little. He’s the prince, has a gorgeous, amazing princess, and I’m…”

  “Going to eat roast beef, my special mashed potatoes, and work on mastering your latest masterpiece,” Helena finished for him.

  “Okay, so maybe my life isn’t so bad.”

  “If you’re not interested in that roast beef, by all means, go pout. I’ll be happy to eat your share.”

  “I said I’m happy.”

  Helena’s throaty laughter halted their escalating disagreement. Both of them turned to watch her reenter the kitchen and lift a pot lid. She poked at the contents then resettled the lid. “We should be ready to eat in about ten minutes.”

  That spurred them into action. DuBois worked on setting the table while he worked to stay out of his way. Helena set the steaming roast and a knife and platter in front of him. He deduced that she wanted him to slice it. Even though he had never done this before, he was pretty handy with a knife.

  In addition, during his growing up years he had watched his father perform this very task and that served him well now. With careful cuts, he soon had the roast sliced. It was succulent and perfectly done. There were carrots and celery floating in the leftover juice so he added those to the plate.

  His stomach growled.

  He moved out of the way when Helena carried a heavy stock pot to the sink. She upended it into a colander and the potatoes looked perfect. With skill that indicated her enjoyment of cooking, she soon had them mashed and smelling delicious. The rest of the meal took little time and before he knew it, they were seated. After they gave thanks and dug in, he couldn’t wait to taste the meal.

  DuBois wasn’t any less shy about piling his plate. “Helena, you outdid yourself.” He spoke around a mouthful of beef.

  “Thank you.” She forked up some vegetables. “It’s nice to cook for people who appreciate your efforts.”

  They ate in silence for a few minutes before Helena laid her fork down. She fixed him with a concentrated stare. “Jorge mentioned something today.”

  “What did he say?” He was only half participating in the conversation. The other half was fully engaged in enjoying this meal. He couldn’t remember such an exquisitely prepared feast since leaving home. It took Helena’s cooking for him to finally enjoy food.

  Helena shoved her plate out of the way and folded her arms on the table. “He mentioned that Prince Aleksandr molded you into a warrior. So much so that you’re a weapon.” The fact that her voice was flat offered up the clue that she wasn’t happy about this information. Her grim mouth and rigid spine further clued him in.

  For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why she was upset by this. He stopped chewing to better think, but the melting potatoes tasted so good he resumed the activity. That meant his thinking process was limited.

  Fortunately DuBois wasn’t as restrained. “What’s the problem?” He was also busy clearing his plate. But he seemed more adept at reading Helena’s moods.

  He had a lot to learn about women, his in particular.

  “The problem is that if Vlad is a weapon,” Helena threw up a hand in annoyance, “then he could get hurt when he’s pointed at someone.”

  “That’s the way it is in the military.” Vlad wiped his mouth.

  “He could get hurt walking down the street.”

  “Or driving a car.”

  He and DuBois could probably keep going all evening, but Helena grew colder and angrier. “This is not a game,” she snapped. Her face was turning red, and not the blushing kind. The kind that indicated they were about to not be offered dessert. He shared a panicked look with DuBois.

  “Helena, war is not a game. You’re right. However, I’ve trained my whole life for this.”

  At his quiet words, she deflated a bit. “All your life? Jorge said Prince Aleksandr started your studies at age five or six.” She blew out a shaky breath. “You were a child.”

  “Yes.” He reached out and covered her hand with his. Turning her hand, he interlaced their fingers. “I was a child. But Helena, this is what I was born to do. I was born a warrior, and my father and the prince realized that.”

  “You were a baby,” she whispered. “How could they do that to someone so small?”

  “Easy. It was either start training him early on to be the good guy, or watch him train himself and become a felon.” DuBois helped himself to more meat and potatoes.

  Helena’s utter silence made even the musician pause.

  “A felon?” She swallowed, hard.

  “A felon,” Vlad agreed. “I’m a warrior. My dad and Aleksandr understood they had to steer me in the right direction.” He shrugged. “So they did.”

  “You’ve dedicated your entire life to war.” She stared at him like she didn’t know him.

  “You can take the man out of the war, Helena, but you can’t take the war out of the man. That’s a side to our nature that is always there. In extreme cases like Vlad here, you can structure and control it, but you can’t erase or ignore it.”

  “It’s really strong in me, Helena. The adults in my life realized that and made certain of the outcome. That’s all.”

  She still didn’t look convinced. But she did look a little… melancholy. Yet he didn’t know how to shield her from this aspect of himself. In actual fact, he didn’t want to. This was him.

  If Helena couldn’t deal with this part of him, they wouldn’t last.

  He wasn’t certain who he was other than being the warrior. Was there another part of him? If so he hadn’t paid much attention to that aspect of his personality. The warrior had been nurtured and trained, but if there was anyone else in there, Vlad didn’t know him.

  “What are you worried about?”

  When he looked up, DuBois was staring at Helena with an intensity that he normally associated with battle-readiness.

  In response, Helena’s mouth curled down. “It’s taken us this long to get together. I’ve waited years for you, and now there’s the possibility you could be ripped from me.” Her voice dissolved into tears.

  DuBois shoved his chair away from the table and grabbed some dishes. Then he entered the kitchen. Vlad tugged Helena into his arms and held her tight as she sobbed against him.

  “The purpose of all my training was to increase my odds of surviving.”

  “That doesn’t make this any easier.”

  “No, but this is what I do. It’s what I’m supposed to do.” He cupped her chin and raised her tear-stained face toward him. “Just like I’m supposed to be with you.”

  The surety in his voice helped to alleviate some of his own doubts. Yet there were still some there. They fell like bomb debris all around him. He hoped none struck him, but was pretty certain he wouldn’t escape unscathed.

  “How do you know that?”

  He shrugged. “Have you ever been attracted to another man?”

  She went still in his arms. “No.” The certainty in her voice strengthened his own.

  “I’ve been all around the world, met dozens of beautiful, classy, intelligent women. Not one of them interested me.”

  “Because of me?”

  His arms tightened around her. “Because of you. There is only one woman for me, Helena.”

  Her nod was enough, but then she burrowed deeper into his arms and he was pretty certain he couldn’t possibly want this wo
man more. It felt right to have her here, close and wrapped around him. They fit like a weapon and ammunition. Made specifically for the other.

  It was enough, for now.

  ***

  “So tell me everything happening at home.” Tia demanded of Ben once they were served dinner. “Start with your kids.”

  “The twins are growing so fast, Treeny is afraid they’re going to be taller than her soon.” Ben’s grin was that of a proud parent.

  “She’s not short.”

  “No, she’s five feet six. But it appears that Kale and Kyla are going to take after my side of the family.”

  “Are they a year old yet?”

  Ben nodded. “They’re eleven months.” He sounded solemn.

  “You’re sad, but you see them as often as you can and that’s what matters.”

  Around them, Rex and Derek added their comments and soon Ben relaxed. “I’d like to see them and Treeny more often.”

  Ben’s wife, Treeny, was a strawberry blond with gorgeous blue-gray eyes that should appear icy but weren’t at all. She was a doctor and that nurturing quality was quite evident in her. Like another pair she knew, Treeny and Ben had waited for each other. “You should talk to Helena and Vlad.”

  Ben’s eyebrows rose. So did most of the other table’s occupants.

  Tia laughed. “Sorry, I just remembered that you and Treeny never dated anyone else all through your late teen and early adult years. You waited for each other. That’s what Vlad and Helena have done.”

  Derek let out a nearly silent whistle. “She’s waited too?”

  “Oh yes.” Aleksi shared a glance with his mother. “Most definitely.”

  “As far as we can tell, Welly has never dated anyone. Since we watched Ben do the same thing, we didn’t find it as weird as it is.” A lot of glee suffused Derek’s voice.

  “I can’t think of a single instance when Helena dated any of the young men who asked her.” Gracia tapped her fork gently against the delicate, nearly priceless china.

  “That sounds like Vlad,” Rex announced in his quiet manner. It was the first thing he had said since entering the dining room. His voice sent delicate shivers down her spine. It was yummy.