by Grady, D. R.
It must have been connected to a database because soon a woman’s face and name, and then a lot of information about her popped up.
The name under the even clearer picture on Rex’s screen did not read Anna Barstow. “Look at that.” Derek didn’t sound surprised.
Ben stood. “We need to return to the command center.”
The other men nodded.
They looked at her and then at Vlad. “I’m home and I have an alarm system. I promise to stay here and not go anywhere.”
Vlad looked like he wanted to argue, but they didn’t know that she was the actual target.
He fished his phone out of his pocket and placed a call. “When are you going to be home?
“Right. Don’t keep my little sister out too long. No, she’s staying with our parents and that’s a good thing. She’ll be safe with them.
“Yeah, we have to return to work.” He turned to stare at her. “Helena says she’s fine and will set her alarm and stay in. She seems to think she’ll be safe.” He nodded at whatever Beau said. He ended the call and looked at her.
“He said with your security system on, you should be fine. He and Molly are nearly finished.”
She gasped. “Don’t make them break up their date for me.”
“Both of them happen to feel your safety is more important.” He must have read her expression because a faint smile creased his lips. “Molly has plans with our mother for later this evening.”
“Did Beau know that?”
“How should I know?”
It was such a masculine response that her lips twitched. He sounded exactly like her father, Beau, or Emerson.
“I’ll be fine if you need to leave.” There were plenty of people around if she needed help.
Vlad glanced at Ben who nodded. She almost missed the exchange. But figured he and the other men on his team had already checked out her security system.
Beau installed it, so it must be excellent.
“Don’t open the door to anyone you’re concerned about,” Vlad ordered. He glanced at Rex’s computer. “Especially not anyone from your hospital lab.”
She nodded. “I won’t.”
Her guests left as quickly as they came. Her kitchen was spotless. But there was still a pile of laundry in her hamper. She sighed.
Laundry vs Vlad. There was no question as to which one she’d rather be spending the evening with.
Chapter 31
Two mornings later, she admitted it was rather nice to have clean laundry. Still, she would have enjoyed spending that time with Vlad. Work kept him from her last evening as well.
Yesterday had been a fast paced day at the hospital, thankfully, but she was more than ready to leave. And spend a lot more time with Vlad. Other than him taking her to and from work she didn’t see him. He made a very obvious presence when he escorted her into the lab yesterday morning. Still, she wanted actual time with him.
On her way to the kitchen, he pounded on the front door. She detoured to open it for him. Once she swung the door to admit him, she noticed his set jaw.
“Never answer your door without verifying who it is,” he ordered. It wasn’t the first time he lectured her on this.
She sent him a baleful look. “There’s only one person who knocks like you.” She paused for a heartbeat. “You.”
Then she turned and entered the kitchen where she started to assemble breakfast.
“Did DuBois come see you last night?”
“He did and I finally remembered to give him the rest of the Rurikstani dessert.”
“We would have happily cleaned it up. The guys really enjoyed their meal with us the other night.”
“I enjoyed having them here.” Surprisingly she did. Vlad was comfortable with them and that made her happy.
After she finished toasting the bagels, she handed him milk and juice and wasn’t surprised when Beau knocked once and then used his key.
“I smelled bagels.” He nodded to Vlad before heading for the coffee pot. It had just finished brewing and he took down three mugs and poured them before seating himself at the table.
Vlad followed him after making certain she had everything they needed.
Beau stared at Vlad. “What did you find out?”
“You know the woman who calls herself Anna Barstow is not?”
“Yeah, you mentioned that the other night.”
She passed the plate of bagels around, followed by what they traditionally put on them which was a creamed cheese, only different than the American version. At least that’s what Beau told her.
He must like it because he never missed bagel morning.
“Good. We’re still working to figure this out.”
It was obvious Vlad wasn’t prepared to say anything more on the subject.
“So what am I supposed to do at work?” Her voice was tart.
Vlad allowed a small smile. “You need to be as careful as possible. Avoid her if you can, but don’t be rude.”
“Is she dangerous?”
“Until further notice, yes.”
Beau finished his bagel half before he centered his attention on Vlad. “What about the rest of the lab staff?”
“There are a couple of others we’re checking. Four of them appear to be who they say they are.”
How she was supposed to get through the day today with what felt like a large target on her back. They finished breakfast all too soon. Vlad ushered her out the door before she was ready. Misgivings and Vlad accompanied her to the hospital.
Vlad kissed her at the entrance. “My dad asked that you meet him first thing.”
“Okay,” she answered, breathless from his kiss and left wanting far more.
Instead, she turned to enter the building, the misgivings still with her. When she knocked on Graham’s office door, since the receptionist hadn’t arrived yet, she was bidden to enter.
Aleksi was there as well as Graham and Maria. Jorge trailed in behind her. She was so happy to see them, she hugged everyone. Maria clung to her just a little and she clung back. Jorge didn’t cling, but it was apparent he was missing them. The three of them dropped into chairs that were pushed close together. None of them made space between their chairs.
Maria held her hand, and she was very grateful.
Their prince took in their postures and the apprehension on their faces and smiled. “I just wanted to inform the three of you that Tia arrived safely in Hershey. She is nearly finished at her job and Ben’s sister has expressed interest in buying her condo. Tia should be home in two weeks.”
Her heart beating a little too fast she was afraid to hope. “What does that mean?”
“It means that the three of you need to fulfill your hospital contracts so you are available to work in the palace lab.”
Graham stood and joined Aleksi in front of his desk. “I know Maria has hated every minute of being back here. I imagine you Jorge, and Helena, are also struggling?”
Both she and Jorge nodded.
“Have you been training the people who replaced you?”
No one spoke. She cleared her throat. “As far as I can tell, no one has replaced me. There are four new faces in my lab, but there should be five.”
With a frown, Graham picked up a file on his desk and perused the front page. “Yes, it looks like with budget cuts, they elected not to replace you. One of the projects in that lab got canceled while another was slashed in half. Everyone else was alloted one of your tasks. Perhaps you could ask if anyone requires additional training?”
Even though she cringed at the very thought, she nodded. “I can do that.” And she would. Her stomach twisted and nausea clawed, but she kept her promises.
Graham moved on to Maria. “You are finished training your replacement?”
“Yes, we have a bit more to do today. My projects are nearly completed.” Maria sounded relieved.
He nodded and turned to Jorge. “What of yours?”
Jorge sighed. “My replacement was hired only
recently and hasn’t any lab experience. I’m in full training with him, trying to also complete my projects as I go. It could be another week before I finish.”
She shuddered for him. The two days she already spent in her lab were plenty.
“Take as long as you need, but don’t babysit this kid.”
“Thank you,” Jorge said in heartfelt tones.
Graham nodded and then turned back to her. “Helena, if no one needs your help, and you can finish up today, you’re cleared to return to the palace lab tomorrow.”
Hope burst through her as she gaped for a moment at Graham. “Thank you,” she finally managed as though she’d been released from a long prison sentence. For some reason, Aleksi’s mouth thinned and his demeanor shifted into grim territory, but the conversation kept on so she brushed her unease away.
“Someone needs to keep track of the palace lab, correct?”
“Yes.” It was her turn to pop in today, but since she’d be there permanently tomorrow, she didn’t need to.
“Since your position wasn’t filled, you have the most leniency to leave.” He passed out paperwork for them to sign, which they did and returned their nearly completed contracts. It loosened the knot in her stomach knowing she was close to being free.
They spoke for a few minutes longer, with Aleksi offering more details on Tia. It made her happy to think about her boss soon coming home. Not that she really thought of Tia as a boss. She was far more a friend.
Turning to Maria, she asked, “How soon will you be back in the lab?”
“Two days, tops.”
That meant she might have one day on her own, and she could handle that. “Thank goodness.” She turned to Jorge. “Hurry.”
He nodded and patted her arm. After they said goodbye to Graham and Aleksi, the three of them hugged again and were obviously much relieved and happy as they walked as far as they could together before separating.
The minute she walked into the lab, all seven pairs of eyes fastened on her with various expressions. At least four of them were with dislike, the other three pairs were more neutral, although interested. They were all seated around the main lab bench, obviously waiting for a lab meeting to start.
“You’re late,” the head jerk stated. The paperwork in front of him was to write her up.
She stepped forward and snatched up the papers. With relish, she ripped them in half twice before handing them back.
“Just because you’ve got a scary boyfriend doesn’t mean you get special favors.”
“Maybe, as the supervisor, you should ask why I’m late,” she retorted, staring him down. She would have never done this in the past but she stood her ground now.
The door behind her opened and Graham poked his head in. “Frederic, Helena had an early morning meeting with me and Prince Aleksi. That’s why she’s late.”
Since it was their hospital director stating this, there was nothing the head jerk could do. “Thank you for explaining, Director.”
“Thank you,” she also added to Graham, smiling at him because she had always liked this man and in the back of her mind, already thought of him as her father-in-law.
His return smile told everyone in the lab that he was fond of her and she was grateful for the added protection. He nodded once to everyone before disappearing through the door.
“Perhaps now we can start this lab meeting.” Frederic glared in her direction.
They discussed tasks and projects. Frederic assigned who should do what. She noticed that her list of tasks were all the undesirables. She finally shook her head. “Frederic, I’m here to complete my previous projects. The Director wants me to finish today. I’m also supposed to train anyone who has taken over my tasks who needs help.” She stared down the idiot, making certain he understood she wouldn’t be bullied. “I am not taking on new tasks because I’m to finalize my contract terms by the end of today. That’s what my early morning meeting was about.”
There was no way Frederic could argue with her, since again, the Director had dictated this. His mouth pulled down. She was actually grateful she had to come back here. For the first time she had finally stood up to this disgusting man and shown that she would no longer be bullied.
She didn’t need Vlad here to flex his impressive muscles. In that moment, she learned she could flex her own and show that she would no longer be pushed around. This was her job and she would do it, but on her terms. Professional terms - exactly as they were all to conduct themselves.
Her eyes must have revealed that resolve, or her set jaw proved her inner strength, because even the other jerks didn’t comment. Normally they’d have started a cringe-worthy harassment. Not today. She used her new war face to stare them both into silence.
“I’ll be certain to speak to the Director about this,” Frederic warned.
“You do that. I’m sure he’ll be interested to hear the tasks you assigned me. Especially in light of the fact that I hold the highest degree in this lab.” Helena stared him down again. She had worked long and hard for her master’s degree and that meant she should be the supervisor of this lab.
Frederic immediately turned to the new, younger man, Dietrich, and started rapping out orders to him. The young man took his orders with baleful aplomb and soon Frederic sounded a bit subdued as he finished divvying assignments.
Before the the meeting ended, she announced one more time, “If any of you have questions about the duties you inherited from me, today is your last opportunity to ask.”
Then she set to her final projects with a vengeance. She would finish today, no matter how long it took. Even if she had to work through lunch and an extra hour this evening, she would not return here.
Both Charlene and Dietrich did ask her some questions and she spent forty minutes with them, explaining the procedure and answering their questions. They were assigned basic, interchangeable tasks, so she could train them together. By the end of their session, it was obvious both of them were far more comfortable and they thanked her profusely.
They had apparently been given this duty, but were not even remotely trained. She spoke briefly with the other Frederik, the older man. He asked a couple of questions, but appeared to have a fairly good grasp of his procedure.
She was relieved to see that he had been helping Charlene and Dietrich, and had probably been easing them along. She was glad she could at least help them now, before she left.
It was going to be a long, tiring day. That was evident when her final project proved tricky and she had to redo the first procedure.
She gobbled her sandwich in the office area and five minutes later, was back in the lab, working steadily to finish. As time allowed, she updated her notebook and kept a close watch on her final project. By the time lunch was over and everyone trailed back into the lab, she was well on her way with the new data. It was exactly what she expected, thank goodness.
The woman who called herself Anna watched her throughout the afternoon. In turn, she watched Anna, that’s how she knew the other woman kept tabs on her. She disguised her interest better. At times, Anna just sat and stared at her.
“Is there something wrong, Anna?” Helena finally asked gently.
“No,” Anna said sharply before she moderated her voice to the other persona. “No, why do you ask?”
“You were staring at me, so I thought perhaps you wanted me to help you with something.”
Anna blinked a few times. “No, I’m fine.”
She hadn’t seen her accomplish much today. Surely Frederic knew this. The others in the lab had to know she wasn’t pulling her weight.
“Okay. I’m here today if you need help.”
“But you won’t be tomorrow?”
“Correct. I’m returning permanently to the palace lab.” Thankfully. She couldn’t stand a full week in this lab. The fact they hadn’t replaced her was wonderful news. Hopefully Maria would finish by tomorrow evening and be able to join her in the palace Friday.
Anna’s mouth
tightened, but she managed to keep her sweet and light persona. Especially when Jerk Number Three arrived to flirt with her. The woman was attractive enough, if you could get past the sullen nature and crazy interior.
Her tests finished so she padded across the lab to retrieve the tubes and record the data. She stayed across the room from Anna who did get up and move around the lab like she was supposed to. Shrugging, she finished recording her results then cleaned up.
As soon as everything was rinsed, she started her final routine tests. While those ran, she could finish her cleanup, compile all her data, and complete her lab notebook. With the last test, a quick one, running and the numbers looking good, she soon finished the cleanup. She checked that everything progressed smoothly before commandeering the computer. There she compiled all her data, and saved the numbers.
Once this last test finished, she could print it all off, send a copy to Frederic and to records keeping and make a backup. With that accomplished she checked the tests again. They were nearly done. She retrieved her lab notebook and sat at the table where her tests were winding down. In moments she started her last entry in this notebook, so relieved she could have floated.
Four o’clock came and the lab cleared of all except Frederic, Anna, and her. She said happy goodbyes to Charlene, Dietrich, and the older Frederik, ignored the two jerks, and continued recording the day’s tests in the logs and then her notebook.
Her test finally finished, and the numbers looked exactly as they should have. She added them to her compile and quickly finished it. Then she recorded the data in her lab notebook. It was with a real sense of relief when she finally closed the notebook. She sent the reports to the correct places, made her backup, then triumphantly logged off the computer. With a sense of accomplishment she placed everything in the basket inside Frederic’s office.
Then she set about cleaning up after the final test. This took a little longer than usual. She kept an eye on Anna.
“Shouldn’t you go home?” It was definitely creepy to be watched so blatantly now.
