by Grady, D. R.
“Are you okay?” There was fear and anxiety in Tia’s voice and she wished she could respond. Feel warmed by it, but apparently not even a friend’s concern penetrated the icy numbness.
“I’m fine.” Whatever that meant. But reassurance was necessary. With Tia thousands of miles away, she would only worry. And fret that she wasn’t home. To distract her, she used the best diversion she could think of. “You should see Aleksi in full battle gear.”
He had squeezed her and Maria hard after the police questioned them.
There was silence on the other end for a long pause before Tia moaned. “That is so not nice.” She started out playful but her voice slid into husky. “He looked good, didn’t he?”
“Oh yes.” That was a given. She was numb, not dead. There was no mistaking that Aleksi did something for his gear.
“I’m guessing Vlad looks really good in it as well.”
“Like he was made for it.”
“He was.”
“Yes.” And therein lay the problem. He was made for combat. She was made for science. The two probably shouldn’t intermingle. Nerds and warriors couldn’t possibly be a good pairing. There were likely rules prohibiting that sort of thing.
To steer Tia off the subject she least wanted to discuss she instead asked about Tia’s condo.
“Oh, it’s actually going really well. My cousin wants it, and she’s taking a lot of my furniture, which is excellent. And The Packers have already scheduled a day to come and pack up the few things I’m taking with me. It’s ridiculous really, because I can handle that little bit.” Tia prattled on and she didn’t mind.
It was nice to think of someone else’s life coming together since hers had fallen apart. Then she realized she was whining and indulging in self-pity. Ruthlessly, she squashed the wallowing since it had occurred for long enough. It was now time to pick herself back up and proceed with whatever was left of her life.
“Tia, if we can’t work in the lab for a while can I come and see you in America?”
If Tia was surprised that she had just interrupted her she didn’t let on. Instead, with an aplomb she would have normally admired, Tia shifted gears with her. Not in the least put out by such rudeness.
“Of course you can. I’ll put you to work packing.”
She managed a credible laugh. “I thought you have professionals to do that?”
“Yes, but they’re also busy packing up my cousin who is buying my condo.”
“Did you give her a bargain?”
“Absolutely. She’s excited because my place is nicer than most of them she’s looked at, and I’m giving her a great deal on it.” There was a smile in Tia’s voice. “And why not? She’s family and will take great care of this place and she’s taking it off my hands.”
“When do you think you’ll return here?”
“I have to make one last visit to the lab and my office to make certain I got everything and sign the final paperwork. My projects are finished, and all I have to do is write them up, which I can do from the palace.” The giddiness in Tia’s voice was sweet. “Aleksi promised to personally come for me.”
She smiled. “I’m happy for you.” And she was. Truly. At least some people could have a happy ending and if there were two people who deserved happiness, it was Tia and Aleksi.
Maybe she didn’t deserve to be happy. Or maybe she couldn’t be happy. Was she standing in the way of her own happiness?
Had her decision to end her relationship with Vlad been made because she feared happiness? Was it truly because she didn’t think he would stay with her?
Through a thick voice, she told Tia she better go. Tia offered her happy goodbyes and they rang off.
She thought long and hard about her fears. Were they silly? Was it realistic that she couldn’t hold Vlad? The thing was, without ever dating before, they had remained true to each other. Without seeing him for years, she hadn’t been able to date someone else. No one else appealed, and no one else ever would.
It was Vlad or no one.
She had no reason to believe he didn’t feel the same way.
The shadows expanded as she sat there, listening to Beau rehearsing a piece downstairs. The music swelled and flowed around her, but she barely heard it. Instead she weighed the risks of loving Vlad to the benefits.
Tears finally fell again as she realized she hadn’t given them a chance. Yet fear was a powerful deterrent. An effective immobilizer and it caused normally intelligent people to make bad decisions.
At least she hoped she was intelligent. Her actions of late might refute that.
Perhaps it all boiled down to her using that newfound sense of confidence and taking what she wanted.
If Vlad still wanted her.
Her heart twisted. What if she had burnt that bridge to the ground? If so, then she needed to draw up plans to rebuild the path between them. She intended to make it stronger and inflammable.
Chapter 38
He performed his duties to the letter. There was no fumbling, no hesitation when they went in, covertly, and took everything from the Freedom Fighters headquarters. The news had not yet spread to the remaining members that their leader was in critical condition in Rurikstan and would never return. Probably because many of their remaining members were dead or incarcerated.
His team ran into no problems, but until they had scoped out the situation and made certain of what they faced, it still took two days. He was ready to start rolling heads by the time they retained everything they came for, completed their mission in full, and finally headed home to Rurikstan.
When they arrived, debriefs took another day. Aleksi and General Warcowski had to be informed of everything. They asked for details. A lot of them.
It took what felt like forever, but he suspected Aleksi realized he was gunning to leave. He wouldn’t put it past his prince to keep him behind just to ask nosy questions. Emerson was probably frothing at the mouth wondering what was up.
Eventually, they answered all the questions. That left them free to return to the command center and finally fill out all their paperwork. There was plenty of that left to do.
His friends also helped him return everything to rights. They took a few of the cameras, but left most of them. He decided to maintain most of them just in case they ended up the target of another attack.
It was a huge victory that they had annihilated The Freedom Fighters, and word would spread among the terrorist factions that Rurikstan had the resources to protect themselves and would do so.
“Gentlemen,” Aleksi said from the doorway of their command center.
They all turned to him.
“I have some news.”
He couldn’t read Aleksi’s expression, but there was an air of satisfaction about him.
“What’s that?” He could be polite. Every single one of these tasks prevented him from finding Helena and begging her, if necessary, to stay with him.
It was like that part of his life had spiraled out of his control and he didn’t like the sensation. But it also made him aware that he needed to express some things to her a lot better than he had. Her fears were normal, since he had never told her how he felt.
Actually, he’d prefer swimming with sharks in bloody water than conducting a conversation about his feelings, but he would do it to save his relationship with Helena.
“Every single terrorist we incarcerated is now dead,” Aleksi announced. “Their bodies have been incinerated.”
Various expressions lit the air as they all peered at each other.
“Every one of them?” Ben’s voice sounded strangled.
“All of them, dead.” Aleksi’s face gave nothing of his feelings away. “It is Rurikstan’s policy when prisoners die, to cremate them.”
Coffee mug still raised to his lips, he lowered it to the desk. “Yes, but usually not this quickly.”
“All of them were dead?” Beaumont sounded like he didn’t quite believe it.
Aleksi nodded. “Every
single one. By an apparent group suicide.” His eyes rested on Vlad. “And, yes, it was a fast decision to incinerate them. This is so any remaining members of this faction will never find them again.”
He had a point.
“I think I’m going to move here,” Shively announced, once again all Tigger.
“We like to get things done, and since I run the country, there is no red tape.” Aleksi’s smile was hard.
“Red tape gets us every time,” Tigger agreed. “Can I retire here?”
Aleksi smiled. “Of course. But I imagine we’ll offer you a job in our military.” He glanced at each of the men. “All of you.”
His heart tripped a beat. He had a job in the Rurikstan military, but as of right now, that was in question. They thwarted a terrorist attack and it seemed, at least for the present, that it was unlikely he would be needed. All of his life had been spent training for what had occurred this week. Now it was over, or nearly so, and he had essentially worked himself out of his own job.
“You can call on us at any time.” Ben stood to shake Aleksi’s hand.
“Thank you, and thank your uncle for me.”
“Admiral O’Riley said to tell you we will gladly help you combat terrorists.”
“Tell him Rurikstan will be happy to aid you in your efforts as well.” Aleksi included the other SEALs in his gaze. “We’re working to form a military that will cause terrorists to shake in their boots. And we have the money and skills to make that happen.” Aleksi’s eyes remained uncharacteristically hard.
The others all slanted looks at him. “We don’t doubt that,” Ben murmured before he reseated himself behind his computer. “We’d better finish our reports. We leave the real world at 0600 hours tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Aleksi repeated and then shook all three men’s hands. When finished the prince turned to him. “If you will please accompany me to my office?”
He agreed. You didn’t refuse a request from your prince. It wouldn’t be right. He nodded to his friends and followed Aleksi. It was evident during the attack that Aleksi knew his way through the passages, but it soon became apparent that he knew far more about these hidden corridors than Vlad had learned during his extensive searches of them.
After walking a little way, in what was clearly the wrong direction to arrive at Aleksi’s office, Aleksi stopped in front of a panel. He placed his palm against a knot and light showed like a scanner, before a faint beep sounded, and the panel slid open. It revealed Aleksi’s office, only this door opened up behind the desk. It would make an excellent escape route, and thusly made utter sense.
“I had no idea that was there.”
“Most people don’t.”
“Let me guess, only you, your mother, Maks, and Emerson know about it.”
“Maks knows of it but not the location. But I did show Emerson since he runs the palace. After our wedding, Tia will know as well.”
“Now I know.”
“Yes, and the reason for that will become rather clear.”
Except that cryptic statement meant nothing to him.
Aleksi indicated that he should seat himself. He did so.
“My father set out to train up a warrior to protect Rurikstan.” He folded his hands on the desk.
He nodded. There was a knot in his throat. He didn’t want to leave Rurikstan for long periods of time anymore. He wanted to stay and eventually start a family with Helena. Not that he wouldn’t respond to a call to aid his numerous colleagues around the world, but he wanted to remain here. Put down roots in this place, his homeland.
“I know that he was very impressed with you, Vlad. You exceeded his expectations as well as mine.” Aleksi stared hard at him. “Knowing the training you’ve been through, and what you’re capable of is scary. Because of your skills and leadership abilities, and your many friends, you’ve proven Rurikstan will not fall without a fight. We didn’t lose any men in this battle. That’s impressive.”
“We lost Anna Barstow’s aunt.”
The prince turned solemn. “One woman too many. We’re still investigating that situation, as both women were the traitors, although unwilling, since they were victims.” Aleksi’s mouth pulled down. “I don’t want to know what they endured.”
“It’s better that way.” He had a rough idea and that was more than he wanted.
“We didn’t lose anyone other than Anna’s aunt.”
The hope was that perhaps Anna would recover, although she had a long road ahead of her. Neither she nor her aunt voluntarily signed on with the faction, they were kidnapped because Anna had been General Warcowski’s personal assistant until he retired and she retained a lot of knowledge. Her aunt had been with her when the terrorists struck and both women were subsequently tortured over the course of several months at least.
Anna attempted to kill Helena twice in order to save her from the terrorists. Both attempts had been an act of mercy in the unstable woman’s mind.
“We shouldn’t have lost even one person.” The housekeeper’s death would haunt him for the rest of his life. Gazing at his cousin, he guessed Aleksi would suffer every bit as much.
“No,” Aleksi agreed. “That’s where you come in.”
He paused. What did he mean by that?
“My father, I believe, intended for you to eventually come home to stay.” Aleksi stared at him with the same eyes he saw in the mirror every morning. Yet there was something in Aleksi’s eyes he had never seen before.
“I would prefer to remain here.” His voice sounded tight.
Aleksi nodded. “As you know, I have been working to strengthen our military. General Warcowski has been instrumental in aiding my efforts.”
He waited.
“However, he is retired and doesn’t particularly want the job of running our military, and at any rate, he isn’t my top choice.” Aleksi leaned back in his chair, resting an ankle on his thigh. “General Warcowski lacks recent in-the-field experience. It’s unlikely he would recognize most modern technology and weaponry.
“What we need is a man who has trained as a warrior all over the world. Who has connections in many of those countries, who has used all the modern equipment, and more importantly, is comfortable with it. Someone who is capable of overseeing the complete overhaul of our military.”
Good luck finding a super soldier like that.
Aleksi’s eyes grew cold. “We need to send a clear message to those looking at us as a tasty morsel.”
He smiled, sure his smile and eyes were as warlike as his prince’s. “We’ve already made excellent progress in that area.”
“Yes, we have.” Aleksi tapped the arm of his chair. His eyes narrowed. “There is only one man in all of Rurikstan who is capable of this.”
He has someone in mind? He sat up straighter as a flash of awareness hurtled through him.
“I would like you to head our military.”
Everything spiraled out of focus for a moment before it all coalesced into the perfect job for him.
It was a dream come true. A dream he never realized was his. “Yes,” he said thickly.
Aleksi smiled and his eyes weren’t cold any longer. “Does that mean you’ll accept the job of running our military?”
“Yes.” He had been so busy focusing on the goal he had never looked beyond it.
His eyes lighting with mischief this time, Aleksi said, “Good. I totally support nepotism so the more cousins I can employ, the better.” Then he sobered. “The thing is, Vlad, I need a man I know is loyal, hard working, and ruthless.”
It was his turn to smile. “Like you said, we’re cousins.”
It took Aleksi a moment to realize that he had turned those qualities back on him.
“Got to love our de Leos genes.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Now, you do understand that due to duties performed this week, you earned the rank of Colonel?”
He cleared his throat. “No, I did not realize that.” That was a jump, since he’
d barely been a Major before.
“Your years of training, in addition to the extensiveness of that training, and the years all combined actually already made you a Colonel. You were behind in your rank. Therefore, and in light of your new duties, you will now be ranked and paid as a General.”
His mouth dropped open as he struggled to process that. “A General?” He gaped at Aleksi.
“A first tier General, so you still have room to grow but you’ve earned that rank. I have not given it to you. You do realize there aren’t any other men like you in the world, right?”
“There are plenty of them, especially in the States.”
“No.” Aleksi shook his head. “They excel in what their government has trained them in. They are impressive. But you’ve been trained extensively by many other governments and you’ve excelled at it all. You’re the epitome of a warrior. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to award you the rank of General, and make certain you lead our military.”
“Thank you.” He couldn’t utter anything else.
“I have reason to believe my father was heading in this exact same direction. He was a man with incredible vision.”
“His son is exactly like him.” He stared hard at Aleksi, because it was true, and Aleksi needed to see that he was as capable a leader as his father had been.
“I appreciate that, Vlad. But I still have a lot to learn.”
“So do I. We’re awfully young for our current positions.”
“Yes, you’re young, but you’re the only man who can lead our military.”
He grimaced. “There will be a stink made about this.”
“No, there won’t be. Everyone who has ever met you will understand why you were awarded this job. Anyone who is a naysayer will learn soon enough why you were chosen.”
Since he couldn’t think of a response to that, he nodded instead.
“Now, go share this news with Helena or she’ll come after me for keeping you so long.”
With a handshake and a nod, he left.
He didn’t have the heart to tell Aleksi that Helena had broken off their relationship.
Then he thought about it.
