“Thank you, Niccolo.” She smiled softly, then she jumped to her feet. “How rude of me! Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, tesero,” Nic replied, his hard eyes flicking to his men who had stiffened at her sudden movement. “Please be seated. We have some things to discuss before your husband arrives.”
“Of course,” she agreed, sitting back down gracefully and crossing her ankles. “Please go on, Niccolo. I’m quite eager to finally find out why you became my friend over the years. I am not so naïve as to believe it was my charm and good looks.”
He chuckled, a rare smile splitting his lips, giving his dark face an even more sinister look. “Your charm is enough to slay even the darkest of hearts, Natasha tesero, but you are correct, there was always a motive behind my actions.” He told her, his accent caressing the endearment. She had once asked him what the word meant. He had shaken his head and left, patting her on the head like she was a good puppy. He was calling her ‘sweetheart’ in Italian. It would have been sexy if she weren’t head over heels in love with her husband and he weren’t one of the scariest human beings she’d ever met. There was a reason she delegated Niccolo DeLuca to benevolent older uncle position in her mind. “I needed the love of Davidov in my pocket and beholden to me.”
She nodded thoughtfully, her knowing gaze on his face. “You want him to work for you exclusively?”
He raised a thick eyebrow. “You are an intelligent woman. When did you work this out?”
She shrugged. “After you came to see me the first time. Ballerina’s don’t make friends with men like you unless sex is involved. You didn’t ask me for sex so I figured you wanted something from David. It only surprises me that it has taken you so long to come for what you want.”
“I am a patient man,” he said, his voice deep and measured.
“Apparently,” she agreed. Then she tilted her head and sighed, her hand going protectively to her stomach. She glanced over her shoulder at the two men doing their best to look inconspicuous in her country kitchen. They looked ridiculous. “Am I in danger, Niccolo? I would be very disappointed if you threatened me or my baby.”
He frowned a little and said gruffly, “Of course not, tesero. I have become somewhat attached to you. Though your husband’s services are my priority, I would not be… easy… if you were to sustain an injury.”
She beamed at him like he was some kind of good dog that had performed correctly. “Then I think we can work together!”
He frowned darkly. In his recent experience, it was not a good thing when women spoke to him like this. “Explain, Natasha,” he growled.
She glanced toward the clock on the wall. “David is going to be home soon and he probably shouldn’t find his cabin filled with strange men alone with his wife. I suspect that isn’t something that would please him. We can discuss terms along the way. I assume you intended on taking me with you, da?”
Nic continued to frown, but got to his feet. He automatically reached out to help Natasha, but thought better of it. She popped easily up, graceful as the dancer she was and twirled toward the table. His men eyed her with mistrust. He didn’t blame them. She moved quickly and easily. Though the eye followed after her, she was pretty much done moving before a person’s brain knew where she was going to be standing next. It was not something a bodyguard or hitman could be comfortable with. Nic DeLuca completely understood Davidov’s fascination with the woman.
Nic gave his men a vicious look as they continued to watch her while she reached for her jacket and bent to put her ankle boots on. Their looks were beginning to morph from suspicion to fascination. This was not something he needed. If Davidov didn’t put a bullet in them, then he would be forced to. Fuck, he’d lost two men in similar circumstances while they’d been trailing Natasha across the globe, watching over her. The woman was just too damn delectable for her own good. Luckily, Maria had rendered Nic immune to any other woman’s charm or he might also become vulnerable to the assassin’s bullet.
“I have something for you, tesero,” Nic said, reaching into his pocket and withdrawing a small jewelers box.
Natasha came to stand next to him, her head tilted to the side. His men faded into the background as he opened the box and held it up for her. Her gasp filled the room and tears instantly filled her eyes. Other than that small show of emotion, she stood frozen for several long seconds, taking in the meaning of the contents of the tiny box. Slowly, her gaze lifted to meet his. He knew he should harden his own emotions, show her that he was indeed the mean son-of-a-bitch that had manipulated her life to this point, but he knew she saw at least a modicum of regret reflected there. So, instead of anger, her forgiving nature shined through and she smiled at him in gratitude.
“Spasibo, Niccolo,” she whispered and reached for her wedding rings.
The wedding band and engagement ring she had pawned in Versailles for cash the night she had fled her husband. The wedding set that should have been lost forever, but wasn’t, because her shadowy savior was also the man that had set up her entire downfall two years ago. She slid the rings onto the third finger of her left hand with a contended sigh and squeezed her hand into a fist. They were still a perfect fit.
Nic closed the jewelers box with a snap and put it back in his pocket. “Let’s go.”
Before they left, Nic turned and tossed a leather portfolio on the table. Natasha turned in the doorway and titled her head to the side. “A job?”
He nodded and then jerked his head to the door. She stepped outside and took a deep breath, tipping her head back. “I hope you aren’t taking me away for too long, Niccolo. I really love it here and I’ll miss my cabin while I’m away.”
His men stepped outside, flanking her. He stepped up behind her, closing the door behind them. They walked off the porch toward his bullet proof, tinted SUV. “That depends entirely on your husband, tesero.”
She nodded and then turned her head to look at him with a mischievous grin. “I think that depends on this retirement plan of yours.”
“Let us call this a semi-retirement plan,” he chuckled and then added, “if it works.”
Nic saw one of his men step too close to the Russian dancer and reach to clasp Natasha’s arm. It was a stupid excuse to touch the beautiful woman. He growled in annoyance and thought about remaining silent, but decided he should at least issue a warning. “Do not fucking touch…” He was too late. A shot shattered the silence and blood sprayed across the sunlit ground before the body toppled back. “His woman,” Nic finished, his voice hard and tense. He studied his dead bodyguard dispassionately. Except for Lucio, who’d stayed in Miami to watch over Tess and Maria, it was a good thing he wasn’t in the habit of getting attached to his hired help.
His dark gaze swept the trees, searching for a deadly ghost he knew he wouldn’t find. He’d suspected the man was there, protecting his wife from a distance. There was no way she could have been left alone, vulnerable in the little cabin. This is why he wanted Davidov. This particular Russian assassin was the best. Coming out to his residence and taking his woman was a huge gamble that could have ended in Nic’s death. But Nic had counted on Davidov’s curiosity and gratitude; his need to know who had hidden Natasha for two years and his desire for the jobs that the Italian boss could provide. And above all, the protection Nic could extend to Natasha and the baby for the duration of their lives. Nic had played the long game. Would Davidov?
“Natasha,” Nic said sharply, turning cold eyes toward the shaking woman. He could not touch her so he had to use his voice to command her attention. “You need to keep your eyes on me and step toward the vehicle. Capire?”
She nodded quickly and stepped around the body. “Da. Y-yes, I understand,” she whispered in a shaky voice, reaching for the doorframe.
“Good girl, tesero. Into the car and we will be on our way.”
Thankfully she went willingly to car on mostly steady legs. She stopped before she reached the car and looked around the clearing as if
hoping to see her husband. Her eyes were frightened now, but the look on her face was still hopeful. Finally, she got in the car, a small sigh of relief escaping her lips when she was away from the carnage her husband had caused. She pressed her hand against her stomach and allowed her spine to relax into the seat, striving for control of herself. Nic had cultivated a certain admiration for this tiny dancer over the years, she had a rare inner strength.
Finally, when she seemed to have herself under control, her eyelids slowly opened to reveal an unexpected mischief considering the horrific death she had just witnessed. Nic frowned. This woman was trouble. “What is it?” he asked.
“He told me he loved me before he left,” she told him, laughing a little as she buckled her seatbelt. “He knew you were coming here. He probably figured out ages ago that it was you helping me evade him when I was on the run. If he’s willing to let me go with you now, then he must really trust you. He’s letting you take care of me while he goes on this job for you. Which means he wants to work for you, Niccolo. I suspect if he didn’t, you would never have found us. Now let’s go see Miami, I’m eager to relax on some beaches!”
Nic watched her, his mind taking in everything she said. The little minx appeared to be correct in her deductions. And he despised being one step behind anyone. Though if it bought him a world class assassin, he was willing to let it go this one time.
“You have a deadly mind, Natasha tesero,” he chuckled darkly. “You are wasted on this backwoods mountain. I cannot wait to introduce you to my women, you three will be hell to control.”
She grinned at him and then exclaimed, “Oh, and we need to stop along the way, I didn’t get my butter chicken!”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tasha became slowly aware that someone was in the darkened room with her. She blinked several times and smothered a yawn. She knew she was safe. For one thing, she was in one of the most fortified compounds in the entire United States, probably more so than the White House. And for another, she could smell his wonderful, enticing masculine scent as he stood next to the bed.
“David,” she whispered breathily.
He placed a knee on the bed and swiftly bent over her, burying one hand in her hair while he pressed his face against her throat with a groan. He wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and just held her for a few moments before speaking. It had been several days since they’d seen each other so she understood the intense need to just bask in his presence.
“Imagine my shock, Natasha,” David murmured against her throat as he slid his hand inside the top of her sleep shirt and gently squeezed her breast, brushing her nipple softly with his thumb. Back and forth, slowly, until the nipple peaked. “When it was confirmed that my wife not only knows, but is on friendly terms with the most influential mobster to move his operation onto this continent. To have such a man standing in my own fucking yard, bold as day, taking my wife as leverage was not something I had particularly hoped for, my love.”
She smiled into the darkness and ran her fingers through his hair. It seemed that her libido picked up the moment he got his hands back on her. She arched her back and pushed her breast more fully into his hand, filling his callused palm. Despite Niccolo’s thoughts on her husband’s future, she was pretty sure David should just chop wood forever. It gave him the best feeling hands…
“Maybe you didn’t hope for it, but you certainly saw it coming. Or did I imagine those words of love you tossed my way before you left?”
He pushed her sleeping shirt up her chest and kissed the tips of her breasts, worshipping the small, swollen globes with his teeth and tongue until she was moaning and writhing underneath him. “You imagined nothing. I knew he was coming for you and I knew he would protect you, though it was like ripping out my own heart to leave you with another man.”
Tears pricked her eyes. David was so possessive of her, it must have gutted him to see her get in the car with those men. Except for the one he’d shot. Small consolation perhaps. “You did it for our future,” she whispered in his ear, curving her body against him and licking his neck.
He pressed his hand over her belly, spreading his fingers over the small, growing mound. “Da,” he agreed softly, then dropped a kiss against the warm flesh.
A tear escaped from her eye. She was the only person in the world that he was tender with. Her and their child. He must have seen the shimmer of silver in the moonlight because he moved up her body and pressed his lips against her soft cheek, capturing the tear, stopping it from falling. Gently, he pushed the cotton sleep pants she’d borrowed from Maria down her hips. She pulled the top over her head while he stood next to the bed to take his clothes off.
She welcomed him with open arms, pulling him against her. He placed a hand at the back of her head and urged her mouth up to his for a passionate kiss, while he pushed her legs apart. She moaned into his mouth, her hips arching up to meet his. He surged forward, pushing into her wet heat with a powerful thrust. She cried out and arched back into the bed, digging her nails into him. He pulled her knees up and deepened the penetration until she was panting and throwing her head back.
“You like that, my love?” he asked, licking and biting her neck, holding her tightly to him as he thrust slowly into her.
“Y-yes… ah… too much!” she gasped.
“Look at me, Natasha,” he demanded.
She tilted her head up, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the darkness. She moaned as he slammed into her, guiding her body higher and higher along the path toward ecstasy. She clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, her eyes on his as he carried her to the promised height. He took her hands and carried them over her head, pinning them against the pillow. Her rings flashed in the moonlight, catching his eyes.
He stilled within her, staring down at hand. “Your rings,” he said, his voice a rough growl.
“Niccolo had them,” she whispered breathlessly, flexing her fingers against his.
His eyes slid to hers. Emotion surged in the dark depths. “Fuck, I should tear him apart for what he did to us, but all I can feel is happy to have you in my arms.”
She smiled up at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. She knew exactly how he felt. She leaned up as much as she could and pressed her lips against his, breathing against him, sharing herself. He captured her mouth in a quick, fierce kiss before releasing her hands.
He thrust into her aggressively, taking her with a sudden, driving need she was helpless to deny. A driving need she also felt. He feared losing her. A part of him would always fear losing her and so he would always fuck her with this edge of darkness. This need to show them both that they were alive and together. She understood and she would take it. She would take David and his love any way she could get him.
Her pussy clenched around him, gripping him with such strangling tightness that he was helpless against her. As Tasha shouted her pleasure, swallowed by his swooping kiss, he dove over the edge of rapture with her, clinging tightly to his dancer as she showed him the way into heaven.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Seven years later
She flew like an angel.
David tried not to watch too closely as she danced. She was a little shy when it came to her ballet skills. She did not think she was good enough yet, his little perfectionist. He was so damn proud though, he could not tear his eyes from the open doorway as he sat at the table cleaning his guns where he had taken them apart. She twirled and turned, flying so fast she would often move before he knew she had done it. She preferred to dance without music. She said the music and the steps were all in her head. Laid out like a map.
Elena.
She had long dark mahogany hair like her mother’s. But eyes of pitch, like her father’s. The pride and gratitude that David felt whenever he looked at the child eclipsed nearly everything else he felt, except for the eternal love he felt for the mother. But that was different. He couldn’t explain it. Didn’t want to. These feelings made him weak. They terrifie
d him. And that terror is what kept his family safe. His paranoia and vigilance were never-ending.
Natasha did not know the extent to which he went to keep his family safe. The perimeters he kept around the cabin, the mountain, the town. The endless checks he made: morning, noon and night to ensure their safety. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t get pregnant again. Didn’t know it wasn’t the hand of God, but through the interference of her ruthless husband. A man determined never to create another weakness. Not that David didn’t want another child again. God help him, he’d learned that lesson. But he couldn’t… just couldn’t spread himself so thin. It was everything he could do to keep Natasha and Elena safe. Always. At any cost. Forever.
Natasha didn’t know the extent of his obsession. But Elena did. The girl was uncommonly smart. She had her mother’s beauty and talent. But she’d inherited her father’s cold, analytical mind. His ruthless need to protect the things he loved and kill the things that got in his way. He’d noticed this early on. When Elena perceived a threat, she did everything in her power to eliminate the threat. And if her tiny body was incapable, then she told her father, and he took care of it for her.
Perhaps this is what he loved about his child most of all. Her need to protect Natasha was as strong as his. Together they were united to make their dancer safe. To make her happy. The insidious thought that David could have stopped Elena’s birth occasionally kept him awake at night. He knew that this, coupled with the one-time belief that he would kill his wife, would be the biggest regrets of his life. Elena and Natasha were life. Without them he would be nothing. He would have no life worth living.
The Assassin's Wife Page 23
