by Bella Rose
“Yes. But he was your brother. He was the entire reason for your marrying me.” Flynn struggled to put what she was feeling into words. “Doesn’t it feel wrong to just forget that?”
“I did what I did because it was in my best interest. Yes, I wanted to help my brother very much. But immigration was breathing down my neck, and I needed a way to stay here in this country. I like it here.”
“I’m glad you came up with that stupid plan.”
“It wasn’t stupid.” He sounded almost sulky. “Look how well it’s turned out so far.”
She really couldn’t argue with that. “You’re a surprising man sometimes.”
“How so?”
“You don’t really seem to be in charge the way other men are.” Flynn thought about it. “You don’t spend all your time beating your chest and bragging about how manly and powerful you are.”
“So now you think I’m not manly?”
“Actually, I think you’re one of those rare people who plays on a board that’s larger than what the rest of us can see. We’re all running around trying to find the cheese, and you’re secretly running the cheese store and sort of laughing at us.”
“I don’t laugh at people.”
“No, but you let them make asses out of themselves.”
“Perhaps,” he allowed, pulling into a driveway before an ostentatious home in the center of one of Richmond’s most affluent neighborhoods.
Grigori put the van in park and turned around. “Game time, gentlemen. Remember your parts.”
Anson, Igor, and Ivan leaped out of the side of the van. They were lugging Yakov’s dead body and Teller’s live one with equal care. Grigori waited until they were in position and then nodded to Flynn.
She bolted for the front door. She managed to get all the way there and ring the doorbell three times before any of Yuri’s security guys even noticed her. By the time they appeared on the porch, the door had already swung open.
A cadaverously thin man stood before her. He even had a pointy beard like some Rasputin wannabe. “Can I help you?” he said disdainfully.
“Why yes,” Flynn said sweetly. “My name is Flynn Callaghan. You might recognize my name from my father, the US district attorney who hired you to have me killed?”
Yuri looked visibly startled. “Excuse me?”
The two guards began to close in on her. She held up her hand, smiling at them to throw them off guard. “Oh, I was just returning some things to you,” she told Yuri. Then she gestured to Grigori.
In seconds Grigori and his men had appeared with Yakov and Teller in tow. Anson tossed Yakov’s corpse on the porch. Ivan and Igor forced Teller to kneel, and Grigori glared Yuri’s security men into backing off.
Flynn had never seen Grigori in full badass mode before. It was rather awesome to behold. His face was impassive, and his aura screamed aggression mingled with pure primal power.
Yuri fell back a step. “You!”
“Yes. Me. And alive. I’m sure you’re surprised.”
“I never thought Yakov your equal,” Yuri said quickly.
“Truly?” Grigori’s voice was dangerously silky. “And yet you sent him after Flynn and myself. All because a certain US district attorney was willing to spot you a favor. What, I wonder, was worth taking such a chance?”
“Citizenship,” Yuri said flatly.
“He can’t really offer that,” Flynn told Yuri. “My father has given that line so many times now I think he’s probably started to believe it himself.”
“And what is all of this?” Yuri gestured to the body.
“Well, we thought you might like to get one last look at your assassin,” Flynn explained. “Since this is the only one that you have…” She let the sentence hang.
“Nonsense,” Yuri said with a delicate snort. “I have Grigori.”
Grigori’s face was like stone. “No. I’m done doing jobs for the family. You betrayed me. Whatever agreement we had is done. Not only did you attempt to murder me, you were the cause of my brother’s death.”
“Now, Grigori, be reasonable.” Yuri motioned to his men, who started to close in.
“Gentleman, I would hate to have to kill the two of you. We have known each other for years.” Grigori stared them both down, and they took a step back.
Yuri was not amused. “He’s bluffing! Don’t let him bully you.”
Grigori affected a droll stare, gazing at each man in turn. “We play poker together. Do I appear to be bluffing?”
They took another step back, then finally turned and walked away, leaving Yuri alone with Flynn, Grigori and his men. Grigori’s smile was not reassuring. Although Yuri appeared to think he could bluster his way through the rest of this incident.
“Who is this man?” Yuri kicked Teller.
“This is Callaghan’s man.” Grigori’s lips curved into the semblance of a smile. “We thought you might appreciate him as a gift. That way you can bargain with Callaghan.”
“A gesture of goodwill then? Since you plan to quit your position?” Yuri looked sour.
“Actually, I’m not quitting.” Grigori turned his back, preparing to leave. “Quite the opposite. I’m going to freelance. It should be a much more lucrative way to make a living. And I’ll also have the autonomy to choose my own contracts.”
“But you cannot do that!” Yuri protested.
Grigori turned, holding out his arm for Flynn. She nestled against him, and he gave her a squeeze. “Watch me.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Now there’s only my father to take care of,” Flynn said tensely. “And is anyone going to tell me why we brought Yakov’s body with us?”
“You’ll see,” Grigori said in an ominous tone of voice.
They were all packed into the van again. It was so odd to be driving through her old neighborhood. Dawn was just now beginning to paint the sky in hues of pale pink and purple. Flynn rubbed her eyes. The constant adrenaline surges had left her feeling like a limp noodle.
“Not much longer, my love.” Grigori reached over and took her hand. “I plan to spend the next week in bed.”
“I’m going to call that, what is it...” Anson tugged at the hairs growing out of his chin. “...TMI. Yes. That’s what it is.”
“Or jealousy,” Igor suggested. “You could always try a dating website.”
That started a spirited conversation about dating websites and mail order brides.
Flynn yawned. She actually liked having Grigori’s men hanging about. They were funny and loyal, and they helped to keep things from becoming too serious, which was what happened every time she thought about the body in the back of the van.
Her stomach cramped with anticipation when Grigori pulled up in front of her father’s house.
Grigori turned to look at her, no doubt trying to gauge her reaction to the place. “Are you going to be all right?”
“Yes.” She stared at the stately brick structure. “This isn’t my home anymore. I don’t think it ever was.”
They exited the van, Igor bringing up the rear with Yakov’s body flung over his beefy shoulder. This time it was Grigori who rang the bell. Flynn was almost more curious about who would answer the door, since Teller was indisposed, than she was worried about dealing with her father. Teller had been her father’s right hand man for as long as she could remember.
The front light went on, and the ornate glass door was flung open. “Teller?” Her father stuck his head out, obviously searching for his head of security.
“Teller isn’t coming back, Dad,” Flynn said quietly.
Her father’s wild-eyed gaze focused on her briefly before sweeping over her companions. “What are you doing here?”
“Tell me. Are you more surprised to see me here, or just surprised to see me breathing period?” She could tell she’d rattled him, but he wasn’t about to give anything up just yet.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” H
“Teller is with Yuri.” She dropped that bomb with satisfaction. “We sort of left him as a peace offering since Grigori isn’t going to be working for him any longer.”
Her father stepped out onto the wide front porch. He was in his bathrobe. The navy and maroon striped garment had probably cost a fortune. No doubt even his slippers were designer. He plopped down on the steps and put his head in his hands.
Seconds later, he glared up at Grigori. “That bastard Yuri will kill Teller without even batting an eye.”
“Yes.” Grigori obviously wasn’t feeling any sympathy for her father. “It should have been you, but I think even Flynn would have objected.”
“What?”
Grigori curled his lip with disdain. “You arranged to have her killed. You would murder your own child for money.”
“I wouldn’t have!” her father yelped. “She wouldn’t cooperate. It gave me no choice.”
“I wouldn’t cooperate?” Flynn was disgusted with this entire situation. “Why? Because I wouldn’t sign away my inheritance?”
“It was supposed to be mine,” he snarled. “She promised. When I married her, she promised that the money would be mine.”
Flynn froze, a horrible suspicion growing in her mind. “Did you kill her? Is that what happened? You arranged for her to die, but her will specifically left the money in trust to me. You didn’t know, did you?”
“She changed her will.” Her father stood suddenly, tearing at his hair and looking like a wild man. Then he whirled around to face her. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that. She got it into her head that I was going to leave her or some nonsense.”
“No!” Flynn challenged. “She was afraid for her life, wasn’t she?” The horror of what she was hearing was almost too much.
Then Grigori was there. He wrapped his strong arms around her, and she soaked up his strength. Resting her cheek on his chest, she surrendered. She couldn’t deal with this. But he could.
“Look at you.” Her father’s voice dripped with scorn. “Snuggling into the embrace of a killer while you sit in judgment of me. Of me!”
“He’s an honest killer,” she said, her words muffled by the fabric of Grigori’s shirt.
“I’m going to guess that Yuri was the one who helped you find a killer for your wife,” Grigori said with deceptive calm. “That was why he seemed the ready option when you needed to get rid of your daughter.”
“No. I-It wasn’t like that.” Her father’s feeble protest wouldn’t have convinced anyone. Not even himself. And certainly not Flynn.
GRIGORI FELT FLYNN tremble against him, and he knew more anger in that moment than he ever had before in his life. He lowered his head and inhaled the scent of her. Her hair was soft beneath his lips. She was fiery and passionate, and she challenged him at every turn. But he knew without a doubt that this woman was worth any fight.
Staring at Callaghan’s belligerent expression, Grigori nodded to Ivan. It was time to cut the politician down to size. “I have a gift for you.”
“What?” Callaghan frowned. He was obviously confused. “Why would you give me anything?”
Ivan dumped Yakov’s body on the ground in front of Callaghan. The man actually gave a little shriek and jumped back as if he were afraid of getting something nasty on his fancy slippers.
“What is that?” Callaghan asked in a voice nearly an octave higher than normal. “And why is it on my lawn?”
“That is the man Yuri sent to kill your daughter.” Grigori smirked. “The sad part is you are far too shallow and stupid to understand the significance of this man’s identity.”
“What?”
“You promised Yuri citizenship in return for his help in getting rid of your daughter.” Grigori watched the man’s face, satisfied when he saw fear as well as recognition. Yuri’s story was true. But Grigori wasn’t done. “Yuri was already feeling threatened. So he pitted one brother against another. He asked you to hound me. Am I right?”
“Yes. Yes! Yuri wanted your brother to appear to have been deported. It was him! It was Yuri. Not me.”
“So you falsified some documents, and my brother disappeared.”
“Yes.” Callaghan was looking impatient.
“This is my brother.” Grigori gestured to Yakov’s body. “He was the assassin called upon to make your daughter disappear.”
“What?” Callaghan frowned. “Then why did you get involved at all?”
“That was a side effect of your interference with immigration. They decided they wanted me gone.” Grigori watched him carefully. It was important to know just how far the immigration scam went. If the entire thing had been a sham, Callaghan would know.
It appeared that Callaghan had no clue what Grigori was talking about. His face was a mass of confusion and horror. “Are you saying that immigration has been after you?”
“Oh yes. I’ve been visited by several agents.”
“But I never...” Callaghan paused. “Yuri double crossed me. He called my own people and ratted me out!” He started pacing. “Teller has to fix this. They’ll know what I’ve been doing. I have to stop them.”
“The lies we tell can sometimes come back to bite us in the ass,” Grigori agreed. He gently threaded his fingers through Flynn’s hair. “In this case, I think I most certainly came out on the better end of the deal. For once.”
Grigori turned, Flynn still held protectively against his side. His men pivoted with him, the five of them looking like an impenetrable unit. It felt like that. Like family.
“Wait!” Callaghan looked aghast. “What about my money?”
“It’s not yours,” Grigori reminded him. “It never was. And if you attempt to come after it again, you will discover how lethal it can be to be on my bad side.”
They got into the van without another word to Callaghan. He would boil in a pot of his own making before too long. His game had run its course.
Grigori got into the back with Flynn still in his arms. Anson got behind the wheel with Ivan and Igor arguing over who got to ride shotgun. By the time they finally ironed out the details, the van was already in motion. They were going home.
“Are you all right?” Grigori asked Flynn. “That was a lot to take in at once.”
“I’m glad I told my sister to go on an out-of-town shopping getaway with my stepmother.” A single tear slipped down her cheek. “Cynthia shouldn’t have to hear that stuff. Especially not about what he did to my mother.”
She broke down then, softly crying into his shirt. Grigori rocked her like a child. He could not imagine the horror of discovering something so awful about her family on the heels of what had happened with his brother.
“I’m such a mess,” she moaned. “How can you stand me?”
“Nobody can be strong all the time.”
She tenderly touched his face. “You can.”
“No. Look at me. I froze earlier. If it wasn’t for you, we would be dead.” Grigori shuddered at the thought. “You are the strongest person I know.”
“You make me strong.” She sighed, snuggling closer. “I think maybe we’re just better together.”
“Does this mean that you’re completely on board with our marriage?” he asked in a teasing tone.
“As long as you can stand my family.” She looked glum.
“Your family?” he snorted. “My brother attempted to murder us.”
“My father hired him.”
“So shall we simply agree that we both have fucked up families?”
She seemed to be looking toward the front of the van. Igor and Ivan were still arguing over the fact that Ivan had gotten to sit in the front seat. Her happy sigh seemed at odds with the weird scene playing out as Anson attempted to referee.
“They’re our family,” she decided. “Don’t you think?”
He cradled her closely. “They most certainly are.”
��They’ll make great nannies for the baby.”
“What baby?” Grigori demanded loudly. He felt as though his heart had stopped.
From the front of the van, all arguing stopped.
Anson whipped around. “What baby?”
Her giggle was a welcome sound. “I’m not pregnant yet. Although I suppose I could be. It’s not like we’ve been careful or anything. I was just thinking that I’d like to have babies with Grigori.”
Grigori gently turned her face up to his. Lowering his mouth, he kissed her slowly until the maddening need for her drowned out everything else that had happened. This was all that mattered.
Chapter Fifteen
Grigori watched the gentle rise and fall of Flynn’s chest as she breathed. The long, even inhales and exhales were evidence of her sweet slumber. The sun was high in the sky now, but they hadn’t gone to bed until well after sunrise anyway.
The blinds were closed, but he could still see every detail of her face and form in the glow from the bright day outside. They had gone to bed naked, and he was glad because he could have stared at her breasts all day long. Unable to resist, he put the tip of his index finger into his mouth and then used it to circle her right nipple over and over until it pebbled into a hard little point.
Flynn stirred, stretching and making her breasts bounce. Her eyes opened, and he couldn’t resist the sleepy, sexy woman who was his wife. Lowering his head, he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. She gasped and stabbed her fingers into his hair to pull him closer.
“Grigori? What are you doing?”
He lifted his hand to her other breast and rolled her nipple between his thumb and index finger. She stopped talking and arched her back, pushing up into the contact. The heat of her skin brushed his, and he felt his cock leap in response. He wanted to be inside her very badly, but he wanted to taste her first.
Letting go of her nipple with a pop, he kissed his way down her body. She took a breath to say something else. Spreading her legs, he put a kiss right on the top of her mound. Any words she might have been about to say dissolved into a moan. He smiled. This was exactly what he wanted: Flynn, speechless and enthralled.
-->
