Prime Target

by Marquita Valentine

  Everly had refused to believe that I could hold my breath under the water long enough to make her come with my tongue, but I changed her mind. Repeatedly.

  Ben spots us, that goofy grin never leaving his face as he waves us over. The waitress blows him a kiss and saunters off.

  “For someone that might be trying to kill us, he looks pretty happy to see us,” Everly points out as we move to the table.

  “He’s not the brightest Romanov,” I say and she snorts. “It took me forever to teach him how to ride a bike properly.”

  “You taught him how to ride?”

  “And shave. And tie a proper bowtie. Helpless, that one.” I try to make a joke of it, but I know the truth. Ben is like a little brother to me.

  “That’s sweet,” Everly says as we reach the table.

  Ben stands, greeting Everly first with a kiss on the cheek, and then me with a slap to the shoulder. “What took the two of you so long?”

  “—I was hungry.”

  “—Nap.”

  He gives us a curious look. “You ate while you were sleeping, or you slept while you ate?”

  I wave away his question. “We need to talk.”

  His shoulders fall. “I know.” He watches as I take out my gun and hold it under the table. “Put it away, Kolya. I’ve not betrayed you.”

  “That is for me to decide.”

  Everly clears her throat and nods to her left, indicating that we are not alone. The server smiles, ready to take our orders. I have no idea what I tell him, because everything inside of me is focused on Ben.

  “Vladimir is the one behind the attacks.”

  I blink. “He wants me dead?”

  Ben nods slowly, as if he knows what his confession is doing to me. Though I’m not sure if I do know. For years, I felt nothing for the man, but now…

  “Why?”

  Ben takes a sip of his coffee. “Because you are the natural choice to take over. He wants to live in order to seize power…and protect Sebastian. There will be no trade. He lied.”

  They will come after you first. Vladimir had spoken those very words to me. Had I known he meant himself, I would have shot him then and there.

  “Who’s Vladimir?” Everly asks, her gaze bouncing between us.

  “The most egotistical, selfish man in existence,” Ben replies. “And he’s Grandfather’s firstborn.”

  Her brow wrinkles as she looks at me. “Who does your grandfather want to be in charge?”

  I know the answer, but I’m afraid by admitting it, that I’ll lose her forever. I’ll never have the pleasure of her company again. Never again be able to hold her hand simply because I feel like doing so. I give myself a mental shake. No matter what I want, she deserves normality. As soon as possible, I have to find a way to get her inside the American embassy.

  Ben makes a noise, a cross between a snort and a grunt. “Anyone but Vladimir.”

  “Working with family is never easy,” she says.

  “That’s one way of putting things.” My cousin grins. “I’m really glad Viktor didn’t kill you.”

  I smack the back of his head.

  Wincing, he gives me a look. “Well, I am. I like her.”

  “It’s okay, Roman,” Everly says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “I’m really glad I’m alive, too.”

  Warmth flows through me at her touch. The softness she brings to my life…I will never be able to repay. “What about the house in Berlin?”

  “Vladimir hired Gustav to burn it down. Gustav also hired some local skinheads to help out.”

  “No wonder they went down so quickly.” Letting go of her hand, I quickly put my gun away. “Professionals wouldn’t have spent their bullets so quickly.”

  Everly grabs a roll and begins to tear at it. “How do you know all this, Benjamin?”

  “I hacked into Vladimir’s personal email accounts,” he says with no small amount of pride. “No one in the Bratva trusts him anymore, and there’s a huge lack of trust among the organization as it is.”

  “Bratva?”

  Looking around, I lean into her. “Mafia. Mob.”

  “That’s your family business?” she squeaks.

  I’m amused by the horrified expression on her face. “Assassin is okay with you, but not crime lord?”

  “Yes. Well, no.” She looks at me, and then at Ben, before her gaze returns to me. “But you said you only, ah…bring the bad guys to justice. Does that mean you’re the nice mafia?”

  My cousin laughs so hard that his face turns red and it seems as though everyone in the entire café stops eating to look at him. I rub the bridge of my nose. So much for circumspection. But I have to admit it’s my fault for ordering him to meet us here, instead of the privacy of a hotel room.

  “Nice… Jesus. That’s priceless, Ev. Priceless.”

  “Her name is Everly. Use it.” Although it is part of mine and Ben’s culture to shorten names of those we know and sometimes hold dear, I do not like it. It is not amusing to see him act so charming to her.

  Holding up his hands, Ben says, “Yes, sir. Sorry. Everly, that’s damn funny. I’ll have to put it up on my Yahoo group.”

  Her roll falls to the table. “There’s a mafia Yahoo group?”

  Ben winks at her. “There’s a group for everything.”

  “Can we stay on topic, please?” Everly and Ben turn their attention to me. “I work for independent financiers eighty percent of the time. The rest is at the request of our family.”

  “And those people are bad guys too?”

  “Roman is known for his requirements. No one bothers to secure his services otherwise,” Ben interjects. “He’s the one with a conscience.”

  “Will you bring Vladimir to justice?” she asks softly.

  I nod grimly. “He hasn’t earned the right to terminate me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Later that afternoon, Everly and I travel with Ben to an estate on the coast, so that she can practice shooting a gun in relative peace. When we pull into the semi-circle of the driveway, the place looks deserted.

  “It’s like a fortress,” she gasps, taking in the castle, the sharp cliffs, and the waves crashing in the distance.

  “At one time, it was exactly that.” Ben walks with us to the front door and enters a combination on the keypad.

  “Please tell whoever owns this place thank you for letting us stay,” she says.

  He opens the door with a flourish. “You’re welcome.”

  “You own this?” I ask, nonplussed.

  Instead of answering, Ben wiggles his eyebrows at Everly. “Who’s ready to waste some bullets?”

  *

  Watching Everly aim a gun is one of the most heartbreaking things I’ve ever witnessed. Of course, I want her to be able to protect herself. But to have to resort to this…

  Her gun shakes.

  I put my arms around her, breathing in her scent as I place my hands over hers to adjust them. “Stand straight. Rest the ducktail along your thumbs. It will give you more control.”

  She tilts her head, yellow safety glasses catching the light. “Ducktail?”

  “The part that flares out here.” I indicate the spot.

  “Oh.” She corrects her stance and her thumbs slide in closer.

  “Are you ready?”

  She nods, and I let go. “Take your time.”

  Backing up a step, I wait for her to shoot the paper outline of a man. The gun goes off. Once. Twice. Her body jerks with each shot.

  Suddenly, she turns, holding out the gun, barrel facing down. “I can’t…it’s too much.”

  “It’s not. You can do this,” I insist, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around. “Imagine Viktor standing there, gun aimed at you.”

  “He’s dead. Let’s pretend it’s someone else.”

  Nearly a week of running, fighting, and being shot at finally catches up with me. “Pick whoever you want, I don’t care.”

  “I was just trying to make it mo
re fun, so I wouldn’t be so scared,” she says meekly. “I want to be brave.”

  “I want you at the embassy,” I snap.

  Her mouth opens and closes. “I thought we were a team.”

  Ben joins us before I can say something stupid. He takes the gun from Everly and resets the safety. “Why don’t you take a break, and I’ll work with her. I’ve had my nap, my shots, and everything else you’d require in order to be around her.”

  I cross my arms and glare at both of them. “I don’t need a break.”

  “Yes, you do,” they say simultaneously.

  Ben’s smile is kind as he approaches her. “Let’s start at the beginning, yes? That way, I can correct whatever bad habits Roman has.”

  “My Roman doesn’t have bad habits,” she insists, taking the gun from him.

  “Your Roman might not, but my Nikolai does.”

  “Fuck you!” I shout at Ben. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d have been dead years ago.”

  Everly and Ben look at me with wide-eyed stares. Clearly, they were playing. Clearly, I do need a break.

  Suddenly, Ben starts laughing. “You’re jealous.”

  Hell, yes, I’m jealous. “Of you? Hardly.” I load the clip with more bullets until it is full.

  “If you don’t want me to practice with him, I won’t,” Everly says softly. I know she’s trying to defuse the situation, but all I want to do is beat the hell out of Ben.

  “You asked to be taught,” I say tightly.

  I clench my jaw as she lays her hand on my sleeve. “Please don’t be that way.”

  “I’m not being any way.”

  “Someone needs a nap,” Ben says in a sing-song voice.

  This time, Everly smacks him in the shoulder. “Be nice. He saved me from an explosion this morning.”

  “I don’t need you to defend me.”

  Hurt clouds her eyes, and I want to snatch the words from the air. “I know.”

  Pissed at myself more than anything, I stride out of the room, tossing over my shoulder, “Have her done in time to get ready for tonight’s charity event.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Everly descends the stairs, a vision in a black dress that clings to her like second skin. Her hair flows over her shoulders and down her back in loose curls. She smiles at me, confident, yet a bit shy.

  Honestly, I’m surprised she’s smiling at all with the way I behaved this afternoon.

  “You look beautiful,” I say, holding my hand out to her. She takes it and joins me. I brush my lips over her knuckles, wishing I had jewelry to give her. “I can’t imagine there will be anyone at this event that could rival you.”

  Pursing her lips a little, she raises a brow. “Putting it on a little thick to make up for earlier?”

  “Am I that transparent?”

  “Now you are.” She fiddles with my bow tie.

  “Earlier, I was not myself,” I admit.

  “No, you were every man that’s ever been grumpy, hungry, and tired all at the same time,” she replies playfully. Standing on her toes, she bites my earlobe. “And very, very jealous.”

  Automatically, I turn my head to give her better access. “Tell me how I can make it up to you?”

  “Good God. Would the two of you behave like adults?” Ben says, walking into the foyer. We break apart, like illicit lovers caught in the act. “You can kiss and make babies after the charity event.”

  “Do you forgive me?” I ask her, gazing into her eyes.

  She smiles and kisses me softly, paying Ben’s fake groans of outrage no mind. “Yes.”

  Turning, I pick up the folded silk shawl from a nearby table. “I know it’s not jewels, but I thought you would like to wear this shawl to the party tonight.”

  “It’s beautiful,” she breathes, as I drape it around her bare shoulders. She touches the fringe that is shot through with gold thread. “But when did you have time to buy it?”

  I rub the back of my neck. “While I was working out some issues, I ran into town.” Literally ran to the nearest town, as in, on foot.

  “Isn’t this special,” Ben says, stepping between us and tucking Everly’s hand into the crook of his elbow. “So very special and dear that I just can’t wait to hear every single detail in the car.”

  Everly casts an amused glance over her shoulder. But while I allow him to run his mouth, I will not allow him to escort my woman.

  I grab Ben’s shoulder and squeeze. “Perhaps Everly should walk with me. I would hate it if she tripped and you got your arse kicked.” Winking at Everly, I take her from Ben and put her where she belongs. Right by my side.

  *

  The charity event is in full swing by the time we arrive. Millionaires, billionaires, oil moguls, Hollywood elite, and politicians mingle with local entrepreneurs.

  “Is he here?” I murmur to Ben, taking a glass of champagne from a passing server’s tray and handing it to Everly.

  “My sources say that he is.”

  “As did mine, but things have changed.”

  “Sebastian is notoriously punctual. Or is that annoyingly punctual?”

  “Holy crap,” Everly says, excited. She downs her drink in one gulp and nearly does a dance. “Ian Romanov is here. Do you think Zoe is, too? I totally want her autograph. Can we deviate from the plan so I can fangirl over her?”

  I look across the room, finding the man Everly has mistaken as his brother. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that is not the movie star. It’s his twin brother.”

  She pouts a little, adorably so. Then her face grows serious. “His family is rumored to be in the mafia.” Her eyes widen, the black liner making them seem impossibly huge. “Y’all are related, aren’t you?”

  “We are.”

  “Cousin? Uncle?”

  “Grandfather,” Ben supplies with a snort. As discreetly as possible, I step on his shoe and put all my weight on it. “Son of a bitch!”

  “I believe you had some reconnaissance to do.”

  “Not if my toe’s broken. Damn it, Kolya, grow a sense of humor,” he growls, limping away.

  With a slight smile, I turn my attention back to the woman beside me. “Sebastian and Christian are my half-brothers. Only a handful of people, not including them, are aware of this. They both think me their cousin, the son of Vladimir’s middle brother.”

  Understanding dawns. “Your own dad wants to kill you?”

  “So it seems.”

  “Then why are we here, instead of kicking his butt?” She sticks out her leg and lifts the hem of her already short dress. “I’m packing heat. Ben gave me a leg holster and a smaller gun.”

  My bloodthirsty, sexy little American. I think I’ll keep you. “Because there is a hit on his son as well, and I need to warn him.”

  “Why do you need to do that?” she asks, her breasts rising and falling rapidly. She’s nervous, excited, and afraid. “Can’t Ben send him an email, and we can go home?”

  “Remember what I told you about my policy of only killing the bad guys?”

  She nods.

  “I am the one who has been sent to kill him, yet he is entirely innocent. A bit shady in his dealings, but a blight on mankind—hardly.”

  “Can’t you just say no?”

  “I did.”

  “Why didn’t the financier call it off? Why are we here instead of…instead of…oh God, it’s because of me, isn’t it?”

  Silently, I nod. She laces her hand in mine, holding my fingers in a death grip. Her eyes scan the room over and over, like she’s expecting a man with a gun to jump out at us at any moment.

  “Everly, we must warn Sebastian. Tonight. Time is running out, and I have no idea if another person has been contacted. Ben is currently in Sebastian’s hotel room, hacking into his laptop for more information.”

  “What are you waiting for?” She sets down her empty glass and fluffs her hair. “Introduce me to your cousin.”

  Weaving our way through the packed ballroom of the hotel, we finall
y arrive where Sebastian is sitting. Alone, nursing a drink. Odd considering his reputation with women.

  He stares out the open French doors, obviously deep in thought. Everly clears her throat and he turns his pale eyes on us. “Can I help—oh, it’s you. What have I done this time?” he asks, completely unsurprised to see me.

  “You haven’t met me, that’s what,” Everly says.

  Sebastian sits up a little, leaning forward slightly. “You would be correct.” He stands and takes Everly’s hand. “Are you my present for tonight?”

  “Uh…no. Sorry.” Everly smiles, looks up at me for help, and then slowly pulls her hand out of his. “I’m his present.”

  His gaze rakes over her. He is very interested in my Everly. “How much?”

  “Pardon?” Does he really think she’s an escort?

  “How much? I’m happy to compensate her for her time.” He tilts his head to one side. “Is the accent real or affected?”

  “Everything about me is real,” Everly snaps.

  He laughs. “God, yes. You will do for tonight. Perhaps for longer, since I can’t have her.”

  “You can’t have me either.” Everly turns her nose into the air.

  Undeterred, Sebastian reaches out and gently grabs a thick lock of hair. “The color’s wrong, but in the dark…” He shakes his head. “What am I thinking, no one could ever be her. No one could ever be Daisy.”

  He’s mooning over a damn flower? Just as I am about to break every bone in his hand, Everly smacks it away. “Can I shoot him? I don’t have the same policy as you.”

  Forcing down a laugh, I shake my head. “Not this time.”

  He sways slightly. “You’ve been sent to kill me? Can I call Daisy first? I need to tell her I’m in love. Me, Sebastian, not Jules. The bastard.”

  Jesus, he’s drunk, and over a woman named Daisy. I’ve seen the same signs of desperation in myself. “No, but you can come with us. There are some things I have to discuss with you.”

  “I’d rather you kill me.”

  I take him by the arm, forcing him to follow along. “Then it’s a good thing I don’t give a shit about what you would rather have happen.”