The Masterful Russian (The Masterful Series)

by Cordelia Gregory

  Gabriel made his way up the short open air stairs to greet the SAS who were already fast roping down onto the deck. Malinov showed his ID when they pointed their weapons at him. He was taken to the man in charge of the SAS operation and he apprised him of the situation as far as he could. Vikktor was already speaking to him through his earpiece.

  Accompanied by four men with their identities protected from view by gas masks and combat gear, they went inside the ship and found a screen in the spa to see the live feed Aalam was showing from The Crow’s nest. Vikktor had already told them that the CCTV cameras in the Crow’s Nest had been disabled by Aalam and they were blind.

  Gabriel stared at the screen. The camera was panning around giving them a sweep of the room.

  “Two to the left, three at the right,” one of the SAS soldiers said out loud picking out the terrorists from the crowd of hostages they had forced to sit on the floor of the bar at one end on a raised platform where the band usually played. The camera lowered to a woman on her knees in her evening dress.

  “Antonia,” Gabriel whispered her name.

  The soldier in charge turned to look at him.

  “You know her?”

  “Yes. She is the journalist I have been protecting who has been providing us with information on Aalam El Hashem’s terrorist cell from the Refugee Camp. I need to get in there. He is going to kill her and the rest of them if we don’t get in there now.”

  Aalam held a knife to her throat.

  “I am not going to kill you this way. You will die a more brutal way. I want everyone to witness this. The more my people are oppressed in your western countries and Syria is bombed the more of your own I will kill,” he said directly to the camera.

  “This is going out live on social media,” Vikktor told them in their earpieces.

  “Take hold of her arms and bend her forward,” Aalam instructed. Aalam started playing to the camera again and giving another lengthy speech.

  Gabriel had seen this before.

  “He is going to take her head off. We need to get in now,” he yelled horror struck. They couldn’t take her away from him now. He would never recover from her loss.

  The soldier nodded.

  “You stay here.”

  “No way. If you try to stop me I will just find another way.”

  “Fine. Michael, get Mr James Bond here a vest. We are going in,” he said with a grin watching Gabriel undo his bow tie and toss it to the floor.

  The team of nine moved fast clambering up onto the small deck just across and behind the Crow’s Nest. They stood on top of a long thin white viewing gallery comprising mostly of large windows that hung across the length of the ship at the front and a small way out over the sides. The team fixed long ropes to the deck rail in front of them and in perfect timing stepped backwards and dropped over the edge of the long narrow strip. They lowered themselves on the rope in front of the windows kicking them in with the bottom of their feet to break into the Crow’s Nest.

  The windows smashed loudly on the floor making people scream. Malinov’s body swung in through the window at the same time as the others. Landing powerfully on his feet and standing, he aimed the Uzi and took out two of the terrorists. The SAS stormed the room taking down every terrorist in sight careful to avoid the passengers. Gabriel ran towards Aalam. He was about to dig the tip of a dagger into the back of Antonia’s neck. Malinov dived at him knocking him away from Antonia as the two men holding her dropped to the floor dead.

  Aalam tried to stab the knife into Gabriel’s throat. Lying on top of the terrorist he banged his arm against the floor until the knife fell out of his hand. He wanted the bastard to live and pay for his crimes. He was going to deny him the privilege of dying as a martyr for his cause.

  Gabriel punched him hard and found he couldn’t stop. He wanted to tear the man apart for raping Antonia and trying to kill her. He beat the man to a bloody pulp and had to be dragged away by a SAS soldier.

  “We’ve got him. He isn’t going anywhere,” one of them shouted at him. “The area is under control.”

  Malinov shrugged the soldier off and nodded looking at his sore bleeding fists then at Aalam lying dazed on the floor. He wasn’t going anywhere. Two fragile bare arms wound around his waist and held on from behind. Antonia.

  Gabriel turned around wanting to take her in his arms and make sure she was safe. He kissed her quickly wiping at the tears running down her pale cheeks with his thumb.

  “I thought I’d lost you,” was all he could say.

  “I am sorry. I just couldn’t sit in that bathroom when he threatened the girls and all of those people.”

  “I know, kotyonok. I know,” he said trembling against her.

  “But I knew you would come for me,” she smiled through her tears. “I had no doubt.”

  He grinned.

  “I am not going to let you out of my sight again.”

  “Please don’t ever let me go again. I just want to be with you. You can spank me if you want. I don’t care.”

  He smiled and kissed her.

  “Don’t worry. I am tying you to my side and there is no escape.” He grinned. “We will discuss your spanking for disobeying me and leaving the cabin later.”

  “Yes, Sir,” she whispered.

  Antonia smiled pressing her soft cheek against his face and clung to him. The SAS and the United Global Defence team secured the area. While they were standing there Nazila and Qaifa ran towards Antonia. She removed one of her arms and placed it around the eldest. Gabriel bent down and brought the small five-year-old up into his arms squeezing Antonia’s hand when tears sprang to her eyes seeing bruising on the little girl’s face.

  “It’s over,” he said. “It’s all over,” he reassured kissing her. “I will keep you all safe now,” he pledged.

  Chapter 16

  Gabriel Malinov sat down in front of the Mafia boss’s ornate desk in Rome.

  “What is it that you want, Mr Malinov?” the middle-aged man asked him.

  Gabriel smiled and pulled his suit jacket sleeve down just above his cufflink to correct his attire.

  “You know exactly what I want or rather who I want you to give up,” he answered in a relaxed manner.

  The man laughed.

  “Adalina Morelli.”

  “Yes. You will know by now that we have found that Adalina Morelli has assisted terrorists in committing mass murder in your country and others. The operation you were running in the refugee camp is now at an end and she is no longer able to facilitate it or those in the other camps. We have retrieved many of the women you enslaved and the operation continues. We have also arrested the mayor of Marzello, the police on your payroll and more importantly the government minister who assisted you in an effort to rid the country of as many refugees as he could. I doubt even your organization wants a connection to a terrorist when many of the families have vowed to protect the country from them. There is nothing to trace you to the crime as always but we know you headed it and you won’t exactly be popular for protecting someone who helped a terrorist. Hand her over.”

  Salvatore Filidoro leaned over his desk.

  “That is very disappointing. I understand your success is due to the initial investigation by the English journalist, Antonia King. I also understand she is an incredibly beautiful, intelligent lady and you have a vested interest in the woman.”

  Malinov narrowed his eyes but made sure he did not take the bait and allow the man to see him riled. He softened his eyes.

  “Morelli is no longer valuable to you.”

  “That is true but I like to deal with matters my own way.”

  “Killing her is a waste. She will have information on IS we can use.”

  “I will tell you what I will do. Out of respect to your uncle who heads his own Russian family in London, I will give you the woman.”

  Gabriel tensed at the mention of his estranged uncle. His mother had disowned her older brother many years ago. He hated the vile connecti
on and did not like to be reminded of it. His father had worked for the government not the Russian Mafia. But in this case, Gabriel was momentarily grateful Salvatore was using it to give him what he wanted.

  “Lucio will give you the address of the safe house. No one will challenge you.”

  “Thank you,” Gabriel said standing.

  Filidoro extended his hand but Malinov refused to take it. He laughed at Gabriel’s serious face.

  “I look forward to doing business with you again and perhaps with your uncle one day.”

  “Over my dead body.” Malinov gave him a sinister smile.

  The Mafia boss gave a muted laugh. Just before Gabriel disappeared through the door he stopped him once more.

  “Just a word of warning. Take good care of your journalist lover. I wouldn’t want anyone to take revenge for her success, especially if I was to now find myself implicated. She is such a beautiful woman. It would be a shame to see her dead or perhaps worse, disfigured. I don’t know how I would take it if anyone tried to harm the woman I loved.”

  Gabriel’s blood ran ice cold but he did not show his fear for Antonia or his anger. He simply curled his lips into a cruel smile.

  “Antonia will be safe. I will kill the next man who tries to harm her whoever he is or however important he believes himself to be,” he said coolly returning the threat.

  The man nodded respectfully. No more needed to be said. Malinov left to pick up Adalina Morelli and start a new life with Antonia. The girls were being placed with a new family in the UK and she and Gabriel were allowed to see them anytime. All he had to do now was to persuade Antonia not to put herself in any more danger and not to accept the job she had been offered in intelligence at United Global Defence so he could keep her safe from harm.

  A while later, he returned to their hotel room and brought her into his arms and held her tight. He cupped his hand around her chin and held it tightly.

  “I am never letting you go, Ms King. You are stuck with me. I am in charge, and if you try to leave, I will hunt you down and bring you back.”

  “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  “Then, you will obey me and not take the post at UGD,” he said with authority. “I want you safe.”

  Antonia sighed.

  “I think we will have to discuss that.”

  “Perhaps we will. Over my knee.”

  * * *

  The End

  Cordelia Gregory

  Cordelia Gregory writes daring erotic romance with a thriller twist, filling her books with sexy dominant dangerous heroes. She also pens novels under the name of Arabella Kingsley and will be creating sizzling sci-fi Romance as Serena Douglas in the near future. Her favourite genres are erotic romance, paranormal Romance, romantic suspense, sci fi romance and steampunk.

  Cordelia was born and bred in the north of the UK on the East Coast where the popular Detective series Vera is filmed. She now lives in the rural county of Hertfordshire in the south dubbed the Hollywood of England where many movies have been made. It also provides the backdrop for Midsomer Murders. She holds a History BA (Hons), a History MA as well as numerous legal and Holistic qualifications.

  A self-confessed Trekkie, Cordelia also has a passion for the paranormal, being able to physically see spirits and communicate with them, something which often influences her writing. Favourite TV shows range from Bodyguard, Line of Duty to Project Blue Book and Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

  Find her on social media:

  Website: www.lustthat.com

  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/

  Facebook Group: Arabella, Cordelia & Serena's Erotic World

  * * *

  Don’t miss these exciting titles by Cordelia Gregory and Blushing Books!

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