Jake grinning briefly. “Careful there, Joe. Dad could charm a nun out of her habit.”
Joseph chuckled. “That lady he’s been dating might have something to say about that.”
“Considering she was once a nun, I’d bet on it.” The men shared a laugh, then Jake got serious again. “Listen, Joe, I’m not one to panic needlessly, but this guy got in your house. I would change your locks at the very least. From what I saw, it looks like the bastard used your basement door to get in. You might want to put some kind of bar or something down there, or install an alarm system.” The three men made their way up the stairs. “Give me a moment to grab my kit so I can search for fingerprints and get some pictures. I don’t think I need to tell you not to touch anything.”
He shook hands all around and headed out to his squad car.
“Want me to patrol?” Joe’s expression was dark, vicious.
“No. Even if he’s out there right now, the women need us first. He’s shown himself, proved he can get to us here. He’s trying to make her run from me, make herself vulnerable.”
“And you’re going to have to talk her out of it.”
“Yup.” Seth followed his father into the kitchen, where Abby sat huddled under a blanket. Marian sat in front of her, rubbing Abby’s hands. Abby was ignoring her second cup of tea and was talking earnestly with Marian. She broke off when the two men opened the door. Jake’s father was nowhere to be seen.
Seth sighed. Sometimes he hated being right. She was thinking of running again. He’d investigated the room briefly after packing, swearing low so she wouldn’t hear him. The stalker had left behind more than just the roses and the locket, but the darkness had prevented them both from seeing it until Seth turned the lights back on. He’d left behind a message, written in that fucking red lipstick, right on the bedroom wall.
Run.
His mother confirmed his worst fears. “Seth, try and convince her that she needs to stay with you.”
Abby jumped, spearing his mother with a betrayed look. Here we go again. A fresh spurt of rage moving through him at what Doug was trying to do to her. To both of them.
“Yes, I know, you think that you’re putting Seth, and us, in danger. But you see, Seth would just up and follow you. He’d try to protect you whether you wanted it or not. So isn’t it safer for him to know what’s going on around you rather than have him one step behind you, and possibly two steps behind Doug?”
He watched grimly as Abby struggled with herself. It really didn’t matter to him what the end result was in her mind. There was no way she was getting rid of him that easily. He’d become her shadow, a true guardian angel, following her and protecting her, unseen, the way he had in Delaware.
“He hurt my family. He killed my little brother, nearly killed me. And my sister...” Abby shuddered violently.
“You were alone then.” Marian put a comforting hand on Abby’s knee. “Seth won’t let that happen.”
“He could hurt you and Joe.” Abby’s gaze was wounded, terrified.
Joe cocked an eyebrow. “I’m a lot tougher than I look, and nothing is going to get to Marian without going through me first. Trust Seth. You’d be surprised at how difficult it will be for your attacker to hurt him.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and her head bowed in defeat. “All right. You win.” She lifted her head and smiled a sad smile. “He probably would follow me, too.” She grinned up at Seth, some of the sparkle back in her eyes.
“My boys are stubborn that way.”
“I told you that before, Abby. No one is going to hurt you if I stay with you.” Her eyes widened at the hard tone of Seth’s voice. At least she knew better than to argue with him. He nodded at her again as acceptance flashed across her face. “Glad you agree.” He pulled out a chair and sat at the table with his family. “I called Romanov. He agreed to let me use his place to hide out for now. No one would think to look for us there.” Seth folded his hands on the table and prepared himself for a fight.
“Romanov. Are you sure it’s wise to owe him a favor, son?” The concern in Joseph’s voice was unmistakable.
Seth smiled grimly. “Actually, he owes me one.” A big one, but he wasn’t about to go into details with his mother at the table. Piotr’s past wasn’t all sweetness and light. Seth had helped his brother out of more than one tight spot.
“My friend Andi works for Mr. Romanov.”
“I’d forgotten about that.” Abby called her Andi? She didn’t seem like an Andi. She more like an Andrea, all long, dark brown hair, sultry blue eyes and a body that wouldn’t quit. Andrea Hancock was all slick sophistication. He’d never seen her in anything less than an exquisitely tailored business suit and killer heels that made her legs seem miles long. Her hair always lay just so on her shoulders. Her makeup was always flawless and understated, and she moved with a grace and poise most other women could only envy. She was at home no matter where she went, for her sophistication and ease with people caused her to be liked and admired by those who knew her.
He didn’t think she owned a pair of jeans, and Abby called her Andi?
She had a formidable brain behind those stunning turquoise eyes, a mind that Piotr, no matter what he said or did, prized highly. He used her for assignments that normally would have merited his own attention, and Seth had been glad to see his friend finally putting trust in someone other than himself. Piotr raved about her efficiency and completely ignored her looks. But that wasn’t uncommon for Piotr. He tended to view his employees as assets or, in rare cases, liabilities. And the latter rarely remained that way for long. Piotr had a way of dealing with “liabilities.”
“She’s probably the one who’s making the final arrangements for us.” She was the only female Piotr ever allowed close to him and didn’t sleep with. She was just that good a PA. The only thing Andrea didn’t know about Piotr was the fact that he was Nephilim.
“So she knows where we’re going?”
The relief in her gaze would have hurt him if he hadn’t known how close she was to her friends. It must be killing her not speak to them on a daily basis, but for her safety he couldn’t allow it.
“Yes, she knows. And she’ll be under strict orders not to tell anyone else. We won’t be going there for long, anyway. Just long enough for us to get our act together. We’ve been running on adrenaline since the beginning of this thing, and I think we need to get somewhere where no one would think to find us. Piotr’s estate is good for that. We can have ourselves a little council of war with him and Andi, if you like, but he’ll only be there for one night. He’s headed for California to broker some kind of deal and Ms. Hancock is going with him. So we’ll have the place to ourselves, at least for a week. Maybe two.”
A week or two where he could make sure she was safe and that the bastard couldn’t get to his parents again. He exchanged a glance with his father. The new security system would be going up sooner rather than later. He’d have Damien patch into it, make it even better.
She sighed wearily. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow. We can sleep in a little, and catch the afternoon flight.” Abby would be sleeping in his bed from now on, far away from lipstick messages and rose petals.
He stood and carried his tea mug over to the sink. He rinsed it out and put it on the drain board. He held out his hand, more than ready to get some sleep. If he was this tired, she must be exhausted. “Let’s go to bed, sweetheart.”
He hid his triumphant grin as she placed her hand in his.
* * *
The trip to Piotr’s island took less time than she thought it would. The short flight in first class from Colorado to Ohio had led to a car ride to Lake Erie. There, they had boarded a ferry to South Bass Island, an island just south of the Canadian border, and from there they would board a private yacht to Piotr’s island.
Abby had gotten out of bed while Seth slept, and called Andi. She felt better about where they were going and who they’d be relying on. Piotr Romanov had a nasty
reputation, but Andi assured her that the man was loyal to the bone and close friends with Seth.
It was enough.
Andi met them at the South Bass ferry dock and led them to the private yacht. She wore her typical black business suit with a black trench coat over it. She was briskly efficient, acting the part of the executive assistant to the hilt. Once belowdecks, however, she embraced Abby with all the warmth of an old friend.
“I was so worried about you when Nancy told me what was going on. You have to fill me in.” Andi handed Abby a cup of coffee, liberally laced with sugar and cream, and sat down on the plush sofa, pulling Abby down with her. Seth took one of the armchairs across from them, declining a cup of coffee. He pulled out one of the books he’d brought along for the trip, but Abby wasn’t sure how much attention he was paying to the story.
Giving Andi the abbreviated version of events took about half an hour. She seemed to accept it without question, but her gaze kept darting over to Seth. The expression on her face said that she was much more interested in what was going on with Seth than what was going on with Doug.
“Would you like to take a glance around the ship, Abby? I’m sure Seth won’t mind.”
Seth waved his hand. “I’ve been here before, and it should be safe enough. Go on, if you’d like.”
Abby liked, and soon found herself escorted around a living room, dining room, fully stocked kitchen, and three bedrooms. The boat was bigger than her town house. “This man has more money than God.”
Andi smirked, and one of the crewmen shot her a startled look. “I think God owes him money.”
Abby laughed and followed her friend through yet another door and down a spiral staircase. This one led to a private bedroom, not nearly as nice as the rest of the boat but still pleasant. It had Andi’s personal touches all over it.
Andi sat gingerly on the bed after closing the door, and Abby joined her. “Okay, Abby, what do you need?”
“Help. And some answers to some questions.” Abby faced her friend, folding her legs beneath her.
“Shoot. I’ll answer what I can, but you have to remember, some stuff I either don’t know the answers to or can’t answer due to my position.” Andi peeled off her jacket, revealing the snow-white, sleeveless vest beneath. She wore the vest as a top. On any other woman it would have been tacky as hell, but on Andi it was sexy and smart.
“Got it. First question: how do Seth and Piotr know each other?” This was one that had been bothering her most of the night and all of the day. Their phone call the night before had been brief, merely Andi giving her reassurances that Piotr was not an ogre and Seth really was a good friend of his.
Andi tilted her head in thought. “That’s easy. The two of them went to the same private high school, but Piotr wasn’t allowed to associate much with the other kids children due to his father’s business practices. Something about enemies and being used as a pawn, I think. Ivan Romanov is a scary fucker, and I thank everything anyone believes in I’ve only had to talk to him twice.
“Anyway, they became friends, one of the few that Piotr has. I don’t know what happened back then, but from what I’ve heard, Piotr was a wild child, constantly rebelling against his father. I think he got into something he couldn’t get out of and Seth helped him, but I’m not sure what. I do know Piotr feels he owes Seth. And when Piotr owes someone—”
“He pays it back in spades.”
“And diamonds. Sometimes even clubs. So expect the royal treatment. He’s going to take special care with Seth’s ‘woman.’ He’s a little old-fashioned that way.”
Abby ignored the reference to Seth’s “woman” and the speculative gleam in Andi’s eye when she’d said it. “How close a friend is he to Seth?”
“They call each other brother, and on Piotr’s part he means it. Seth is the only person I’ve ever seen Piotr open up to. They’ve been close forever, it seems. The only time I’ve ever seen Piotr hop is when Seth calls. I’m thinking whatever Seth saved him from was pretty big.”
“Did you pass along my request to him?” Abby asked nervously. She still wasn’t sure that Andi’s idea was a good one, but if the two were as close as Andi said, then hopefully Piotr would act on her request.
“Yes.” Andi grinned ruefully. “He just looked at me, blinked slowly and smiled that frustrating smile of his. I think he’s already done something, because he pretty much dismissed me. That’s his usual method of dealing with me when he thinks I’ve stated the obvious.” Andi’s smile turned wicked. “So I hired Beth anyway.”
Abby drew in a breath of relief, one weight off her mind. “Okay. I’m glad it was you who hired her. I’m not sure I want to be beholden to a man like him any more than I have to be.”
“He’s not as bad as everyone makes him out to be, you know.” Andi’s expression was serious. “He does care about things, and people. He’s just had it beaten in to him not to show it.”
“Things and people, huh? In that order?” Abby stood and began to pace the tiny cabin. She hadn’t missed Andi’s annoyed grimace. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. It’s just, this whole Doug thing is driving me insane.”
Everything she’d ever heard about Piotr Romanov said the man was mad, bad and dangerous to know. He was ruthless, sophisticated, a jet-setter and a ladies’ man. He ran through women like Abby ran through socks.
And one of her closest friends loved him with every fiber of her being.
It had to kill something inside Andi every time someone else was with the man she loved. Abby had no idea how she stayed by his side, but she remained the same cheerful, strong woman she’d always been. Abby admired the hell out of her even as she wanted to smack her for staying with Piotr for so long.
“We’ll get him, Abby, don’t worry about that. You know we will. It’s just a matter of time. Sick bastards like Doug make mistakes, and when he does—”
“One of us will swoop down and pounce on him. At least, that’s what we’re hoping.” Abby stopped her pacing and bit her lip. “You checked in with Beth?”
“Yup, and she’s already on the case. Said she ran into Detective Zucco and gave him a piece of her mind, too.”
Abby groaned. If Seth was overprotective, Beth was a bulldog when it came to her friends. She’d grab hold of the case with both teeth and gnaw on the detective until he either locked her up or got the bad guy. “Detective Zucco has been nothing but nice to me. He’s the one who suggested that Seth and I disappear.” She paused as she tried to figure out how to phrase it so Andi would understand. “I’m not afraid of him.”
“Really? That’s great.” Andi appeared genuinely delighted for her. If Andi saw how massive Dante was, she’d have been even more impressed. “But you know Beth. Now that she’s on the case it would take an act of God to get her off of it.” Andi shook her head. “Anyway, Detective Zucco ordered her to keep out of his way.”
“Oh, boy.” She bet that went over well.
“Oh, boy, indeed. Needless to say, Beth said to consider this one pro bono. Apparently he was really irritating.”
“I hope she doesn’t annoy Dante too much.” Beth could annoy a fly off of shit when she was on to something.
“Any word on what the hell happened? How did Doug get free?”
“Laundry trolley or something.” Abby shuddered. “He’s been out for three months, Andi. He could have gotten to me at any time.”
“He must have an agenda. Did he act before or after you and Seth hooked up?”
Abby thought about it. “I had a date with Seth the night he broke into my house.”
“That might be the trigger.”
“You think? I moved in with Seth. The night Seth and I went out to dinner, we found our tires slashed and Seth’s home trashed.” Abby bit her lip, her thoughts racing a mile a minute. “I have to keep Seth safe.”
Andi shot her a knowing look. “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”
Abby lowered her head into her hands. “Yes. Hell. Try fallen
, hit rock bottom and have the bruised tush to prove it.” She sighed. “What am I going to do with him?”
Andi shrugged. “Push him into bed and ride him like a pony for two weeks.”
“Andi.” The twinkle in Andi’s eyes gave her away, but she’d successfully distracted Abby from her fears. Abby decided to let them go, for now.
“What? I’m just saying.”
“Innocent is so not you.”
Andi grinned wickedly. “I know.”
* * *
The yacht docked at Piotr’s private marina an hour later, where two shiny, expensive golf carts waited to for them to drive to the mansion. Seth loaded the luggage in the back of the black and chrome cart and settled her on the heated seat before sliding behind the wheel. Andi, used to the carts, was already waiting to lead the way in her own cherry-red cart.
Abby viewed the scenery out the window. The place wasn’t as barren as she thought it would be. The trees had that twisted look about them that spoke of storm-swept seas and high cliffs. It was stunning, in a dark, morbid sort of way.
Piotr’s mansion was a rambling stone structure that was difficult to describe, all dark corners and unexpected twists and turns that undoubtedly suited the owner’s personality to a T. Like a castle that wasn’t trying to be a castle. Andi had once told her that there was a hedge maze in back, along with formal gardens and fountains.
Inside, the mansion was everything Abby had expected. It was an excellent example of the Georgian style, down to the green moiré silk that covered walls and the toile draperies in the bedroom she was shown to. Her room was quite a sight to behold. Her bed was of darkest mahogany, the walls covered in patterned green and white. The draperies were a darker green, and the windows appeared to open out. There were no screens. The ceiling around the chandelier had been painted to resemble a scene from a Renaissance painting—down to the chubby cherubs.
She hated it on sight. She was much more comfy casual than refined elegance.
She fought down the urge to stick her tongue out at the dancing cherubs and turned to the wardrobe. She put her clothing away and moved to the en suite bathroom, rolling her eyes at all the gilt and curlicue glamour. She showered quickly, afraid of breaking something, and changed into the green dress that Seth had bought for her. She loved the way the skirt swished around her knees even as she winced at how her scars were displayed. She did her hair and makeup, satisfied that she looked as good as she was going to for dinner with one of the richest men on the East Coast.
All for You Page 15
