by Rose, Bella
As she tucked herself in her car, she struggled to get hold of her emotions. Even here, he would be able to see if she fell apart. Besides, she had a job to do. And she couldn’t very well do her job if she was a sniveling idiot.
Work passed uneventfully, and she finally dragged herself home. The nights of no sleep were finally getting to her. She felt as though she could pass out standing up, but whenever she laid her head down, she saw him, poised over top of her, gently cupping her chin and rhythmically pushing deeper and deeper into her.
It was heaven. It was a nightmare.
When the phone rang, it didn’t register that it wasn’t her ringtone. She didn’t even bother to glance at the screen as she brought it to her ear. Just as she opened her mouth to say hello, a familiar voice rang out on the other side.
“Kazimir. Something is going on. I think Fedor knows. His inner circle is planning a trip, and they’re planning it with guns. If we don’t kill him now, he may kill you.”
“What?” Veronika gasped. The line immediately went dead, and she put the phone down and stared at it. Obviously they had mixed up their phones when she’d dropped everything out of her bag. She’d recognized Dmitri’s voice.
“Give me my phone, Veronika,” Kaz said. She looked up and saw him staring at her from the doorway. “Now. Give me my phone now.”
She clutched at it shakily and stared at him. “Are you trying to kill my father?”
His stance didn’t waver. “I was. Now I’m not. Give me the phone.”
“I’m not scared of you,” she said as she jutted her chin out. “Lesser men have tried to take down my father and failed.”
“The problem, Princess, is that you’re not scared of anything,” he muttered as he reached over and ripped the phone out of her hand. He crossed the room and grabbed her computer as well. “Sorry, Veronika. But I can’t have you calling him until I know what’s going on.”
He kept his eyes on her as he dialed the phone and held up to his ear. “Kaz here. What the hell is going on?” he said coldly. “It doesn’t matter. Tell me.”
Veronika wrapped her arms around herself and listened to the one-sided conversation. She was cold, but it wasn’t from fear. She wasn’t lying. She wasn’t scared of Kaz. But the man who stood in her bedroom now was almost a stranger to her.
Why would he try to kill her father? And what could she do to stop him? She knew her father wasn’t a good man, but there was nothing that could convince her that he deserved to die. Besides, he was her father.
“When was this?” Kaz said as he glanced at the clock. His eyes widened. “Shit. Meet me at the safe house.”
He shoved the phone in his pocket and tossed her computer on the desk. “We’re leaving, now.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she hissed as she wrenched away. “Are you out of your mind?”
“You’re in danger,” he snapped.
“From my father? I don’t think so. You just want to use me as a hostage. Because that’s what you do, Kazimir. You use people.”
Kaz bit back an oath and picked her up. “I don’t have time for this. You’re coming whether you like it or not.”
She opened her mouth to scream, and he clamped a hand over it. “If you scream, they’ll call the police. And if someone calls the police, your father will be here, and do you know who they’ll find? Charley. They’ll find Charley. Is that what you want?”
Veronika bit his hand, but she didn’t scream. “He wouldn’t hurt her.”
“To get what he wanted, Veronika, your father will hurt just about anyone. Now are you going to walk with me or do I need to carry you?”
After glaring at him, she finally blew out her breath. “Put me down. This is ridiculous.”
He sat her down, but he didn’t let go of her. “I’d let you pack a bag, but we don’t have time. I promise that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Do you understand?”
“Sure. Like I’d believe anything that comes out of your mouth,” she spat. “Why would you need me safe? So you can get your rocks off by humiliating me?”
A pained expression crossed his face, but he didn’t say anything, He pulled her to the car and buckled her in. She thought briefly about making a break for it when he went around to the driver’s side, but what was the use? He would only catch her again.
Crossing her arms, she stared out the window and sulked.
“Your father is not who he says he is,” Kaz said softly.
“I know what he does,” she said tightly. “I’ve always known.”
“Oh, my Princess,” he muttered. “You have no idea what your father is capable of.”
“This is ridiculous. You work for my father. There are days where I think he loves you more than he loves me. Why the hell would you try and kill him?”
He didn’t say anything, and she shook her head angrily. “Violence just begets more violence. I’m moving to Switzerland when this is all over.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” he said hoarsely.
They rode the rest of the way in silence, and when they pulled up to a house on a corner, she was shocked to see Dmitri standing out front. “How did he get here so quickly?”
“The man is a mystery. Don’t do anything to cause attention to yourself,” he muttered as he put the car in park. “Come on. Inside.”
Veronika peered at the old house. “Kaz, this is ridiculous. Let me talk to my father. We can straighten out this whole mess.”
“Inside. Now.”
She sighed and opened the door. Dmitri was immediately at her side. “Why is she here?” he muttered.
“Because you were an idiot,” Kaz snapped.
“Charley?” he asked.
“I’ve told her to stay away. I need to get back and create the scene. Don’t let her out of your sight,” Kaz said as he got back in the car.
“Scene? What scene?” she asked as he drove away. He certainly wasn’t going to leave her alone with this strange man, was he? “What the hell is he talking about?”
“Inside.” Dmitri dragged her inside and locked the door. She gasped when she looked around. Where the house looked like it was falling apart on the outside, it was nothing but modern convenience and technology on the inside. Every wall had a monitor that showed the outside view, and she could even see as far as the surrounding streets.
And one wall was nothing but weapons. She looked at it wearily. “Who are you again?”
“I’m not exactly a friend of Kaz’s, but today I might as well be. I certainly haven’t stuck my neck out for anyone else.”
“And what is Kaz doing?”
“He’s making it look like you disappeared, babe. He doesn’t want your father to know that you’re here. I’m actually kind of hoping that your father doesn’t know that we’re here.”
“Are you trying to kill him, too?”
He grunted in reply, and she folded her arms. “I won’t let you. I don’t care what he’s done to you. I won’t let you kill him.”
“It’s not what he’s done to me, darling. And if you knew the truth of your father, you might be the first in line. I have a feeling there’s a thirst for violence under that pretty packaging of yours,” he said with a wink.
She gasped and pressed herself against the wall. “How dare you? You don’t know anything about me.”
“And until Kaz gets back, I’m the only thing keeping you alive. Tell me about Charley. She seems like a firecracker.”
“You stay away from her,” Veronika snapped. “I think I’ve ruined enough people’s lives.”
“Not you,” Dmitri said easily. “Your father. You’re actually somewhat of a good girl. I can see why Kaz has fallen for you. In all the years that I’ve known him, absolutely nothing has kept him from his goal. We had the perfect opportunity to take Fedor Saiko out, and you know what happened?”
Mutely, she shook her head.
“You happened. I imagine he spent one night in your bed and then couldn’t stomach the th
ought of you crying. Even if it was over a bastard like your father. So you hate Kaz all you want, but make sure you hate him for the right reasons. He put his one life’s desire aside for you.”
Shocked, Veronika sagged against the wall. What the hell had her father done to make Kaz hate him so much? And why would he set all that aside for her? He’d made it more than clear that he didn’t love her. Hell, he didn’t even seem to like her.
It was well after dark when Kaz returned. “They’re at the house,” he muttered as he began locking the door. There were six locks all together. “Twenty guards but no Fedor. Are you sure he was coming?”
Dmitri pointed to the monitor. It was grainy, but she could make out the three black sedans that were coming down the street.
Her father.
“Smarter than you gave him credit for,” Dmitri said as he tensed. “He followed you here.”
“Shit. Veronika, you have to leave,” Kaz said as he whirled around.
“Too late. They’re here,” she said, trembling as the headlights passed along the wall. She didn’t know why she was scared. This was her father.
“Bedroom. Now,” Kaz said as he gripped her elbow.
Dmitri pulled one of the guns off the wall. “I’ll try to hold them off. I can’t believe after you saved my life, I’m going to have to die for you,” he muttered.
Kaz looked almost sad as he gazed at him. “Not for me. With me. I’ll be back, friend.” He grabbed Veronika and hurried her into the living room.
Suddenly, the windows shattered, and as glass rained to the floor, smoke began to billow out into the rooms. She bent over and coughed, but Kaz never let go of her. She could hear the splintering of wood as someone began to break down the door. Six locks be damned. Bullets rang out in the hall, and she gasped. Kaz grasped her by the waist and pulled her into the bedroom. “Stay here,” he said tightly.
“Dmitri,” she said weakly.
“I’m going to check on him. Veronika, you have to stay here. Don’t come out for your father. Don’t come for anyone. No matter what you hear. Now matter what you see.”
“Kaz,” she said as she grasped his hand. “What the hell is going on?”
He turned around and pressed a kiss to her. “I’m sorry for what I said to you. I would never hurt you, but I was getting too close to you. I had to pull away. I had to pull away to keep you safe. In my entire life, I’ve never had anything better than you. And I’m sorry, Veronika. I’m sorry for what I’m about to do to you.”
She cried out as he pulled away and closed the door. The shouts were getting louder, and she opened the door to follow him. But her father and men were pouring into the house, and she immediately ducked behind it. She couldn’t close it now without drawing attention to herself.
Was she really so scared of her father?
Chapter Eight
“Where is my daughter?” Fedor asked softly as he moved through the room. Veronika nearly burst through the door and ran to her father’s arms, but there was blood all over his face. She peered through the crack and pressed her hand to her mouth. No doubt that was Dmitri’s blood.
“Safe where you can’t get to her,” Kaz said as he stood between Fedor and the bedroom where she hid. Veronika felt her heart lurch. Her father would kill Kaz without a second thought. What was he doing?
“Why would you think that my daughter would have reason to fear me?”
“That’s a good question. If Pavel was here, we could ask him that as well.”
Veronika watched as her father froze. “Leave us,” he told his guards quietly. They hesitated, and he swung his head around. “Back to the cars. Now!” he barked. They lowered their guns and retreated. Fedor looked at Kaz with an impassive face.
“Don’t want anyone to know about Pavel?” Kaz asked. Veronika watched him ball his fist up. “It’s not like that white hat of yours isn’t already soaking in blood. But you don’t want them to know that there is Saiko blood on it, do you?”
Veronika stood, transfixed. Her father had nothing to do with Pavel’s death. It was an accident. What was Kaz talking about?
“How did you know?”
“It wasn’t until Nikolas came to me to hide. He was torn apart by Pavel’s death, and he thought that he would be next. The thing is, I didn’t believe him. I hid him so that he could relax, but then you started looking for him. Oh, but you did more than that. You nearly took the city apart trying to find him.”
“He was responsible,” Fedor hissed. “He is why Pavel died.”
“He loved Pavel,” Kaz said quietly. “And Pavel loved him. They were going to run away and be together, and you saw that as the ultimate act of betrayal. Pavel was supposed to take over the business. He wasn’t supposed to run away with his gay lover.”
“They were not lovers!” Fedor shouted. He raised the gun and shook it. “He poisoned my son with all of these thoughts and turned his head. I could have saved him.”
“And instead you ordered his death,” Kaz snarled. “You can blame Nikolas all you want, but you are the reason that Pavel is dead. You ordered that hit. The blood is on your hands. And if Nikolas hadn’t gone to visit his grave earlier this year, he’d be alive, too. Stupid sentimental fool.”
“You can’t prove it,” Fedor said. “And when you’re dead, all of my troubles will go away.”
Veronika burst through the door. “Da!”
“Veronika, get back inside,” Kaz hissed.
“God, tell me you didn’t,” she said as she stared at her father. “Tell me you didn’t kill Pavel. He was your son.”
“Veronika,” Fedor whispered, and he lowered the gun a few inches. “I didn’t want to, baby. But he was going to leave me.”
“I was going to leave you, too,” she said as the tears slipped down her face. “I was going to school and never coming back.”
“And I’m going to let you,” Fedor whispered with a big smile. He shook his head. “I would let you do anything that you want. You can still be a curator and help the business. Think of the partnership. Think of the goods that we can ship to you. You’re not abandoning me. You’d be helping me, and I’d make all your dreams come true.”
Slowly, she realized her father was insane. A madman. How had she never seen it before? “Put the gun down, Da. Don’t hurt Kaz. I’ll come work for you. We’ll make that partnership a reality.”
“But he knows,” Fedor said as his eyes hardened. He lifted the gun at Kaz and frowned. “He can’t live.”
“Da.” Slowly, Veronika reached out and took Kaz’s hand. “He saved my life. I won’t let you kill him.”
“Your life was never in danger, baby. That was me. I wanted it to look like you were in danger so I could separate you from Kaz. I know that he’s seduced you, but I forgive you.”
Kaz squeezed her hand. “Veronika, you have to get out of here,” he whispered. “Please.”
She ignored him. “You ordered that? Another car accident? Am I next? What happens if I do something that disappoints you, Da? What if I move or refuse to work with you? What if I fall in love, marry, and never see you again? Do I need to fear you?”
She just wanted him to put the gun down. She wanted them all to walk out of here alive, but it seemed that it just wasn’t meant to be.
“Are you afraid of me, Veronika?” Fedor asked softly. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”
“You killed Pavel, Da. Of course I’m scared of you.”
And just like that, his shoulders dropped. Veronika relaxed, but Kaz still gripped her hand tightly. Fedor gazed at them sadly. “I’m sorry, baby. I never wanted you to find out. Your brother haunts me every single day. I’ve tried to do better for you. I’ve tried to do better with you, because I’m nothing. I have nothing. I have no beloved. I have no son. I just have you, Veronika.”
He raised the gun again, and her eyes widened. “Da!”
“And I can’t do this without you, baby. I’m sorry.”
She screamed as he put the pis
tol in his mouth and pulled the trigger. As his body fell lifeless to the floor, Kaz pulled her into his arms.
Chapter Nine
Veronika, don’t look at him. Look at me.
Veronika trembled when they laid the casket to rest. A week had passed since her father had put a bullet in his head, and she still couldn’t get the vision out of her mind. She couldn’t cry. She couldn’t sleep. She was just numb.
Hey, we need to get our stories straight, Princess. Look at me.
Her father had killed Pavel. How could she have been so blind to his cruelty? She thought everything he did for her was out of love, but now she saw that it was out of guilt. Guilt for what he had done to their family.
I was never here. Dmitri and I were never here. You met your father here to discuss school, and he killed himself. Look at me. You don’t have to tell them about Pavel. You don’t have to tell them about Nikolas. Do you understand? Princess?
The service was over, and people were coming by to tell her how sorry they were. She couldn’t even look them in the eye. No one was sorry that Fedor Saiko was dead. People either feared him or grew rich from him. Some did both. But no one mourned his death because they loved him.
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should have never gotten you involved. You’re better off without me. Don’t try to find me, Princess. You have to let me go.
Kaz and Dmitri were nowhere to be seen. Kaz had given her one last look and disappeared before the police arrived. And she hadn’t heard a word from him since then. Part of her didn’t want to. He was nothing but an extension to her father’s violence. He may have wanted justice for Pavel and Nikolas, but he acted just as her father would have acted.
“Except that he didn’t,” she whispered.
The man in front of her was talking to her, and he arched his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
She focused on him and frowned. “I’m sorry. I need some air,” she whispered as she pushed through the crowd. Free of their fake sympathies, she took a deep breath. Kaz hadn’t gone through with killing her father. In fact, he’d nearly died trying to save her.
