“That poor woman.” She understood the lengths someone would go to in order to protect their family. “Bruno truly was a bastard.”
“Yes, but a secretive one. She was to get the buyer’s name and address and contact him. She said he might also have men watching the store.”
Abigail started to look around but stopped. The last thing she wanted to do was attract attention. “Do you think someone is watching?”
Vasili raised his head and slowly scanned. He could see and hear more than she could, even with her newly enhanced senses. “No. I think Bruno called in all or most of his men to help him attack us. I believe the only ones left in the city know little about his true activities.”
“Good.” That was something in their favor. “Do you want to see the bracelet?”
“No.” He took her hand and began walking away. “Hold on to it until we get the rest.”
“I need to sit and have something to eat first.” They’d been walking all morning, and she was getting tired. “Is there any other way to do this besides on foot? Maybe we could rent a car.”
He drew her close and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I am used to being able to go indefinitely. I just want all these damn charmed items gone before some other drakon stumbles across one.”
She felt guilty for even suggesting they should stop. Yes, she was hungry and her feet hurt, but that was a far cry from a drakon being captured by the Knights. “You’re right. Let’s keep going.”
He shook his head. “No, I will take care of you better.” He guided her over a couple of streets before he pointed out a family restaurant. “We will rest, and I will make some calls. You are right. We can drive around the city, and with the proper guide, our task will go faster.”
…
Vasili watched Abigail closely. She’d eaten more than usual. He wondered if it had something to do with her new tattoo or if she was just truly hungry. Either way, her face was no longer as pale as it had been. He really needed to keep a better eye on her. The fact she’d even mentioned stopping meant she’d already been pushed to her limit.
“That was excellent.” She sipped a cup of coffee and looked over the pile of empty plates littering the table.
He’d taken advantage of their stop to fuel up. The waitress had been astounded by his order. “It was. Are you ready to go? Our ride will be here soon.”
“Gotta hit the ladies’ room.” She rose, and he quickly followed, unwilling to let her out of his sight for even a minute. He dropped enough cash on the table to pay for their meal and a healthy tip and followed her down the short hallway. She glanced at him but said nothing.
He ducked in the men’s room but kept an ear out for her. When they were done and standing outside the restaurant, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Here he comes.”
“Who did you call?” she asked as a car pulled up beside them.
Abigail hadn’t asked him when they were inside. They hadn’t talked much at all, unwilling to share secrets around others. She was as cautious as he was. That thought made him smile. His Abigail was very much like a drakon.
“Someone you know.” He opened the door when it stopped and ushered her inside.
“Father Petrov.” She leaned over the front seat and clasped the hand he offered. “It is so good to see you again.”
As soon as they were inside, the priest drove away. “It is good to see you, too, my child, but I wish you weren’t here. It is not safe.”
“What have you heard?” Vasili demanded.
He turned the corner and drove. “Word has leaked out that Bruno has been out of contact for some time. Some believe he is dead. Others think he is plotting something big.”
Father Petrov didn’t ask him to confirm or deny the allegations, but his old friend deserved to know. “Bruno is dead, as are all the men he brought with him.”
The priest muttered a prayer under his breath. “You are looking for antique shops?”
It was Abigail who answered him. “Thrift shops, antique shops, little out-of-the-way used shops.”
“What are you looking for? It would help if I had some idea.”
“We’re not sure,” Vasili answered. “We’ll know it when we see it. Just drive us past every shop you can think of.” The priest knew the city as well as or better than anyone else.
They drove around for an hour before Abigail straightened. “Stop.”
Father Petrov pulled the car over and waited. She swiveled her head around until her gaze landed on a tiny shop situated between a clothing store that had seen better days and a boarded-up building. “There.”
“Wait for us,” Vasili told him as he climbed out of the vehicle. Like before, it didn’t take her long to collect the item. This time, it was a pendant on a silver chain. The male proprietor didn’t seem to care. After some conversation, it was determined, the owner had died suddenly a few weeks ago and his grandson had taken over the business. They paid for their purchase and left.
They continued to drive and found one more necklace before calling it a day. The priest drove them back to the church. “What will you do now?” he asked.
“We must go to St. Petersburg, and then we will leave the country,” Vasili told him. They followed him inside the church and down to the little room where they’d first spent time together. The table had been replaced, but the chairs were still as rickety as ever.
“I wish you were leaving tonight. I do not like you here when there is so much unsettled,” Father Petrov told them. He wiped sweat from his brow. The priest suddenly looked older than ever.
Vasili walked over to him and put his hand on the priest’s shoulder. “You are not well, my friend.”
Father Petrov laughed. “I am old, Vasili.” It was the first time he’d ever said Vasili’s name. “I will be fine.”
“I can help you.” Behind him, Abigail gasped. She knew what he was offering. Other than her, it was the first time he’d ever considered giving his blood to a human.
Father Petrov shook his head. “God has a plan for me, and I’m fine with it. Besides, if I suddenly became younger or spryer, people would ask questions. No, I thank you, but I will not do this.”
“You truly are one in a million,” Vasili told him. “If you ever change your mind, contact me.”
“I do not fear death. We are old friends, he and I.” He rubbed his hands together. “Where will you spend the night? Do you need a place to go?”
As much as he trusted the priest, he was worried that Bruno’s men might find and torture him. “No. We’re fine. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
“Yes, thank you.” Abigail came forward and hugged the priest. He seemed nonplussed but awkwardly patted her back.
“You are welcome.” He gave them a shrewd look. “You will take care of one another, won’t you?”
“We will,” Vasili promised.
He cleared his throat. “I am a priest, if you are in need of one.” The not-so-subtle hint made Vasili smile.
“We appreciate the offer, but she would want her family with her.” Or maybe she wouldn’t. He turned to find her looking quite bemused. “Abigail?”
“I’d love for Father Petrov to marry us, but I’m not Catholic.”
The good priest waved his hand. “It does not matter to God,” he informed them. “I will be back.” He hurried out of the room, leaving them alone.
Vasili removed the bag from her shoulder and placed it on the table. “You truly wish to do this?”
She nervously chewed on her bottom lip. “Unless you don’t want to.”
“Of course I want to. I just thought you’d want your sister with you.” He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead before leaning down to kiss it.
She sighed and leaned into him, clutching his jacket in her hands. “They got married without me, and this feels right. I want Father Petrov to do it, even if it’s not entirely legal and we have to do it again later.”
He’d tried not to kiss her. This was not the place o
r the time. He feared if he started, he might not stop. But she seemed so lost, so forlorn. He pressed his lips to hers, tasting her, breathing in her familiar scent. “Whatever you want, my love.”
He kissed her then like he wanted, plunging his tongue into her mouth. He wanted to devour her. And she returned the embrace with the same sense of urgency, the same intensity. He roamed his hands over her back, pulling her more securely into the cradle of his body, pressing his swollen shaft against her stomach.
“Ahem.” They jerked apart at the throat clearing. Father Petrov stood in the doorway with a stern expression on his face but a twinkle in his eyes. “It seems we need to hurry this ceremony.”
Abigail’s face was red with embarrassment, but she laughed. “I’m sorry, Father, but I can’t resist him.”
He inclined his head slowly. “I knew it was all Vasili’s fault.”
Vasili could only smile at the banter. He caught Abigail’s hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Let us begin, Father.”
And there in the basement of the church with only Father Petrov presiding, Vasili married his Abigail.
Chapter Twenty
Abigail glanced at the wide gold band on her finger for the millionth time. She was married. According to Father Petrov, it was legal. The problem was, he couldn’t file papers, not with their real names on them. That could possibly lead any remaining members of Bruno’s network or other Knights of the Dragon to her and Vasili.
While they were almost certain there was no one else still alive who knew about them, they weren’t willing to take that chance. They’d risked much by spending a day in St. Petersburg, where they’d uncovered two more artifacts. Vasili had destroyed them all in a blaze of drakon fire before pocketing the sapphires. They were drakon tears and could not be left behind. She wondered who they’d belonged to and felt her heart break for the woman who’d owned them and the drakon who’d shed them.
“It won’t be long now.” He reached over and closed his hand around hers. He’d gotten them out of St. Petersburg and over the border into Finland, where he’d hired a private jet in Helsinki. She’d finally breathed a sigh of relief when the plane had left the ground. Now she was almost home.
“What are you feeling?” he asked.
It was only the two of them. The pilot and copilot were busy, and the one flight attendant was up front, giving them their space.
“Excited. Scared.” She’d only talked briefly to her sister and Nic. She hadn’t mentioned the fact she was married.
“I am beside you,” he reminded her.
“I know.” She had no idea why she was suddenly so nervous about seeing her sister again.
Vasili made a sound of frustration and lifted her out of her seat and into his lap. She gasped and looked toward the front, but the flight attendant had pulled a small privacy curtain across, separating them from the front part of the plane.
“Tell me what is bothering you?”
It was the uncertainty in his eyes that prompted her to speak. “I’m not the same woman who left America.” That was the crux of things for her. She was different. “I feel it inside.” She told him what she’d been thinking for the past day. “I think the tattoo, the mark has changed me.”
“How?” he demanded. He ran his hands over her arms and back. “You are not sick, are you?”
She shook her head. “Just the opposite. I don’t think I’ll need to drink your blood, at least not often, to stay young.”
He stilled and then slowly cupped her face. “How do you know this?”
“I don’t. That’s the thing. It’s nothing more than a gut feeling.” But one that had been growing with each passing hour.
A smile split his face. “That is wonderful, if it is indeed true.” Then he frowned. “Unless you are not happy about it.”
She placed her hand against his cheek, feeling the tautness of his jaw. “No, I’m happy if you are. I just wonder what Constance will think.”
Vasili snorted. “She will wonder why her drakon is so slow and has not already claimed her in this way.”
That made her laugh. Her drakon didn’t mind letting the others know he was superior to them.
“You will need tattoos as well,” he told her.
“I already have one,” she pointed out. The birthmark was wonderful, but she wasn’t sure she wanted or needed it to cover more of her body.
He shook his head and pulled down the neck of his shirt. “No, like mine. The Knights used magic on you before. We need to ensure they cannot do so again.”
She hadn’t thought of that, but obviously he had. “You’re right.” It was time to fully embrace her new life. “There are lots of tattoo artists in Vegas.” It wouldn’t be hard to find someone to ink the symbols onto her skin.
He scowled. “I will do them.”
“You? I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.” She wasn’t sure she wanted Vasili coming at her with a tattoo gun.
“It is an excellent idea. You will see,” he promised. Then he gave her a sly smile. “The ink needs to be infused with my blood or else it will not hold. If you ever need to drink my blood, it will ‘heal’ the tattoo.”
“Really?” That was fascinating.
“Yes. I learned that lesson early on when my tattoos kept disappearing within hours after being done.” He kissed her lips, drawing out the embrace until Abigail finally began to relax. “It will be fine. You will see.”
It was time to be more confident, more positive about the situation. After all, she was married to a drakon. “I’m still not sure about you doing the tattoos,” she felt compelled to add.
“I will kiss all your boo boos and make them better,” he promised.
Coming from her solemn drakon, that made her laugh. “You will, will you?”
“Absolutely.” He was about to kiss her again when the pilot came over the intercom. “Please fasten your seatbelts as we are approaching our destination.”
He lifted her back into her seat, and she buckled in. She took a deep breath and looked out the window, enjoying the view of the city while she tried to ignore the jitters in her stomach.
…
He’d made arrangements for a vehicle to be waiting for them at their airport. It was easier that way. The first meeting between them all shouldn’t be in a public space. Plus, he wanted his own transportation in case he needed to take Abigail away.
Vasili knew Abigail was worried. He wished he could ease her fears. He did not care what the others thought of him, but she obviously did. She was especially concerned about what her sister thought. It made him angry, and he had to force his dragon side back down. The creature was no more pleased than he was. They both wanted Abigail happy and safe.
“Everything will be fine,” he promised. He’d make it so.
“I know. I’m just being silly.” She walked beside him to the waiting vehicle.
Vasili stopped and caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You are not being silly.” He hated that she was so stressed by the coming meeting. “Your sister loves you, does she not?”
She closed her eyes and huffed out a breath. “You’re right. That will never change.” She offered him a smile, but it still didn’t quite reach her eyes. He swore softly, leaned down, and kissed her.
Abigail came up on her toes and wrapped her arms around him. There was passion but also a hint of desperation in her kiss. He knew the only way to get past this was to get the meeting over with. He pulled away and ran his fingers over the curve of her cheek. “Come. Your family is waiting.”
Vasili climbed in on the driver’s side of the waiting vehicle and dumped his backpack on the floor at her feet. “Where are we going?”
That momentarily stunned her. “I have no idea.” Home didn’t exist anymore. They’d sold the house she and Constance had grown up in. She had no idea where Nic and her sister were currently staying.
All her things were in storage, but she had Vasili beside her. As long as they were together, she h
ad a place to call home.
He pulled out his phone and handed it to her. She quickly punched in her sister’s number.
“Where are you?” Constance asked as soon as she answered.
Abigail couldn’t help but laugh. “That was my question. I suddenly realized I don’t know where you are.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry about that. We have a suite at the Bellagio.” She gave the room number. “How soon will you be here?”
Vasili had already put the address in the GPS and was headed that way. “Not long.” They hadn’t seen one another in months, and Abigail suddenly couldn’t wait. “We’re already here and on our way to the hotel.”
Constance squealed. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me, too.” She ended the call and swallowed heavily, tears filling her eyes.
“What is it?” Vasili asked, his voice filled with caring.
“It’s just so much. I haven’t seen her in a couple of months, and so much has happened since then. Not to mention everything that occurred before I left.” It had been an emotional rollercoaster for months. It was no wonder she was feeling a tad overwhelmed.
“I am beside you,” he reminded her.
“I know. And I’m so grateful.”
He growled, and the powerful sound vibrated through the seats. “I do not want your gratitude. You are my mate, my wife. This is where I want to be. Where I choose to be.”
Wow, she hadn’t expected him to take offense to her choice of words. “I’m grateful anyway,” she told him. “That you found me.” She reached over and placed her hand on his leg. The muscle tensed beneath her palm. She also noted the bulge in the front of his jeans. She started to slide her hand across, but he stopped her. Placing his hand on top of hers, he flattened her fingers against his leg.
“You move any closer, and we won’t be seeing your sister anytime soon,” he warned. “My instinct is to run away from here, take you somewhere safe. But I know that’s not what you need. I am struggling to do what is right.”
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