by Taylor Lee
“This is not my father’s decision, Rafe, and you know it. Just so you know, it isn’t yours either. Unless you can stand before this team and tell me that I am not the most qualified person for the job, I must go. It is my duty to those girls and to you and to the rest of the ISA team. If you told any man here that he was the best qualified person for the job, and that you wanted him to lead the mission, there isn’t a man on this team who would refuse. I can take care of my father, Rafe. That is a red herring and you know it. Everyone here knows it. This is your decision, Rafe.” She cleared her throat. “Yours and mine.”
Rafe took his time lighting a cigarette. He leaned back in his chair and considered her thoughtfully through the smoke. After a strained moment, he nodded.
“Very well. Jeff, Caleb, Grayson and Katya, please meet me in my office in fifteen minutes.”
He rose to his feet and motioned to the door.
“Nicki, please come with me now.”
Chapter 27
Without speaking, Rafe trod down the hallway to his private office. With a curt nod, he’d indicated that Nicki was to follow him. His commanding strides made quick work of the distance. Nicki had to take three steps to equal each one of his. It was maddening. Talk about an intentional metaphor. His powerful gait underscored that she was too small, too fragile to keep up with the big boys. She sniffed as she hurried to match his pace. God, he was exasperating. When they reached his office, he closed the door behind them and strode to his desk. He put his cell phone in the middle of the desk and tapped two keys. In seconds her father answered.
Rafe’s voice was cool, distant.
“Yuri, both Nicki and I are here. You asked to speak to her and as you requested I will be a party to the conversation. I have put you on speaker. However, I have nothing more to say. While I deeply disagree with Nicki’s insistence on leading this team, I cannot disagree with her reasoning. It pains me, but she is correct. She is the best person for the job. That is all I have to say for the moment.”
Rafe walked over to the wall of windows and stood with his back to her, staring at the grounds below.
After several minutes of listening to her father’s adamant refusal to consider that she go, Nicki laid down a marker.
“Papa, you know this is what I have trained for all of my life. This is why you made me a warrior. You told me that I could help fight the evil in the world if I was willing to train hard and live a disciplined life. I believed you then and I still do.”
“Yes, of course, my dear. And I am pleased that you have chosen to follow this honorable path. No one could be more proud of his daughter than I am of you, Nikita. You are as strong and determined as you are lovely. But that is why you must listen to me, my dear, and understand what I am saying.”
Nicki interrupted. She would not allow herself to be put off by flattery or by his attempt at conciliation. This was too important. She could not let her father control her even at the expense of being rude.
“No, Papa, it is you who must understand. Unless I misunderstood your stated intentions, this is why you sent me to ISA, to work with Rafe. You said you wanted me to be a warrior, a fighter, a highly trained agent. Now when a mission comes along that requires all the skills you taught me, you want me to pull back? Because it is too dangerous? What are you saying, Papa? That my life has been a charade? That you taught me to fight with weapons and my bare hands so I could be… what? An anomaly? A sideshow? A feisty woman to amuse the men around her? A wannabe fighter who looks cute in camouflage? Is that what you trained me to be?”
Yuri’s voice was pained.
“Nikita, you know that is not true. And yes, I did train you to be a fighter. I wanted you to be able to protect yourself. Please hear me out. I am deeply troubled by this mission you and Rafe are involved in. I…I do not like the Russian aspect of it. It frightens me.”
“Are you saying that you know who Volkov is?”
“God, no. But it concerns me. Just as you are in tune with your instincts, like all expert martial artists, I am as well. You were born near the Volkov, Nikita. I lived and worked for twenty-five years in a town the Volkov runs though. Like all men surrounded by potential enemies, I do not like coincidences. You are not naïve, Nikita; you know my past is unsavory, dangerous. I have done my best to protect you from those hideous times. Just as I do not go back to Russia, I do not want you to be involved in anything Russian.”
His voice dropped to an agonized plea.
“Nikita, I do not want you to put yourself in excessive danger. Surely, my beloved daughter, you can understand that.”
Nicki brushed aside his appeal with an impatient wave of her hand.
“Yes, yes, Papa, of course I understand that. But for God’s sake, I am a member of an elite team of security agents. You knew when you sent me to Rafe that I would be an agent. Or did you and Rafe plan to make me a secretary or perhaps you thought all the men would enjoy having a pretty distraction. That they could snap their fingers and I would come running eager to satisfy their every whim. Is that what you had in mind, Papa?”
Yuri’s voice shook with emotion.
“Nikita, please. You do me a disservice and yourself a disservice when you speak like that.”
At this point Rafe turned and glared at her. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, his eyes narrowed at her offensive remark.
She tilted her chin a notch and shrugged. She knew she was being outrageous, but she had to distract her father. Get him to stop thinking about the danger of the enterprise. She thought with a disdainful sniff, it wouldn’t hurt to tweak Rafe as well.
“Or perhaps instead of fighting the way you taught me, I should do what one of the men here suggested. I should ‘use my hot little ass to distract my opponent’.”
She smirked when Rafe pinned her with a scowl, his brows pulled together in a stern line. Nicki tossed her head, glad the arrow struck home.
“Nikita, I am shocked to hear you talk like that. I presume that Caleb made that disparaging remark….”
“It doesn’t matter who it was. But that is the choice I face. I can be taken seriously or I can be treated like a decoration.”
“Nikita, you are being foolish.”
“No, I am not. Papa, this is the critical question. When you asked Rafe to take me on, did you do that because you knew I would be a valuable addition to his high level team of agents? Or did you ask him to take care of me because you didn’t think I could take care of myself?”
“Nikita, Nikita, my darling. Please…it is not that simple.”
“Yes, Papa, it is. It is a simple straightforward question. I will answer it for you. I am here because I deserve to be. I told Rafe that if he could say to his team that I am not qualified or up to the job, then I would back off, not do it. But both you and Rafe know that I am supremely qualified. Because, Papa dear, you are the one who made me that way.”
Rafe leaned against the window, studying her. He shook his head, an ironic smile curving one side of his mouth as if he couldn’t believe how she played her father.
Nicki shrugged. So maybe she was laying it on a little thick, but she could tell her father was about to give in. Ignoring Rafe’s amused irritation, she spoke earnestly.
“Papa, I know you worry about me. And I know that both you and Rafe are concerned for my safety. As I am for you and Rafe and Katya, and Grayson and Caleb, and all the people I care for. But Papa this is why you trained me as well as you did. So that I could help save three young women and perhaps many more from a hideous fate. This is a worthy cause, Papa. Because of how you taught me, I am the best person to do this job.” She paused for emphasis, then added. “And that is why I am going to do it.”
Nicki had never given her father an ultimatum, never overruled him. She’d never had the need. She let the silence between them stand. At length she heard her father’s sigh. When he spoke, his voice was resigned.
“Nikita, I wish to speak with Rafe, privately. Please put him on the line and tu
rn off the speaker phone.”
Before she could object, Rafe strode across the room and held out his hand for the cell phone. She tossed it to him. When he clicked off the speaker she jumped up and went to stand by the window where Rafe had been during most of the conversation with her father. Even without hearing her father’s end of their discussion, it was clear what he was saying.
Rafe’s response was crisp.
“But, of course. That goes without saying, Yuri. Unlike your incorrigible daughter, I do understand and appreciate your concerns.”
Rafe shot her a hard glare when she gave him a flippant nod.
He listened without speaking for several minutes, his brow knotted in concentration.
“That bears further investigation, Yuri.”
Rafe glanced over at Nicki, then grimaced.
“I expect the rest of our team in minutes. It isn’t useful to tell you not to worry. But do know that we are taking every precaution. Ah, mon cher ami et un confident. Indeed I will.
“Soyez bien.”
After he put the phone down, Rafe leaned back in his chair and regarded her through narrowed eyes. Nicki’s skin tingled at his quiet concentration. He didn’t seem quite as angry as he had been, but his quizzical expression was disconcerting. She decided she had nothing to lose by confronting him. She had won after all, even if the two most important men in her life were upset with her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Rafe slowly unwound his tall frame from the chair and moved in front of his desk. As he closed in on her she saw that she’d mistaken his silence for agreement. From this proximity she sensed his implacable anger simmering just below the surface. The slight smile quirking his lip was unsettling.
“And what way would that be, Nicki?”
She aimed for nonchalance.
“I’m not sure. I assume you’re angry with me. And it’s clear you didn’t like the way I spoke with my father. “
“To the contrary. Your conversation with your father was instructive.”
Knowing that they had a long day of planning ahead of them, Nicki refused to concede the upper hand. Determined not to be intimidated, she thrust out her chin.
“What do you mean, ‘instructive’?”
His voice was soft, but she didn’t miss the edge of danger.
“Tell me, Nicki. Is that how you get your way? How you ‘handle’ your father? You browbeat him until he gives in?”
Not wanting him to see that he was making her nervous she assumed a dismissive air.
“Pretty much.”
“I see. You ascribe outrageous motives to his legitimate concerns? To make him feel guilty for wanting you to be safe? For wanting to protect you, the person he loves more than anything in the world? In sum, you act like a spoiled brat?”
She tossed him a careless smile.
“If it works.” She added, with a small frown: “Except that I’m not a spoiled brat.”
Within seconds, he was beside her. She startled and tried to back away but he grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her toward him. He twisted her arm behind her, pulling her up close, pressing her hand against the small of her back.
She sucked in a breath, fighting to quell the rush of sensations flooding her body.
“Ah, but you are, Princess. A very spoiled, very bratty young woman.”
She turned her head, refusing to meet his fierce gaze. She huffed.
“As I said, “If it works.…”
Rafe’s breath was hot in her ear, along her neck.
“I’m not your father, Nicki.”
She sniffed, avoiding his piercing eyes.
“Sometimes you act like you are.”
He gave a harsh snort.
“No, Nicki, if I’d been your father, things would be quite different. I’m curious. In all those years of manipulating him, twisting him around your finger, have you ever been disciplined?”
She tried to swallow, but his provocative words sent shockwaves boiling through her, drying up her spit. She struggled to sound careless, but her voice cracked from the strain.
“Since I have no idea what you mean by that, you may assume that I have not.”
“Until now.”
He pulled her up against his hard body, a powerful male animal pinning his prey.
Nicki’s stomach clenched as shards of excitement cut through to her groin.
He wove his fingers through her hair and tipped her head back, baring her lips and throat to his mouth. His voice was low, harsh.
“We’ll deal with this later, Nicki.”
She tried to shrug him off of her, to break his hold, but he held her so tightly she couldn’t move. She could barely breathe.
She gasped a breathy, panting sound.
“Perhaps a discussion is in order.”
He guffawed.
“No, Princess, given how accomplished you are at manipulating words… actions, not words, will be the order of our business tonight. I look forward to introducing you to some of the things you apparently missed growing up. Come to think about it, it’s better that you learn them from a lover, one who knows just what this naughty girl needs and is itching to give it to her.”
Hearing the tentative knock at the door, with a harsh groan, he pressed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss. She tried to twist away, fight his kiss, but he was powerful. He held her tighter until she began kissing him back. With a groan she clung to him, not wanting him to ever let her go.
Chapter 28
Nicki woke, startled to see that Rafe was in bed with her. It took her a moment to remember that he and Gray had headed for the sparring ring after their day-long discussion. She hadn’t asked if it was okay if she went to his room. Given his coolness throughout the day, she wasn’t sure that he would come to hers. She was surprised that she’d fallen asleep, until she remembered everything that had happened in the last two days and wondered how either of them still had the strength to walk around.
Rafe was sitting up in bed resting against the headboard. She smelled the sweet seductive scent of his Turkish cigarette. In the glow of the burning ember she saw him looking down at her, a serious expression on his face.
She snuggled against his bare chest and was relieved when he put his arm around her and pulled her up close to him. She nestled against him, reveling in the strength of his arms. Trailing her hand over his muscular chest, she tangled her fingers in the curly hair that had intrigued her the night before. (As though everything about him didn’t intrigue her.) He was gorgeous. She wished she were brave enough to follow that pattern of hair arrowing over his abs and down to the top of his sweat pants. For the moment, she settled for resting her cheek on his chest and breathing his musky strong man smell.
Breaking the silence, she looked up at him, and said, “I hope you don’t mind that I snuck in your room. I…I wasn’t sure you would come to mine.”
He frowned and his tone was somber, but his words took the edge off.
“I told you this morning that from now on you’d be waking up in my bed if we aren’t in yours. If you hadn’t been here when I got back, I would have dragged you out of your room, thrown you over my shoulder and brought you here kicking and screaming.”
“Mm hmm. That sounds positively primitive. But don’t you think we’ve given our team enough to gossip about? God, Caleb is practically drooling for the deets of the next installment.”
Rafe chuckled.
“Caleb doesn’t need details. What he doesn’t see with that sixth sense of his, he makes up, just to annoy me.”
After she’d heard Rafe sigh at least three times, Nicki knew she couldn’t ignore the underlying tension any longer. She took a deep breath and walked into the fray.
“Are you okay, Rafe?”
He gave a harsh laugh. It was painful to hear.
“That’s an interesting question, Princess. Am I okay? I guess considering that the woman I love is about to infiltrate an international human trafficking ring that
we now know intends to have a high level auction of kidnapped girls, some of whom are our clients, and we don’t know where, how, when or who will be taking her—Hmm. Yeah, given that, I guess you could say, ‘I’m okay.’”
“Rafe, please…”
He held up his hand.
“I’m sorry, Princess, I didn’t mean to reopen that discussion. We have thoroughly litigated it and I’ve conceded what we all know. As much as it pains me, you are the single best person to do this job… and as long as you are there, Katya is the perfect partner.”
Nicki sighed. “But you are still upset with me?”
“No, Darlin’; the person I’m upset with is me.”
He was silent for another long moment. When he finally spoke, the tone of his voice and tortured expression on his face shot a flash of fear through Nicki.
He shook his head then leaned down, lifted her chin, and gazed in her eyes.
“Nicki, we need to talk.”
“Oh, Rafe, haven’t we talked enough. Can’t we just hold one another tonight and be grateful that we have this time together.”
He groaned softly.
“Damn, Princess, I wish it was that easy.”
He hitched up in bed and rested against the headboard. A weary frown creased his forehead. Reaching for his cigarettes, he lit another.
Staring straight ahead as if she wasn’t there, he said, “Nicki there are things you need to know about me. What I’m going to tell you very few people know. Your father is one of them. It is only fair that you also know the kind of man I am.”
She frowned and started to object but stopped when he held up his hand.
“Nicki, please. This is difficult for me to tell you. Please just let me say it and be done with it. Can you do that for me?”
Struggling not to react to the icy cold shivers of fear streaking down her spine, Nicki nodded.
“Yes, Rafe. I can do that.”
“While you are absolutely the right person to invade that den of thieves tomorrow, you need to know that you can’t count on me. I’ve got a real bad track record when it comes to protecting the women I love. You have to know now, Nicki, that I can’t promise that I can protect you.”
