by Kat Mizera
“Exactly what I’m doing now,” I responded blandly. “Except hopefully with less death threats and explosions.”
Erik sighed. “When was the last time you took a vacation?”
I stared at him. I hadn’t taken an actual vacation since we’d been in college.
“When was the last time you got laid?”
I scowled. I wasn’t even going to answer that because it had been a long time. For me, anyway.
“What about the last time you did something fun?”
“I do fun stuff,” I muttered.
“What? Watching Luke’s swim meets? They’re great, but that’s not actual fun.”
“Look, I get what you’re saying, but I don’t know the answer. I do what I do because I have to. Since you gave me my fucking title back, I’m Prince Sandor of Limaj and currently a member of Parliament. I have responsibilities in addition to keeping all of us safe, and I don’t have time to think about all that other shit. Like you said, in a few years, things will calm down and maybe I’ll find myself a twenty-year-old who’ll want to pop out a bunch of babies for me, but for now, it’s not in the cards.”
“A twenty-year-old?” Erik laughed. “You didn’t like ’em that young when you were twenty, and you’re going to date them now?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve been in a relationship, I have no idea what I would look for in someone serious.”
“Well, maybe you should think about it because I see you struggling, and even though you’d never admit it out loud, something is missing in your life.”
“Thanks, Dr. Phil,” I said wryly. “Can I go now?”
“No, you may not.” Erik grinned at me. “I hear there’s going to be a challenge happening at the gym in the near future.”
“Seriously? This is what you’re focused on?”
“Of course not. I focus on work, but then I take breaks to enjoy life, something you should try once in a while. And when I do, I hear things that make me happy.”
“It makes you happy that I’m going to test out the skills of your wife’s new bodyguard?”
“It does. Because I think she’s going to surprise you.”
“Maybe, but let’s break this down scientifically. Physically, she can’t come close to competing with guys like me, Chains, or Xander. Women simply don’t have the muscle mass we do, and in my case, I’ve practically got a foot on her, not to mention a hundred pounds. In a case of life or death, even though I’m physically larger than all of you—Joe, Chains, Xander…would all give me a run for my money. I’m twenty years younger than Joe and six inches taller, but his training and experience would compensate for that. A woman like Lennox, who I’m sure is extremely skilled, simply couldn’t compete physically.”
“You think she made the Special Forces team because she couldn’t compete physically?” He raised his eyebrows.
“I just think in a situation where everything else is equal, and I’m talking about trained assassins, which is something we genuinely have to worry about, she’ll be at a disadvantage. It’s not personal, it’s science.”
“I disagree,” Erik said quietly. “I don’t think Joe would have hired her if he thought she would ever be at a disadvantage.”
“Erik, I need you to trust me when it comes to security measures.”
“I do. And at the hospital, when we didn’t have time to debate things, I took your side. However, we are no longer in an emergency situation, and I think you’re wrong about Lennox. Now, if you tell me you found something sketchy in her past, or links to our enemies, or whatever else, that’s a different story and I won’t hesitate to kick her to the curb. But because she’s a woman? That’s not like you, and the truth is, with us having female children, I want more women on the staff, not less. It’s not only more comfortable for them, it sets an excellent example for our people, that we’re forward-thinking and ready to join the twenty-first century.”
“As long as they pass whatever tests I set up for them,” I said testily, “I’m fine with that.”
“I think you’re a bit of a curmudgeon deep down,” Erik chuckled. “And you hate every word I just said.”
“I don’t hate it, but I worry that it’s too much too soon. You know I’m not really sexist, but when it comes to my job, to your safety, I’m a little anal. I’ll cop to that.”
“It’s why we make a good team. If I can get you to relax a little and you can get me to be a little more uptight, we’ll be unstoppable.”
That was something I agreed with.
8
Lennox
I’d initially been a little nervous about this whole challenge I’d issued to Sandor, but now that I was here at the gym, everything else melted away. I was confident in my skills, and though this was technically a training exercise where no one would get hurt, I wasn’t going to hold back. Sandor wanted me to fail, to prove that I wasn’t as tough as he was, and that was bullshit. I’d been trained by the United States Marines Special fucking Forces and there was no universe where I’d embarrass myself. Could he take me? Sure. But there was every chance I’d take him as well. This wasn’t about winning and losing; it was about respect. And I’d earn his today or I was done with this whole assignment.
Joe was annoyed I’d challenged him like this, so he was at the house with Casey and the children, but Xander, Chains, and even Erik were here to cheer us on and get in a good workout to boot. A handful of guys from the local professional hockey team, the Las Vegas Sidewinders, were here as well, since I was a big hockey fan and occasionally worked out with a few of them. Chains was close to them as well because one of the current players was his brother-in-law, and I thought I’d heard another was his wife’s ex-husband. I shied away from gossip, so I wasn’t sure what the connection was, but a bunch of them were here now and I itched to get started.
Sandor, of course, was late. Another calculated move to keep me off my game, but it wasn’t going to work. I did better under pressure because the longer I waited, the calmer I got, and then I would explode with energy when the time was right. I jogged in place, warming up and making sure I’d stretched properly. We didn’t always get to stretch before a fight during a mission, but this was training and no one wanted to get hurt.
“Hey.” One of the Sidewinders I knew pretty well because he was single and we worked out together during the off-season, was a player named Dax O’Day. He approached me with a grin. “What’s the big deal today? Some guy challenge you or something?”
I dropped my voice and gave him a little grin. “My new boss thinks I’m too much of a girl. I’m about to prove him wrong.”
Dax grimaced. “Damn, you scare the crap out of me, so yeah, he should watch his ass. Who is it? Do I know him?”
“Sandor,” I said.
His mouth opened a little and then he snapped it shut. “Hon, you’re badass and all, but he’s like, twice your size.”
I gazed at him in irritation. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours. Always.” He held up a fist and bumped it with mine.
“Ready to get started?” Sandor came up behind me and I turned.
“Let’s do it.”
We headed for the mats where a lot of guys practiced mixed martial arts. We had a fucking entourage today, and for a second I let my nerves get the best of me, but then I looked up into Sandor’s smug face and remembered why I was here. This wasn’t about winning or losing. All I cared about was respect. I’d kicked and clawed my way through the ranks to get it in the Marines and I sure as hell wasn’t going to allow some prince from an eastern European country that was barely on the map tell me I didn’t have his.
We pulled on our gloves and then, holy fucking hell, he took off his shirt. Just as I’d suspected, his torso was amazing. But if he thought it would distract me, he was dead wrong. Pretty boys were a dime a dozen and meant less than nothing to me when I was working. And technically, I was working.
I was much smaller than him, about eig
ht inches in height and a hundred pounds, but he had no clue what I was capable of. We circled each other like predators, eyes locked, bodies poised for battle. I was in the zone, but his shirtless torso made my mouth water. I unconsciously licked my lips, whether it was in anticipation of the fight or my subconscious imagination going wild, I didn’t know. He was both formidable and enticing, which was confusing as hell. On the bright side, his eyes had darkened, watching me intently. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was just as enthralled as I was with this little battle of wits, and it was a huge fucking turn-on. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to indulge myself in a fantasy today.
As I sized him up, planning my takedown, we continued to circle each other, fight ready, as if we had all the time in the world. His body was hard and toned, and every time he moved, I watched his muscles flex slightly. Damn, he was beautiful, and I had to dig deep to keep myself focused on the task at hand. He finally threw the first fake and I almost breathed a sigh of relief. It was a little jab he probably thought would catch me off guard so he could clobber me with a cross. Typical. I parried his half jab, slapping it out of the way and slipping down low to avoid his cross. Yeah, he was a tough SOB, and I made a split-second decision not to risk letting this drag on.
Fuck him. Hot or not, I had to take him.
I swept his leg, taking him down to the mat, where I knew I could beat him. His grunt told me I’d taken him by surprise, but I wasn’t finished. My best bet to end this would be the rear naked choke. I circled his neck with my right arm, his trachea positioned at the crook of my elbow. I grabbed my left bicep with my right hand and put the palm of my left hand against my own shoulder, making it a lot tougher for him to break away. I brought my legs around, planted them inside his and applied pressure. I could render most people unconscious in a few seconds with this move, because of the pressure to the carotid artery, but that wasn’t the goal here.
He obviously knew I could do it, too, because I held on to the strong bastard for dear life and he tapped out just as I was about to let go. I jumped back to my feet, meeting his gaze steadily, the hoots and hollers from our friends and others at the gym not penetrating my intense concentration. He was probably going to be pissed, but at least he now knew I wasn’t just some girl. That I could kick ass and take names. That I’d earned my place on Joe’s roster and was someone he could count on to protect the family. At least I hoped so.
To my surprise, he chuckled. “Very nice,” he said. “That’ll only work once with me, but I appreciate the way your mind operates. Care to go again?”
I shrugged. “I’m always up for a good workout and training, but I’m not going to risk injury because you have something to prove.”
He shook his head and held up his hands, palms out. “Not the way I operate. You’ve proven to be a formidable opponent and we’re on the same side. If you want to train with me, I could probably teach you a few things, and apparently there are a few skills I can still learn as well.”
“Then let’s do it.” I lifted my hands, fight ready once again.
We sparred and drilled for another hour, switching out with Chains, and even Dax joined the fun. It was hard work and a great workout, but enjoyable too. Sandor was fast for a man of his size, with instincts that matched my own and a quick mind. He wasn’t a dirty fighter either, though I imagined he could be in a life-or-death situation. Getting into it with Dax was fun too, since he was a professional athlete. He’d asked me out a couple of times, but the timing hadn’t been right and now I was glad we were just friends. He was a good guy but life as a professional hockey player kept him on the road a lot, which would never work with my crazy schedule. He’d taken it well and now we hung out on occasion, though I didn’t see him much during hockey season.
He was the first to leave, high-fiving me and taking off with one of the guys on the team that I didn’t know very well. I grabbed my water bottle and chugged some down, taking a few seconds to cool off a little. Chains and Erik had just left and within a few minutes, it was just Sandor and me.
Great.
Hopefully, he didn’t have something stupid to say or I might deck him just because I could. I’d gotten in a handful of good shots today during the workout, but again, hurting each other wasn’t the goal and though he could take a hit, what would giving him a black eye or a fat lip prove? That wasn’t who I was anyway. When I hit someone, it was either to inflict damage because someone was in danger or just for practice because we were training. You could train hard and increase your skills without hurting each other and Sandor worked that way too.
“How often do you work out?” he asked me, reaching for his own water bottle.
“Usually six days a week, but intensity varies depending on availability, what my work schedule is, and who’s around to spar with.”
He nodded. “Same.”
“On days when I absolutely can’t get away, I’ll do sit-ups, push-ups, and if possible, I swim laps.”
“Never been a fan of swimming as part of my workout, but I also grew up in a country where it’s cold eight months of the year.”
“Makes sense.” I wrapped a towel around my neck and dried off a little since I’d sweat like a lunatic. “Anyway, if there’s nothing else, I’m going to take off.”
He smiled. “Just FYI, I could’ve broken free if I really wanted to.”
Was this guy for real? I turned to look at him, narrowing my eyes slightly. “Then you should have. I didn’t ask you to take it easy on me.”
“You had something to prove and I’ve been an asshole, so I figured I owed you.”
“Oh, fuck you.” I grabbed my bag and headed to the exit. I didn’t have time for his egotistical bullshit and now I was spectacularly pissed. If I didn’t get out of here right now, I was going to punch him right in the throat.
9
Sandor
Uh-oh. I’d gone too far. She was really pissed now and there was no reason for it. Why the hell had I said something specifically to piss her off? She was tough as hell and she’d impressed me, but instead of saying something to that effect, I’d insulted her. Shit. I had to fix this.
“Lennox, wait,” I called out, walking in the direction she’d gone.
She stopped but didn’t turn around. “What?”
“I apologize. I was trying to bust your balls but it came out wrong.” I held up my hands in a placating gesture. “Honestly. I didn’t mean it. You’re extremely skilled and I only meant to tease you, but I realize we don’t know each other well enough for that.”
She turned, her eyes meeting mine suspiciously, though she inclined her head. “All right.”
“Work out again tomorrow if we can get away?”
“Sure.” She walked out without looking back. I’d been trying to bust her balls but she was the one who was a ballbuster. The weird thing was, I kind of liked it.
The next week was quiet but busy as the family adjusted to the new baby and Erik did his best to spend quality time with everyone while still dealing with everything going on back home. He was being pulled in a bunch of different directions, but having missed Luke’s birth because he’d been in hiding then, he hadn’t wanted to miss anything this time and the medical care in Limaj couldn’t come close to the care Casey would get here in the States had there been any complications with the delivery. However, now that the baby was born, we were both anxious to get back to Hiskale. We had to get the kids settled, though, and that was the biggest problem. Until Erik could get that private school up and running, there was literally nowhere for the kids to attend, short of hiring tutors and bringing them with us, and that wasn’t fair to them.
Luke was twelve now and involved in swimming, hockey, and band. The twins took fencing together and while Joss was taking piano and saxophone lessons, Jessie was serious about art and sculpting. Sasha was going to be a junior in college this fall, and poor Leni had been dragged back and forth between Monte Carlo and Las Vegas multiple times in the last year. At som
e point, something was going to have to give and Erik didn’t yet know what it was.
“Uncle Loco?” Luke came padding into the room we now used as a sort of command center, where the surveillance equipment was located, as well as a ton of ammo in case we needed it during an attack on the grounds.
“Hey, buddy.” I turned, smiling at him. The kid always made me smile. I’d known him his whole life and he was truly the child I’d probably never have. I loved him as much as I could love anyone and he was the one thing that brought me happiness when things were difficult.
“I’m bored.”
“How come?” I cocked my head. “You have a pool, at least a thousand video games, books, computers, music and, most importantly, food. How can you be bored?”
“Because I don’t have any friends.”
“What happened to all your friends?”
“Their parents aren’t willing to let you do background checks, which means I can’t go to their houses, and they feel weird coming here because we have armed guards.”
I sighed. This was an unexpected complication and there wasn’t much I could do about it.
“I’m sorry. You want me to take you somewhere, like the arcade, where you could meet a friend or two? Just me and you?”
He shrugged. “I guess, but no one is around right now and…I don’t know.” He sank into one of the chairs. “This summer has sucked.”
“There’s a lot going on.”
“And, you know, my real dad is back in my life but I never see him, never spend time with him. I mean, he might as well still be dead.”
I winced. It would kill Erik if he knew Luke felt this way.
“You know he’s not doing it on purpose, right?”
