“I’m a prisoner.”She didn’t have a phone either.“Am I allowed to get fresh air?I’m used to being outdoors, and I do better if I can exercise.”When they glanced at each other again, she made a rude noise and headed for the terrace doors, which stood ajar.She stepped outside before either man offered another objection.
The scent of roses hit her first, and she lifted her head to inhale deeply.Next, the sound of a fountain claimed her attention and her tension seeped away.Nature always helped her destress, but she wanted to speak to Suzie.Her friend would have words of wisdom and help her make a plan.She wandered deeper into the garden and trailed her right hand over a lavender hedge, the pungent scent rising to greet her.A bird sang somewhere to her left, but it ceased abruptly.
Edwina turned in that direction and recoiled when it darted right before her.She ducked back, almost tripping on a rock.Something whistled past her ear.
A curse colored the air from behind her.“Get down.Edwina, down now!”
Startled, she jolted in his direction.Ivan leaped at her, sending her flying.She struck the ground, the air whooshing from her lungs.Gravel burned her palms.
“Keep down.Someone is shooting,” Ivan said in an urgent voice.“Stay down.Gregory saw where the shot came from.Give him a chance to catch the intruder.”
Someone had shot at her?Why?The question whirred through her mind and repeated over and over.Someone wanted her dead?She’d only just arrived.She didn’t know anyone except Ivan, Gregory, and Mikhail.Her thoughts stuttered and snagged on Mikhail.Did he want to get rid of her because she’d marked him?
“Does Mikhail want me here?”she whispered.
“Yes,” Ivan said without hesitation.“Mikhail would never hurt you.He will protect you with every resource at his disposal.”
And his men had immediately come to her aid.Edwina closed her eyes and inhaled to calm her racing pulse and doubts.Damp soil and greenery filled her senses while her knee throbbed from striking the ground.Warm blood trickled across her skin.
“Ivan.”A sharp bird’s whistle followed.
Ivan shifted off her and rose before extending his hand to help her stand.“Are you okay?He didn’t hit you?”
“He?”
“Figure of speech,” Ivan said.
Gregory joined them.“He went over the fence.We should get Edwina inside.”
Ivan ushered Edwina indoors, and she heard Gregory speaking with someone else.An older woman with short gray curls and a concerned expression bustled over to her.
“You poor thing,” she said, her English excellent and slightly accented.She wore a cotton blouse and black trousers that complemented her rounded frame.“Come with me, and I’ll attend to your knee.It looks nasty.”
It was sore now that the woman mentioned it.She wasn’t sure what she’d collided with, but she’d ripped a hole in her borrowed sweatpants.
“My name is Rita,” the woman said.“I’m so pleased you’re here.”
“I’m Edwina.”
Rita nodded, the edges of her brown eyes crinkling.She had a regal air about her.It was the smart clothes, Edwina decided.She limped after Rita, who kept her steps to an amble.
What Edwina saw of the house interior impressed her.The textiles and pieces of furniture were elegant but not stiff, like the contents of her grandparents’ home.The colors were natural, with a few pops of brightness.
“This is Mikhail’s room,” Rita said, standing aside to let Edwina enter first.
They were sharing?Curious, Edwina stepped into the masculine room.It was vast and full of light.White curtains fluttered at the windows, and Mikhail’s scent permeated the air.
“The en suite is this way,” Rita said.
Edwina’s eyes widened because the bathroom suite was immense, with a massive shower big enough for four people.It looked as if there were several spigots.Luxury indeed, and she anticipated using the shower with pleasure.
“Have a seat there,” Rita said, pointing to a stool in front of a mirror and a dresser.
Edwina sat and frowned down at her knee.Now that her shock and adrenaline had faded, her knee throbbed, and blood trickled down her leg.Her palms ached too, and she lifted them to study the damage.She prodded at a piece of gravel and winced.
“Let me do that,” Rita said.She’d finished rifling through a drawer and carried over several items, including a pair of scissors.“It’s best to cut your sweatpants off above the knee.They’re past saving.”
Edwina stretched out her legs to give Rita access.It was the work of seconds to snip off the partially ripped fabric.
