“Where is the animal?Which way did it go?”the other demanded.
“It sounded like a big cat.”
He discounted their orders and hiked farther into the coolness of the trees.A bird glided from a branch, attracting his attention.It was the same bird that had peered into his window.Instinct had him nodding at the bird, and he swore human intelligence glinted in those yellow eyes before it flew from sight.
Mikhail continued along the forest path and into the sunshine before returning to the main house.His steps slowed, his intuition warning him not to set foot in that house again, but he could hardly stay out here.
Sighing, he entered the front door.
A fist smashed into his face.Mikhail ducked, but not fast enough.
Pavel.
The blow crunched into Mikhail’s nose and knocked him into the wall.A picture crashed to the ground, and the two guards burst through the doorway.
Like him, they hadn’t thought anyone would attack him inside the house, not during daylight hours.The two men waded in and grabbed Konstantine’s son, dragging him away.
“What is the meaning of this?”Konstantine asked, appearing at the end of the passage.
“He started it,” the son snapped.“I want him out of here.He’s not family.He’s making you tired and insists on talking business when you should be resting.It should be me working with you in your office.”
While Konstantine and his son indulged in a glowering contest, Mikhail gingerly prodded his nose.One guard reached out to grip his arm, but Mikhail shrugged him off and stood by himself.
“Do you require medical aid?”Konstantine asked, without taking his gaze off his son.
“No,” Mikhail mumbled, although his nose might be the worse for wear.Blood covered the hand he had clamped to his face.He headed straight for the curved stairs leading up to the house’s next floor.Five minutes later, he stood in his bathroom to survey the damage.Not as bad as he’d thought.He cleaned off the blood and tested the depths of his pain.To his surprise, the throbbing was significantly less.
Strange.
Someone knocked on his door, which he’d locked against intruders.The knock repeated.
“Mikhail, are you all right?”
Bridget.None of the tension left Mikhail’s shoulders.
“What do you want?”he called.
“I heard Pavel punched you.Do you need help?”
“What?A knife to the gut?”
There was a moment of silence, then a loud expulsion of breath.Mikhail imagined Bridget’s expression and humor flashed through him.
“I’m sorry about that.Look, we can’t talk through the door.”
“Fine, but I’m searching for weapons before you get comfortable.”Mikhail opened the door and stepped back, regarding Bridget warily.He was bigger than her, but he doubted he’d escape injury or death if she had a gun.
Some of his suspicion must’ve shown on his face because she huffed and held out both hands for his inspection.“I don’t have any weapons.Check.”
Not trusting her, Mikhail closed in and patted her down.Her startled intake of air told him she hadn’t expected this.Once satisfied, he gestured her inside his bedroom.He closed the door and observed her as she scanned his bedroom.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” she said.
Huh.The lack of the room’s personality had already jumped out at him.He’d wondered why he didn’t have belongings.Even his toiletries had been new.His clothes and footwear, too.What man didn’t have gadgets or a phone?When he’d asked, Konstantine had told him someone had stolen his briefcase during the unfortunate vehicle accident.He owned a phone now because Konstantine had presented him with one.
“What do you want?”
“Your nose isn’t that bad.Papa told me Pavel broke it.”
