“I don’t trust you not to stick a knife in my ribs,” he shot back.
She grinned.“Should be an interesting night when we share a room again.”
Not if he could help it.
22
Mikhailhadn’trecognizedher.
Edwina sighed hard because she didn’t know what to do next.Short of knocking Mikhail out, it’d be challenging to free him from Konstantine’s clutches.
“Stop worrying,” Gregory said gruffly as they sat, sharing breakfast.
“It’s hard not to stress.Mikhail seems content to remain at Konstantine’s estate.He thought I intended to harm him.”She bit her lip, exhausted, and squeezed her eyes shut to hold back tears.
Ivan briefly gripped her shoulder.“If Mikhail were in his right mind, knowing he’d hurt you would horrify him.”
Edwina poured herself more tea.“The wound is closing, and the ragged edge is smoother.Whatever poison coated the blade was the problem.The healer assured me I’ll recover.”
Gregory growled, the snarl very feline.“It’s gonna scar.”
She set down the teapot.“Rather be alive with a scar than a dead leopard.”
“True,” Ivan agreed and reached for a piece of toast.He scraped butter over the surface.“You should stay here tonight.Let Roscoe and his team grab Mikhail.”
“I can’t sit here, doing nothing when Mikhail’s life is at risk.”
Ivan and Gregory made eye contact.
“What?”she demanded.
“Mikhail must’ve done something exceptional to win you,” Ivan said.“You’re loyal, determined, and brave.Exactly what he needs in a partner.Did you know he wanted to pacify his grandfather?He intended to keep his mistress and leave you at home.”
Edwina picked up her teacup.“If he still thinks any of that will happen, he should reconsider before I make him.”She paused, the urge to cry grabbing her again.“Fighting words, eh?”
“From the second he bedded you and you claimed him, he didn’t give Clarice a second thought.Oh, he helped her because he’s not a bastard, but when she came on to him, he told her he was no longer interested,” Gregory said, pushing away his plate.All that remained was a strip of bacon rind and a smear of egg yolk.
“You fascinate him,” Ivan agreed.“Your refusal to blend into the background grabbed his attention.”
“What?It’s been all of five minutes.He might change his mind.He might decide he’ll marry Smirnoff’s daughter, and once the old man dies, which won’t be long, judging by his scent, he’ll take over his business and change it to suit his preferences.”
“That’s stupid talk,” Ivan snapped after dumping a spoonful of ruby-red jam on the middle of his toast.“If you think Mikhail will treat you like that, think again.You claimed him, so don’t give up.We’ll rescue Mikhail and fix whatever is wrong.We’re his friends, and you’re his wife.”
Edwina sighed, her shoulders slumping because it had shocked her when Mikhail had attacked her with that knife.The ache in her ribs reminded her how close she’d come to a serious injury.
She shoved aside her fears, took a deep breath, and swallowed a mouthful of tea.“Did Roscoe say when he’d be in touch?”
“This afternoon,” Ivan said.“He intends to surveil in his bird form before he contacts us.Mikhail wouldn’t willingly stay at Smirnoff’s estate.One, he wanted to spend time with you.And two, he loathes the way the man does business.You should know that.”
“I do,” Edwina said.“But this is hard.You didn’t see his expression when he sprang at me with the knife.There wasn’t a scrap of recognition.If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was a cyborg.”
The house phone rang in the distance for two rings before it stopped.Edwina tensed.
“If it were Mikhail, he’d ring our cell phones,” Gregory said, correctly reading her mind.
The housekeeper appeared in the doorway, carrying the portable handpiece.“It is Mr.Mikhail’s mother,” she said.“She wishes to speak to her son.”
Edwina winced; if she wasn’t mistaken, Gregory and Ivan reacted similarly.
