“I’ll wait to leave until I hear that you’ve got a bodyguard in place for her,” Alexei says.
“Leave whenever you want. The bodyguard’s already there.”
My body shudders involuntarily. They have been watching over us, but they have also been spying on us. Did anyone notice the specks of blood on Alexei when he checked into the hotel? Did they see his gun? Can it be used against him in some way? My unsettled mind races.
“All right.” Alexei stands.
“The tea and food is very beautiful,” I say. “We would like to give our thanks to your wife before we go.”
Sasha nods. “Good idea.” He rises and presses a button on a plastic monitor. “Raven, come back.”
In a couple of moments, she returns. Once again, the adorable dark-haired daughter tries to launch herself across the room to her father. And once again, he reaches out to take her. As she settles in his arms, she looks curiously at Alexei and then leans forward and kisses the air near his face.
Alexei smiles at her. “Hello again.”
“She recognizes him,” Rachel says, smiling at us. “Irina, this is Daddy’s brother. Your uncle Alexei.”
My gaze drifts over to see Sasha’s reaction. He has none. His jaw might as well be made of granite.
“Is the tea still warm, or do I need to heat more water?” Rachel asks. “I can put the pot back on.”
“They’re going,” Sasha says. “I called you back so they could say goodbye to you.”
“Already? You just got here,” Rachel says, her brows furrowed.
“Yes, we have to go. But this was great. Thank you,” Alexei says.
“Well, maybe let’s plan to have dinner? How about tomorrow night?”
She is so kind. I like her more than ever.
“Raven,” Sasha’s brother says darkly.
Her expression is troubled, but she falls silent. We move toward the front door, and she trails after us. Sasha only comes as far as the foyer doorway, distant and unmoved.
“Well, it was good to see you guys,” Rachel says. “I hope we’ll see you again soon.”
I squeeze her hands as I kiss both her cheeks, and she squeezes back. Then Alexei and I walk out into the sunshine, and I’m relieved to be on our own again away from his gangster brother.
CHAPTER18
Alexei
The decision to spend the rest of the day and night with Natalia before leaving for New York is an easy one. If I left Coynston now, I’d have to spend the night in a New York hotel anyway since by the time I arrived, the bank would be closed until morning. Better to stay with her and leave pre-dawn tomorrow.
The hotel room is small and shabby though, despite the fact that she arranges everything to make it as neat and comfortable as possible. Rather than staying closed up in the room, I take Natalia out.
The fresh air feels good. We visit Coynston’s new park and eat kettle corn on a Ferris wheel that’s strung with white and gold lights. The town’s much nicer than I expected, and some of that is apparently due to C Crue money because there’s a plaque at the base of the Ferris wheel with their symbol hidden within it. It’s not the only place I see their mark. Once I begin looking for it, I spot the crue’s symbol all around town in places where buildings have been renovated or newly erected.
Daylight fades fast. We have dinner, and Natalia’s charming as she recounts the things she likes about Coynston and then shares some stories of Russian places. No one would ever guess the trouble we’ve been through in the past twenty-four hours by looking at her. She’s the light that reemerges after a storm.
Back in the hotel, I’m restless as I watch the news. There’s nothing about the bodies at the warehouse. I’m starting to wonder whether the dead were removed by other members of the hit squad. When the news is over and I’m flicking through channels aimlessly, Natalia comes out of the bathroom naked.
My entire body takes note as my mind focuses sharply on the gorgeous lines and curves of her body. When Natalia reaches me, she takes the remote and switches off the television, then sets the remote on the stand.
Looking up at me, she touches my chest. “I would like to be with you. Come to bed, please.”
Normally when it comes to relationships and sex, I like to take the lead, but at the moment, nothing in life could feel better than this kind of invitation from her.
