Page 121 of Elite Metal: Warriors

“And who was Boris Petrova?”

“He was my good friend, and the KGB agent who was assigned to capture Yuri Nurelnikov.” Gregor cleared his throat. “He was also Natalia’s father.”

“I see.”

“I don’t think you do. Nurelnikov is a foul creature, involved in many felonious pursuits. He is also an extremely vengeful man. He was not satisfied with killing Boris. He went to the orphanage where Natalia had been taken when her father died. And he…took her.”

“Took her?”

“Yes. One of his, ahem, hobbies, is human trafficking. So he sold her.”

Cooper’s heart skittered. His mouth went dry. “Sold her?”

“Yes. Foul thought, is it not? She was ten.”

Shit. He glanced her way again and his pulse thrummed. His chest ached.

“It took me a year to find her. Rescue her.” He stared into his glass. “I have no idea what horrors she endured, but I do know this. She is a strong woman. A force to be reckoned with. An excellent agent. And she deserves vengeance on Nurelnikov. Vengeance you stole from her.”

Fuck. “That is hardly fair.”

“Isn’t it?”

“She’s a grown-up. She made a choice.”

“I know. But will she regret it? I think she will.”

He hoped not. God, he hoped not. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want you to leave. Go back to America. Forget about Natalia Petrova. Leave her in peace.”

Damn. That was what everyone seemed to want. But he wasn’t sure if he could do that. “Again, perhaps that’s a choice she can make.”

“She’s proven herself flawed when it comes to you.”

Yeah. He was flawed when it came to her too. Gone was the hard-bitten military killing-machine. In its place was a soft and gooey creampuff. Funny thing was, he didn’t totally hate the thought of himself in that light.

It almost felt…good.

Which was dangerous in itself.

Which was the crux of the whole conundrum.

She made him weak.

It was telling that his entire body thrummed as she stood and came to lean on the arch to the dining room.

“What are you two talking about so fiercely?” she said in a too-casual tone. Her gaze flicked over him in a rush. He felt it like a lash.

“Nurelnikov,” Cooper said, gauging her expression. So he didn’t miss her flinch. “Tell me about him.”

She turned away and lifted a shoulder. “He’s a bastard. Not much else to tell.”

Gregor took a sip of his vodka. “He’s wanted around the world for this thing or that. But he’s like a serpent, changing his name, his identity, slipping through the cracks time and again.” Yeah. Cooper knew the sort. “He’s been difficult to track because he has so many identities. And he’s known under many other aliases. The Butcher of Barabinsk, Porochnyy Zver’, Vladimir Babikov, Red Wolf—”

The little hairs on Cooper’s neck bristled. “Red Wolf?”

Shit. His gaze snapped to Natalia and he swallowed hard. “How-how close was she to finding him?”