Chapter 10

Kris caught Raisa as she slipped into a dead faint. It was a shock he knew. The weight of everything over the last few days had caught up with her. He debated calling for EMTs, but he couldn’t keep her safe in the hospital, especially since he wasn’t family and her only family was Stephan, who was working for Gregori. Instead, he checked her pulse and saw that it was strong and steady; he opted to put her to bed.

Kris quickly unbuttoned the four buttons on the front of her dress and slipped it off of her. He stopped for a moment, unable to look away from the red lacy undergarments she wore under the little black dress that had driven him crazy all night. She’d obviously had a different ending to tonight in mind when she dressed for their date. He had too and once again Gregori Volkov was intruding on his plans and his dating Raisa. He knew that Volkov’s actions, including the damage to her apartment and the police officers’ comments, would make her consider giving in to his demands once again.

However, he would not allow that to happen. He needed help, and he needed it now. He quickly put one of his long-sleeved T-shirts on her and then carefully unhooked her bra and slipped it off, making sure she remained covered. Then he pulled the covers down and laid her on the bed before covering her up. Then he went into the bathroom and drained the tub. He’d let her sleep while he planned for her safety and started working on making Gregori Volkov a terrible memory, but only a memory.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number he’d called more in the last two days than he had in the whole last year. When the voice answered, he knew Mac had been up waiting to hear from him. “Thorn, what do you know?”

“It was Gregori, or at least some of his goons. They annihilated her place and left a note telling her it would just get worse until he got what he wanted.”

“So exactly what you expected it to be?”

“Yeah, local law enforcement all but told her to give herself to the lowlife. They’ll file a report, but that’s all that’s going to happen. I need Sparky. I’ll pay, but I want her full-time around the clock until this is done.”

Mac grunted. “She has twenty-eight days until her principal contract goes on tour in Europe. I can’t pull her off that detail. I can let her work for you until then, but only as protection, Thorne. She isn’t trained to operate like you do.”

“That’s fine. I just want someone I can trust to keep Raisa safe while I deal with the Syndicate. I’m pretty sure they have someone watching the apartment building, and I don’t want them to have access to her while I’m on assignment.”

Mac laughed. “You mean while you poke the bear?”

“He’s not a bear; more like a rabid wild hog who needs to be put down.”

“You know what the alphabet agencies said: no wet work, only kill order is to protect yourself or others.”

“I know the rules of engagement, Mac. They don’t bother me because he’ll cross that line. He can’t help it.”

“I’ll have Sparky there by eight in the morning. What are you going to do about tonight?”

“I have Friday starting security protocol, Echo. Complete apartment lockdown.”

“All right, that should work unless they have a cutting torch.”

“Yep, and if they try to breach, I’ll know it and I’ll be ready.”

“When are you going to fulfill the contract?”

“After Sparky gets here. I’ll do recon during the day. I will implement phase one after Raisa goes to bed tomorrow night. Also, can you send a clean-up crew to her apartment? Everything needs to be hauled out.”

“Will do.”

Kris ended the call and quickly changed into his sleep pants before climbing into bed beside Raisa. She turned and snuggled into him, and he actually felt her relax as his arm went around her, holding her close. He just lay there for several minutes, looking at her in the darkened room, listening to her breath. He felt her completely merge with his being as he wrapped his arm around her. In fact, she’d wormed her way so deep into his heart he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to extract her. Not that he wanted to, anyway. He placed a kiss on her forehead and she moved even closer up against him, fitting like the missing piece to his life puzzle. As he lay there thinking about how much his life had changed since he found her curled up in a ball, sobbing on her deck, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

*****

Raisa

Raisa woke to darkness and a weight across her waist, a warm, hard, delicious smelling surface pushed up against her face. She panicked and then she realized she was in Kris Lawson’s bed and snuggled up tight against his muscular chest with his arm around her, holding her tight.