Chapter 3

Kris let himself out of her front door, shutting and locking it behind him. He entered his house and went back to his safe room, placing his hand on the palm scanner and opening the steel box. He went right to the weapons rack and pulled a Walther PPQ Tactical Navy pistol with a fifteen-round magazine from the wall and two extra magazines of ammo. Kris grabbed a clip holster for the back of his shorts and once the weapon was in place, he picked up a small door alarm stop. It wouldn’t keep anyone out of her place for long, but it would give them warning if someone tried to enter tonight. Kris left the room and picked up his cell phone from the charger in his room where he’d left it to go work out.

He changed into sleep pants and a t-shirt, moving the holster to the back of the sleep pants. He was going to sleep in her bed, holding the woman of his dreams tonight. That thought caused him to smile for a moment while the call he was making went through. He walked back next door, securing his door and then closing and locking hers before placing the stop alarm at the foot. He’d have to show it to her in the morning and ask her to keep using it.

The phone rang and was answered. “Blackguard Securities, how may I direct your call?”

“Human Resources, please.”

“One moment, please.”

There was a series of clicks and then “Human Resources, how can I help you?”

Kirs took a breath. “Asset authentication.”

“Proceed.”

“Tango, Hotel, Oscar, Romeo, November 317 Lima.”

“Asset Verified. How can we assist you, Thorn?”

“I need all information on a local tango named Gregori Volkov, and all known associates and concerns.”

“What have you gotten yourself involved in, Thorn? This is not an officially sanctioned tango.”

“No, it isn’t. This is a private contract, of a personal nature.”

There was a brief pause before the voice came back on the line. “Control has deemed this contract as valid and of a personal nature. He wishes to meet with you tomorrow to discuss the situation. I will send information to your secure email account before that meeting.”

“Understood; would you tell Control I would like to meet him at the Felfan Diner near my cover work? It is germane to the contract.”

“We have notified Control. Response is: ‘Will meet at your cover and proceed from there. Acknowledge Response requested.’”

“Response Acknowledged. Thorn out.”

The line went dead, and Kris sighed. At least they were going to get him the information he needed and while it was a cheesy line from a cartoon he’d watched as a kid, he’d know just how bad this situation was and knowing was half the battle. He shut the balcony door that he and Raisa had left open earlier. He walked back to her room and knocked on the door. “I’m back. Are you changed?”

“Yes.”

He entered the room to see Raisa sitting on the end of the bed in a pair of pajama shorts and a baby doll top that made his heart race. He climbed into the bed and held her, kissing her and rubbing her back until she fell asleep in his arms.

Kris lay beside Raisa and watched as she slept. He’d done it now, he’d promised himself he’d stay away and not sully her light with the darkness of his soul, but someone worse was trying to take her light away and he’d never allow that. He’d claimed her as his own and tied his heart and soul to hers tonight. Now it was time for him to use his skills to make sure she was safe to choose to love him or someone else.

******

Raisa

Raisa woke to a warm body beside her and an arm tucked just under her breasts.

Her eyes widened at the thought that she wasn’t alone, and then yesterday afternoon and evening came crashing back around her. Gregori, his demand. Falling apart on her balcony, Kris jumping from his balcony to hers and holding her. Kissing her, telling her she belonged to him. She remembered asking him to stay and hold her; she remembered the kisses that had followed after they laid down and Kris’s promise that he’d keep her safe and take care of Gregori.

She turned so that she could see him, and his eyes opened and looked right into hers. “Good morning. How is my lovely lady today?”

She blushed at his question and the too-real answer that popped out of her mouth. “Scared.”

He stroked her face with his hand. “You don’t need to be scared, sweetheart. I will keep you safe. Gregori won’t touch you again.”

She bit her lip, and he pulled her close. Raisa could feel every inch of his body as hers pressed up against him, and she realized she was heating up again, just like yesterday. She kissed him and quickly got up. “I need to get ready to go. It will upset Stephan that I’m late as it is.”

Kris rolled out of bed and she froze when he reached under the pillow and pulled out a pistol and stuck it in the back of his sleep pants. “Where did you get that?”

“I told you I would keep you safe, Raisa. When I went home, I got a couple of things to do so. One of them was my pistol.”

She backed away. “I don’t like guns.”

“It’s just a tool, Raisa. One I know how to use and when to use. You told me last night that this man would stop at nothing to possess you. I promised you he wouldn’t, and I got the tools I needed to make sure he didn’t. It’s perfectly safe in my care, I promise, as are you.”

She knew her fear was unfounded, but she didn’t like that her life had taken this turn. Kris was right, he had promised to keep her safe. She knew that Gregori and Nestor would never hesitate to use guns to take what they wanted. So it made sense that Kris would use one as well to stop them from doing so. She didn’t know he even owned a gun, much less knew how to use one. “You know how to use that?”

He nodded. “I spent eight years in the Navy, sweetheart. I am a master marksman with several types of weapons. Also, I work part time for a security firm.” He handed her a laminated card that had his picture and the words Blackguard Security on it. “Part of that job requires that I stay master marksmen qualified. I’m licensed to carry both openly and concealed. So yes, I know how to use it.”

She shivered. Her sweet and kind florist was also some kind of badass. While that should have caused her to be afraid, if she was honest, it kind of turned her on even more than his perfectly chiseled body did. No wonder he was fit and toned. He was a part-time bodyguard. “Holy crap,” she thought. “I have my own personal hot bodyguard.”

She went into the bathroom and quickly threw on her clothes. She really needed a shower after last night, but she’d wait until she got home tonight. Raisa headed for the kitchen to grab a piece of fruit, and Kris followed her. “I brought you something else, too. It’s an alarmed door stop. After you get home, shut and lock your door and sit this right up against the bottom. See how it is now?” He’d set the triangle thing up to the door and she nodded. He unlocked the door and pulled it back like he was opening it. After a half inch, it stopped and a loud wailing siren sounded. He shut the door and reached down, pushing a button on the device, springing the triangle back up and silencing the alarm. “It won’t keep someone out if they really want in, but it will slow them down and give you time to get out.”

She frowned. “But how? There is only one door?”

He shook his head. “That isn’t true. You have two.” He pointed at the balcony door.

She shook her head. “But if I go out there, I’m still trapped.”

“No, you won’t be. I’m going to fix that today with a bridge you can use to cross over to my side.”

He took her hand and pulled her to the front door. “Come to my place for a minute. I want to show you why you’ll be safe inside my place.” Raisa followed him into his apartment. “I’ll leave the balcony door unlocked so that you can get in anytime you need, okay?”

She nodded. “But how does this keep me safe? I still have to go out past my apartment.”

He shook his head. “Not if you come here. Go this way.” Kris pulled her down the hallway to a door at the end with a metal plate with a palm print in it. He laid his hand on the print and the door in front of him slid into the wall. He pulled her in and showed her a red button on the other side of the wall. When he hit it, the door slammed back across the opening, sealing them in the room. “This is my panic room. It’s bulletproof and blast proof. We are going to record your handprint so it will open for you as well as me. If someone comes after you, get to this room and hit that button. Then see the one beside it, the green one?”