Free Her Russian Mafia Protector by Bella Rose Page B

sighed loudly. “And you are like a son to me. Maybe one day I will come to terms with what I have done to you.”
    Fedor hung up, and Kaz gritted his teeth. What the hell was that all about? It sounded like Fedor was losing his mind. But it didn’t matter. Kaz would not change his mind. He’d worked too damn hard for this moment, and he would not let the sentiments of an old man and his daughter get the best of him. Fedor Saiko needed to die.
    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of black. A dark SUV was speeding down the road. In horror, Kaz looked ahead and saw that it wasn’t going to slow down.
    It was going to hit Veronika.
    Instinct took over as Kaz floored the pedal and moved out of traffic onto the sidewalk. Grass flew up under his tires as he barreled down the road to reach Veronika in time. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he pulled up next to her, and the car hit his full force. His car flipped and landed on its top with a loud crunch.
    His vision blurred as pain exploded in his head. He was reaching for his gun, but the car sped away. At least Veronika wasn’t in danger anymore.
    Grabbing his knife, he sawed off his seatbelt and crawled out the window of the upside down car. People were screaming, and he saw a flash of blonde running to him. “No,” he croaked as Veronika neared him. “Car’s going to explode.”
    “I know that,” she hissed as she grabbed him. “Come on. Can you walk?”
    White-hot pain lanced through every part of his body as she helped him to his feet. He kept his head down and struggled to run. The smell of gasoline was growing stronger by the second. Suddenly, the car exploded behind him. As the loud noise burst through his ears, he felt the heat from the fire nipping at his back. He grunted, and they both hit the pavement hard.
    “You okay?” he wheezed as he pushed himself up. Worried, he tried to look her over for scrapes and blood, but she was already on her phone and calling for help. “Veronika,” he said sharply. “Hang up.”
    Wordlessly, she stared at him. Suddenly, the light dawned in her eyes. She understood why she couldn’t get the police involved and quickly hung up. “Fine. But I’m calling Charley. You need to see a doctor.”
    “No doctor. I’m fine. Just get me to your car.” He could tell that he hadn’t broken anything. It was possible that he had some bruised ribs and a concussion, but that had happened to him more times than he could count. There was no need for a doctor.
    She stifled a sigh, and it came out as a groan. Reaching down, she hooked her arms under him and helped him up. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” she said through clenched teeth.
    When she finally dragged him into the house, he passed out.

Chapter Six
    “Damn it, Kaz,” Veronika snapped to his unconscious body. “I’m an art history student. I’m not a damn doctor. Wake the hell up or I’m taking you to the hospital. I don’t care if you end up in jail or not. At least you’ll be alive!”
    But he didn’t stir. She checked his pulse again and was relieved to find that it was still steady. Kazimir was nothing if not resilient. But that only made her feel marginally better. He’d been unconscious for nearly six hours. She was starting to worry.
    She’d washed away the blood and cleaned up his wounds as best she could. Her nursing skills weren’t all that great, but at least he wasn’t bleeding anymore. But he wasn’t even stirring in her bed. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. Reaching for her phone, she decided to call her father.
    Before she could, she heard another phone vibrate. She checked the pockets of the clothes that she’d left in a heap on the floor and found that his phone was actually still working. Go figure. He might be dying, but his cell was in great shape.
    “Hello,” she said tentatively as she picked up.
    “You sound much prettier than when I spoke to you last,” an amused voice said after a moment of