Free Retribution by Lietha Wards

irritable
and groggy the following day. The drugs also gave her a splitting
headache. Every now and then a very kind nurse would sit with her
and keep her calm, but it wasn’t as effective as Ryan Casey’s warm
body.

CHAPTER TWO
     
    Ryan was up, and showered
by seven in the morning. He’d had four hours sleep but he was well
rested. It was all he ever needed. He’d never been much of a
sleeper, and a light one, and he functioned well on it. He put on
grey slacks and a white shirt while he walked through the adjoining
door and checked on Katya and she was sleeping sound. She was on
her side with her back to him. A thin sheet covered her body and he
could easily see the curves of her form beneath it. She had a nice
shape. Her hips were round and her waist small. She had very nice
breasts, not to big, or small. Probably the right size for his
hands. He gave his head a shake.
    A knock on his own door
brought him about. He walked over and opened it. It was Ivan. He
knew the man didn’t like him. He didn’t even bother hiding the
dislike in his expression. Well, it would just make killing him
easier if he got in his way.
    The two men never said
anything but just stared at one another for a moment.
    Ivan’s eyes went down the
front of Ryan where his shirt hung open. The distinct contours of
his thick upper chest and hard abdominal muscles just pissed him
off more. He saw the physique last night from the dim light of the
hall when Katya clung to him. It was worse in broad daylight. The
man was in incredible shape and Ivan’s body was nothing like it. He
was also disgustingly good looking, whereas Ivan’s face wasn’t much
to look at. He had cauliflower ears, and his nose was flattened to
his face from the numerous fistfights he’d been in. He had a large
forehead and sunken eyes. It looked like he had the face of a
boxer, but he wasn’t one. “The boss wants to see you. Now. Right
now.” His eyes went past him for a moment to see if Katya was in
there.
    Ryan saw his suspicions and
just shook his head while stepping by him and shutting the door.
Then he buttoned his shirt. Ideas like that were ridiculous, and
insulting. He was here for a job not the seduction of a vulnerable
woman. Obviously Ivan wouldn’t hesitate if he was in the position.
Peter chose wisely.
    Ivan never said another
word to him as he led him to the familiar door of Peter Nickolov’s
office. There were two men standing outside, and the door was open.
Ivan swept his arm for Ryan to enter first.
    He wasn’t sure what this
was about, but he was thinking that he wanted regular reports on
Katya. Something Ryan wasn’t about to give. He was very discreet.
If Peter wanted someone to feed him information, he’d have to look
elsewhere.
    He didn’t even consider
that the older man discovered that he wasn’t who he said he was,
because there was no way that information was available. His
brother of course, didn’t have that courtesy. Someone in Peter’s
organization found out who he really was.
    When Ryan entered the
darkened room, he expected the same stern psychopath waiting for
him. Instead, Peter looked a little shaken.
    “Oh good.” Peter came out
behind his desk holding a piece of paper. There was an open parcel
sitting on top of the polished surface. It was wrapped in
traditional brown package paper, now torn open. He could see the
muscle in Peter’s jaw pulsing. He was raging and seemed a little
off balance.
    Ryan stopped as Peter
approached and handed him the paper. Ryan unfolded it, scanned the
writing then his eyes went to the opened package, then to Peter.
“When did you get this?”
    “This morning. It was left
at the front gate. They were gone before my men could do anything.
The cameras picked up two masked men in a white van, but there was
no plate.” He nodded toward the note. “You are a man of many
talents. I recalled that you served in the Middle East. Please tell
me you can read that.”
    His eyes went back to the
crumpled