Free Russian Enforcer's Reluctant Bride by Nic Saint Page A
Authors: Nic Saint
room when he heard a delicate cough behind him. Instantly knowing it was Yury, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He might have worked for the man for going on three years now, but Yury still scared the living daylights out of him.
He turned to face his employer, his face impassive and eyes revealing nothing.
“What were you doing in Tatyana’s room?” Yury asked softly, the menace shimmering right beneath the surface.
“She was having trouble with your gift, Yury. Said the dog was too big to handle.” He brought a hand to his face and coughed in his fist, then folded his hands in front of him, taking a wide stance, just the way Vitaly had taught him.
Yury merely gave him a curt nod, indicating he’d been dismissed. As he started walking away, Yury said, “Oh, and Ruslan? I made a bit of a mess in the office. Could you take care of it?”
“Of course, sir,” he said, his heart racing. The word ‘mess’ was code for a dead body. He wondered who it would be this time. He just hoped Yury hadn’t made things too messy. Once the whole room had been splattered with blood. It had taken a crew of three an hour to clean it all up.
“Ask Vitaly to help you. He’ll show you where to dump the body.”
“Yes, sir. Of course, sir,” he said without looking up.
As he sped away, he wondered why Yury would involve Vitaly in such a menial task. As the head of security and Yury’s right-hand man Vitaly was above such lowly assignments.
Knowing better than to question the boss, he went in search of Vitaly, and found him in his office, which was located on the ground floor. Applying his knuckles to the jamb, he intoned, “Vitaly? Yury said to help me clean up a dead body in his office. Said you’d know where to dump the poor sucker?”
“Doesn’t he know I’ve got better things to do than to clean up after him?” Vitaly growled, cracking his neck. “Who is it this time? Anyone we know?”
As the big guy rose to his feet and joined him, Ruslan shrugged. “No idea. Probably some lowlife who got in too deep.” As they lightly moved up the stairs, he lowered his voice and said, “How’s Yana? Any news?”
“She’ll be fine,” returned Vitaly. “The arrow managed to dodge all the vital organs. She’s making quite a miraculous recovery.”
“Where are they keeping her? Saint-John’s?”
Vitaly nodded absently. The fact that everybody knew what had happened disturbed him. If word reached Yury’s ear about what exactly had transpired yesterday, he would be furious. Furious with his daughter, but even more with Spartak. He’d reported the news about the accident personally. Said a stray arrow had hit the girl. When Yury had inquired after the shooter, he’d said it had originated from another hunting party.
But of course Spartak had blabbed about the incident to Boris, and now everybody knew what had actually happened. If word got out he’d lied to Yury, he would face the big man’s ire personally. Not that that worried him too much. After all, what could Yury do? Fire him? Kill him? Not likely.
Arriving at the man’s office, he put his palm on the scanner and the door to the hidden room swished open. The moment he set foot inside, his stomach lurched. Beside him, Ruslan was violently sick and hurled the contents of his stomach on the floor in a single retching gulp.
CHAPTER 17
Joanna was walking on air. As she strode through the gardens, Ramir gamboling around her feet, she thought she could have burst out into song. A glow suffused her cheeks. It wasn’t hard to see why. She’d just had the best sex she’d had in ages, and it showed. Vitaly was gone, but the memory lingered. She was surprised at how strongly she’d responded to him, her body apparently having acquired a will all of its own. How strongly she’d misjudged the man. It was clear to her now that beneath that hard veneer there lay a tender heart.
He’d shown her pleasures she’d long forgotten. Granted,
He turned to face his employer, his face impassive and eyes revealing nothing.
“What were you doing in Tatyana’s room?” Yury asked softly, the menace shimmering right beneath the surface.
“She was having trouble with your gift, Yury. Said the dog was too big to handle.” He brought a hand to his face and coughed in his fist, then folded his hands in front of him, taking a wide stance, just the way Vitaly had taught him.
Yury merely gave him a curt nod, indicating he’d been dismissed. As he started walking away, Yury said, “Oh, and Ruslan? I made a bit of a mess in the office. Could you take care of it?”
“Of course, sir,” he said, his heart racing. The word ‘mess’ was code for a dead body. He wondered who it would be this time. He just hoped Yury hadn’t made things too messy. Once the whole room had been splattered with blood. It had taken a crew of three an hour to clean it all up.
“Ask Vitaly to help you. He’ll show you where to dump the body.”
“Yes, sir. Of course, sir,” he said without looking up.
As he sped away, he wondered why Yury would involve Vitaly in such a menial task. As the head of security and Yury’s right-hand man Vitaly was above such lowly assignments.
Knowing better than to question the boss, he went in search of Vitaly, and found him in his office, which was located on the ground floor. Applying his knuckles to the jamb, he intoned, “Vitaly? Yury said to help me clean up a dead body in his office. Said you’d know where to dump the poor sucker?”
“Doesn’t he know I’ve got better things to do than to clean up after him?” Vitaly growled, cracking his neck. “Who is it this time? Anyone we know?”
As the big guy rose to his feet and joined him, Ruslan shrugged. “No idea. Probably some lowlife who got in too deep.” As they lightly moved up the stairs, he lowered his voice and said, “How’s Yana? Any news?”
“She’ll be fine,” returned Vitaly. “The arrow managed to dodge all the vital organs. She’s making quite a miraculous recovery.”
“Where are they keeping her? Saint-John’s?”
Vitaly nodded absently. The fact that everybody knew what had happened disturbed him. If word reached Yury’s ear about what exactly had transpired yesterday, he would be furious. Furious with his daughter, but even more with Spartak. He’d reported the news about the accident personally. Said a stray arrow had hit the girl. When Yury had inquired after the shooter, he’d said it had originated from another hunting party.
But of course Spartak had blabbed about the incident to Boris, and now everybody knew what had actually happened. If word got out he’d lied to Yury, he would face the big man’s ire personally. Not that that worried him too much. After all, what could Yury do? Fire him? Kill him? Not likely.
Arriving at the man’s office, he put his palm on the scanner and the door to the hidden room swished open. The moment he set foot inside, his stomach lurched. Beside him, Ruslan was violently sick and hurled the contents of his stomach on the floor in a single retching gulp.
CHAPTER 17
Joanna was walking on air. As she strode through the gardens, Ramir gamboling around her feet, she thought she could have burst out into song. A glow suffused her cheeks. It wasn’t hard to see why. She’d just had the best sex she’d had in ages, and it showed. Vitaly was gone, but the memory lingered. She was surprised at how strongly she’d responded to him, her body apparently having acquired a will all of its own. How strongly she’d misjudged the man. It was clear to her now that beneath that hard veneer there lay a tender heart.
He’d shown her pleasures she’d long forgotten. Granted,