Free The Gift: A Novella by Sandra Marton Page A

had been a long time…
    The site opened.
    Kaz pumped his fist in the air.
    And set to work.
    * * * *
    The gray light of dawn was just touching the room by the time he’d finished.
    He had one last thing to do before going upstairs to Katie.
    Zach had left a message. A pair of first-class tickets waited for him at the Air Sardovia counter at Kennedy International Airport.
    Right. Like he would take this journey with his Katie on a plane crowded with strangers.
    He canceled the tickets. Then he phoned the private air service he always used and told them what he needed.
    After that, all that remained was to pack.
    And to make love to Katie for what he knew might be the one last time.
    He went up the stairs and climbed into bed carefully, not wanting to wake her before he absolutely had to, but as soon as he started to draw her back against him, she turned in his arms.
    “Sweetheart,” he whispered.
    She smiled. But there were tears in her eyes. And fear. And something else.
    Love.
    His heart swelled.
    She loved him. He was sure of it. God knew that he loved her. He wanted to tell her that, to hear her say the words to him, but what if his plan failed? To give them both such hope and then watch it all come to nothing…
    And, sweet Jesus, it could fail. He was pinning everything on a half-cooked scheme.
    “Katie,” he said fiercely, “it isn’t too late. Call your father. Tell him—”
    She kissed him, and he tasted the salt of her tears.
    “Whatever happens,” she said softly, “I will always have these days to remember.”
    Kaz framed her face with his hands. “I’m not giving up,” he said. “I can’t tell you more than that, but… Will you trust me, sweetheart?”
    “I would trust you with my life, Kazimir.” She hesitated. “As I have already trusted you with my heart.”
    His mouth captured hers, and then he was inside her.
    And, just for a little while, the world went away.

CHAPTER TEN
    A t midday, they boarded a sleek Gulfstream 500 that would carry them, non-stop, from New York to Mardonsk, the capital city of Sardovia.
    The jet was luxurious; the crew knew him and had everything waiting just as he preferred it. The wine. The food. Even the kind of coffee that was his favorite.
    Katie said a polite “No, thank you” to everything the flight attendant offered.
    “Eat something,” Kaz pleaded, and she finally agreed to scrambled eggs and toast. He ordered the same thing, but neither of them could choke down more than a couple of mouthfuls.
    Eventually, he asked the attendant to dim the lights.
    Then he drew Katie into his arms and held her, whispered to her until, finally, she fell into a restless sleep.
    Fool, he told himself.
    He should never have listened to her when she’d insisted that she could not disappoint her mother. What if his plan failed? Plan? It was more the desperate scheme of a desperate man and what he should have done, instead of wasting time, was to have—was to have…
    What?
    Lock her up? Take her to the top of a high mountain and refuse to let her leave?
    “Katie,” he whispered, and she sighed in her sleep as he pressed his lips to her temple and gave voice to the words that were in his heart. “Katie. Ekaterina. I love you.”
    * * * *
    He had not sent word of their arrival time, but in accordance with international flight rules, the Gulfstream pilot had alerted the airport at Mardonsk well in advance.
    Katie clutched Kaz’s hand as the plane touched down.
    “They’re waiting for us,” she said in a choked whisper.
    They were.
    An entire delegation. Long black limousines disgorged a dozen dignitaries. The minister of state. The minister of culture. Secretaries and under-secretaries. An honor guard stood at stiff attention.
    And Gregor Rostov.
    Rostov stepped forward and took his daughter’s arm.
    “You have done what was asked of you,” he said to Kaz. “We have no further need of your presence.”
    Kaz moved to within inches of the man. His face was as hard as