Free Russian Enforcer's Royal Engagement (Russian Enforcers Book 7) by Nic Saint Page B

God, the wedding! Mike and Emily…”
    “They’re all fine,” Jack assured him. “They were all held at gunpoint in the main banquet hall until the terrorists could get at their real target.”
    “The king?”
    “Not the king.” He gestured to Diana, who’d risen to her feet and stood swaying now, surveying the scene. In a few words, he briefed the security man on what had taken place. The man expelled a shaky breath. “God, I should have—”
    Jack cut him off immediately. “There’s nothing you could have done. These people were well-armed, well-prepared and well-trained.”
    He told Armand how he’d called in the police but they never showed up.
    “Which reminds me,” he grunted, and walked over to one of the consoles, picked up the horn and put in the call once again. Two minutes later he had his answer: his distress signal had never reached police headquarters. They could have waited forever for the GIGN to show up. Now, at least, things had been set in motion, though he held little hope that they’d catch these bastards quickly. They had probably thought of all possible contingencies when devising their plan of campaign.
    Diana stood beside him while Rob and Yulian checked on the others, who’d been bound and gagged. “It’s so weird,” she told him, holding a hand to her aching head. “I’ve just discovered I’m a very wealthy woman, the heir to a giant fortune, only to have it stolen away from me in the same moment.”
    “We’ll get the money back,” he assured her.
    “No, that’s not what I mean,” she returned softly. “It’s just…” She darted a glance over to Yulian. “It’s such a pity for Yulian, to have all his money stolen.”
    He eyed her incredulously. Only a woman as soft-hearted as Diana would worry that a multi-billionaire like Yulian Gornakov would be out of a few million dollars. “I’m sure he’ll survive,” he announced dryly.
    She bit her lip. “God, I sure hope so.”
    He held her close, and pressed a kiss on her lips. He didn’t care one bit about Yulian’s millions. The only thing that mattered was that she was safe. He deeply regretted not having been able to stop the bastard from taking that shot.
    At that moment he swore that he wouldn’t rest until the man who’d harmed her would pay for his crime.
    Just then the door to the elevator swung open and his father and brother stepped out, followed by Mike and Emily.
    Emily eyed her sister-in-law solicitously. “What happened? What did they do?”
    “I’m fine,” Diana assured her. “Just got the wind knocked out of me, that’s all.”
    “Any sign of the bastards?” Jack asked Mike.
    Mike shook his head. “Not a trace. It’s as if they simply vanished into thin air.”
    “We’ll have to check the cameras,” he told the security man. They both turned to look at Armand, who was already busy checking the equipment for any sign of a break-in. Whoever had managed to hack into the castle’s security system must have left some trace.
    “These guys are good,” Mike opined. “I doubt whether we’ll discover much.”
    That’s exactly what Jack thought. The operation had gone off without a hitch, except for the part where Jack had spirited Diana away to the safe room. They hadn’t foreseen that little contingency, but had dealt with it nonetheless. It had bought him and Diana some time, but in the end the assholes had gotten what they wanted after all.
    “So I hear congratulations are in order?” Emily said, squeezing Diana’s hand and staring up at him with sparkling eyes.
    He stared at her blankly.
    “The engagement?” she pressed.
    Ah, that… He frowned, remembering the ruse he’d used to be able to stay by Diana’s side. He now noticed she was eyeing him intently.
    “That—that was just a ruse, wasn’t it, Jack?” she asked hesitantly.
    He nodded, trying to read her face. It had been a ploy, though now he suddenly felt oddly disappointed that it wasn’t true. He found to his