AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Giving him a rolled-eyed look, Daria admitted, “This is new for me. I’m a sniper by trade. Shield Security, who I work for, gave me the mission because I speak Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish languages. I’ve never done undercover work before.” Dara leaned back, crossing her long legs. “I’m counting on you to help me, Nik.”
He frowned and studied her. “I will take care of you.”
Daria’s heart took off. He’d said those words to her with great weight and she suddenly felt that armor-like energy almost visibly surrounding her. There was a look of the warrior in his eyes for a moment as he silently regarded her. It made her anxiety dissolve. This man was more than a soldier. He was a long-time operator. A hardened warrior, a fact which he masked for the most part from the world around him, putting on the combat medic facade, instead.
“Thanks for the support.” she said. “First, I want to tell you that Alex Kazak said to tell you hello.”
Nik straightened; his voice suddenly thick with emotion. “Alex? You know him?”
Her heart clenched at the raw, sudden emotion flooding his voice and expression. If Daria had ever doubted a genuinely warm tie between the two men, she had her proof now. Nik’s eyes glistened and, for a moment, she thought she saw tears in them. Just as suddenly, they were gone. “Yes, I know him and his wife Lauren very well.”
“Alex? Married? Wait… Lauren…? Lauren Parker? The woman that I helped kidnap and then helped to escape?”
She saw disbelief flare in his eyes as she nodded. “Yes, the very same woman. They were married after coming back from that mission in Peru with you.” Lowering her voice, Daria became more emotional than she wanted to appear, “They told me so much about you, Nik. I came here with far more information about you, your background and life, than what is usual. And Alex loves you deeply, as you know, like a brother. Lauren is forever grateful to you for helping save her life. They both want only a good outcome for you down here in Peru.” She swallowed convulsively as she saw so many feelings reflected in his suddenly readable expression. It was like a miracle, reminding her sharply of Luke and his ability to shed that operator’s mask when he was alone with her. Nik was doing the same thing. It made him just that much more of a draw to Daria because he was able to expose the softer masculine side of himself to her.
Sitting up, Nik pushed his long fingers through his hair. “I-I didn’t know…”
“Alex said to tell you that you’d better get your ass home to Virginia. He said they have a room at their new cabin in the woods and it’s got your name on the door. They both want to help you and Dan when you’re finally able to get free of this place… free of Korsak.”
Grimacing, Nik stood up, his scowl deepening. “Thank you for letting me know, Daria. I love Alex with all my heart. But you know that already?”
She gave him a warm look. “Yes, I do.”
He stood and paced, moving to the now closed venetian blinds. Carefully, he peeked out from one side of them, studying the hill and highway below them. Turning back to her, he said, “Slavik Brudin, second in command of our team, saw us at that restaurant this afternoon.” He walked over and sat down, holding her worried gaze.
“That’s what you wanted. Right? That they know you’ve hooked up with a woman?”
“Yes. It was a good thing. Do you have photos of the rest of the team?”
“Yes, Alex provided them to me.”
“And their backgrounds?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Because Brudin saw you coming down the hill from your apartment before you made it to the church. He told me later, when I came back to the hotel we all stay at, that he didn’t know you were my woman. He had set his sights on you already and was going to hunt you down.”
A chill worked up her back. “Hunt me down?” Her voice sounded hollow even to herself.
Nik gave her a grim look. “I told him I’d just met you, that I had an interest in you.”
“What did he say?”
“He was surprised. It’s the first time I’ve laid claim to a woman in this town.” His mouth thinned. “I know Brudin will take that info back to Korsak.”
“Again, that’s good. It’s what we want.”
“Yes,” he muttered, studying her beneath the weak lamplight. “Brudin is a loose cannon. He’s a predator with no human feelings.”
“Where I come from? That’s what we call a sociopath.”
“He is, believe me,” Nik rasped.
“So, your team knows we’re going to dinner?”
“Yes. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they shadow me. More out of curiosity than anything else. I’ve been with them five years and never had a relationship with a woman.”
“It’s been two years for me,” she said wryly, giving him an understanding look.
