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“Not if what we heard is true. That Boian trained Nalia when she was younger and that training saved her life. Boian and the rest of his team were madmen trying to find her. How Viktor and Cosivan talked about getting back to her quickly, I’d say that she belongs to them, and they’re claiming her.”
“That’s heavy shit. Especially combining those two families. Damn. I wonder who Nina was involved with, then?” Corona took a bite of the sandwich he’d finished making.
“Obviously no one very loyal. He didn’t try to get to her or provide protection for her. Viktor stepped in.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter. As soon as things clear up, I will escort her back home to Chicago, and we can work on relaxing.”
But Corona got an uneasy feeling in his gut. And one look at Atlanta and that serious expression, and he knew his buddy felt it, too.
* * * *
Nina had to admit there was something to be said about the country. The peacefulness, the quiet, and the acres upon acres of open land, along with the lone, large house with the wide wrap-around porch, were breathtaking. She glanced around the porch and saw the large boots and what appeared to be a thick walking stick, carved out of wood then polished shiny and smooth. She wondered if one of the men had made it. This was their home, their place to separate from their duty as soldiers of our country and soldiers of the mob. She gulped down a lump of emotions. She was in over her head. She didn’t have a soul to trust, and that hurt and made her feel lonelier than ever before.
She looked at the boots again. They were big, just like the four men. It was crazy how she had met Freeman and Atlanta before. They obviously hadn’t remembered her, and it was silly, but she felt hurt. All she could think was that maybe she was so desperate to feel any kind of connection or bond with another human being that she was foolish enough to hope for more with them. She could tell these men had issues and scars. Jessup seemed the worse off, with that snappy attitude and on-edge, deep, dark expression in his eyes. She knew that look well. Zinc had it. His borderline breakdowns and PTSD had her shaking in her shoes many times when they first started sharing an apartment together. Things got embarrassing for him because he didn’t want to seem weak. He’d arranged the apartment and stayed there only when he was in town, but eventually he moved out. Zinc had lived with her in the beginning only to make her feel safe, as if she had family close by. It was also a fearful time.
Nina felt the tears reach her eyes. She ran her hand over her throat and willed the tears to not fall. She could remember the multiple times he mistook her for the enemy and had her pinned up against the wall or pinned down on the rug. It took her calm, soothing tone to bring him back to the present and make him realize that it was her, and not the enemy soldiers he’d battled while serving his country. It was when Zinc had his gun to her throat that he’d finally decided it was safer for him to live elsewhere, before he killed her by accident.
That time seemed so far away, yet Nina remembered the fear, the sadness, as if it was yesterday. Zinc struggled to live as a civilian. Working for Viktor as security seemed to keep him sharp and ready, which somehow lessened those nightmares and those episodes he had.
Her brother was so determined to keep her safe and make her have a happy life. He was consumed with it, and she wondered what had gone wrong. Who had he angered so much that they killed him and Cobra? Was it something connected to Viktor and the family, or was it personal? Did he double-cross some guys while he tried to make an extra side deal?
Nina heard the floor creak and turned to the right to see Freeman approaching. He looked good, comfortable in this setting. His blue jeans were snug on his hips and thighs, then looser on his calves. The hem sat on the top of what appeared to be cowboy boots, and she couldn’t help but find that sexy. The plaid button-down shirt in blue and white check was rolled up to his forearms and unbuttoned a little at the top, revealing a tan chest.
“You need anything?” he asked, just like he, Corona, and Atlanta did on a daily basis. They weren’t her servants, and she wanted to make that clear. This whole “watching over her” thing seemed silly to Nina.
“I’m good, thank you, but you don’t need to cater to me. I can take care of myself.”
He squinted at her as he came closer. He leaned against the railing and looked her over. She wore a short, beige skirt and a tank top in cream with a sheer, white button-down blouse over it.
“I’m just making sure that you feel comfortable. This is our home, and making any guests feel at home is a priority. It’s a southern thing maybe you should get used to while you’re here.” Freeman said it with his arms crossed in front of his chest and an angry gleam in his eyes. Then, he dismissed her attitude by turning around. She felt guilty for being snappy with him as he looked out toward the fields.
Nina watched him, admiring his firm jaw, his crew cut brown hair, and the way his muscles flexed in his arms.
She felt bad for maybe insulting him.
“I’m sorry, Freeman. I didn’t mean to come off like I don’t appreciate you allowing me in your home. This is supposed to be your vacation. So, what do you usually do when you guys are off from work?”
He turned around and looked her over again. “To be honest, we haven’t done this in years. We take a few days here and there, maybe a week tops, but usually not.”
“That must be rough. It’s beautiful here, and peaceful,” she whispered, now looking out toward the fields again.
“It sure is, and just thinking about the house and the land usually gives me something to look forward to when I’m working. You know, the town is really nice. If you want, we could go check that out.”
She thought about it a moment. They had been here a few days, and Corona had mentioned that Viktor and his team wanted them to come over for dinner tomorrow. She should make something or bring something to Nalia. She was important.
“If we’re going to get together with Viktor and the guys, as well as meet Karlicov’s daughter, then I should bring something. A gift or a cake or something.”
He stared at her.
“You know how to bake?” he asked, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Freeman thought her to be some sort of snob. Like maybe because she worked as the manager and was a workaholic, or perhaps they knew she lived on the streets and had a hard life. She felt her gut clench, and she was embarrassed.
“I don’t often get the chance, but I’m not bad at it.”
He glanced at his watch—a military one, she assumed. It was large and had a lot of stuff on it. It made him appear capable, for some reason.
“We can leave in five minutes. I’ll just check with Corona and the others to see if they want to come along too.”
Freeman walked back into the house. Nina stood up, held on to the railing, and took another deep breath of fresh country air. It felt so different out here.
