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“They are making threats, hinting that your daughter is a target to get you to comply with the deal they want to make,” Storm told Nicolai. Karlicov, Star and his team, Storm and his team as well as Daren Mulicheck gathered in Nicolai’s office.
“I knew this would be a possibility after my trip and after sealing the deal with Larcovian. Cruz is trying to intimidate me and threatening my daughter’s safety will cost him,” Nicolai stated firmly.
“What do you need us to do?” Star asked.
“I will arrange for more protection. I know she is making business plans this week. Dubkova and Murin need to be updated and made aware of the seriousness of her protection.”
“Has she had any training besides the hand-to-hand combat stuff Murin has been teaching her?” Storm asked.
“Murin has been training her?” Star asked, sounding pissed off. Nicolai looked at Daren and Daren raised one of his eyebrows at his son’s response.
“Yes, and doing quite well from Nalia’s understanding,” Cosivan added to the conversation.
“We should be the ones training her and watching over her,” Border insisted and Star jerked his head at his brother for speaking out.
“Why is that?” Nicol
ai asked, leaning back against his desk and crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“We searched for her the last three years. We rescued her from that prison, and we stood by her all this time. You even assigned us to her when you were on that trip to the Ukraine. We don’t trust any other guards to take her protection as seriously as we will,” Star said to him.
Nicolai looked around the room at all the faces. An extended family of military soldiers, some without blood ties to the family but with more loyalty than some of his closest family members.
“Perhaps you can be more specific as to why you feel you and your team should be her personal bodyguards when that is above your position as members of a top family?” Cosivan pushed.
Star gave him a hard expression.
“She trusts us, and will listen to us without question if we need to make a move quickly to protect her,” Star replied.
“I don’t know. She has a great rapport with Dubkova and Murin. Both men adore her,” Nicolai added to the conversation. He could see Star getting angry as well as the others. Border had looked ready to kill someone all night and Krane was actually biting the inside of his cheek. He looked at Lucca.
“We care for her, Nicolai, and would give our lives to protect her. I think that is fair enough,” Lucca said to him.
“I have to be fair to Malayna and run this by her so she understands the seriousness of this. She trusts the four of you. Be honest with me. Do you have feelings for my daughter that go beyond loyalty to me and your position in the organization?” Nicolai asked.
Star looked at his brothers and they were so damn serious and hard-looking Star felt a mix of emotions. They were warriors and they were part of a good family, one he trusted. They were also reckless in their ways and did dangerous things to accomplish violent, dark orders. Did he want his daughter involved with men so much older, so scarred and capable?
“All we can say at this moment, Nicolai, is that we care for her and would like to offer our protection to her. We will guard her with our lives,” Star said and Nicolai exhaled. They were not going to admit to anything. He nodded.
“Storm, I want you to update Star and his team on all the information you know about Cruz. In the interim, sometime tomorrow, I will speak with Malayna and let her know the change of plans. You will also decide amongst yourselves who will continue her training. Talk with Murin and see where he was at with that. I think that’s it for now. Return to the party,” he said to them. The men nodded and all walked out of the room except for Mulicheck and Karlicov.
Karlicov walked over to the bar and poured them each some vodka.
“What do you think?” Nicolai said to Mulicheck, who took the glass from Karlicov. They each held a glass and Mulicheck looked at them.
“Besides gaining a daughter, you may be gaining four sons-in-law.” Karlicov chuckled and Nicolai smirked.
“They are all scarred in many ways. Their fears, their experiences hold them back from accepting what they have no control over. They’ll fight that love, those feelings to try to protect one another from harm,” Nicolai said.
“But we all know sometimes destiny is inevitable. Malayna is safest if they give in to their attraction and protect her at all times, and at all costs. Otherwise, she will never truly be safe,” Mulicheck said and they agreed then clinked their glasses and sipped their vodka. Mulicheck had been smart enough to protect Soyva and save her from being killed. Nicolai and Karlicov had thought they were doing the right thing by denying their love for their women and protecting from afar. It cost them the loves of their lives, and a future of happiness. Nicolai didn’t want that for his daughter, but this was out of his control. The Mulicheck men needed to make a stand.
* * * *
Malayna sat down in the chair by the windows in her studio. It was late. Most of the guests had left and she had some alone time to think about the night, and of course her past birthdays.
She held a near empty glass of vodka in her hands, her legs tucked under her bottom and her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at the painting she had hidden. She took another sip of the vodka, hoping the warm, tingling sensation could numb her emotions, but it did very little but make her mind wander further into the past.
She tightened up as she closed her eyes and envisioned a time only a year ago today. Cornikup’s hand patted her head as she knelt on the floor next to his feet. His thick, hard fingers grabbed her hair, tilting her head back as he spoke to her and fed her the prime piece of meat. He told her it was special. That he knew it was her birthday and that for years to follow she would be given more and more freedom. Just as long as she remained obedient to him.
