AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Yes, I had already come to that conclusion. Theo was on his feet rushing toward the model/actor. “Bello! There you are!” They kissed cheeks.
“Bonjour, Theo,” the man said. “You are looking tan and rested. Paris is treating you well.”
“That is what good sex on a yacht will do for you.” Theo addressed the other man. “Who is this very tall and handsome man?”
The military man nodded his head in greeting. “Hello. I’m Alessio. Thank you for letting us hide out here.”
“So polite,” Theo said. “Surprising for an Italian assassin.”
Ilya made a choking noise behind me, echoing the horror I felt. I marched over to assess these men for myself. When I put a hand on the small of Theo’s back, he linked our arms together. “Giulio and Alessio, this is Nic.”
I shook Giulio’s hand. “Welcome to my little boat.”
“Thank you,” Giulio said. “We are incredibly grateful that you have allowed us to stay.”
I nodded once, then turned to the military man. Alessio. It was then I noticed something unexpected in his gaze: recognition. I know who you are, he seemed to be saying.
Blyat! It was impossible.
Everyone was staring, waiting, so I held out my hand. “Welcome, Alessio.”
We shook, his grip firm like he had something to prove to me. I squeezed harder, tightening my fingers. Did he think to intimidate me, a Bratva pakhan?
Ilya touched my elbow lightly and I excused myself from the group. The two of us moved out of earshot so we could talk privately.
“This is a disaster,” Ilya said. “The big one brought a rifle on board.”
“I saw.” I didn’t mention that Alessio looked at me with recognition. “Take away the rifle and anything else that might be used as a weapon. Then have security learn everything they can about these two.”
We went back over to the group. I slipped my hands into my pockets and tried to appear non-threatening. “We must search your bags and store any weapons in our gun safe. You understand, I’m sure.”
Alessio was clearly unhappy at this news. Giulio touched the other man’s back intimately and leaned close, whispering something. Ah, so they were lovers.
They handed over their backpacks and the rifle case to Ilya, who took them into another room for a thorough search.
“Now, let me show you to your staterooms. Or, is it one stateroom, bello?” Theo began tugging Giulio toward the stairs.
Except Alessio didn’t move. He stared at me and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll be there shortly,” he told the others.
Our gazes locked and the mood in the room turned frosty. I heard the concern in Theo’s voice as he said, “Mon grand?”
My heart pounded, but I strove for calm. I’d faced much tougher adversaries and survived. In thirty seconds I could have both of these Italians killed and tossed overboard. I called, “It’s fine. Get your friend settled and I’ll find you on deck later.”
Then we were alone. I cocked my head, waiting for him to make a move.
His lip curled. “Nic.”
My muscles clenched. So, he did recognize me. How, when I took every precaution to ensure my identity remained a secret?
Through sheer force of will, I kept my expression impassive. “Have we met before?”
In fluent Russian, he said, “No, but I know who you are.”
His pronunciation was impressive. I switched to my native language, as well. It worked much better for threatening enemies.
I kept my answer vague, admitting nothing. “I see. And what do you plan to do about it?”
“Does he know?”
