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The jet screeches overhead and she sighs. “This is it, Alexei. Reality has landed.”
“Serena...” I say huskily, and she shakes her head. “Don’t make any promises, any plans, or any declarations, Alexei. We both know circumstances may dictate otherwise. Let’s leave it here. You have obligations and so do I. Maybe one day our paths will cross again, but I won’t hold you to that. At least I have a reminder though, thank you for that.”
She grins as she refers to the rose on her ass and I laugh softly. “Just think of me as the thorn in your ass, tiger.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
We both watch the jet taxi off the runway, and I note the black and silver of their family jet. It is nowhere near as large as the Romanov one, but impressive all the same. We come from two similar worlds, and I hope this is not the end for us, merely a bump in the road.
As the door opens and my guard stands patiently waiting, I switch emotion off and say firmly, “Come, little one. Your next adventure is waiting for you.”
As we retrieve her bag from the trunk, I hate every second of this long goodbye. It shouldn’t matter to me, but it does. What turned out as a wild adventure and nothing more, has turned into an experience I am struggling to forget.
* * *
We standat the foot of the steps and the door opens and several guards head down them, causing Serena to groan.
“Fuck my life.”
I chuckle softly as one of them stares at me with suspicion and nods with respect. “Miss Vieri, Mr. Romanov.”
He reaches for her bag, and we glance past him as a man appears and Serena groans. “It appears that my brother wants to meet you.”
I stare with interest at the man heading toward us and it’s immediately noticeable he is the one in charge around here. Dressed all in black with a scowl on his face, he heads toward us with an air of danger surrounding him.
His first thought is for his sister, and I watch as he scans her face with concern, checking that she’s okay, and she smiles coolly. “Shade. It’s good to see you.”
I’m surprised when he reaches out and pulls her against him hard, his arms wrapping around her as he holds her against his chest, burying his face in her hair and whispering something I can’t quite make out.
For a second she sags against him, and I hate that I have lost her already and still holding her in his arms, he stares at me with an expression that tells me if I’ve fucked with her, I’m dead.
I regard him coolly and he says in a husky growl, “Thank you for looking after my sister, Mr. Romanov. I won’t forget it.”
I nod, masking my emotion as I have been trained to do. It appears we all went to the same school for that because there is nothing but cool detachment from all three of us now.
He pulls back from Serena and stares at her hard and says with a satisfied nod, “Come. We must be airborne within ten minutes to keep our arrival slot.”
He stands to one side to allow her to pass him and as she turns, I watch the mask slip and desperation replace cool indifference. Her eyes fill with tears, and, to my surprise, she pulls away from him and moves toward me, reaching out and hugging me hard. Much like her brother’s, my arms fold around her and I whisper, “This isn’t the end of our show, little one, it’s merely the interval.”
She stares up at me and smiles. “I hope so, Alexei. You still owe me thirteen hours of adventure.”
She grins as she backs away and then turns and runs up the stairs of the aircraft without looking back, leaving me with her brother, who stares at me with a hooded expression and says darkly, “She is my sister, Mr. Romanov. I’m sure you understand what happens if I discover something I don’t like.”
I return his dark expression and growl, “Mr. Vieri, I don’t miss the threat in your statement. I can assure you I only have Serena’s best interests at heart and as a brother myself, I understand your concerns. I am not the threat to Serena’s life. You should look closer to home for that, and I want to offer you my assistance should you need my help in dealing with that.”
I nod toward the aircraft, hating that she has disappeared into it already, and I sigh.
“Serena will fill you in. I wish you luck and safe travels.”
He stares at me hard and I note the slightly crazed expression of a man who lives in chaos most of his life. We all share that look. Our lives are hard, and money is the honey coating the sour interior. Shade Vieri deals with the madness daily and I understand what that must be like. My brother Mikhail has the same chaos in his eyes, and it makes me feel better knowing Serena has him beside her as she heads off to deal with something only a family can.
He nods and sprints back up the steps and, as the guards follow, I sigh inside. I hate this shit on a good day, but right now, watching it take Serena away from me, I would sacrifice it all for a few more hours with her.
CHAPTER22
Shade is staring at me, and I say irritably, “Just say it.”
“What, princess?”
