Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3) (29 page)

He
shrugged. “That’s not so different from the way our schedule works now. I doubt
Michael’s going to want me hanging around in Paris after he hears what I have
to say. What if I meet up with you in Sevastopol or in Zurich near the end of
your trip?”

I
smiled. “You really are determined to join me.”

Rafael
blew out a breath as he merged onto the exit for the airport. “The past six
weeks with you have been the happiest six weeks of my life. I want a future
with you, Kristine. We belong together. I have never been more certain of anything
in my life. I don’t like the idea of being parted from you… especially for
eighteen days.”

“Okay,”
I relented in mock exasperation. “Meet up with me when you’re done in Paris.”

His
jaw fell open. “Really?”

I
laughed. “Really. I’ll be equally miserable without you, so if nothing more
pressing comes up at work or in Paris, then come. Meet me in Ukraine.”

He
visibly relaxed as he turned into the short term parking lot.

I
shot him a curious look. “Why are you pulling in here?”

Rafael
looked confused. “I’m walking you through to security.”

I
shook my head. “Seriously, Rafael. You don’t need to do that. Why don’t you
just drop me off? God only knows how long that security line is going to be.”

He
smiled as he slid the Navigator into a parking spot. “The longer that line is,
the more time I get to spend with you.” He retrieved my suitcases from the back
of the SUV as I jumped out of the vehicle. He wheeled both suitcases as we made
our way toward the ticket counter for Lufthansa.

I
checked both suitcases so I’d only have to carry my purse and Kindle onto the
plane. Rafael tucked me against his chest as we joined at least eighty other
people in the security line. “Now, remember what I said. Don’t trust anyone…
not even the authorities. Get a SIM card for Ukraine first thing on Friday.
Check in with the American Embassy in Kiev as soon as you get your SIM card.
Let them know what you’re doing, where you’re going to be, and how long you
plan to be in the country.”

I
rolled my eyes.

He
tightened his hold on me. “Don’t roll your eyes at me! Call me when you get
settled into your hotel each night, so I know you’re safe. Try not to stay out
too late. Stay away from the mafia, and don’t let anyone buy you drinks. Don’t
take your eyes off your drink if you order one. Scratch that. Don’t drink
anything.”

My
eyes widened. “Don’t drink?
Anything?
”

He
shook his head at my sarcastic tone. “You know what I mean. Don’t drink alcohol.”

I
laughed. “But coffee’s okay?”

Rafael
grinned. “Coffee is fine.”

I
glanced at him as we moved forward in the security line. “Did you know that
we’re not supposed to drink the water unless it’s been boiled? We’re not even
supposed to use it to brush our teeth. We’ve also been advised not to eat any
fruits or vegetables that haven’t been cooked or peeled. No salad. Nothing that
would be rinsed in water.”

He
nodded. “You should buy a case of sparkling water and keep it at the hotel.
Don’t drink any bottled water that isn’t carbonated. Bottles of uncarbonated water
could be filled with tap water. You don’t want to spend your entire trip in bed
sick with some parasite or bacteria your body isn’t used to.”

I
sighed as we approached the TSA agent. I handed him my passport and my plane
ticket before wrapping my arms around Rafael’s neck. “Looks like this is the
end of the road for you. I love you.”

He
lifted me off the floor as he kissed me. “I miss you already,” he said as he
set me back down.

The
TSA agent smiled. He nodded toward Rafael as he stepped away from the line.
“What’s the matter, you couldn’t squeeze him into your purse?”

I
laughed as the guy handed me my plane ticket and passport. “No. Sadly, he
wouldn’t fit.”

I
waved at Rafael, then blew him a kiss as I joined a short line of people
standing in front of an x-ray machine. I kicked my shoes off, placed them in a
gray container with my purse and Kindle, and set everything on the conveyor
belt. For some unexplained reason, I was chosen for a security pat down. Once I
was cleared, I turned around for one last look at Rafael.

He
was leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. “Wish it
had been me,” he mouthed with a crooked smile on his face.

I
grinned as I slid my shoes back on. I reached for my purse and Kindle, then blew
him one last kiss.

Shae,
Sammi, and Cory were already at the gate when I arrived. Shae gave me a hug
when I joined the group. “I was worried you weren’t going to make it in time.
They’re boarding in ten minutes.”

I
eyed Starbucks longingly. “Do I have enough time to grab coffee?”

Sammi
turned toward me and laughed. She was holding a Starbucks cup in her hand. “You
better make it quick.”

I
sprinted toward Starbucks. God only knew what kind of coffee they served in
Ukraine. Thankfully, there was only one person ahead of me in line. I ordered a
venti toffee nut latte, extra hot.

I
breathed in the rich aroma as I approached the gate. Cory chuckled as I joined
them in line. “Are you going to drink it, or do you plan to sniff it the entire
flight?”

I
grinned. “I’ll drink it once it cools off. I ordered it extra hot, so it should
last awhile.”

We
boarded the plane and inched our way toward our seats. I dropped into the seat
next to Shae. Sammi and Cory settled into the seats across the aisle from me. I
leaned my head toward Shae. “Are they an item?”

She
laughed. “You’re just now figuring that out?”

I
tucked my purse under the seat and snapped the seatbelt into place. I leaned
back in the seat, held the coffee to my nose, and inhaled deeply. “I should
have let Rafael join us.”

“If
I had a smoking hot boyfriend with a flexible schedule who wanted to traipse
across the world with me, I would have begged him to come,” Shae responded,
fastening her seatbelt.

“Sometimes
I can be really, really stupid,” I replied sullenly.

Shae
patted my hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you plenty entertained.”

We
arrived in Germany early the next morning. I was surprised Frankfurt was such a
metropolitan city. The place had a New York City vibe with its cluster of
skyscrapers tucked along the Main River. I was also surprised by the diversity
of the population. Thankfully, quite a few people spoke English.

We
dropped our luggage at the hotel so we could go out for breakfast while we
waited for our rooms to become available. Sammi and Cory were sharing a room
together. I was bunking with Shae.

We
decided to have breakfast at an outdoor café, which we discovered in a large
public market called the Kleinmarkthalle. The weather was crisp and cool. We
sat at the café for hours as we sampled a variety of meats, cheeses, breads,
and jam. Shockingly, German coffee put Starbucks to shame. It was strong, very
rich, but incredibly smooth, with none of the bitterness that I was accustomed
to. If it didn’t rival the coffee in Paris, then it came darn close. I
purchased a bag of coffee to take home to Rafael before we left the café.

We
wandered through the crowded market place after breakfast. I purchased an
international calling card from a convenience store, so I could call Rafael
when we got back to the hotel. He wasn’t expecting me to call until I arrived
in Ukraine, but I was missing him and really wanted to hear his voice.

I
was exhausted by the time we arrived back at the hotel. We were planning to
sleep for four or five hours before taking Sammi out to dinner for her birthday
at the King Kamehameha Club. The waitress at the café had recommended the
Hawaiian themed dance club. She claimed the place had its very own beach.

I
glanced over at Shae, who was already sprawled out on her bed. “Do you mind if
I call Rafael before we go to sleep?”

She
yawned sleepily. “No. I’m sure I’ll be asleep before your call is even over.”
She rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head.

I
smiled as I dialed the international number on the hotel phone. I sank back into
my pillows as I waited to hear his voice.

“Hello?”

“Hey
handsome! All of Germany is missing you.”

He
laughed. “An entire country is missing me?”

I
nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “It sure feels that way. I’ve looked at
your picture at least a hundred times. I really should have taken more pictures
of you. I’m a little sad you’re wearing a shirt in this one.”

Rafael
chuckled softly. “If you promise to be good, I’ll have your cousin take a
picture of me with my shirt off, and I’ll text it to you.”

I
paused as I thought through his plan.

“Kristine?
Are you still there?”

“Yeah.
I’m here. I’m just weighing how much I want that picture against my cousin
getting to see you with your shirt off,” I explained.

He
laughed. “Your cousin is a happily married woman.”

I
giggled. “I know. Have her take the picture, but tell her I said she’s not
allowed to touch your chest… because I know she’s going to want to. How was
dinner last night? Where did you take them?”

“I
took them to Komi.”

I
flashed to our tryst with the chocolate mousse. “You didn’t eat chocolate
mousse without me, did you?”

“They
didn’t serve chocolate mousse this time. They served crème brûlée instead.”

I
smiled. “So how did they like the synchronized waiters?”

“They
loved them. Your cousin was totally messing with them, though. She kept moving
her glass around when they were pouring the wine.”

I
laughed. “That sounds like Lexie, always stirring up trouble.” I softened my
voice so Shae could get some sleep. “So, what are they doing today?”

“Kadyn
is giving them a tour of the Pentagon and the 9/11 Memorial. I think he’s
taking them to dinner afterwards. I’m taking them to see the Capitol and a
couple of museums tomorrow. We’re going to a Washington Nationals game tomorrow
night.”

I
yawned as I slid under the covers. “I didn’t know you liked baseball.”

“Baseball’s
okay. I like soccer more,” he confessed.

“When
do you leave for Paris?” I asked, suddenly realizing I didn’t know.

“I’m
leaving next Saturday. I thought I should stick around in case your cousin needs
anything. She and Nate leave on Wednesday. I was going to fly out that same
day, but I picked up an assignment.”

“Really?”
I asked. “Who are you protecting this time?”

“Prince
Harry.”

I
shot up in bed. “The Prince Harry? Dang. I want you to start introducing me to
some of your clients!”

Rafael
laughed. “He’s just like any other guy. Well, he is rather fond of getting into
trouble, but he’s still a very nice guy.”

“You’ve
served on his security detail before?”

 “Yes,
back in February.”

I
glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I’m using an international calling
card, and my time is nearly up. I head to Sevastopol next Saturday. Let me know
if you want to meet up there or in Zurich, so I can secure another hotel room.”

“Sure
thing, love. Travel safe tomorrow. Call or text when you get your SIM card.”

“I
will. I love you,” I murmured softly.

“I
love you too,” he responded in a husky voice. “Be safe.”

I
sighed heavily as I hung up the phone. No amount of time with Rafael was ever
enough. I couldn’t believe how much I missed him already, and we hadn’t even
been apart for twenty-four hours.

Shae’s
voice called teasingly from under her pillow. “Hey, sister. You got it bad.”

I
pulled the pillow over my head and groaned. “I know.”

*
* * * * *

I
eyed our new hotel room with some serious trepidation. The dingy gray walls
were stained. There were no pictures hanging on the walls, and the place was beyond
tiny. Two single beds were pushed against opposite walls. The narrow space
between the beds couldn’t really accommodate Shae and me at the same time. A
small dresser sat on Shae’s side of the room, and the smallest desk I’d ever
seen was perched precariously at the end of my bed. “This is a far cry from
Frankfurt.”

Shae
nodded. “It looks more like a dorm than a hotel room.” She pointed to a stain
on the carpet. “Do you think that’s blood or red wine?”

My
stomach turned. “I’m going with red wine.” I threw my suitcases on top of the
bed I’d called dibs on, solely because it was furthest from the door. “What is
that God awful smell?”

Shae
leaned down to smell her bedding. “It’s alcohol, body odor, or both.”

I
shuddered. “My skin will not be touching those sheets.”