Waiting for Him (17 page)

The trained assassin had taken Viktor under his guidance and taught him everything he knew. At first, the teenager thought Dmitry was another deviant, using his offer of food, shelter, protection, and education as a way to extract sexual favors. But he soon learned that wasn’t the case. The older man had merely wanted a protégé to pass his craft on to. He’d been trained by one of the best in the same manner, and it had been his way of paying it forward and passing on his legacy.

After learning everything he could from his mentor, Viktor’s final act before leaving his birth country was to kill him, quickly and painlessly. It was the least he could do for the man who had changed his life for the better and was dying of cancer. As a frail Dmitry was struggling to get out of bed one morning, Viktor could see the pain and humiliation in his eyes. He couldn’t stand to see his suffering anymore, and without a word, he swiftly broke the man’s neck. Viktor knew the Scavenger was grateful to his apprentice, for he would’ve never been able to bring himself to commit suicide, and a slow agonizing death would have been worse.

Since coming to America, Viktor had been working for a Russian network of criminals as an enforcer/assassin. But he was getting older and wanted to start enjoying the good life like his bosses were. Now, there was only one thing standing in his way. It pissed him off that the Maier woman was being well protected, but he’d be damned if they couldn’t find a way around it. He wanted the money and she was the last known connection to it. He’d figured out how to hide the funds from his bosses, funneling it into his recently acquired businesses. It would also help him advance further in the association. Knowing he couldn’t take the chance of his men screwing up, he made a decision. “I’ll be on next flight to Tampa. Find way to get girl, but do nothing until I get there.”

While Jenn, Angie, and Kristen entertained Eileen Michaelson and Kat near the koi pond, Boomer, his dad, and five teammates sat around the unlit fire pit. A few months earlier, for Ian’s birthday, everyone had helped Angie surprise him by transforming the area between the last two buildings in the compound into
Ian’s Oasis.
They’d ripped up the asphalt and laid down sod before adding things like an outdoor kitchen, TV, seating areas, and shrubbery. The backyard, as it was often referred to, had quickly become a place to hang out and relax. At the moment, country music played in the background, and a misting system was keeping the area cool despite the elevated Floridian temperatures.

Ian handed Boomer and Rick their new beers then sat back down and opened his own. He continued to fill the older man in on what they’d talked about earlier with the Assistant Director of the FBI. “So, Keon will be discussing things with his boss and the head of the task force who’s been leading the investigations into the Russian mob in Norfolk. Obviously they have no desire to hand the money back over to them. But as it stands now, even though the money is a part of a criminal investigation, he thinks any statutes governing it may have expired. So it means the money might belong to Kat, whether she wants it or not. I have Reggie checking into things on his end.” Reggie Helm was one of Trident’s lawyers as well as a Dom at the club. They consulted with him and his three partners on everything from criminal to civil to contract laws.

Boomer popped the cap off his beer and took a swig. “Kat said she wants nothing to do with it. As far as she’s concerned, it’s tainted money. I wouldn’t be surprised if she donated all of it when this is over, but we’ll deal with that once she’s out of danger.

Rick nodded at his son and then turned back toward Ian. “Has Carter turned up anything new?”

“Of course I have. I’m not a fucking slouch like this bunch of pansies.”

The men looked up in surprise as the black-ops agent strolled onto the grass from the parking lot. They hadn’t known he was in town, but that was nothing new. The man was a ghost, coming and going as he pleased. From where he’d been sleeping by the women, Beau ran to greet the man who took a moment to roughhouse with the dog before grabbing a beer from the outdoor refrigerator. He downed half of it then shook hands or fist bumped each of the men with a few more insults mixed in. Taking a seat next to Jake, he smirked. “Finally got a scar on that Hollywood face of yours, huh? The whole pirate thing you’ve got going on is pretty fucking hot. You know, blow the man down…or up…or whatever you’re into. Too bad you’re not my type.”

While the others roared with laughter, Jake snorted and gave his friend the finger. “Fuck you, jackass. This fucking patch is driving me crazy, but not as much as the women are.” He hitched a thumb toward the far end of the backyard. “You’d think I was paralyzed from my eyebrows down the way they’re trying to do everything for me. I’m just glad the mother hens have Kat to fuss over now.”

The men agreed. With the exception of Boomer’s dad, they were all Doms and preferred to take care of their subs, not the other way around. And in Jake’s case, a gay man with no sisters, having a bunch of women worrying over him was a little unsettling. He loved the Trident women dearly, but wasn’t used to all the attention.

“So, Boom-Boom. You going to introduce me to the pretty brunette over there?” Carter did his best imitation of Groucho Marx’s eye wiggle while eyeing the group of women. The man loved the ladies, all types, and could be the biggest flirt at times.

Boomer growled. “Hands off, jackass. Don’t even think about it.”

“Oh well, a man can dream, can’t he? She’s a sexy little thing, you know, in case you’re ever looking for a third.” Ignoring his friend’s scowl, he took another drink and sighed while settling into the Adirondack chair. “Damn, that tastes good. Anyway, back to the current problem. I’ve done a little research on Viktor Denisovich. He’s been in the U.S. for about twenty years, but before that, he trained under one of the best assassins in the USSR at the time.”

“Shit.” Boomer dragged hand down his face in frustration. A trained assassin was not someone he wanted anywhere in the same hemisphere as Kat.

“Yeah, I know. But it seems he’s been backing off on his enforcer role in the mob and using Volkov’s death as a way to move up in the organization. From what I hear, the higher ups wrote the money off years ago. So my best guess is, Denisovich will be hiding it from his bosses if he ever gets his hands on it.”

Leaning forward, Ian scratched Beau’s ears after the goofy-faced dog sat at his feet. “So there’s a good chance very few people know Kat has access to the money. And if she does give it away, then we can eliminate the threat altogether.”

Boomer shook his head. “I don’t like it. What if he doesn’t believe she gave it away? And we have to wait on the legalities to make sure she
can
give it away. This guy wants the money and Kat is the only link.”

“Which is why I want you two to stay here at the compound. Lord knows it won’t be the first time we’ve been under attack, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’ll call Chase and post a few more guards.”

“What about the club?” Devon asked his brother. “Tomorrow and Tuesday we’re closed, but what do you want to do about tonight?”

Ian thought about it for a few moments. “I don’t think we have to close at this point. With a few extra guards at the gate and in the compound, we should be good. And with Egghead’s increased perimeter security system, no one will be getting anywhere close to the compound without being noticed. You and I will sit down with Tiny and Mitch tonight and go over all the precautions.” Devon nodded his acknowledgement. In addition to being a bodyguard, Tiny was head of the club’s security, and Mitch Sawyer was their cousin and The Covenant’s manager. While Ian and Devon had gone into the Navy, Mitch had gone to college and gotten his MBA. As a result, he’d been the obvious choice to run the club the three of them co-owned.

Brody stood and smacked Boomer on the shoulder. “I’ll grab one of those medical alert bracelets I used on Angie. Kat can wear it until she’s out of danger, so we can track her if we need to.”

“Thanks, that’d be great.” Boomer and the others knew firsthand how well the geek’s little toy worked. Angie and Jenn had been taken hostage a few months ago, and while organizing the rescue, the team had been able to gain vital information via a one-way microphone hidden in the GPS bracelet. As his buddy jogged to the office to get the device, Boomer glanced over and saw Kat walking toward him, her pale face bothering him. He reached up, took her hand, and pulled her into his lap. “You doing okay, Kitten?”

She cuddled against his chest. “Yeah, just getting a little tired, and I think I might be getting a migraine, so I want to take my meds as a precaution. Is there a place I can lay down for a bit?”

“Sure. We have some bunk rooms above the offices. We’ll be staying there tonight anyway.” He helped her to her feet and then stood as well. “I’ll grab our bags and take you up there.”

“I can read you a bedtime story if you want. Women tell me I’m quite entertaining in bed.”

* * *

Kat gaped at the stranger grinning at her, amusement swirling in his dark blue eyes. He’d been talking to Jake when she first walked over, but now that his attention was on her, she wondered how she hadn’t notice what a hunk he was. His dark blond hair must fall right below his shoulders because he had it tied back in a small ponytail. A snug T-shirt covered his upper torso and his jean clad legs were long and lean. From how he had them stretched out in front of him, she guessed he was a few inches taller than Benny. And like the men of Trident, he had the physique of a warrior, sculpted from hard work and training. No health club or steroid needle could produce such a perfect male specimen. Holy crap, the man was gorgeous in a dangerous, bad-boy sort of way. “Um…”

“Stop being an asshole, man.” Benny snarled, putting his arm around her and drawing her into his side. It was a blatant possessive gesture and made her shiver in delight.

The hunk feigned being insulted, his large hand spread across his broad chest. “Who me? I’m a jackass. Egghead’s the asshole.”

“I heard that!”

As Brody plopped back down in his chair, the other man chuckled. “You were supposed to hear it, asshole.” He turned his attention back to Kat and his gaze softened. “Sorry, little one. The name is Carter, and your boyfriend here should know me well enough by now. I’m just joking, although his obvious jealousy tells me you’re something special to him. If he treats you wrong, you just let me know and I’ll kick his scrawny ass for you. Okay?”

When he winked at her playfully, Kat couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face. It was hard not to like the man instantly. “Nice to meet you, Carter. I’m Kat. And thanks for the offer, but he treats me just fine. He knows I swing a mean baseball bat if he doesn’t.”

“Ha! You’ve got claws. I like you already, Miss Kitty-Kat. It’s my absolute pleasure to meet you.” Her heart clenched at the nickname her father used for her as his eyes flickered toward Benny. “She’s a keeper, man. Don’t let her get away.”

“Yes, she is.” Lowering his head, he gave her a quick kiss. “And I don’t plan on losing her again.”

* * *

A few minutes later, Kat was stripped down to her underwear and Boomer was pulling the covers up to her chin. Some of the six spare bedrooms had bunks, but this was one of two which had a queen-sized bed. An attached bath meant she didn’t have to go out into the hallway for any reason. He placed the bracelet Brody had given him around her left wrist. “This has a tracking device in it, Kitten. If something happens to you, which we’re going to do everything we can to avoid, it will help us find you. It’s just a precaution.” He brushed her hair away from her cheek. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?”

She nodded, her eyelids growing heavy. “I’m good. Your parents aren’t staying much longer, so go sit with them. I’ll be asleep in no time.”

Kissing her on the forehead, he saw she was right. By the time he shut off the light and opened the door, she was already going under. When he returned to the backyard, he noticed a few people had left. Jenn had gone into work, having switched shifts with another waitress at the pub owned by Jake’s brother. Marco and Brody were also gone, and Devon mentioned they were in the office working on an embezzlement case. Kristen and Angie were over by the outdoor kitchen, getting a dinner of grilled chicken, salads, corn, and potatoes ready while Ian turned on the huge gas grill.

Boomer sat down next to his mom, who’d joined his dad by the fire pit. Eileen smiled at him. “I’m still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that she’s back, but I have to say, I haven’t seen you this happy since high school. And I’m thrilled for you too. For both of you. Back then, I could see how good you two were together, even if you didn’t.”

Blushing wasn’t something he did often, but he never talked about women with his mom. He knew she wanted grandchildren one day, but wasn’t one of those mothers who nagged their sons to get married. “She’s the one, Mom. She always was, and I’ve said it several times within the past few days, I’m never letting her go.”

Eileen reached over and squeezed his hand. “I know you won’t, Ben. Just keep both of you safe.”

“I will.”

“Fuck!” Boomer’s dad leapt from his chair, holding his shoulder. “God-fucking damn it! I just got stung by a fucking bee. Leaned back on the fucker.”

His wife and son jumped up and began pulling on Rick’s shirt, trying to get a look at the site. The last time he’d gotten stung, his foot had blown up like a balloon, and they knew if a bee got him again, the reaction could be worse. Eileen now carried an Epi-pen and Benadryl capsules in her purse just in case.

Boomer saw the large welt forming at the back of his shoulder. “The stinger is out. Any trouble breathing, Pop?”

“No. But look, I’m already getting fucking hives. Eil, just give me the Benadryl. I’ll take the pills first, and if it gets worse I can use the pen.”

She dug them out of her purse as Kristen stepped forward with bottle of water. Rick quickly popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with the cool liquid. “Fuck. How the hell could something so damn tiny hurt like such a bitch? ‘Scuse my language, ladies.”

The women all chuckled at him, having heard a lot worse from the men. Angie had made an impromptu icepack with a zip-lock baggie and handed it to Boomer. After ordering his father to sit back down, he stuck it between the affected shoulder and chair. “Mom will have to drive home. The last time you got stung, the Benadryl knocked you on your ass, old-man.”

Rick grumbled and cursed the dead bee some more.

“You don’t have to drive home tonight,” Kristen informed them. “You know you can always crash in one of our spare bedrooms.”

Smiling at the younger woman, Eileen shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, Kristen. But I have an early dentist appointment in the morning. It’ll be better if we go home. I just want to wait awhile to make sure Rick’s reaction doesn’t get worse.”

About a half hour later, Rick’s hives were gone, but he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open and was barely touching his dinner. Boomer helped him to their car while the women packed up some food for Eileen to take with them. Opening the driver’s door for his mother, Boomer gave her a kiss on the cheek before she climbed in. “Text or call me when you get home, so I know everything is okay.”