Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Alexei
The moment I heard the commotion, I knew what I was going to be walking into. Years of living this life had given a sixth sense for that type of thing.
That meant my weapon was in my hand before my brain even registered what was happening. Crashing into the foyer, the first thing I noticed was the smashed glass, and the second was the woman huddling behind the desk, crying loudly. There was blood on her arm, but not enough to be concerning.
Even if there was, I wouldn’t have paused. There was only one person in this place that I cared about—my grandfather.
I walked through, fast. Looking left and right as I headed towards my grandfather’s floor.
It was at the top of the stairs that I came across the first assailant.
I knew it was him because of the gun in his hands.
He turned at the last minute, his hand smashing my gun hand down before I could take a shot.
But that was fine. I punched him with the other hand, and he fell to the bottom of the stairs and didn’t move again.
Again, I moved quickly. Sliding his weapon into the back of my pants, before heading back up the stairs.
His partner was waiting for me, but not to attack me.
Instead, he rushed me, and we both almost tumbled down the stairs.
I caught myself at the last minute. Turning, I watched as he heaved his partner up and dragged him away.
They were running like the cowards they were.
Keeping my back to the wall, I raced along the corridor to my grandfather’s room. The door, like every other, was closed but not locked. Slowly, because I didn’t know what was going to be waiting for me, I opened it a crack, and my eyes fell on the rumpled, empty blankets on the bed.
My heart lurched into my throat.
He wasn’t here. Did that mean? I scanned the room quickly, looking for any sign of blood, and tucked behind the bed, I heard the smallest of sounds. Circling the hospital-like bed, I levelled the gun at the thin back of the woman huddled there.
“It’s just, Alexei.” My grandfather’s voice whispered to the woman who was crouched over him. My eyes swept over her again. She wasn’t thin, just petite, I realized with a start. A tiny thing with a shock of dark curls up in a messy bun and a pert, round ass like she did a lot of walking.
“It’s all over. You can get up now,” My grandfather said, and she moved. Falling back onto that round ass, she lifted her face to stare up at me. I’d never seen anyone look so scared and so fierce all at the same time.
“Are you hurt?”
Mutely, she shook her head, and I ignored her. I wasn’t talking to her.
“I’m fine,” The old man said with a smile on his face that I didn’t understand. “Amy looked after me.”
I glanced in her direction. She looked like she was going into shock.
“You’re not Nadia.”
She ignored me.
Heaving my grandfather up, it was only when he groaned that she seemed to shake herself. Jumping to her feet, she helped me get him back into bed. Tutting at me like I was doing something wrong.
“You’re not Nadia,” I said again, more gruffly.
Tucking the sheets around my grandfather’s legs, she flicked her eyes in my direction. “No, I’m not Nadia. My name is Amy.”
“Where is Nadia?”
“I have no idea. I just—”
I took a threatening step toward her. I’d employed a woman called Nadia to watch over him because I’d suspected something like this might happen. Taking out our patriarch would weaken my family, and Nadia was both a trained nurse and an amazing marksman.
“She’s meant to be here. This wouldn’t have happened if—”
Amy’s eyes widened in fresh fear.
“That’s enough, Alexei. Nadia wasn’t here. Amy was, and she did a great job.”
Instantly, I fell silent. Eyeing the girl on the other side of the bed, such a small, petite-looking thing with wide eyes and a heart-shaped face.
“You’re right,” I said softly. “Forgive me.”
She gave me a weak smile, but didn’t answer, just continued to fuss over the blankets, with her shaking fingers. She was in shock. I realized, and I reached for her hands. Giving a cry, she stumbled backwards.
“I’m, I’m sorry. Nikolai, I am going to check on the others. I’m sure the police will be here soon.” Her eyes darted everywhere but towards me. “Will you be alright with your grandson for a few minutes?”
“Of course, Amy. Alexei will look after us both.” The old man chuckled and I shot him a look.
What the hell did he mean by both? One look at his face, and I could tell he was plotting something. Not that I had a chance to ask him, as a doctor with two uniformed police officers in tow, their weapons held at the sides, burst through the door.
One look at me, and their faces changed. They knew who I was, which wasn’t surprising. Every cop in the city, and probably the state, knew who I was.
Sighing, I turned to greet them, putting any thought of the pretty, petite nurse out of my brain as they began to bombard me with questions that I couldn’t answer.
The next hour was spent giving the same answer. I hadn’t been here when it had started. I’d come in at the end. No, I didn’t know who they were, but yes, I got a glimpse of their faces.
I gave them that description, knowing full well that my people would find the attackers first. Someone close to me had betrayed us. There were a handful of people who knew where Nikolai was, and all of them were in my trusted circle.
Well, not so trusted now.
The moment they left, I stood.
“I’m glad you are OK, but I—”
He shot me a look, the same look that had always made me sit down and shut up as a child, and I fell back into my seat.
“We need to talk, Alexei.”
“I will find them, they will be,” I glanced towards the door, “dead before—”
He cut me off. “That’s not what I mean. I know you will do what’s needed, son.”
He always called me that, even though, technically, I was his grandson.
“But these people came in here, into my home.”
My head shot up. His home? Had he seriously just said that?
“They shot at my neighbours and friends.”
My eyebrows disappeared into my hair. He had friends here? That was even more confusing to me.
“If it hadn’t been for Amy.”
“Who?” My eyes narrowed. “Oh, the nurse,” I sighed. “Talking about nurses. Where is the one I employed to guard you?”
In the bed, the old man shrugged. “No idea. I saw her yesterday, but I didn’t like her.” His blue eyes narrowed. “Amy, on the other hand,” he grinned with a knowing look in his lined eyes.
“What are you getting at, old man?” I asked with a chuckle. “Don’t tell me you have a crush on a nurse that’s young enough to be your granddaughter?”
Or maybe great-granddaughter, I added silently. The nurse had been young. At least ten years my junior, but perfectly curvy. Perfectly womanly. The sight of her round ass greeting me as I rushed through the door was seared into my retinas.
“She is beautiful, but no. I would have liked to have another daughter or a granddaughter, though.” Nikolai fell silent for several long seconds before he lifted his eyes to me. “But that wasn’t for us, so I will have to settle for a—”
My throat closed up. Shaking my head, I patted his arm. “I really do have to go, but—”
“She was brave, wasn’t she?” He caught me off guard, and I frowned. “Yes, I guess she was. But I guess it’s her job.”
“She came back, Alexei.” He stated in a matter-of-fact voice, and I did a double-take.
“She went to see what the commotion was, and when she realized there were gunmen in here, she didn’t run.
She came back.” His eyes met mine. “She could have run to safety, but instead she used her body to shield me. That’s not part of her job.
That’s part of her spirit. She’s a good girl. And beautiful, yes?”
I didn’t like where this was going at all. “Yes, she was brave,” I answered his first question and ignored the beautiful one.
Truth was, she was beautiful. There was no denying that—in a kind of homely, girl-next-door way. Which wasn’t my type at all, but I could admit she was beautiful.
“Yes,” the man nodded. “Yes, I think she has a good soul.” He kept nodding, and it was like he was having some internal monologue with himself. Whatever his thoughts were saying, he clearly agreed with them.
“I think people need that in their lives.” Nikolai shook himself. “You should go, Alexei. I’ll be fine, but I’m tired now.”
Standing, I pressed my lips to his cheeks. “I’ll be back tomorrow to visit with you, and I’ll place men outside. We will find the people who did this, and they will face justice.”
Or my type of justice anyway. The police would not get to them first. I doubted they would even really look.
“I know, and I have Amy here, so everything will be fine. You should find her before you leave and say goodbye.”
“I will.” I lied. I had no plans to do any such thing. Yes, she had shielded him and risked her life for his, but that didn’t mean I owed her anything. Well, maybe a thank you, but that could be done with flowers.
Unless—an uneasy feeling swept down my neck, and I reached for it instinctively, rubbing the skin hard.
What if this was all a trap? Amy could be some kind of spy who worked for our enemies and was planted here to get close to my grandfather so she could assassinate him. It made sense, but not really.
Walking away, I caught sight of her briefly as she spoke to an officer. I could tell it was her because of the wild curly hair and the perfection of her ass.
Almost like she could feel me watching her, she glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened, and a small, uncertain smile tilted up her lips. Grandfather was right. She was beautiful, just not my type.
Sighing, I left without a word. I didn’t even nod my head in her direction, but her face seemed to swim before my eyes. What was it about her? It was pretty clear my grandfather was enamoured with her, but I just didn’t see it.
The moment I was in my car, I was on my cell phone.
“Boss?” A man’s voice answered on the second ring. “We just heard. I already have men in it. Is he?”
“Nikolai is alive and well. You know nothing shakes the old man. But I need you to run a name for me.”
“OK?”
“Amy.”
There was a pause. “OK. Anything else? That’s a pretty common name.”
I cursed myself. Dammit. I hadn’t thought to get her second name.
“She’s a nurse here.” My eyes glanced towards the building with its usual bright and cheery exterior, crisscrossed with crime scene tape and the constant in and out of law enforcement.
There was more than one car in the parking lot with people inside nervously chewing their nails.
The residents’ families hadn’t been allowed in yet.
And here I was leaving.
“About twenty-three to twenty-five, small, dark brown hair.” Ass to die for, I added silently.
“No problem. I’ll check the employment records.”
“Thanks. I want to know everything there is to know about her.”
“Do you think she was involved?” He asked in a low, menacing hiss.
“I don’t know yet. Maybe. She was there and—” I started the engine. “I just want to know everything there is to know about her.”
Maybe if I knew everything, it would explain why my grandfather, who was usually such a good character, was completely besotted with her.
And why I was so unnerved.