Chapter 8
NATASHA
My heart still beat in an irregular rhythm after the kiss I’d shared with Kyle Carter. A soft smile played on my lips as I rummaged through the few belongings I’d brought.
It had been an impulsive thing to do, but in the moment, kissing him had felt right.
He was incredibly kind and sweet. And he had an awkwardness that made him so endearing. I’d never met anyone like him.
In Belvaria, I’d never have been able to be so…free, so spontaneous. I decided to take advantage of it while I could.
The smile faded from my face as I realized I’d have to leave all of this behind. Or would I?
Was there any chance that Kyle Carter would provide the odd assistance I sought? Or would he look at me with disdain after the truth came out?
With a heavy sigh, I dug the pajamas from inside the bag and shuffled to the en-suite bathroom.
I turned on the hot water. As I allowed it to warm, my eyes found my reflection in the mirror. Had my act downstairs been enough to cover my true identity?
Alex Stone’s brilliance could be useful, but it also made me nervous. I had no personal experience with him, but tales of his tech skills preceded him. And his wife seemed equally talented in sniffing out facts.
The last thing I needed was an overzealous tech genius using his skills to unmask my identity.
I needed time. Time to make certain Kyle Carter could be the man I hoped.
Warm water streamed from the tap, and I splashed it on my cheeks before I used the seashell-shaped soap in the dish to wash the grime of the horrible motel I’d left behind away.
At least I had upgraded my surroundings, I thought as I toweled dry. Hopefully, I’d upgraded my life.
My mind shot forward, searching for a viable path for more than just medical expertise from Kyle. My heart felt drawn to him in a way I’d never experienced.
But at every turn, I spotted a roadblock, something to stand in our way. With a shake of my head, I pulled off my top and replaced it with the flannel pajama one. I couldn’t worry about love right now. I had far too many other things to consider.
My phone chimed before I could change my pants, and I raced into the bedroom and grabbed it from the charger I’d connected it to earlier.
I spotted a text message from my sister. Care to explain to me why you are not at the BeachRider in Room 7 and the attendant says you checked out and left?
I sank onto the edge of the bed. So, Nadia was in the States. I frowned at the detail. I’d planned on having a little bit more time to vet the situation with Kyle, but this new wrinkle put a damper on everything.
After a moment of thinking, I sidestepped the question when I answered. You’re in the States?
Her response told me exactly what sort of mood she was in. What do you think, moya sestra? I don’t appreciate you evading the question. Or you disappearing.
I bit my lower lip as I considered how to answer. My sister, younger by three minutes, did not take kindly to my independent streak. For the most part, we got along. We were loyal to a fault to each other, but we had completely different personalities.
Mine made me ripe to follow in my father’s footsteps. Hers made her excellent at more…questionable activities.
I typed back my response and sent it. Something came up, and I took advantage of the opportunity to move to a more secure location.
The jangling of my phone a second later jolted me, but I hurried to answer it so no one else overheard the ringing.
“I’m doing the best I can here,” I whispered as I hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. Somehow, it felt safer in here, though I wondered what was on the other side of the walls surrounding me. Could anyone overhear my conversation?
“Where are you?” My sister’s voice came through crystal-clear and firm.
“I’m safe.”
“Where, Natashka?”
I let out a sigh, a streak of stubbornness stopping me from answering right away. “I don’t have to answer to you, Nadia.”
“Does this have to do with Dr. Kyle Carter?”
“Maybe,” I answered.
I didn’t miss the audible sigh on the other end of the line. “I haven’t finished vetting him, Natashka. Please do not tell me you did something foolish like…go somewhere with him.”
I huffed out a breath. “I may or may not be residing with Alex Stone at the moment.”
“What?!” I pictured her slapping a palm against her forehead, the leather of her favorite jacket creaking as she did so. She muttered a curse in our native Belvarian under her breath. “I need to see you.”
“I can’t,” I answered, shifting my weight from foot to foot.
“Why not? What aren’t you saying?”
“Look, I didn’t exactly tell Kyle who I was. He thinks I’m a damsel in distress, a woman who was abused. I can’t go running into the night to meet you.”
“Kyle, is it? My, aren’t we collegial. Look, Natasha, I am not asking. Meet me at your old room.”
The line clicked, and I pressed my lips into thin line as I stared at my phone. It wasn’t anything different than what I was used to. Nadia had ordered me around since we’d been children. Despite being the younger sister, she was the stronger personality.
And I dared not defy her before she showed up on Alex’s doorstep with her posse and caused even more drama than I needed.
I tossed the phone onto the thick duvet–much closer to the level of comfort I was used to–and crossed to the bathroom to change my shirt.
With my clothes restored, I sent Nadia a text telling her that I needed to wait until the household was quiet before I snuck from my room.
I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, puffing my cheeks out. My mind returned to the kisses I’d shared with Kyle. How I wished more could come of it, but judging my Nadia’s tone, he wouldn’t even be a viable option for us to work with in a more business-like setting let alone a romance.
With a sigh, I fell back into the soft pillows. At least the bed here would be far more comfortable than the one at the horrid motel.
I drummed my fingers against my thigh as I waited until I heard the soft thud of a door a hallway away. My eyes shifted to my own door before I leapt from the bed and crossed to the sliding glass door leading to the balcony.
After a cursory exam, I didn’t spot any alarm triggers, so I slid it open and stepped into the cool sea breeze.
My fingers tightened around the metal railing as I peered over the edge. A shrub below my balcony could break my fall. I swung my leg over the rail, straddling it for a moment before I climbed to the other side.
With all the tight spots I’d been in before, this would be a walk in the park. I lowered down and hung from the edge of the balcony before I dropped into the bush.
A few scrapes marred my hands, but otherwise, I made it intact. I stared up at the elevated patio. Climbing back up with would another thing, but maybe I could bring one of Nadia’s cohorts to boost me up.
I hurried around the side of the house and through the front yard, taking the fastest route to the BeachRider.
As I approached the rundown building, two men flanked me. From their tattoos, I could easily recognize them as friends not foes. They led me back into my old room.
Nadia sat on the rickety chair at what they termed the “desk” in the space, her high-heeled boots kicked up on the piece as she rocked back.
The chair legs smacked into the floor as I appeared in the room, and she leapt to her feet, rushing toward me. She grabbed my hand, studying the few light wounds.
“What are these?”
“I took a less-than-sensible route from my room. I was afraid they’d have the alarm system armed,” I explained.
She almost threw my hand down as she released it, her features unimpressed. “I don’t like this, Natashka.”
“I don’t either, but I’m doing the best I can do to find us help so I can come home.”
Nadia crossed her arms, the leather of her jacket squeaking against itself. “You have to go home anyway.”
My eyebrows shot high on my forehead. I wanted to go home desperately, but now that I’d met Kyle, it would be bittersweet. “Right now?”
“No, but soon. Nikolai is making moves, and we can’t allow them to go unchecked.”
I bristled at the mention of my brother’s name. My jaw tightened, my features twisting with disdain. “He’s making his play?”
“Right along with Mother.”
I clicked my tongue, matching my sister’s stance. “We cannot allow them to do this.”
“No, we cannot. Which means you must return, otherwise they will claim that you have absconded from your duties. But I must make certain things are safe enough first.”
“I’m certain they are not, but I must fulfil my duty.
” I flicked my gaze sideways, my mind racing.
For a moment, Kyle faded to the background, but the ache in my heart over his reaction to all of this did not.
And in an instant, he was at the forefront of my mind again.
“We need to up the timeframe with Kyle–“
“There that is again,” my sister said, her tone chiding.
I snapped my gaze to her, my features pinching with confusion. “What?”
“Kyle,” she answered, her eyebrows arching. “Do you mean Dr. Carter?”
I lowered my gaze, avoiding eye contact as I shrugged. “Yes.”
Nadia’s features twisted in annoyance. “Please do not tell me things have gone further personally with Dr. Carter than they should have.”
“It doesn’t matter. We need him. Have you at least determined if he is a viable candidate for the job?”
“Still being assessed,” she retorted.
I stifled a sigh, tightening my arms across my chest.
“However, we have determined that is a talented doctor with a…sketchy background. All of which is quite useful to us.”
“Sketchy?”
“Apparently, there has been a bit of trouble surrounding the good Dr. Kyle Carter and his relationship to his biological father–“
“Grant Harrington. Yes, I did see who his father was on my cursory search.”
“But did you see that he blew into New Orleans like a hurricane, ready to ruin Grant?”
I swallowed hard. “I did not.”
“No, I didn’t think so.”
I flicked my gaze back to her. “As if you should talk about men from interesting backgrounds.”
“I do not matter. And I am also interesting,” Nadia claimed with a smirk. “And I can handle myself far better than you can in these situations.”
I glared at her, not caring for her tone. I wasn’t a child, no matter how much she wanted to treat me like one.
“It’s for your own good, Natashka,” she added when I didn’t speak.
I opened my mouth to reply when one of Nadia’s men burst through the door, his features etched with concern. “We have an issue.”
My heart ramped up as Nadia’s hand instinctively went to the weapon strapped to her thigh. She reached for me, shoving me into the arms of one of her men. “Take her somewhere safe. Do not let her out of your sight until I give word. I’ll handle this.”
Before I could object, Stefan whisked me away into the night, shoving me into the back of a dark SUV. Flanked by two of Nadia’s guard dogs, we sped off into the night. And I worried about what threat may be plaguing us now and how it would affect my fragile new relationship.
As the SUV sped into the night, I couldn’t help but think of Kyle. If he knew the truth–knew who I really was–would he still want to help me? Want to kiss me? Or would he run as fast as he could from all my chaos?