Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
NATHANIEL
“ N o, forget it,” I growled, leaning my hands on my desk. But Savannah was having none of it. Why did I have to love such a stubborn woman? She was practically snarling at me from the other side of the desk, and I was itching to yank her across it and tan her hot little ass.
“Nathan, you said I wasn’t your prisoner. What the hell do you call this?”
Picking up a folder, I smacked it down in front of her. “Fuck, Savannah. You’re not my prisoner. But what part of you and Cutter have a hit on your heads do you not understand? I can’t change my appointments this week to go with you, and there is no fucking way I’m letting you and Cutter out of the state.”
Savannah swore like a trucker as she stormed across the room and back again. Her cheeks were rosy, her hair was wild, and her eyes flashed with fury. At any other time, I would’ve locked the door and fucked her up against the wall, but I had a board meeting in ten minutes that I couldn’t miss.
“Okay, how about this?”
“No,” I said, not letting her talk.
Savannah pointed her finger at me. “Don’t you fucking do that to me. I’m not your child. I’m your wife, and you do not control me. Do you hear me, Nathaniel?”
That was it. I stomped around the desk, but Savannah didn’t back down. I grabbed her and pressed her up against my closed door, crushing my lips to hers. I attacked her mouth, letting all my frustration and fear fuel me.
“Oh, I hear you. You’re not hearing me,” I said, breaking the kiss. Her lips were swollen and pink. “Why are you trying to make yourself an easy target?”
“Let me speak, please.”
“Fuck, you’re killing me. Fine, talk,” I ordered, stepping back and crossing my arms.
“Yes, my mother and I don’t have a great relationship, but she is the only mother I have. I know that if roles were reversed, you’d do whatever you could to be by Helena’s side if she had to be hospitalized for surgery.” I opened my mouth, but she held up a finger and glared at me, forcing me to snap my mouth shut. “I do understand the level of threat, so this is what I propose. First, I will leave Cutter here with you. This is huge for me, Nathan, and it will show you how much I trust you and love you. Second, I’ll take your plane, so there is no economy flight where I can be followed or stalked. Third, you can send as many men as you want to go with me, and I will not complain or ditch them. I don’t want to die. I want to come home to you and our son. I’m not insane.”
Sighing, I glared up at the ceiling. “How long?”
“Probably a week. From what I have been able to find out, the surgery is tomorrow, and there will be five to six recovery days where she needs to stay at the hospital. During that time, I will find an outpatient home for her to rehab. I have no idea what that’ll cost….”
I waved my hand at that. “Cost is not an issue. I make millions a day. Spend whatever you need.”
“Does that mean you’re going to unlock the front door and tell the guards to let me leave?”
I cupped her beautiful face, tracing every little feature. I saw everything even when my eyes were closed. “I don’t like this. I just don’t. That far away, I can’t get to you fast enough and…fuck…I love you. I can’t lose you. Do you understand that?”
She mirrored my position. “I do, and I love you too. Besides, this will give me a chance to quit my job since my messages have gone unanswered. I need to sell my house. I can get a lot done in a week, Nathan. I can settle things to make this my home, here with you and Cutter.”
Closing my eyes, I knew she was right, but fear had my heart in its clutches and wouldn’t let up.
“Nathan, look at me.” Her soft voice held more of a command than if she’d yelled. Opening my eyes, I stared into a mesmerizing shade of blue. “I am trained. Just because I don’t lay you out on the floor when you deserve it doesn’t mean I don’t know how to fight, use a gun, or have friends in a powerful agency who I can still count on.”
“I know all that, I do, but…and what of this ex of yours?”
“Shawn? What about him?”
“I don’t know, you tell me. You were engaged to him. Is there anything left between you that I should be concerned about?”
“Nathaniel Mikhailov, are you jealous about an ex from before we met?”
I shrugged. “You’d barely broken up with him back then. I’m always jealous of other men who think they can have what’s mine.”
She smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist. “That’s just one of the things I love about you, husband. But no, there is nothing between Shawn and me. He hasn’t even been a thought since the day you took my drunk and impressionable ass to bed,” she teased, making me chuckle.
“I didn’t think you were that impressionable, maybe a little overly willing in your alcohol-infused state, but never manipulatable.”
She kissed my chest over my heart, and I knew I was going to let her go as much as I hated the idea. I just hoped I didn’t live to regret this.
“Why does your mother have your dickless ex as her emergency contact?”
Savannah made an aggravated noise in her throat and rolled her eyes. “Shawn says that it’s because I’m not around. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I cannot control what my mother does. That is a painful lesson to learn.”
My phone dinged with a one-minute reminder, making me groan. Kissing Savannah on the forehead, I headed to my desk.
“I have a board meeting. Go get packed. I’ll talk to my mom about helping out while you’re gone and take care of the travel arrangements and getting your mother into a more appropriate facility,” I said.
“Okay.”
I looked up at her before answering the phone.
“Savannah,” I said, stopping her before she walked out the door.
“Yeah?”
“If anything happens, I’ll come for you.”
The corner of her mouth tipped up. “I know.” Giving me a wink, she walked out, and I hit Accept on the call.
“Nathaniel Mikhailov present,” I said and sat back, my mind struggling to tune into what was being said. If anything happened to Savannah, I’d never forgive myself.
She was going to be the death of me. I could feel it in my bones.
SAVANNAH
“Are you okay?”
I looked up at Goran, who was the lead on my protective detail. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Can I sit?”
“Help yourself.”
Goran sat across from me and glanced out the window. There was nothing to see but endless darkness when you flew late at night. Was that what death was like? Or was there really a bright light, and all our loved ones who passed on before us standing there waiting? My dad…that was who I wanted to see if there really were some pearly gates in the sky.
“You know that Nathaniel won’t let anything happen to Cutter, right?”
I nodded. “It’s not that. I’ve just never been away from my son longer than the few hours he had school, and the day I went shopping with Helena. Now, I’m not only going to be away from him but in another state.”
“I like that you care so much. I’ve seen the difference in Nathaniel since you arrived,” he said.
I laughed. “I’m sure he has said a few choice words,” I said, making Goran smile.
“When doesn’t he?”
“So, what’s your story, Goran? You and Nathan seem close.”
“There’s no big mystery. My dad worked for Dimitri as his chauffeur. Dimitri pulled some strings to get me into the same school as Nathan, which we never would’ve been able to afford. Nathan and I hit it off, and when we graduated, he offered me a job.” Goran shrugged, reached into his jacket, and pulled out small baggies of mixed nuts. “Do you want some?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
“You didn’t eat any dinner. You should eat something,” Goran said, tearing open the bag and popping some into his mouth.
I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Did Nathan put you up to that?” Goran smiled, not confirming or denying, but I knew Nathan had. Great, he sent not only guards but a babysitter. “Fine, don’t bother saying anything. I already know the answer. So, are you married? Have a girlfriend? Any kids?”
“Nope, did for a little while, and I don’t think so, but you proved that you don’t always know,” he said and smirked.
“Nice dig, not very subtle, though.”
“Subtle is not really my style. So, let’s run through the itinerary for when we land.” He polished off the package and opened a second one.
“Nathan said cars will be waiting to take us to the hotel where we’re staying. Then we head to the hospital for eight-thirty in the morning, which is only ten minutes away. We will probably be there all day.” I searched Goran’s serious expression as he took in the information. “I have to say, I’m surprised that Nathan is trusting me alone with his guards, and his not-hard-on-the-eyes, best friend.” Goran laughed hard.
“I’ll take the compliment, but as far as going anywhere near you…not unless I want my hands and cock cut off and then be made to eat it. Trust me, not one of these men would dare touch you unless it was to save your life.”
“Nathaniel really is that ruthless?” I’d heard the stories, and I could see the aggression in his eyes, but even at his worst, I wasn’t scared of him. Maybe I was the one who needed my head checked out.
“Whatever you’ve heard, he’s worse. He has no problem reaching down someone’s throat and pulling out their lungs or cutting out their still-beating heart. Nathan is not like his father. He is loyal, protective, and honest in his dealings, but you don’t cross him…not ever.” Goran looked away to the small window, and his eyes seemed haunted.
I felt like there was a story there, and I was curious to find out what it was. But the captain came over the PA and told us that we were descending and to put on our seatbelts. Goran stood and left me to sit with the rest of the guards.
I shook my head. I had agreed to the protection detail, assuming four or six guys, but Nathan had sent a small army. There were twenty-one of them, including Goran, and no one spoke to me. Now I knew why. If Nathan thought for even one second that any of them had flirted with me, they would be dead. I was sure of it and also knew that shy of standing in front of his loaded gun, there would be nothing I could do about it.
There was a part of me that found his toxic behavior incredibly sexy, and the other part wanted to smack him. That was just the norm for us these days. Maybe it would always be our dynamic. I shivered as I remembered exactly how he had said goodbye and made sure I wouldn’t forget him while I was gone. Not that I could even if I wanted to. I touched the side of my neck and the mark that was hidden with a silky scarf.
There was definitely something wrong with my head because the fact that he insisted on marking me like a vampire was hot as hell. I closed my eyes for the last few minutes of the journey down to the runway.
I wasn’t looking forward to any part of this trip, least of all running into Shawn. To say I was dreading what tomorrow would bring didn’t do it justice.