Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
While Callie went to talk to Smirnov, Seth hurried around to the other side of the house and scaled the tree that grew close by. From there he dropped onto the roof and crept up the slope until he could see Smirnov and Nikki illuminated in the motion light from the back porch.
Callie was speaking in Russian, and Seth prayed she’d give him the time to get into position. It’d gone against all his instincts to send her into the open, but he’d run through the options and decided that was the best choice. He believed that Smirnov wanted something from her badly enough not to kill her, which was the pivot point his entire plan hinged upon.
If he was wrong, his life was over because he’d lose Callie and any chance at happiness he’d ever have. He’d made it thirty-four years without finding anyone who’d flipped all his switches and lit him up inside, so to find her now and then lose her would destroy him.
But if he didn’t rescue Nikki, he’d also lose her. Callie loved her sister, maybe more than she loved herself, and he wasn’t going to let her suffer that kind of loss again. Not if he had anything to say about it.
He crouched down and crept closer, studying the trees and terrain. If he tried to climb into the tree and drop onto Smirnov that way, it wouldn’t work. The branches would rustle, and bits of leaves and twigs would drop before he did, giving him away.
The roof wasn’t as close as he’d like, but if he launched himself at Smirnov, he could take him down and disarm him by landing on him. He’d also take Nikki down, and she might get hurt if he did. Or shot if his trajectory landed him even a hair off balance and he didn’t get a grip on the gun before Smirnov could pull the trigger.
It was too fucking close for his comfort, but there was no choice. Smirnov’s voice grew louder as he seemed to demand something. Callie answered him calmly, then asked a question. He could tell it was a question because of the lilt and pause at the end.
Smirnov replied. And then Nikki spoke. She said she didn’t feel good.
Seth knew, if he was going to act, it had to be now. He didn’t know why, but that sixth sense he’d always had about ops kicked in and told him it was go time. He stepped to the edge of the roof and sprung into the air.
Somebody screamed as he landed on top of Smirnov, the breath knocking out of him with the force of his fall. Nikki wasn’t there. He didn’t know how, but thank God she wasn’t, because Smirnov’s gun went off and Seth felt the sharp bite of pain explode inside. If it hadn’t killed him, it wasn’t going to stop him. He grappled for Smirnov’s throat.
Smirnov yelled and landed a blow that sent Seth reeling. Then Smirnov scrambled up while Seth tried to catch his breath—and then Luna was there, fifty pounds of snarling beast latching onto Smirnov’s arm and clamping down.
He fell to his knees, then spun and tried to kick Luna. She went for his throat next, and he lashed wildly, knocking her to the side before she was after him again.
Seth got to his feet, pulled his weapon from where he’d holstered it before he jumped, and thrust the barrel against Smirnov’s head. His body ached, his arm hurt, and he was fucking jacked on adrenaline and itching for an excuse.
“Move again and I’ll kill you.”
“Call your fucking dog off!”
“Luna! Down!” It was Callie calling her, and Luna backed away, growling as she continued to stare at Smirnov.
Callie knelt in the dirt, her arms around Nikki, who didn’t look very sick at all.
“Hands behind your back, asshole.”
Smirnov did as he was told. Seth took the zip-ties he’d grabbed from his truck out of his back pocket and wrenched the man’s wrists together. They were steel-reinforced, so he wouldn’t be able to break free. Then he bound Smirnov’s legs with another set.
Blood dripped down Seth’s arm from the bullet graze that had sliced across his bicep. It hurt like a motherfucker, but he’d survive. Thank God.
Smirnov was babbling in Russian. Or maybe it was Polish, because Nikki suddenly screamed at him in the same language and he stopped.
“What’s he saying?” Seth growled as he took out his phone and dialed the first number that popped up, which was Kane’s.
“He was calling me a few names and threatening me with rape and murder,” Callie said. “Because he’s such a lovely human being.”
“In Polish? Or does Nikki also speak Russian?”
“Yo,” Kane answered. “What you need, brother?”
“Got a situation at Callie’s. Smirnov is incapacitated, but we’re gonna need a clean up crew. Call Agent Corbin.”
“Damn, everybody okay?”
“Yes, all alive and well. Even Smirnov. Just get out here quick, okay?”
“Calvary is on the way, brother.”
Nikki glared at Smirnov as Seth dropped his phone into his pocket. “To answer your question, I don’t know much Russian, but I plan to learn. He was speaking in Polish because he wanted me to know what he was saying. Asshole.”
“Are you okay?” Seth asked.
“Yes.”
“Not sick?”
“No. I faked it so I could faint and be a dead weight against his arm. Then I stomped his instep and he let me go.”
“Jesus,” Seth said. “You could have gotten yourself killed.”
She shrugged, but he knew she wasn’t taking it that lightly. “He was threatening Callie with me. And I didn’t know where you were so I thought I should help since Callie was running out of things to say.”
“Hey,” Callie said. “I was stressed.”
Seth’s heart hammered as he went over to his girls and hugged them both. They hugged him back. Luna came over for a pet, and Seth reached down to scratch her head for a second. She plopped at their feet, watching Smirnov.
“Never do that again,” he said. “Or you’ll give your sister a heart attack.”
“Fine. And Seth?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for being here. Also, we don’t know each other all that well, but I’m guessing by this hug that things are trending in a good direction with you and my sister. So I’m gonna allow it.”
Seth laughed. “Thanks. Appreciate it. Also, I’m moving in and not just because of lead paint. Which was a lie, by the way.”
“Yeah, the bad guy and you going all Rambo kind of gave that away.”
“Rambo? You know who that is?”
“I mean, yeah. My dad loved those movies. He let me watch with him so long as I didn’t tell Mama.”
Callie chuckled. “Dad loved anything Sylvester Stallone starred in. Mama used to say he couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag, but Dad shushed her and said he was a genius. God, I miss them.”
“Me, too,” Nikki said.
Callie looked fierce suddenly. She broke away from the circle of his arms and approached Smirnov where he lay on the ground, glaring at the world. Then she asked him, in English, “Were my parents killed so I’d have to take this job?”
Nikki gasped, and Seth squeezed her.
“I should tell you yes,” Smirnov spat. “Just to see you suffer. But no. You leaving to take custody of your sister was far more inconvenient than useful. You would have taken the job sooner if that hadn’t happened.”
“What makes you so sure? I didn’t want to leave Poland at the time.”
“But you would have. I would have made your work there intolerable until you did. Much easier than killing people, don’t you think?”
Callie turned and walked into Seth’s arms. He felt her shudder, and he ran his fingers up and down her back, trying to comfort her. “I believe him,” she said softly. “Thank God.”
Nikki slid her arms around Callie and him and the three of them stood huddled together, Luna at their feet, until Seth’s team arrived.
Emma and Rory were there too, which Seth knew Blaze and Chance didn’t like, but when help was needed, the whole group went. Even Daphne, who’d been riding with Blaze and Emma. Fucking hell. She stood with arms folded, looking equal parts confused and worried as she watched.
Emma wasted no time grabbing her medical kit. Then Seth found himself sitting on a chair in the kitchen, yelping as she cleaned his wound with something that hurt ten times worse than the wound itself did.
“Stop being a baby,” she said as she worked.
“That shit stings.”
“Maybe don’t go getting yourself shot then.”
“Like I planned this.”
She grinned at him, and he knew she was just yanking his chain. “Still good advice though.”
By the time she was done, Diana Corbin and her team had arrived to take Smirnov into custody. She stood with Ghost, arms folded, staring up at him and looking either furious or detached. Seth didn’t know which and didn’t much care.
Ghost could handle her, even if the Deputy Director of the CIA was her uncle and the FBI director was a family friend. He had General Mendez in his corner, and Mendez was powerful in his own right. Ghost also had the president’s ear, when he could get through her chief of staff, and that wasn’t nothing.
It might be fun to watch Ghost and Agent Corbin clash, but then again, it was probably like the Titans of mythology. You didn’t want to be around when it happened because things were gonna get destroyed.
Eventually, everyone was gone and it was just Seth, Callie, and Nikki. There was some anger and some tears as Nikki demanded an explanation and Callie gave it, starting with being the target of the fire and not just an unlucky bystander. She didn’t talk about the secret things that she couldn’t, but she told Nikki everything else that she could.
“You should have told me before.” Nikki was furious and pale at the same time.
“I know. I was trying to protect you.”
“And you,” Nikki said, pointing at Seth. “You went along with her lie about the lead paint.”
“What did you expect me to do? Tell you the truth when your sister wanted to let you be a happy teenager and enjoy your summer? Not my place.”
Nikki raked a hand over her face. “Argh! You people. Okay, so you didn’t really want to date her but now you do and you’re moving in. Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
“Nothing that’s your business,” Seth said, putting an arm around Callie where she sat beside him on the couch.
Nikki’s gaze bounced between them. “But this is real? You aren’t kidding?”
Callie leaned into him, a hand on his abdomen, her warm body pressing against his side. “It’s real. It’s fast, but it’s real.”
“All right then. So, I’m going to bed because it’s been a long weekend. I feel fine, and if I have any nightmares about the big scary Russian dude, I’ll let you know. I mean it was scary, but it didn’t last too long.”
Nikki had told them how she’d gone to check on Charlie and Smirnov had been waiting in the barn. He’d approached from the back side of the building and slipped in behind Charlie when the horse went inside. That’s why he hadn’t tripped the trail cam. He’d been waiting for Callie but took the opportunity to grab Nikki when she arrived.
Then Callie and Seth were there, and he’d used her as a shield. She’d been scared, but she’d decided she couldn’t wait for him to kill her. She had to do something.
Seth still shuddered over that, and he intended to teach both his girls self-defense at the first opportunity.
“You sure you’re okay?” Callie asked.
“Yes. I’m fine. I’ll talk about it with my therapist if that makes you happy.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“Okay, going to bed now. I expect no loud noises in the middle of the night. Ahem. Come on, Luna. Let’s give these two some privacy.”
“Oh my God,” Callie muttered when Nikki and Luna were gone. “Where does she get these ideas? It’s so embarrassing.”
Seth laughed. “She’s doing it because she knows it makes you squirm. Stop squirming and she’ll quit.”
“How can I? My baby sister’s teasing me about sex. I may never have sex again. At least until she moves out.”
Seth pushed her back on the couch and kissed her until she softened. “That’d be a damn shame, honey. We’re too good together. And I don’t want to wait that long.”
She ran her hands up his back and around to his chest. “I don’t either. Maybe we can be quiet?”
“I’m sure we can. Only one way to find out.”