Read Online Betrayed (Undercover #3) by Helena Newbury - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Helena Newbury
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matter anymore. “ When did that extra heater show up?” I demanded in Russian.
The waiter stared at me as if I was crazy and then shrugged. “A few minutes ago. Some guys in overalls.”
When I looked back at Luka, his face was thunderous. Yes, I could understand all your Russian. Sorry. Just another lie I’d told him.
I took a step towards the heater. Luka raised the gun a little.
I took a shuddering breath. “I think it might be a bomb,” I said, saying it in English so I didn’t panic a hundred jumpy Russians. “If you’re going to shoot me, then shoot me.”
And I walked over to the heater. Luka tracked me with the gun the whole time.
There was no hot air coming out of the heater and the surface was stone cold. I didn’t dare try to open it, but I looked through the vents.
There were wires and bricks of gray stuff even I recognized as plastic explosive.
I stood up. “Tell them all to get out!” I yelled.
Luka stood there, the gun still pointing at my head. And now I could see the hurt in his eyes, the anger that came from a deeper place.
“You can kill me later,” I told him. “Just get everyone out.”
He held my gaze a second longer and then lowered the gun. Then he shouted, full volume, for everyone to get out, shooting into the ceiling a few times for good measure. The diners and waiters stampeded for the door. Luka, Vasiliy, Yuri and I were left standing there until the end. Then Vasiliy and Yuri grabbed Luka and pulled him and he pulled me, and we all stumbled down the steps and onto the street.
When we came to a stop, I found myself right up against Luka, as close to him as I had been that time at the party, back in New York. He was breathing deep and hard and he suddenly grabbed me by the upper arms. I tensed, staring up into his furious face.
One of the diners tried to run past us, back inside. Yuri grabbed her arm.
“ My son!” she screamed. “I think he’s in the bathroom!”
I took a step towards the restaurant, but Luka shoved me back against Yuri and ran up the steps. Yuri tried to follow his master, loyal to the end, but Vasiliy pulled him back.
We watched as Luka disappeared into the restaurant. Seconds passed. Vasiliy put his hand on my shoulder and it was comforting, even with the knowledge that he probably wanted to kill me.
The restaurant exploded. I had to close my eyes as a hot wind blew fragments of glass and china and wood right at us. I felt one slash my cheek. But I was focused on the image behind my eyelids, the snapshot my perfect fucking memory had burned into my brain forever: the windows of the restaurant caved outward by orange fire.
I’d killed him. My heart collapsed down like a black hole, sucking everything else that I was down with it. I didn’t dare open my eyes because, when I did, he would truly be gone.
I heard the mother’s hopeful sob. My eyes flew open. As the smoke cleared, I saw Luka lying flat on the ground just in front of the restaurant doorway, where he must have hurled himself as the bomb went off. His body was hunched protectively over something and the back of his suit was smoldering.
I ran over to him and slapped out the flames. He lifted himself from the young boy he’d shielded and the boy staggered off towards his mother.
“I thought you were dead!” I croaked.
Luka got slowly to his feet, wincing a little.
“We Malakovs are not so easy to kill,” said Vasiliy. “Come. Get in car.”
Yuri grabbed my shoulder and started walking me towards a car, where more of Vasiliy’s men were waiting.
“You want me to go with you?” I looked at Luka, but his face was unreadable. “For what? Luka?! ” He didn’t answer.
I looked at Vasiliy. “What’s he going to do with me?” I asked.
Strong hands pushed me into the car.
“Whatever he wants,” Vasiliy said grimly.
By the time we arrived back at Vasiliy’s house, the blizzard had slowed traffic to a crawl and the guards outside
The waiter stared at me as if I was crazy and then shrugged. “A few minutes ago. Some guys in overalls.”
When I looked back at Luka, his face was thunderous. Yes, I could understand all your Russian. Sorry. Just another lie I’d told him.
I took a step towards the heater. Luka raised the gun a little.
I took a shuddering breath. “I think it might be a bomb,” I said, saying it in English so I didn’t panic a hundred jumpy Russians. “If you’re going to shoot me, then shoot me.”
And I walked over to the heater. Luka tracked me with the gun the whole time.
There was no hot air coming out of the heater and the surface was stone cold. I didn’t dare try to open it, but I looked through the vents.
There were wires and bricks of gray stuff even I recognized as plastic explosive.
I stood up. “Tell them all to get out!” I yelled.
Luka stood there, the gun still pointing at my head. And now I could see the hurt in his eyes, the anger that came from a deeper place.
“You can kill me later,” I told him. “Just get everyone out.”
He held my gaze a second longer and then lowered the gun. Then he shouted, full volume, for everyone to get out, shooting into the ceiling a few times for good measure. The diners and waiters stampeded for the door. Luka, Vasiliy, Yuri and I were left standing there until the end. Then Vasiliy and Yuri grabbed Luka and pulled him and he pulled me, and we all stumbled down the steps and onto the street.
When we came to a stop, I found myself right up against Luka, as close to him as I had been that time at the party, back in New York. He was breathing deep and hard and he suddenly grabbed me by the upper arms. I tensed, staring up into his furious face.
One of the diners tried to run past us, back inside. Yuri grabbed her arm.
“ My son!” she screamed. “I think he’s in the bathroom!”
I took a step towards the restaurant, but Luka shoved me back against Yuri and ran up the steps. Yuri tried to follow his master, loyal to the end, but Vasiliy pulled him back.
We watched as Luka disappeared into the restaurant. Seconds passed. Vasiliy put his hand on my shoulder and it was comforting, even with the knowledge that he probably wanted to kill me.
The restaurant exploded. I had to close my eyes as a hot wind blew fragments of glass and china and wood right at us. I felt one slash my cheek. But I was focused on the image behind my eyelids, the snapshot my perfect fucking memory had burned into my brain forever: the windows of the restaurant caved outward by orange fire.
I’d killed him. My heart collapsed down like a black hole, sucking everything else that I was down with it. I didn’t dare open my eyes because, when I did, he would truly be gone.
I heard the mother’s hopeful sob. My eyes flew open. As the smoke cleared, I saw Luka lying flat on the ground just in front of the restaurant doorway, where he must have hurled himself as the bomb went off. His body was hunched protectively over something and the back of his suit was smoldering.
I ran over to him and slapped out the flames. He lifted himself from the young boy he’d shielded and the boy staggered off towards his mother.
“I thought you were dead!” I croaked.
Luka got slowly to his feet, wincing a little.
“We Malakovs are not so easy to kill,” said Vasiliy. “Come. Get in car.”
Yuri grabbed my shoulder and started walking me towards a car, where more of Vasiliy’s men were waiting.
“You want me to go with you?” I looked at Luka, but his face was unreadable. “For what? Luka?! ” He didn’t answer.
I looked at Vasiliy. “What’s he going to do with me?” I asked.
Strong hands pushed me into the car.
“Whatever he wants,” Vasiliy said grimly.
By the time we arrived back at Vasiliy’s house, the blizzard had slowed traffic to a crawl and the guards outside
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