be."
What the hell? "Sorry to disappoint you." Ass. Tatyana dismissed him and his insults, turning to look out the window. The doors were locked, quenching her temptation to do a secret agent roll right onto the pavement.
"I didn't say I was disappointed. More like...surprised. I thought..." He must have decided against sharing whatever it was he was going to say, as he stopped talking. The irritating tapping continued. "The baby?"
She swung her head back, meeting his gaze. "Dead." It was likely, by now. Weariness spread over her. Death had found the nurse; the baby would have been next, a life so short, she wouldn't make the news. "Didn't stand a chance."
A flicker of something in his cold eyes. "Boy or girl?"
"A sweet little baby girl."
His shoulders eased down. "That's something, at least." He was relieved, relieved because a precious boy hadn't died. Male chauvinistic ass. "How did you know her?"
"I didn't, or I wouldn't have admitted her under my name." Was that true? She didn't know.
It didn't matter, that decision in the past. "Nikky knew who she was, though." Nikky would also know who took her, as there were cameras positioned around the exterior of the casino. He'd be pissed and take action, putting himself at risk, getting his damn self killed.
It would be all her fault.
The man shifted, tugging down on his pant legs. "Is that why he stepped up security?"
"No. That was something else." Because she told him death was coming and even though he clearly didn't believe her, he didn't take chances.
Chan's chin rose. "Another threat?"
"Yes." Should she be sharing this? Joey Chan was the enemy, wasn't he?
"Another threat," the man mumbled to himself, his short blunt fingers tapping nervously.
He was nervous because he was going to kill her. Or have her killed. Would he do it himself?
Did Nikky do his own killing?
"This was a mistake." Chan pressed a button. The divider between them and the driver lowered. "Take us back." The divider rolled back up again. "Please express my apologies to Kaerta for this." He gestured to her. "To offset any inconvenience, the two of you will have a seat at my table tonight."
That was not a request. They were having dinner with the wife-killer. "Thank you. I'm sure Nikky will be ecstatic."
"She's back, Boss."
Back? She was alive? Nik turned, dazed.
"Bring her here, Pavel."
"Grandfather." He would go to her. She was back. Back. His brat. Nik had thought, when they saw her on the surveillance video, struggling, Joey Chan's man tossing her into the limo, he'd thought...
"In private, Nikolay." Grandfather puffed on his cigar. He had spent the entire morning chain smoking. "You don't want them to see you like this."
Like he cared what other people thought. "She's my fiancee." His. He thought he'd lost her.
"Showing weakness in front of others puts her at greater risk."
What a hypocrite. "If it had been Grandmother?" Wars had been waged over his grandmother, their tempestuous relationship a thing of family legend.
The cigar was crushed in the ashtray. "We are not talking about your grandmother." No one did since she passed.
"No, we're talking about my fiancee." His. "And I will kill Chan for taking her." If she'd been harmed...
"You will not." She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, so tiny, so defiant.
All his worry converted into anger. "You will not tell me what to do, Brat." He directed that anger at her. "You gave up that right when you left me." She left him. That cut him to the bone.
"For your own protection, ass." She looked absolutely beautiful in her Walmart t-shirt, black pants, and her hair loose and frizzy. "And I didn't do that so you could get your idiot self killed. You are not messing with Joey Chan. The man murdered his own wife, his pregnant wife. He'd kill you in a heartbeat."
"He messed with you." Nik stepped toward her. She left him to protect him?
"I needed a ride, he gave me a ride. I wanted to come back to you, he brought me back to you."
What the hell? "Sorry to disappoint you." Ass. Tatyana dismissed him and his insults, turning to look out the window. The doors were locked, quenching her temptation to do a secret agent roll right onto the pavement.
"I didn't say I was disappointed. More like...surprised. I thought..." He must have decided against sharing whatever it was he was going to say, as he stopped talking. The irritating tapping continued. "The baby?"
She swung her head back, meeting his gaze. "Dead." It was likely, by now. Weariness spread over her. Death had found the nurse; the baby would have been next, a life so short, she wouldn't make the news. "Didn't stand a chance."
A flicker of something in his cold eyes. "Boy or girl?"
"A sweet little baby girl."
His shoulders eased down. "That's something, at least." He was relieved, relieved because a precious boy hadn't died. Male chauvinistic ass. "How did you know her?"
"I didn't, or I wouldn't have admitted her under my name." Was that true? She didn't know.
It didn't matter, that decision in the past. "Nikky knew who she was, though." Nikky would also know who took her, as there were cameras positioned around the exterior of the casino. He'd be pissed and take action, putting himself at risk, getting his damn self killed.
It would be all her fault.
The man shifted, tugging down on his pant legs. "Is that why he stepped up security?"
"No. That was something else." Because she told him death was coming and even though he clearly didn't believe her, he didn't take chances.
Chan's chin rose. "Another threat?"
"Yes." Should she be sharing this? Joey Chan was the enemy, wasn't he?
"Another threat," the man mumbled to himself, his short blunt fingers tapping nervously.
He was nervous because he was going to kill her. Or have her killed. Would he do it himself?
Did Nikky do his own killing?
"This was a mistake." Chan pressed a button. The divider between them and the driver lowered. "Take us back." The divider rolled back up again. "Please express my apologies to Kaerta for this." He gestured to her. "To offset any inconvenience, the two of you will have a seat at my table tonight."
That was not a request. They were having dinner with the wife-killer. "Thank you. I'm sure Nikky will be ecstatic."
"She's back, Boss."
Back? She was alive? Nik turned, dazed.
"Bring her here, Pavel."
"Grandfather." He would go to her. She was back. Back. His brat. Nik had thought, when they saw her on the surveillance video, struggling, Joey Chan's man tossing her into the limo, he'd thought...
"In private, Nikolay." Grandfather puffed on his cigar. He had spent the entire morning chain smoking. "You don't want them to see you like this."
Like he cared what other people thought. "She's my fiancee." His. He thought he'd lost her.
"Showing weakness in front of others puts her at greater risk."
What a hypocrite. "If it had been Grandmother?" Wars had been waged over his grandmother, their tempestuous relationship a thing of family legend.
The cigar was crushed in the ashtray. "We are not talking about your grandmother." No one did since she passed.
"No, we're talking about my fiancee." His. "And I will kill Chan for taking her." If she'd been harmed...
"You will not." She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, so tiny, so defiant.
All his worry converted into anger. "You will not tell me what to do, Brat." He directed that anger at her. "You gave up that right when you left me." She left him. That cut him to the bone.
"For your own protection, ass." She looked absolutely beautiful in her Walmart t-shirt, black pants, and her hair loose and frizzy. "And I didn't do that so you could get your idiot self killed. You are not messing with Joey Chan. The man murdered his own wife, his pregnant wife. He'd kill you in a heartbeat."
"He messed with you." Nik stepped toward her. She left him to protect him?
"I needed a ride, he gave me a ride. I wanted to come back to you, he brought me back to you."
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