Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3) (38 page)

Maxim
spoke to Nonna in Russian. Her eyes flitted from me to Ethan and Brady, then
back to Maxim. When Maxim finished speaking, her eyes settled on me. “Well,
this certainly explains a lot. I’ve been trying to identify these two men since
you first arrived.”

Maxim
sized up the two men. “As have I.”

Nonna
narrowed her eyes at Ethan and Brady. “You two have stirred up some serious
trouble. You have raised a lot of red flags with the SBU with your unexplained
presence in our country. You had no letter of invitation and no obvious
business being here.”

“SBU?”
Sammi asked as she edged closer to Cory.

“Ukraine
Security Forces,” I responded softly.

Konstantin
handed me a cup of coffee.

I
smiled gratefully. “Thanks
.
”

“I’ll
smooth things over with the SBU,” Brady responded.

“No.
You won’t. I’ll talk to the SBU. The less interaction you have with them the
better. It’s bad enough you’ve raised their suspicions, but now that you’re
appearing publicly with Kristine, you’ll be drawing even more attention to her,”
Maxim responded irritably.

Ethan
folded his arms across his chest. He shook his head. “I never thought I’d see
the day that special ops would be working with the Russian mafia.”

Maxim
narrowed his eyes at Ethan. “I’m not working with you. I’m merely tolerating
your presence as a courtesy to Kristine. You get in my way, you question me, or
you cross me in any way, you will seriously regret it.”

Brady
moved between Maxim and me. “She’s our responsibility.”

Maxim
glared at Brady. “The only person who can keep her safe in this country is me.
You will be allowed to accompany us as long as you keep your mouth shut and you
don’t interfere in anything I do. I don’t care who you work for or what your
responsibilities are. You get in my way and you’re gone. Have I made myself
clear?”

Brady’s
jaw clenched. Ethan and Brady exchanged looks, then slowly nodded.

Maxim
turned to Nonna. “I understand the three of you had plans to take Kristine and
her friends sightseeing today, but they will be sightseeing with me. I would
like you to secure a letter of invitation for these two,” he waved toward Ethan
and Brady, “identify them as her security detail, and clear them through the
required channels.”

Nonna
nodded.

Maxim
continued. “You do not need to concern yourself with Kristine this evening. She
will be accompanying me to the annual charity ball for the children’s hospital
tonight. Prime Minister Azarov and his wife will be there, along with the usual
press. This will be good publicity for all of us.”

I
cleared my throat as I peeked around Brady’s broad shoulders. “Maxim, I didn’t
pack anything that would be appropriate to wear to a ball.”

Maxim
stepped around Brady and gently tugged me into his arms. “I’ve already picked
out a dress for you,
kotyonok
. Please say you’ll join me.”

I
suspected that was as close as Maxim had ever come to asking rather than
demanding a date. I was a bit annoyed by his presumptuous behavior, but I’d
seen how dire the conditions were at the children’s hospital. The fundraiser
was sorely needed, and I was curious to see what kind of dress Maxim had chosen
for me. I glanced nervously at my friends before gazing into his surprisingly
vulnerable eyes. “Yes. I would love to attend the charity ball with you.” 

*
* * * * *

We
toured Simferopol in three separate cars. I rode with Maxim. Ethan and Brady
sat in the back seat. Sammi, Cory, and Shae rode with Konstantin, and a number
of Maxim’s men trailed along in a third car. We drew a lot of attention
wherever we went, although I couldn’t be sure whether that was due to the size
of our group or the fact that we were being escorted by the mafia.

We
visited the Vorontsov Palace first. The massive stone palace was tucked into
the base of the Crimean Mountains. The intricate woodwork, the ornate wallpaper,
and the antique furnishings were stunning, especially for a house built in the
early eighteen hundreds. According to the tour guide, the palace was used as a
summer home by the Soviet secret police. Maxim claimed that Winston Churchill
stayed in the palace during the Yalta conference. We took pictures and strolled
through the botanical gardens for a little over an hour.

We
visited the ruins of Scythian Neapolis next. Konstantin took the lead on this
tour. He explained that Scythia was an ancient city that was built sometime
around 3
^rd
century BC. The city was later destroyed by the Goths,
sometime around 3
^rd
century AD. The ruins contained an ancient tomb.
Konstantin explained that it was the tomb of Skilurus, Scythia’s most famous
king. Goose bumps danced along my arm as I caressed the ancient stone.

We
spent some time at the Regional Museum of Local Lore. We stopped to take
pictures of Lenin Square before returning to the hotel. We gathered outside the
hotel as everyone sorted through what they were doing for the evening. I was
disappointed to learn that Konstantin and Shae would not be joining us for the
ball. Konstantin was taking Shae, Sammi, and Cory out to dinner instead.

Ethan
and Brady were planning to join Maxim and me for the ball, but they were
struggling with the requirements. The ball was a black tie affair, so Ethan and
Brady had to either line up their own tuxes or dress entirely in black. Maxim
explained that an exception was made at black tie events for members of the
mafia as long as they were dressed entirely in black. Ethan refused to dress
like the mafia, so he went to track down tuxes while Brady accompanied me to
Maxim’s house. Maxim insisted that we dress there.

My
hands began trembling the moment I left my friends. I tried sitting on them so
Maxim wouldn’t notice. I was relieved that he was allowing Brady to join us,
but I didn’t like being separated from the rest of my friends. I began
questioning my decision to trust Maxim.

Maxim
reached for my hand as we pulled into a gated community. “You’re shaking. Are
you nervous?”

I
nodded.

Maxim’s
thumb caressed the back of my hand. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

I
glanced at Brady as I turned to face Maxim. “I know you won’t hurt me.”

“Then
why are you nervous?”

My
eyes widened as he pulled into a driveway. “It’s just so personal… you taking
me to your home.”

He
smiled. “Are you afraid you’ll discover I’m human?”

“Maybe,”
I whispered. “Maybe I’m just afraid I’ll like what it reveals about you.”

His
lips brushed over my hand. “I hope that you do.” He stepped from the car,
walked to the passenger side, and opened the door for me. Brady trailed behind us
as Maxim led me toward the house.

An
incredibly stocky man stood just outside the front door. He opened the door as
Maxim approached. “Good evening, Mr. Markov, Ms. Stone.”

I
glanced at Maxim in surprise. “Does everyone who works for you speak English?”

He
nodded. “The people I hire full time are required to speak English, but some of
the individuals I contract with from the local mafias don’t speak English...
like the man who was guarding the door to the lobby last night. We don’t often
speak English. We just do it as a courtesy when we are conducting business with
people from the United States or certain parts of the EU. I find people are
more comfortable and less suspicious when they know what is being said in their
presence.”

Two
young women met us just inside the door. Maxim put his hand on the small of my
back as he introduced us. “Kristine, this is Nika and Oksana. They work for one
of the local spas. I’ve invited them here to help you get ready for the ball.”

I
nodded politely at Nika and Oksana before turning to face Maxim. “Why… why do I
need help getting ready?”

Maxim
smiled as he reached for my hand. He pulled me toward a sitting room with a beautifully
carved mahogany bar. “You’ll see.”

I
looked around the room as he poured two glasses of red wine. Brown leather
furniture sat anchored around a beautiful oriental rug. I studied Maxim with
renewed interest. “Your place is decorated a lot like mine.”

He
smiled as he handed me a glass of wine. “I think you will find this much more
to your liking than the wine they served at the restaurant the other night.”

I
glanced nervously at Brady.

Maxim
rubbed my back. “I want you to take the wine upstairs with you. It will help
calm your nerves.”

I
nodded, then raised the glass. “
Za vas
.”

Maxim
tapped his glass against mine. “
Za vas
.”

I
took a sip and smiled. “This is much better. Thank you.”

He
laughed. “I thought you’d like it. Now, follow Nika and Oksana upstairs. I’m
going to take a shower and get dressed.” He looked at Brady. “You can follow
them upstairs, but you are not allowed inside the room.” Maxim snapped his
fingers toward a man who had been standing just inside the front door. “You
will go with him to ensure he doesn’t enter that room.”

Brady
looked annoyed, but he nodded. The two men followed us upstairs. They both settled
into chairs in a small sitting area in the middle of the hallway. Nika motioned
me through an intricately carved wood door.

Nika
closed the door as I stood gaping at the room. “Is this Maxim’s bedroom?”

She
motioned me toward the bathroom. “Yes.”

I
ran my hand along the suede comforter on his bed. Like the sitting room, this
room was decorated in rich shades of brown, tan, and ivory. “It’s beautiful.”

Oksana
followed us into the bathroom. “I’ve already run your bath.”

Steam
rolled lazily along the edge of the tub. “I didn’t know I was taking a bath,” I
responded hesitantly.

Nika
smiled. “Mr. Markov said he wanted you relaxed. It’s an aromatherapy bath. I’ve
added eucalyptus and lavender oils.”

I
eyed the bathtub longingly. The tiny shower in our hotel room made the scented
bath all the more appealing. I glanced at the two women. “Do I really have time
for this?”

Oksana
nodded. “The charity ball begins in two hours. We have plenty of time.”

Nika
dimmed the lights. She pointed toward a thick white towel folded on top of the
vanity. “Be careful when you lift the towel from that tray. There are heated
rocks underneath.”

Both
women walked toward the door. Nika glanced back at me and smiled. “We’ll be in the
bedroom in case you need us.”

Oksana
nodded toward the glass I had left sitting on top of the vanity. “Don’t forget
your wine.”

I
swirled my hand through the silky water as they closed the door. The eucalyptus
and lavender smelled amazing. I stripped down, grabbed my wine, and stepped
into the bathtub. Soft music began playing from the other room as I sank into
the warm water. I set the wine glass on the tile ledge surrounding the tub,
then completely immersed myself so I could get my hair wet. I took a sip of
wine, closed my eyes, and sighed contentedly as the silky water caressed my
skin.

My
eyes flew open as small but strong hands began massaging my shoulders and neck.
“It’s just me,” Nika whispered. “I’m going to wash your hair.”

I
opened my mouth to object, but Nika had already begun massaging my head. I
closed my eyes and moaned instead. I couldn’t even remember the last time
someone had massaged my head. Lavender perfumed the air as she massaged shampoo
into my hair. She nudged me into a sitting position, then slowly began pouring
water over my head. She leaned me back against the tub as she resumed the head
massage, this time with conditioner. She rinsed my hair, then offered me the
towel.

I
sighed when the warm towel hit my skin. “This feels amazing.”

She
smiled. “If you would like, you can keep the towel on during the massage.”

I
followed her into Maxim’s bedroom. The lights and the bed had been turned down.
She waved toward the bed. “We will do your massage here.”

My
eyes widened. “In Maxim’s bed?”

Oksana
was placing bottles of lotion on either side of the bed. She glanced at me
questioningly. “Why not?”

My
eyebrows furrowed. “Does Maxim know you’re massaging me in his bed?”

They
both nodded. Nika’s hand settled on my back as she walked me toward the bed. “Mr.
Markov asked that we massage you in the bed. This will be far more comfortable
than our massage table.”

I
was pretty certain that rolling around naked in Maxim’s bed wasn’t on the list
of things Rafael was willing to tolerate. I took a step back from the bed. “I
think I’d prefer the massage table.”

Oksana
offered an apologetic look. “We didn’t bring the massage table. We left it at
the spa because Mr. Markov specifically requested we use the bed. This is not
all that unusual. People often make this request when they receive spa services
in their homes.”