Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3) (44 page)

Ethan
glanced over the seat as I huffed out a breath. I thought I had my feelings for
Kadyn, Rafael, and Michael all figured out. How could I still be so damned
confused? I cursed Maxim for filling me with so much doubt. I looked down at
the ring again. Did Maxim really love me, or had he simply gotten caught up in
the media storm?

I
continued staring at the ring as I attempted to sort through my feelings for
Maxim. The guy was a complete contradiction, just like Michael. Had I somehow
transferred my feelings for Michael onto him? I couldn’t move to Ukraine, work
for the foreign ministry, enter into a serious relationship with Maxim, and
immerse myself in the Russian mafia! How could I even consider such a thing?

I
looked up in surprise when the car came to a stop.

Brady
leaned over the seat. “Looks like this is the hotel.”

I
slid my shoes back on while Ethan parked the car.

Shae
and Konstantin joined us as we pulled our luggage from the trunk. They were
holding hands. Seeing them together made me miss Maxim, and the fact that I
missed him depressed me even more.

Shae’s
eyebrows knit with concern. “Are you okay?”

I
shook my head as I bit back tears. “I feel wrecked.”

She
released Konstantin’s hand and pulled me in for a hug. “Konstantin said the
Chersonesus ruins aren’t far from here. They’re located right along the Black
Sea. Let’s go visit the ruins after we get checked in. That way we can walk
around and get some fresh air while we talk.”

Ethan
and Brady began rolling our suitcases toward the hotel. Konstantin grabbed
Shae’s suitcase as we fell in behind them. Konstantin glanced worriedly at
Shae. “We should wait for the rest of our security team to get here.”

My
eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not sure I understand how this all works. Why didn’t
Maxim just send the same security team that was watching over us in Simferopol?”

Konstantin’s
soft brown eyes shifted to me. “Most of those men were from the Simferopol mafia.
Maxim, Lev, and I work more at the national level. We coordinate with the local
mafia whenever we are in their territory. So, now that we are in Sevastopol, we
need to coordinate with the mafia that manages this territory.”

I
shot him a curious look. “So there are multiple levels of authority?”

Konstantin
nodded. “Exactly. We alert them to our presence as a professional courtesy, and
they provide assistance while we are in their territory.”

Shae
and I exchanged glances. “Their organizational structure is quite fascinating
when you think about it,” Shae remarked.

I
nodded. “It sounds complicated, and I bet we don’t even know the half of it.”

Konstantin
reviewed some text messages on his phone while the rest of us got checked into
our rooms. I wondered whether he’d end up bunking with Shae and me or if he’d
be staying someplace else. I made a mental note to ask Shae. If she wanted to sleep
with him, I could get my own room. I’d be sharing a room with Rafael soon,
anyway.

Konstantin
followed us upstairs. We dumped the luggage in our rooms before gathering in the
center of the hallway.

“Kri,
Konstantin, and I are going out to the Chersonesus ruins. I think Kri needs a
diversion and some fresh air. Do you guys want to join us?” Shae asked Sammi
and Cory.

Sammi
shook her head. “No. I’m beat.”

“I’d
really like to get unpacked, and I’d prefer to stay here with Sammi,” Cory
responded as he wrapped his arm around Sammi.

I
glanced at Ethan and Brady. “Are you guys up for this?”

“Sure.
I’d like to see the ruins,” Brady replied.

Ethan
pushed off from the wall. “I think we should both go, especially since the rest
of Maxim’s security team isn’t here yet.” Ethan looked at Konstantin as he
nodded toward Sammi and Cory. “Can they send someone here to watch over these
two and send a couple of men to meet up with us at the ruins?”

Konstantin
immediately began texting on his phone. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sure
the guys are anxious to meet Kristine given all the press surrounding her and
Maxim.”

I
glanced at Cory. “Would you like us to wait until they get here?”

Cory
waved his hand dismissively. “We’ll be fine. Go. Enjoy the ruins.”

Shae
linked her arm in mine. “Let’s go then!” We followed Konstantin back
downstairs.

“I’ll
drive,” Ethan offered as we walked out of the hotel. Ethan and Brady slid into
the front seats. Shae, Konstantin, and I climbed into the back.

Konstantin
gave Ethan directions before answering a phone call. Ethan backed out of the
parking place and turned onto the road. We had only been driving for ten or
fifteen minutes when Konstantin pointed out the window. “That’s the Saint
Vladimir Cathedral. Let’s start there.”

Ethan
pulled into a gravel parking lot. There were only three other cars parked in
the lot. “I was expecting more tourists,” I confessed as we climbed out of the
car.

Konstantin
shrugged. “These ruins have never really drawn a lot of tourists.” He reached
for Shae’s hand as we began walking toward the cathedral.

The
five of us stepped inside the cathedral. The inside of the building boasted a
soft blue tile, an enormous amount of gold embellishments, and a number of
beautiful murals. Everything was gleaming. “It’s breathtaking,” I whispered. Shae
and I snapped a couple of pictures with our cell phones while everyone quietly
walked around.

Ethan
and Shae lit candles near the front of the cathedral before we went outside to
explore the ruins. The few columns that remained standing looked like they
belonged in ancient Greece. I snapped a number of pictures of the tall white columns,
which stood holding nothing.

As
I wound through the columns, I stumbled across a partial wall that held a
doorway with no door. The doorway had me intrigued. I wondered who had walked
through that door, what type of building it had led to, and what kinds of
things might have transpired inside. I snapped a number of pictures of the open
doorway.

Shae
joined me. “That doorway makes for a very compelling picture.”

I
nodded, then looked around. “Where’s Konstantin?”

She
smiled as she tried to gather her wind whipped hair into a scrunchy. “I asked
him to grab us some bottled water from the car. I thought we could use some
time alone, so we can talk about what’s going on between you and Maxim.” She
nodded toward my hand. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the ring.”

I
sighed. “I’m so confused right now, it’s not even funny. I cried when we said
goodbye last night. I’m crazy in love with Rafael, and I cried when I said
goodbye to Maxim. What the hell’s wrong with me?”

Shae
sat on one of the columns that lay strewn haphazardly across the ground. “I
don’t know, Kri. Maxim seems like a really nice guy. Kadyn’s a nice guy,
Rafael’s a nice guy… all three of them are genuinely good guys, but I think you
find it difficult to resist men who are nice to you. Your ex-husband beat you
for nine years, Kri… not just physically but emotionally. You aren’t used to
men being nice to you. Then Kadyn, Rafael, and Maxim come along and you have no
clue what to do with them. You can’t choose between them because you’re in
shock. You can’t believe any man would actually be nice to you.”

I
sat next to her on the column. I thought about what she said as I watched a
small brown bird hop across the rocks. One wing hung brokenly at his side. I
wondered how long he’d survive being broken in Ukraine. I tore my eyes from the
wounded bird as I responded to Shae. “I’m in shock because they’re nice to me? So,
really, I’m not in love with any of them… I’m just drawn to them because they’re
being nice?”

Shae
sighed. “I think you may be mistaking kindness for love.”

I
ran my fingers through my windblown hair. “I don’t understand. Those aren’t
mutually exclusive things.”

Shae
shook her head. “They aren’t mutually exclusive things, but when you’re in love
with someone, that relationship extends far beyond kindness. You value that
relationship above everything else. You’d sacrifice anything for that relationship.
You can’t even bear the thought of losing that person, because you love him so
much.”

My
heart sank as tears filled my eyes. “That’s how I felt about Michael.”

Shae
wrapped her arm around me. “I know.”

Tears
spilled down my cheeks. “But I can’t be with Michael. I begged, Shae. I fell to
my knees and begged, and he still sent me away. I can’t still love him. I just
can’t.”

She
rubbed my back, then gently patted me on the leg. “Then you need to find a way
to move past that relationship. You can’t really give your heart to Rafael or to
anyone else when Michael still holds so much of it.”

I
stared at her, completely stunned. “Maxim said the same exact thing.”

Shae
studied me. “Konstantin told me that Maxim is crazy about you. He’s never seen
him like this with any other woman. He really likes you, Kri. Is he still
pushing for you to move here?”

I
sighed. “Yes. He asked me to move here again last night, as did the prime
minister. He personally offered me a job in the foreign ministry. So now I have
two job offers I’m supposed to consider.”

Shae
chuckled softly. “Maybe the two of us can move to Ukraine together. I know it
sounds crazy, given his connections to the mafia, but I really like Konstantin.”
Shae grew quiet as she fidgeted with her phone. “He wants me to accept the
teaching position at the university and move to Ukraine.”

My
eyes widened. “You’d move here? Wouldn’t you be scared to live here with all
the government corruption? Aren’t you worried about being associated with the
Russian mafia?”

Shae
shook her head. “I can’t reconcile the mafia’s image against what I’ve observed
and experienced firsthand. No one here seems to mind their presence. In fact,
they seem to rely on the mafia for a lot of things.”

I
glanced over my shoulder at Ethan and Brady, who were studying a bell that was
suspended between two large stone columns. Four men were approaching them.
Their long black coats whipped in the wind. “I think our new security team just
arrived.”

Shae
glanced over at Ethan and Brady as we both stood.

I
wandered toward the edge of the cliff, inexplicably drawn by the sound of angry
waves. Storm clouds formed an ominous barrier against the sun, making the sea
look nearly black. “This is the Black Sea, isn’t it?”

Shae
joined me at the edge of the cliff. She took a step back when she saw the
jagged rocks below. “Yes. That’s what Konstantin said.”

I
nudged her arm as I pointed toward a cluster of gray ships. “I wonder if that’s
the Russian naval fleet… the one Maxim and Foreign Minister Kozhara are negotiating
on today!”

Shae
followed my gaze. “Those are Russian ships. Look at the writing on the side.” She
pulled out her cell phone and snapped a couple of pictures.

“
Ostanovit'!
”

Shae
and I both spun around.

Two
men in long black coats walked briskly toward us. “
Ostanovit'!
” one of
the men yelled as he pointed at us.

I
glanced nervously at Shae. “I don’t think that’s Maxim’s security team.”

Shae
couldn’t take her eyes off of them. “
Ostanovit'
means stop, but what do
they want us to stop? What were we doing wrong?”

I
pulled my eyes away from the two men so I could find Ethan and Brady. My pulse
quickened. “Shae, where are Ethan and Brady?”

Shae
nearly sobbed. “I don’t know. I don’t see Konstantin either.”

I
bit back my own tears. “This cannot be good.”

The
two men looked furious by the time they reached us. One of the men spoke
rapidly in Russian as he thrust his hand toward Shae.

She
fidgeted nervously as she glanced at me. “God, Kri. What do you think he wants?”

I
stared wide eyed at the man. “I think he wants your phone.”

Shae
slowly handed him the phone. “This?” she asked.

The
guy snatched the phone out of her hand. He immediately began messing with the
phone. He held up the picture of the naval ships as he began yelling at Shae.

Two
other men approached us as the second man demanded my phone. All four of them were
dressed in the same long black coats. I handed the man my phone. That’s when it
hit me. Without our phones, we had no way to call for help.

Shae’s
eyes raked over the ruins. “Where the hell is Konstantin?” she asked through
gritted teeth.

I
shifted nervously in front of the man who held my phone. He was sifting through
my photographs even though I hadn’t taken any pictures of the ships. The man
who held Shae’s phone was speaking rapidly to the two new guys. I cleared my
throat. “
Vy govorite po-angliyski
?”

They
ignored me. The man with my phone got visibly upset. He grabbed the other three
men. They walked a short distance away from us as they studied a picture on my
phone.