To Love and Protect (11 page)

She stretched out on the blanket, next to Natasha, and rubbed the baby’s tummy. “What are we going to do?” she asked, keeping her voice light so as not to upset the child. “David is wonderful and I trust him to keep us safe. It’s just hard not to worry.”

She smiled at the baby. “You’re much smarter than Mommy, aren’t you? You go with the flow.”

Had the stakes been even a little less dramatic, going with the flow was something Liz would have suggested for herself. But with her adoption of Natasha on the line, it was tough to be rational and relaxed.

“I know,” she said, scrambling to her feet and hurrying into the bedroom. She dug through her suitcase and pulled out a sketch pad and a zipper case full of pencils.

“How about if you look pretty and I draw you?” she said as she returned to the living room. “Can you smile for Mommy?”

Liz passed the rest of morning by making sketches. After feeding Natasha formula and a little cereal, then fixing herself a sandwich, she read to the baby, then put her down for a nap. About fifteen minutes later, David walked in.

“It’s me,” he called as he stepped into the apartment.

Liz’s mood brightened measurably and she had to fight against the urge to rush into his arms and welcome him with a kiss. She held back because the action seemed too wife-like, and while she knew he wanted her in his bed, she wasn’t sure he was looking for anything else. Come to think of it, she wasn’t supposed to be, either. Relationships didn’t work, she reminded herself. At least, not romantic ones.

“How was your day?” David asked as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Were you able to relax at all?”

“Some. Natasha was perfect, as usual. She ate cereal with no trouble. I did some sketches of her, and then we read.”

He smiled. “I’m guessing you’re reading to her and not the other way around.”

“Exactly. But I think she’s really getting the hang of it.” She glanced at her watch. “When do you want to head to the orphanage?”

“Not for about an hour. I would like there to be more traffic. It’ll make us harder to follow.”

Her stomach clenched at his words. “Are you sure they’ll be trying?”

“No, but better to be safe.” He looked around the room. “Is she sleeping?”

“Yes. I just put her down.”

“Then let her be.”

He took Liz’s hand and led her to the sofa. When they were seated he looked at her with enough concern to make her afraid.

“What?” she asked. “You’ve found out something.”

“No, but I’ve been wondering about Sophia. You said she’d been missing.”

“Right. I told Maggie and the director, but they said it happens all the time. The teenage girls who help out usually don’t have any family of their own. Being around the other kids makes them feel like they’re home. But when life interferes, they disappear.”

“Is that what you think?”

Liz wasn’t sure. “I don’t know why Sophia is helping, but I don’t think she disappeared because of a previous engagement. She cared too much about all the babies, but especially Natasha. It’s as if—”

Liz stared at him as a thought popped into her head. “Do you think Natasha is hers?”

She wanted him to be shocked, to tell her that it wasn’t possible, but instead he shrugged.

“Could be.”

“No!”

She didn’t want to believe that. She didn’t want to know who her daughter’s biological mother was.

“But if she is, will she take her back? Is she the one who talked to the judge?” Tears filled her eyes. “Is she going to take Natasha from me?”

David pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t go there,” he told her. “Even if Sophia is the baby’s mother, there’s no reason to worry that she’s changed her mind about giving her up. Natasha is four months old. In all that time Sophia hasn’t said a word to anyone. Why would she want the baby back now?”

“Because she’s met me. Because I’m real and I’m taking her baby away from her.”

He stroked her hair. “You’re scared and I understand that, but try to think about all this logically. Sophia knew about you from your last visit. We don’t know if she
is
Natasha’s mother, but even if she is, she’s had over a month to spirit her daughter away. Instead she stayed close and took care of her until you returned.”

All Liz wanted to do was grab the baby and run, but she forced herself to be logical and listen to what David was saying. Some of it made sense.

“So where is she?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I want to say it doesn’t matter, but I have a feeling in my gut that says Sophia is somehow involved in all this.”

“So we have to find her.”

“Agreed. I have some people looking for her, but Moscow is a huge city. She could be anywhere. She might have even left.”

Maybe, but Liz wasn’t convinced. Her gut told her that Sophia would stay around until Natasha was safe.

“You’ll let me know what you find?” she asked.

He nodded. “Until then, try to relax as much as you can. I’m here.”

Two simple words that meant so much to her.
I’m here.
So much time and effort when he could have passed her off to someone else.

“I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for all you’ve done,” she said.

“Not necessary.”

“But this is more than your job.”

He looked at her. “You’re right. I don’t usually make love with the women I’m protecting.”

She felt her cheeks heating. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Didn’t you? We’ve always had chemistry between us from the first. Remember what happened in Portland?”

“Every second of it. My big confession is that I’m embarrassed by how long it took me to get over you.”

“I thought about you a lot, too. I kept thinking I should have brought you with me.”

“And I kept thinking I should just show up on your doorstep one day.” Liz knew that decision would have changed her life forever. Is that why she’d never done it? Because she was afraid of what would happen?

“Eventually I did just that,” she said lightly. “Showed up with no warning.”

He took her hand in his. “I’m glad you did.”

“Me, too. Even under the circumstances.” She laughed. “I’m going to guess that if you ever thought about us seeing each other again, there was never a four-month-old baby in the mix.”

“Natasha is great, and I admire what you’re doing by adopting her.”

She appreciated the compliment. “You’re very sweet to say that, but my reasons aren’t all that noble. My grandmother’s life was changed when she was adopted, and she and I talked abut the orphans over here. The seed for this was planted a long time ago.”

“Still, Natasha will get a chance that a lot of kids don’t get. Even though you lost your parents, you still grew up with family. When a kid doesn’t have that…” He shrugged. “It’s tough.”

There was something in his voice. Something that made her lean toward him and ask, “Are you speaking from personal experience?”

He nodded. “I have a twin sister, Jillian. Our mother was a drug addict and left us with her mother.”

Liz couldn’t believe it. “You, too?”

“My story doesn’t have the same happy ending as yours. Not at first, anyway. Our grandmother had a stroke and couldn’t talk. She could barely care for us. Jillian and I were pretty much left to fend for ourselves. By the time the state found us, we were five. We’d developed our own language and missed out on a lot of learning opportunities. That made school a challenge.”

Looking at him now, she would never think he’d had anything but a perfect childhood. “What an amazing story.”

“Because of our unique circumstances, we were put into Children’s Connection instead of foster care. The theory was Jillian and I could receive better care and therapy to help us overcome our issues. I know now it was the right thing to do, but Jillian and I were terrified. We’d never seen that many other kids before. I’m not sure we’d ever left our grandmother’s house and yard. Nothing made sense and we thought we were going to be separated.”

She studied his face, searching for clues about his past. He was a Logan, so she’d just assumed he’d grown up in wealth and privilege. How could that not be true?

“What happened?” she asked.

“We were sent to special classes to learn how to talk. For a while the experts said we would never be normal. Then Leslie Logan came along and adopted us.” He smiled. “I asked her why once. Why when there were so many normal kids around, did she pick us? She said it was because we needed her more and she wanted to be needed.”

“So the Logans took you home and changed your lives?”

“That’s the story.” His gaze sharpened. “That’s who I am, Liz. Not a Logan by birth, but the kid of a crackhead.”

“Look at all you’ve done with your life. It’s impressive.”

He shook his head. “There are still dark holes and flaws.”

“Because the rest of us are so perfect?” She laughed. “David, you’ve faced your demons and survived. In my book that means you’re one step ahead of the rest of us.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand perfectly.” She looked at her watch and sighed. “We can’t stay here forever. What time do you want to leave?”

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, then checked the time. “Another fifteen minutes.”

“Then I’d better get Natasha’s things together.”

“The baby is paid for,” the Stork said, his voice low and angry. “The parents were very specific about the age and sex and coloring. Don’t tell me you can’t find the one baby we need.”

Kosanisky swallowed. “We know where she is.” Almost. She was with the American woman who was being helped by someone. The man was better than anyone Kosanisky had ever hired.

“They paid a premium of fifteen thousand dollars on top of the regular price,” the Stork reminded him. “I don’t want to have to give it back.”

“No. You won’t have to.”

“I had better not. You have forty-eight hours to produce the baby. If you don’t, you’ll be sorry. Do I make myself clear?”

Kosanisky thought about the cold water in the river and how many disappeared into its murky depths.

“I’ll get her,” he said.

“You’d better.”

L
iz and David retraced their steps to the underground parking lot, where a different car and two men were waiting for them.

“Backup,” he said, introducing her to the men. One was Russian, one American. She smiled and shook hands and fourteen seconds later couldn’t remember their names.

It was the fear. The dark emotion sat in her stomach and made it difficult to think or breathe or even hope. They were out there waiting. Whoever wanted Natasha. Strangers were after her baby, and she was terrified that nothing could stop them.

David drove to the orphanage using back roads and alleys. He made U-turns, circled and wove in and out of traffic. Natasha had barely stirred when Liz had put her in the car seat. Now the baby slept on, oblivious of the tension in the car.

Finally they arrived at the orphanage. The American agent stepped out and stood close as the Russian unfastened the car seat. As he handed it to Liz and David stepped onto the sidewalk, three men rushed toward them.

One second there was nothing, then the men were there. They were large and dark, and one of them had a gun.

“The baby. Now!”

The words were harsh and low, spoken with a thick accent. Even so, Liz registered the meaning. Her fear intensified. She couldn’t move, could only stare at the snub barrel of the gun and know that she would die soon because she wouldn’t willingly give up Natasha.

David moved next to her. Even though she didn’t turn, she sensed his presence. Her heart pounded so fast, it was more a vibration than a beat. Her entire body was cold. Everything hurt.

She wasn’t sure how long they stood there, practically frozen in stillness. It felt like hours but was probably less than two seconds.

Unexpectedly, David spun in a graceful movement and caught the armed man’s wrist with his foot. The gun went flying. Someone big and heavy plowed into her, but instead of throwing her to the ground and taking the baby, she found herself half pushed, half carried into the orphanage. It was only when she’d burst through the doors and was able to turn around that she saw the American guy moving her deeper into the building.

“David,” she gasped.

“He’ll be fine.”

“But there are three of them.”

The man, tall and blond, grinned at her. “Don’t worry.” He nodded at the car seat where Natasha stirred and blinked. “Want me to carry her?”

“No. I’m fine.”

Not exactly the truth considering how hard she was shaking.

“Was David expecting trouble? Is that why he brought you along?”

“Expecting is too strong a word. He’s the kind of man who likes to be prepared.”

They turned a corner and saw Maggie running toward them. “I was watching for you out the window and I saw what happened. Are you all right?”

“We’re fine,” the man said.

Liz looked at him. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember your name.”

“Robert.”

“Thank you for everything.”

“Just doing what I was trained for.”

Liz wasn’t sure she wanted to know what that training usually entailed. She followed Maggie into the nursery, where she moved Natasha into a crib, then hovered over her.

“It’s okay,” Maggie said soothingly. “You’re fine.”

“But for how long?” Liz clenched her hands into fists and fought tears. “When will they be back? What happens next?”

“We find them,” David said from the doorway.

Liz acted on instinct and headed for him. He pulled her close against him and hugged her tight.

“Are you all right?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t have to worry about getting my aerobic workout today,” she said, trying to sound normal and not sure if she succeeded.

He chuckled. “Good for you. Stay strong, Liz. It’s the only way to keep the bastards from winning.”

Good advice, but she wasn’t sure how long she could take it. Right now she felt about as strong and impressive as melted butter.

“They get away?” Robert asked.

“Yeah. We nearly had them, but then they bolted. Dmitri went after them but I’m not expecting him to find anything.” David stepped back and looked at Liz. “I’m going to leave Robert here to watch over things.”

She nodded. While she would have preferred David stay with her, she knew he had a job to do.

“We’ll be fine.”

He smiled at her. “You’re not a very good liar.”

“I’m out of practice.”

“There’s no need for that to change. When I get back to the office, I’m going to see what I can do about contacting another judge and getting you and Natasha out of here sooner.”

“I have the name of the judge we saw yesterday,” Maggie said. “Would that help?”

“Yes,” David said. “Thank you.”

Maggie hurried off toward the office.

Yesterday? Had it really been less than twenty-four hours since she’d been told she had to stay an extra ten days? Liz felt as if she’d been living this nightmare for weeks. Complicating matters was the ache in her heart. Of course she wanted to leave Moscow as soon as possible. She would do anything to keep Natasha safe. But what about David? Was she just supposed to walk away and never see him again?

She caught her breath. “I don’t like any of this.”

“You’ll be fine,” he promised. “Robert will be here all day, watching over Natasha. If Dmitri isn’t back in the next fifteen minutes, I’ll send someone else to patrol the orphanage. I want you to try to stay calm.”

While she was grateful for the guards, she’d prefer to be with David. She wanted them to stay together. Was there a “them”? she wondered. Did she matter to him? What about her own feelings? Was she reacting to the situation or something more?

“I’ll be in touch,” he said, and kissed her cheek. “You have my number if you need to talk to me, or Robert can page me. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

She nodded and watched him go. A part of her wanted to call him back, but the sensible part of her brain warned her that she had better get used to being without David. As soon as she left Moscow, he’d be out of her life forever.

Leaving Robert standing guard over a sleeping Natasha, Liz wandered down to the office and found Maggie.

She held up a coffeepot. “Want some?”

“Sure.”

Liz took a mug and filled it, then added some cream and sugar.

“I gave David the name of the judge,” Maggie said as she sat behind one of the two battered desks. “I’m not sure if it will help or not.”

Liz settled across from her. “Me, either, but it can’t hurt. Maybe they can trace him back to the people behind all this. Maybe not. I don’t know how much cooperation there is between David’s office and the local police.”

Maggie nodded. “I’ve never had trouble with an adoption before but I’ve talked to some other caseworkers who have. Apparently the local government isn’t happy about the number of children being adopted by Westerners. They seem to feel it makes them look bad—like they can’t look after their own children.”

“But that’s not the case at all. Every country has orphans.”

“True.” Maggie sipped her coffee. “I’ve heard the Russian people are very proud. I can respect that. My concern is that if the local police don’t like the adoption process in the first place, I don’t know how much they’ll go out of their way to facilitate things.”

“Good point,” Liz said glumly. “Plus, they won’t like the implication that there’s a black market working in the area.”

She took a drink of her coffee and tried not to focus on the negative. If she thought about it too much, she would start crying and what would that accomplish?

“You said other caseworkers had had problems. Anything like this?”

Maggie shook her head. “I was talking more about missing paperwork or sick babies. No one else has ever been held up right outside the orphanage.”

Liz didn’t want to think about the men and the gun. “I wonder how they found us. David took back roads the whole way. He turned and backtracked. It was like being in the middle of a Hollywood chase scene.”

“The judge made it clear you had to check in here every day. Maybe they were waiting for you.”

Liz didn’t like the sound of that. Bad men lurking outside the orphanage? Thank God, David had left Robert to guard Natasha.

Just then the other man who had been in the car with them walked in. He was tall and muscular, with Slavic features. When Liz turned to him, he shook his head.

“I lost them,” he said in his thickly accented voice. “David asked me to patrol the grounds and the building.” He looked at Maggie. “You need to see my ID?”

She looked uncomfortable, but nodded, then studied the badge he showed her.

“I know you’re here to keep Liz and Natasha safe,” Maggie said. “Please remember there are a lot of children running around, so don’t attack everything that runs out of a closet.”

The man smiled, flashing white teeth. “I be careful,” he promised.

There was something about his voice, something low and seductive. It took Liz a second to realize he was staring at Maggie in a way that had nothing to do with business and everything to do with being a man in the presence of an attractive woman.

Liz glanced from one to the other. It made sense. Maggie was in her late twenties, pretty and, judging from the lack of rings on her fingers, single.

Liz rose. “I’m going to stretch my legs for a bit before Natasha wakes up. Is it all right if I walk outside?”

Dmitri nodded. “Stay within the grounds of the orphanage.”

“Not a problem.”

She hadn’t planned on leaving. Besides, from what she could tell, the bad guys weren’t interested in her.

She left her coffee by the sink and stepped into the hallway. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she’d been trapped indoors for the past couple of days. She couldn’t wait to enjoy the warm and sunny afternoon.

After turning left into the main corridor, Liz circled around to the rear of the building and stepped out into the walled-in garden. The playgrounds were all on one side. She avoided that area and walked toward the gardens.

This time of year the orphanage grew as much fresh produce as it could. Whatever was left over was frozen to provide food for the winter. She noticed a small plot of flowers against the far wall and walked in that direction.

The air was pleasant and redolent with the scent of things growing. She saw green beans and tomatoes, along with carrots, potatoes and beets. Or at least the tops of the root vegetables, along with a small wooden sign painted with a picture of what was in each row.

“Clever,” she murmured. That way the older children could help and know what they were growing.

At the far end of the garden was a small shed, probably for tools and supplies. Maybe extra seeds. Liz walked around it and settled in a patch of shady lawn. She leaned against a tree trunk and stared up at the sky. So blue, she thought, so vivid. How could that sky be so perfect when things were so messed up down here? How could—

The shed door creaked. Liz stared at the battered wood and wondered if she’d imagined it. Her heart began to beat faster and she didn’t know if she should stay where she was or run screaming into the main building.

Is that where those men lurked? Did they plan to attack from the garden?

She eyed the shed and wasn’t sure how many of them could fit inside. Besides, here at the back of the main orphanage building there weren’t even any windows until the third floor. This was not the easy way in.

Still undecided, she continued to watch the shed. The door creaked again, then Liz saw a flicker of movement. She opened her mouth to scream, only to bite back the sound when someone familiar limped into the sunlight.

“Sophia!”

Liz jumped to her feet just as the teenager saw her. Liz recognized the fear in the girl’s eyes as she turned to run.

“Don’t go!” Liz called after her. “Please. I want to help you.”

Sophia turned slowly. Liz winced when she saw bruises on the girl’s face and a large scrape on her arm.

“It’s all right,” Liz said, lowering her voice and making it as gentle as she could. “No one wants to get you in trouble. I’ve been worried about you.”

“I am fine,” Sophia said defiantly.

“You don’t look fine.” Liz studied the matted hair and gaunt face, and made an educated guess. “You look like you’ve been on the run. Is it because the same men who are after Natasha are after you?”

Sophia’s dark eyes widened. Liz recognized her terror.

“They don’t have her,” Liz said quickly. “They’ve tried to get her, but we’ve managed to keep her safe.”

Sophia’s wary expression sharpened. “We?”

“David Logan and myself. The man I was with before. The American. He’s helping me.”

“You should be gone by now,” Sophia said sharply. “When do you have your hearing?”

“It’s a long story. Please, won’t you let me help you?”

The teenager shook her head and started to limp away. Liz ached to go after her.

“Sophia, wait! I know the truth. I know you’re Natasha’s birth mother.”

It was a long shot, but it worked. The girl froze in place.

“No. She is not mine.”

But her words weren’t convincing, not when she started to shake. Liz walked over and put an arm around her.

“Come inside,” she said. “We’ll get you cleaned up and fed. I’ll talk to David and we’ll find somewhere safe for you to stay.”

The girl shrugged off her embrace. “Why would you help me?”

“Because I want you to be all right. You can’t continue to hide out in the shed. I won’t say anything, but eventually someone else will find you and then what? Please, Sophia. Come inside.”

The girl nodded. Liz took her arm and led her into the building. Dmitri met them at the back door.

“Who is she?” he asked roughly.

“A friend of mine. David knows about her.”

The man didn’t look convinced, but allowed them passage. Liz led the way to one of the private rooms in the infirmary. She left Sophia on the bed and went in search of supplies.

Maggie met her in the hall. “Dmitri told me you’d found someone outside.”

“Sophia,” Liz said as she collected bandages and first-aid cream. “I think she’s been hiding out for a couple of days. I want to talk to her privately. Is that all right? I’m afraid she won’t talk if too many people are around.”