Page 4 of Seduction (Wicked Vows)

“Her father’s set it up so that her new bodyguard will accompany her from America to Moscow. They’re scheduled to meet in three days at the airport, where she’ll fly to Moscow. And you, as Vera’s bodyguard, will go with her. It doesn’t matter if anyone sees you since no one else has met the real bodyguard. The only person who can’t see you is her father’s mistress, but those chances are slim to none.” He jerks his chin at Viktor. “And thanks to Viktor, no one will notice he’s gone.”

I’ve never had such a mammoth task before. An assassination is a clear instruction, something easy to accomplish with the right tools. This is something entirely different—an assassination with a twist.

“Perfect.” I love a challenge.

“Here,” Aleks says, taking a file out of his laptop bag and handing it to me. “This is everything we’ve complied on Vera Ivanova for you to familiarize yourself with before you go in.”

I open the file and immediately school my features so I don’t give away my shock at seeing her. Delicate features are framed by long, chestnut hair that cascades in loose waves around her shoulders. Emerald-green eyes are highlighted with long, thick lashes, displaying intelligence and curiosity, but the slight upturn of her little nose hints at mischief. A smattering of freckles adds to her wholesome appeal. Despite her slender frame, there’s a quiet strength in her posture and movements, hinting at hidden reserves of determination.

I stare at the portrait of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. A woman I can’t have.

Kolya looks over my shoulder as I continue to read the specs. “You’ve been trained for this, Nikko. Pretend she’s poison. Tell yourself that if you touch her, you turn to stone.”

Mikhail grows cold. “Tell yourself that if you touch her, you’ll die.”

I nod. Stay completely detached. Made of stone. Impermeable.

Stay focused on my job because I have an obligation to kill her father.

CHAPTER TWO

Vera

One, two, three, four, five. I count the bags I’m bringing with me on my flight one more time.

Is it too much? I have a tendency to overpack because I want to be prepared, but the last thing I want is to stand out. Does a grad student moving to an international study program really need that many bags? Thankfully, I’ve condensed the books I need into one heavy suitcase, and everything else fits in the lightweight luggage I bought especially for this trip.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in!” I straighten my shoulders and bite my lip as I glance at the clock. I need to leave in an hour if I’m going to arrive two hours and twenty minutes before my scheduled flight. I’ve never flown at a regular airport before, always using my father’s private jets, but it’s time, and my research says two hours and twenty minutes is a perfect plan.

“Oh, honey. Vera.” My mother’s voice wavers from the doorway. Her short hair, once a thick, glossy black, is speckled with gray, but the lines around her eyes hint at someone who loves to laugh and does so often. Now, however, her eyes are brimming with tears.

I swallow a lump in my own throat.

“Is this real?” She walks over to me and takes me in her arms, holding me away a little to look in my eyes. “You look so grown up.”

Oh, no. No, no, no. If she starts to cry, then I’m going to cry, and I can’t do that. Nope. Not now.

But my mother’s a strong woman, and she raised me to be the same. I take a deep, calming breath and start to tell her I’ll call her every night and FaceTime every Sunday because that’s the best time I can fit in a call with my rigorous schedule. But when I open my mouth, all that comes out is, “Oh, Mom. I’m going to miss you so much.”

Then we’re both crying and hugging each other. It’s a good thing I don’t wear make-up because I’m sure it would be smeared all over the place with these fat, ugly tears. I’m leaving my best friend.

“I wish I could go with you,” she whispers. “Are you sure I can’t? I could take up an apartment downtown or rent a house a bit away. I could?—”

“Mom,” I tell her gently. “You’re needed here. You’re planning Lydia’s wedding, and I won’t even have time to see you if you did come. My schedule’s insane. Makes my undergrad days look like a cakewalk. But I promise I’ll be in touch, and it’s only six months.”

Only six months. It sounds like an eternity to be in a foreign land, away from home. I love my home. While it’s been unconventional, to say the least, my mother did everything she could to keep our childhood normal.

I glance at my watch. Half an hour left.

“Alright,” she says with a sigh. “I’ll put on my big girl panties and deal with it. I cried when I sent you to kindergarten, you know.”

I smile. “I know.” She’s told me this story a hundred times. My father was away on business, and it was my first day. Apparently, I ‘bravely soldiered on’ even though I’m mostly quiet and introverted, while my mother hung back and called her mother, and they both sobbed about it together on the phone.

“Your grandmother came to see you before you go. She’s downstairs. Come, let’s have a cup of tea together, and you can tell her all about what you’ll be doing there.”

I hide a smile because it’s kind of cute. My mom wants me to explain to my grandmother because she doesn’t quite understand it herself. It’s alright, though. I’d be surprised if my father even knew where I was going.

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