Page 10 of Disguised as Love

If I stayed here, without my father’s protection, I’d have nothing standing between me and whoever came after me. My brother may or may not protect me. Georgie would, with every fiber of her being, which meant her husband, Mac, would try to use his connections in Navy intelligence to make it happen. I didn’t dare drag them into Father’s world. It could cost Mac his job and Georgie her law license.

My friend and fellow scientist, Violet, trusted the man before me because her husband, Dawson, had worked for him for years in the FBI. They’d both trusted Special Agent Malone with their lives. Could I do the same?

If I went to Russia, I would be able to confront Malik. He’d never be able to lie to me about his involvement in Father’s death. And if he was behind it, I’d kill him with my own hands. I knew the chemicals to mix. Better yet, I knew how to build a device so small he’d swallow it without even knowing it. It would zap his heart. Heart attack for a heart attack. My chest ached at the thought, anger and sadness bleeding together. I didn’t want to believe my brother was this far gone. That there was nothing left of the sweet child who’d helped me build dandelion chains during rare summer days.

“Raechka?” my mom said softly. I’d been silent too long, lost in thoughts that were only good at causing me more pain.

“I have extra protection,” I said, my gaze trained on Malone. Ilia grunted in disapproval at my words. “I’ll be there soon, Mamochka.”

We hung up, and I headed down the hall to my bedroom to pack. Malone and Ilia followed. I stopped them at my bedroom door. “Ilia, I need a minute with…Antonne.”

Ilia’s eyes narrowed. “We do not know this man.”

It was true and not. “I know him. He’s friends with people I trust.”

Ilia glared at Special Agent Malone as if trying to see into his soul. Finally, he took a step back and said, “I make arrangements.”

“I’ve already got a jet ready for her,” Special Agent Malone said.

“Whose?” Ilia groused.

“Does it matter?” Malone demanded.

“Stop throwing your testosterone around the room. It doesn’t matter how I get there. If Antonne has a plane already scheduled, we’ll use it,” I said.

“No favors, Miss Leskov. You do not want to owe anyone anything,” my bodyguard insisted.

I agreed. I knew what happened when there were favors owed. Or at least…I had a good idea. I didn’t answer because I had nothing good to say. I just went into the bedroom, and Malone followed, shutting the door behind us. In the closet, I reached up to grab a suitcase from the top shelf. I wasn’t tall enough, but as I grabbed the stepladder I had for just that purpose, Malone pulled it down for me with ease.

“If you come, we need to set some ground rules,” I told him. “I’m not helping you.”

He didn’t agree or disagree. He just talked over me as if I hadn’t said anything.

“Your brother won’t like me there. Not when I’m on Ivan Gennady’s payroll. We need a different…story.” Malone watched as I threw things into my suitcase. More clothes than I probably needed. I had an entire wardrobe waiting for me at our estate outside St. Petersburg, but it had been a long time since I’d worn those clothes. I wasn’t sure they’d fit?not because my size was different, but because who I was had changed.

“I don’t know who that is,” I told him the truth.

“Your brother does.”

“I don’t care about any of that. I just want to bury my father, hug my mother, and prove to you Malik wasn’t involved.”

Malone glanced around the room, stepped closer, and whispered, “Careful.”

“Ilia scans for bugs for me regularly. The room is clean.”

He shook his head as if he didn’t agree.

“It’s clean,” I insisted. I headed toward the bathroom, pulled out a makeup case, and started tossing more stuff inside.

“I’m going to need complete access to you if I’m going to keep my promise.”

I stopped, my eyes meeting his in the mirror. They were so dark it was like looking into the depths of the old well we’d played around as kids. As if a person could get lost in them. I couldn’t afford to get lost in anything right now. Especially not when I knew the truth about why he was here. He was after my father’s good name, my brother’s future, and whatever bratva he could bring down along the way.

“You’ll have the same access Ilia does,” I told him. “I just said you were my extra protection.”

“No. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

I scoffed. “That’s going to be pretty much impossible. I’m not taking you into the bathroom with me.”

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