Page 38 of Savage Warrior

“I need to go,” I insist. “They can’t manage without me for much longer.”

“They? Your family, you mean?”

“Yes.” I hop out of the bed and go to the window to check the weather for myself. “There hasn’t been any more snow since yesterday.”

“Good. Are you going to make some coffee while you’re over there?”

I swing around to confront him. “I don’t want coffee. I want to go home. Now. I need to leave…”

He sits up, and my resolve wavers. ?tefan Romanescu, naked, is a truly beautiful sight. Two days of more or less constant love-making has done nothing to dampen my desire for him, but it’s not a matter of what I want. I have responsibilities, people who need me. While I’m frolicking in snow-bound sexual abandon, my brother and sister could be on the streets of Lida begging.

“You don’t understand,” I continue. “I left them with enough money and food for a week or so. I paid enough rent to get to the end of the month, too. That’s come and gone.”

“Okay, but—”

“I need to get back home. They’ll be terrified. They have no one else.”

“I get all of that.” He gets out of bed and pads across to the stove to fill the coffee pot himself. “But until you have a passport, you’re stuck here. I’ve got it in hand, but it’ll take a while to sort out.”

“Where are you getting it from?”

“A guy I know in Inverness.”

“Where is that?”

“About an hour from here, in decent weather and on roads that are passable.” He lights the gas under the coffee pot. “I’ll drive over there as soon as I can to pay him the cash he needs up front, and provide him with a photo of you.”

My panic mounts. “‘As soon as I can’ isn’t good enough. I want you to go now.”

“Arina, be reasonable. I get that you’re worried, but—”

“Now!” I spit.

He levels a patient but implacable gaze on me. “You need to dial down the pissy attitude and see sense. We’re doing this my way, Arina. I’ll get you reunited with your family, but it will take time. It won’t help anyone if you get arrested at the airport, or worse still, end up back in the hands of those traffickers.”

I hear the irritation in his tone, but, desperate, I dig in. “I’ll manage. I have to.”

“No, you don’t have to. I am going to help you, but right now you need to be patient and trust me.”

Is he not listening? “But, they—”

“I’m going for a shower.” He strolls over to me and drops a kiss on my forehead. “Try not to worry. It’ll be okay.”

CHAPTER 11

Rome

It’ll be okay.

I grimace under the streaming hot water. I may have said those words, under pressure, but I’m not at all sure it will be okay. I prefer not to make promises I may not be able to keep, but I needed to say something to calm the situation down. I understand why Arina’s so worked up, but rushing at this is a sure way to get herself arrested or killed. Me, too, just possibly. Not high on my to-do list.

I reckon, weather permitting, I can get the passport by tomorrow or the day after. Michelangelo is pretty quick when he gets going., Once that’s sorted it would be a straightforward matter to take Arina to an airport and put her on the first flight out. I’ve checked and I know that there are three airports in the UK with direct flights to Minsk. The closest is Manchester, so that would be my preferred destination. Much as I’m enjoying her company, I’d drive her there like a shot if I was sure she’d be safe at the other end. I’m not.

The more I think about this, the more convinced I am that the trafficking gang will be on the lookout for Arina returning to Belarus. It may be possible to find out more once we’ve identified who these bastards are. I’ll give Jack another call later today. I’m also wondering if I can confirm the actual whereabouts and status of the brother and sister she’s so worried about. If I was able to assure her that they are all right, that would certainly help. Maybe I could find some way of sending money to them…

I give myself a mental shake. It’s one thing to help send Arina home, it’s quite another to take on responsibility for her family, too.

Stick to what you’re good at.

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