Page 26 of Taming Mika

“We could be in the market, though,” he adds pointedly, openly appraising the horse.

My gut tightens as his eyes trail over Mika next, lingering on her breasts; then, as if he senses my tension, he looks at me with cool understanding.

“Oh, Alfie. I don’t think you’ve met my daughter yet, have you? This is Ana,” Nikolai says, placing his palm on the small of Ana’s petite back and guiding her forward a step. “Ana, this is Alfie Bonetti, the man you were supposed to marry next week.”

“Supposed to?” Mika asks, and all eyes snap to her.

Color infuses her golden cheeks as her beautiful green-blue eyesfind mine. Ana might be stunning by any man’s standards, but when Mika looks at me, my heart stops momentarily. She affects me in ways no other woman has before, and I’m intensely aware of that after finally laying eyes on my ex-fiancée.

“I called it off,” I say succinctly, tension vibrating through my body. Then, I turn my attention back to the lovely young woman who was supposed to be my bride. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Ana. The rumors of your beauty hardly do you justice.” The wording feels wooden and formal, but if I don’t tread lightly, this could be the moment I go to war with the Russians.

15

MIKA

“Don’t you think you owe Ana an apology for treating your promise so carelessly?” Nikolai suggests.

“I assure you, it was for the best.” Alfie looks tense as he focuses his attention on the young woman who might just be the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.

I can’t help wondering how he could possibly be interested in me whenthat’swho he was supposed to be marrying, and I hardly hear Alfie’s words over the ringing in my ears. My head is spinning with the avalanche of information that just plowed into me.Is it hot in here, or is that just me?I’m suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

Alfie called off his wedding? Aweekbefore it was supposed to happen?I can hardly fathom why he would do such a thing as I take in the woman he rejected. She’s beyond stunning—and she would match him perfectly. With her wide-brimmed derby hat and her flattering designer dress that’s probably worth a month of my salary, she’s a fashion queen—and he’s the king.

They would make the most beautiful babies,I think, and immediately recognize the absurdity of my observation. Heat pools in my cheeks at the completely inappropriate thought.

That’s when it hit me that this man, Nikolai, just introduced her to Alfie.

Alfie never even met the woman he was supposed to marry? How did he propose?My stomach knots as I realize it must have been some kind of arrangement between Alfie and Ana’s father.Knock me over with a feather—what sort of alternate universe did I wake up in this morning?

Tense silence thickens the air, making my pulse quicken. The Russians—who I recall Francisco warning me adamantly not to piss off—look anything but pleased by Alfie’s response. I get the feeling they wouldn’t be happy with him no matter what right now.

Not that I can say I blame them. Generally, it’s considered bad form to break off an engagement a week before the wedding. Then again, in this day and age, I was under the impression that most grooms meet their brides long before the special day and get to know them before proposing marriage, so I’m clearly out of my depth here.

As if hearing the direction of my thoughts, the breathtaking young, jilted bride turns her sharp blue eyes on me. A cold shiver runs up my spine at the cutting assessment in her gaze. Beside me, Fate dances nervously, picking up on my energy as she grows uncharacteristically anxious.

“You and my former fiancé seemed ratherclosein the victory circle,” Ana Kapranov observes, her voice as poised and unwelcoming as her demeanor. She looks me up and down as if to get the measure of me, and she seems to find me rather disappointing. “Remind me, Papa, didn’t you say Mr. Bonetti bought his new stables just over a week ago? Perhaps his new trainer is the reason I’m no longer worth marrying.”

My stomach plummets as she cuts right to the heart of the matter, and I wonder how accurate her speculation might be. The last time I saw Alfie, he left no room for misunderstanding about his desire for me.He couldn’t possibly have broken off his engagement over it, could he? All because I told him I wouldn’t be his mistress?The notion is so far-fetched, I’m confident that’s not the case.

But Nikolia doesn’t seem to draw the same conclusion as his violent gaze rips me apart once again. His lips curl slowly into awicked grin. “If a horse trainer is all that’s standing in the way of our agreement, she can be easily taken care of,” he observes, his slow drawl raising goosebumps across my flesh.

I get the sense that this man could make the gossip about Alfie sound like child’s play. A cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck, and suddenly, I’m as desperate to get the hell out of this alleyway as Fate.

Alfie steps in front of me as if to physically shield me from Nikolai’s terrifying gaze. “I’ll break your fingers one by one if you even think about touching Mika,” he says coolly, his voice as calm and steady as ripples on a still lake.

The way he says my name makes my heart do a strange somersault. It shouldn’t affect me nearly as much as it does, but it sounds incredibly intimate. Based on Nikolai’s expression, I get the feeling he picked up on it as well. The towering Russian huffs, and I catch the cold smirk that spreads across the younger man’s face on Ana’s other side.

“We’ll just see about that,” Nikolai says coldly. He and his men turn as one and sweep back down the alley toward the grandstand.

A violent shiver racks my body as I stare after the terrifying men. In my life, I’ve faced powerful men who don’t mind throwing their considerable weight around to get what they want. I’ve been threatened for standing up against them and fired over advocating for the animals I care for. However, I have never wondered if my life could be in danger before, but when Nikolai Kapranov said I could be “taken care of,” I’m certain he didn’t mean he could find me a job far from Alfie’s proximity.

Around me, Alfie and his contingent of Men in Black—or so I’ve dubbed his security—jump into action. Their circle around us closes in as they reach into their suit jackets for what I can only assume are weapons they’re not supposed to have on the racetrack. It sends a fresh wave of adrenaline rushing through my veins, making my hands shake, and I shove them in my pockets to hide the involuntary response.

“Marco, take the chopper and half the men. Get Nina home. Now.We’ve pressed our luck enough for one day, and I want her safe.” Alfie’s tone is sharp with authority and almost intimidating in its severity. “Double the guards around the estate. Then send men to the stable. The Kapranovs could target it to make a point. Call and confirm once reinforcements are in place, anddon’tlet Nina out of your sight.”

I recognize Marco as one of the guards who is always with Alfie as he nods curtly. He gestures for several of the men to close ranks around Alfie’s sister. As they do so, her hazel eyes grow round, and her fingers flash in agitated conversation with her brother. Alfie responds just as quickly, then he reaches up to cradle her jaw with one hand. The gesture is so tender, it wrenches my heart, and I feel awkwardly out of place, as if I’m intruding on an intimate moment.

Before I can look away, I catch the shimmer of unshed tears in Nina’s eyes, and she throws her arms around her brother’s waist, burying her face against his chest. His eyes meet mine over her head. He looks deeply troubled for once, his lips pressing into a thin line as he wraps his arms around her shoulders and gives her a tight squeeze. I don’t know why, but it fills me with the sudden urge to cry. I swallow hard, averting my eyes to give them a moment of privacy. Then Nina’s gone, barely visible at the center of her towering circle of guards as they rush her quickly toward the waiting helicopter.

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