Page 48 of Shielded Secrets

For fuck’s sake. They have afileon me.Worries flogged me at the chance that they’d have something in there about O’Malley.

“And then in the foster care system, every one of those counselors and supposed foster parents only looked out for themselves, no matter what it meant to us kids.”

“The only things we ‘foster’ here are mutual respect and honesty.”

I strained not to react to that. Honesty? I wasn’t being honest right now…

“We can go over the details later,” he said. “Rurik will arrange for this to go without a hitch. Just you watch, Kelly.”

We left soon after, and still, Rurik was quiet.

At first, I appreciated that he wasn’t pushing me to talk about my decision that I truly was still worried about. Back and forth, I debated whether I was doing the right thing or if I was letting my emotions rule me.

All day and into the night, Rurik stayed quiet. He was busy, arranging things with a couple of soldiers who’d been on campusto check on that activity from the rival families. Since spring break was over, we’d be returning to my apartment. That was something he spoke about the most with a pair of Baranov soldiers. They were to get my key, then go there and tidy the place up. They were also expected to check the building and scope it out to make sure it was safe and that no bugs or threats had been placed there.

Plans were underway for me to return to the former life I had, as a busy student and overworked employee. I was amazed by how efficiently the men all collaborated and communicated. Watching and hearing Rurik act like a commander with the men, I got a front-row view of how they really did behave like brothers or like members of a family.

By the time we got into bed, I felt twisted and torn. I was hopeful to help and contribute to the safety and prosperity of this family. But I couldn’t dismiss the growing, gnawing nerves too.

Rurik noticed. Of course he did. He pulled me closer and hugged me before kissing me slowly. Any time he had his lips on me, it felt like a segue into sex, and that was just what we did. Without a rush, and with him taking such delicate care to worship my body, he tired me out so thoroughly that I didn’t last long. Anxiety didn’t keep me up all night after we made love.

I fell asleep in his arms, safe and secure. His hard back was like a formidable wall behind me, and his touch, his hold, was all I needed to keep the worry and dread tucked away in the corner of my mind.

20

RURIK

“It’s weird having you here,” Kelly said as we got ready at her apartment. She was due to go to the admin office and work soon, whatever busywork she did in front of Jasmine’s front-desk area.

“How?” I frowned as I continued to wire her. It would’ve been so much easier to have her record with her phone, but she explained that some people further back in the dean’s office were strict about not using personal phones on the clock.

The plan was to have her spy on Jessica and Owen talking in the redhead’s office. News was still spreading about Marcus James being found dead in an office in the admin building, and they were continuing to do damage control. It was scandalous enough for one of New York’s up-and-coming politicians to be found dead at all. But at the college campus? They had a PR nightmare on their hands.

One of the Baranov guards found out that they’d have a bigger meeting today, potentially conversing with Eric, too. So this was a good opportunity for her to gather intel for us.

“After spending a week with you and living somewhere to your standards, then you coming here and downgrading to be with me here…” She cringed as she looked around at the apartment she’d called home before meeting me. Now her home would be wherever I was.

I hope.

“I don’t care,” I told her. “So you came from a different background than I did. That’s not a bad thing.”

She shrugged, and I realized she’d tossed out that comment as a way of distracting herself from being nervous.

I sighed, hating that she’d need to be “used” at all. Plenty of men brought outsiders in as girlfriends or wives. They weren’t all put to the test like this to be included in the Baranov Family.

“Listen, it won’t be so bad,” I said.

She nodded. “I know.”

“Just stand around, use the copier near her office, like you said.”

Again, she nodded.

“You’ll be fine. And hey, if nothing comes out of this, then Oleg will realize it’s more or less a dead end.”

She arched a brow. “You don’t think I’ll get anything useful?”

“That in no way means thatyouare not useful or worthy. You always will be, even if you back out of this right now. I just have my doubts that they’ll actually say anything incriminating that we could use.”

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