Page 7 of Shielded Secrets

No. I refused to get involved. I didn’t want to be a third wheel to Eva and bother her when she was happy with Lev. And I refused to use this degree of danger as an excuse to get in touch with the man I couldn’t forget.

Whatever happened with Jerome didn’t have to make a difference inmylife. I didn’t need to do a single damn thing because if the last twelve years of my life had taught me anything, it was that keeping my head down and minding my own business were the only ways to survive in this cruel, hard world we lived in.

4

RURIK

The first week of my recovery passed with every minute ticking by at an excruciatingly slow pace. I’d been idle before. In those carefree days of being a young soldier for the family, when we were all new and not trusted with too many significant assignments, we’d all had our downtime to party and take it easy.

This recovery time was no party. Besides the aches and pains that came with my muscles, tendons, and skin connecting back together from where the bullet pierced me, I was bored out of my damn mind.

“I don’t need to sit around,” I argued with Eva one afternoon when I felt like I’d go insane in the next second. She tossed out another card and I grimaced.

“You need to relax,” she said plainly, matter-of-fact as she beat me—again.

“I am relaxed.”

She shot me a look as she laid down her winning hand. This was the third time she’d beat me in the last half hour. My head, orheart, just wasn’t in the game. They weren’t in anything. This boredom took over. When I wasn’t stressed about this inactivity and expectation to be a slug on the couch, I was busy playing out what-ifs where Kelly was concerned.

It wasn’t just the problem of sitting around. It was the bigger and harder issue of not seeing that short blonde on campus anymore.

“You’re tense,” Eva replied, shuffling the cards.

“I’m bored.” I shook my head at her getting ready to deal another hand. “And cards won’t cut it.”

“I understand that, but taking it easy won’t kill you.”

Not seeing Kelly might.I scowled, reclining in the chair and rubbing my hand over my face.

“What’s got you so antsy?” she asked, putting the deck of cards down. “If it’s just a matter of feeling like you’re missing out, I can promise you’re not. Lev says that after that attack on Uncle Oleg, it’s been quiet.”

“That could be a diversion.”

She nodded. “Sure. In fact, I bet it is. But when things are quiet and there’s no action to plan on taking, sitting back and letting things lie is best.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to bring up Kelly. Eva might understand that I wanted to personally check on her, but she also might think it was a waste of my time. She hadn’t reached out to Kelly over the last couple of months, so maybe their friendship wasn’t as deep as it had first seemed. Or it faded before it could form long enough to be lasting.

“Igor Petrov is ill at the moment, according to rumors. And the Ilyins are dealing with some infighting.”

What’s new there?I rolled my eyes.

“If you truly dislike being this idle, you can always help me plan the wedding.” She plastered on a wide, over-enthusiastic grin intended to aggravate me.

“Funny.” If she really wanted my help, I’d give it. “I don’t know the first thing about planning a wedding.”

“You’ve never thought about it?” she asked.

“Being a wedding planner? No.”

She smirked. “About weddings in general. If you’d ever look for a woman to settle down with when you manage to take a break from work things.”

“I don’t think I’d need to look.”

“Oh?” Her brows shot up high as she peered at me with fresh intrigue. “Already have someone in mind?”

Shit.I hadn’t planned on wording it like that to give herthatidea. Kelly had been on my mind, but I wasn’t sure that would stretch as far as wanting to marry her. I’d be grateful for the chance to see her again. To talk to her at all.

“It just means I have a type in mind.” That had to be a loophole that could appease her.

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