Page 33 of Savage Boss

“You’re not going to be happy.”

Vlad sighed and sat heavily in his office chair with the phone pressed to his ear. Whenever Jane said these words, or something similar, she generally meant he wasn’t going to be happy with something she did.

“What is it, Jane?” The past month had been marital bliss compared to the previous few years. With their new understanding came an openness that allowed them to share their lives with each other in a way they hadn’t done before.

A week earlier, Vlad had accompanied Jane on her apprehension. He’d helped her arrest Robert’s wife and take her to the police station with a packet of proof of her crimes. The chief of police had been both surprised and disturbed when Vlad had stridden into the cop shop with his wife, who was a former detective, and a recently tasered woman with a warrant out for her arrest. It had amused Vlad to watch the scrambling of officers as they tried to figure out why someone of Vlad’s stature was darkening their doorstep.

Vlad had an understanding with the chief that allowed Vlad to work unhindered in the city. In return, he provided protection for several key businesses and he ensured the chief’s reelection when the time came. It was for this reason that Vlad had been able to get one of their best up-and-coming detectives fired.

“Okay, I’ll tell you, but you have to make a few promises first.” Jane’s voice was a breathless rush, as though she could barely contain her excitement.

Vlad was becoming more and more suspicious. “Speak before I lose my patience.”

“Okay, so I kind of did an apprehension without telling you,” she said in a rush. “But I took Leo, plus the four guys you have tailing me all the time.”

Vlad had wondered where Leo had gone when he’d asked for the afternoon off, but Vlad didn’t understand why Leo was helping his wife with an apprehension without telling his boss.

“Out with it, and this better be good. My mood is rapidly declining.”

Jane snorted. “Declining from where? Impatient, boorish, rude, demanding?”

“When you are finished listing my negative attributes, please move toward the point.” Despite his complaint, Vlad found conversation with Jane stimulating. Their verbal sparring matches were becoming pleasantly playful now that his kitten was keeping her claws sheathed.

“Leo and I made an apprehension, but we need you to come finish the job,” she said in a rush, the excitement returning to her voice.

“Why?” Vlad asked suspiciously. He assumed if Leo was in attendance that the apprehension had gone smoothly.

“Doesn’t matter, just get your ass over here. We’re under the abandoned overpass by route 16, near the river.” She rattled off instructions on how to get there, but Vlad already knew. “See you soon!”

She hung up before Vlad could question her further. Intrigued, Vlad gave his driver instructions to head out to the abandoned overpass. As they drove, he tried to come up with a reason for his wife and second-in-command to work together on a surprise for Vlad, one that he had to drive to an abandoned highway exchange to see. An idea was beginning to take shape as they pulled up to the site.

He opened his door and climbed out of the SUV, glancing around. Jane was standing at the front of her car, Leo and one of his soldiers at the back, arms crossed, conversing easily as if they had all the time in the world.

“Leo,” Vlad said grimly as he passed by.

Leo shot him a salute but didn’t turn his attention from his conversation. It was becoming clear that whatever was happening was strictly between Vlad and his wife. Leo had just acted as backup. Vlad felt a rush of both relief and gratitude that Jane was doing a better job of putting her safety first.

Unfortunately, those feelings only lasted long enough for him to round the front of her car. He stopped short when he saw why she’d called him. Sitting on the ground, tied up with his hands behind his back was Alexandr Petrov. The older man was bleeding from his nose and his lip was swollen. He had a slightly shocked look about him, which was explained when Vlad saw the taser in Jane’s hand. What really caught Vlad’s attention was the giant red bow around the man’s chest and arms.

Vlad immediately understood. His wife was giving him the gift of his old rival.

Vlad took Jane by the arm and dragged her away from the car toward his SUV. He jerked his head toward Leo. “Keep an eye on Petrov.”

He opened the SUV and shoved Jane inside, climbing in behind her. “Get out,” he told the driver, who promptly left the vehicle, leaving Vlad alone with his misguided wife.

“Explain,” he demanded.

Instead of becoming defensive as he half expected her to, Jane turned shining eyes to him. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly, excitedly. “I know you hate that I did this without you, but I also knew if I told you I was trying to track Petrov, you would’ve forbidden me from going after him. As soon as I found out the guy in the pictures was his second-in-command, I started digging.”

“Jane…” Vlad started, intending to tear her down then explain in detail what would’ve happened to her if Petrov had managed to get the upper hand, but she interrupted him.

“I know what you’re going to say, but I had to do it.”

“Why?” he demanded.

“Our son,” she said simply, as if that explained it all. And it did. She continued, “Joey’s life is more important than ours. It’s more important than either your life, or mine. Petrov was a threat to our son.”

“And you think I cannot take care of this threat to my family?”

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