Page 22 of Dragon Bodyguard
“No,” Kristina said. “Thank you.”
He didn’t want to feel like she was his responsibility, but there were certain strings that apparently were never cut, and she was tugging on them now. Her vulnerability was tugging on them. And wasn’t it his sworn duty to protect the family? He supposed she wasn’t an entirely recognized member of that family—she never could be since she was born out of wedlock—but she was still a recognized guest of Dmitri’s. That went just as far when it came to what Misha was beholden to do, given the circumstances.
He was going to debrief Dmitri and Ilya, and he was going to have to ask for a formal investigation to be conducted. He had no doubt that Ilya would set it in motion himself, but Misha still felt it important that he be the one to state the necessity of it. It would almost ensure that he would be assigned it. He wanted to be the one to lead the team. He wanted to be the one to identify the culprit so that they might confront him. Or her. Or them. So that Kristina might confront whoever had decided to do this to her. And kick them in the shin.
The thought made him smile. He almost reached back a hand to search for her, see if he would find her hand reaching to take his.
But he smothered the impulse.
“Shall I call the house?” he asked over his shoulder instead. “Have Mrs. Barley prepare a bath?”
“Yes,” Kristina replied, gratitude in her voice. “Please. Thank you.”
He gave a nod, placed the call.
***
The house was quiet when they arrived back. He really shouldn’t be hovering by Kristina’s side, he really shouldn’t be playing the role of an escort back to her room, he had more formal duties to attend to. Checking on the parameters of the property, for one. Making absolutely sure there was no risk of a breach, for second. But he couldn’t quite leave her, and so he walked two steps behind her as she led the way up the stairs.
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. He could tell she appreciated his presence, even though she would be loath to admit it.
He made a bit of a show once they reached her room, stepping in through the door ahead of her, doing a quick sweep to make sure all was in order.
“You’re safe here,” he said once they were facing each other.
“Yeah,” she said, hesitation there.
“Nothing will happen to you here,” he reassured her, getting a weak smile in response.
“Didn’t this place get like overtaken by some crazy wannabe a few years back? Or was that a different mansion?”
He gave her a look, but at least he got a smile out of her.
When he realized he wanted to stay and make sure that what he was promising her was going to be kept, he forced himself to give her a nod and leave the room.
Mrs. Barley had prepared the bath. The whole room smelled of jasmine. Kristina would be fine on her own for a couple of hours while he did the rounds. In fact, he should probably assign a handful of trusted men to her detail and leave it in their capable hands. He shouldn’t go anywhere near her if he was this emotionally compromised. Because that’s what he was, wasn’t it? All he wanted to do was remain right outside her door in case there was even the slightest threat of a disturbance.
He squared his shoulders, heading back down the stairs.
“Louis,” he called to the young man approaching him, “Bring three men with you and drive around the eastern parameter, all right? I’ll go the opposite direction and meet you in the middle.”
“Are we looking for anything in particular, sir?” Louis asked.
“Not really. Possibly. There was a kidnapping attempt,” he said, Louis’ eyes widening. “Kristina Kuznetsova was almost taken from our car only an hour or so ago. I want to check for any sign that someone has tried to break onto the property. And, obviously, if we run into any strange men…” He raised his eyebrows meaningfully.
“Of course, sir,” Louis said. “Right away.”
Misha watched him leave, digging around for his cell phone. He’d sent a text to Dmitri, knowing there was no point in trying to reach him during a sit-down. Still no reply. Dmitri’s phone must be switched off. No matter, Misha had command over the property whenever Dmitri wasn’t available. And to be fair, he had command over it on most occasions when Dmitri did. He knew what needed to be done, but he needed to make certain Dmitri and Ilya were both prepared for the debriefing they were getting as soon as they were back at the house.
He tried to put Kristina out of his head as he walked through the hallways toward the garage, but it was difficult when every task he was performing might have a direct impact on her safety.
The way she’d stood up to the men who’d tried to drag her away from everything she knew made her a victim. It had done things to his insides that he didn’t want to think about, but that kept making themselves known nonetheless. That warmth, that sudden pride. She wasn’t a stranger, he had realized. She was simply more.
Fuck.
He wasn’t still in love with her.
He’d gotten over her, painstakingly, with drugs, alcohol, and sex for almost a decade. He’d distracted himself out of his heartbreak and into a new focus. When he’d left her father’s household just after their split, he hadn’t known where he’d be reassigned. He’d ended up working for Vasili in the city Vasili had been driven out of by the Kumarins and the Aslanovs. That’s where he’d met Dmitri and, after twenty years of solid service with Vasili, Dmitri had asked him to work for him. Misha had taken over as Dmitri’s head of security fairly quickly and had felt truly at home for the first time in his life. That feeling bred loyalty, deep and abiding.
