Page 47 of Scarred (Russian Sinners 2)

Nikolai

The next day, Oliver strolled into my office with information I needed, while holding his cell to his ear.

“Sis,” I heard him say and my cock instantly hardened at the thought of the redheaded beauty with breathtaking blue eyes. It had barely been six days since I’ve seen her but it was painstakingly long. I smuggled her into Russia, to get her away from Malcome Schmidt and came right back to ensure things were moving according to plan and to give her time to bond with Tasha. We had talked over the phone but it was usually about my niece. She kept herself closed in.

Although she likes my name.She was turning me into a love-stricken schmuck and we weren’t even on the same continent. Where was sanity and reason in that?

Oliver continued, “I don’t see what the big deal is. There is nothing wrong with dating. You are not married.”

I had to control myself not to growl. Olivia was dating? I hadn’t been gone that long; although it seemed too long for me. I liked imagining her roaming my house, feeling at home among my things. I wanted to snatch the phone from Oliver and tell her it was a bad idea but I held myself still. Better to hear everything her brother and her were talking about.

“I am not sure that I want to date,” her voice was soft over the line, barely reaching me. “Okay, maybe I do, but just a week ago I thought I was marrying a psychopath. On the other hand, it felt horrible being a third wheel with Katja and her friend along with their boyfriends. I’ve only met him a couple of days ago but maybe he wouldn’t mind a platonic thing going on.”

I couldn’t help but my lips quirked upwards. One week and Olivia already had men from St. Petersburg chasing her. I wasn’t surprised at all. It was hard to leave her, but I knew she was in good hands and the sooner we took Malcome down, the safer she was. I needed to help Oliver and Ilya get things on track to take him down. We were nearing it; we found a weak link. We just needed the evidence against him but I had faith Oliver would succeed.

It was time I went back to my home in St. Petersburg. Although we had no proof, I was sure it was Vlad that approached her several days ago. There hadn’t been any more sightings of him since, but we still left all the security in high alert mode. I wouldn’t take any chances with Tasha’s nor Olivia’s life.

“Olivia, do you like this guy?” Her brother was always on point; I liked that about him.

“He seems nice.” There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation in her voice. Then her heavy sigh came through the line. “I miss Anastasia and Scarlett.” She took another heavy sigh. “Do you think you could ask Nikolai about them? Is Anastasia out of the hospital yet? How are they; where are they?”

“You mean ask Nik?” her brother teased.

Her soft laughter was a pleasant sound although I would have preferred we were talking. Instead, I eavesdropped.

Lovestruck schmuck,I scolded myself again.

“Yes, Nik.” Even if she hadn’t admitted to me she preferred my full name, I would have known now she wasn't crazy about Nik. “You should call him Nikolai. It sounds much more exotic.”

I had to stop myself from grinning like a fool.

“He likes Nik,” her brother answered, completely oblivious to his sister or me. “I’ll ask but you three still have to keep your distance from each other.”

“That sucks.”

“So what do you want to do?” he asked his sister. “About the date?”

Yes, tell us Olivia. Because that might just determine how fast I get there.

“I don’t know,” she answered in an exasperated sigh. “Sometimes thinking about dating makes me break out in a cold sweat.”

Silence stretched, all three of us waiting. With one exception, Olivia didn’t know I could hear their conversation, and Oliver trusted me just as I trusted him.

“I guess I’ll try.” She didn’t sound convinced, but those five words made up my mind. I’d fly back to Russia tonight.

They spoke a few more minutes and I leaned in my chair, waiting for the twins to finish their conversation. Oliver was protective of his sister and blamed himself for letting her down when she needed him the most, when her father sold her out. He felt like he let her down by not being there for her.

“Sorry about that,” he said as he hung up the phone.

“Not at all,” I told him. “I would have done the same.” And it was true. Just thinking about my sister had me balling my fists in fury.

He nodded.

“She really just needs to go on a bloody date with someone her age and get over her fears,” he mumbled, and I wasn’t sure if he meant that for me or for himself. Although I wasn’t exactly her age, I sure as hell would take her on a date.

“Ok,” he continued. “Here is everything I found out on Malcome’s financial assets. I flagged a few suspicious offshore accounts and am chasing those. My contact is still tracing those satellite links. He is not quite there yet but he’s getting close. It is not as much as I hoped.”

He handed me the paperwork and he was right. It wasn’t as much as we hoped nor as fast, but we found good leads.

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