Page 15 of The Ties That Bind
Brie covered her mouth, her eyes wide with amusement when he told her, “I did not realize my mistake until I sat down on the toilet. The instant I heard the telltale sound of the bomb inflating I knew my fate was sealed…”
He raised an eyebrow, looking at her accusingly. “Needless to say, in my compromised position, I only had time to throw the damn thing in my bathtub and throw a towel over it.”
Rytsar shook his head slowly. “That obnoxious smell lasted for days,radost moya. Days!”
She let out a little squeak, loving his recounting way too much.
“My men and I scanned the entire house two more times before I was confident we’d located them all.
“But…” he growled ominously. “I had not counted on my boots buried in the back of the closet.”
Brie bit her lip, trying desperately not to laugh.
“Master Anderson may have been the brains behind the sneak attack, but it was your simple but effective touches that truly made this deadly.”
Brie couldn’t hold it back any longer and started to laugh. “I’m so sorry, Rytsar.”
He smirked. “Nyet. You are not.”
She burst out in a full-on belly laugh, imagining the sexy Russian and all of those deadly bodyguards running in sheer terror just like she had, hoping to get the little silver packets with yellow smiley faces out of the house before detonation.
It was priceless!
“Do you forgive me?”
He snorted. “Do you forgive me for returning the favor?”
Brie giggled, telling him how she had unwittingly flashed one of their neighbors as she tried to get rid of the thing. She grinned afterward. “I loved it.”
“As did I,radost moya…” His low chuckle filled the room. He nuzzled her neck before biting down on her delicate skin, sending delightful shivers down her spine.
Send-Off
The following day, Brie went with Sir to see Rytsar and Faelan off. She’d left Hope with her parents out of concern for Faelan, uncertain how he was handling his grief over Kylie now that he intended to leave for Russia with Rytsar.
Marquis Gray answered the door and nodded respectfully to the Russian before addressing Sir and Brie, “It is good you two came as well.”
Brie held her breath as Marquis Gray ushered them into the house. She had hoped to see an improvement in Faelan but, as soon as they entered the room, she was disheartened to see he was even more pale and gaunt than before.
“Are you ready for this?” Rytsar asked him.
Faelan glanced in their direction, the grief in his eyes so palpable that Brie gasped in pain.
Celestia walked into the room, carrying the crying child. Brie wondered if the little girl could sense Faelan was leaving her. The desperate sound of the baby’s wails broke her heart.
Faelan winced and closed his eyes. “The sooner we do this, the better.”
Sir picked up the suitcase in the hallway while Rytsar slapped Faelan soundly on the back. “It will get better.”
Faelan let out a low grunt as if he didn’t believe Rytsar. He then turned to Marquis and Celestia and frowned. “I’m sorry for the burden I have become.”
“You are not a burden,” Marquis stated firmly.
Glancing briefly at the bereft child in Celestia’s arms, Faelan said with regret, “It’s unfair of me to ask this of you.”
Celestia was quick to answer. “We do this out of love for you both, Todd.”
Marquis clasped his shoulder. “Do what you must to reground yourself for your daughter. She deserves no less from you.”
