Russian's Determined Love (Drobilka Family Series #3) (2 page)

Turner and Marci exchanged looks before he reached for a file and handed it to her. “I think that this might be useful to you and get you back on Banovich’s good side.”

Snorting at the comment, Bethany took the file and flipped it open. It appeared to be a manifest for a delivery coming into Galveston. Written in a northern Chinese dialect, she read through it again to make sure she understood everything.

Leaning forward in her chair, Marci tapped the file, “As a translation intern, this would be safe to share with you since, technically, you should know nothing about it. However, given what’s been going on with the Triad, this is something that would catch your interest.”

Bethany nodded in agreement, pulled her phone out, and snapped pictures of the four pages.

“How did you get a camera phone past security?” Turner asked her. She smirked at him.

“A field agent never reveals her secrets,” she responded as Marci started laughing.

“And I suppose you brought yours in too?” Turner asked Marci in surprise. When she nodded her head, he sighed, making a mental note to check the video surveillance at security.

When Bethany finished with the file, she handed it back to him. “It isn’t as if I can hand him crisp printouts; this will have to do.”

As she stood up to leave, they decided that she would report to her internship Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Since Sanderson’s demotion, Turner had yet to find a replacement and would serve as her contact while she was in the building. She would continue to meet with Marci for any of her immediate needs.

As she left, she decided the information was important enough that she should bring it to Boris. She drove to the other end of town and into the parking lot of a chain drugstore. Walking inside, she went to the photo booth and printed out the four pages before heading over to the Rubicon.

Once there, she was surprised at the number of cars in the parking lot. Walking inside, she stood at the entrance, unsure if she should interrupt, as it appeared as if she walked into a meeting. When she scanned the group, she recognized most of the men sitting around the table, but there were some new faces. Catching Boris’ attention, she held up her hand with the papers and he waved her over.

“And how was our little spy’s first day?” he asked as Bethany faltered.

How did he know?
she wondered, worried at whatever mole he had feeding him information.

Smiling tightly, “Today was mostly an orientation, but I was given some files to translate that I thought you might want to see.”

Handing them over, he looked at the photos. “What is it?”

“A manifest from a freight coming into Galveston from Shanghai.”

He looked at it with interest. Bethany stepped over and leaned slightly over his shoulder as she pointed out some of the entries. Handing them back to her, he said, “Take them into the office and translate everything on here.” She nodded and was about to walk away when he stopped her. “Tell me something, Miss Michaels, how was it that you were able to take pictures when camera phones aren’t allowed?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “It isn’t that hard to sneak a phone in and it wasn’t as if I could make use of a copy machine.” When he waved his hand in dismissal, Bethany headed to Vadim’s office as the men resumed their meeting.

Sitting down in the chair closest to the door, she grabbed paper off the printer and began to translate the manifest. After about thirty minutes, she looked up when Vadim put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. Stepping into the office with Boris right behind him, he sat down at his desk as Boris took the translated manifest from her. As he scanned it, he spoke excitedly in Russian before reaching for his phone and stepping out of the room.

“I don’t like this,” Vadim told her quietly. “If he finds out that there’s something going on, we are both painfully dead.”

“The manifest is real. A gift from ICE, I suspect. There should be no reason for him to –" Before Bethany could finish, Boris walked back in.

“There’s a private party here on Thursday, be here by noon.” Not even waiting for a reply, he walked back out onto the main floor.

“Well, I guess that answers that,” Bethany said, rising. Vadim walked her to her car, giving her a quick kiss before she got into the driver’s side.

“We are treading on thin ice,” he warned. “The smallest mistake could be deadly.”

Nodding her head, she squeezed his hand before shutting the car door. He watched her drive away before walking back into the club.

Chapter 3

When Vadim rode up in the elevator later that evening, he was exhausted. He had intentionally been keeping Bethany away from the daytime parties, hoping that the FBI would give up this charade and find another position for her.

While he had never intended to fall for her, the thought of her being harmed because of his activities was too much to bear. Better that they not be together – although he wasn’t sure he could handle that, either. His Malyutka was unlike any other woman in his life.

Maybe they had a chance. If the FBI kept their side of the bargain and he was safe from prosecution, perhaps they could escape to an island somewhere or a chilly retreat in the mountains that required snuggling for warmth.

Exiting out into his apartment, he took a deep breath. He smelled roasted garlic, onion, bread. When he walked into the kitchen, he found a sea of pots and pans, with Bethany standing in the middle of it. Rubbing her head, she looked up to see him standing in the doorway.

“You’re early,” she said simply as she looked around, lost.

“I can see that. Did you have a plan or were you winging it?” he asked her as he crossed the floor to join her at the counter. She looked adorable with flour on her arms and face, although he would have much preferred to see her wearing nothing but an apron.

Pointing to her tablet that sat perched on the counter, she explained, “I was watching some videos and they made it look so easy.”

He scrolled through the videos, a smile spreading across his face. “You are making this for me?”

“Unsuccessfully, yes. I really wanted to surprise you,” she ended with a sigh.

He kissed the top of her head and rubbed the flour off her face. She rubbed her face in irritation, adding yet more flour. Resisting the urge to laugh, he solemnly rubbed her chin again before reaching for an apron.

“Show me how far you’ve gotten.”

With Vadim’s help, he showed her how to make the dough for the Pelmeni, a Russian ravioli, and together they wrapped the dumplings before throwing them in the pan to cook. 

As the raviolis were baking, Bethany began to load the dishwasher, but Vadim stopped her. “Have I told you how sexy you look covered in flour?”

Leaning into him, she answered “I really wanted to surprise you.” She tilted her head up to kiss him.

“And you have.”

“I mean, by you not having to cook.”

“I like cooking, and I’m touched that you wanted to try. Perhaps next time, we can do something together.”

“I’d like that, but in the meantime, I should clean up.”

As Bethany turned again, Vadim wrapped his arms around her, “What’s the rush?” he asked her before capturing her mouth.

Bethany rocked forward and wrapped her arms around his waist as he held her tightly to him. Reaching up to the band on her hair, he pulled it loose, letting her long straight hair tumble down her back. As he ran his fingers through it, he settled his hand on the back of her head and held her still.

His other hand drifted down her back as he cupped her ass, pressing her tightly against his erection. “Oh, what you do to me, Malyutka,” he crooned as he kissed her face.

Reaching for the ties on her apron, he tugged it loose and pulled it over her head. Her dress was next, and he looked down at her in surprise.

“You aren’t wearing anything under your dress,” he commented as she smiled up at him.

“Well, I was hoping that I would be dessert,” she answered. He growled in response.

“I think I’d rather have you as an appetizer.”

Lifting her up, he settled her on the counter as he pushed the dirty pans to the side.

She gasped when he swirled his tongue up her slit before sliding it inside. With each swipe of his tongue, she twitched in his hands as he tightened his grip on her hips, careful that she not get hurt lying on the counter. Sliding his tongue up and down, he wrapped his lips around her rapidly swelling clit and sucked hard. She screamed out his name and gripped the edge of the counter as she came hard.

Vadim slid one of his hands underneath her, pushing two fingers inside her pussy as Bethany shook in his grasp. Her thighs tightened around his head, and he used his forearms to give him some breathing room while he lashed at her clit with his tongue before sucking on it. She cried out again as another orgasm rocked through her. Pumping his fingers quickly inside her, he sucked at her juices as more flowed down his arm.

Fuck, she’s sexy when she comes!
he thought as he wrung another orgasm out of her. Picking his head up, he looked up at her, as her head was tilted back, her eyes closed. He pulled the apron loose and tossed it aside before reaching for the clasp on his pants. Dropping his trousers around his ankles, he kicked them aside and stepped back toward her. His cock brushed against her thigh as she twitched in response. She sat up and slid forward on the counter as he guided her toward him.

His erection, already standing tall, slid easily inside her as she wrapped her legs around his hips and locked her ankles behind him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, opening his mouth to find his tongue eager to dance with her as he slid her off the counter to lean up against it. Holding her to him, he plunged in and out, as she held tightly to him. She loved the feel of his cock as he easily moved inside her, her body already slick with multiple orgasms throbbed against his erection as he rubbed against all her sensitive spots.

With a cry, she clamped down on his cock, slowing his movements as he attempted to keep going. Pleasure swept through him as the spasms from her orgasm took him over the edge and he came hard. Buried deep inside her, he possessed her mouth in a devastating kiss as she continued to shake in his arms.

A beeping sound broke through their reverie. Picking his head up, he realized it was the oven. Still holding her to him, he reached across the counter to slap the off switch before kissing her nose.

“I believe dinner is ready,” he announced as she pressed her forehead against his chest and drew in long breaths.

“About time,” she finally managed to say, “I have worked up quite the appetite.” Laughing, he set her down, still holding on to her to make sure she was steady on her feet.

“Then let’s eat.”

Chapter 4

Bethany’s phone beeped impatiently as she looked down to see whom it was from. It was yet another call from her mother. Clicking ignore, she pocketed her phone, grabbed her coffee, and headed toward her first class of the day. She had hoped that since she was now doing duty as a pseudo double agent, she could stop taking classes at the University of Texas, but both Turner and her handler were insistent that she maintain all current appearances. As she sat down in class, her phone beeped again, indicating a text message. Smiling apologetically at the professor, she turned her phone off.

After class, as she was heading to her car, she remembered her phone and turned it back on. There were half a dozen messages from her mother asking her to call and one from Vadim telling her that he missed her. As she was about to return Vadim’s text, her phone rang again, this time from her Aunt Melissa. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before accepting the call.

“Hi, Aunty, how are you?”

“Your mother has been trying to reach you.”

“I am well aware of that, but I have nothing to say to her.”

“It’s about your stepfather.”

“What about him?”

“He’s been released from prison.”

“What?”

Bethany stopped walking and sat down on the nearest bench. How could this be? Her stepfather was supposed to be completing a life sentence for the murder of her twin brother, Davis, when they were twelve. In a state that allowed for the death penalty, he had been given life with no opportunity for parole.

“Bethany? Bethany talk to me, sweetheart.”

“How…how is this possible?”

“He had a damn good lawyer.”

“When did this happen?”
Bethany asked as she dug her nails into her palm.

“He was released last week.”

Bethany closed her eyes as pain slammed into her body. The loss that she had worked so hard to stuff down surfaced with a vengeance as she hugged her body.

“And my mother? Why does she want to speak with me?”

“I’ve no idea.”

“I, I have to go, Aunt Melly. I’ll talk to you later.”

Bethany disconnected the call before her aunt could respond and rushed to her car. Sliding inside, she locked the door and buried her face in her hands. How could this happen? What sort of technicality could release a murderer? Her body began to shake as she fought to keep from sobbing. She had to get off campus and some place where she could fall apart safely.

A knock on her car window startled her as she looked up with haunted eyes. Peter Parker was standing there with a smile on his face, which quickly went away when he saw her. She rolled down her window, about to speak.

“Geezus, Michaels, what’s going on?”

Holding her hand over her stomach, Bethany panted, “Now is not a good time, Peter. I need to go.”

“Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

She fought back the tears as she started her car. “My stepfather is out,” she told him before she put the car in reverse and backed out of her parking space. He could either move or be run over, she didn’t so much care at the moment. As she drove away, she looked in her side mirror. Peter was still standing there, but he was now talking on his phone.