Unbroken (Fighting for Gisele #3) (2 page)

Gisele explained that there were two letters. The first was the one her father wrote to her, warning her of the dangers. Then there was the note about the diamond. “But there is a separate letter, to be turned over as a decoy,” she said. “So tomorrow when I go to the bank with Alek, I’ll come out with that letter.”

“That’s the one that states the amount of money he left, and willing the wedding rings to you?”

Gisele nodded. “I have to make Alek believe that is
all
that was in the box.” She bit at her lower lip. “It won’t be easy to fool him. After all, he has known me since I was a child.”

“You have to do it, though. It’s the only way,” Micah said. “The Russians will be frustrated, but they won’t have any way of getting inside that safe deposit box. For a while, you have to conceal your knowledge of the diamond, and you’ll have to be convincing.”

“I have no choice,” Gisele said. “It will buy us time, at least. I still don’t know what to do, but I can get them to back off temporarily.”

“That’s the best you can do.” Micah stood up and reached for her hand. “There are still many unanswered questions.”

Gisele walked beside him. “Yes, I certainly have a lot of questions. But for now, I have to stall.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Micah said.

“My brother expects me to return to the condo today. I dread seeing him, but I have to go home. If I don’t, he will be suspicious.”

Micah didn’t want her to go, but saw no alternative. “He expects you to go to the bank with him in the morning?”

“He intends to be with me when I open my safe deposit box.” Gisele groaned. “How am I going to pretend that I haven’t been there already? Can I really fake it that well?”

Micah stopped and cupped her face in his palms. “You have to.” He kissed her lips. “You can do it…I know you can.”

“It could be worse, now that I think of it.”

“How’s that?”

“Both Lazar and Yuri are in Chicago. I know they are the ones pulling the strings. They run the families.” Gisele ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t want to imagine what it would be like if either of them were here in Vegas. I’d much rather have Alek escort me tomorrow.”

“Good point,” Micah said. “But I’m sure your brother will report to Yuri the instant you leave the bank.”

“I wish I could predict what Yuri will do, how he’ll react,” Gisele said. “Will he believe that after all this time of waiting patiently, that the diamond is just
missing
?”

“I’m sure that he won’t give up on the intention to get his hands on it. Yuri will be thrown off initially, but he will regroup.”

“And then what?”

“By then, we’ll have a plan.” Micah sent a text to Zeke, telling him to go but that he would need his services again. The way things had developed, it was good to have a bodyguard on standby.

Since Gisele didn’t have to go home yet, Micah took her to lunch. They went to a grill that served cocktails, as they both needed a drink. In the cool interior of the restaurant, they sipped and talked.

“I’d like to know how my father took possession of…the item everyone is after,” Gisele said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing.” Micah gulped from his bourbon glass. “It’s no simple feat to wrest an item of value from greedy hands, especially from such a powerful group.”

“He did have their trust,” Gisele said. “That must have worked in his favor.”

Micah reached for her hand. “Are you feeling better?”

Lifting her wine glass, Gisele said, “I need about two or three of these, then I’ll feel better.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s been quite a day.”

Micah glanced at her mostly empty glass, then waved at the waiter to order refills. “If I thought it would work, I’d disappear with you, and let the bad guys work it out.”

Gisele laughed. “I’d like to disappear,” she said. “But they would come after me. Growing up, I heard too many stories. A person doesn’t evade the mob. Sooner or later, they find you.”

The waiter came by and took their orders, then Micah looked across at Gisele. “Whatever we do, it has to be effective. Annoying the Russians without concluding matters would be like poking a stick in a wasp nest.”

“Worse,” Gisele said. “Family or not, they wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever is needed to get what they want…including killing me…and you.”

“They have no conscience when it comes to murder, so we’ll have to outsmart them,” Micah said, but he was worried. It was one thing to fight in the ring, punching at an opponent who was an equal match. The mob was entirely different, as they’d gun him down and not waste time with a fair fight.

“The one thing I have in my favor,” Gisele said, “is that I have information they are desperate for.”

“It’s your best protection. They need you, at least until they get what they want.” Then the mob wouldn’t hesitate to wipe them out. Micah shuddered to think of Gisele on her own. It had been fortunate that he’d shown up on the scene when he had.

After lunch, Micah strolled along the Strip with Gisele, without much interest in any of the activity. His mind was on one thing, and that was how to protect her. When it was late, and time for her to leave, he still hadn’t come up with a strategy.

“I’ll have my phone with me, every second. So text if you need to.”

“What will you be doing?” Gisele said.

“I’ll be thinking about you,” Micah said. “That’s all I’ll be doing.”

They took a cab to her complex, but Micah was in no hurry to get out. He stalled, wishing he could keep her close. But that was not possible. Gisele had a role to play, and a lot depended on how well she did so.

“I’ll be there tomorrow morning,” Micah said. “I’ll be with Zeke, watching from a distance. I can’t go inside the bank, as it would tip off your brother. But I will be nearby.”

Gisele leaned against him, and he put his arms around her. For a few more seconds, they were together. Then Micah got out and went around to open her door. “I’ll be right back,” he said to the cabbie.

Holding hands, they slowly walked up to the entrance. Micah was reluctant to let her go. At the door, he pulled her into a warm embrace and looked into her lovely caramel eyes. “I know your brother is fond of guarding these premises,” he said. “Are there surveillance cameras out front here?”

“Yes, Alek can see everything.”

“He probably assumes that I spent the night with you, and that you haven’t been separated from me all day?”

Gisele smiled. “I’m sure he does.”

“Then we might as well confirm his suspicions that we’ve been lost in each other’s arms since last night.” Micah put his palms on her cheeks. “It’s good for your cover story,” he whispered, then kissed her deeply.

Gisele tasted of wine and woman. He dipped his tongue next to hers, not caring who was watching. He rather liked taunting her brother, and he liked kissing her even more. When he pressed his lips to hers, Gisele kissed back, making a tiny sound in the back of her throat.

When Micah released her, Gisele was breathless, and, unable to resist, he kissed her once more. Then he let her go inside, despite his urge to take her and run. What was he letting her walk into? But he had no choice.

As he walked back to the cab, Micah marveled at how simple his life had been. All that had been required of him was to eat, train, and fight. Now things were more complicated. He’d met Gisele, and that had changed…
everything
.

Chapter 2

When Gisele was inside, she let the heavy door shut behind her. She couldn’t bear to watch Micah leave, because she wanted so badly to go with him. Her lips tingled from the hot kiss, and she smiled inside at knowing he had put on a show in front of the cameras.

It was a way to needle her brother, and Gisele was all for that. Alek had certainly done that enough to her, so whatever she dished out was only fair. It would be way too many hours before Gisele was with Micah again, and she felt very alone.

Pretending as though her life hadn’t altered irrevocably was no easy task. Gisele felt the change deep in her soul, and doubted her ability to disguise it. Yet that was exactly what she had to do. It was no longer a matter of her safety, but Micah’s as well.

Gisele felt emotionally wiped out as she walked down the hallway toward the elevators. The environment she knew so well was different now, less friendly. She was uncomfortable, even though the place was still her home. Glancing around at the polished floors, expensive artwork, and vases filled with flowers, her surroundings didn’t seem real.

Had she really lived in such opulence, while every second of her life she’d been in danger? But she hadn’t known. Now that she was aware of her circumstances, she wondered what she’d been doing all this time. She’d been going through each day blindly. Yet evidence had been all around her.

The elevator opened and Alek stepped out, on his way somewhere. When he saw Gisele he stopped in the hall. “You’re back,” he said, “How was the villa? Did you enjoy it?”

Gisele swallowed her fear, and, as best she could, faked normalcy. “Yes, I pampered myself.” She dug her hand through her hair and yawned. “I drank too much at the party.”

“I’m glad to know you had fun.”

“Yes, well, I had quite the hangover to show for it, but I’m a little better now,” Gisele said. “All I did was lounge by the pool or hang out at the spa. That’s about all I was up for.”

“That…and Micah?”

Gisele bristled, and it wasn’t a pretense. “
That
is not your business. I told you that. I’m an adult, a fact that you can’t deny any longer. What man I choose to date is my own affair.”

Alek stiffened. “I behaved at the party, didn’t I?”

“Yes, and I thank you for that,” Gisele said. “Although I wish you hadn’t invited Vik. That was awkward, and it might have caused trouble. You knew that Micah was going to be at the party with me.”

Alek glared at her. “Vik is a business associate, and a valued one at that.”

I’ll bet
, Gisele thought, but bit her tongue.

Alek crossed his arms. “You’ve known the man for years. You’re being unreasonable.”

I’m being unreasonable?
Gisele didn’t spit out any accusations, although she was tempted to. The interaction would quickly blow up if she attacked back. And she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to control what she said. Instead, she just looked at her brother, unflinching.

“I have to go out for a while,” Alek said. “Why don’t you have dinner with me later? Tomorrow is a big day for you. We can talk about it.”

That was the last thing that Gisele wanted to talk about. “I had a rough night…hardly got any sleep.” She didn’t care what he thought about that. “I need some rest, Alek.” At least that much was true. “I want to be fresh tomorrow. It
is
an important day, and I don’t want to be half-asleep when I receive my inheritance.”

Alek nodded. “Okay, then. I’ll see you at breakfast.” With that, he turned and strode away, probably late for his appointment.

Gisele stabbed at the elevator button, and when it opened she stepped inside. But she didn’t relax. The whole building had cameras, and she didn’t want Alek replaying the surveillance later, only to see that she’d been flustered by their conversation.

It was odd that so much had changed, and her brother was oblivious to it. Gisele was pretty sure he hadn’t suspected anything. She had a habit of being hard to get along with, so he would have expected no less. A pleasant brother/sister dinner might have put him on alert, but not her curt refusal of his offer.

The elevator sped up to her floor, and she went to her apartment. Siblings bickered, so Gisele and Alek were no different. There had been good times too, when they’d acted more like family should. With the recent discovery fresh in her mind, Gisele didn’t think she’d feel the same about her brother again.

It hurt to think that Alek had been stringing her along, but he had kept her around for different reasons than she’d assumed. The betrayal stung, but even more, it ticked her off. Her brother must have thought she was a fool. Well, he’d soon find out otherwise.

Once inside her room, Gisele locked the door behind her. She scrutinized the interior, wondering if her brother might have bugged her room. He wouldn’t dare put cameras in her private space and look in on her most intimate moments.

Yet she couldn’t put anything past him. She wouldn’t have thought he’d withhold vital information from her either, like the fact that he thought she would soon take possession of a
blue diamond
. For now, she’d make a point not to talk on the phone when she was in the complex, even in her own room.

Gisele went to her closet to get some comfortable clothes on. She stood there, staring at the rows of designer wear and the racks of expensive shoes. Slumping down onto a padded bench, she sighed. It had all been a trap. The wealth that had swallowed her up had ensured she wouldn’t leave. It was too comfortable, too cushy a lifestyle to abandon.

Or so Yuri Danilov thought. And he’d been right so far. But Gisele would leave as soon as she possibly could. Even one more day trapped in the suffocating environment was unendurable. Yet endure she must, long enough to make a clean break.

Gisele changed into some faded jeans and a cotton shirt, opting for casual, since she didn’t have to work that night. Alek hadn’t scheduled her, probably in consideration of her birthday and due to her extended stay at the villa. He really hadn’t known what time she’d be back.

In her sitting room, Gisele snuggled into an overstuffed chair and hugged a pillow to her chest. She gazed out the window, not really interested in the city below. Tears welled in her eyes as she fought the disappointment of it all.

No one was what they’d seemed. They were all using her, each to suit their own purpose. Yuri had raised her, but he didn’t love her. Gisele was a means to a greedy end for him. And Alek had taken care of her since she’d moved to Vegas, and even before, when they were growing up. He was her big brother, but now she couldn’t trust him.

If only Gisele could talk to her father; that would make so much difference. She felt the loss in a big way, as her father was the only person who had truly cared about her after her mother had died.

She had many unanswered questions, despite her father’s letter. It had been intended to resolve issues for her, but was sorely lacking. His kind words provided the merest of explanation for events that impacted her life in a significant way.

Gisele daydreamed about asking him to tell her the whole story and enlighten her on the details of what had happened. Yet that was not to be, so she was on her own. Her father had faith in her, enough to entrust her with such a rare item.

He had known Gisele would be a target once she had access to the valuable gem. For that reason, her father had retained a reliable law firm and secured the item in a Swiss bank. He had set that up knowing that when the time came she’d need as much protection as she could get.

The happy occasion of Gisele’s birthday had morphed into a much darker turning point in her life. For so long, she’d looked forward to that day as the shining moment of her emancipation. Instead, the day signified a twist of fate that had plunged her into mortal fear.

Gisele buried her face in the pillow, wishing she could slide into some other universe, one where there weren’t bad guys or life-threatening situations. She tossed the pillow away. That was a childish thought. If she intended to survive the foreseeable future, she’d have to get much tougher than that.

Gisele’s only comfort was in knowing she wasn’t alone. Although she had regretted dragging Micah into her problems, she didn’t any longer. He made it clear that he wouldn’t abandon her, and to be honest, she needed him.

Micah was the one person that she could rely on, the only sincere person involved in this mess. That meant so much to her. She had to be brave and see this through. Since Micah had pledged his loyalty and assured her that he would think of a plan, she must do her part.

And she would. Gisele stood up with new conviction. Tomorrow morning would be a challenge, but she was up to the task. She’d steel herself to be strong, to do what was required, and to buy the time that she desperately needed.

*****

The next morning, Gisele stood in her closet deciding what to wear. She strained her mind to think of what she would have chosen before knowing about her inheritance. But the knowledge she had gained hadn’t been forgotten.

Gisele wanted to present herself the way Alek expected her to, but she wasn’t certain what that was. Thumbing through a few dresses, she pondered what outfit to go with. If she was too dressy, that might seem off. But if she was too casual, then Alek might think she didn’t care, or was trying too hard to make it seem that she didn’t care.

Finally, she chose a summer dress. It was scorching hot outside, and no sane woman would wear anything more formal in the heat of the day. To heck with it; the only way to proceed as usual was to wear what she wanted to. That was what she had done other times, so overthinking her clothing choice was bound to lead to a poor result.

Gisele finished her makeup and hair, then looked in the mirror to mentally prepare for her performance. She looked casual, but stiff, so she took some deep breaths. There was no way that Alek knew she’d been to the bank the day before. That was impossible, so she had no reason for concern.

All she had to do was stay relaxed. It was a simple matter to go to a safe deposit box. Customers did it every day of the week. Gisele stilled the thoughts in her head, forcing herself to focus on how routine an action this was.

Staring in the mirror, Gisele saw the worry in her expression. That would not do. She couldn’t go downstairs looking like she harbored as much trepidation as she did. Alek would expect her to be excited. After all, she was supposed to be looking forward to opening the box.

Breakfast was out of the question, since Gisele felt ill. Her stomach wouldn’t accommodate food, so she texted Alek:
I’ll meet you when it’s time to go. I’m fussing with my hair, and won’t make it down in time to eat with you
.

Again, her lack of sociability wouldn’t sound any alarms. Gisele realized with some dismay that she’d been argumentative and disagreeable with her brother more often. He was accustomed to her snippy replies and rebellious nature.

That would work to her advantage this morning.

When Gisele could delay no longer, she draped her purse over her shoulder and left the sanctity of her room. It was tempting to turn back and lock the door behind her. But circumstances didn’t allow for that, so she had to face reality.

Gisele took a deep breath, then assumed the innocent demeanor that she’d practiced the night before. With an easy smile, she got in the elevator, knowing Alek would be waiting in the lobby. And he wasn’t alone. Standing off to the side were two guards, and she didn’t need to ask to know they intended to escort her to the bank.

In keeping with her expected level of disdain, Gisele glanced at them then frowned at Alek. “What’s all this?” Her annoyance wasn’t a pretense.

“I’ve asked them to go to the bank with us, for
your safety
.” Alek straightened his shoulders, challenging her to defy him.

Her safety?
Not likely. The thugs were there to make sure that Gisele didn’t bolt; she had no delusions about that. But she did take secret delight in noting that Alek felt it required two strong men to keep her in hand.

“This is supposed to be
my day
. I resent being guarded as if you think some wayward tourist is going to snag me during a visit to the bank.” It was the best quip that Gisele could come up with on the spur of the moment.

Gisele’s caustic attitude worked its magic. Alek knew that all was routine, since she was as rebellious as ever. “Well, they are coming with us, and that’s final,” he said. “It’s my duty to protect you, so I’ll proceed as I see fit.”

“You have no finesse.” Gisele rolled her eyes. “Being protected by you is like being protected by a grizzly bear.”

Alek ignored the insult. “Are you ready to go?”

In reply, Gisele turned toward the door, and one of the overly muscled guards opened it for her. So far, so good. Alek hadn’t known anything was amiss; Gisele was sure of it. She was nervous as hell, but didn’t show it. She would save falling apart for later, when her brother wasn’t there to witness it.

On the way to the bank, Alek didn’t say anything, nor did Gisele. The silence was welcome, as it kept her from having to parry any verbal attacks. When they arrived, one guard took care of the car, while the other went inside with them.