Chapter Nineteen

Slate thunderheads darkened the mall’s pathways, sucking the energy completely from surrounding shops. Everything Kellee knew of her life seemed to drain away with the light, leaving a dark void of confusion and heartache.

Nikolai Orlov, her Russian father, was KGB.

Her head spun at the revelation. She struggled for air and began to pace back and forth to keep from passing out.

KGB.

Even in her lifetime, those three letters brought dread to hearts of Russians and Americans alike. The KGB had been vanquished, hadn’t they? The Soviet Union was history. Yet Nikolai still claimed to be a spy?

Before she could ask any questions, Egan spoke. “And what do you do now, Nikolai?” His penetrating stare speared the Russian. “What can you offer Kellee, but a life of violence?”

“I am a businessman,” Nikolai answered, as though his declaration was enough to quash Egan’s accusations. “My capitalist enterprises have been extremely profitable.”

Egan scoffed. “We’ve seen the results of your business. It nearly killed the woman you’re claiming as your daughter.”

Nikolai stepped toward Kellee, an expression of contrition on his face that somehow didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I am aware of what happened on the docks. My rival, Solonik, sent those men to kidnap you. He wished to use you as leverage against me. You were very brave, my child. I am proud to be your father.”

Kellee stopped pacing. This couldn’t be happening. Any moment she’d wake up, and the nightmare would end. Egan would be holding her, keeping her warm and safe.

Instead, cold air rushed down her neck, proving she was indeed awake. The nightmare was all too real. This man, a former Russian spy, was her biological father. Byron O’Neal and Nikolai Orlov were both men with secrets. Particularly the man who’d raised her. When she saw Byron again, he had some explaining to do.

Nikolai was no better. In the few short minutes since they’d met, she’d sensed he was keeping something from her, too. But what? And why?

Nikolai held out his hand. “Come with me, Katya. I have more of your mother’s things to show you. We will get to know one another. You will be happy to stay with me.”

“No!” replied Egan. Kellee looked at him in surprise. His eyes locked with hers. “We aren’t going.”

“Ah, but Katya is.”

Moving faster than she could react, Nikolai seized Kellee’s arm and yanked her against him. A gun appeared in his hand pointed straight at Egan’s chest. Marcos closed in, blocking Egan’s attempt to reach her, armed with same type of pistol.

“Let me go!” Kellee struggled against Nikolai’s wiry strength.

Egan drew his weapon, but kept the barrel aimed low. He held his other hand up. “Stand down, Donny. They’re both armed.”

Donny? Egan’s friend Donny was here? Kellee glanced around the gloomy mall. At first, she didn’t see anyone, then, from the shadows of a far corner, a man dressed in cargo shorts and a gray button-down shirt stepped into view. Like Egan, the gun in his hand was pointed downward, but that didn’t detract from the lethal expression on the man’s face.

“A friend of yours?” Nikolai asked Egan.

“Teammates.” This came from another man, stepping out of same store Nikolai and Marcos had come from earlier. He was similarly dressed like Donny and held a gun like Egan’s.

Marcos shifted. His face was alert and his gun sighting between Egan, Donny, and the third man.

“This doesn’t have to get ugly,” Egan said. “Let Kellee go. No one will get hurt.”

“I think not.” Despite appearing old and weak, Nikolai held her fast. His weapon shifted from Egan to her.

Marcos took a cue from Nikolai and pointed his pistol at Egan.

Kellee’s knees wobbled, and she struggled for balance. All Marcos had to do was pull the trigger and Egan would die.

Nikolai’s fingers bit into the flesh on her upper arm. “Please, Katya, do not fight me.” The cold metal of his gun pressed against her neck.

“You can’t do this,” she said. “I have my own life.”

Nikolai let go of her arm but kept her body locked against his. “Nyet,” he growled near her ear. “You belong to me.” He dangled the pendant near her face. “This proves the blood in your veins is mine.”

“The pendant.” She stared at the double-headed eagle crest pendant. “My mother gave that to me on my eighteenth birthday.”

“It was your birth mother’s, not Katherine O’Neal’s. This belonged to Yelena’s mother and to her mother before that.” He held it closer to her face. “Yelena was my wife, and this crest proves you are my daughter. And now, I will take you away from Byron O’Neal. I have bested the bastard on his own soil.”

With Nikolai’s words, she realized how futile her attempt had been to manage her own fate. He didn’t want to be her father. He wanted to show the world that he could reclaim her as easily as taking a toy from a child. He wanted vengeance on Byron O’Neal.

“You are defeated,” Nikolai said to Egan. “You cannot pull the trigger fast enough to prevent my bullet from killing her.”

As Nikolai spoke, he and Marcos positioned themselves between the parking garage exit and Egan and his teammates. Nikolai began backing up, dragging Kellee along with him. Marcos followed, his gun still pointed at Egan.

She couldn’t believe this was happening. Marcos would kill Egan to stop him from following if she didn’t do something to protect him. As long as she stayed alive, there was hope. But she didn’t want to go on living if Egan was dead. She needed a distraction.

If Nikolai knew what had happened on the docks, then he might expect her to attempt an escape. If she tried to do it now and made a mistake, it would mean Egan’s life. She couldn’t take that risk. She must keep Egan safe. Even if it meant giving in. “Don’t hurt Egan,” she said to Nikolai. “If you let him go, I won’t give you any trouble.”

“Kellee…” Egan said.

Nikolai twisted her around to face him. “You expect me to believe you would come willingly?” His eyes were wide with disbelief. His gun pointed in her face. “You are too much like your mother. When she defected, I lost my position within the Party and the KGB.” His face flushed and his nostrils flared. “Sent to prison to suffer for her crimes. After all these years, I will be exonerated. Now that I have stolen you from O’Neal, my status will rise among other organizations.”

She blocked out the image of the dark barrel pointed at her eye and stared at Nikolai. “Keep the pendant. You don’t need me for proof.”

“Nyet,” he said. “I need you, my flesh.”

“That’s why your rivals tried to get to Kellee first,” Egan said, drawing Nikolai’s attention back to him. “Without her, you’re nothing.”

“No!” Nikolai lifted his chin and glared at Egan. “I am a successful businessman.” He shook Kellee’s arm. “Katya ensures my legacy.”

“Are you saying the Russian Mafia will respect you?” she asked. “Like a Russian Godfather?” A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. “My presence can’t possibly make that much of a difference.”

“This is not open to discuss. You are my daughter and will do as I wish.” Nikolai spun Kellee around again so her back was to him once again.

The motion created the opening she’d been looking for. Continuing the circle, she gripped his wrist and attempted to slip under his arm. Unused to her new shoes, the toe caught the heel of her other foot, stopping her momentum and causing her to stumble.

Nikolai reacted by catching her and reversing her movement, pinning an arm behind her back, all the while dragging her through the exit. His gun came to rest squarely on her neck before Egan or his friends had a chance to react.

“Stop.” He growled in her ear. “Or I will tell Marcos to kill your boyfriend.” Nikolai pulled her across the front of his body as a human shield.

Kellee stopped fighting. Nikolai was right. Egan wouldn’t leave without her. His sense of duty wouldn’t allow him. Better to force Egan away, than lose him to death.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” She contradicted Nikolai’s statement. “He’s doing a job. The only reason he’s here is because Byron ordered him to find me. Just ask him. He wants nothing to do with me.”

Egan blinked and opened his mouth as if to speak.

Time froze. She felt oddly dizzy when she thought he might refute her statement. She wanted to hear his admission—to say he loved her. But not here. Not now.

Kellee held her breath.

Egan clamped his mouth shut, tightening his lips into a grim line. Kellee let out a small sigh. She wasn’t sure if it was relief or disappointment.

“Is that so?” Nikolai scoffed. “I think he believes differently.” He nodded at his bodyguard and Marcos leveled his weapon at Egan’s chest.

“No!” For a heart-stopping moment, Kellee was certain Marcos was going to shoot.

Egan lifted his own pistol, but his trigger finger remained steady. His friends also raised their weapons.

“I believe this is what you call stalemate. However, I have the advantage. You will not risk your bullet going astray and killing her.” Thunder punctuated Nikolai’s words. Rain started to fall. “And trust me, I do not wish her to die.”

“And yet, you hold a gun on her.” Egan spoke to Nikolai, even though his eyes and pistol were trained on Marcos.

Nikolai shrugged. “You do not know me. Perhaps I wish that she die rather than let O’Neal win.”

Egan’s jaw clenched. “If you let Kellee go now, I won’t kill you.”

As Nikolai continued backing toward the parking garage, she wondered why mall security hadn’t arrived. In her mind, it felt like hours had passed, although in reality it had been only minutes.

She tried to stay in step and keep Nikolai’s grip slack. One wrong move and she had no doubt Nikolai would order the death of the man she loved.

Egan and his friends followed in steady pursuit, matching their exit step for step. A shiver of energy brushed over her as she felt Egan’s kill zone expand, putting Nikolai and Marcos dead center.

They were at the exit when Nikolai paused and looked at Egan. His hold relaxed slightly, but not enough for her to escape. Behind them, the automatic doors whooshed open. Marcos stepped in front of her and Nikolai and fired. The quiet spit from the silencer sounded like death.

“Egan!” Kellee screamed, certain Egan had been shot.

A squeal echoed through the parking garage behind her. She turned her head and saw a black sedan swing around the corner. It screeched to a stop beside Nikolai.

A gun appeared out the driver’s side window, aimed at the mall doors. Marcos opened the back passenger door, and Nikolai shoved her into the backseat. Before she could straighten, Nikolai dove inside and knocked her against the seat. Marcos followed.

She caught a glimpse of Egan running into the parking garage. She screamed his name again, but the car drove off even before the passenger door closed.

****

Smoke billowed from the tires as the black sedan skidded out of the parking garage. The spot where Kellee and Nikolai had stood was empty. Egan’s heart pounded, adrenaline raced through him as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. Move! His mind shouted.

Spinning around, he spotted Donny and Jason bringing their weapons up to shoot.

“No! Don’t! Kellee’s in the backseat.”

They lowered their guns. “Come on.” Donny sprinted through the garage.

Egan and Jason followed him to a white Dodge Charger. Donny started the car as they piled in. It took a minute to get moving, and by the time Donny had driven out of the garage and onto the streets there was no sign of the black sedan.

****

Kellee craned her neck to stare out the back window, but the scenery was blurred by sheeting rain. Reaction to her abduction set in. Tremors racked her body, making her shake uncontrollably. Her selfishness had put Egan in the line of fire. Because she had to find the truth, he could have been killed. She closed her eyes. No! He was alive.

Thank God. Egan was alive.

“I’m sorry to do this, Katya,” Nikolai said and pushed her forward.

Kellee barely registered that Nikolai was speaking, when he tugged her arms behind her. She had no time to struggle when a plastic zip-tie bit into her wrists.

“Why are you doing this?”

“You must trust me,” Nikolai said. “It is for your own safety.”

A moment later, he draped a black hood over her head. She started to lift her feet—to kick—to fight back, but another zip-tie trapped her ankles. Trussed like a condemned prisoner, her fight was over before it began.

****

Egan smashed his fist against the dashboard of Donny’s car. Damn it to hell! He was such an idiot! He’d let his guard down, again. And this time, Kellee had been snatched right in front of his eyes.

“Settle down, man,” Donny said. “Busting my car won’t help.”

Time and space collided as Egan fought to maintain his temper. He raked a hand through his hair and tried think of what to do next. He tapped Donny on the shoulder and pointed to a convenience store parking lot. “Pull over there.”

Donny threw him a look, but followed the request. Once parked, the three men sat in silence, the windshield wipers’ rhythmic slaps ticked off the passing seconds.

“What now, Chief?” Jason, asked from the backseat.

Chief. Egan’s former Navy SEAL rank. That time was long gone. Too long. If today’s debacle wasn’t proof that he’d lost his edge, then he didn’t know what was.

He looked at Jason and Donny, former Navy SEALs like himself. They’d been there for him, exactly as a SEAL team should be. But he couldn’t drag them through more of his own personal hell. “Give me a minute to think.”

“Sure,” Donny said. “We got nothing better to do than head back and babysit that Russian goon you left in our care.”

“Where did you leave him?” Egan asked. Not that it mattered, but it pulled his thoughts from losing Kellee. Any distraction might work to get him thinking more clearly.

“I have a storage unit,” Jason answered. “He’s secure.”

“Good. Thanks.” Egan knew he should show more appreciation for all his brothers-in-arms were putting on the line for him. But he was still kicking himself for allowing Kellee to be kidnapped right under their noses. Some leader he was. It was time to call for more backup.

He felt Donny and Jason’s stares as he got out of the car and walked a few paces. Ignoring the downpour, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the director’s personal number from memory.

The moment he heard Byron’s voice, Egan said, “I need some answers. Now.”

Silence greeted him from the other end.

“Damn it, O’Neal! Did you hear me? Your fucking cold war just moved into the twenty-first century, and your daughter is smack in the middle of it.”

“Tell me about Nikolai Orlov.” Byron’s voice was flat.

Byron hadn’t even asked about Kellee. Egan wanted to throw the phone into the street.

Either the man was a robot, or he didn’t get it. And Egan knew Byron got it. He had a hunch that the ex-CIA agent suspected all along it was the Russian who was after Kellee. That cryptic remark Byron made when Egan took the assignment made perfect sense now.

“He’s got Kellee,” Egan snarled. “That’s exactly what you were afraid of, weren’t you? But you didn’t have the guts to let me in on your dirty little secret.”

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Egan watched cars whiz past on the busy Miami street that ran next to the convenience store. Rain sprayed from the tires and splattered the curb. Everyone seemed to have somewhere to go to get out of the storm. Egan was getting wetter by the minute, while he waited for a response from the man whose actions twenty-five years ago had culminated in this moment.

“I won’t even ask how you let this happen,” Byron finally said. “Where are you?”

Of course, Byron blamed him. He blamed himself.

“Miami,” Egan said. “But I think you’ve known where we’ve been all along. In fact, I think you know where Nikolai’s hiding, too.”

Byron rattled off an address. “Meet me there within the hour.”

“Kellee might be dead in an hour,” Egan shouted into the phone. “Give me Nikolai Orlov’s address.”

“That is Nikolai’s address.”

Damn it. Egan’s hunch was right. Byron was in Miami.

Egan marched back to the car and climbed in. He wiped the rain off his face, then punched the address into the GPS on the dash. All three men in the car stared at the map. Then he looked at Donny with an unspoken question.

Donny whispered, “Twenty.”

Egan lifted the phone to his ear. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said to Byron.

He was about to hang up, when Byron surprised him with his next words. “If Kellee’s with Nikolai, then you’d better pray, son. Pray like you’ve never prayed before.” The line went dead.

The phone’s LED screen hadn’t even switched off when he shouted at Donny. “Go.”

He snapped his seat belt as Donny gunned the engine and pulled back on to the road.

“Hope you’re taking us to the bad guy’s place,” Jason said. “I want a piece of that shit who got the drop on us.”

“I’m not sure what we’re getting into once we’re there,” Egan replied. “It could get ugly.”

“Ugly is my middle name,” Donny said.

“Thanks for sticking with me, guys,” Egan said. “I wasn’t sure about calling you in on this, but I’m glad I did.”

“Just be glad we were available,” Donny replied. He gave Egan a measured look. “I hope she’s worth it.”

Egan exhaled. “She is.” Logic said that Kellee was already winging to Russia. If he tried to stop Nikolai, she’d probably die.

A feeling stole its way through the logic and settled around his heart. Centering himself, he focused on the faint, tenuous whisper of hope. He would see her again. Kellee would have her freedom, and more importantly, her victory.

Eighteen minutes later, they reached a luxury hotel resort famous for its view of South Beach. Donny circled the block once before pulling into a parking spot south of the main entrance.

Rain had been coming down steadily. The weather reports on the radio predicted the storm was turning northeast away from the shore and wouldn’t increase beyond a tropical depression. That was bad news for Egan. If the storm wasn’t a threat, then Nikolai could get out of the country on a private plane or a boat, sooner rather than later. Commercial flights weren’t an option, unless he’d had a fake passport already made up for Kellee.

Egan needed to put eyes on the Russian. Figure out what he was up to and how to get Kellee back in one piece. As he reached for the door handle, a knock sounded on the passenger window. He glanced over and saw Byron at the door, rain dripping down his face.

“I’ll be right back,” Egan said to Donny and Jason. He opened his door and followed Byron over to a nondescript black SUV. Egan got in and waited for Byron to go around the other side. “What are we waiting for?” he asked as soon as Byron’s door shut.

“Going in blind will get Kellee killed.” Byron brought out a handkerchief and wiped it over his damp face.

Egan swore. “Nikolai won’t be staying the night, you can bank on that.”

“You need to trust that I know what I’m doing.” Byron’s tone was firm.

Helplessness burned through Egan, as alien as it was frightening. He’d known danger. Had tackled it with competent urgency, but this was different. He hoped Byron knew what he was doing by delaying the rescue.

“Ten minutes,” Byron said. “Then we go.” He gave a quick shake to dislodge the rain on his head and glanced at Donny’s car. “You have reinforcements, I see.”

“Yeah.” His tone revealed that his reinforcements hadn’t made any difference. He hoped it didn’t foreshadow disaster ahead. “Are you sure Nikolai’s here?”

“Yes. He’s retained a lease on the penthouse in this hotel. There’s a private entrance.” Byron pointed to a drive on the side of the building. “It’d be a turkey shoot if we tried frontal assault, but we have another way inside. I’m waiting on a final confirmation from my source that our way in is clear.”

Egan stared at Byron. “You have an inside source? And you’re just sitting here?”

“I didn’t know about Dr. Kosov until late last night. He can get us into that penthouse without being seen.”

Egan hated the waiting, but training had taught him to deal with it. He gave Byron a sidelong glance. “How long have you been in Miami?”

“I got a flight out of Dulles as soon as I had verification the dead man in Kellee’s apartment was Russian.”

Egan gave Byron a puzzled look. “How’d you know to come here?”

“I’ve been aware of Nikolai’s penthouse for about three years. He’s snuck into the U.S. a few times, but until now, he never gave me a reason to flush him out.”

“You honestly didn’t think he’d ever come after Kellee? How could you be so shortsighted?”

“I didn’t believe he knew about her,” Byron snapped back.

Egan glanced at O’Neal. The old man wasn’t as unflappable as he appeared. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Byron reach inside his jacket and pull out a cell phone. Then he noticed Byron’s hands shake as he tried to dial.

Seeing his boss’s pain brought Egan’s own raw feelings to the surface. He appreciated what Byron was going through but had no clue how to help. Hell, he didn’t know how to help himself. Without thinking, he blurted out the question that had haunted him since he and Kellee had talked to Oleg on the boat.

“Why did you do this to Kellee?”

Byron held up a hand as he listened to the phone. He waited a beat, then said, “Five minutes.” He thumbed the phone off and looked at Egan. “Do what?”

“Hide the truth from her.”

Byron growled. “That’s none of your business.”

“It is now,” Egan said.

After giving Egan a long considering look, Byron said, “I see.”

“What?” Egan stared. Was Byron so distraught he was talking in riddles? Keeping his voice controlled, Egan asked through clenched teeth. “Exactly what do you see?”

“That you’re in love with her,” Byron replied. “If you weren’t, you never would have broken silence and called for help. Or called me.”

“Maybe I thought you should know what the hell was going on,” Egan said. “Maybe I thought it was time you took some responsibility for your own mistakes.”

“Be careful where you tread, Maddox,” Byron warned. “I’ll tolerate only so much.” After a moment, he sighed and dropped his head against the backrest.

As Egan watched, Byron became an old man again. Weary from the fight. Weary from the burden of worrying about his daughter.

“I tried to keep her safe,” Egan said, as much to convince himself as to assure Byron.

“I know you did your best,” Byron said gently. “No one’s been able to contain Kellee’s spirit. She has Katherine’s instincts. As much as she isn’t our daughter through blood, she’s even more our daughter in action and thought. I’ve never been able to curb her appetite for the business. Obviously, you couldn’t rein her back either.”

Egan opened his mouth to object.

Byron cut him off. “You weren’t the only one. Neither could I. Although, Lord knows I tried.”

“She does have a way about her,” Egan agreed.

“And she’s wormed a way through your defenses, hasn’t she?”

Egan hated and marveled at the way Byron knew things. It made the old man great in his business. Yet those comments invaded Egan’s privacy. He couldn’t deny that Kellee had found a way through the wall he’d built around his heart. He wouldn’t deny it. Even though it meant showing that chink to his boss.

The silence grew as Byron stared at Egan, his face strangely serene.

“Isn’t this the part where you tell me to walk away and never see her again?” Egan asked. He’d never agree to do it, of course. If they got Kellee out of this mess alive, he’d never let her out of his sight. Ever.

“Would you leave her if I asked you to?” O’Neal asked.

“No.” Egan exhaled. “Hell. No.”

“I didn’t think so. I’m glad to hear you say it. I’d hate to see you screw up the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

Egan started to speak. O’Neal raised a finger to stop him.

“No, you don’t have to explain. She gets in your head, that girl, and then she gets in your heart and doesn’t let go.”

Egan nodded, unable to say more.

“So…We’ve finally agreed on something. Now, let’s see what we can do about bringing our girl home.”

Egan took a deep breath. He couldn’t quite decide if it was of resignation or relief. All he knew was that he was suddenly glad Byron was on his side for this one.