Deadly Sins (31 page)

Resnova’s comment: “As your cousin Rafer has been injured as well, I suggest he accompany us and be given time to heal alongside his fiancée. The wound he received will only slow you down should more trouble arrive.”

A clear message that Rafer was to pretend to be wounded as well. What the man’s plan was Logan didn’t have a clue. And he wasn’t so certain how he felt about the suspected criminal taking over so casually.

As Logan moved behind Skye, they met Resnova and his bodyguards at the middle of the walk, and Logan’s scowl only deepened as the bastard wrapped his arms around Skye and pulled her close.

Skye swore she could feel Logan’s glare smack in the middle of her back. She had known he wouldn’t get along with Ivan; they were much too alike. But this was the only way she knew to keep Cami safe long enough to deal with the problem.

“Ah, the most precious flower in this dreary little garden,” Ivan sighed with an air of relief. “How you must brighten this place each day, my little Skye.”

The snort behind her assured Skye that Logan had heard every word.

Ivan’s blue eyes twinkled with something akin to merriment as he refused to glance behind her.

“Do I detect a bit of the creature known as jealousy?” he pondered in a bit of a stage whisper.

“Or the creature known as drama,” Logan drawled.

Ivan chuckled before his gaze turned somber. “Come; we will go inside. There are things we must discuss.”

He moved to grip Skye’s arm, only to have Logan quickly step between them, his arm curving around Skye’s back as he drew her into the house.

“I’m not a bone,” she muttered.

“Ruff ruff,” Logan all but growled. “This was your idea, and remember, you must have known what was coming, because you were damned hesitant to mention it.”

“Because he’s difficult to work with,” she sighed.

“And shall I remind you, he is also listening?” Ivan asked behind her as his bodyguards surrounded him and led him to the door.

Inside the house, Skye and Logan stepped aside as Ivan motioned his bodyguards to remain on the porch.

Ivan stood for a moment, gazing around the large foyer, the marble floor, the sweeping staircase that led to the second floor, and nodded with a sharp, approving motion of his head.

Glancing to Logan, a small smile quirked Ivan’s lips. “You have hidden your ownership of this house quite well. It was only by chance I found it.”

Logan frowned. “Then I didn’t hide it well enough.”

“Ah well, it would be hard to hide what I wish to find,” he stated. “Are your cousins here?”

“This way.” Skye stepped between the two men at that point and led the way to the kitchen, where she had put coffee on.

Cami was sitting in the large recliner Rafer had pulled into the room, while Rafer stood behind it. Crowe had taken position against the wall, next to the back door, but he’d placed coffee cups, saucers, and spoons in front of the coffeepot on the counter.

Pouring the coffee, Skye set each cup close to the Callahans, Cami, and then Ivan before getting her own.

“You have an interesting problem.” He let his gaze run over the occupants of the room. “I’ve been quite intrigued with it since Skye moved here and I learned who her neighbor and landlord was.”

“And it was your business?” Logan asked broodingly.

Ivan smiled. “I have no designs on your lovely Skye as long as you take proper care of her,” he assured Logan before his expression turned dark, dangerous. “Harm her, make her unhappy, and I would change my mind quickly. Otherwise, there is no reason for this animosity.”

“Other than the fact that she was here, smack in the middle of the danger without my knowledge, but evidently with yours,” Logan pointed out. “You neglected to care for her when, according to your claims, you protect her.”

Ivan tilted his head to the side in acknowledgment of the point as Skye just sat back and drank her coffee. She’d dealt with men enough to know that they were going to do their posturing and engage in their pissing contests whether she liked it or not.

“Very well.” Ivan still nodded. “We have the problem of Ms. Flannigan.” He looked to each Callahan. “There has indeed been a professional assassin hired. One whose only job is to kill Ms. Flannigan, as well as any other woman sleeping in a Callahan’s bed, before they can conceive.”

“Fuck!” Crowe’s muttered curse was barely heard.

“Ah yes, quite a problem I agree,” Ivan sighed as he sat back in his chair. “The identity of the assassin has so far eluded me.” He frowned in consternation at that fact, as though that in itself was a problem that needed to be dealt with. “What I did manage to learn was the code name he uses, though. King Arthur. Does this sound familiar?” He looked at the three men.

“He’s struck three times in the past year,” Crowe stated. “All political figures, mostly in third-world countries and in Russia.”

“Bastard,” Ivan muttered. “The Russian ambassador to America was a fine man. He was considering entering the election campaign for prime minister when he was murdered.”

“Rumor is that’s why he was murdered,” Crowe pointed out.

“I have my men working on this,” Ivan sighed. “Strangely, the normal chatter about this assassin is not there. And it is extremely rare for him to take such jobs as the murdering of women. Actually, I have never heard of it. King Arthur generally chooses his jobs based on the targets’ sins. Not their sex or their lovers.” The fact that this had Ivan confused was clear in the darkening of his gaze.

“He’s good,” Crowe said then. “How good are you?”

Ivan’s smile was confident. “I am better, my friend,” he assured Crowe. “My estate in Colorado Springs is highly secured, and will protect her like a cub in the middle of the lion’s den. Her safety is assured.” He glanced at Skye. “I’ve come to collect you as well.”

Skye had to laugh at the statement. “Not happening, Ivan.” She gave her head a hard shake. “You’re not into kidnapping and I don’t run and hide. I came here looking for this problem.”

“As your foster sister came here looking for this problem?” He glowered back at her, then at Logan. “It is your place to change her mind.”

“I’m not touching that one,” Logan stated as he shot Skye a rueful look. “Besides, she would just be in the position of escaping you and being alone until one of us found her. I don’t want to give that bastard a chance to set his sights on her.”

Ivan’s gaze was clearly concerned as he stared back at her.

“I’m working on the root of the problem,” he told them then. “I have several men in the area keeping an eye on other concerns I’ve had. I’ve had them begin looking into this. Once I learn what is going on, I will of course ensure that you get that report.”

“And what makes you think you can learn more than we have so far?” Logan asked, his gaze narrowing.

“Because I have sources you do not, as well as favors owed in circles I am certain you are even unaware exist,” Ivan informed him.

Logan’s lips quirked. “Point taken.”

Skye, like Cami, simply sipped her coffee and watched the byplay.

“Very well then.” Ivan turned to Rafer. “I have refused to accept Skye’s IOU for this,” he informed him. “I instead will require one from you.”

“That wasn’t the deal.” Logan came out of his seat then. “Rafe has nothing you want, Resnova. If you want an IOU, then I’ll give it to you.”

“It is not your woman I am protecting,” Ivan informed him as Skye glared at him now. “This will come from your cousin, and your cousin alone.”

“No.” Cami attempted to rise, winced, and sat back down. “No, I won’t let him.”

“Then you will die,” Ivan said gently.

“Stop this, Ivan.” Skye spoke softly, firmly. “Don’t turn this into a pissing match. Don’t make an enemy of me.”

Ivan turned back to her slowly, clearly more than a little shocked. “You would do this?” he asked her. “When our history is much greater than that here? You would disavow it because I refuse to trade your life for hers?”

“That’s not the case. You said you owe me. You’re doing this for me, not Rafer and not Cami. For me.”

“For him.” He nodded his dark head to Rafer. “It is his responsibility.”

“And one I’ll accept,” Rafer snapped.

“Like hell.” Skye marched toward Ivan furiously. “These men owe you nothing. You owe me. So let’s not play games here. If anything happens to Cami because of your arrogance and determination to draw the Callahan men into one of your future schemes, I would hate you,” she promised him. “But even more, I’d ensure Amara knew exactly what you had done. You’ve raised her much different than you were raised. Her illusions of you would be shattered.”

He stared back at Skye silently for long seconds. “You would use Amara in such a way?” He seemed sincerely disappointed in her.

“I love him, Ivan.” She spoke clearly, her tone even and firm, without a hint of the fear suddenly surging through her. “I would use any weapon I could find. And if anything happened to him because you refused to protect Cami, then yes, I would use Amara against you.”

“I made the offer to allow you to accompany her,” he pointed out, his tone dark, his gaze icy. “To protect you as well. Should you come along, then I would honor the IOU I gave you in exchange.”

She shook her head again. “I’m not wounded. I’m trained for this, as you well know. And I won’t let you manipulate me that easily to get Amara to come home.”

His eyes became impossibly colder.

“His daughter refuses to come home because of the marriage he’s attempting to arrange between her and his head of security,” Skye informed the others as she crossed her arms over her breasts and stared back at Ivan mockingly. “Amara’s currently in college, studying to be a lawyer.”

“A prosecutor.” He spat the word out as though it left a bitter taste in his mouth. “And she threatens me often with it.”

“I won’t be the tool you use to get her home. And it wouldn’t work anyway.”

“It would.” The sulk that suddenly shaped his lips was worthy of any two-year-old boy. “She loves you.”

“She loves the career she wants more,” Skye informed Ivan. “Now stop acting like a damned spoiled brat. You can take the IOU you owe me and stop trying to piss Logan and his cousins off just to see how hard they hit. Trust me. I’ve read their dossiers. They hit damned hard.”

“I too have read them,” Ivan snarled back at her.

“But I read the ones you don’t have the contacts to acquire yet,” she told him smugly. “Doesn’t that suck? I might,
might,
be kind and feel extremely generous to you at a later date though, should you need to see a file in that particular ‘eyes only’ department.”

That gleam in his eye was the same any kid would get at the thought of Christmas.

“Very well.” He rubbed his hands together, leaned forward, and, using his utmost charm and engaging smile, began to outline the plan he’d already had formed.

Skye kept the triumph from her expression, knowing it would incite Ivan to be bad again. But God, she wished he were her brother. Or her father.

Somewhere in her life she wished she’d had a protector like him as she grew up.

*   *   *

“Are we all in agreement then?” he asked an hour later as the four men were huddled over the file Ivan had brought in with him that outlined not just his plans but also the security on his Colorado ranch and the two contacts whose identities he’d revealed.

“Agreed.” Logan, Crowe, and Rafer all nodded before turning to shake Ivan’s hand.

The air of male camaraderie was enough to turn a woman’s stomach. Glancing at Cami, Skye watched her grimace and roll her eyes and knew she was thinking the same thing.

“Well then, Ms. Flannigan, shall we escort you to your carriage?” Ivan’s grin was wicked as he glanced at Rafer. “As your fiancée has been wounded as well, I of course get the supreme pleasure of bearing your weight.”

Cami’s expression as she glanced between Ivan and Rafer was, frankly, close to fear.

As they’d talked, Rafer had torn his jeans, removed his boot, and wrapped his leg as Ivan had instructed him. The bandages had been stained with food coloring to imitate blood, and the appearance that he was now out of commission and unable to help his cousins, would be solid.

“Skye, you should have been my sister.” Ivan turned to her suddenly, his expression somber. “Though, had you been my sister, I would have of course done more to protect you than those who were charged with the job. And you would have not had reason to run and hide in such a place to escape a job your heart was never truly a part of.”

And how had he seen that when she herself hadn’t known it until this moment?

“I would have liked you for a brother, Ivan,” she told him as she accepted his hug, this time without Logan glaring at Ivan as though he were ready to cut his head off.

Minutes later, his bodyguards were called in. Two supported Logan’s weight as another carried Cami to the middle SUV.

At the sight of Cami, her shirt ripped and the bandage showing behind her shoulder, and Rafer being supported by the two mountainous men and helped to the SUV, both Sheriff Tobias and his deputy, John Caine, along with the mayor and Wayne Sorenson, started toward him in concern.

Three of Ivan’s men intercepted them, arms crossed.

“Get the fuck out of my way before I arrest you,” Sheriff Tobias snarled, and he was more than serious.

When Ivan walked to the bodyguard, Rafer and Cami were safely in the vehicle and Rafer’s “wounded” leg hidden by the closed door.

“What the fuck happened, Rafe?” Archer snarled.

“Someone came after Cami,” Rafer told him quietly. “I had her stashed in Boulder with three bodyguards from a security firm I hired. One sold me out, Archer. He called John Corbin and within two hours an assassin hit the safe house she was in.”

Archer seemed to pale. “Are you sure of that? Do you have proof?”

“Mr. Resnova here has the guard’s cell phone and the text as proof. He’ll be turning it over to the FBI as soon as we have it duplicated.”

Archer looked as though he had been hit by a brick. Passing his hand over his face, he shook his head and swallowed tightly. “Damn, I was hoping—”