Page 17 of Scarred Temptation

I’d just made it to the sidewalk when doors were flung open. I swung around, holding out the can still secured in my hand.

“Stay away from her!” With my finger on the nozzle, I twisted my body to try to protect her, shifting my aim from one to the other. “I will use this like I did on the other bastards.”

More men in suits. Now I’d scream and Charleston wasn’t like other big cities. People did come to the rescue.

“Kakogo cherta.” The man in front held up both hands, eyeing me with the same curiosity I’d momentarily offered him. His eyes expressed amusement before his face hardened, studying every inch. Where he’d been ready, even eager to reach for the weapon in his shoulder holster, he resisted when noticing who was in my arms. Even though his features softened, I had no intention of allowing my guard to fall. “Mina.”

Mina twisted her head, her rapid breathing slowing. “Uncle Roman!”

“Mina, honey. Are you certain you know this man?” I asked her, the adrenaline rush still running strong. Letting her go felt as if I’d fail her.

“Yes. He’s my uncle. You can trust him.” Her voice held more confidence than I felt, the terror still running through my veins. How could anyone put a child’s life in so much danger? Oh, I was furious.

I shook my head, finally lowering my shaking arm while easing sweet Mina onto her feet. She rushed toward him, eager and willing to fly into his arms.

“Who sent you?” The man’s voice held contempt, anger where he should be thanking me for keeping his niece from real life monsters. The words were low so no one else but his niece and I could hear, rough while also being accusatory. There was also an accent that wrapped around every syllable like smoke, the tone offering a taste of danger. Russian, maybe, but at least European.

“No one sent me,” I shot back. “Mina was all alone, which if I had to guess, I’d say was likely not what should have occurred.” Yes, there was utter contempt in my voice as well.

He appeared suspicious, narrowing his eyes as he studied me, reaching into my very psyche to see if he could sense any intention of harm.

“What happened?” he asked, his tone more aggressive than should be allowed in front of an innocent child. But he wasn’t asking me, instead offering his niece a smile where I’d been on the receiving end of a snarl.

Without moving, I checked the others traveling with him. They were the bodyguards, also huge men wearing no expression, but their dark eyes observing what they believed to be an enemy.

“Some bad men came and chased us.” Mina’s voice was tiny but strong.

“Where are these bad men, malen’kiy angel?”

More Russian. I knew almost no words other than those taught to me by a former mentor who’d lived in Russia for years. He’d called her a little angel.

She seemed uncertain how to respond.

“Are the bad men still here?” her uncle pressed.

Mina nodded profusely, pointing toward the open gate.

“They should still be experiencing the burn of the chemical,” I added, never taking my eyes off him.

“Find them,” her uncle gritted out. He lifted his head, another glare holding my attention. “Thank you.”

Well, maybe he was taught some manners a million years ago. “You’re welcome.”

Murderous fury lingered on his face and he turned abruptly, immediately heading for one of the vehicles to place her in a safe environment. But not before she managed to blow me a kiss, the heartfelt gesture something that would linger in my heart like the images of the horrible men chasing us would for several nights.

With all of them occupied, I slipped away into the crowd that had already formed, finally able to try to catch my breath. The rush faded, drifting to a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. Amongst the sounds of the surrounding people and the noise of thick traffic, I could swear I’d heard three successive hard pops.

Shots being fired.

CHAPTER 4

Maxsim

Wham!

The punch wasn’t brutal enough even though my knuckles ached after the direct hit to my brother’s cheek.

Roman hissed, the force causing him to tumble backwards, but he remained standing. With a hand on his jaw, he whipped his head around to face my enraged glare, offering one of the same. We were blood. We were the same.