Page 69 of Mr. and Mrs. Novak

"Cut the crap, Sierra."

"Yes, boss! Of course, boss! At your service, boss," she laughs, amused.

The man rolls his eyes, and I catch a hint of a smirk before he leaves the room.

"You two have an interesting relationship," I remark.

"You have no idea," she replies, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Then, regaining her seriousness, she closes the door and steps toward me.

"I need to contact Akim and Nicolas," I tell her.

She nods and grabs her bag from the foot of the bed. Without a word, she pulls out a prepaid phone and hands it to me. Her fingers brush against mine, and I take the opportunity to grab her and pull her onto the bed. She lets it happen, offering no resistance as I claim her lips. Her mouth is soft and tender against mine, and she moans with desire as my tongue invades her mouth, curling around hers. Our kiss leaves us both breathless, and I have to fight the urge to take her right here on this uncomfortable bed, despite my injured shoulder.

I take the phone. Then, taking a deep breath, I make a group call to Akim and Nicolas. They pick up almost at the same time, and the moment I hear their voices, a weight lifts from my chest.

"Ruslan," Akim greets me, his voice thick with sleep.

"Hey, guys," Nicolas adds.

"Someone tried to kill Sophia and me."

"What?!" they both exclaim.

I quickly summarize what happened while Sophia curls up against me.

"Shit…" Nicolas breathes.

"Be extremely careful."

"Don’t worry, we knew this could happen," Akim reassures me. "We’ll disappear for a while."

"Do you and Sophia need close protection?"

I glance at Sophia, and she shakes her head.

"No, don’t worry. We’ll manage."

"We’ll stay in touch," Akim concludes.

"Yeah. Watch your backs," Nicolas adds.

"You too."

I hang up and turn back to Sophia. In a nearly desperate movement, I pull her against me, burying my face in her neck. Her familiar scent surrounds me, a delicate blend of her skin and that floral fragrance she always wears.

After everything we’ve been through, I have a visceral need to feel her alive against me. Without her composure, we wouldn’t be here. The thought tightens my throat as I hold her closer, as if holding her tighter could erase the past hours, as if my arms alone could protect her from everything still threatening us.

37. Phantom convoys

SOPHIA

We're staying at the safe house for an indefinite period. Four agents take turns ensuring our protection and watching over our supplies while maintaining discretion. A team is sent to the penthouse to bring us clothes and my computer. I try to negotiate for them to also bring me the pot of tulips that Ruslan had given me.

"How do you expect us to transport that?" asks the gruffest agent. "Please, I'll make you pancakes for breakfast," I offer enthusiastically.

He makes a face, clearly not tempted. I think quickly.