Broken Together (23 page)

The
five of us exchanged glances. Rafael laughed. “Let’s go.”

Oni
and I strolled arm in arm, flanked by the three rambunctious men. “Are you
okay?” I asked when she suddenly grew quiet.

She
nodded. “I really miss my family and friends in Ukraine, but this is nice. I
think I might be okay.”

“I’m
sorry, Oni. I’ve been so focused on helping Maxim, I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting
you. We’ll get you square with the metro and school, just as soon as the snow
clears. You’re going to make all kinds of friends once school begins.” I gave
her a hug.

She
brushed away a tear with her snow encrusted glove. “I still can’t believe I’m
here. How will I ever repay you?”

“You
don’t repay friends,” I said, repeating Rafael’s words from long ago.

Rafael
slowed. “I love you,” he whispered when Oni’s attention was diverted.

I
sighed contentedly as the world righted itself. “I’m so happy you’re home.”

*
* * * *

I
sampled the
borshch
. Oni insisted on cooking after we toured the campus
and rode the metro. Rafael mapped her bus and metro routes so she’d know how to
travel between the Ukrainian embassy and the campus for work. She was understandably
nervous about her commute. “Are those dumplings?”

“
Varenyky.
”
She handed me the plate. “They’re filled with mashed potatoes, sautéed onions, and
mushrooms.”

I
added the
varenyky
to my plate before passing the platter to Rafael.

“
Pierogis
,”
Rafael murmured appreciatively. He popped another
pampushky
into his
mouth. “I love Ukrainian food.”

“Oni,
you’re an amazing cook.” I followed her lead and dipped the little garlic ball
into the savory soup. “Oh, that reminds me, are you going to be around for the
Super Bowl?”

Rafael’s
spoon paused just above his soup. “When’s the Super Bowl?”

“Three
weeks from today. Cenia’s hosting her second annual chili cook-off. The men
compete for best chili. The women bring appetizers and dessert.” I glanced at
Oni. “You’re invited too.”

Her
eyes grew round. “Who’s Cenia?”

I
smiled. I absolutely adored Cenia and her spunky attitude. “Cenia’s a very good
friend of mine. She used to serve in the Air Force with Kadyn. She works for
the Department of Defense now.”

She
glanced shyly from her soup. “Will Kadyn be there?”

My
heart stalled, recognizing the look. “Yes. Kadyn will be there.”

Rafael’s
gaze slid seamlessly between Oni and me. “Does Kadyn make you nervous?”

“No.”
She blushed. “Well, maybe. A little. I was just curious if he was going.”

I
fought to remain impartial while countless emotions rioted inside of me. “Kadyn
is one of my dearest friends.” I admired Oni, but I questioned whether any
woman was good enough for Kadyn, including me.

Oni
simply nodded.

Rafael
cleared his throat. “I’m not sure I’ll be free for the Super Bowl. It depends on
how long my next assignment is in town.” By “town,” he meant Lisbon. He didn’t want
Oni to know he was working in Portugal.

“I’ll
RSVP for all three of us just in case.” I tried the
varenyky
. “Is the
embassy open tomorrow?”

Oni
nodded. “Yes. Konstantin assured me the embassy will be open tomorrow. He offered
to drive me to work since it’s my first day. I think he is staying down the
street with Shae tonight.

“What
kind of work will you be doing for the embassy?” Rafael inquired curiously.

Her
eyes lit with mischief. “Officially? I will be working in the press room.
Unofficially? I will be campaigning for Maxim.”

“Maxim
certainly knew what he was doing when he positioned Konstantin at the embassy,”
Rafael mused. “Between Konstantin, Kadyn, and Kri, he has established some surprisingly
useful connections in the United States. It’s almost as if he knew he’d be
running for president.”

My
spoon stalled right in front of my mouth. I wasn’t one to buy into conspiracy
theories, but Rafael’s point sent goosebumps rocketing down my spine. Maxim
researched me. He knew I worked as a policy advisor for Senator Rockefeller
before he pursued a relationship with me. Had his interest been politically
motivated? What about his decision to help Kadyn?

“Maxim
has established similar connections in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Germany, and
Great Britain. He has helped a lot of people, who now owe him favors. If he
wasn’t collecting on those favors to strengthen his campaign, he’d be using
those favors to help Ukraine in some other way,” Oni explained.

I
tried to ignore the cloud of suspicion hovering over me. “How’s his campaign
going in Ukraine?”

She
reached for another
pampushky
. “Maxim and Yulia are tied for first place
in the latest polls.”

“Yulia
Tymoshenko was the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of Ukraine. She
helped lead the Orange Revolution,” I informed Rafael. I wasn’t sure how
familiar he was with Ukrainian politics.

Oni
nodded. “She’s pro-Western, like Maxim, but a lot of Ukrainians don’t trust
her. Until recently she was serving time in prison for embezzlement and for abusing
her power. I believe those charges were politically motivated, but not everyone
agrees. Besides, there are a lot of men who won’t support a female president. Prime
Minister is one thing, but the presidency is something else entirely.”

“I
still can’t believe an individual with ties to the mafia could receive so much
support,” Rafael remarked.

“The
Russians elected a former KGB operative for their president. This is not so
different. Maxim is one of the few people who maintains enough power and
influence to end Putin’s meddling in our governance,” Oni noted dismissively.

Rafael’s
eyes met mine. “It will be interesting to see if the U.S. government views this
election the same way.”

My
thoughts turned inward with a slight chill. I suspected they would.

*
* * * *

I
burrowed against Rafael’s chest. My body felt like it was filled with lead. “I
wish you didn’t have to leave tonight.” We’d made the most of the last two
hours, making love in his bed. Brady and Jase thought we were packing. Or not.
They were settled in over at my house since Rafael’s flight was scheduled to
depart in a couple of hours.

“Me
too.” He gently caressed my back. “At least Oni is settled in at the dorms.
Maxim is gone. You’re going to be busy with school, lobbying for Maxim, and
preparing for your trip to Sierra Leone.”

My
thumb skimmed his cheekbone. “Can you join me in Sierra Leone?”

“I’ll
try. Do you have any vacation time remaining?”

“Three
or four days,” I estimated. “Why?”

“I’d
like you to fly to Portugal for Valentine’s Day.” His fingers teased my arm.

“I’d
love to spend Valentine’s Day with you.” I reached for my cell phone so I could
check the calendar. “Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year. If I take
Thursday, Friday, and Monday off from work, we’d have five days together.”

“I’ll
send the jet back for you.” He frowned. “How will that affect your coursework?”

“I’m
already halfway through the assigned readings, and I plan to work on my
midterms this weekend.” My final semester didn’t even begin for three more days,
but I’d requested the syllabi and ordered my books early so I could stay busy
while Rafael was working in Lisbon. Of course, those studies had ground to a
complete stop when Maxim dropped his presidential bomb. “I only have nine
credit hours this semester, and I purposely chose classes that were scheduled
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.” I’d been hoping to snag some long
weekends with Rafael.

He
tucked me beneath him. “Good. I’ll plan something special.”

A
moan escaped my chest when he pushed inside of me again. There was no denying
how perfect the world felt when our bodies were joined like this. “You are the
only something special I need.”

We
made love slower than I ever dreamed possible, with eyes and hands locked. Rafael
pushed me to that place where nothing else mattered… nothing but the feel of
his body driving deep and determinedly into mine.

My
nipples pebbled against his chest as our bodies wound tighter and tighter. “Rafael,”
I cried. My knees rose. My back arched as if begging for the next thrust.

He
released my hands so he could grasp my breasts. “Let go, baby. Let me see you
lose control.” He rolled both nipples between his fingers and thumbs.

Pleasure
tore through me, shredding my emotions, my body, and mind.

Rafael
captured me in a fierce embrace. “Mine,” he whispered hoarsely. With one final
thrust, he filled me.

Softly,
I began to cry.

I
blinked back tears. I couldn’t believe the jalapeno and habanero peppers in
Jase’s chili had literally driven me to tears.

“Can
I taste?” Oni inquired hesitantly.

Jase
shrugged. “Sure.” He pulled a soup spoon from the drawer and handed it to her.

“Iz
spy-ee,” I warned with a slightly swollen tongue. Jase had aptly named his
chili “A Slow and Painful Death.” I was still trying to numb the pain with a
piece of bread.

Oni’s
eyes teared. “Oh!” The spoon clattered against the granite countertop as her
hand flew to her mouth.

I
handed her a piece of bread. “Water won’t relieve the pain. Try Brady’s chili. It’s
quite good and doesn’t hurt as much.”

Brady
stood there expectantly while Oni worked up the courage to try his chili. His
“Shark Bait” chili stood a good chance of stealing first place with clams,
shrimp, bite size chunks of orange roughy, and Old Bay Seasoning.

“That
is good,” Oni agreed. These recipes are very different. How do you choose?”

I
laughed. “You can’t choose yet. You have at least five other recipes to taste when
we get to Cenia’s house.”

Jase
tugged a pair of oven mitts over his hands. “Are you ladies ready to leave?”

Oni
retrieved the bright pink
Dulce de Leche
Ukrainian Waffle Cake she’d layered
on the center island. “I’m ready.”

“I’ll
get the door.” I grabbed the bacon cheddar scones from the counter before
following them into the garage. I climbed into the back seat next to Oni.

Jase
set his Crock-pot on the floor between my feet. He handed me the oven mitts
before sliding into the driver’s seat. “Be careful. That chili is hot.”

“Too
hot if you ask me.” Brady secured his chili on the floor between his feet.

“Chili
is supposed to be hot. That ocean brew you concocted shouldn’t even be called
chili.” Jase backed out of the garage.

Brady
looked offended. “There’s chili powder and beans in there. You’re just bitter
because you didn’t think to pursue something more original.”

I
typed Cenia and Roger’s new address into the navigation system on my phone before
settling in to visit with Oni. “Did you finish your homework?”

“Yes.
I’ve completed the reading and the assignments for the next two weeks.” She looked
relieved.

Oni
was so much like me, it was scary. “I finished writing my paper. Rafael’s taking
me someplace special for Valentine’s Day, so I’m afraid we won’t be around next
weekend.” Since Oni had spent the last two weekends with me, I figured some
advanced warning was in order.

Oni
was under the impression that Rafael worked most weekends. She never questioned
the fact that Brady and Jase were living with me. Rafael assigned bodyguards in
Ukraine, and she knew what the SVR had done to me. “Where are you going?”

Jase
sent a subtle warning through the rearview mirror.

 “I’m
not entirely sure. Last I heard, he was considering someplace in Portugal.” I’d
become quite adept at telling the truth while still being vague.

Brady
shared some unspoken communication with Jase before changing the topic. “How do
you like your courses?”

“My
professors and classmates are nice, but the courses are difficult,” Oni replied.

He
shifted so he could face the back seat. “Because everything is in English?”

“Because
students are expected to voice their opinions and participate in class,” Oni
clarified. “University students aren’t permitted to speak in Ukraine.”

“They
aren’t even allowed to ask questions,” I added. “It’s considered disrespectful.”
That had proven one of our biggest challenges while teaching in Simferopol.

“Really?”
Brady looked at me.

“I
don’t like speaking in front of the other students,” Oni admitted. “I’m afraid they’ll
laugh or think I’m stupid.”

“I
feel the same way,” I assured her. “So does Shae.”

“I
felt the same way when I was in school,” Brady revealed.

“Me
too,” Jase agreed. “I think we all do.”

Oni
smiled appreciatively. “I thought it was just me.”

“Nope.
It’s pretty universal,” Brady assured her.

Jase’s
eyes sought mine in the rearview mirror. “Is your meeting with the Senator
still on tomorrow?”

“Yes.
We’re meeting at Ten Penh at one o’clock. I asked Jamie to add you to the reservation,
so Senator Rockefeller knows you’ll be joining us for lunch.”

“Do
you think he’ll support the rider?” Brady asked.

“I
don’t know.” Jamie called to schedule the meeting, but she didn’t reveal what
the Senator’s decision might be. I glanced out at the barren trees. “If he’s
willing to support this rider, then I’m going to have my work cut out for me
lobbying Congress over the next few weeks. There will be no guarantees, no way
of knowing if we’ve chosen the right bill to attach this rider to, whether it will
pass, or how long it might take.”

“Sounds
impossible,” Brady noted skeptically.

“It
would be possible if we had all the time in the world, but Congress doesn’t
move quickly. I just don’t see how we’re going to secure this funding before
the election,” I admitted worriedly.

“But
we chose bills with a lot of support, bills that are very close to passing,”
Oni reminded me.

“We’re
still fighting an uphill battle with very little time on the clock.” Three and
a half weeks had passed since I ran the idea by Senator Rockefeller. Each day
that passed left me feeling even more anxious and depressed. Between the
impending election and Rafael’s absence, I was a mess.

“What
if he doesn’t support the rider?” Jase asked.

“He
thought I’d fare better with the IMF, so I’d approach them rather than pursue
anything further in Congress. I don’t know anyone who works there, but I’m
guessing Senator Rockefeller does. I’ve encouraged Maxim to reach out to the European
Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Hopefully,
something will pan out there.”

“What
is IMF? Is that a government office?” Oni asked.

“The
IMF is an international organization that helps fund projects that stimulate
growth, improve economic stability, and reduce poverty for member countries.
And, yes, I’ve already checked. Ukraine is a member of the IMF. So, if Maxim
approached them for a loan, as Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, and the U.
S. supported him in this endeavor, odds are high he’d get the loan. The U.S. has
more voting power than any other country in the IMF. There’s just one problem.”

“What?”
Oni inquired breathlessly.

“Russia
is a member of the IMF. So if we approach the IMF for a loan, and they put it
to a vote, Russia would vote against us. Russia holds a small percentage of
votes, so I doubt they could stop us, but the damage would be done. Putin would
know what Maxim was planning. He would destroy Maxim and the pipeline the
second he got wind of this.”

Oni’s
eyes widened. “Putin has positioned troops along our eastern border. He’s planted
people inside Ukraine. They’re pretending to be Ukrainian protestors, but their
accents give them away. They’re from Moscow and St. Petersburg, not Ukraine. My
father said they’re threatening people, trying to force Ukrainians to vote for
the pro-Russian candidate in the upcoming election. If we don’t vote the way Putin
wants us to, he’s going to invade Ukraine.”

“Which
is why you need the missile defense system,” I reasoned. “Sadly, there are no
easy answers. We’ll just have to wait and see what Senator Rockefeller says
tomorrow.”

Jase
turned onto an unfamiliar street. “Which house is theirs?” Cenia and Roger purchased
a new home shortly before their wedding. This was our first time visiting their
new place.

I
studied the house numbers on the mailboxes. “Over there.” I pointed toward a
brick house with black shutters on the other side of the street.

Jase
parked alongside the curb. He stepped from the Jeep and opened my door. Brady helped
Oni from the vehicle before grabbing his Crock-pot from the front seat.

Cenia
met us at the door. “Kri! I thought you’d fallen off the planet.” She planted a
quick kiss on my cheek. “Hey Jase, Brady. I can’t wait to try your chili.” She
hugged them around their Crock-pots before beckoning them inside. “Hi, Oni. I’m
so glad you could join us.”

“Thanks
for inviting me.” Oni handed her the cake.

“This
looks too pretty to eat.” Cenia nudged the door closed with her toe. She nodded
toward the adjoining office. “You can leave your coats in here. I’ll show you
around the house after everyone gets settled.”

The
foyer opened into a great room. I set the bacon cheddar scones on the dining
room table so I could give Kadyn a hug. “Hey, handsome. Where’s that award
winning chili of yours?”

Roger
laughed. “You’re speaking to the wrong guy. My chili is the
only
award
winning chili in this house.” He pulled me from Kadyn’s arms so he could give me
a hug. He kept me tucked under his arm as he reached for Oni’s hand. “You must
be Oni. I’m Roger, Cenia’s husband.”

“It’s
nice to meet you.” She peeked at Kadyn. “It’s good to see you again.”

He
nodded politely. “How’s school going?”

Her
eyes widened. She was surprised he asked. “Good. How are your classes?”

Kadyn
shrugged. “They’re okay.”

“Hi,
Kri.” Marie smiled and gave me a hug.

“Where’s
Phil?” I scanned the room.

“Right
here.” He’d snuck up behind me. “This must be Oni. Wow. Kadyn wasn’t kidding.
You really do look like sisters.” His eyes narrowed while he studied her. “Only
your eyes are green.”

“Thank
you,” Oni answered uncertainly.

“Nothing
gets by this guy.” I laughed. “Phil’s one of the most brilliant men walking the
planet.”

“Not
even close, but I’m glad you think so.” He gave me a hug.

Marie’s
hand brushed gently against Oni’s arm. “Would you like a glass of Chianti?”

“Yes,
please.” The tension in Oni’s shoulders eased.

“I’ll
go with you. Kadyn…” I prodded expectantly.

He
grinned. “Five Alarm Fire, third Crock-pot on the right.”

“You’re
not supposed to know which chili is his,” Phil objected. “This is supposed to
be a blind taste test.”

“Since
when?” Roger scoffed. “Forget the ‘Five Alarm Fire.’ Try ‘The Smoking Gun.’
It’s in the stainless steel Crock-pot next to the stove.”

“I
guess we know who’s winning the award for the manliest Crock-pot,” Jase teased.
He and Brady sauntered by with their beer.

“There’s
an award for that?” Matt yelled from the living room.

“Read
your e-mail!” Cenia quipped from inside the kitchen.

Oni
followed us into the kitchen. I dipped a spoon into Kadyn’s chili while Marie
poured the Chianti. “Wow! That is good.” Kadyn confided that he was using a
recipe that won best chili at the Chicago firefighters’ chili cook-off last
year. The sauce was thick and meaty with the perfect amount of heat.

Marie
handed me a glass of wine before grabbing a spoon and giving it a try. “Poor
Phil.” She sighed dejectedly.

I
handed Oni a spoon. “What do you think?”

“It’s
quite good,” she agreed.

“Have
you tasted chili before?” Marie handed Oni a glass of Chianti.

Oni
shook her head before sipping the wine. “No. We cook with beans, but nothing
spicy like this.”

“You
should sample all of the chilies.” Cenia handed us a stack of paper cups. “Once
you find your favorite, grab a bowl and dish up. Cornbread, scones, and chips
are on the dining room table. Sour cream, onions, and cheese are over there.”
She pointed next to the stove. “Oh, and don’t forget to vote. We’ll announce the
winner at half time.” Cenia strode into the living room, where she made the same
announcement.

We
sampled each of the chilies in turn. Cenia, Roger, and Kadyn followed suit. The
remaining guests waited until the commercials. Kadyn joined Oni and me on the
floor when we settled in front of the television to eat.

I
nudged his shoulder with mine. “Any news on the missile defense system?”

Kadyn
kept one eye on the television. “Last I heard, Secretary Gates was running it through
the White House. I doubt I’ll hear anything further.”

I
figured as much. A plan of this magnitude was only discussed on a need to know
basis. “If we decide to position the defense shield in Ukraine, do you think we’ll
be able to get it installed before Putin discovers what we’re doing?”

Kadyn
eyed Oni, then me. “Maxim will have to position the shield in an area that
minimizes the chances of pro-Russian forces passing human intelligence back to
Putin. They’ll have to work quickly. Mobile launch pads and munitions convoys
can be detected by satellite. Putin could discover what he’s doing before the
defense shield is operational.”