Weather the Storm (Security Specialists International #3) (27 page)

“
Bozhe moy, ya umirayu
!” But he wasn’t dying; nothing that felt this good could lead to death.

Vanko cupped Elana’s face and held her so she wouldn’t be thrown back by the force of his thrusts into the sweetly hot cavern of her mouth. She hummed as she swallowed his seed and continued to squeeze and massage his cock and balls as if she wanted to get every last drop.

When she’d sucked him dry, he pulled away from her mouth and hands and then knelt before her. He framed her face with his hands. “Elana, you beautiful woman, you didn’t need to take me in your mouth. Your hands had me ready to explode.”

“Didn’t you like it?” She looked into his eyes, a slight frown on her lips. “I’ll get better with practice. Yours is only the second cock I’ve ever sucked.”

She was worried she hadn’t given him pleasure? God, could she be any sweeter?

“Did you hear me shout to God and say I was dying?” He leaned in and kissed her lips, tasting his salty musk mixed with her honeyed sweetness. His depleted cock jerked with one last spurt of cum as he recalled the moment she’d swallowed his seed. “You’re wonderful. Now, please tell me we didn’t hurt your wound.”

“I’m fine.” When he frowned, she added, “Not even a twinge. Really.” She smiled shyly. “I’m glad you liked what we did. I liked it.”

He stroked a finger down her dainty nose. “You’ll like it even better when I take your pussy after you use your mouth to get me ready.”

Elana inhaled and looked down; her cheeks flushed red. His angel was in turns a temptress and then a shy little rabbit. He loved both sides of her, especially knowing only he had ever seen her sexy siren side.

“I’ll look forward to that.” She shivered and her jaw clenched.

The water had cooled off considerably. “Damn me for a selfish idiot. You’re cold.” He stood and shut off the shower, then turned back and lifted her into his arms.

She snuggled into him with a happy sigh. “You’re so hot all the time.” She raised her eyes to his. “You need to put me down. I’m heavy. I can walk.”

“You are not heavy,
zaychik moy
.” He nuzzled her damp neck. “I don’t want you to slip on the wet tiles.”

Vanko carried her out of the shower and set her on the bath mat. After he made sure she was steady on her feet, he took one towel and wrapped it around her and then took another towel to wrap her hair. She stood quietly, her gaze fixed on his every move as he dried her carefully.

He peeled off the old bandage and grunted when he found the wound to be mostly dry. “This is good. He patted her curvy ass. “Now,
dushka
, go sit on the bed and cover up. Get warm. I’ll be in to put on a new bandage once I’m dry and have some clothes on.”

“No.” Elana stroked his jaw line with one finger. “Come closer.”

He frowned. “Elana, you need…”

“
Enh
, come closer,
sladkie
, I have something for you.”

Vanko grinned and leaned down. Elana placed her lips lightly against his and traced the seam of his mouth with her tongue. He opened to her gentle, seeking touch and let her control the kiss. She thrust her tongue into his mouth and played tag with his. The kiss escalated from innocent to hot in less than a few seconds and threatened to revive his recently satisfied cock. Elana was dangerous to his vow to keep his libido under control.

When she broke off the kiss, her face was pink with arousal. Vanko rubbed his nose over hers, and even that light touch had his cock twitching. “Do that when you’re no longer injured, and you’ll find yourself flat on your back and my cock in your pussy before you can say
da
.”

“
Da.
” Elana brushed another kiss over his lips.

He pulled away from her too eager lips. “No,
milaka.
Later…”
much later,
“…we’ll play all you want, but not now.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Then she turned and walked with her cute naked rump swaying with each step into the bedroom.

Vanko shook his head and chuckled. His angel was a tiny bit of a tease. “God, I’m so lucky,” he muttered as he dried himself off and slipped on the clean boxers and T-shirt he’d brought into the bathroom.

He’d planned for them to sleep naked again in order for her to get used to him. But after their earlier foreplay and then with what had happened in the shower and afterward, it would be better if he kept a layer or two of clothing between them. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to keep from taking her if they slept in the nude—especially since she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He’d slip her into one of his T-shirts after he changed her dressing, and he’d keep his boxers on in bed.

* * * *

Monday, December 5th, 8:30 A.M. (EST)

Changing the bandage had eroded what was left of Elana’s reserves. Vanko had managed to get her to take a pain pill along with a couple of sips of orange juice. He’d hand fed her two bites of a breakfast bar before she began to slump in the chair at the small dining table. By the time he’d carried and tucked her into bed, she’d been sound asleep. She now lay on her good side; her lush body covered in only one of his T-shirts and curved around several pillows with even more pillows supporting her back.

Later, Vanko planned to crawl into bed and spoon her and catch a quick battle nap. He’d been running on too little sleep since he left New York on Saturday; he needed to catch up so he’d be at his best to protect his Elana.

He kept checking in with his gut and his more immediate early warning system, his neck. His neck wasn’t itching, so danger wasn’t imminent. But his gut told him, the enemy would find them eventually. He hoped to have the Chernovs as backup before either set of bad asses got close.

Vanko left the bedroom and went into the outer room. With the door ajar, he would hear Elana if she needed him. He had a call to make before he joined her.

Picking up one of the burner phones, he dialed Sanctuary to get a sit rep and to give them his. After the call was answered and he entered his code, he waited for the call to be relayed and scrambled on the other end. It was two hours earlier in Idaho, but someone would be up this early, even the day after Risto and Callie’s Sunday evening wedding. The security business was 24/7; someone was always on call to answer the phone.

“Vanko?” It was Tweeter’s voice.

“Yeah. You got stuck on-call while everyone else is sleeping off the wedding celebrations?”

“We have a six-month-old baby now. No one sleeps in anymore.” Tweeter laughed. “Ren is walking the floor in the Lodge great room since he and Keely let Callie and Risto have their house for more privacy. Do you need Ren?”

“Yeah…and you and Keely, if she’s available. I need to know how much of a cyber-trail I’ve left and who might be zeroing in on us.”

“You got it. Hold, I’ll get them.”

Vanko listened to a minor buzzing sound on the connection; it was a result of the security relay through the NSA satellite link. While he waited, he finished off his bagel and his yogurt.

“Vanko?” Ren’s voice came over the line and sounded tinny. “We’re on the speaker phone. Keely, me, and Tweeter are here. Tweeter said you were concerned you might’ve left a trail.”

“Not for a normal hacker I haven’t, but the men pursuing us aren’t your run-of-the-mill thugs.” Vanko sighed. “At the Virginia hotel…I fucked up. Cameras could’ve caught the Russian ambassador’s limo as we were picked up.”

“Yes, a minor concern
if
MacLean is still using NSA to try to trace you,” said Ren. “Keely and Tweeter are on it now. It will be erased momentarily.”

“I should’ve…”

Ren cut him off. “No, we all should’ve thought of it. It’s not your fault. You were reacting to a fast, fluid, and dangerous situation with little resources or prep time.”

“That’s no excuse. I’m trained to react to such situations. If my fuckup brings MacLean down on us, I’ll be very pissed,” Vanko growled. “Not much I can do about Demidas. He already knows we entered and left the Russian ambassador’s residence.”

Ren grunted. “I hear ya. How’s Elana?”

“She’s in pain, but denying it. She’s tired. I gave her enough pain meds to help her sleep. The surgical glue is holding the wound closed, and there are no signs of infection.”

“That’s good,” Ren said. “I spoke to Elana’s uncle, Alek Chernov, on Sunday evening after she spoke with him. He and his brothers are on a flight this morning, direct to Chicago Midway. Weather permitting, they should be at Callie’s condo by noon, Chicago time.”

“We won’t be there until later in the week. We could try to make it sooner, but I pushed really hard to get us this far. Both Elana and I need rest. Her uncles might have to come to meet us in Indiana somewhere. My gut wants the backup. What’s your ETA?”

“I trust your gut. They want her safe, so they’ll meet you wherever you tell them. As for our arrival,” Ren snorted, “we’re still looking at a late Wednesday or early Thursday departure. Even polar bears would go to ground for the storm heading our way. Plus, we haven’t completely dug out from the last storm.”

Vanko knew those storms. The neck of Idaho was a wild and wooly place at times. “Don’t take any risks. With the Chernovs backing me, we should be good.” After a slight pause, he asked, “Where’s the fucker…MacLean? CNN didn’t have many details.”

“The guy’s a ghost. We’re fairly certain he’s out of the country by now. The Feds are digging through intel provided by his former girlfriend.” Ren then grumbled, “Former patsy is more like it. He left her high and dry and holding a bag full of treasonous acts. She was his source in the NSA. Homeland has her in custody. They’ve given her immunity from the death sentence, and she’s telling them all she knows about MacLean. General Cowan is sending us updates and has officially asked SSI to find MacLean and to continue to protect Elana as a material witness.”

“Good.” Now SSI could officially assist in protecting her from Demidas since she was important to an SSI client. “When we find MacLean, I want on the team that goes after his ass.” But only after he had Elana safely ensconced in his home.

Vanko took a sip of his coffee. “Can’t figure MacLean gave much away to his lover. He was successful at living a double life for a very long time.”

Ren snorted. “She told her interrogators she’d thought MacLean used the intel she provided for legitimate DIA purposes. But she wasn’t all that naive, since she is providing information that tells me she wanted a handle on her lover if he turned on her.”

“Since he left her holding the treason card, she had good instincts. So, she snooped?” Vanko asked.

“Yeah.” Ren chuckled. “She wanted to marry him. But was afraid he was sleeping around. So she poked through his shit to see if was unfaithful.”

“And was he sleeping around?” Vanko asked, his curiosity roused. Real life was often far more interesting than fiction most days.

“Oh fuck yeah.” Ren’s laugh was harsh. “She has dates, times, pictures of meetings he went to, some personal, but far more were connected to his treasonous activities. Homeland, the FBI, and DIA are shitting their collective pants, they’re so excited. She even has bank accounts held under various aliases and holding companies. The bastard has no clue about any of this. Under our contract with the DIA, Keely and Tweeter have watches on all the accounts, including credit cards and lines of credit, with the ability to freeze them at a moment’s notice under the terrorism statutes. If he accesses any of them, we’ll get him. The General wants us to find MacLean first. He wants Defense to have the credit for bringing him in.”

“It never pays to sleep around on your woman. Women don’t get mad, they get even,” Keely chimed in. “By the way, how are you and Elana getting along? Her Uncle Alek asked me all sorts of nosy questions about your lady friends since you left Interpol. I told him you were monogamous and a gentleman and completely unattached.”

Vanko had to smile. “Thanks,
Keelyulya.
Elana and I are
very
close, and that’s all I’ll say for now.” He took another sip of his coffee. “No matter what happens over the next few days, I’ll be bringing Elana to Sanctuary to live.” As in forever. “So you’ll have another woman to talk to.”

Keely squealed, and it sounded as if she clapped her hands. “Yay, she can stay in the Lodge. We’ve tons of room now that Risto and Callie won’t be living here.”

“Elana will stay in my house,” he said.

“Okay, gotcha.”

Vanko could hear the smile in Keely’s voice, then he asked, “I thought Risto wanted Callie living in the Lodge for the time being?”

“That was the plan,” Keely said, “but Callie convinced Risto to let her move to Michigan once she’s past the first trimester of her pregnancy. So, I can use more estrogen on the property. Is she nice? Your Elana?”

“Sprite,” Ren sounded exasperated, “leave Vanko alone.”

“It’s okay, Ren. Elana is more than nice.” Vanko smiled as he thought of all that Elana was and what she’d come to mean to him in such a short period of time. “Think of her as another pair of research hands for SSI. She’s too intelligent to sit around and do nothing until the babies come along.”

Keely laughed as Ren said, “Babies? Man, you’ve only known the woman for about forty-eight hours. I can see bringing her here to get to know her better, but you’re already talking family?”

“How long did it take you, boss?” Vanko chided. “I challenged your claim of
Keelyulya
the same day you met her.”

“Yeah, forget I said anything.” Ren chuckled. “My sprite is giving me the evil eye for even asking such a foolish question.”

“And so she should.” Vanko pulled over Elana’s laptop which he’d turned on before making the call. “Have Keely and Tweeter set up a secure satellite access yet? I have Elana’s laptop running. She has excellent security programs.”

“Set it up last night or rather early this morning,” Tweeter said. “Log into your SSI e-mail box. There are intelligence reports and our analysis of them already in your box. Also, I need you to send me the codes the DIA gave you for Elana’s GPS the tracker…just in case. I also e-mailed instructions on how to get to Callie’s townhouse if you do decide to head for Chicago.”