Target: Hard Target Part 14

"Is it working?"

"I'm impressed," I admit.

"Wait until you feel what I have planned next," he says, before lowering his mouth to mine once more.

Chapter Eleven.

Benjamin With the promise to return as soon as possible, I leave Morgan in bed and make my way to Grandfather's library.

"We have much to discuss," I announce, walking inside. "I've gotten more information from my source since I've arrived."

Dmitry is seated at a conference table, near the middle. My grandfather is at the head and two of his right hand men sit on either side of him. Peter, my grandfather's technical guru, has set up several laptops.

"Please take the lead, Ben," my grandfather says before taking a sip of tea. His manservant, Adam, stands nearby, ready to get him whatever he needs.

"The Wraith Organization is no longer at near extinction. They have been resurrected."

"By your father," Grandfather says. "He had planned to use them to topple me."

"Now, they've decided to go into the pandemic virus business. For a cut of the profits, they will spread the virus via a third party buyer, but will allow PharmGen to come to the rescue with a miracle cure. It will be an infection worse than Ebola or any bird flu."

"But since Vladimir is dead, a new leader is in place, and we have to stop them." I turn to Grandfather. "I understand if you don't want to get involved in this, but I will take them down."

"Are you certain you can stop it?" Dmitry asks.

I nod. "Absolutely."

Grandfather sets down his tea cup. "Whatever you need to take this organization out, I will supply."

"Thank you." I bow my head. "We have two days time in order to procure a facility that can ma.s.s produce the vaccine in case we don't stop the buyer. I spoke with Roman on the way here and he's already contacted Sebastian Romanov, who has agreed to help us."

"Very good," Grandfather says. "This is how family should be."

"And what if family is the head of Wraith," Dmitry asks "What, then?"

"We do what we must," I say. "No matter what. This is greater than all of us. No one will be spared with this virus. No one at all. Rich, poor...nationality. The virus does not care."

Dmitry nods. "I will see to transportation." He stands, nods at our grandfather and leaves the room.

Grandfather stares at me thoughtfully. "You might not like who's behind the curtain, Benji."

"Honestly, Grandfather, I don't give a d.a.m.n who's behind it."

I don't miss the proud smile that kicks up the corners of his mouth before I leave the room.

It's nearly dinnertime when I see Morgan again. Apparently, Grandfather kept her distracted with a personal ma.s.seuse.

"The woman had magic hands, Ben. Almost as good as yours," she says, stepping into the shoes I bought her.

"I'm glad." Offering her my elbow, I say, "I had the chef prepare us a private dinner."

With a pleased and curious smile, she takes it. "Are we going on a real date?"

"Absolutely."

I lead her to a small room that faces the Crow Mountains. The south side if entirely made of gla.s.s, giving us a rather stunning view of their snow capped tops.

She gasps. "It's like a winter wonderland."

"I thought you might like it."

There is a table for two placed near the wall of gla.s.s. I escort her over and pull out her chair. She sits, her head turning this way and that as she takes everything in.

"Your grandfather never took me in this room."

I sit across from her, then signal the butler to start serving us. "It holds bittersweet memories for him."

Her brows shoot up. "Oh? Can you tell me or is it a family secret?"

"This is where he and Grandmother were married."

She lets out a dreamy sigh. "I hope it was snowing."

"Russia in springtime is glorious, mllaya moyna."

Taking a sip of champagne, she merely smiles.

"They didn't have an easy time of it, Grandfather and Grandmother." I run a finger across the rim of my gla.s.s. "She was a Rom. A gypsy. His parents were horrified he would stoop so low to marry someone so common."

"They sound as awesome as my granny."

"Her parents weren't exactly approving of the match either."

"So what happened?"

"The usual-they meet, fall in love, defy the odds, and live happily ever after... for a while anyway."

"Did you ever meet her?"

"No, she died while giving birth a girl. The baby didn't survive either." I can only imagine how helpless Grandfather felt.

Her blue eyes turn sad. "I'm sorry."

"He never fell in love again." I laugh a little, but there is no joy in it. "Instead he devoted himself to his family, to making the Romanovs an empire worthy of respect."

"That sounds lonely."

"How so? He was surrounded by us, by those who loved him."

"But you weren't your Grandmother." She takes a deep breath. "That's the kind of love no one could replace."

As our first course is served and Morgan becomes so full of life that my heart aches, I know that she is my irreplaceable love.

Chapter Twelve.

Morgan The next morning while Ben is with his cousins, I go to Dmitri's office to speak with him. My new shoes make a satisfying click each time the heels connect with the marble floors.

When I get to his office, I knock on the door and wait.

"Come in Morgan."

With a smile, I enter. Dmitri is wrapped in furs, seated directly in front of a fireplace. His feet are propped up on a stool while two ginormous dogs doze near him on either side. Their ears perk up and at least one eye opens on each, but they're used to me now, and after that initial glance, they don't bother to move.

"I wanted to ask a favor," I say as I come to stand in front of him.

His smile falls slightly. "I will not let you leave."

"Oh, I don't want to leave."

"This is good to hear."

"I want to give Ben a present. Something that can help keep him safe."

Dmitri leans forward slightly. "Tell me more."

I show him my ring and explain why I'm wearing it. "I'd like to give him something similar, only... I'm not sure he'd want a ring. He's not big on jewelry." That stupid flash drive still hangs around his neck. The only time he takes it off is when we're making love or in the shower.

"I think a ring is a fine idea." He nods. "Peter can make it for you, put a tracker in the design."

"Really? That would be... ah, yeah, this is where the favor would come in. I don't really have much money and it's not like I can go to an ATM to get some cash. So... I need to know how I can pay you back. I'm fully amenable to loans. My credit is stellar."

He gives me a strange look and my face heats. Okay, so the lady who's ID I stole has stellar credit, but I'm not about to admit that to him.

"You must promise me that you will marry Ben."

Dmitri would pick the one thing that will never happen. "Loans aren't a thing in Russia?"

"I won't loan my future granddaughter money, but I will give it to you... in the form of a ring."

"If I marry Ben."

He shrugs. "I want more great-grandchildren."

"You know he can have those for you, without me."

"Then she can ask for the favor." He closes his eyes and settles into his chair. The stubborn man means it, too.

That crafty old man would give my granny a run for the money. "Fiiiine. I'll marry your grandson." I cross my fingers as I make my promise. "As soon as this is over with and we're all safe." Now that I know what we're dealing with, I want to help as much as possible while protecting Ben.

"And give me great-grandchildren."

I raise a brow. "That's pus.h.i.+ng it."

His eyes open. "Adoption is perfectly acceptable. I'm a huge fan myself."

"You are?" I ask, scrunching my nose.

"I adopted Ben... and his brother, Roman."

Color me shocked. "Do they know?"

"One day they will, when the time is right." He gestures to the chair beside him. "Sit and talk with me for a while. It's not often that this old man is in the company of a beautiful woman."

Twisting my lips, I sit down beside him. One of his huge dogs gets up and puts his large head in my lap. I stroke his soft fur while the fire pops and crackles.

"Why didn't their parents want them?" I finally ask.

"My son was selfish. Their mother... she had no other choice. Her family had no love for us."

"Did you make her give them to you?"

He shakes his head. "I wouldn't do that, but I did make her leave Koyla with me when it became clear her family wouldn't let her care for him. Unfortunately, I didn't find out about Benji until it was almost too late. He was barely five and was the size of a two year old when he came to live here. There were marks all over his body. It's why his skin is free of tattoos."

My skin begins to crawl. "That's... I... horrible."

"I bought him from his guardians. Then when he was older, I taught him how to kill them," he says matter of factly. "The only way a man can confront his demons is head on."

"No argument from me there."

He regards me for so long that I start to squirm in my seat. It's almost like he's trying to read my mind... or already knows everything I have ever thought in my life. "My sources say that your upbringing was rather unpleasant."