Page 35 of Blazing Embers

“I told you, it’s for your own safety,” the man repeats. When he finishes tying my hands, a black bag is slipped over my head.

“What the fuck!” I hiss as the man turns me and starts leading.

“Watch your step, sir,” he says politely, like he isn’t abducting me off the street.

Anger spurts through me. This is why Clyde chose this alley. No witnesses to my abduction. I’m going to fucking kill him.

A car door opens, and the chauffeur guides me in. “Watch your head.”

I’m shoved into a seat, and the door closes. I can sense someone’s in there with me. “Who are you and what the fuck is going on?”

The car takes off.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Dragunov,” the soft, feminine voice drifts over to me. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Like I had a fucking choice,” I point out. Then stop. I know that voice. “Black Widow.”

“What do you know about the Black Widow?” she purrs.

“That she’s a cold-blooded killer for the Russian Government,” I answer. “Called the Black Widow because you’re said to be a widow maker. Once someone is on your list, you may as well say goodbye to your life, and be careful what you consume, as her weapon of choice is poison.” I pause and frown. “Is that what this is about? You want me to wrap Tara up in a bow and hand-deliver her to you. I know you’ve been sent to find her.”

She sighs. “If the Black Widow wanted Tara dead, Mr. Dragunov, she would’ve been already, and preferably before the two of you met.” I can feel her leaning closer to me, and there is a smugness in her voice as she says softly. “The Black Widow might be many things, but she won’t kill children, ormothers carrying them. Unlikesomesloppy spies.”

I know there’s meaning I’m supposed to grasp somewhere in her words by the way she annunciated some of them. “What is that supposed to mean? That the only reason Tara is alive is because she was pregnant?” A terrible, sick feeling roils my gut. “Did you orchestrate her miscarriage?” Anger starts to ignite. “Why point me in the direction of Tara’s and Irina’s patient files at the fertility clinic if you wanted to get rid of my child?”

“I’m not the one who orchestrated that miscarriage, no,” she tells me. “That was a surprise twist in a very cunning plot that surprised even me.”

“You’re talking in riddles,” I hiss. “What do you mean, cunning plot?”

“I think you need to speak to Tara about that.” Her voice is flat. “And as for your meeting with Clyde, I need to inform you that he was never going to show up. He wanted you waiting for him in that alleyway where a few of his men were watching you.”

Anger swishes through me. Fuck, that bastard Clyde set me up and my skin prickles. “He’s after Tara.” My gut clenches. “And you picked me up to ensure I didn’t get back to her so he could take her, I’m guessing.”

“No, that is not why I picked you up. It was time for us to have a little chat in person.” She denies her part in Clyde’s plan to get Tara. “But my men did intercept the men Clyde sent to keep youbusyin the alley and stop him from getting to Tara.” She pauses. “We stopped himthis time.”

“I could have done that myself if I hadn’t been lured into this setup, and I am confident that Konstantin, who is with Tara right now, wouldn’t have let Clyde get near her.”

“Do you know who Nurse Vera Sokolov is?” the woman asks me.

“Should I?”

“She got to Tara with your man Konstantin there.” Her words make my spine stiffen and heart slam into my ribs.

“I swear to God if anything has happened to Tara…” I fume.

“Relax, she’s a tiny woman in her late sixties. She’s not going to carry Tara out of there or take on that hulking friend of yours.” I hear the shuffle of papers. “But she’s a loyalist to the one all the test Jewel Initiative test subjects call Mother and will doanythingfor her.”

I don’t like the way she enunciates anything, and it makes me go cold. “Tara better be okay or I’m holding you accountable as you abducted me when I should be there looking after her myself.”

“Tara is safe, for now,” is her reply.

“What do you want, lady?” I don’t mask my impatience. “You could’ve just called and told me that Clyde set me up. You could’ve also discussed all this over the phone as well. Even a text message would’ve done.”

She sighs. “I know I’m wasting my breath saying this, but Tara isn’t safe in Russia. Especially not under the name Lidiya Zorin.”

“I wasn’t going to marry her as Tara Craft.”

“Of course not,” her voice is filled with sarcasm. “Because the great Ruslan Dragunov is untouchable and can do what he damn well pleases and to hell with the consequences or the people who have worked hard to keep her safe.”

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