Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

C aroline

I'll never forget the first time I'd snuck out of my parents' house. I'd been fifteen, longing to be twenty-one, determined to go to a party with my friends.

That had included Sofiya at the time.

Even then she'd been a bad influence, a girl who got away with far too many things in her life. But God, I'd admired her spunk and her methods of sneaking around behind her father's back. I'd always wondered how she'd managed to lose her bodyguards, who seemed attached to her at the hip.

Today I was going to try to find out.

The night at my parents' house had turned out to be a mistake.

And a disaster.

Maybe part of the reason I hated storms so much was the fact that on the night in question, a raging storm had been going on outside. I'd believed, like the stupid girl I'd been, and likely still was, that the noise and severity of the storm would keep my parents from finding out I'd crawled out of my bedroom window onto the roof of the front porch.

What I hadn't counted on was that given the heavy rain, the shingles would be slippery. The moment my foot had given way, I'd fallen hard on my ass before tumbling toward the edge of the porch where I'd attempted to grab the gutter.

Well, they certainly hadn't been attached securely. While the fall I'd taken hadn't been life threatening, only my ankle receiving a painful sprain and bumps and bruises covering parts of my body, it had been my father's reaction that had been a stark reminder he was master of the house.

He'd taken away my phone and my internet. He'd insisted either he or Mom drop me off and pick me up at school and there'd been no after-school activities. None. I hadn't gone to the homecoming dance that year or any of the holiday events.

Had I learned my lesson?

Hell, no. I'd simply gotten much more creative with my lies, which was likely one reason I was so good at pretending to be Pink Flamingo and not Caroline Randall.

As Vadim remained outside the locked door, I had to put on the performance of my life. That included acting more hurt than I was.

Yes, Daniella's words stung. There was no way around it, but I tried to put myself in their shoes. Finding out a girl basically their same age was having a passionate tryst with their father wouldn't be easy for anyone.

Later, I could get pissed. The window to try to find info while helping Joshua was short. He'd wanted me to meet him in a little less than an hour. I had to work quickly if I wanted to do that undetected.

I'd caught a break, noticing the room he'd nonchalantly tried to ignore while I'd gleaned as much information as possible before he'd closed it off.

I was a bit of a novice when it came to the various types of security systems. I'd never expected to find myself literally breaking into anyone's home or business. I wasn't that kind of thief.

However, in doing my research, I'd learned that there were some highly effective and entirely different systems that were virtually undetectable. With the money I knew Vadim had made, he could more than afford the cost. But if I could get in, I could at minimum temporarily turn it off, which would allow me time to leave in my car.

I had the keys. He hadn't thought to take them away up to this point. Was it possible I would be chased? Yeah, but I'd paid some attention to the soldiers outside and their schedules. Their actions and shift in personnel were like clockwork, true military precision.

If my luck continued, I might have a few minutes to get away clean.

Was that even possible? Well, I was determined to try.

A nervous laugh was already bubbling to the surface. I'd been alone for a couple of hours, which was a long time to be pacing the floor.

"Are you okay?" Vadim asked.

"I'm perfectly fine." I opened the door, noticing the look of relief on his face. "I'm sorry about what happened." He was the picture of testosterone, so handsome in a dark gray suit and power red tie that my breath was taken away. "You're all dressed up." I don't know why I said the words or even made the statement. I'd seen him mostly dressing to the nines my entire life. However, there was a difference in his outfit, including the use of a pocket square. I didn't even know men did that any longer.

"I have business that requires immediate attention. You have no need to be sorry. None. Daniella should never have acted that way."

"She had every right. You should have talked to her before Sofiya told her. That way it wouldn't have been a complete shock when she came in and saw us together. I am their age. I was the girl playing in the pool with them while the adults were drinking frosty beverages and treating us like the kids we were."

"Ouch. You make me sound old."

I shifted to his tie, correcting the knot where it should be. When I patted his chest, the moment felt awkward. He was also wearing strong men's aftershave that reeked of power.

"You're not old, Vadim, but this is reality. You need to be a little understanding with both of them. They are your daughters." I wanted to offer advice, but I also needed to get him out of the house.

He smirked but his eyes were glistening. "You're offering me parental advice?"

"Well, I do think you need something to help you navigate the treacherous waters."

He burst into laughter. "I'll accept that. I need to head off. Francois is coming by in an hour or so to take you to the secure location I mentioned. I'll join you there later. That's as long as you're certain you're going to be alright."

"Stop worrying. How many times do I need to tell you that I'm a big girl?'

His nostrils flared. "You certainly don't need to do that." He cupped my face, his hold possessive. "I don't need to remind you that the situation is still extremely dangerous."

"I know. I'm not going to do anything stupid. Okay? Stop worrying."

"Sometimes I think what I do best is worry." He pulled my head closer, kissing the top. "I'll meet you later and we'll at least enjoy dinner out."

"Okay. I'd like that. Be careful, Vadim."

"Why are you saying that now?"

"I dunno. I just have a bad feeling."

He backed away but his eyes continued to sweep mine. What exactly was he searching for? I wasn't at the point I wanted to ask. "Stop worrying about me, enchanted one. Not only am I a very big boy, but I've been handling dangerous men my entire life."

"That doesn't mean you're invincible."

"Maybe I am a vampire."

While he was trying to be light, I was more nervous than before. "Maybe so. Although I've yet to feel your bite."

"Oh, you will. You will."

When he finally headed toward the stairs, I found myself still yearning for him, even hanging in the doorway. For all the fantasies I'd had, all the fairytale endings I'd read about, I knew this wasn't going to be one of them.

My heart still ached, perhaps more so than before. But I had work to do, something I was damn good at.

I didn't need his experts to help me find anything.

I was determined to do so on my own.

After closing the door, I leaned against it, praying I'd been convincing enough. Fortunately, the room he'd given me was in the front of the house. I waited by the window until I noticed him finally driving away. I closed my eyes, a breath I'd been holding escaping.

I grabbed my keys from where I'd hidden them, shoving them into my pocket and opening the door. One advantage I had was that he didn't post guards inside the house. The disadvantage was that if I tripped some silent alarm, he might have on his command center, I'd be screwed.

With no time to waste, I bounded down the stairs. The first goal was to find out how to open the protected room.

I'd seen enough spy movies to think maybe, just maybe there was a small button somewhere inside his office that allowed access. I quickly moved to the bookcase, feeling under every shelf, even pulling a few books from there to see if the simple action triggered the opening.

Nothing.

Where would I put it if I were Vadim? On or near his throne, meaning his desk and massive leather chair. Rushing toward it, I sat down, scanning the surface of his desk before starting to open the drawers. Damn it. I could still find nothing. I would soon need to abandon the crazy idea.

I sat back, taking a deep breath and twisting in his office chair. Something convinced me to feel under the thin ledge of his desk once again. I noticed a blip in the wood, like an imperfection. Yet when I pressed my finger on it, not only did it yield but the bookcase swung open.

I'd been shocked the man had left it open for any length of time, but it had all been for my benefit.

Now let's see if I could work my magic.

Ten minutes later, I believed I'd bought myself time, fifteen minutes to be exact. It would appear there was a failsafe on the system that could be temporarily disabled but would automatically be turned back on in a few minutes' time.

I pushed on the case, thankful it closed without me having to waste more time and raced from the room. Dear God, my window was getting shorter. I glanced out the windows, searching for any visible men. There were none. At least I could say I was enjoying some fresh air. Right?

Sure, they'd buy that. I was careful in my steps, making my way to my car without seeing anyone. When I slipped inside, I was jittery as hell, far too lightheaded.

I was no freaking James Bond, but I was happy my luck was continuing.

When the engine acted as if it wasn't going to roll over, I became angry. Furious. This had to work.

I tried again, glancing from one mirror to the other before daring to press down on the accelerator. Now I had to pray that I could save the day.

There were such things as female heroines. Right?