Soldier Mine Page 18

  But at least they’ll have each other. Petr can help Todd heal from losing a sibling and watch over him.

  The sound a key in the door startles me. “Claudia.” Warmth fills me and just as quickly flees at Petr’s soft, dangerous voice.

  “Who is this, Claudia?” The Monster’s features grow harder. “I own you, bitch. If I find out –” He’s growing incensed, out of control once more. If both of us go down in flames, it’s one thing. But not Petr.

  “Petr, leave!” I shout. “Find Todd and go!”

  “Todd’s fine,” Petr comes into view. The expression on his face isn’t one I’ve seen before. It almost scares me. Calm and controlled, hard, without a drop of warmth. “He’s at my house.”

  I gasp. If I had known, I wouldn’t be here, and Todd and I could’ve been long gone by now. I clutch my chest with one hand, certain it’s going to explode from the emotions. “You son of a bitch!” I whisper at The Monster and begin crying once more, partially in relief and partially out of horror that I let him manipulate me again.

  Chapter Twenty One: Petr

  Claudia is losing it, and the man she calls The Monster isn’t far behind. His eyes glow with fury as he stares me down. It takes me all of two seconds to assess the situation is as volatile as the two people caught in the middle of it. They’re at a standstill, one that’s about to explode from emotions shortly before the gas-drenched apartment goes up in flames.

  I can’t think of Claudia right now or the fact she’s bleeding, hurt and sobbing. I’m in mission mode, with my focus being on defusing the situation before we all end up swallowed by a fireball.

  “Claudia, I need you to move this way,” I urge her in a low, calm voice.

  “No, Petr. You need to go. Take care of Todd.”

  “He needs you, sweetheart.”

  She blinks back tears and refuses to look at me, eyes on The Monster.

  “Sweetheart.” Jake mocks. His attention goes back to her. “How sweet. Maybe all of us should – ”

  “Get out of here, Jake!” she shouts.

  “We have unfinished business.” He takes a step towards her, and she grips the weapon with both hands.

  “No, we –”

  “Whoa, whoa,” I say. The two are growing more agitated, less likely to react out of reason. “I’m not leaving, Claudia. Jake, I think we need to have a little talk.”

  “Go, Petr!” Her eyes are glazed. “Please!”

  “Do it, bitch. Kill us all!” The Monster dares her.

  “I will kill you, Jake. I’ll –”

  Neither is listening, and I rack my mind for something to jar Claudia out of her emotional state so she responds to my commands rather than Jake’s psychological hold over her.

  “I came here to propose, but it looks like I’m a little late to the party,” I say loudly.

  The effect is instant. Claudia faces me and lowers her arm, mouth agape, while even The Monster appears taken aback. I use their surprise to my advantage and cross to her quickly, taking her arm. Her eyes are pinned to mine, and I hold her gaze.

  “Trust me,” I whisper.

  She hesitates but doesn’t resist when I pry the weapon loose from her hands. I ache to touch her but resist instead nudging her behind me while I face The Monster.

  The weapon is loaded. I release the magazine and toss it then pop the bullet out of the chamber. Throwing the bullet and pocketing the weapon, I face The Monster and stare him down.

  “Gun’s down. Now your lighter,” I order him. There’s furniture between us, or this fight would be over already. My prosthetic leg is incredible – but where it lags is agile maneuverability.

  “Not a chance.”

  “Claudia, go,” I say over my shoulder.

  “Petr-” she objects.

  “Don’t even think about it, Claud,” The Monster snaps and raises the lighter.

  “Go. Now,” I tell her softly. “He’s a coward. He won’t do anything. Take my phone and call the police.” I toss it to her. In a town this size, it’ll take less than three minutes for the police to arrive.

  “Claudia, I swear to god, if you don’t –”

  She shifts towards the door, hesitates and then pauses in the doorway, meeting my gaze briefly before disappearing into the hallway.

  “Claudia!” The Monster’s face blazes red. He starts to the door.

  I slide between him and the exit, assessing our positions once more. There’s still furniture between us. My prosthetic leg has been tested through an obstacle course and various sports, but I hesitate to tackle a solid armchair. If I mess up, I put her in danger. My best position is to stay between him and the door, and to wait for my chance.

  “Let’s see how brave you are,” The Monster says and draws a knife. He keeps the lighter in his hand. “You move, or we both go down in flames.”

  I laugh. “Been there. Done that. Didn’t enjoy the trip, but I survived.” I lean down to pat my leg with the weapon. The sound of metal on metal is unmistakable. “The question isn’t whether or not I’m ready for a return trip. It’s whether or not you can hang.”

  The Monster eyes my leg.

  I’ve met men like this before, those who prey on the weak because they can. Narcissistic sociopaths. The military draws that kind every once in a while. They’re brilliant killers when they have the upper hand but cowards to their cores. They’re the kind of men who run when ambushed, unlike the men on my team. Men like Sawyer, whose first mission as a commander lost four of the bravest men I’ve ever known. Men like Orion, whose minds broke when he tried to confront his demons.

  Men like Mikael who plunged into the flames to save me.

  The Monster is nothing like the kind of men I know, love and respect.

  “There’s only one way this can end,” I tell him almost gently. “And you don’t win. I know the feds have a warrant out for your arrest. Surrender peacefully, and you leave here on your feet, alive and well. Make a run for it, and I’ll do whatever I have to in order to stop you.”

  I hear the sounds of sirens. It’s hard to know the direction or proximity through the walls of the building. The Monster pauses, listening as well.

  “You’re just trying to stall me,” he mutters. Dropping the lighter in his pocket, he pulls out a second knife.

  “Maybe.”

  “I won’t go to jail. I have a better idea. I take out you and your tin leg and then go after Claudia and her brother.”

  “You can try,” I reply with a faint smile, my resolve solidifying as I realize he won’t go quietly. I toss the weapon. “You can have the first punch.”

  He steps around the armchair at last, and I lower my stance.

  The moment he’s close enough to swing, it’s over, knives or not. The Monster slashes at me. I knock his arm away, spin him and punch him hard in the side of the head. A blow like that scrambles a man’s brain, but he reacts anyway and lashes out once more.

  In all of three moves, he’s disarmed, staggering and clutching a bloodied nose. Subduing him will be easy. He gets in one blow, a punch that glances my cheek. He fights with emotion and fury, while I was trained to go to battle and rely on my instincts and training to assess, disarm and go on the offensive with discipline rather than emotion.

  It’d be easy to kill him. I have the training and there are no witnesses. Knowing how he hurt Claudia and Todd, I also have every reason in the world to ensure they never, ever run across this monster ever again.

  It also goes against my training and my honor as a good person. I’ve been raised in the military to use only what force is necessary, to preserve life where possible, to act out of noble reasons rather than personal ones.

  I can’t … I won’t do something I might regret, like kill a man who has no chance against me. But I will ensure he doesn’t track down Claudia anymore.

  I let The Monster get a couple more almost-punches in and then hit him hard with a punch to the throat and knee to the chest. While he gags and tries to breathe once more, I wra
p an arm around his shoulders and slam him backwards onto my metal leg. There’s a sickening crack of his spine, and then he screams.

  Dropping him, I stand over him for a moment, wanting to do more but determined to stay in control. There’s no need to tell him to stay away from my family. He’s not only headed to prison, but I doubt he’ll be able to walk again, either.

  With another look around at the apartment, I leave, unable to feel one ounce of empathy for the man who hurt Claudia. Three sheriff’s deputies are barreling down the hallway towards me. I recognize all of them from school or events we’ve hosted and raise my hands instinctively.

  “He’ll need an ambulance,” I say and point.

  “Go downstairs, Petr. We got this,” one of them says as he moves past me.

  I obey and exit into the cold night. Adrenaline keeps the wind from chilling me, and I circle the apartment building until I reach the flashing lights of police cars and an ambulance pulling into the parking lot.

  “Petr!” Claudia spots me immediately and barrels towards me, face wet with tears. She throws herself into my arms. Her hands are bloodied, the sleeve of one shirt soaked and her cheek smeared with red. “Are you okay?” She flutters kisses across my cheeks, crying.

  “I’m fine.” I hold her tightly and murmur into her hair, breathing in her scent. She’s shaking, and I smell blood and gasoline. Anger stirs, and I repress it with some difficulty. “He won’t be bothering you anymore.”

  “Todd?” she whispers.

  “Safe. With Sawyer and Baba,” I reply. I push her away to see her face. “We need to get you looked at,” I whisper.

  “I’m okay,” she replies.

  “Claudia, you’re not okay.” I cup her face with my hands. “I won’t leave your side, but we’re getting you checked out.” Before she can refuse again, I bend down, scoop her up and take her to the ambulance. The paramedics immediately begin tending to her, and I stand aside, watching.

  She’s calming down, the collected, cool woman I know her to be remerging. She looks at me a few times, and I smile each time in encouragement. My hands clench and release from their positions in my pockets. The urge to pull her into my arms and run away with her home is intense.

  They roll The Monster out shortly after. She stands automatically and twists her back to him, reaching out for me with her bandaged hands.

  I hug her, relieved to have her in my arms again. “Is she cleared to go?” I ask the paramedics hanging back.

  “She’ll need to see a doctor in the next day or so,” comes the response.

  “Petr, we’ll need statements,” calls one of the deputy’s escorting The Monster.

  “Come on by whenever you want,” I return with a quick smile. “We’ll be at my dad’s.”

  He waves. The police know my family as well as anyone else in town.

  “Come on, Claudia. Let’s go home,” I whisper to the shell-shocked woman in my arms.

  She nods.

  We get into my truck and leave the apartment building. Her cheek, hands and forearm are bandaged, and bruising is starting to form across her face from where he hit her.

  I’m starting to think I let The Monster off too easily. “You okay?”

  Chapter Twenty two: Claudia

  Alone in the car, the dangerous, hard edge vanishes from Petr. He’s unhurt, and his eyes are warm once more. His hand rests on my thigh, and he smiles, sensing I’m looking at him even though his eyes are on the road.

  “Yeah,” I manage. “You came.”

  “Of course I did.”

  The tears I blink away stem from neither pain nor fear this time. Relief, perhaps, or gratitude and happiness. “Is it over?” I can’t process my night or emotions. I saw them bring out The Monster on a stretcher. I don’t know what Petr did to him, but Jake was unconscious and strapped to a board.

  “It’s over.” Petr squeezes my hand. “I promise. For good. He will never bother you again.”

  I wipe my face and wince. It’s sore everywhere. My hands burn with warm pain. I’m going to be swollen and bruised tomorrow morning. I have the urge to curl up in the safety and strength of his arms and sob myself to sleep. Taking his hands, I kiss it and nuzzle it against my good cheek.

  “Thank you,” I whisper and swallow hard. “Thank you.” My voice cracks, and I squeeze his hand harder.

  Petr pulls the truck over. He takes me in his arms the best he can in the vehicle. I cling to him. His scent and warmth ground me and replace the terror of my night.

  “He said he had Todd,” I say, unable to shake the fear of my brother being in danger.

  “My fault. I picked him up after school. I should’ve let you know.”

  “No, Petr. You saved his life.” I lift my head to gaze at him. His features are hard to see in the dark interior.

  He kisses my lips gently and pushes hair from my face. “Are you okay, Claudia? Really?”

  “I will be,” I reply. “No one has ever helped us before, Petr.”

  “It’s what you do when you love someone,” he says and brushes kisses across my forehead, the one part of my face that doesn’t hurt.

  Love. Petr loves me. Warmth blooms in my chest. “You weren’t joking about proposing.”

  He laughs softly. “I hadn’t planned on doing it tonight. I wanted something a little more romantic than a hostage situation.” He tilts his head, considering. “Although, I think this fits my family’s way of doing things a little more than a normal proposal.”

  “Because Baba kidnapped your mother?” I give a watery smile at the story he told me.

  “Exactly.” Petr laughs again and hugs me.

  I close my eyes and snuggle against the heat of his skin making its way through his shirt. “Thank you a million times over.”

  “Thank you for trusting me.”

  We hold one another for several minutes before he withdraws. “We have all night to cuddle. Your brother was having a meltdown.”

  “Oh, sweet Todd,” I murmur and straighten. I put on my seatbelt and take his hand again.

  We drive in silence the short distance to his house. The front door cracks open when his truck shuts off, and I hastily exit the truck. Petr takes my hand, and we trot to the door. No sooner do I set foot in the door than Todd tackles me.

  “Claudia!” he exclaims. Petr braces me from behind as Todd barrels me over. He’s close to hyperventilating. “Are you okay? What happened? Where is The Monster? Did Petr kill him? What happened, Claudia?”

  I shush him and lean back against Petr, whose arms circle my shoulders. His strong body is steady behind me, my source of strength since mine is about to give out.

  “He won’t bother us again,” I whisper to Todd.

  “But you’re hurt.” My brother gazes into my face. The strain of tonight is on his features. He’s pale, his eyes rimmed with red from crying. “He hurt you.”

  “I’m okay, kiddo.” I ruffle his hair.

  He looks uncertainly at Petr behind me.

  “I promise,” Petr says in a low, quiet voice. “He’ll never bother you again.”

  “We don’t have to leave?” Todd asks me. “We can stay with Petr?”

  “Yep. We can stay with Petr,” I respond.

  Todd nods slowly, a flicker of light in his shadowed gaze, fully trusting the man who managed to capture my heart.

  I twist in Petr’s grip and wrap an arm around him and another around Todd. The three of us stand in the doorway and hold each other. Petr’s strong embrace engulfs both of us.

  This time, I know for certain it’s over. I contain the part of me that wants to weep out of appreciation and joy. My brother is already upset; I don’t want him breaking down.

  “Your sister needs to rest, Todd,” Petr whispers gently. “Do you want to hang out with Sawyer and watch movies?”

  Todd hesitates. He looks at my features again before nodding. “You need to rest, Claudia,” he says with some authority.

  I manage to smile. As if sensing how weak I am
, Petr keeps an arm around my midsection and walks with me towards the stairs and up to the second floor. We go to his room, and I hug him again.

  “C’mere. Let me have a look,” he says and moves us towards the couch. We sink down together. He lifts my chin to observe the damage and then peels up my sweater sleeve. A flicker of something dark and angry crosses his gaze.

  “I’m okay,” I assure him. “Just a little shaken.”

  “Claudia …” He drifts off and meets my gaze, one of his hands cupping my neck while the other is clutched between my two hands. “I swear to you. I’ll never let anything happen to you again.” The sincerity and gravity of his expression is humbling.

  “I know,” I say and squeeze his hand. “Petr, thank you. I can’t … can’t begin to tell you how you’ve changed my whole world. And Todd’s. You gave us hope and … and happiness and … as if those weren’t incredible enough … you confronted The Monster.” The tears are starting again. This time, I don’t try to stop them. “I never thought … or hoped … or dreamed …” I can’t talk anymore. The emotions choking me are too intense. I make an attempt to swallow them.

  “It’s over, Claudia,” he whispers fiercely. Petr is watching me with warmth in his gorgeous eyes. Light and shadows from the lit hearth dance across his features. I’ve never met anyone so beautiful in body or spirit. I spread kisses over his face, no longer able to tell him what I need to say. Petr wraps his arms around me and hauls me against his muscular frame.

  “I love you, Petr.”

  “Enough to bring me hot coffee next time I visit you at the diner?”

  I give a half laugh, half sob that hurts my throat. “Yes!”

  “Then we definitely have something good going on here.” He lifts me and carries me to the bed. Petr climbs in with me and cuddles close, my chest pressed to his and his arms holding me tightly. “Get some rest, Claudia,” he murmurs. “We’ve got our own story to tell Baba in the morning.”