Maximus (Guardian Security Shadow World #15)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

E lena sat in the grass while Max bought them sweets and tea from a vendor about ten feet away. They’d spent the morning at the Sochi Arboretum. The expansive gardens were beautiful and hosted a variety of plants from all over the world. The scents were amazing, and the colors were things she’d hold in her mind’s eye as she tried to paint the memories. They’d taken the cable car to the top of the hill and had a picnic lunch while they enjoyed the unending view of the mountains, the sea, and the city of Sochi.

Max in a suit was something to behold, but Max wearing jeans and a henley was just about the sexiest thing in the world. The fabric pulled across his wide shoulders and outlined the powerful form that the suit had hidden. She accepted the paper cup holding her tea and a napkin with a fancy chocolate with a creamy pistachio filling.

She sighed and closed her eyes.

“Happy?”

She finished the candy and nodded. “Yes, this has been the best day. I’ve lived here for almost four years and never went to the arboretum or up to the top of the hill on the cable car.”

“I know what you mean. There are plenty of sights and places I haven’t experienced in New York. It seems like life can consume all your time, and people forget to pause and see what wonderful things are before them.”

She nodded in agreement and took a sip of her tea. “He’ll be back soon.”

“Abrasha?”

“Yes.” She glanced over at Max. “What do I need to do?”

“What do you normally do for a showing?”

She drew a breath and said, “We must go to Krasnaya Polyana tomorrow. I’ll inspect the rooms we will use and talk with the manager about additional security that Abrasha requires. My carpentry team will set up the backings, and electricians will run the lighting the next day. The art is exclusively from Abrasha’s Sochi compound. The paintings will arrive the day before the showing. We’ll stay there and ensure the placement is perfect. The lodge is responsible for security, although Sokolov and his people will be there whenever Abrasha arrives and during the transportation of the art.”

“Do you need to crate it before it is shipped?”

“No, that was done before I met you. Sokolov or his people will direct the transportation company to the crates, and they will follow the truck there.”

“And the night of the event?”

She laughed. “I stress. There always seems to be something that goes wrong. The caterer doesn’t have the right champagne, a string of lights goes dark, or Abrasha demands another painting shown at the last moment.” She shrugged. “But this time, I will be scared.”

“You will never be in danger.”

“I know. But what if I lose sight of the woman …”

“Val.”

She nodded. Val. Why couldn’t she remember the woman’s name? Lord. She was a nervous wreck already.

“It will be her job to keep close to you. Do what you normally do, but when she indicates it’s time to leave, do it. Make whatever excuses you need to make, but go.”

“Okay.” She glanced at him. “You’ll be okay?”

He smiled and winked at her. “You bet.”

“You’re so confident.” She dropped her head to his shoulder and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on her shoulders.

“Training,” he said, and she made a humming sound. That was why she was confident in her work. She was constantly learning. There was always some knowledge to glean from the past or current work in the field.

Her cell phone chimed, and she frowned and pulled it out of her purse. “Abrasha.” She answered it. “Yes?”

“I’ve changed the date of the shipment to Greece to tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” She glanced at Max. “The company came to pick them up the day before yesterday as was your directive.”

There was a long silence, and then he swore. “Can you get them back?”

“I could try. Is there a problem?”

“Someone wanted to inspect one of the paintings,” Abrasha mumbled something under his breath.

“When?”

“During the showing.”

“Even if I called them back now, they might not be back in time for that.”

Abrasha let out a low string of horrible words before he hung up.

She blinked and repeated the conversation to Max. “I’m not sure if I’m to turn them back or not?”

“Let’s go to the office.”

She sighed and accepted his hand. “See what I mean about last minute things going wrong?”

He chuckled and offered her his arm. “This isn’t a concern. By the time the paintings return or arrive in Greece, Abrasha won’t be worried about them.”

She glanced up at him. “No, he won’t, will he?” A lightness lifted her a bit, and she immediately felt horrid because she knew Abrasha wouldn’t live past the night of the showing, which was a heavy burden. She should be appalled by the thought. She should want to warn him and stop the violent swipe of justice from being dealt, but after reading the proof of his horrendous deeds, seeing the photos, and getting to know Max, she didn’t feel the need to warn the murderer. Did that make her a horrible person? Did it diminish her morality? Perhaps. But it was something she could live with.

“What are you thinking?” Max asked her as they walked.

“Hmm?” She glanced up at him. “Oh, I’m rationalizing my morality.”

He chuckled. “So, light thoughts, huh?”

She laughed softly. “I just can’t feel regret for being part of what you’re going to do. I wondered if that meant I was morally corrupt.”

“And what did you decide?” Max looked both ways before they crossed the street, heading back to her office.

“That he shouldn’t have done the crimes. He made the choices to do the atrocities he’s done. He should be held accountable for them.” Or, in that case, die because of them.

Max covered her hand that was tucked through his elbow. “He’s following us again.”

She sighed and shook her head. “Why?”

“We believe he’s fixated on you. When he roughed you up, it gave him some sense of exhilaration.”

She looked up at him and stumbled a bit. He caught her and put his arm around her. “You think he wants to hurt me again?”

“I do. But he won’t ever have the opportunity.” Max glanced down at her. “We’re almost at the end.”

“I know.” She paused, then asked, “You’re sure the canvases were taken out of the vault?” She couldn’t believe someone could bypass the alarms, remove the canvases, put them in a case, and take them out of one of the most secure places in Russia without anyone knowing.

“I’m positive. We should know tomorrow that they’re safe and who the artists are.”

“The fact that someone wants to see the paintings, do you think he’s already sold one of the canvases?”

“Probably. We’ll keep an eye out at the showing to ensure no one else from our watch list is involved.”

“Watch list.” She shook her head. “There are so many horrible people you have a list?”

“The world is full of people who seek power at any cost. My organization ensures those without voices, power, or means are protected and represented.”

She could imagine him at the forefront of that war. He was driven and so smart, and he was hers. That knowledge filled her with a peace she hadn’t felt before. “And you can do this from behind a computer?”

“I’m very good at what I do.” He chuckled. “Far better at that portion of the job than this.”

She glanced up at him. “And yet you said there were very few better than you at this portion of your job.”

“Correct,” he acknowledged.

“What do you think the odds of us meeting in any other way would be?”

“Would you like to do the math, or were you speaking hypothetically?” Max chuckled when she made a face at him.

“Don’t expect me to do the math. Two plus two has always equaled five in my book.” She faked a shiver. “I hate math.”

Max stopped at the office door, and she entered her code while he turned his back, ensuring Sokolov saw he was intentionally not looking, she supposed. After she opened the door and they entered the office, she felt Max’s hand on her shoulder, stopping her before she opened the interior door. “Someone’s been here. Don’t say anything until I clear the room.”

She nodded and opened the door. How did he know someone had been in the office? She frowned at him but went to her desk and picked up the phone to call the transport company. She pulled her drawer out and looked for her phone book—a small black ledger in which she’d put her contact numbers. Closing the drawer, she opened the one on the right. There it was. She held it up and stared at it. “How did you get in the wrong drawer?”

Max glanced over at her and nodded. He got the message. Someone had gone through her desk. After dialing the number of the contracted trucking company, she asked if they had a location on the truck. She was put on hold and watched as Max walked around the office, appearing to look at his phone as he wandered. He stopped by her desk and sat down. She smiled at him, and he winked at her, tapping the desk. She got it. There was a bug in her desk. When the trucking company came back online, she requested the direct and expedited return of the cargo. She powered up her computer and typed an email to Abrasha indicating she’d done as he’d asked while they chatted about their day. Max suggested dinner, and she agreed immediately. “I’m done here.”

She put the phone book into the correct drawer, turned off her computer, and they exited the office with little fanfare. As they walked down the sidewalk, she asked, “How many devices?”

“One. But as we aren’t returning to the office again, it’s of zero consequence.” He shrugged and held her hand as they walked across the street.

“How did you know someone had gone into the office?”

“Old school tech.” He chuckled. “I put a small thread in the joint of the door when we left. The thread was missing, so someone had entered and exited the office area.”

“It had to be Sokolov.” She shivered, and he tightened his grip on her hand. He’d noticed her reaction, and that warmed her in a way nothing else could. Max noticed everything about her, and that made the moment bearable. He was with her so she could examine Sokolov’s motives without feeling out of control. “I can’t … He’s crazy, isn’t he? Why would he want to hear what I say?”

“He’s always heard what you said. Remember the jamming device I put into the office?”

She blinked and stopped walking. “I thought that was a precaution.”

“No, that was a fix. I took it with us every night. I’m surprised it took him this long to plant another bug.”

“What about my apartment?”

“We’ll check it when we get there. Anything he can put in the apartment, I can circumvent.” Max squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Tomorrow, we’ll be in the mountains, and he won’t be there until Abrasha arrives.”

She nodded and smiled as Max bent down to kiss her. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked as he lifted away from her.

“For being here, for having a connection with me. For …”

“Loving you?” he asked, cocking his head to the left.

“It seems strange to say it, especially because we so recently met. Are we being foolish?” It hadn’t been all that long ago, yet it seemed she’d known him her entire life. She stepped closer to him. “But it doesn’t feel that way, and I don’t think time could change what I feel.”

“Or what I feel.” He smiled down at her. “Let’s get something to eat and then go home to pack for the event.”

She nodded and walked with him to their café. It was time to prepare for the show and the rest of her life.