He’d known better. Had caved to his koroleva’s desires rather than listen to his instincts. Had made too many assumptions about their opponent and failed to put enough men on standby. For all of those reasons, he deserved to suffer. To bleed until he could bring Bonnie home.
In the mirror opposite him, Evette stepped into the doorway of Sergei’s private gym, leaned one shoulder against the jam and crossed her arms against her chest. “I don’t think this is what the doctor meant by rest.”
Roman ignored her and kept punching, every impact jolting lightning bolts up his arms.
“Roman, seriously. You’ve got a concussion. A really bad one. If you want to be ready when Kir and Knox figure out who’s behind this, you need to calm down and rest.”
With a roar and a wide hook, he nailed the bag one last time and spun on his vor’s wife. “I will not rest.”
Evette didn’t even flinch, just looked at him with a droll stare that said his anger didn’t faze her. “Won’t, or can’t?”
“What difference does it make?”
She shrugged and straightened. “I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But it seems to me now is a smart time for self-awareness. I guarantee you, Bonnie’s already suffering because she knows she flew off the handle. We don’t need you doing the same.”
“She is not to blame. I am.”
With a sigh, she padded forward, grabbed a hand towel from the neatly stacked pile near the weights and tossed it to him. “Of course, you’d see it that way. You being the big strong man and all.”
He caught the towel just before it smacked him in the face, but let it dangle from his grip. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That you’re kinda being a thick-headed goof, that’s what.”
His head snapped back and the gruesome headache that had plagued him ever since he’d woken on the asphalt to find Bonnie and the van gone sent shards of pain through his temples and neck. Bohze, but the women in this family were fearless. Too much so at times. “It is my job to protect my woman. No one else’s.”
“Yeah, but you can’t protect people from themselves.” She stopped right in front of him. “Bonnie said it herself—she was either going to do this with you or without you. You chose the lesser of two evils and did the best you could.”
“I could have stopped her.”
“Maybe. But you’d have risked her resenting you. And let’s not kid ourselves. This job was big. Sergei said whoever was behind it, can’t be from around here. They were thorough, well armed and well trained, and you guys have already shut down anyone in Louisiana or Texas with those capabilities. If they hadn’t gotten Bonnie this time, they’d have found another approach and maybe put more of us at risk.”
Roman tried to process what she was saying, but his mind wouldn’t focus. His body was too strung out. Too wired to do anything but keep moving. “You are trying to console my conscience, but it is not that straightforward.”
“Okay, then try this on for size. How the hell are you going to be ready to deal with whatever we’ve got in front of us to get her back if you’re wasted physically from beating the crap out of that bag?”
She was right. Logically, he knew it. Acknowledged that they were dealing with a far savvier crew than he’d engaged with the first night Bonnie had been attacked.
But the pain twisting his insides was intolerable. A torture unlike anything he’d ever experienced. His voice cracked when he spoke. “I must do something.”
“Fine, then go check on Luke or Sam. Or just keep moving around the house if you can’t stay still, but don’t wear yourself out before it’s time. You’re going to need your energy and a level head.”
His chest rose and fell on each heavy exhalation, and the nausea he’d yet to shake roiled in his stomach. “Has Kir said anything?”
She shook her head. “He’s still locked down on a conference call with Knox in Sergei’s office, but as soon as he knows something, you’ll be the first one he finds.”
Which meant more waiting.
More time for his mind to conjure up what Bonnie might be facing alone.
“Roman.” Evette inched closer and placed her hand above his heart. “Bonnie is a strong woman. She’s had to be her whole life. If anyone can make it through this, she can. And frankly, I’d put good money on her driving whoever has her insane before it’s all over.”
The truth in Evette’s words struck deep. Enough so a begrudging smile tugged one corner of his mouth. His woman was fierce. Bold and brave. A queen in every sense of the word. Whoever had her wanted something and, until they had it, Bonnie would no doubt make them pay for what they’d done in her own unique way.
He nodded and wiped the sweat from his face. “You are right. I will shower and go to Luke and Sam.”
Evette smiled and opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it and followed the sound of his phone ringing from the side of the room.
Roman stalked to it.
Unknown number.
“Is it Kir?” Evette asked from behind him.
“No.” He slid his thumb across the screen to answer. “Hello?”
“Mr. Kozlov.” A man’s voice. One he didn’t recognize.
He faced Evette and for the first time since lunch the day before, his heart kicked with something not fueled by dread. “Who is this?”
The man cleared his throat. “I am the person who has someone you hold very dear.”
Roman turned to Evette and motioned for her to follow as he strode out of the gym to the main house. The fact that he kept his voice level while he ate up the precious distance to Sergei’s office was nothing short of a miracle. “You have Bonnie.”
“I do. She’s very...” The man paused a moment and a wry smile crept into his voice, “opinionated.”
Roman cut to the chase and stormed through the kitchen to the stairway beyond. “Release her to me unharmed, and I will spare you.”
It was a lie and, given the answering chuckle Roman received, the man knew it, too. “Come now, Mr. Kozlov. I am not like the amateurs you deal with every day. It may bolster your confidence to believe you can hurt me or my men, but we both know I’ve already proven that taking me out will be a challenge.”
Nearly to the top of the stairs, Roman growled his response. “Do not underestimate me. I have much experience when it comes to challenges.”
“Yes. You and your colleagues all hail from Russia and grew up in a life similar to mine. My men tell me you have quite a reputation as an assassin. But it is hard for you to kill someone you don’t know how to find, isn’t it?”