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Chapter 29
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The Darkest Hour Chapter 30
Royce was watching out the window as the private jet landed on the airstrip outside of Kyakhta. Kenzie and Elena were still close to him. For some reason Vadym had left them alone after he'd given Royce one hell of a beating. Perhaps it was some kind of mind game, allowing him to sit and think about what he had to lose if he didn't cooperate.But now that the plane had landed, Vadym would want his fossils. It went against everything Royce believed in to use his professional reputation to lie, but Royce wanted to live. More importantly, he wanted to protect Kenzie and Elena. The best way to do that was to play along with Vadym until a chance to fight presented itself or the cavalry showed up.Vadym came up to Royce, a cold smile on his lips. "Now, Dr. Devereaux, this way." He jerked his head toward the plane door, indicating it was time to go.Royce gritted his teeth but followed Vadym out of the plane. A truck of Russian officials was waiting for them."Royce?" Kenzie stuck close t
The Darkest Hour Chapter 31
The city of Ulaanbaatar was nothing like what Kenzie had expected. When Hans and Royce had spoken of mountains, lonely deserts, and yurts, they had been speaking of the countryside of Mongolia. But as the Trans-Siberian train pulled into the city, it left the valley hills with snowy pine trees far behind them. The horsemen who had darted alongside the train tracks like the Mongolian herdsmen of history vanished as the cityscape of Ulaanbaatar took over.It was a curious mix of ancient temples, crumbling Soviet-era apartment blocks, and newer glass towers, along with derelict suburbs of yurts and brick houses. A mesh of wire, concrete, and metal piping all crashed together. But Kenzie was stunned by the energy and warmth of the people, which was so at odds with the city itself."Welcome to UB," Royce said. "The city's name means Red Hero." He coughed. "But honestly, they should call it Black Hero in the winter." He pointed at the hazy dark clouds that hovered above the city like an om
The Darkest Hour Chapter 32
Vadym let go of her, and she retreated. He laughed as he turned to Royce. "She has just agreed to come back to Moscow and serve mein all ways."Royce's face was pale as he looked between them. "Kenzie, what's he talking about?""He said he'll spare you and Elena if I do. Please, Royce, don't cross him," she pleaded with him, hoping he would read her thoughts. It's just for a short time, until you can save me from him."You son of a bitch!" Royce moved fast, slamming his fist into Vadym's face before his bodyguards could move in. The attack stunned everyone."Kenzie, run!" Royce shouted as he tackled Vadym to the ground. Kenzie turned and smacked hard into Jov Tomenko's body. She hadn't even known he was in the room. His heavy hand clamped around her arm, squeezing until she cried out. Vadym's other guards grabbed Royce and dragged him off."Take them to the cars.""May I kill them?" Jov wrenched his hand down harder on Kenzie's arm. Her muscles seemed to tear beneath his hands, a
The Darkest Hour Chapter 33
Royce came awake slowly, aware that he was in some sort of hospital, probably still at the embassy in Mongolia given the news station flashing on the TV in the corner of the room. Everything hurt like hell. Tubes were in his nose, and an IV bag hung on a pole nearby. His right hand was taped, keeping the IV needle in."Fuck," he groaned, his head falling back onto the pillow. Then he noticed a shape in a chair beside his hospital bed. Kenzie. She was curled up on the chair, her head pillowed by one arm and a jacket covering her. A man's jacket.Not my jacket."Thank God," a deep voice said from the doorway. Hans Brummer stood there, a paper cup of coffee in his hand and a relieved look in his brown eyes."Give you a few new gray hairs, did I?" Royce's voice came out a croak.Hans raked a hand through his scalp. "More than a few. I'll go full George Clooney in a month at this rate.""How did you find us?"Hans pulled a chair out and turned it around, not waking Kenzie. He sat on
The Darkest Hour Chapter 34: Epilogue
Six months laterKenzie held on to Royce's back as his motorcycle cruised down the private road toward their homeDevereaux House. She peered at the mansion through her helmet visor and sighed. She never got tired of looking at it. The gabled roofs and endless halls full of priceless paintings and lavish bedrooms and the study where Royce worked. It had all become a part of her life in the best possible way. He pulled up in front of the mansion and killed the engine. Kenzie let go of his hips and slid off. The sight of him astride the bike with his helmet, jacket, and jeans was utterly sinful.He pulled the visor up. "What's up, babe? You're looking at me funny.""I'm just picturing how much I want you to bend me over the pool table tonight."He took off his helmet, leaving his hair playfully tousled, but his expression was hungry and serious."Are you asking me to fuck you, Dr. Martin?""Oh, most definitely, Dr. Devereaux."He grinned. "That's too bad, Little Mac, because I have
The Darkest Hour Chapter 1
Long Island, The Gold CoastMacKenzie Martin rubbed her eyes, which were blurred from staring too long at her computer screen. The antique clock hanging behind her desk ticked away, and she could see the numbers reflected on the monitor. Ten minutes before eleven. It had been a really long day and she just wanted to be done with her work.Rain tapped softly against the window. Kenzie couldn't see any of Hampstead University's campus through the darkened pane. It was unusually warm for the middle of December, warm enough that she'd trudged through icy rain rather than snow to get to the campus offices. Usually the campus would be buried in snowdrifts which was typical for Long Island this time of year. All she wanted to do now was get home, take a hot bath, listen to some music, and fall into bed. But she had to finish what she'd come to do.She focused on the screen and entered the final grades into the university's online grading software. As a graduate student and teaching assis
The Darkest Hour Chapter 2
Kenzie raced for her gray Mazda in the student lot around the corner. She scrambled to dig her keys out of her pocket as she reached the car. She expected Monte or Gary to stop her at any moment, but less than a minute later she was speeding out of the lot. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she sagged in relief at the empty road behind her. No one was following her.Her hand reached for her cell phone to call the police. It took her two tries before she got 911 dialed."Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?" a cool feminine voice asked."My name is Kenzie Martin and" She froze, remembering what one of the men had said about their man in the local police department. "There's been a disturbance at the university. Someone broke into the campus offices."She hung up the phone, cursing. Then she called Royce again. This time he answered, and his gruff voice made her want to cry with relief."Kenzie, you know my policy on Saturdays. This had better be an emergency.""It is," she gasped,
The Darkest Hour Chapter 3
The scents and sounds of sex surrounded Kenzie like a dark erotic haze. She clenched Royce's hand tightly as they wove through the maze of brocaded couches and past the imposing yet elegant drink bar. Kenzie stumbled as she noticed a woman clad only in expensive-looking lingerie who lay stretched lengthwise down the bar on her back. The bartender placed a row of shot glasses on the woman's torso, then retrieved a bottle of whiskey from the back of the bar and began to pour into the glasses. Men in expensive suits watched the alcohol drip over the tops of the glasses and trickle down the woman's skin.Oh God Kenzie pictured herself as that woman, every man's gaze on her bare body as she lay there exposed, whiskey dripping down her body. Would one of the men lick it off? Taste the alcohol on her skin and lose himself in her body? A shiver rolled through Kenzie, but it wasn't one of disgust. It intrigued her in ways she didn't have words to express. She wanted to experience that. Wanted
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