The American Soldier Collection 15: Their Battle for Love (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

“I didn’t know that you existed, Malayna,” he whispered.

  She tilted her head up toward him.

  “I knew that you existed, just not who exactly you were. My mother told me you were alive but that you were the kind of man that couldn’t love a woman like her.” She saw the changes in his eyes but he held firm, not revealing whether her words affected him at all. She continued.

  “She told me stories about you. About a handsome man with striking blue eyes that had taken her breath away. She talked about the places you took her and the good times you shared and how quickly she fell in love with you.”

  “My father knew I was in love with Mya and that I was sneaking around to see her. The next thing I know she disappears. For twenty years I heard nothing, and then one day I receive a call from your mother.”

  “What? She called you, when?”

  “The day she was killed. She told me about you. Said I had a beautiful daughter and she felt that your life was in danger. Some man came to see her the day before trying to sell something but she knew he wasn’t a salesman. She realized that he was someone looking for you. She died that day. You were taken before my men could get to the house. They found her. I took care of her, Malayna. She had a proper burial and I promised her as I stood over her grave that I would find you. That I would do everything in my power to do so.”

  She felt the tears fill her eyes. She had a mix of emotions. She wanted to say to him that if he had searched for her mother when she first disappeared, he and her mother could have married and kept Malayna safe. That he could have provided protection if he thought they were in danger. She felt like he didn’t do enough, yet she learned from Viktor, her cousin, that Nicolai had been searching for over three years.

  She stared at the picture as the tears fell, and then she felt his hand take hers and squeeze it tight.

  “I will make it up to you, Malayna. I will be here for you to guide you, protect you, and keep you safe. You’re all I have left of Mya and the love we shared.”

  He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it. More tears fell.

  She nodded and wondered what the future might bring for her, and whether or not Nicolai and his Russian connections could keep her safe from a man like Vlladim.

  Chapter 1

  Star Mulicheck sat in the large chair smoking a cigar. His team members were scattered around the family gathering despite the fact they hated to socialize. They had always been pure business. As soldiers in the military they served and protected their country. He and his brother Border were inseparable. Despite the military’s insistence on separating them into different positions in the military they both wound up in the secret organization. The most dangerous, most lethal of missions and Star’s newest soldier showed up and it was Border. He would never forget that day.

  Nor did he forget the days that followed and how he and Border met Krane and Lucca. They spent the next ten years saving one another’s asses, enjoying some wild nights with partying and women, and of course retiring from their military positions as a team three years ago.

  Star still wasn’t fully over the mission that made them all decide they were finished. It didn’t take them long living like civilians to realize they were special men. The kind of men that knew about protecting with their lives, killing if need be by weapon or with their bare hands. They were hard, intense men who trusted few.

  He glanced across the room at Lucca and Krane, who were talking to his mother, Soyva. She was a beautiful woman and a good wife. She accepted her husband’s position in the Russian mob and she supported him. She had her fears for her sons when they decided to join the military, but she felt the dangers at home and being the sons of Daren Mulicheck were even greater. Their father, on the other hand, hoped that his two sons learned how to fight, how to survive, and how to kill.

  He took another puff of his cigar and watched the others who joined the party. There were cousins and some business friends of their father’s. Lucca and Krane remained talking only to either Soyva or Daren as they respected them and all they offered to the men. Star’s mother took them in immediately upon their retirement from the service. She considered them her sons and was there for them when Krane and Lucca nearly lost control of their lives. She was strong and capable, a survivor from an abusive stepfather and addicted mother. Daren had saved her, too.

  With thoughts of his mom and her story, he couldn’t help but to think about Malayna. Immediately his heart pounded inside of his chest. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t here. That she was safe in her father’s home surrounded by other soldiers of a connected Russian family. A close family to theirs. So close that Nicolai had requested Star and his team be the ones to try and locate his daughter and keep the secret that Malayna existed. They never gave up hope in finding her. The more they searched and came up with clues, the more they imagined what she would look like and what condition physically and emotionally she would be in. It had been a shock to see the petite, gorgeous woman, with her bright blue eyes, firm jaw, and voluptuous body. Never mind the abundant brown curls that cascaded around her like a blanket of beauty.

  She was the loveliest woman he had ever laid eyes on and his brothers were affected by that beauty, that sweetness, too.

  He swallowed hard and put out the cigar then waved the smoke from in front of him before he stood up. He was a big man. Over six foot three and in amazing physical condition. His job entailed always being ready to fight, to restrain, and to take control of any given situation. Now that he was getting older, hitting thirty-seven in another few months, he was feeling conflicted. A glance around him at cousins with their wives and children brought on emotions and desires he’d never considered entertaining. He was a scarred man physically and emotionally, and he was set in his ways. His team were no different, each with their personal hang-ups, and each used to handling things as a team.

  His cell phone rang and he glanced at the ID and couldn’t help an inward smirk though his face remained emotionless.

  He headed out of the room to answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Star, how’s everything going?” Cosivan asked.

  “Okay, if being stuck at a dinner party at my parents’ place gives you an idea.”

  Cosivan chuckled.

  “You and your team at a dinner party? That’s fucking funny.”

  “Yeah, yeah. What’s up?” Star asked.

  “Well, I got a tip from someone working at our club that a guy who is into some drug shit is moving in through the back door at the Crest.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. I had a feeling you may not know about it. I know you and the team have been searching for Malayna for months and that you have some other family watching out for things but this guy got through the cracks.”

  Star looked down the hallway and immediately spotted Hal, his cousin Marcy’s husband. He never liked the guy and always thought he was shady. But his cousin wasn’t exactly a prize for a wife.

  “Do you have any suspicions of who might be letting them in? If you need some assistance finding out, we’re there.”

  “I think I have an idea who may be working against us. I’ll take care of it. I’m heading there tonight.”

  “Good. We’ll have to try and meet up for those drinks. Maybe you guys can come by the Copper Pot or Bailey’s soon.”

  “We’ll try.”

  “Oh no you don’t. You’re going to blow us off. Not after what we all went through. We’ll get you to have some drinks with us,” Cosivan stated.

  “I won’t hold my breath. I saw Nalia. You wouldn’t catch me leaving that woman alone for a minute.”

  “Don’t get me started on her. She came downstairs the other day for lunch when she’s not even supposed to be putting weight on her ankle. Laying around not being able to take care of herself fully is making her crazy.”

  “She’s a strong, capable woman. Being shot, stabbed, and beaten didn’t stop her. Did you think a broken ankle would?
”

  Cosivan chuckled. “I suppose not. She did shock Malayna, though,” Cosivan added.

  “How is Malayna doing? She adjusting to things there?” he asked.

  “She seems to be. It’s going to take some time. She’s got an instant family, kind of like Nalia.”

  “Let me know if she needs anything.”

  “You can stop in to see her any time. I think Malayna would like that,” Cosivan added.

  “We’ll see. Talk to you soon.”

  Star disconnected the call and bit the inside of his cheek. He wished he could see her again. He remembered how scared she was and how thin when he helped to rescue her from that estate in Mexico. From the time they found her she remained clinging to him, instantly seeing him and the team as her personal protection. She even hugged each of them once she was safe and secure in Chicago at her father’s estate. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, and neither did the team, but their mission was over. Three years of hunting the woman down and trying to get a lead was over. At least she was safe and secure. Now he and the team hunted Vlladim, the man who got away and the one person Malayna feared with all her heart.

  He spotted Hal again and knew he needed to nip this situation in the bud immediately. Lucca approached. Star nodded his chin upward.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “That was Cosivan. He got a little info on something fishy going on at The Crest. I’ll fill you in on the way. Let’s just get Krane and Border and then say good-bye to Mom.”

  Lucca followed him.

  * * * *

  “In the interim, if you need to go anywhere, I will need to assign guards to you. I do not want you going anywhere alone,” Nicolai told Malayna.

  “I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’m trying to get used to actually being free. It’s a lot to digest,” she said to Nicolai.

  He watched her closely. She wrung her hands together and always seemed on edge. He wondered how she was sleeping and if the medication the doctors gave her helped.

  “I would like nothing more than to keep you hidden, guarded behind these walls, but what kind of life would that be for a beautiful young woman? I know we have so much to learn about one another, Malayna, but I am your father, your provider, and it would be my honor to help you achieve your goals and dreams. Have you ever considered a profession or has anything interested you to try?” he asked.

  She nibbled her bottom lip and those sweet blue eyes that matched his stared at him in hesitation.

  “Go on. We’re just talking, running through some options. I won’t dictate what you should do in life. I mean that. Everyone has a talent or a calling.”

  “Well, I love the arts. I like photography and painting. I didn’t have the opportunity to pursue those interests beyond a few classes in high school and what I learned caring for an elderly woman at the hospital I worked at.”

  “You worked at a hospital?”

  “Yes, a small aftercare program outside of Lozova. It was steady and paid well while Mom was a maid at one of the small hotels.”

  Nicolai cringed. He lived in luxury, had more money than one man could ever want or spend while his lover and his daughter scrounged to make ends meet and worked cleaning up after other people.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No. Don’t be, Nicolai. I enjoyed the work I did and meeting people and caring for them. I met Olenna, an elderly woman I cared for there. She was a teacher of art and photography and even gave me a camera and books on it. It inspired me to want to not only catch images in a photograph but also to sketch them afterwards.”

  “Would you like to continue to do that? I can get whatever supplies you need. I’m sure we could even get some private teachers to help give instruction.”

  “I think I would feel uncomfortable with you paying for all those things. If I could work—”

  “No. You are not going to work. First of all, it’s not safe. People are going to find out about you. That I have a daughter and you will become a target.”

  She widened her eyes and he quickly added, “It’s inevitable and I won’t lie to you. I am going to protect you with all I have, Malayna. I have time and responsibilities to make up and I intend on never failing you again.”

  “Nicolai, you didn’t fail me. You never knew I existed until it was too late.”

  “But if I had known about you, if things were different, then you would not be calling me Nicolai, you would be calling me your father.”

  She looked away from him and exhaled.

  “That is going to take time. I hardly know you.”

  “You will get to know me and I will get to know you. Let me help you with this. Let me get you the supplies you need to explore this art you like.”

  She nodded her head and he felt a bit relieved that she would allow him this. She was beautiful, intelligent, and caring, and he wondered how the hell he could be her father.

  Chapter 2

  Malayna was chuckling. “I’m glad that you find this so amusing,” Nalia said to her as she walked down the stairs to the outside patio with the large boot on her foot.

  “I’m not laughing at you. I think it’s funny that you hid down the hallway until Boian passed by before you decided to sneak out here with me.”

  “He would have carried me outside. I swear, I think they don’t want me walking.”

  “I think they want to keep you needing them for a little longer. It’s sweet,” Malayna said.

  “Hmm. I guess it is. I do love them so much. They haven’t gotten over the fact that I was taken from them and abused.”

  “They have you to hold and love so it will get better.”

  Nalia plopped down into a seat and then lifted her leg up to place the boot she wore onto the chair. “So, how is the photography going?”

  “It’s going well. It took me a week just to figure out how to use the camera Nicolai got for me. It’s a professional camera and I’m an amateur.”

  Nalia chuckled.

  “I’m not surprised he got you the best camera possible. And also that he turned the one room by the gardens into a small studio for you. You have all different art supplies.”

  “I know. It’s extreme.”

  “He’s making up for lost time.”

  “He doesn’t have to. It’s overwhelming, and I’m not used to it. To even living in a place like this,” Malayna said to Nalia.

  “Oh, believe me, I understand. You should look at Nicolai’s home as your own now. At least until you’re older, establish some sort of career. Then perhaps you could move out and into your own place.”

  Malayna rubbed her finger along her eyebrow, feeling the anxiety immediately at that thought.

  “Malayna, are you okay?”

  She looked at her new friend and forced a small smile.

  “I will be.”

  The sound of laughter brought their attention back toward the house and the open screen door that led to the patio they sat on.

  “Oh, I guess their meeting is over,” Nalia said to Malayna.

  Malayna turned to see who was there and immediately saw the group of men. Her heart hammered inside of her chest at the sight of Border. She hadn’t seen him or the rest of his team—Star, Lucca, and Krane—for weeks. When they had rescued her from Vlladim, she had remained close to them. Nalia gave her leg a tap.

  “You’re staring,” she whispered, and Malayna quickly turned away from the men but not before noticing the intense stare from Border.

  “What are you doing out here? How did you get out here?” Chatham asked as he approached Nalia first but then looked at Malayna.

  “Malayna, our woman is having a negative influence on you. She has you helping her ignore the doctor’s orders,” Chatham said and he bent down and clutched Nalia’s chin.

  “The doctor said not to rush it. You’re rushing it,” he scolded.

  Nalia complained about the doctor not knowing everything as her men joined them, taking seats around the table and near both of them.
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  “We can make some plates and eat out here. There’s plenty of room,” Boian said to the men.

  They agreed and Malayna felt the hand on the back of her chair then the caress to her hair. She turned to look up and saw Krane.

  He smiled softly. “How are you doing, Malayna? Getting more comfortable with your new home?” he asked.

  “I’m doing well, Krane, and how are you?” she asked. She couldn’t believe how attracted she was to Krane, and she knew she felt the same way about the others. It was scary for so many reasons. Cornikup had threatened so many times that he would take her virginity and allow Vlladim to help train her in bed. They had been waiting, and thank God they hadn’t forced themselves on her.

  She shyly looked away from him but he surprised her by taking the seat next to her.

  “We can grab some drinks and bring them out here,” Dusty said to them.

  “I’ll help you,” Malayna said and stood up. As she did Border and Krane watched her. She felt their eyes upon her and it made her feel so nervous and also out of sorts. They were older men, at least in their thirties. She was twenty-one, getting ready to turn twenty-two in a couple of months.

  “Malayna, is Nalia okay? She wasn’t in a lot of pain making her way outside, was she?” Dusty asked. He was so caring. All of Nalia’s men were. She also understood their positions in the family and she knew not to lie to them.

  “She was a little, but I didn’t tell you that,” she said to him.

  He looked upset but then he winked. “I appreciate your honesty,” he said to her as they grabbed some glasses but then the staff Nicolai had working for them started to help, too.

  “She enjoys your company and you’ve helped her to get through this process. I know it isn’t easy for her to feel so helpless, but pushing that ankle too soon could cause more problems,” Dusty told her.

  “I’m certain you’re right. Did she do a lot of exercises and things before all this?”

  “She was active, but I think what is really getting to her is how things went down and how she couldn’t fight the men who took her. They were sneaky and injected her with a sedative. I think she wants to be in the gym training and wants to start working for her father,” Dusty told her.