A Laird for All Time by Angeline Fortin (best motivational books for students .TXT) 📕

“I hear that,” Sorrello said,ready to move on. “So, have you heard from Royal?”

“No. I gave her my card. Something will pop up. You get anything on the radar from Dmitry.”

“My source told me there’s going to be a big meeting tonight at the restaurant.”

“While it’s open?”

“Probably going to close early tonight. I figure we can head down there a little after dusk.” Sorrello scooped his spoon into the hot grits, covered in real butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

“Is it good?”

Sorrello looked up and smiled. “Does Ivy have a sister?

∞♥∞

The bodyguard at the front of the Medlov complex met Cory at the gate and escorted his little white Jetta Volkswagen to the front of the house. Once he was announced, he was sent down to the solarium to wait on Dmitry, who was still upstairs getting dressed.

Cory had never been to Dmitry’s house, and in guests’ normal fashion, he was transfixed by its size and architecture. He stood in the large glass room admiring the beautiful flowers and plants and looking out into the vast, finely manicured back yard. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he marveled at what money could buy. Calm. Peace. The ability to forget that a war was waging only feet from your door step.

Cory considered himself to be a good cop in a bad sit-uation. He had chosen his mother’s life over his moral obligations and only hoped that in the end, he did not have to pay the ultimate price for his choices. And no matter what, his mother would be alive; that was all that truly mattered. However, looking at the lavish lifestyle of his pseudo-boss, he often wondered if a fifty-grand-a-year job was good enough, when he could clearly make more for his children and his wife working on the other side of the law.

“So, you got my message,” Dmitry said, walking into the room, fully dressed in a YSL black suit and tie.

Cory turned quickly from the view. “Yeah. The shop is closed.”

Dmitry walked up to Cory with a large envelope in his hand and passed it to him. He stopped and looked at the sun shining through the glass panes.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? I never get a chance to come down here anymore, but I’ve always loved this room. When I bought the home, this was the best selling point for me. I, of course, had to make some alterations and get thicker glass,” he tapped his knuckles on the bullet-proof window. “You can never be too safe when you’re a gun dealer.”

“I’ve never been in a solarium this damn big in a house.” Cory shook his head.

“Well, now you have.” Dmitry snapped his fingers and the man standing in the doorway brought Cory a small leather satchel. “Anatoly cannot stay here and watch over Royal because his obligation is to the men, but you can. I don’t have any weapons in this house outside of the ones that the men carry on them, which are registeredfor liability reasons with the feds. So, this is a little insurance for me while we are gone today.”

Cory looked in the bag to find four Glocks and stocked clips for his use.

“This is a lot of fire power. Are we expecting some-one?”

“No. But I’d rather be safe than sorry.” Dmitry turned and walked to door with his bodyguards. “She’s pregnant, you know.” He stopped and looked back, faintly showing a proud smile.

Cory looked up surprised. “Wow. Congrats.”

“You have to protect her with your life, Cory, until I can get her out of Memphis for good.”

“What’s my cover story?”

“You’ve just come to visit her while the shop is being worked on. Stay by her side until I return.”

“I will,” Cory committed.

Dmitry nodded his head. “Good. There are guards around the perimeter of the home. No one should disturb you. Should they… use the guns and call me immediately. If I can’t get to her, you know what to do.”

“Yeah. I know the drill.”

“Thank you. You have been most reliable.” With that Dmitry walked out of the room, and left Cory alone.

When Cory was sure that Dmitry had gone for good, he curiously opened the large envelope to find bundles of crisp one hundred dollar bills and a note that said, “For your trouble.”

Retirement looked closer than expected for him. He nodded his head, feeling a little better about his decision, better about his position in general.

∞♥∞

Dmitry found Royal upstairs in her little officebefore he left. With the news of the baby and the move, she was anxious to get started on a new business plan for a shop in Prague. The idea of owning a shop in another country scared her senseless and excited her at the same time.

She sat typing away at her computer behind her desk and looking down on the notes that she had written in her notebook hours before.

She looked up when Dmitry walked inside of the room. He was different now, wearing a different face, one she had only learned recently. He was immaculate in his suit, commanding in with his regal looks.

“You look different now that I know what you are,” she said absently.

“How?” He walked over to her with a large Louis Vuiton bag in his hand.

“Maybe like Eve saw Adam after she ate the apple,” she raised her brow and sighed.

“This is not good analogy. They both ate apple in that parable. You didn’t expose anything life altering. That was all me.”

“Are you forgetting the baby?”

Dmitry smiled. No, how could he ever forget about the baby.

“What are you doing?” he asked,changing the subject. He could tell that she was still clearly agitated by the entire notion of his true identity.

“Working.” Her fingers tapped the keys.

He walked behind the desk, set the bag beside her and placed his large hands on her shoulders. “I have a lot of loose ends to take care of today.”

She looked up at him.

“What does that mean, Dmitry?” She finally understood that