I blew out a breath.
I’d just been given the most important task of my life.
Protect Annika Popov. Keep her safe from all harm.
I vowed not to fail her.
And somehow, someway, I would prevent her from ever seeing the Beast.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Annika
I put my earbuds in and turned my face away as Papa and Uncle Pavel spoke to Adrik and Timofey. Pretending to tap on a playlist on my phone, I listened as Efrem, Pavel and Papa each told the men to protect me. Their overprotectiveness was annoying sometimes, though in this situation, it was warranted. I understood they were only concerned and wanted to keep me safe.
Since I was sitting directly behind Adrik, his response easily reached my ears:I will protect her with my life.Adrik spoke with such conviction that I believed him.
Something shifted in my chest. Softened. I didn’t know the man, and he didn’t know me, yet I knew in my gut that hewouldprotect me. I was satisfied with my request to have these two men be my guards for the foreseeable future. They were both large, intimidating men, and I’d glimpsed the weapons attached at their hips. I imagined they were very capable, and I trusted them to keep me safe.
I was looking forward to getting away from L.A. for a while. Away from my family. I needed a little bit of independence after being smothered for the past five months. I needed somefreedom. Though I would never tell my family that.
The car backed out of the garage, and I tuned everyone and everything out, clicking on some music and settling back against the seat.
I dozed off shortly after, jerking awake at the sound of a car door closing. Blinking, I glanced around, noting we’d stopped at a gas station. The sun was slowly rising, the sky gradually fading from black to gray. Which meant we had to be near our destination.
A sound from directly outside of the car had me turning my head. A man was leaning against the vehicle as he waited for it to fill with fuel.
Adrik.
He wore a black hoodie, his head turned away from me, so I couldn’t see his face.
My curiosity about the man increased. Why was he so damn secretive?
Just then, Timofey strode out of the store with three coffees in a drink carrier and a bag that I guessed contained fresh pastries.
I grinned, pushing open my door as Timofey reached the vehicle. Though I’d dressed in a pale blue sweat outfit in preparation for the winter weather in Tahoe, I still wasn’t prepared for the rush of cold air that settled around me. I shivered. “Brr.”
Timofey chuckled. “Good morning, Miss Annika. I hope you remembered to bring warm clothes.”
“Good morning, Timofey.” I smiled back. “Yes, I brought winter clothes. I guess I forgot how cold it is up north.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Adrik tensing, though I wasn’t sure why. Did I disturb him? What was it about me that made him always turn away? He’d said he didn’t want to frighten me, but I wasn’t easily scared. Not normally, anyway.
I stuck my head out of the car and glanced at him, deciding to force him to acknowledge me. “Good morning, Adrik.”
He jolted, bowing his head, keeping the hoodie pulled low to hide his face. “Good morning, Annika.”
“Why won’t you ever look at me?” I demanded. “Are you sure I haven’t offended you somehow?”
Timofey cocked a brow, a smirk pulling at his lips, his gaze darting to Adrik to await his response.
Adrik shook his head in denial. “No. Never.” His voice sounded pained.
The gas pump clicked off. Adrik turned away to replace the nozzle and collect the receipt.
“Never mind him.” Timofey handed me a coffee. “He’s just sensitive about his looks.”
And that comment just made me more curious about him.
Adrik stiffened, but then Timofey spoke again. “I wasn’t sure what kind of coffee you liked.” He nodded at the Styrofoam cup in my hand. “But my girlfriend likes flavored coffees, so I took a gamble and got you something with caramel or maybe it was vanilla? Well, anywho, if you don’t like it, you can trade with me or Adrik. We aren’t picky.”