Dirk: A Stepbrother Romance(6)

Eventually, the search for her passport was called off, and a soft knock came at her door. She opened it wearily, hoping that her face wasn't red and blotchy from crying. A timid woman in one of the maroon uniforms greeted her like royalty. She blushed and shook her head fervently, until the woman straightened herself and got on with her message.

“Master Dirk has called off the search, Miss. It has been agreed upon that you should contact the embassy to report your passport lost.”

“I see,” she said, crestfallen. “Thank you. Do you know where I can find the number?”

The woman pulled a slip of paper from a pocket in her apron and handed it to Katherine. She gave her a small bow before turning on her heel and heading down the hallway. Katherine studied the number and sighed. It was time to play phone tag.



Dirk was annoyed to discover that Katherine's passport was nowhere to be found. She had probably lost it at the airport or on the plane. Either way, it was gone, and she couldn't leave the island. He had been looking forward to the time alone so he could work on his motorcycle. He showered and changed into a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt and tied his hair up before heading to his office. Working on the motorcycle was out of the question now, between his uninvited house guest and the issues with the Russians, who were hell bent on making his life difficult. He was not a man accustomed to disappointment, but it seemed as if he would just have to get used to unexpected difficulties.

He sat down at his computer and gripped a tight fistful of hair as the monitor blinked on. He had to check to make sure his company was doing all right and that the Russian hackers were no longer a threat. What terrible timing to inconvenience his life, he thought bitterly, opening his email.

When the screen flashed in front of him, he immediately noticed that something was strange. He had four new emails from an anonymous sender, and in the subject line of each were intimidating caps-locked words. He furrowed his eyebrows and pinched the bridge of his nose. This definitely wasn't good.


Tanner had often warned him not to open emails like this, but his anti-virus software showed that they were safe. A cool sweat sprung up on his brow and he nervously clicked the first message that had been sent. He immediately recognized the choppy English and immature threats and sighed loudly before clicking through of the rest of the emails. They had been sent by the Russians, and the group was not happy. Apparently espionage was not above them, he thought, reading the final taunt. Despite his anger, the malice laced in the words chilled him. He knew they meant what they said.

“We are coming.”





Chapter 8




Dirk grabbed his phone and rushed out the door, dialing Tanner's number as he went.

“Did you see those messages?” he asked angrily, once Tanner's tired voice answered the phone.

“No, but I've been fighting another breach all night. I'm gonna have to sleep at some point, Dirk. Jesus.”

“Fuck. It's all right, I'll deal with this one. They said they’re ‘coming.’ Whatever the hell that means.”

“I don't know. Maybe they found out where you live during the last breach,” Tanner suggested.

Dirk groaned and sprinted powerfully toward the common room, where he called all the staff to meet him. When everybody was assembled, he ordered them to tighten security and comb the grounds. They were to report to him if they found any suspicious activity. As his staff dispersed, he suddenly remembered Katherine. She should be alerted to the dangers as well. He was about to order a staff member to brief her but suddenly felt ashamed. What would she think of him if she knew his business was in jeopardy, maybe along with their lives? If anything did happen, she would surely blame him.

He decided against informing her and then nearly collided with her as he rushed toward the armory.

“We have to stop meeting like this,” she said, with a resigned smile.

His resentment for her suddenly melted away as her kind eyes locked on his. He was pulled into their depths, and he had to fight hard to swim away. He heard the hurried shuffling of a staff member as she walked from room to room, slamming windows closed and locking them tightly, and was suddenly pulled back into reality. He didn't have time to deal with Katherine right now. He said nothing and pushed past her, determined to arm himself to the teeth in case the worst should happen.





Chapter 9




Katherine returned to her bedroom, hurt and angry. What was wrong with that man? And why did she let his cruelty affect her so deeply? It wasn't as if she should expect anything more from him. He was, after all, just a scumbag. But something inside of her secretly yearned for the same glimmer of friendliness and companionship she had seen in his eyes the first day they had met. And, she thought as a deep flush colored her cheeks, part of her seemed to stubbornly hold onto the way his body so near to hers had made her feel so safe. Strangely enough, he also made her feel just as unsafe. As if he could do whatever he wanted to her at any moment, and she wouldn't be able to say no.

Thinking about him just made her angrier. There was something very wrong with that man, and she was just going to lie low until the embassy mailed her passport. Unfortunately, it was a weekend and she was having a hard time getting through on the phone. One of the staff members had suggested that she write a letter instead. Who knew how long that would take? But they certainly would get it, that was for sure. She groaned in misery, wishing she had just missed her plane after all.