Silence. When I didn’t hear anything, I had a weird surge of panic that this man—a new source of answers, an alleviator of curiosity—had vanished as quickly as he’d appeared. “Are you there?”

Trying not to think of how short my silk robe was—and what he’d just caught me doing—I poked my head out of the bathroom; no sign of him. So I cautiously padded toward my room. “You didn’t answer my question. Hey, why are you in my closet?”

He emerged from the walk-in. “Where is your luggage?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” I didn’t have real luggage. I’d packed for school in laundry baskets and boxes.

He raked his eyes over me in my robe, lingering on choice parts of me. Seeming to shake himself, he snagged my sizable book bag, dumping library books on the floor. The History of Sexuality, The Boundaries of Eros, A Thorn in the Flesh.

“What the hell, Russian?!” If he’d noticed the titles—my general field was the history of women and gender—they didn’t faze him.

When he tossed the empty bag to me, I barely caught it. “Pack necessities only. Everything else will be provided for you.”

I gaped down at the bag then back up. “I’m not doing anything, not until you tell me where you think I’m going. And why this can’t wait until tomorrow. For all I know, you could be a human trafficker!”

“And this would be my m.o.?” He exhaled with a kind of surprised impatience, as if no one had ever argued with him before—as if he’d done this to a hundred other girls, and every one of them had started packing with a Yes, sir. “My name is Aleksandr Sevastyan. Call me Sevastyan.” Like Sebastian with a v. “I’ve worked for your father for decades. Kovalev is keen to meet you.” He added almost to himself, “I’ve never seen him so eager.”

“How can he be sure I’m his daughter? Zironoff could’ve made a mistake.”

“Nyet.” Nyet was a harsh no; net a soft no. “You offered up your DNA. Kovalev already had his on file. There is no mistake.”

“If he’s so eager to meet me, why didn’t he come himself? Why not just call me?”

“As I said, he is a very important man in Russia, and at present, he’s caught up with work concerns that can’t be handled by anyone but himself. He trusts me implicitly.” Sevastyan moved to my bedroom window, peering out between the blind slats with the same wariness I’d noticed in the bar. “If you pack a bag and get on a plane with me, he will meet you at his estate outside Moscow in less than fourteen hours. This is your father’s wish—one I will be carrying out.”

My manalyzer might be cocked up, but my bullshit detector was still pinging clear; against all odds, I was starting to believe this guy.

Reality began to set in. “But I’ve got shifts tomorrow.” Which I wouldn’t need if my search could end. “And my classes!” As soon as the words left my lips, I felt silly. What would this towering, tattooed Russian understand about a Husker’s advanced degree? What would he care?

Surprisingly, he said, “Your schooling is important to you. We understand this. But your father wants you in Russia now. Not next month or next week. You leave tonight.”

“Does he always get what he wants?”

“Without fail.” Sevastyan checked his expensive-looking watch. “Our flight leaves in an hour. I’ll explain more on the way to the airport.”

Airport? Flight? I’d never been on a plane. Yet I could be in Russia in less than a day. Don’t think of the postcards, don’t think . . .

Even Jess had never been to Russia!

Then I straightened. “Again, what’s the rush? And news flash—I don’t have a passport! How am I going to get into Moscow without one?”

“I’ll work that out. It’s not a problem.” Sevastyan shut off the lamp beside my bed, dimming the room.

“How can that not be a problem?” I glanced at the tattoos on his scarred fingers and had a sinking suspicion, but tried to ignore it. Nope, not possible . . .

“I understand that all of this is a lot to take in. But things are different for you now, Natalie. Some rules . . . no longer apply.”

I squared my shoulders. “Not good en—”

“Let me make this simple for you,” he interrupted. “I’m walking out of this house in five minutes. You can either walk out with me, packed and dressed, or leave in that little robe”—his piercing eyes swept over me, over my ni**les pressing against the silk—“thrown over my shoulder. Your choice.”

My lips parted. His tone and bearing left no doubt that he was dead serious about kidnapping me. This ruble-billionaire’s bodyguard was going to finish his job—period. Still, I dared another question. “Why haven’t you said anything about my mother?”

When his eyes narrowed, I again got the impression that not many people challenged this man.

“Four minutes.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “I can’t just sign on for this, Sevastyan. Not without more answers.”

“Which I promise you will get when we are under way.”

Worst case scenario: if I didn’t like what he had to say, I could run from him at the airport, straight into the arms of security guards.

Sevastyan crossed to stand in front of me. The soft light caressed his hard features. They were almost too masculine. His rugged jaw was wide, the bridge of his aquiline nose slightly askew, giving him a roguish look. But on the whole, he was devastatingly attractive, with that dangerous aura about him.