Saving Katya Read Online Free Page B

know? How was she supposed to tell him he had a seven-year-old daughter?
    The idea saddled Kate with a whole new set of problems. Initially, she hadn’t wanted the press to find out too much about Katya because she didn’t want her daughter to experience the hurt that came with being rejected by your father. But now, now she had another concern...what if Alexei did want Katya?
    He was bound to be royally pissed off that Kate had kept her from him. Pissed off people—especially ones with money—were capable of serious revenge.
    A lexei stood facing the window, arms folded across his chest. The Olympic Village below was quietly succumbing to the guise of nightfall. Streetlamps glistened against the near-empty outdoor rink, and his thoughts wandered to the little girl he’d seen skating earlier. Drawn to her for some inexplicable reason, he chuckled, wondering if he’d been bitten by the “daddy bug”. Until today, that was the farthest thing from his mind.
    His thoughts wandered to Kate. That’s rich . He subdued the urge to laugh, stomping it out before it had a chance to gain momentum. Kate Peterson the mother of his future child? Last week, she’d been nothing more than a distant memory.
    Warning signals rang on the edge of his mind the moment Serge walked in with silent footsteps. Alexei reveled in his ability to sense the quiet presence of others, even though it drove Serge nuts.
    Chuckling softly, Alexei checked his watch. Good. He still had a few minutes.
    Serge cleared his throat.
    Alexei didn’t turn in his direction. “What have you got for me?” he asked, still gazing out the window.
    “The Senator wants a meeting with you.” Serge paused at Alexei’s side. “Tomorrow.”
    “Forget about her,” Alexei said with a dismissive wave.
    “That’s not a good idea.”
    “Fine. Send someone to meet with her.”
    “She wants to speak with you personally.”
    “That’s not going to happen.” Alexei folded his arms together and braced them over his chest. “I’ve got my hands full here.”
    “Let me just go on record as saying it’s a bad idea to try to sweep this one under a rug.”
    “Done.” Alexei finally looked at him, his firm glance quelling Serge. “Now, can we move on?”
    Serge shook his head.
    “What do you have for me?” Alexei asked the question again, more stern this time. He slid his hands inside his trouser pockets and pivoted toward Serge, and waited.
    “You’re not going to like it.” Serge wavered, a manila folder dangling from his outermost hand.
    It must be bad. Otherwise, Serge wouldn’t hesitate to share what he’d uncovered. “Well...” Alexei extended his hand and gestured with a beckoning motion. “Let’s see it.”
    Serge surrendered the folder and backed up a step or two before resting his hands behind his back.
    Alexei sensed Serge studying him intently as he thumbed through the file. It was all a bunch of mumbo-jumbo as far as he could see. Serge was going to have to give up the goods.
    He snapped the folder shut and raised his eyes to meet Serge’s. “Just give it to me straight. Tell me what you found?”
    Duty and friendship, two important elements to both men, pushed the words from Serge’s stiff and sullen demeanor. “Kate Peterson has a six-year-old daughter.” He didn’t say anything more, just waited for Alexei’s response.
    A child? Six years old? Numbers flew through his mind, but they didn’t add up. Kate’s daughter was too young to be his. Disgust and discontent burned hot against Alexei’s face. “The father?” Bitterness shredded his words.
    “His name is Keith Carlson. Marriage could explain why you weren’t able to find her.” Once again, Serge offered him the evidence inside the manila folder.
    Alexei snatched the file and leafed through the data a second time. His heart pounded against his chest. Married ? With a child ? Where was the kid and her husband? Were they here with her? No wonder she’d turned a cold shoulder on