Author's note: I want to thank all of you for being so patient because even though this is a romantic drama about Nika and 47, they don't see each other for six chapters. I wanted this story to be different. I thought it was important to make sure that both Nika and 47 should be apart so they can grow and evolve on their own.
I didn't want Nika to just be what she was in the movie, a prostitute who was 47's love interest. In my eyes, she needed to be more because as a prostitute the men she was with defined who she was. It was vital for her to establish the woman she wanted to be on her own terms. I wanted her to not only be 47's love interest but also a successful business woman, a friend, a mother, and a mentor. I also wanted to show different sides of her, she's funny, kind, fierce, strong and vulnerable.
I didn't want her to spend her days sulking over 47 because that would have been unrealistic and pathetic to me. She is a grown woman with a life to live and should be fine living life as a single woman. No doubt that she misses him but he is not her world, he is an important part of it.
The same goes for 47, he needed to evolve emotionally and socially. In the movie he spared lives because of Nika and no one has ever had that impact on him before. She tapped a side of him that hadn't realized was there and I believe he would explore it instead of ignoring it. That is why Karissa is in this story to show that he is able to build a connection with a person outside of his work and not have it to be romantic or manipulative.
I purposely kept them separated because I wanted the readers to feel their yearning for one another and clearly from reading the reviews, some of you did. Again, thank you guys so much for your reviews and support.
Chapter 8
Tiska and Lena came out of the mansion and immediately greeted Nika when she exited the car.
"Hello my puppies," she petted the dogs then told them to sit, "Tiska and Lena say hello to Frank."
The happy hounds went over to Agent 47 and sniffed his hands with their wet noses. He looked at the curious dogs then softly petted their heads.
Nika held back a smile and watched her hitman be unusually gentle with her dogs. She reluctantly said, "Come on, let's all go inside for lunch."
Elaine greeted them with a warm smile as she, Madison and Mai finished setting the kitchen table, "Welcome back you two. Frank, I'm Elaine, it's nice to finally meet you," she offered her hand to him.
"Likewise," he waited a moment then shook her hand.
"Wooow," she said covering up a groan, "you have some handshake there," she rubbed her hand.
Nika's smile was uneasy; she forgot to tell him to be gentle with the people in her life.
He felt bad for gripping her hand so tightly, "I'm sorry."
"It's ok," she waved him off; "you didn't mean it. So, I hope you like seasoned fries and cheese turkey burgers because that's what we're having."
"Sounds good," he answered.
Madison approached him and kindly shook his hand, "Hi, I'm Madison."
"Madison, it's nice to meet you," he lightly shook her hand and grinned.
"I'm Mai, her friend," she waited until he finished with Madison to shake his hand. "You're handsome and buff."
Unsure of how to react to the 12-year-old's girl comment he looked at Nika and was irritated by the amused smile she wore.
"Mai tends to say whatever comes straight to her mind," Nika explained.
"We're helping her to become a little more selective with her words," Madison playfully bumped Mai with her hip.
"Hello ladies," Robert came from the garage, "and gentleman. You must be Frank, I'm Robert. How are ya?" He shook his hand and sized up Agent 47 with his eyes.
"I'm good, you?" Agent 47 noticed Robert eyeing him.
"Not too bad."
Agent 47 went over to Nika pulled out her chair for her.
She graciously smiled at him, "Thank you."
Elaine leaned towards Robert, "I like him already."
"Yeah, yeah," her husband rolled his eyes.
Agent 47 had never had a meal with more than one person at one time. During lunch he watched everyone interact with one another and would speak when addressed or when Nika would gently tap her foot on his. Whenever he would slip and give a short answer she would overcome the awkwardness by changing the subject.
"Thank you Elaine, I enjoyed lunch," Agent 47 told her.
"You're welcome, Frank," she smiled, "Come on girls, these dishes won't wash themselves."
"You mean you want us to help put them in the dish washer?" Madison quipped.
"Exactly," she chuckled.
"I want to do the glasses!" Mai got up from her seat and followed them.
When Agent 47 went to pick his plate Nika stopped him.
"It's ok, I'll bring it to the washer," she grinned at him.
"Thank you."
She graciously nodded and took his plate and glass.
His eyes followed her. He remembered her almost nude body walking past him in their hotel suite in Istanbul. The way the morning sun illuminated her every curve as she stood on the balcony was burned into his mind.
Robert moved one seat to his right and cleared his throat purposely getting Agent 47's attention, "So Frank, how long are ya staying here?"
"Until the 4th," he replied.
"I get ya. Karina seems very happy that you're here. I like seeing her like this," he glanced at the kitchen. "She is a good, smart, kind woman and should be treated with respect."
Robert's last statement piqued his interest, "She should.."
He ran his hand through his short curly gray hair, "I know that you're younger than me and in better shape. You have to be with your job. But don't underestimate me. Karina..well she's like a daughter to me," he smiled and leaned forward. "And you don't want to find out what I do to anyone who hurts my family."
He should have been defensive and even angered by Robert's threat but he wasn't. Seeing how protective he was assured him that Nika surrounded herself with genuine people who cared for her.
"Do you get what I'm saying?" Robert asked.
"I do," he flatly stated.
Nika returned, "Hey guys, what are you talking about?"
"Just this and that," Robert told her in a casual tone of voice.
"Ok. Frank, now that it's stopped raining I thought I could show you the grounds?" She asked him.
"Sure but I need to pick up something for work," Agent 47 told her. "I won't be long," he stood up and pushed in his chair.
"All right," she answered while looking a little puzzled, "I'll be in my office."
"I'll find you when I come back," he told her before leaving the kitchen.
When he entered the upscale wine boutique, Agent 47 searched through the crowd of holiday shoppers until he found Karissa behind one of the cash registers. Karissa kindly tended to her customers and didn't notice Agent 47 until he approached the register.
"Hey," she smiled, "Frank, you're here!"
"Yes, I came by to pick up my present for Karina," he told her.
"That's great, um, it's in my office," she pointed to the back, "Martin, Noel, and Janelle, I'll be right back," she told her employees.
As she led him to her office she asked, "When did you get in?"
"This morning, I'm staying at Karina's," he told her.
"I bet she's happy about that," she smirked and opened the door to her large office, "are you staying through the holidays?"
"I am."
She turned around, "That's great. And you overpaid me again."
"I know-I.."
"It's OK; I used the money to buy food and donated it to Feeding America. But I do want to be compensated..."
He looked at her, "What did you have in mind?"
She wrinkled her delicate nose and tilted her beautiful face to the left, "I wanna know a little bit more about you. Like..what do you do for a living to be traveling so much and overpaying me?"
"I'm a private security contractor."
She nodded,"Blackwater?"
"No, I'm freelance."
"I see…How long have you known Karina?"
"Since August."
"Really?" She replied sounding a bit shocked. "I mean, the gifts that you gave her were personal and thoughtful..," she changed the subject, "Do you consider me to be a friend?"
"Of course."
"Likewise," she agreed.
"Is that it?"
It wasn't, she wanted to ask the question that had been in back of her mind for weeks but didn't, "Yeah, Karina's present is in there. I was gonna send it out later today," she opened the closet and picked up the box. When she walked towards Agent 47 her elbow knocked over a bottle of wine and two glasses off her desk.
Without flinching, Agent 47 caught the bottle and glasses before they hit the floor.
"Some sharp reflexes you got there," she gave him a stunned stare.
He put the bottle and glasses back on her desk and came up with an excuse, "I work on them."
"Apparently," she searched his face and considered asking him another question but like before she decided against it. "Here," she handed him the box. "Although…nevermind."
He wanted to know what was on her mind, "What?"
"You just being here..that's enough for Karina. I assume she hasn't seen you since August, right?"
"Correct."
"Well, when Jason was an intern I barely saw him because he was on call. I would have gladly turned down all the money in world just to spend one full night with him," she smiled and touched her locket.
Her expression compelled him to ask, "What are you thinking about?"
She chuckled, "He was on call on Valentine's Day and I made sure to not let him know that I was upset. I knew what I was getting into when I decided to date a doctor but I didn't want to be the whiney girlfriend.
So..I surprised him. I snuck into the hospital and we spent one hour in the same tiny bed just talking. There were no flowers, chocolates or presents, just us. It was enough because I got to smell him, hear him, and feel his body against mine."
The brilliant smile on her face and emotion in her voice made her words resonated with him.
"I think Karina will love your gift but speaking as a woman..your presence is enough for her," she told him.
He told her why had chosen the present and didn't expect to see her dark eyes well up.
"That is so romantic," her voice cracked. "Sorry..um..I kind of get emotional when it comes to things like this.."
"It's fine," he said while feeling a little uncomfortable, "I should go back now."
"Yeah..have a nice holiday, Frank," she smiled at him and wiped away a stray tear.
"You too," he gave her a slight nod before leaving.
Nika left her office once she finished reviewing the sales records. When she came down the stairs she heard the cellar door close and saw Agent 47 step out of the kitchen.
"Hey, were you just in the cellar?" She asked him.
"Yes, I was looking at your wine. Impressive," he told her.
"I try," she gave him a half smile, "Come on, let me show you the grounds," she put her hand on his back.
The afternoon sun shone on them as they walked through the rows of vines. He listened to her proudly speak about growing and harvesting grapes and the winemaking process. The way she walk and spoke emanated a certain confidence and knowledge that he hadn't seen in her when they first met. He found her new demeanor to be very attractive. He then felt her hand touch his.
Her hand barely grazed his before she stroked his palm with her fingertips. When he didn't withdraw his hand she went further and interlaced the tips of her fingers with his. She almost pulled away until he curled his fingers and grasped her hand. Hoping to not jeopardize the moment, she flashed him a smile and continued to speak.
Back in Istanbul he wanted to hold the small of her back when they walked the streets but didn't. Hesitation had stopped him. Now, he held her hand in disbelief but did not show it. He never held another person's hand before and didn't understand why others had done it until now. The physical contact gave him a sense of comfort, connection and security that he never experienced, he gladly welcomed it. When she smiled at him, he grinned and rubbed her hand with his thumb.
She almost gasped when she felt his thumb stroke her hand. The tingling sensation in her body excited her. No man had ever elicited such a reaction before; she knew that he would be the only one to ever do so.
Adjusting his red tie, Agent 47 looked at his reflection between the coat rack and umbrella. Tonight's Christmas party would be the first social gathering he attended where he wasn't hired to kill one of the guests. Unlike their night at the Galata Tower restaurant, Nika would be his date and not his cover.
"I'm ready," Nika announced as she walked down the stairs.
For the first time ever, a woman's beauty rendered him breathless. The red silk dress's halter neckline demurely displayed her chest while the tasteful hemline showed her long toned legs. Wavy wisps of hair framed her lovely face. A pale green shimmer of eye shadow brought out her emerald eyes and her perfect pink lips shined.
"You look handsome," she said noticing the stunned look his face and loving it.
"You're magnificent," he heard a hint of shock in his voice that he never heard before.
She locked her gaze with his and smiled, "Thank you..although I would have accepted 'nice'."
"It wouldn't be appropriate," he said without thinking.
She felt heat come to her face but held her composure, "We don't want to be late. Believe me; Trent will not let me hear the end of it if we're even one minute past seven."
"I look forward to meeting him," he offered his arm to her and she accepted.
"He feels the same way," she answered as they went out the door.
"They're here!" Bryce alerted Trent and Anna once Agent 47 and Nika arrived.
The three of them huddled at the bar and watched the couple.
"He is fit and tall..hot," Anna said as she squeezed her boyfriend's hand, "Still love ya hunny."
"Nice to know baby," her boyfriend Dylan answered.
"He is sexy..in a scary kind of way," Bryce commented.
"You're right about that and he has a shaved head. Bald men are hot, that's why I chose to be one," Trent commented. "Oh no.."
"What?" Anna and Bryce both said.
"That is an Italian suit! The man has style," he told his friends, "they're coming. Hey Sweetie," he kissed Nika's cheek.
"Trent, Bryce and Anna, this is Frank," Nika introduced Agent 47.
"It's a pleasure meeting all of you," he shook their hands and remembered not to grip too tightly.
"Frank, it's nice to finally meet you..although I have to ask, is that suit Italian?" Trent inquired.
"It is, why?"
"I was just wondering," Trent to turned to Bryce and Anna, "I told you bitches!"
Nika giggled and rolled her eyes.
Agent 47 was a bit perplexed by Trent's comment.
"You two look amazing," Anna said.
"Like Ken and Barbie..well," Bryce spoke, "if Barbie were a brunette and not plastic and Ken were bald and not gay."
Agent 47 furrowed his eyebrows and in an uncertain voice said, "Thank you?"
Much to her surprise, Agent 47 got along with her friends with few awkward pauses in between their conversations. He had faired better with her friends than he did at lunch with her family. She also learned a few things about him. He watched movies including most of films nominated for Best Picture and read novels; John Grisham was his favorite author. Every new detail she learned about him she treasured.
She took him aside and decided to test him, "The waiter serving the champagne, what is the color of his eyes?"
"Hazel," he immediately answered.
"How tall is Anna?"
"Five feet and two inches."
"How many bedrooms does this house have?"
"Four."
"What is Bryce's favorite movie of the year?"
"It's a tie between Michael Clayton and Sweeney Todd."
"Why?"
"Because of the stories and he likes looking at George Clooney and Johnny Depp."
Impressed she then asked, "What color underwear am I wearing?"
"Red thong, it matches your dress."
His accuracy surprised her, "How did you get that right? Did you watch me get dressed?"
He grinned, "I didn't. You just told me."
She opened her mouth in delighted shock and chuckled, "Some things never change."
"One thing has, you're wearing underwear now," he told her as his eyes traveled up and down her body.
For a brief moment, the old Nika almost came through and wanted to offer him a personal view of her, sans underwear. However, she has learned how to handle her hitman and being aggressive with him was not wise.
"I like how it feels against my skin and..it's gets cold," she shrugged.
"Come on Karina, let's go powder our noses," Anna gently took Nika by the hand.
"Ok, I need to touch up my lips gloss," Nika stated.
"Don't worry Frank, I'll bring her right back," Anna winked at him.
He followed Nika with his eyes.
"I don't blame you," a voice said from behind him.
He turned to see Trent taking sip of his drink, "Trent, this is a nice party."
"I know," he half joked. "But don't try to change the subject; Karina is stunning so I don't blame you for staring at her the way you do."
He simply stared at him.
"Ya know," Trent stepped closer to him, "on Halloween night, we were at this fabulous Halloween gala and I saw her turn down all the men in the room. She then went out to the balcony and stared up at the moon for the rest of the evening. Now, I'm no mind reader but I'd bet everything that she was thinking of you."
His lips slightly parted, he had done the same that night and was pleasantly surprised to hear that she was thinking of him in the same manner.
"But, Karina doesn't know what you are to her," his tone was firm. "I've been watching you two all night and just seeing how you two are together…I wanna go out and get some. And NO straight couple has ever made me feel that way before," he shook his head. "She needs to know where you stand, that's all I'm saying. Understand?"
"Perfectly," he answered with a straight face.
"One more thing…I've never met a man who bought a woman as beautiful as Karina, an expensive gift, let alone a vineyard. Without getting anything in return.."
His stare moved to the floor before looking into Trent's eyes, "That's between us."
"Oh Honey," he realized that Nika had been honest about them never having sex, "you really are a good man. Fantastic!" he smiled.
"Excuse me," Agent 47 walked away not wanting to continue the conversation.
"I should be upset but I like watching you walk away," Trent said as he glanced at his backside.
Anna and Karina stood in front of the bathroom mirror and touched up their makeup.
"So," Nika said as she finished applying her lip gloss, "what does everyone think of Frank?"
"The truth?" Anna closed her mascara.
"Yes," she got a little worried.
Anna put her left hand on the sink and placed the other on her hip, "Your sexy scary shaved-head friend is..a good guy," she smiled.
"Really?" She asked feeling elated.
"Yes! He doesn't talk as much as you do or us..but who does?," she shrugged. "Anywhoo, he's nice and mysterious in an interesting way, not creepy. He's smart; he travels the world and has a subtle charm. Oh..and his face and body are perfect..you know how to pick 'em."
"I'm so happy that you guys like him!" Karina hugged her.
"Of course we were gonna like him because you do, Karina. By the way, he is such a gentleman with you, pulling out your chair, taking off your coat, I thought chivalry was dead," her eyes became wide, "The way he looks at you whether you're next to him or across the room is so hot."
"Well.." embarrassed yet delighted that someone else noticed Agent 47's attraction to her she continued to speak. "We're only friends.." Even she didn't believe herself.
Anna arched an eyebrow, "Riiight," she sensed her friend's discomfort, "Come on, we better get back before Bryce asks Frank if he can grate mozzarella on his abs."
Nika broke the silence in the car by asking him, "Did you have a good time tonight?"
"I did," he said with a nod.
"How about my friends? What did you think of them?"
He loosened his tie, "They're very nice and..interesting, to say the least. I like the kind of people you've chosen to be in your life, Nika. They seem to care about you a lot."
Her lips pulled into a grin, "They're terrific and they like you too."
"They do?"
"Yes, they believe you are a good guy," she told him before changing the subject "what did Karissa say to you? You barely spoke when we were together but tonight…."
His dark eyes gazed at her, "She said that you and your friends would expect to hear more from me."
With a slight bob of her head she replied, "She is a smart woman."
"The type I prefer to surround myself with," he brushed a wavy wisp of hair behind her ear.
She released a breath air and held his hand, "You can scratch what I said in Istanbul about you not being charming."
He gripped her hand and she clasped his with both of hers.
"Ms. Petrova, we're home," Carl said from the car's intercom.
"Thank you," she answered, "Carl, please just drop us off, we can let ourselves out."
"As you wish, Ms. Petrova," Carl stated.
Hand in hand, they exited the car and walked into her home. She leaned against him when they strolled down the corridor to her bedroom. Her fingers reluctantly unlaced from his.
"I had wonderful time tonight and today," she said to him.
"Me too," he put his hands in his pocket.
She wanted to tell him how happy she was to have him there with her and how she appreciated how he had changed since the last time they were together. Fearful of ruining the moment, she kept those thoughts to herself.
"You can sleep well tonight. My security team, they are the best of the best. LAPD, Navy SEALs, SWAT and Marines. So you don't have to set up any bombs. And it would make you a very impolite house guest if blew up my home," she smirked.
A small scoff came from him; it was the first time he had ever come close to laughing, "I'll take it into consideration."
"Thanks. Goodnight, Frank," she opened the door to her bedroom and smiled at him.
"Goodnight Nika," he watched her until she closed the door behind her.
When he went into his bedroom he decided to listen to her and did not set up any bombs. He did place his AMT Hardballer under his pillow as he fell asleep thinking of how content he was for deciding to visit Nika.