Karkoff’s presence in Surrey endangers our tidy little plot.”
“How?”
The unnerving black eyes narrowed in frigid anger. “Because that is where the letters were last seen, you idiot.”
“Does she have them?”
“And how would I know?” Richards tossed the whip onto the bed in an impatient motion. “I sent my servants to search the Duke’s home weeks ago, but Miss Karkoff’s presence complicates matters.”
Nikolas tugged at his wilted cravat, not for the first timewishing he had never allowed Sir Charles Richards to convince him to take part in the dangerous scheme.
Not that you truly had a choice , a voice whispered in the back of his mind.
Gambling had always been his weakness and when he’d lost far more money than he possessed to the Englishman, he had no choice but to listen to his outlandish scheme. And in truth, the thought of gaining a small fortune with such ease had been a temptation he couldn’t resist.
Now he could do no more than curse his stupidity.
“We should never have approached the Countess until we had our hands on those letters.”
“You were as eager as I was to claim the fortune. Who would have suspected the Emperor’s whore would have the nerve to question your threat?” The dark eyes glittered with a cruel light. “Obviously you were not very convincing.”
Nikolas shuddered, his skin crawling with an indefinable fear. “I did what was asked. It isn’t my fault the Countess—”
“Shut up,” Richards interrupted. “I weary of your excuses.”
Nikolas swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. “Fine. We gambled and lost. C’est la vie .”
Richards took a step forward, his expression grim. “This is not over. I will have my money.”
“How? If the daughter manages to discover those letters then they will know that we have never seen them.”
“My men have orders to keep a close eye on the female. If she does manage to uncover the letters they will be able to retrieve them from her.”
“And if she does not?”
“Then she will return to Russia with the information that the letters are indeed missing.”
Nikolas bit back the urge to point out the numerous flaws in the plan. His existence might be miserable at the moment, but he was in no hurry to meet the death that lurked in his companion’s eyes.
“So we wait?”
“No, we cannot allow the Countess to suspect this is a bluff,” Richards snapped, a dark edge in his voice making Nikolas relieved that he did not know what was going through his companion’s mind. He sensed it would give him nightmares for weeks to come. “I desire you to approach the Countess again and warn her that for every week that passes, the cost of your silence increases by five thousand rubles.”
Nikolas took a discreet step backward. “And if she refuses?”
“You will continue to pester her. It will keep her fretting rather than devoting her time to considering how to outwit us.” The man’s lips curled into a sneer. “Women are incapable of behaving in a sensible manner when they are flustered.”
Nikolas’s humorless laugh echoed eerily through the room. “Have you ever met the Countess?”
“She is a female.” Richards easily dismissed the strong-willed Countess, obviously unaware of the power she could wield. Stupid man. “Keep her terrified that she is about to lose her devoted and very wealthy lover and she will do whatever necessary to keep her life of luxury.”
“Why must I be the one to approach her?” Nikolas changed tactics. “It seems to me that I am risking my neck while you hide in the shadows.”
Before Nikolas could blink, Richards was across the room, his hands circling Nikolas’s throat with enough pressure to prove he could easily snap his neck.
“That is what you are being paid to do, is it not?” he demanded in low, deadly tones. “And believe me, being caught by the Russian officials is the least of your concern. Fail me and I will cut out your heart and feed it to the
“How?”
The unnerving black eyes narrowed in frigid anger. “Because that is where the letters were last seen, you idiot.”
“Does she have them?”
“And how would I know?” Richards tossed the whip onto the bed in an impatient motion. “I sent my servants to search the Duke’s home weeks ago, but Miss Karkoff’s presence complicates matters.”
Nikolas tugged at his wilted cravat, not for the first timewishing he had never allowed Sir Charles Richards to convince him to take part in the dangerous scheme.
Not that you truly had a choice , a voice whispered in the back of his mind.
Gambling had always been his weakness and when he’d lost far more money than he possessed to the Englishman, he had no choice but to listen to his outlandish scheme. And in truth, the thought of gaining a small fortune with such ease had been a temptation he couldn’t resist.
Now he could do no more than curse his stupidity.
“We should never have approached the Countess until we had our hands on those letters.”
“You were as eager as I was to claim the fortune. Who would have suspected the Emperor’s whore would have the nerve to question your threat?” The dark eyes glittered with a cruel light. “Obviously you were not very convincing.”
Nikolas shuddered, his skin crawling with an indefinable fear. “I did what was asked. It isn’t my fault the Countess—”
“Shut up,” Richards interrupted. “I weary of your excuses.”
Nikolas swallowed the lump lodged in his throat. “Fine. We gambled and lost. C’est la vie .”
Richards took a step forward, his expression grim. “This is not over. I will have my money.”
“How? If the daughter manages to discover those letters then they will know that we have never seen them.”
“My men have orders to keep a close eye on the female. If she does manage to uncover the letters they will be able to retrieve them from her.”
“And if she does not?”
“Then she will return to Russia with the information that the letters are indeed missing.”
Nikolas bit back the urge to point out the numerous flaws in the plan. His existence might be miserable at the moment, but he was in no hurry to meet the death that lurked in his companion’s eyes.
“So we wait?”
“No, we cannot allow the Countess to suspect this is a bluff,” Richards snapped, a dark edge in his voice making Nikolas relieved that he did not know what was going through his companion’s mind. He sensed it would give him nightmares for weeks to come. “I desire you to approach the Countess again and warn her that for every week that passes, the cost of your silence increases by five thousand rubles.”
Nikolas took a discreet step backward. “And if she refuses?”
“You will continue to pester her. It will keep her fretting rather than devoting her time to considering how to outwit us.” The man’s lips curled into a sneer. “Women are incapable of behaving in a sensible manner when they are flustered.”
Nikolas’s humorless laugh echoed eerily through the room. “Have you ever met the Countess?”
“She is a female.” Richards easily dismissed the strong-willed Countess, obviously unaware of the power she could wield. Stupid man. “Keep her terrified that she is about to lose her devoted and very wealthy lover and she will do whatever necessary to keep her life of luxury.”
“Why must I be the one to approach her?” Nikolas changed tactics. “It seems to me that I am risking my neck while you hide in the shadows.”
Before Nikolas could blink, Richards was across the room, his hands circling Nikolas’s throat with enough pressure to prove he could easily snap his neck.
“That is what you are being paid to do, is it not?” he demanded in low, deadly tones. “And believe me, being caught by the Russian officials is the least of your concern. Fail me and I will cut out your heart and feed it to the
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