Angel and the Assassin 3: Sins of the Father

the team, he never allowed the man out of his sight except when he
    stood outside a private meeting. It was a little before eleven p.m. when the final
    discussions of the day were over. Romodanovsky emerged with the PM from his study,
    and Kael followed the men upstairs to the third floor. At the door to Romodanovsky’s
    suite, the two men exchanged a few words. Mattie was already inside checking that all
    was clear.
    Kael followed the man into the suite and whispered to Mattie to remain outside.
    “You can sit down, but do not fall asleep.”
    “Red Bull in my pocket, sir,” she whispered with a grin.
    Romodanovsky removed his jacket and went to the bathroom. Kael chose a
    comfortable leather chair, positioned it in a corner, and sat where he could see the
    whole room. When he reentered, Romodanovsky glanced about until he located Kael,
    and smiled with just one corner of his mouth. “Will you remain in here all night?”
    In perfect Russian, Kael replied, “That’s correct. I was told to keep you alive while
    you are in the prime minister’s house, and that is what I will do.”
    Fyn Alexander | Sins of the Father
    43

    A full-blown smile of surprise and pleasure swept over the man’s lean face. “Your
    Russian is perfect.”
    “I know,” Kael said. “Are you going directly to bed?”
    “I see you are not inclined to show deference.” Romodanovsky reverted to
    English. “Even security guards know how to be polite.”
    I’m not a fucking security guard . “I’ll be with you until you walk out of the front
    door at ten tomorrow morning. You’ll survive my bad manners,” Kael said.
    The Russian gave a little laugh. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”
    “No.”
    “A glass of brandy? I like brandy.” On the sideboard sat a tray with glasses and a
    cut crystal decanter. Romodanovsky poured a glass and held it up to Kael. “Will you
    join me?”
    “No.” Kael liked brandy almost as much as he liked his whisky, but never on a
    job.
    Removing his tie, the man kept his eyes on Kael. “Are you planning to watch me
    sleep?”
    “Yes.”
    “You strike me as a very intelligent man. Why is your conversation so limited?”
    A slight smile tilted Kael’s mouth. “Because, Mr. Romodanovsky, we are neither
    friends nor colleagues. You are a job and nothing more. I’ll keep you alive because I’m
    being paid to keep you alive.”
    “And if you were paid to kill me, would you do that also?”
    Yes, no question . “The British government does not employ assassins. You must be
    thinking of the Russian government.”
    With an elegant movement, the Russian grabbed a heavy, leather wing chair and
    swung it easily into place about three feet from Kael, showing the strength in his
    Fyn Alexander | Sins of the Father
    44

    shoulders. He sat down opposite Kael, his long legs stretched out. His magnetic blue
    eyes openly assessed Kael. “Are you fucking the little blonde girl outside?”
    The unexpectedness of the question shocked Kael, though he kept it carefully
    hidden. If Mattie was in here instead of Kael, she would not be safe with this man,
    though she could still knock him to the ground with the right moves. “None of your
    business.”
    “Do you play chess?”
    “I can.” All the boys at College Grange had studied chess. It was supposed to help
    with mathematics skills, so Kael had ordered Angel to join the chess club at Redmond
    and had been practicing with him once or twice a week for the last year.
    Romodanovsky looked across the room at the beautiful, modern-styled silver and
    gold chess set on the rosewood half-moon table beside the door. Kael didn’t move. If
    the man thought he was going to fetch it, he was mistaken. The Russian was no sub. He
    was as dominant as Kael. If they spent too much time together, they’d kill each other.
    The momentary standoff ended when Romodanovsky rose and set a small round
    table between them. Then, crossing the room, he brought the chessboard and placed it
    on the table. With an aggressive gesture, he snatched two pawns and hid them in his
    hands. “Choose.”
    Kael pointed at the man’s right hand. It was the silver.
    For more than thirty minutes, they played in silence. Romodanovsky obviously
    played chess far more often than Kael. He was a much better player, and Kael found his
    resentment building toward the man. When he played Angel, they were pretty evenly
    matched, and both won at the same rate. In fact when they’d first started playing,