And you brought her crazy ass to the island because…? the voice in the back of my mind nags.
Giving Wraith a short rundown of how she came to be here, he listens intently. Now and then his thick, blond brows rise to his hairline, but that's the most emotion I get out of the creepy fucker.
"So, yeah," I tell him, "I didn't really have a plan in mind; just to hold her captive until I could figure out what I was gonna do with her. I was going to ask Lucien for his help…" My voice trails off, and I swallow hard. Lucien would have known exactly what to do. And now I can't even ask him for advice on this extremely fucked-up situation. "But then everything happened, and we hightailed it back here."
"I see," Wraith says slowly. "So you know almost nothing about this girl…and you brought her here?"
See, I told you, my inner voice says in response.
Frowning, I go to the next room and retrieve Katerina's purse. I shove the contents into Wraith's giant arms and tell him, "This is all she had with her. I was hoping Lucien could help me find out more, but he's obviously not going to be able to…for a while."
Wraith nods once. "Let me talk to the girl, feel her out."
My teeth grind together at his words feel her out, but I know my sudden spurt of jealousy is crazy. I don't even know this girl. And what I know of her should have my balls shriveling up in fear…especially after she already attacked them.
"Fine. But she needs to eat first," I say, picking up the tray and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge to add to the assortment. "You can talk to her later after you figure things out," I tell him, gesturing to her belongings in his big hands.
"Yes. Good," he agrees.
CHAPTER 9
KATYA
AFTER SHOWERING AND changing into clean clothes, I feel somewhat better. Not that my situation has improved at all — I'm still being held captive by a man I know nothing about in an unknown place and for an unknown length of time.
In all actuality, Jackson could be a creepy serial killer, and I could just be his latest victim.
I pace the room and finally flop down on the bed. There is absolutely nothing to do in here, no TV, no magazines or books. I'm bored to tears, and I've only been in this room for probably a couple of hours.
If there was a clock, I would be able to tell. But, of course, there's not.
It reminds me of the basement where Pavel would keep me for days or weeks sometimes, starving me after a horrific beating. There was nothing to do but stare at the wall or sleep to pass the time.
But at least this room has a comfy bed and a bathroom. The basement didn't have such luxuries, and I can still smell the stench of my own piss and vomit…
A familiar beeping sound drags me from those horrible memories, and I quickly stand and watch as the door opens. Internally, I curse myself for not lying in wait and ready to strike. I could have maybe escaped.
Jackson walks in, shutting the door behind him, effectively locking us in. "Hello," he says casually as if we're old friends and he's not currently holding me hostage.
I narrow my eyes at him, and I'm about to make a rude remark, but then I see the tray of food in his hand, and all I can think about is eating.
I'm starving. But after being drugged twice by this man, there is no way I'm going to eat his food willingly.
My eyes roam over his appearance. He's cleaned up since the last time I saw him. He's not covered in his cousin's blood anymore. It looks like he showered, and he's now in fresh, clean clothes — jeans and a long-sleeved charcoal-colored shirt. The sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms and revealing those eye-catching tattoos done in red and black ink on his left arm.
"I didn't know what you liked, so I grabbed a little bit of everything," he says, gesturing to the food in his hands.
The tray is packed with sandwiches, fruits, veggies, chips and a bottle of water. Even the water could be drugged, so I decide that I'll drink out of the faucet in the bathroom and not take any chances.
When I make no move to take the food from him, he sets the tray down on the bed between us. "Not hungry?" he asks.
I glare at him and ignore his question. Instead, I ask, "Where are we? Whose house is this, and who was that man downstairs?"
He only answers one of my questions by saying, "That man is my cousin, the one I was telling you about."
"This is his house?"
He nods in response.
"Is he still alive?" I ask in an almost whisper. I don't know why I asked. It's not like I even care. From the information I've gathered of his cousin so far, he's a very bad man who holds girls hostage in rooms that can only be opened with a code.
"Yes," he answers, but I can hear the worry in his tone.
I fold my arms across my chest and stand up straighter in a defiant stance. "So, what are you going to do with me?" That is the million-dollar question, after all.
Jackson takes a few steps back toward the door and leans up against the wall, facing me. "I don't know. Things are…complicated right now," he says cryptically.
"Tell me about it," I say with an eye-roll. "So you're just what, going to keep me here as your prisoner?"
"No," he says quickly before adding, "Well, not technically."
"Not technically? It's a yes or no question!" I snap at him. Again, he's answering me with not technically just like he did when I asked him if he was a doctor. This man is infuriating me to no end. And that goofy grin on his face — notwithstanding a very handsome face — is not helping matters and is only pissing me off even more.
"I'm only keeping you here until Lucien gets better and can help me with your…situation," he explains, taking his time to find the right words, which are so very wrong in my eyes.
"My situation is that you kidnapped me and are holding me hostage for reasons you can't even explain to me, let alone yourself," I tell him angrily. I'm running out of time here. And he's waiting on that man to get better…the one who was shot up and looked as dead as a body you'd find in the morgue. "How do you know your cousin will even wake up?" I ask, exasperated.
My words visibly wound him, and the smile slides right off his face. "I…I just have to believe that he'll be okay," he says sadly.
Frowning, I suddenly feel bad for him. But that only lasts for a moment when I realize I'm feeling bad for the man who is currently holding me captive. If Jackson wouldn't have seen me kill my husband, then he wouldn't have chased me. And I would be halfway across the world by now. Hell, I might be halfway across the world right now, considering I have no idea where we are, but my idea of escaping Pavel didn't involve being held hostage by a man I don't know or trust.
I've been held prisoner for far too long. I wanted nothing more than one thing — my freedom.
And now Jackson has stolen that from me just like everyone else in my life previously. All I have ever wanted was to be free, but I was never afforded the opportunity to be anything but property, someone's possession.
"Let me go, please. I'll figure things out on my own," I plead, begging him and even being able to summon up some fake tears for added effect. I've been in complete control of my emotions for so long now that I can turn them off and on as I please.
But my tears have no effect on Jackson, who simply tells me, "I'm sorry. I can't do that right now."
And with that, he inputs the code and walks out of the room. When I hear the door close and the beep signaling that I'm locked in here without any way out, I scream at the top of my lungs. My feet carry me to the door and I bang against the wood with all of my might.
If Jackson thinks he kidnapped an easy and docile prisoner, he's in for a rude awakening. I'm going to make his life a living hell, if it's the last thing I do.
CHAPTER 10
JACKSON
I'M SLEEPING SOUNDLY in my bedroom when I hear a soft creak. Groggily, I open my eyes and realize I'm not alone.
"Goddamn it, Wraith!" I yell in surprise, almost falling out of bed and practically jump
ing out of my skin when the Russian giant emerges from the shadows of the doorway.
"I have something you're going to want to see," he tells me enigmatically.
"Definitely getting you a fucking collar with a bell," I mutter under my breath. Sighing, I wave him to come forward. "Well, since this couldn't wait until I was actually awake, come on and show me."
He steps forward and hands me his cell phone, which shows an encrypted email with words in the Russian language. I can't tell what any of it says; but as if reading my mind, Wraith drags his finger along the email subject. "Wanted, alive. Bounty — a million dollars in Russian Rubles." And then he scrolls down to the picture, and I can't believe my eyes when I see Katerina's pretty face on the scanned makeshift wanted poster.
"Who's after her?" I ask, needing to know.
"The Bratva," he says. "The Russian mafia," he explains. "Her husband Pavel was very high up in pecking order for the Bratva. Katerina made a grave mistake killing him."
I stand and begin to pace back and forth over the hardwood floor. "Why would she risk it? What did she have to gain?"
Wraith shakes his head. "I haven't found anything regarding her past yet, but there must be a reason."
"Yes," I agree with a nod. And I desperately want to find out.
"This email has been sent to a lot of bad men," he tells me. "The price on her head is too great to ignore. She will be hunted like a prized, rare animal."
Groaning, I stop pacing and swipe my hands down my face. Fuck, it's too early for this shit. I'm running on barely three hours of sleep since I was checking on Lucien every half-hour to make sure he was okay and made it through the night.
I left him with Maria, who was happy to stay with him. I think she always saw Lucien like the son she never had, and I knew he'd be in good hands and that she'd let me know if anything was wrong.
"May I speak to the girl now?" Wraith asks.
"Sure, sure," I tell him with a wave of my hand. I walk to my door with Wraith following close behind. "If you need me, I'll be in Lucien's office with the biggest cup of coffee you've ever seen in your fucking life."
CHAPTER 11
KATYA
I EXPECT TO see Jackson again when the door opens the next morning, but I'm surprised when the Giant walks in my door.
He's carrying a delicious-looking breakfast — complete with three crispy pieces of bacon, which must be Jackson's doing — that makes my mouth water and my stomach grumble in protest. He sets it down next to my tray of uneaten food from last night, and it makes me physically ill to see all that food go to waste.
It feels like it's been so long since I've eaten, but I don't want to accept anything from my captor…or be drugged or poisoned.
So, instead of running toward the food, I turn my head away in silent protest.
"You must eat," the man says softly, but I can hear the stern undertone to his voice.
Slowly, I turn my head and glance up at the giant. "How do I know it's not drugged? How do I know he's not waiting for me to pass out so he can have his way with me?" I snap.
I expect him to disagree with me or perhaps even tell me the truth. What I don't expect is the hearty, loud laughter that spills out of his mouth and bounces off the walls in the room, echoing with mockery. When he finally calms down from his laughing fit, he sneers at me with, "Trust me, Princess, Jax is not the bad guy here."
"How can you even say that?" I spit the question at him. "He kidnapped me and is holding me hostage!"
"Oh, you mean after you killed your husband in front of his very own eyes?" he barks.
Of course Jackson told him that part of our little story. So much for using my innocent act with this guy. He knows now that I'm a killer and probably thinks the worst of me. He'll definitely never help me escape now.
"Are you being held here too?" I inquire, desperate to know the answer and hoping that he is and that he will help me even though he knows of my crimes now.
"Of course not," he huffs with indignation. "I'm employed by Lucien." He pauses before he says, "Well, I guess Jackson now since Lucien is currently…incapacitated."
He appears to be upset when talking about Lucien, just the same as Jackson was when speaking about his cousin's condition. But I can't let their pain become my weakness. I have one goal in mind, and that is to escape. "Well, I can't stay here. If you won't help me, I'll find another way," I confess to him, no longer willing to keep my objective quiet.
"There is much going on that you do not know about," he tells me. "I wouldn't be so quick to get out of here, if I were you."
Before I can ask him to explain, he's reaching into his back pocket to retrieve a cell phone. He hits a few keys before turning the screen towards me. Hesitantly, I take a few steps forward to get a clearer image of what exactly he's trying to show me.
I gasp when I see my photo. My eyes widen at the steep amount of Rubles above my face. "But who would pay that much bounty?" I exclaim. "Who could?"
"The Bratva," he states. "That's who."
The Russian mafia. Of course. Pavel has been immersed in the organization ever since I can remember. I thought maybe I would have Pavel's family after me if they discovered what I'd done…but now I have the whole goddamn mob.
Sinking to the bed when my knees give out on me, I shake my head in disbelief.
The man puts his phone away, leaving me in shock. "They put the price on your head last night, and it's been circulating like wildfire. Your face is everywhere, and everyone wants a piece of that pie."
Yes, of course they did, because my plan didn't go exactly how I wanted it to. I was going to return to my family, explaining to them how my husband was murdered in cold blood right before my very eyes and how I barely escaped alive. My family would've protected me.
And then eventually, I could have run away from my worthless parents after I had enough money and everything I needed. I would have taken my sister with me, provided for her, given her a better life than I had, a life I could only ever dream of before.
I had spun the intricate web of lies in my head a countless number of times over the past several months, and I made myself believe my plan would work.
It would have to.
However, the more I've been thinking about my plan since I've been stuck in this room…the more doubt that's been creeping up in my mind. Would my mother have protected me from my father? It's not like he would have welcomed me home with open arms. Papa had already betrayed me once in the past that cost me my childhood. What's not to say he wouldn't do it again even behind my mother's back?
And especially with that kind of bounty out on my head…my father would have never kept me safe. He would have turned on me the first chance he could. Maybe I would have returned home to Russia only to be hand-delivered to the mafia to be beaten…tortured…and killed.
My original plan, however fickle it truly was, quickly unraveled after Jackson kidnapped me, and now I'm really in deep trouble.
"Shit," I hiss.
"So you see, Princess, you're not in the best of positions right now." He clasps his hands together and says, "Besides, there's no way off this island unless you know how to fly a plane."
My head snaps up at his words. Jackson brought me to an island?!
Oh, of course he did, I grumble mentally.
The man turns towards the door and throws over his shoulder, "I suggest you stop trying to escape and realize that this place is your safest bet. And if I were you, I would make sure I kept Jackson real happy. Otherwise, you'll be out on your ass, and I doubt if you have the resources to last more than a day on your own."
Looking up at the giant as he punches in the code to the door, I ask him quickly, "How do I keep him happy?"
I see the side of his mouth curl up in a smirk. "You're a smart girl. I'm sure you'll figure it out," he says before disappearing out the door.
I have to keep my captor happy? Oh, how the tables have turned.
Grumbling, I shake my head, but then slowl
y begin to nod. Against all of my very being, I realize exactly what I must do now. My survival now completely depends on Jackson and his actions.
My objective of leaving this place has quickly turned on its head. I need to stay here for as long as I can. Because if I leave here…I'm as good as dead.
CHAPTER 12
JACKSON
I SIT AT the computer in Lucien's office, watching Wraith and Katerina talking in her room. There are several cameras strategically placed throughout the bedroom, the room that Adeline was first kept in when I brought her to the island.
And Adeline wasn't the only woman to stay in that secured room. Lucien had a fetish for virginal women, buying willing women on the dark web and paying them and their handlers a large sum of money. Adeline just happened to be lucky number seven.
Unbeknownst to Lucien, however, Adeline didn't come willingly to the island as those before her had. No, Adeline's ex-fiancé, Giovanni, had kidnapped and sold her for an agreed upon sum of money to Lucien.
Eventually everything came to light. But instead of sending Adeline away like all the rest, Lucien decided to keep her here. He told me he was doing it to protect her, which I truly wanted to believe. But even I could see the obsession in his eyes from early on. Adeline didn't reciprocate his feelings at first, but they ultimately fell in love.
Adeline was making a life with us here on the island.
And now she's gone, and the mansion seems as empty as it was before she arrived.
I watch Katerina and Wraith talk. Since I can't seem to figure out how to turn up the volume on Lucien's elaborate setup, I can't hear what's being said between the two of them. However, I can watch her facial expressions, and she looks downright petrified when Wraith shows her the wanted poster on his phone.
She should be scared.
The Russian mafia is not one to be fucked with. We haven't had many dealings with them, but Wraith knows a hell of a lot, and his stories are bone-chilling.
Watching Her: A Dark Romance (Keep Me Series Book 3) Page 5
