by EM Gayle
“Contact my attorney and forward this information to him immediately. Tell him I need options before I return home with Harper.”
Gerard nodded and began typing on his own phone. Alex’s mind raced with all the details of Harper’s life. No father, dead mother, an aunt who left Harper alone all through high school and a predator who took advantage of all of that.
White hot anger coursed through him, making his blood practically boil. He didn’t think he could get any angrier or scared for his woman, but he’d been wrong.
Fuck he’d been wrong about a lot of things. Starting with what she meant to him and what he intended to do about it. But first they had to get her back. Ronin would get no mercy for this stunt. If he laid one finger on Harper it would be his death.
“Sir, we’re almost there. As we discussed, my team and I will be dropping into the water in five minutes. As soon as we have the boat secured, the pilot will bring you in. You are on the comm with us, so you’ll hear everything going on as it happens.”
“Do not kill Ronin. I don’t care what it takes, you save him for me. As for Viktor.” He paused as he let the hatred build for the man who liked to interfere almost as much as his stepbrother. “I don’t care what happens to him.”
“Understood, sir.” Gerard and the others stood and grabbed all the gear they had prepared. They would be dropping a rigid inflatable boat from the back of the helicopter a few miles away from the yacht’s location. At which point his wait for them to reach Harper would begin.
He still bristled at the thought of not going in with them. However, these men were highly skilled operators and Gerard had adamantly denied his attempts to join them due to the risks and sensitivity of the mission. Fortunately, he trusted his security chief and after being assured that he would see and hear all of the action as it unfolded via body cams and their communication setup, he’d relented.
As the helicopter descended, men moved into position, one of them lowering the rear ramp they would launch the boat from. The crew chief directed the pilot until the ramp hit the water and the team kicked out the boat and jumped in.
The entire operation took no more than a few minutes before they all disappeared from sight and the engineer began raising the ramp and the helicopter lifted skyward.
He had to admit the precision in which they operated was damned impressive. He could only imagine the rigorous training and real-life experiences these men must have endured achieving this level of effectiveness. He just hoped it was enough. Ronin and Viktor were smart. They had to be expecting him.
Alex made a mental note to double the contract he’d offered them. These men and the rescue of Harper were worth every dollar he had.
A few minutes into the mission, Gerard broke radio silence. “We’ve got the yacht in sight, sir. However, there’s a problem. The helipad is empty. She may not be here after all.”
Chapter 8
Harper
* * *
I’d been pacing for two hours trying to come up with a plan when the lights flickered and then went out, pitching me into complete darkness. My throat constricted and my heart rate jumped. Ever since Viktor had left, I’d been on pins and needles waiting for this moment.
At sunset, the guards moved me back to my room with barely a word and now I had no idea what was happening.
I jumped off the bed and rushed to the door. “What’s going on?”
“We don’t know yet. Stay put and move to far side of the room.” His words no sooner got out and a series of loud cracks sounded from somewhere in the distance. It sounded like firecrackers were going off outside, but I wasn’t that naïve.
Gunshots were being fired.
“Unlock the door and let me out. I don’t like this. I need to be able to protect myself.”
I received no response and a burst of fear shot up my spine. Had they left me alone? What was I supposed to do? If it was Alex, I needed to let him know where I was. If it wasn’t, I had no idea how to handle the other.
The idea of Alex and Ronin being brothers had still not fully sunk in. What kind of coincidence resulted in my knowing both of them? I didn’t believe in coincidences. But what did that mean? I had so many questions and no one to answer them—yet.
I backed away from the door. I wasn’t prepared to see Ronin again. Just thinking about him gave me the strange feeling I got around him after I’d watched him transform into someone else during some kind of phone call. A mask of sorts had slipped over his face, and it scared the hell out of me.
It all could have been my imagination. I had just started therapy to deal with the Bill bullshit and my emotions were extremely close to the surface. Either way, it had been a mistake to go to that party and an even bigger error to play with Ronin while feeling so vulnerable.
I’d taken that opportunity to disappear and then worried for a day that he would come after me. It was stupid and paranoid, but I couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Still, I was glad I’d shared nothing more than my first name. What exactly any of that had to do with Alex I didn’t have a clue. Like Ronin, a chance opportunity (Zia giving me my first real client) and being out of my element had resulted in Alex noticing me.
Alex and I should have stuck to a one-night plan. Then maybe I wouldn’t be locked in a lavish bedroom on one of the world’s largest super yachts waiting to find out what came next.
More shots erupted, this time much closer and my imagination went on a wild rampage imagining a complete and total bloodbath just on the other side of my door.
As the seconds ticked by part of my fear morphed into anger. Who the hell lived like this? Kidnapping, armed guards, drugs, sex parties, giant boats with its own helicopter onboard, not to mention the freaking submarine thingy I’d seen. I couldn’t fathom the kind of money it took to support this insanity, but clearly none of them lived in my reality—or any reality.
I knew I was edging closer to hysteria, but I couldn’t stop it. The lines between normal and crazy had pretty much been blurred my entire life.
Another shot went off, this one closer but still muffled and it was closely followed by a thud just outside my door. I had a feeling if by some miracle one of the guards had still been standing there watching over me, he wasn’t now. What the hell was happening?
I glanced around the room for—something. But I already knew there was nothing I could use as a weapon. That had been one of the first things I’d searched for. With no escape either, there was little to do other than wait. Or hide. There was an off chance none of this had to do with Alex or Ronin. I’d seen the movies and read the news. There were real life pirates out on the ocean and they were a lot more vicious than their television counterparts.
Instead my anger flared again and I refused to crawl under the bed or cower in the closet. Someone had some mother fucking questions to answer and it didn’t matter which man was here.
The door to the cabin next to mine slammed and someone shouted my name. My stomach dropped and some of the bravado from a second ago disappeared. I took a few steps back until my legs hit the bed and I fell down on to the mattress.
“Harper!” A voice I didn’t recognize yelled my name again.
I considered answering but the lump in my throat prevented any words from coming out. The doorknob rattled, but it was locked from the outside not the inside, so nothing was going to stop him from coming in.
The door slammed open and light from several flashlights poured into the room as three large men dressed in head to toe black came walking into the room guns drawn and fanned out, one disappearing into the bathroom for a second before rejoining the group.
“Harper?” the man standing closest to me asked.
That damned lump got bigger, so I nodded.
One of the men stuck his head out the door and shouted down the hall. “She’s in here, we’re all clear.”
For a minute they all stood there, no one saying anything until another large, dark figure filled the doorway. His big body blocked what little
light illuminated the area, so I still couldn’t see who it was. This not knowing who or what was going on while everyone stood there staring at me made my heart race to the point I thought I might stroke out any second.
“Harper.” The man at the door spoke, his voice smooth and crystal clear. Now that voice I knew.
“Ronin?”
“Yeah, surprised to see me?”
His sarcasm didn’t sound quite right and a shiver worked down my spine. I had no idea what to expect if he’d come first, but right now the hairs standing on end around my neck told me this wasn’t going to be a happy reunion.
“Not really. Mr. Sokolov said you were coming.” God, I sounded like an idiot, but at least I got words to work that time.
“Yeah? And where is that bastard? I’m looking forward to beating some sense into that Russian dick. What kind of game is he playing anyway? Fucker clearly has a death wish.”
I winced. The harsh tone in Ronin’s voice gave little doubt he was pissed and serious as hell. The men with guns still surrounding me also didn’t hurt that theory.
“He left. A while ago.”
Ronin stepped farther into my space and I got a better view of him in the dim light. While he still looked like the same man I’d met at a party, he didn’t give off the same vibe now that he did then.
His body had filled out a bit more too. Instead of the tall, lean man I remembered, I was looking at muscles on top of muscles that under normal circumstances probably would have made my mouth water. There were some new tattoos too. They now covered every inch of his arms from what I could see. There were symbols, words and numbers mixed in with images that made me curious about what they meant.
“What do you mean he left?” he asked, pulling me away from my perusal of his appearance.
Now I was starting to get a little annoyed. I should be the one asking the questions. “As in he got on his helicopter and left me here with those goons outside. He said you and Alex were on your way.”
“Fucking bastard!” His voice boomed through the room, making me wince again. This angry Ronin reminded me of that tiny glimpse of him I’d gotten at the party that had made me run.
While I was trying to process these changes, the power came back on and flooded the room with light. I had to close my eyes for a moment against the sudden change and took that opportunity to take a fortifying deep breath. My ordeal was far from over and I now had to determine what Ronin’s agenda was in all this and how I figured in some sort of brotherly feud.
I re-opened my eyes and was immediately hit with a testosterone overload at the menacing presence of four big men dressed in black standing and staring at me. And in the full light their guns were even more intimidating than before.
I drew in a shuddering breath and prayed for some sort of calm.
Ronin crouched down until we were at eye level, his brilliant eyes drawing me in. “Did he hurt you?”
“Not really. Just a little manhandling from his men, although I could have done without the drugs.” My body and head still felt out of sorts from whatever he’d injected me with.
A hard look crossed his face as a snarl rumbled through the room. He turned and looked at one of the men, who acknowledged him with a nod. Two of them left the room and I shuddered to think of what that little silent communication had meant.
“We need to get out of here.”
“What about Alex? He’s supposed to be on his way here too.”
“Fuck, Alex. I’m sick to death of his interference in my business AND my life. He doesn’t deserve to find you. You were supposed to be mine, not his.” He grabbed my arms and hauled us both back to our feet.
Not liking his grip on my bicep, I jerked out of his hold. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I don’t want anything to do with it. And I don’t belong to either of you. Is he really your brother? Viktor said this whole thing is about you two fighting.”
“Stepbrothers. And absolutely not by choice. My idiotic father got soft and fell in love with his mother.”
The sneer on his face told her all she needed to know. Ronin didn’t care for the union between his father and Alex’s mother. And if she had to guess, she could imagine that Alex didn’t care for it either. Which could be what had led to some sort of fight between them.
“As for the other,” he wrapped a finger around the chain at my neck, “it’s too late for that.” He grabbed my hand this time and pulled me flush against him. Immediately the delicious scent of his cologne filled my head. It was the one thing I remembered fondly from our one night together. It was unique and alluring and something I’d never smelled before or since.
“Too late for what?” I asked as I took a deep inhale. I’d already forgotten what all I’d said.
He reached down and grasped my chin and tilted my head until my gaze met his. “It’s too late for you not to be in the middle of this. Viktor made sure of that by taking you, but so did Alex with this.”
He lifted the necklace still wrapped around my neck. I’d never gotten the chance to take it off and since those two men had dragged me away from Alex’s building I didn’t want to.
“I don’t know what that means. One thing has nothing to do with the other.”
“Doesn’t it?” His fingers trailed around my neck just above what I knew Alex thought of as a collar. Which meant as long as I wore it, no one should be touching me like this without his permission.
He dropped his hand and the semi glazed look in his eyes disappeared. “Not that it truly matters now.”
I had no idea what the heck his cryptic words were supposed to mean. “What does that mean?”
“This,” he gestured again to my necklace. “That asshole stole you and claimed you. Which means he’s also been fucking you.” The disgust written on Ronin’s face caught me by surprise. “Probably let his dick friend have you too since that’s his thing.”
Ouch. Direct hit.
Apparently, I was not the first in that scenario if Ronin guessed the truth of how our relationship started right off the bat. The idea of Alex and Jeremy with other women the same way turned my stomach. It also was a stark reminder that I didn’t really know that much about Alex’s past. For some reason we never discussed our history much and I’d been all too happy to go along with that since I’d never wanted to reveal my humiliating past.
Until I had to.
But there was one thing I knew for sure…
“Alex didn’t steal me.”
“You only think that because you don’t know the truth. I don’t imagine stepbrother dearest told you much at all. Too busy fucking, right? Not that I blame him for that.” His eyes turned hot and dark and I was ashamed to admit that his look gave way to heat between my thighs as well. “If you were mine I’d be tempted to keep you tied to my bed all the time as well. Your little cries alone are enough to keep a man hard for a lifetime.”
I gasped, shocked not only by his rough words but the fact that he was implying that he remembered our one scene from that night. I could hardly believe he remembered my name let alone anything else about it from that night. We’d both been drinking way too much and after I’d left the party, I never got even a hint that he might be interested in seeing me again.
“I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say to that. We barely know each other.”
He nodded. “That’s true. But only because you disappeared and I didn’t know how to find you. Although I understand now that’s because you have a thing maybe for aliases? I don’t know. Viktor was kind of cryptic in his messages beyond the fact that he found you through Alex.”
I scoffed. “Found me my ass. Alex took me to a party on his yacht. I barely spoke to him.”
Something changed again in Ronin’s eyes and I didn’t know how to explain it. There were too many unexplained facets about him that still scared me as much as they did that first night.
“C’mon.” He grabbed my hand again and pulled me towards the door. “We are get
ting out of here. I doubt my finding you first was Viktor’s end game.”
I tried to break free and couldn’t, his grip was too tight. “We need to wait for Alex.”
He turned back to me, the darkness so intense in his eyes I felt it all the way down to my toes and not in a good way. “We are not waiting for your lover. There is no telling what other surprises Viktor might have left for us here and I have no intention of waiting around to find out. That Russian is not right in the head. He toys with people like their lives mean nothing. Do you want to take that risk with your life? Or mine?”
I shook my head as new fear bloomed in my chest. I hadn’t gotten any kind of malicious vibe from Viktor when it came to me, but I had no reason to trust he wasn’t capable of what Ronin said either. The man had gone to ridiculous lengths to get me here and I didn’t doubt he would up the stakes at every opportunity. He had said it was a high stakes game after all.
“Alex isn’t going to like me going with you, is he?” I asked as we rushed out the door and down the long corridor that led to the other levels of the boat.
“No, he won’t. But I don’t care and you shouldn’t either. Your life is more important than his feelings. And besides, if Alex had done the right thing from the beginning none of us would be here right now.”
I didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, but I had enough to worry about just trying to keep up with Ronin and his men. And then there was the matter of the bodies. The one outside my door had blood spatter behind his shoulder and it didn’t look like he was breathing anymore.
“Did you kill all of them?” I gasped, trying to fight the rising panic.
He tilted his head. “I do whatever is necessary to get a job done. It’s probably best you know that about me. Besides, they took you against your will and put you in harm’s way. Every one of them knew what kind of risk that meant. I only regret I didn’t get my hands on Viktor. Although his time will come too.”
Those ominous words made my stomach churn again. I didn’t understand this world at all. How could so many lives mean so little? Was it that easy to take a life?
