by Sadie Jacks
Images of her naked flashed through my mind again. A little on the thin side for my liking, but what she did have, she owned. Not a single blush or coquettish gesture. She was proud of her body. Proud of who she was.
That kind of confidence went beyond sexy. It went straight to my dick. Yanked me around by the balls.
Clenching my fists, I purposely brought the memory of her brutal abuse back into my mind. If I wasn’t careful, it would happen again. And again. And again. Until I learned my lesson. Until she learned my lesson.
That I couldn’t allow. Not even after all the time and effort I’d put into getting this high on the food chain. There weren’t a lot of options for guys like me. Unaffiliated. Unknown. Just a ruthless determination to not constantly have to look over my shoulder.
I could look the other way when it was drugs. Weapons. Money. Even people, to a certain extent. If they were weak enough to be broken, they got what they deserved.
But this woman, this singular woman, wore strength like it was a fucking crown of jewels. Everything about her called to me. Tugged at me. Pulled me to her inexorably.
It had to be this one. The one strictly off limits. The one that would get us both killed if I tried to offer her any more of my protection.
A soft knock came at the door. “I’m done.”
My brows rose as I glanced at my watch. That was fast. She must have been starving.
The wave of rage that swept through me at the idea forced me to stop. To pull everything back inside. Shut it down.
When I opened the door, I was back to being professional. Cold and professional.
She was standing just beyond the swing of the door. The tray on her outstretched hands. Stray crumbs decorated the bust of her shirt.
I fought the smile that wanted to creep across my face. A perfect imperfection. I reached out for the tray. Turned back towards the door before I could do or say something stupid.
Something slid down over my face and around my neck. Snapped tight as my lower body was thrust up into the air. Not quite hard enough to flip me, but high enough that my equilibrium was thrown off for a handful of moments.
She bounced me, keeping me off kilter as she kept the lynch tight around my throat. Without being able to use my feet for leverage, I was kinda stuck. And turned the fuck on at her temerity and courage. This woman didn’t quit.
“Just pass out, damnit,” she muttered.
I chuckled, the sound a little tight. “You’re going to have to try harder than this, kitten. I’ll wait here while you think about it.” Letting the full force of my weight settle, I felt her stumble beneath me.
“Fucking tall fucking fucker!” she screamed.
She dipped her hips slowly.
I tensed for whatever maneuver might come next. I smiled as I felt her muscles clench right before she tried to toss me over her head in a good flip. Too bad for her, I was prepared.
Once I was on my feet, I spun and captured her in my arms before she could figure out what had gone wrong. Her hands locked down against her chest, I pulled her up into my body. Spreading my legs so she couldn’t get a direct hit in, I waited for her to wear herself out.
It didn’t take long. Which told me she was more than just tired. She was worn out and fading fast. She might not be a pampered princess, but I doubted she was used to these kinds of conditions. Not to mention the stress that had to be eating at her every single minute of the day.
“You done?” The biting tone in my voice wasn’t against her. It was against my orders. The restraints that kept me from offering her my full protection.
She nodded. Her chest heaved under my grasp. She hung limply in my arms.
I eased her down. Let her get her feet back under her. Loosening my hold, I realized my mistake almost immediately.
Her knee came up and stabbed me in the balls, drawing my head down as the blow registered through my mind and nerves. Her other knee came up and greeted my face.
We both shouted at the contact.
“Fuck, you’ve got a thick skull,” she sneered. It didn’t stop her though.
Through the haze of blood and pain, I saw her jump up. Right before a sharp slicing pain radiated from the base of my neck up into my brain. Just as the world started to slide sideways, I saw her other hand come up. Her fingers in a spear shape, I almost wanted to rally her on.
My body went limp as her fingers stabbed against my temple.
Good girl.
The world went black.
Chapter 19 – Talia
With Arkady out of commission, I darted for the door. No telling how long he was going to be out of commission. Phone. The word streaked across my brain like it was lit up with neon.
Leaping up to the bed, I stood on tiptoe to feel around on the small inset ledge where the lights were. I grabbed up the phone, prayed the ten minutes of charging had done enough to hold me. I stuffed the phone into my waistband.
Jumping off the bed, I ran over and grabbed up some of the bottles of liquid from my first aid stash. With two bottles of what I assumed was isopropyl alcohol armed and ready, I moved to the hallway.
Not bothering to take the time to push the door shut behind me, I ran down the hall. Tried not to splash myself with the alcohol. My own weapon, I kinda needed to make sure I could use it on any enemies who appeared.
From my previous escape attempt, I knew there was only one hallway that went anywhere. I arrowed for it immediately. Nothing short of death or capture was going to put me back in that cell.
I winced as I remembered taking down Arkady. The wash of guilt was tinged with pride. But I did hope I hadn’t just gotten him killed. He might be an asshole, but at least he wasn’t a monster.
Running down the hallway, I rocked to a stop at the sound of voices up ahead. Looking around the corridor, I pushed myself up against a door jamb. Prayed the men hadn’t seen me. Trying to slow my breathing, I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for them to sound the alarm.
When several moments passed silently, I opened my eyes. Easing my head around the corner just enough to see, I saw that the hallway was empty. A smile pulled my mouth wide. If they’d disappeared through a different door, then maybe there was a chance I could actually escape.
Counting to ten slowly, I pushed away from my hiding spot. Sliding into the hallway, I almost wished I’d taken the time to put the borrowed socks on. But I needed to be able to grip the floor. Not slide across it as I ran.
Alcohol bottles still at the ready, I walked carefully down the deserted corridor. Pausing briefly at each door, I tried to find the one the men had gone through. I got to the end of the hall with no luck.
Blinking back the tears of frustration, I shook my hair back and got myself under control again. This wasn’t the end. I was still free. I would get out of here.
Settling my shoulders, blowing out a long breath, I began to retrace my steps. Pressing my ear to each door, I was two doors away from my original position when I heard something beyond the door.
My brow furrowed as I tried to make out the noise. Like a garbled hissing, it reminded me of something. I just couldn’t think of what it was. But it was right on the tip of my tongue.
I pressed closer to the door. Closed my eyes and concentrated. There it was again. I knew I recognized the sound, I just couldn’t place it.
Just as I opened my eyes, I saw Arkady running at me, a dark scowl on his face.
Shit. Time to run. Pulling away from the door, I spun on my heel and darted back down the hallway that held no exit. Damn it!
I stopped at the end of the line, my breath backing up in my lungs as my chest tried to explode from my chest. Narrowing my eyes at the man who probably wanted to rip my head off, I kept walking backwards.
When he was within reach, he grabbed me just as I started to fall backwards into nothing. He jerked me into the shelter of his body.
The bottles of alcohol crushed between us. With my head under his, I clenched my eyes shut and pushed his up just as
the cool liquid splashed at my face. I held my breath until the alcohol splashed over our chests, away from my nose and mouth.
“What the fuck was that?” I demanded in a whisper as I glared up at him.
“What the fuck was that?” he said at the exact same time. He shook his head, his hard eyes wide.
I bit back the snort. I had a feeling we were talking about two different things. “You go first.”
He glared. Shook his head again. “You’re going back to your cell before we both get shot.” He shifted his grip on my arm and frog-marched me back to my little room of gloom.
“I almost had you.” I looked up at him as he escorted me back inside.
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Try harder next time.” He blinked. “Honestly, try harder.” He gave me a significant look, nodded, shut the door.
My brow furrowed as I replayed his words in my mind. What the actual hell was going on here?
Chapter 20 – Foster
The line still open to Nik, I stepped out from my hiding spot. “Karine Petrova, what an unpleasant surprise. What are you doing here?”
One of the reasons I’d left Moscow was standing right in front of me. Her white blonde hair was secured under the black balaclava, only her bright blue eyes remained visible.
She snorted. “I’m not the one far from home, Maks. It would seem that you are. So I put the same question to you: what are you doing here?”
“Business.”
One of her pale brows rose. “My sources say that you got out of the business a couple years ago. Are you back in the rank and file?”
I held my silence. She didn’t need to know anything of why I was actually here. Considering I’d gone out of my way to make sure I wouldn’t need to contact her, not talking to this woman was on the top of my priority list.
“Cat got your tongue?” she purred as she edged closer.
I held my ground and my silence. I should just shoot her in the head and be done with her. But that would raise too many new problems, and I didn’t have time to waste.
Karine, always screwing up my plans. Just like old times.
“What are you doing out on a cold night like this?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Secrets never sleep. You know this.” Her mouth, which I knew from personal experience, caressed her words. Gave them more meaning than the syllables conveyed.
I dipped my chin. “Indeed. Whose pool do you play in this time? I haven’t seen your name or face on any bulletins.”
Her eyes widened briefly before her lids lowered into a seductive look I knew all too well. “You’ve been checking up on me.”
Again, I shrugged. Let her think whatever she wanted. She didn’t need to know that I was waiting for a good time to kill her.
She pressed forward until the front of her body slid against mine.
I let her get close enough to feel my heat. The length of my body. Then I stepped back.
A low noise came from her throat at my movement.
She hated nothing more than seeing something she couldn’t have.
I smiled widely. “Well, I can’t say it’s been a pleasure, Karine.” I lifted my hand and spun on my heel. Walking away, I started to count. Slowly. I hadn’t even hit five before she called after me.
“You would do well to keep me as a friend, Foster. Russia is full of enemies.” Something in her voice had me stopping. I looked over my shoulder.
“The same could be said of you, Karine. What makes you think you aren’t my business?” I raised a single brow.
The low laugh that had ensnared me the first time I met this woman was now as cold as the breeze that ripped through the layers of clothes I wore against the wind. “If I were your business, we would already be in my bed. Your bed is cold these days, yes?”
My gut tightened. No. There was no way she could be involved in this. “I kicked you to the curb a long time ago, Karine. Are you saying you want back in my bed?”
A high, tight laugh was my answer. “My bed is now too full for just one man.”
“I hope you keep them happy. Do they know you actually hate sex? That you plot their deaths with every pump? That you imagine them hanging from your ceiling like meat in a butcher shop with every thrust?”
With a short scream, she launched herself at me. “You know nothing, Maks! Nothing!” She struck out in a blind attack.
Easily deflecting each shot, one part of my mind was fast at work while the other met her move for move. She’d never been this sloppy before. Never allowed her emotions to rule her. It was one of the reasons I’d been attracted to her in the first place. She provided a simple release during a time in my life where that was all I had to give.
This was not the same woman. Nothing about her was cool, calm, or collected. She was engaging in emotional outbursts.
“Are you using drugs?” I asked softly as I foiled her attempt to sideswipe my legs again.
She shrieked higher. Doubled her efforts to hurt me. The odd blow that got through my defenses didn’t even hurt. Not like I knew she was capable of, anyway.
Done with the theatrics, I caught her arms. Put her in a hold that didn’t allow for much movement at all. “What did you do, Karine?”
She shook her head, her blue eyes bright under the early morning dawn light.
“Your reticence doesn’t become you, Kare Bear. What have you been doing in the last five years?”
I reached up, pulled her balaclava off her head. Giant platinum blonde curls fell and bounced around her shoulders. The color as icy as her heart.
Her chin quivered the slightest degree before she managed to firm it. “I did what was necessary after you screwed me over to hell.” She jutted her chin up at me, her gaze flicked to the side. “I hope you enjoy your own tour.”
A blow to the head sent me falling. Karine easily disentangled herself from my hold. Gave me a push to send me to the ground. “I’ll be sending your bitch along behind you.”
Her foot was the last thing I saw before the world went black.
Chapter 21 – Talia
I didn’t have a lot of time, and since none of my other ideas had gotten me anywhere so far, I needed another track to follow. Pulling the phone from my waistband, I thanked the stars that it was still there after the mad dashing up and down that stupid hallway.
Wishing I had some water to wash off the alcohol, I pushed the thought from my mind. I had no idea how much longer I was going to be here alone. Using the phone was now a necessity. Even if I didn’t know what would happen. I had to try.
Powering up the device, I waited. One ear attuned to the door and anything beyond it, I was counting the seconds until the home screen showed up. It felt like forever.
As soon as the little bar graph showed I had some signal, I sent out a call. Prayed it went to the right number. Memorizing phone numbers had become obsolete since I carried my phone around with me everywhere.
Please let this be right. Please let this be right.
“This is Willow.”
“Willow. Oh, my goddess.” Tears rushed my throat, blurred my vision.
“Tali?! RYKER!!” My best friend and adopted sister yelled for her husband.
“Get them on a conference call. Sweetie, where are you? Can you tell me where you are?”
I shook my head. “No. I have no idea. I’m inside some kind of bunker, I think. Best guess is Russia, but I truly don’t know. One of the guys says I’m a blood debt for Papa.”
“Talia? Is that you, baby?” Momma’s voice came over the line.
“Momma.” The control over my tears burst. Huge, racking sobs shook my chest as I tried to stuff my fist in my mouth to muffle the sound.
“She’s here? Where is she?” Turo asked.
“She’s the one crying, gramps,” Nik said. “Who else?”
I snorted through the tears. It was so good to hear them. To hear them safe and happy. “I’m here,” I finally managed to get out.
“Dry your tears, baby girl. Yo
u are not free yet. Describe these men to me while Nikanya does her computer wizardry,” Momma said in a stern voice.
“Already tracing, Momma,” Nik said.
“He said his name was Barrikad Kuznetsov.” I gave them his description. “He was the only one to give me his actual name. There was a Zmeya and Arkady. But Arkady is kinda helping me. He helped me get the phone. He also lets me go to the bathroom and clean up.”
The line was quiet but for low rumbles of sound.
“Kicking ass and taking names, I see, big sister. Good for you,” Rafe said softly. “How are you doing health wise?”
I shrugged. “They gave me some first aid stuff. I don’t know what some of it is. It’s written in Cyrilic. I was able to identify the needle and thread, though. Luckily, I paid attention well enough to sew up a gunshot wound. That fucker is still dry as the desert.”
“Good job, sorella. Do you have any redness or heat coming from the wound?”
I shifted the phone, felt along my thigh. “No. It seems normal.”
“Even better. You might make a good medic after all.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“How are you all doing?” I asked in the silence. I needed them to keep talking. To make it seem as normal as possible.
“We’re fine, figlia. We are most concerned for you. We have not slept since Foster told us you’d been taken. He is in Russia looking for you,” Momma said. “We will have many words when he brings you back to us. So you should stay alive for that.”
I heard the quirk to her lips. She was pissed. Foster was going to get some Amatucci discipline when he made it back home.
“I’ll definitely stay alive to watch that.”
“Good. Now, why did you go to meet the Medvedev family by yourself? You know our rules.”
Oh shit. I was going to be getting some of the Amatucci discipline as well. I shrugged. Right now, that didn’t even sound bad. I just wanted to cuddle in Momma’s and Papa’s laps and let them hold me.
