You headed over soon?
Cade’s text came just as I was getting ready to find Mr. Mercurial upstairs.
HBD! Yes! We’re coming as soon as I can pull your brother out of the town of grump, I responded.
Isn't he the mayor?
Cade’s response made me laugh out loud.
Ha. We’ll see you soon.
I ventured out of my room only to find Sid on the stairs. “Hey, I was just coming to find you,” I told him, fighting the urge to run at him full speed and wrap my entire body around him like a vine. It had only been a few hours, but I’d missed him.
His eyes narrowed as he took in my outfit.
Not the expression you want to see on your man when you’re all dolled up. “Why are you all dressed up?”
“I’m not all dressed up.” I rolled my eyes. “And it’s Cade’s birthday—remember?” I demanded lightly. “We need to get going. He just asked when we’re going to be there.”
He snorted. “We’re not going to his house.”
My heart pounded at the same time it froze. As much as I loved being with Sid, I’d been looking forward to Cade’s birthday for the last week, anxious to let loose a little. To feel normal. Plus, it was one of my best friends’ birthday. “What the hell do you mean? Of course we’re going. He’s your brother and one of my best friends. We were just talking about going yesterday; what’s changed between then and now?” I demanded. “If this is about last night,” I continued, forcing myself to use a calmer tone of voice, “Tom was no actual risk. I know you know that but I feel the need to say it out loud,” I clarified. “And even if it had been—a real risk I mean—look how quickly everyone responded.” I dared to take a step closer, wanting to breathe the same air he did despite his mood. “You had it handled before it even began. This is your brother’s birthday. He wants us there. I want to be there,” I said firmly.
I was rambling again.
Ordinarily he’d rescue me from such a plight, but he was in no mood. “Sid. Come on, babe,” I tried softly. “Is there something I don’t know about? Something new?” I prodded.
“No. Fuck it, let’s go,” he grumbled, grabbing his keys.
“Well, this’ll be fun,” I muttered under my breath, watching him prowl toward the garage. I looked down at Trixie, who sat watching us both. “We’ll be back soon.”
The fact that I’d gotten used to checking in with the dog was mildly scary. Pretty soon I’d want to Skype with her too.
Cade and Danika’s house was packed by the time we arrived. Sid had maintained his sullen mood and I’d left him to himself, still baffled as to its cause. I was determined not to let him ruin one of the only opportunities I’d had to socialize in weeks.
“You came!” Danny exclaimed when we walked in the door. Her eyes sparkled in delight as she wrapped me up in a hug. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
I smiled. “Yeah well, we’ve been trying to keep a low profile.”
She nodded sympathetically. “You must need a drink.”
“I must,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “You want something?” I asked, turning to Sid.
“Nah, I’ll go catch up with Cade.”
I watched him, trying to assess if I should press him yet again. Instead, I let him be with a simple nod, allowing Danny to snag my hand. “Sarah’s here,” she shared as she pulled me toward the backyard.
I’d invited Sarah, wanting her to get to know Cade and Danika. I knew they’d both like her. “Great!” I beamed, forcing some enthusiasm despite Sid’s mood weighing heavily on my shoulders.
We found Sarah and the three of us sat in the backyard under their beautiful lemon tree, sipping cocktails and watching the revelers. Between the tattoo shop, our former band, and Caden being Caden, he knew a lot of people.
“Your house looks great,” I told Danika, admiring the sweet one-story house and fenced in backyard. “I love seeing Caden so domesticated.” I winked.
Danny smiled. “I’m long overdue for thanking you, Sam. You gave him that nudge I think he needed to take things to the next step.”
I shrugged. “He would have done it anyway. It was time.”
“It turned out to be a nudge for more than just Caden. I’m so happy to see you and Sid together.” She grinned. “It’s where you both belong and it’s about damn time.”
I nodded. “I’d like to think so. We still have some stuff to sort out. What’s next, mostly. House-sitting for Brad has bought me some time, but not much. And our communication still needs some work,” I muttered dryly. “He’s pissed about something but he won’t talk about it.”
“Yeah, he looked kind of grouchy,” Sarah put in.
“When he’s upset, he completely shuts down.” I shook my head in frustration. “He’s always been like that, but being on the receiving end of it as a friend is much different than a girlfriend.” I took a sip of my drink, watching as the man himself came out to the backyard with Caden. “I’m nowhere near perfect but I want to try. For him and for me.”
Sarah clinked her glass with mine. “That’s half the battle. And I have to say even this conversation is progress for you, Sam. You didn’t used to be so forthcoming.”
“True,” Danny agreed. “I have to say, honey, it sounds like this is your first fight—as a couple, anyway. Never easy.”
“Just wish I knew what we were fighting about,” I muttered, unable to take my eyes away from Sid. His presence was so compelling. He still took my breath away.
Danika, Sarah, and I sat catching up and drinking cocktails for quite a while before Danny went to go see the birthday boy and Sarah headed home. I sat taking in the party, enjoying the ability to people watch. I was just getting up to find Sid when a guy I recognized as a friend of Cade’s stopped in front of me.
“Hey, you’re that lead singer from Cade’s band, right?” he asked as he sat himself down next to me. “Sam, right?”
He was a good-looking guy with closely shorn blond hair and colorful tattoos running up and down both muscular arms.
“Yeah,” I replied. “We don’t play anymore but I still write music.”
I realized I was more and more comfortable with that explanation. Cade, Sid, and I, we were all working on our own sense of happy. It was harder and harder to regret the band breaking up. It had allowed us all to follow our dreams.
He offered a charming smile. “I saw you guys play a couple of times; you were great.”
I couldn’t tell if he was hitting on me or just being nice. Nevertheless, I kept my tone neutral as I replied with a simple “Thanks.”
“Sam.” Sid’s growl came from my left as I swiveled my head to look up at my man. “Let’s go.”
“Hello to you, too,” I muttered, thoroughly done with his mood. He hadn’t talked to me all night, and now he did so only to order me around. “Sid, this is... sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”
“Braden.”
“Braden, this is my boyfriend, Sid,” I introduced, trying to make up for Sid’s rudeness.
“Nice to meet you, man,” Braden replied easily, raising a hand to shake.
Sid’s steely blue eyes stared down at him. “You hitting on my girl?”
I gasped, my cheeks heating with embarrassment. “Sid,” I hissed.
Braden dropped his hand. “Nah, man. Just making conversation. You guys have a good night.” He stood up as I offered him an apologetic wave.
I stood, glaring at Sid. “That was so rude! He’s one of Caden’s friends. He was just being nice.”
He growled. “Guys are never just nice.”
“Even if he was hitting on me, who cares? It’s not like I’d do anything about it! You didn’t have to be so rude, Sid,” I seethed.
“Let’s go,” he ordered.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “No. Not if you’re going to keep acting like this.” I shook my head. “You either shut down or run the other direction when something’s bothering you—you always have. You can’t do that with me,
not anymore,” I told him firmly.
“Oh, so you want me to share, huh?” he scoffed. “That’s so fucking typical.” He stepped closer, pointing a finger at me. “I’ve poured my fucking heart out to you time and time again. Hell, I’ve told you I love you. I asked you to move in with me, and what do I get?” he demanded, his expression flashing the hurt that had clearly been gnawing at him all day.
I took a step back in surprise. This wasn’t about the incident last night. I’d been way off base. This was about me.
Tears burned my eyes at his cruel tone. “Learning curve, remember?” I whispered, swallowing hard, desperate not to cry in the middle of Cade’s party. “You were just saying how we’d help each other. Do you think freezing me out and then growling at anyone that talks to me is helping?” I demanded.
“Sometimes that curve… it’s just steeper than I’d realized,” he replied gruffly.
His words hit me hard. I’d been trying but obviously in his eyes, I was still falling short.
“Hey, uh, guys? Everything okay?” Cade’s confused voice interrupted our heated conversation.
The damned tears I’d been fighting won their battle and cascaded over my cheeks. “Sorry, Cade,” I rasped as I pushed past him, desperate to escape.
“Sam!” Sid hollered after me.
I shot a murderous look over my shoulder. “Don’t you dare follow me,” I hissed.
I pushed past the crowd, keeping my head low, not wanting to draw attention to myself, or at least not more attention. I made it to the front porch where I knew there would be less people. I wanted some time to collect myself before I figured out what to do.
Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t alone.
CHAPTER 15
Osip Ivanov appeared from the side of the house with his gun pointed at my chest.
For a moment, it felt like a dream—or rather, my worst nightmare—come true. It took a second for my brain to register that it was real.
“Hello, little one. One of my men has a gun pointed at your boyfriend back there. If you want him to live, don’t say a fucking word,” he warned.
He could have been bluffing, but I couldn’t risk it. Obviously, he’d been casing the house. It was more than likely he hadn’t come alone.
I nodded woodenly, feeling an odd numbness take over.
He took my arm roughly, pulling me toward a black car that appeared at the curb. “We’re going to go for a little drive,” he informed me coolly.
I eyed the car with raw terror, knowing that once I got in it, I might never make it out.
Osip shoved me into the car, pushing in next to me as another man slid in. We tore away from the curb before his door was even shut.
The car drove at high speed through Caden’s neighborhood to the nearest freeway on-ramp. It was ironic that one of the few times I prayed for traffic we were met with a nearly deserted freeway. The car flew down the freeway at terrifying speed.
My breath sounded incredibly loud in the small space as I fought for control. I knew Sid would come for me. I just needed to hang on.
I couldn’t believe we’d spent the night arguing. I’d be damned if that was the last time I got to speak to him.
Osip spat something in Russian to the driver, who immediately slowed down a bit. I guessed he didn’t want to risk being pulled over.
I, on the other hand, had never wanted to hear sirens so badly in my life.
“Where are you taking me?” I demanded.
“Someplace quiet.” The clipped response sent a chill down my spine. “Stop talking or I will make you stop.”
I shuddered, remembering all too well how violent his methods could be. I clasped my fingers in my lap, twisting them to the point of pain as I bit my lip against the tears that threatened to escape.
The dark landscape shot by and I tried to get my bearings. We were headed out of Los Angeles, that much was obvious. It looked like we were headed toward the mountains. The men in the front seat talked quietly in Russian as Osip sat stiffly at my side, his only movement the drumming of his fingers against his thigh.
My thoughts drifted to Sid. I’d hurt him, that much was obvious. It was my nature to make light of things. Had I done that too much with him? Did he not know how much he meant to me?
I winced at the thought.
My bladder began to protest when we’d been driving for what felt like ages. I hadn’t ever used the bathroom at Cade’s, and after more than one cocktail, I desperately needed to.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” I whispered urgently. I’d waited until I was desperate to speak up.
I caught the exit sign for Lancaster as we pulled off the freeway. Though relatively close to Los Angeles, the small city bordered the Mojave Desert. My blood chilled at how easy it would be to get lost out here.
How easy it would be to disappear.
Osip made a scoffing sound. “You wait.”
I shook my head frantically. “I can’t.”
The driver said something in Russian, to which Osip nodded. “We have almost arrived. You will wait.”
I squeezed my eyes shut as the car rambled over a dirt road. I’d never wanted to get somewhere so badly, despite the doom that awaited me. Every bump in the road was like torture before we finally pulled up in front of a small house.
I bolted from the car, wishing like hell I could disappear into the night but knowing my bladder would never allow it.
“Ostanovis!” The Russian command sounded behind me as my hair was yanked back roughly. “It is nothing to me if you piss yourself,” Osip growled cruelly as he yanked me toward the house. “You wait.”
He towed me roughly toward the dilapidated structure, which stood alone against the desert backdrop. He pushed me inside and growled something to the driver, who took my arm and towed me toward what I prayed was the bathroom.
I sighed with relief as he shoved me through another door, keeping it open as I raced to the toilet. His cold eyes watched me as I pulled my pants down and sat on the cold seat.
I looked to the ground, trying to ignore his presence as I finally found relief.
“Turn around.” I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my voice strong. Now that my body had found some relief, I was more aware of my surroundings and I was not about to wipe myself in front of him.
His response was a sinister smile. “No. I watch.”
A shiver snaked down my spine as I got the undeniable feeling that he liked to watch all sorts of things.
I looked away, wiping myself as quickly as possible and pulling my pants up with lightning speed. My cheeks burned with humiliation.
“Come.” He took my arm, yanking me back out to the small living room.
It was then I took in the state of the house, or what used to be a house. A lone lightbulb shone down from the ceiling, casting an eerie glow on the gloomy space. Wallpaper peeled from the walls, the once cheerful flowers wilted by the mildew that now curled the edges. A few folding chairs and a couch that had unrecognizable stains were the only furniture in the room.
The house hadn’t been lived in for a long time, that much was clear. A shudder shook my cold frame as I realized the dark purposes this place could be used for.
The driver unceremoniously shoved me onto the couch, and I wrinkled my nose against the smell permeating from the moist fabric.
It smelled like rot and mildew. Like death.
Just as the last time I’d seen them, Osip and his men were dressed in finely tailored suits. Their distinguished presence was an eerie contrast to the shabby surroundings.
I sat on the couch, watching them warily as they talked in Russian. The men seemed agitated, checking their watches and pacing frequently. I didn’t dare ask what happened next. I kept expecting them to demand where the diamond was, but they didn’t. Instead, it almost seemed like they were waiting. For what, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
I fought to make myself invisible, doing anything I could to avoid drawing attention to myself. After another
conversation that I couldn’t understand, Osip and the driver went outside, leaving me alone with the man who’d had his gun on Sid.
He was a huge hulk of a man with a blond buzz cut and angular features. When he locked his steel-blue eyes on me, my heart rate spiked. He prowled toward me, his predatory gaze shining in apparent delight.
“Nothing to do. So, we play.” He grinned.
“No. We do not,” I shot back, fighting the urge to panic. He outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.
I bolted from the couch, moving to stand behind it, my eyes narrowed on him as he grinned. “Make it fun, hm?” he teased maliciously, his accent made thicker by his excitement.
I swallowed against the bile wanting to rise in my throat. He’d left his weapon sitting on the folding chair. I focused on a single goal: to get that gun. My heart calmed as I strategized.
Those self-defense classes I’d taken were about to come in handy—or at least I prayed they were.
He stalked closer, grabbing my arm and pulling me bodily over the couch. The move was so quick, my breath left me with a loud whoosh.
His huge body pressed me deeper into the couch cushions as I fought for leverage. I wrapped my legs around his waist and managed to flip his big body to the ground. I punched him as hard as I could in the throat and vaulted off him, headed for my prize.
His labored breathing was like an oncoming cyclone as he made a grab for my ankle, pulling me back down to the ground. He dragged me across the hard surface until he was over me once again. He slapped me hard across the face before pulling my arms over my head with one hand as his other wrestled with my jeans. I tilted my head to the side and clamped my teeth down on his forearm, biting into his flesh, tasting blood.
He howled, letting go long enough for me to slip from his grasp once again. I made it the two long strides I needed, grasping the gun in resolute fingers. I turned to him, and without hesitation, fired.
The bullet hit him directly between the eyes at close range.
His blood splattered onto my skin and clothes as his huge frame collapsed to the ground. For a moment it was quiet, the only sound my rapid breaths as my chest heaved.
Crave (Talon Security #1) Page 11
