His For Five Nights

by Jeannette Winters

  “I’m sorry. I don’t believe she’s staying at this hotel any longer.”

  “You don’t understand. I’ll pay anything to have her one more night.” Alex watched his eyes widen. Yes. Take the bait and give me Ziva. Hell, I will pay whatever you ask as long as you don’t harm her.

  Nothing was more important than her safety. Alex hadn’t realized how much he’d come to care for her until now. He couldn’t let anyone else see that, or it would ruin the entire plan. They needed to think this was a business transaction for services.

  “You are not pleased with the other girl?”

  “I am. I want both.”

  The manager grinned. “I understand such needs. Unfortunately, the young woman you speak about is no longer able to come to this hotel.”

  “Why is that?” Don’t you dare tell me she’s dead.

  “Other accommodations have been made for her.”

  “Then unmake them. I. Want. Her.”

  The manager peered at Alex for a long time. “I believe arrangements can be made. You’d need to leave immediately to join her. One million US dollars, then you may join her for one night.”

  Join her? His back was up against the wall. He either agreed now and left to go to God knows what location, or he might never see Ziva again. Alex had to go with his gut, and hope the Turchettas had been able to get something on the satellite imaging. Otherwise, Bennett wouldn’t be able to find him, any more than he could find Ziva.

  “Five nights, two million dollars. That is my only offer.” The truth was he’d pay whatever they asked, as long as Ziva was unharmed. They already held too many cards and he wasn’t about to reveal his hand. Not this deep in the game. He needed to buy as much time as he could. Changing their offer was the only thing he could think of. If Bennett can’t pull it off and find us, then as least Ziva and I will have five nights together. He knew he was playing a dangerous game. There was no doubt in Alex’s mind that if any of these guys felt they were being set up, he and Ziva would most likely be killed.

  He’d put himself in compromising situations many time before for research on his books, but this had nothing to do with anything other than finding her. I’ll find her, even if it means losing myself.

  The manager peered at him and Alex feared he’d pushed too far. If he had any hope of seeing Ziva again, he needed this work. Let his greed blind him.

  The manager said sharply, “Agreed.”

  It was done. He hoped this wasn’t a mistake. If he had any chance of saving Ziva, seeing her again, he’d take it.

  “Then come with me and transfer the money. Once it’s received, we leave.”

  Alex knew it would only take minutes for the wire to go through. It was all in Bennett’s hands now.

  Her head was killing her. That was a good sign. It meant she was still alive. For how long had yet to be determined. It was dark, but by the bouncing around and the smell of exhaust, Ziva knew she was being transported in a trunk of a car.

  She listened intently. They must be in a town because she could hear voices when they stopped and horns beeping along the way. If she knew how long she’d been knocked out, maybe she could estimate her location. Ziva had no idea if it had been minutes or hours. Maybe days by how stiff I am.

  Ziva felt around for the emergency release lever. When she found it, she contemplated pulling it or waiting. It wasn’t like anyone was going to come to her rescue if they saw her leaping from a moving police car. If anything, they’d shout out and let them know she was trying to escape. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help her, they didn’t want to pay the price for aiding and abetting.

  She knew there wasn’t a way out for her. They might keep her alive long enough to see what information they could get out of her, but when her usefulness ran out, so would her time. Might as well just kill me now, because I’m not going to tell you where the girls are or how many I have. And I most definitely am not going to tell you about Alex’s plan.

  Knowing he’d come here to help put a stop to all this madness was comforting. She’d have been happier if he’d told her himself. All the misunderstanding between them had wasted time they couldn’t get back. Instead of plotting the different ways she’d make him suffer for his actions, she could’ve thought of the different positions she’d try with him. She’d had a lover before. It wasn’t anything that had her blood roaring. Yet there was something different about Alex. Maybe it was the forbidden fruit. Whatever it was he could make her melt, and she loved and hated it at the same time.

  Ziva wasn’t innocent, but it’d been a long time since she’d had a lover. If his kiss was any indication what it would’ve been like to be in his arms, she knew it would’ve been explosive. His gentle kiss had her body tingling all over. At the time she hated him and herself for it. Now she longed to taste his lips one more time.

  If only I could see him once more; there’s so much I’d say. Ziva made a mental note of where she’d start. There was so much to say, yet nothing came to mind. She would walk up to him, wrap her arms around him, and hold him tight as though she’d never let go. She wasn’t sure someone like Alex Henderson, so good-looking and strong, would want to be with her.

  Funny how all I want is something simple. Yet, right now it would be the best thing in the world. For all the things I have to say, saying nothing is best.

  The vehicle came to an abrupt stop, and she heard the doors open and close. She’d arrived; she just wished she knew where.

  “We have come all this way. Why turn back now?” one man asked.

  “Not our job to question. The less we know, the better. When we get there, we turn her over to him. If he wants her dead, then let him dig the damn hole himself.”

  They both laughed. “He can throw them both in for all I care. We get paid the same either way.”

  Both? Oh, God. No. Please don’t tell me they have Myla too. She’d told her to go for help. Leaving the cabin was so risky. Had they snatched her along the way?

  “What I don’t understand is why there? We were told to make her disappear and then told to take her to the finest home in Tabiq. The manager must be drunk on wine again.”

  “He offered to pay us each fifty US dollars extra to get her there unharmed.”

  “Shit. He should’ve told us that before I hit her over the head with the butt of the gun. Do you think they will notice?”

  “We will say we found her that way. If she says otherwise, we hit her again.” The first man laughed wickedly.

  Ziva was more puzzled now than before. She’d known her fate. She was being sent someplace unexpected now. They really must think I know more than I do. Wait till they find out it’s all a waste of time.

  She heard the key in the lock and the trunk burst open. The bright sunshine caused her to squint and turn her face away. One of the men reached in and roughly picked her up.

  “Easy. Remember, no marks or no extra money.”

  The guy loosened his hold. “Oh, yeah. Too bad. I was going to have fun with this one. She’s feisty.”

  Oh yes, I am. And trust me, I wouldn’t be the only one with marks on me when you were done. “Where are you taking me?”

  “The boss said someone requested your company, and we have to deliver you.”

  Who the heck would want me? Twenty-nine is not considered young, and I’m no virgin. I must be on the bargain shopper’s list. It was sick that she joked in her own mind about such things. Was she so desensitized she no longer valued her own existence? She should be scared of dying, but her body ached too much to trouble her. Ziva never expected to live as long as she had. Each day, she had wondered if it were her last. She always feared someone knew what she’d been up to and would turn her in. The day had arrived. She had regrets, but not the ones she thought she would. Ziva had done the best she could. Although she was disappointed at how few she’d helped, she was surprised she’d been able to help any at all.

  The men placed a blindfold over her eyes and had her sit in the backseat
of the car. “Get down. We don’t want anyone to see you. It’s going to be a long ride and a long night for you from what we hear. You might as well get your sleep.” The man laughed again.

  Fighting his instructions would only cause more pain. She complied with one request, but she wasn’t about to sleep. Although she tried to fight it, the pounding in her head continued, and darkness once again overtook her.

  Chapter Nine

  ‡

  I agreed to this, but I sure as hell wish I knew where they’re taking me. Not that I have any way to let Bennett or anyone else know what the fuck is going on. All Alex could do was hope Bennett had been close by and watched when they left the hotel. Without his SAT phone or regular cell phone, there would be no way to communicate except through the goons driving.

  If he did have his phone, he’d tell Bennett to stay on task, keep Myla safe. The goal had changed since they last spoke. He needed to locate Ziva. If what the manager told him was true, he was on his way to meet her. That seemed far-fetched because for the last eight hours he’d been riding around in the back of a black Lincoln Town Car. The island wasn’t big enough to take that long to go from one end to the other. They were stalling for some reason. He’d played their game long enough. If they kept driving for much longer, it would become nightfall, and he wanted to arrive in the light of day to have a clue as to where he was.

  Alex was pretty good with tracking his bearings. These guys were intentionally stalling. There were only a few reasons why they’d delay like that. Either they don’t have Ziva, or something’s happened to her, and they’re trying to find a suitable substitute. Good luck. She’s . . . like no one I’ve ever met before.

  She’s . . . important to me.

  There was something so unique about her. Ever since she stumbled into him several days before, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind. He’d wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her then and there. Yet, he hadn’t allowed himself to be distracted by her loveliness. And a distraction was exactly what she turned out to be.

  Even now, when he was supposed to be meeting Brice and Dean, Alex couldn’t focus on anything but Ziva. For all he cared, his brothers could board their jet and head back to the States. He wasn’t going anywhere until he had Ziva safe with him. If anything’s happened to her, I’m not returning. I’m going down, taking out as many of these bastards as I can.

  “You do know where we’re going, right?” Alex asked as they passed the same building for the third time.

  “We’re waiting on instructions.”

  “Here’s one. Stop this fucking car and let me out. I’m a busy man and don’t have time for your boss’s games,” Alex said. He needed to get to where they were holding Ziva. His gut told him she was alive and close by.

  “It won’t be much longer.”

  “Pull over now!” Alex needed these guys nervous about him changing his mind. That a major deal was falling through. If he was correct, they’d panic and call the boss for direction.

  Sure enough, one guy pulled out his phone. He rattled off in Tabiqian. Alex didn’t need to know what was said. The guy’s body language said he’d just got his ass chewed out.

  “You will be at your destination in a few minutes.”

  Gee, we’re that close? How surprising is that? Alex shot the guy a look that probably matched what his boss had just said. He mumbled something under his breath in Tabiqian again as they turned away from the city.

  Making their way down a long winding road, they came to a house that didn’t fit with what he’d seen so far on the island. There was a massive iron gate with two guards stationed at the entrance, dressed in black, and each armed with an M-16. The car slowly drove to the gate and stopped. The driver rolled down his dark tinted window and whispered something to the guard, who then peered into the backseat.

  The guard glared at Alex as though trying to intimidate him. Alex wanted to meet his stare and tell him to fuck off but needed to remind himself he was playing a role here. One that required him to cave to the bastard. It wasn’t easy, but he forced himself to look away first. Enjoy it now. Next time we meet, I promise, I won’t be looking away.

  Once the guard was satisfied Alex wasn’t a threat, he straightened and waved the vehicle through. As they moved forward, the massive house became clearer. This wasn’t just anyone’s home. Was it possible he’d just found the location of the big boss? It was what he wanted, but now he was looking for something much more valuable to him. Ziva.

  If this was the big boss’s place, why would they have Ziva there? Alex knew what attracted her to him, but he knew they weren’t looking at her for the same thing. He had a sinking feeling about this. If she was here, it wasn’t to provide him with a good time. He actually hoped not to see Ziva.

  Before they made it to the top of the hill, he saw a guard tower, much like the one at the prison. This one was staffed, and he sensed a gun trained on him. Alex started mentally preparing himself for a hostile welcome. Maybe I wasn’t so smooth with the manager after all. But he had no problem taking my money. That bastard will pay.

  They were still en route to the house when Alex looked down to the city below. If he hadn’t known what Tabiq was all about, he would’ve thought it was a vacation place. The sight was spectacular. Is this what you dream of when you think of home, Ziva? A place where families can raise their children, without living in fear from the government? The hillside was covered with flowers in all directions, and the town was surrounded by lush green trees. It’s a wonderful dream, Ziva. Don’t give it up. It’s your home. Fight for what you want it to be.

  That seemed simple, coming from a man who lived in a country that had more comforts than anyone could ask for. But for Alex, he wasn’t thinking about the places he lived, as much as he was the family he’d come from. Like the view below, it appeared to be ideal. It was the farthest thing from the truth. If it hadn’t been for James Henderson having more money than God, he was sure the state would’ve knocked on their door and taken them away from their father. How any of his siblings survived the mental and physical abuse was beyond him. He thought about them and was amazed at what they had overcome. Alex, however, had never dealt with the grief and pain. Instead, he’d buried the pain in his stories. It made for great writing, but it left him one fucked-up individual. Fucked-up just like Tabiq. I bet Ziva would look at me and see something redeemable, too. She’d be just as wrong as she is about Tabiq. Some things are too broken to be fixed. I’m one of them.

  He’d figured that out long ago. Everyone thought he was a deadbeat. They weren’t far off, he was just dead on the inside. That’s why he’d chosen the career he had. It gave him the escape from the truth he needed. If he hadn’t, his family probably wouldn’t speak to him. Instead, they all thought he was carefree, cracking a joke about everything. In reality, he struggled daily to find good in the god-awful world he’d had the misfortune to grow up in.

  Looking once again to the city, he thought about Ziva. Here she was, a woman who had faced such adversity and hadn’t hardened her heart. If anything, it molded her into the strong, loving, compassionate woman she was today. When Myla told him what Ziva had done, risking her life to protect those who had no one to fight for them, he wished he were half the human she was.

  He was here to find his mother. Yes, he also wanted to crush the bastards. He’d even contemplated blowing this hellhole off the planet. But Ziva wasn’t like that. She wasn’t crushing the bad; she had searched for the good. And she was making a difference. More than I will ever do. My quest is completely self-focused. Something I wanted to do for me. She is thinking of everyone but herself.

  He respected what she was trying to do, but he couldn’t have her life in danger each day. If Myla hadn’t come to him, Ziva would’ve been . . . killed. It was that simple. No one would ask any questions or care.

  But I’m asking. I care. I need you to know that, Ziva. Someone cares very much. That was something he intended to make crystal clear whe
n he set eyes upon her again.

  The car finally stopped at the entrance of what he’d thought was just a home, but up close it was more like a fortress. There were iron bars on all the windows and doors. A burly man with evil in his eyes and a scar on his face came out the front door, carrying an M-16. This tense, heavily armed moment was not the welcoming committee one would expect after paying two million dollars for five nights with a woman. Yeah. They know what I’m up to. Fuck! And they know I want Ziva. He knew exactly why he was taken there. They were going to use Ziva to extort money from him. Alex wished it were as simple as they were planning on her sleeping with him. He knew that wasn’t the case. That could’ve taken place at the hotel.

  As he got out of the car and followed the guard inside, his fears were confirmed. Ziva was standing inside, hands behind her back, a blindfold over her eyes, and a gag in her mouth. Alex wanted to call out to her, let her know he was there and everything would be all right. His gut told him she didn’t know who was there. Sorry, but it’s best to keep it that way for now.

  Another guard, this one taller than the first one, but just as evil looking, gave Ziva a hard nudge forward and asked, “Is this the woman you wanted?”

  Alex flinched but uttered nothing, nodding his response.

  “Take her away,” the tall guard said as he once again pushed Ziva, this time away from Alex. Then he pointed to Alex and said, “The boss wants to see you.”

  Not as much as I want to see him. I wish I had a gun with me as my thank-you gift for having me. Bastard.

  Two armed men approached from behind. Alex watched as they took Ziva away, dragging her by her arm. It was killing him to appear indifferent, witnessing her being mistreated. He knew it would be stupid to show any interest or fight them. Her only chance of getting out of this was if he could negotiate her release. And maybe mine too.

  Once she was out of sight, the tall guard led him down a hallway and stopped in front of a large oak door. He knocked and then opened it. Alex couldn’t wait to see the bastard’s face. This sick piece of shit was one guy he wasn’t going to turn away from. He was going to let him know exactly what he thought of him.