Daniil knew this as he held me, walking out of the hospital. He murmured quietly to me, gently shushing me as he kept me close. I could hear the reporters as we went outside, all of them finally being shoved out the doors. That was where we had to go when we left. There were so many shouting and screaming Daniil’s and my name, I cringed, burrowing into him further.
“Don’t even fucking think about it,” Ember growled harshly.
A deep grunt followed.
“Get the hell back,” Roman shouted.
Apparently, there were so many reporters that they were making it through the bodyguards.
“Are you that damn stupid?” Brent hissed, somewhere in front of us.
Grigori grunted directly beside us, and then a man shouted in pain. Grigori muttered, “This is fucking—” He stopped, and another man shouted.
All the while, Daniil kept murmuring softly to me, keeping his head next to mine.
At least ten minutes passed, and my terror escalated with every shout until Daniil dipped and slid into the limo. Sitting me again on his lap, I stayed tucked against him, hearing his kids getting into the car. The door slammed shut.
Artur muttered, “Follow the truck driver.”
“Yes, sir,” a man stated, and I realized slowly that it was the driver.
I sucked in a breath of air, suffocating under the blanket, and started struggling to get it off my face. I couldn’t manage it, though, because my hands were wrapped.
Daniil yanked it back for me.
I choked, my eyes glancing all around the inside of the vehicle, past everyone’s faces watching me carefully, to the windows behind them. They were all fucking closed.
My breathing came in short pants. I shook my head, trying to move off Daniil’s lap to the door. “Window. Open the window.”
Daniil gripped me, pulling me back on him, talking quietly and soothingly, “We can’t. Not yet. Wait until we’re away from the reporters.”
I stilled, finally noticing what he was talking about. There were reporters damn near smashed up against the sides of the limo. I peered to every window, feeling my lungs constrict.
Ember moved quickly.
I flinched, pushing back into Daniil as she landed on her knees right in front of us.
She got right in my face, ignoring Daniil’s menacing growl, saying softly, “Elizabeth, count with me. Okay? Let’s look at the ceiling and count each and every square in it. Okay?”
My lungs hurt, and my head buzzed. I glanced at the ceiling, evaluating the puckered tiny squares that only expensive limos have. I wheezed in a breath, and nodded, wondering if this would help.
“Okay, let’s start with the one over there in the left corner.” She pointed up and back to my left, so I turned my head in that direction.
We counted together, her pointing to each square, methodically counting.
Amazingly…oddly…it helped.
But then, I couldn’t see as far as she was pointing, and I told her as much.
Daniil’s grip tightened on me, and he muttered, “I should have brought your glasses.”
I swallowed, looking out the window, only seeing passing scenery. I asked, “Can we open the window now?” Please!
He hesitated, muttering something about the point of an armored limo isn’t armored unless the windows are up, but he did it anyway. I glanced down at Ember where she watched me with a freaky look.
I whispered, “Thank you.”
I turned my attention to the open window, sucking in a huge mouthful of fresh air as she patted my knee and moved to sit next to Grigori. He wrapped his arms around her, stuffing his face in her hair as she did to his neck a few moments later.
Guess they were still getting along fine.
Pulling over on the side of the road came too quickly. A lot more quickly than it had felt when I first come out of the woods this morning and driven to the hospital. Daniil exited the limo, still keeping me in his arms. I wiggled, wanting down.
“I don’t want to let you go yet,” Daniil murmured and stopped moving. He stared down at me. “Why do you want down?”
I cleared my throat, seeing so much love there and feeling it just as deeply for him, wanting to hold onto him a bit longer. I explained, “There’s a gun down there that I stole and dropped in the woods.”
Daniil stiffened and glanced at Zane and Cole, who had stopped behind us in what I was guessing was Grigori’s limo. They had gotten out, and heard what I said. Daniil jerked his head at the woods, but asked me, “Where did you drop it?”
I pulled my right hand out of the blanket, and tried to point, but again, I couldn’t since my hand was wrapped up like a fucking mitten. “Over there. The huge tree. I hid behind it.”
Cole and Zane nodded, moving down the slight decline to where I had gestured, after staring at my face and hair for a heartbeat since they hadn’t seen me yet. Sluggishly, I realized Zane and Stash were both here, finally registering they must have made it back from their ‘job’ safely.
Good.
If I was feeling emotion, I knew I would have been happy they were alive and well.
“Papa,” Grigori stated, hopping out of the limo and holding up a cell phone. “Her parents are on the line.”
“Not yet,” I whispered. I didn’t want to talk with them. I loved them…but not yet.
Daniil glanced down at me, his gaze assessing and he shook his head at Grigori. “She’ll call them back in a few minutes.”
Grigori nodded and walked away, speaking into the phone quietly and trotting to where Cole and Zane were searching.
“This was it,” the truck driver motioned down at the ground, walking toward us. “She was standing right here when I noticed her.”
Daniil and I both glanced down.
The driver had an uncanny memory. My bloody footprints were still right there.
Daniil stilled and slowly rotated, his gaze stuck on the footprints that darted out into the road. He said softly, “You’ll have the reward money in less than five days. Give my driver your information.”
The driver’s eyebrows puckered. “I’m not sure if it’s right accepting all that cash just for taking her to the hospital and knowing who she is.”
Daniil’s eyes hadn’t left the blacktop. “I would have given all my worldly possessions to have her back. Twenty-five million is nothing to me. Take the cash. I don’t care what you do with it, but just take it.”
Surprise.
Oh, hell yes. That emotion shot through me.
I jerked and blinked, and stared at Daniil.
He’d offered twenty-five million dollars for me?
My gaze darted to the truck driver. “Take the damn money.” He would have to be an idiot not to take it. I knew that Daniil was loaded, and he wasn’t lying about it not hurting his wallet. Ember had said he was almost a billionaire. He had put enough cash out there, though to have the entire world searching. Smart. Very fucking smart.
“Okay,” Truck Driver said, nodding to me, smiling softly. “I’m sure happy you’re all right, ma’am.”
I returned his smile. Nodded. That was what I was supposed to do.
“Found it,” Brent hollered.
Daniil turned to us as Truck Driver walked to give his information to the limo driver.
“I need a bag to put it in.” Brent peered down at the weapon. “There’s blood all over the handle.”
Daniil nodded, already knowing that I’d had blood all over myself when Truck Driver had found me. “Just take care of it.” He glanced down at me, his brown eyes soft. “You ran through the woods, right? That’s how your feet were cut up.” Slowly, I nodded, and he glanced around, asking softly, “What else, Beth. Tell me how to get there.”
I sucked in and moved in his arms a little, staring over my shoulder and squinting. But I had walked so far. “A gravel road. I ran all night. There was a gravel road to my left that cars traveled on. Find that, and you’ll find the house.”
Daniil was already walking, k
eeping me tight against him. “Thank you, my sweet. I know you’re scared, but we need to find it.”
I stayed silent and burrowed into his neck again as he got back into the limo. He kept the door open for me, and when Grigori got inside and shut it, he rolled down the window and moved us closer to it. He ordered to the driver, “The next gravel road, take a left. She ran all night so it will be a few miles.” He glanced down at me, asking quietly, “Did you run past any other houses?”
I shook my head and stared out the window, trying to keep my shaking to a minimum.
Daniil kissed my forehead and rested his chin on top of my head, staring out the window with me as we pulled away from the side of the road. We crossed back into our lane and drove until we turned on the first gravel road. I shivered hard, feeling the crunch under the tires.
Daniil probed, “Do you remember what the house looks like?”
I nodded. I had gotten a good look at it as I had stared at the empty driveway.
“Did you leave anyone living inside? Will there be anyone there?”
I could actually feel everyone inside the car still.
They were silent, not knowing the full story since they had stood back and given Daniil and me our privacy. Daniil knew about the blood all over me. He knew what my injuries were—which were not enough to sustain as much blood as I had arrived at the hospital sporting. The doctor had quietly pointed that out to him as if he didn’t already know this.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
As I watched the trees fly by where I had raced through, I didn’t feel anything but rage against the people who had held me. With an even and calm voice, I stated, “There was only one man there when I escaped. He’s dead. But there was also another man and a woman there at the beginning. They stopped coming around a while ago.” I paused, telling him what I knew to be true. “They were the leaders. When I left, an alarm went off when I opened the door. I would imagine they have either come and left or heard the news already that I’m free. I doubt they would be there.”
Daniil nodded against my head, and stayed silent, watching the trees with me. No condemnation. No soft words. No cheers, either. He was just there. With me. Holding me through this. Helping me through this.
We had driven for at least fifteen minutes before I heard Artur say, “Slow down.” And then, he asked, “Elizabeth, is that the house?”
I tilted my head, and saw a house—The House—come into my view.
My teeth started chattering I shook so badly.
“Pull down the driveway,” Daniil ordered quietly. He knew my answer in my body language.
“I don’t want to go inside,” I whispered as we pulled down the short driveway.
He rubbed my back, kissing my forehead. “You don’t have to.” The limo stopped, and Daniil lifted my body, setting me on Roman’s lap. “Just stay here. You’ll be safe.”
Roman’s arms immediately embraced me, and he balked, feeling my stomach. “You’re still pregnant.” His hold gentled, his hand widening on my stomach hidden under the blankets.
The whole car stilled. Again.
They didn’t know. They hadn’t seen me standing on my own yet.
Only Daniil knew, I realized.
I nodded. “Yes. And they’re all still healthy.”
Daniil leaned down kissing my forehead again, and murmured, “I’ll be right back.” He swung around and jumped out of the limo, leaving the door open for me.
I stared at him as everyone in the limo blinked at Roman’s widespread hand.
Lord help me, but Eva started sniffling. Ember joined in.
“They’re fine,” I stated calmly, settling one of my bandaged hands over Roman’s, making him flinch again. I ignored it, watching Daniil stalk up to the house, going directly toward the door I had raced through last night. It was still open, telling me that no one had come here. He wasn’t taking any chances, though. He placed both hands behind his back and pulled two guns out from under his shirt.
The other limo pulled up behind us just as Daniil went inside.
Brent raced out of it, stopping to glance inside our limo, shouting, “He should have fucking waited for me! The damn place might be rigged!”
“No,” I stated, shaking my head. “They’re too scared of him to come anywhere near here again.” I remembered the sound of fear in their voices when we had heard the gunfire at the first place. “You guys almost found me the day I was taken. You went somewhere in the city, right?”
Everyone went quiet and nodded.
“We were in the basement. I heard the gunfire. They escaped with me through the old subway tunnels. They were scared, then. They wouldn’t come back here.”
Brent puffed out a breath, removing himself from the limo, and started pacing the length of it, eyeing the house.
I peered outside the open door, toward the woods.
We all heard Daniil’s shout from inside the house.
I didn’t move. I knew why he was shouting.
But his kids didn’t. They all dashed out of the limo, except for Roman.
Brent sprinted toward the house, along with Daniil’s children.
Roman, who stayed rigid with me in his arms, glanced down at me. “You’re safe. I’m staying with you.” His head cocked. “But you’re not scared hearing him. Why?”
I continued gazing out the door. “He found where they were keeping me. That’s why he shouted.”
We both turned our heads as we saw Brent stumble back just as he made it into the house, Daniil barreling out. Daniil leaned over, placing his hands on his knees and started sucking in great gulps of air. He was shooing his kids away, wiping at his eyes.
He eventually jerked upright and paced back and forth, his hands going to his head, guns still grasped in them. Grigori tried to talk to him, but he shouted again, making all of his kids scuttle back.
I was scared. I didn’t want to be here. And I was getting tired.
But…I couldn’t… I don’t know. I couldn’t stand to see him in so much pain.
I pushed off Roman, his arms losing to hold my hips and steady me when I almost stumbled. “I need to talk to him.”
“I know,” Roman said softly. He helped me out of the limo.
I stood and held the blanket around me, wobbling on the gravel, the cuts on my feet pulling through the bandages, but it didn’t hurt so much. Nothing like the way Daniil was hurting. Daniil turned on his next pace, and his eyes landed on my good one. A few furious tears had fallen down his cheeks, and he stopped in his tracks, staring at me. He pointed with one of his guns at the house, obviously not able to contain it, shouting, “How long?” He paused. “How fucking long did they keep you down there?”
His kids all froze, their expressions telling me they had never seen him this way before.
I didn’t want to say. He was already upset enough. “Daniil, let’s go. Have Zane and everyone in that limo take down any information and details you need. I want to go home.”
His cheeks flushed bright red as he bent forward and screamed, “How long?”
I wobbled, putting a bracing bandaged hand on Roman. “That was my Hell the entire time I’ve been gone.”
Daniil didn’t move. I don’t think he even breathed.
“Daniil, come on. Let’s go home,” I pled, my eyes wandering to the house. I couldn’t help I had started shaking so badly that Roman had to support me again. “Please, Daniil. Home.”
Daniil didn’t look any calmer, but he swallowed heavily. “Burn it,” Daniil growled, his gaze snapping to Brent. “Take every fucking print you can, then burn the fucking place, and the body downstairs, to the goddamn-fucking-ground. Understand?”
Brent nodded slowly, glancing behind Roman and me, jerking his head. “Let’s get this done.”
Zane and Stash moved from behind us toward the house where I hadn’t even realized they were. I was lifted off my shaking feet, and Daniil’s mouth was on mine. I hadn’t even heard him move, but I was suddenly wr
apped in his arms, and his sweet lips were on mine.
The kiss was gentle, which I didn’t blame him since I hadn’t brushed my teeth in, well, forever, but I whimpered against his lips, wrapping my arms around his neck. I held on tight. He was it for me.
His sweet breath fanned over my face when he pulled his face away. But when I opened my eyes, peering up at him, I knew he was trying to contain it. He was…well, there weren’t any words for it. Pissed wasn’t a good word. Nor was furious. Or even murderous. He was past all that. He was ready to set the world on fire. I would gladly let him as long as I lit the match.
No one would ever try to take my babies from me again.
If they did, I no longer had any such compunction about killing the bastards.
It would be their funeral.
His grin was pure fury and love rolled into one, as he stated slowly, “I’ll let you.”
I nodded. I hadn’t even needed to say anything. He knew.
I told them everything as we drove. Daniil had seen the worst, so it all just started tumbling out while I stared out the open window. Artur told me they had followed the cars I was taken from the church in, via any camera loop he could hack into after Grigori stormed into the church too late. Roman, Ember, and Artur all said their thanks for my quick thinking with the table.
I didn’t really care. My emotions were back on amok dial, and I wasn’t feeling much of anything as I continued telling them what had happened. Daniil growled softly hearing that they had only barely missed me that first day. Apparently, they had taken out the entire team who had gassed the church, keeping one hostage, but he hadn’t known who the leaders were. I didn’t ask how they interrogated him, or how his life had ended. Again, I really didn’t care.
When I was done telling them about the car ride in the trunk, being stripped bare and kept down in a ‘bomb shelter’ for months, and how I had escaped, Daniil leaned over to reach into his pocket. He pulled out…the bloody bolt I had used. He murmured quietly, twirling it in his fingers, “This was genius.”
Obsidian Music (Lion Security Book 3) Page 4
