by Bella Rose
He reached over and snagged the keys on the desk. Opening the door to the small office, he grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the security cars parked outside. Using the remote, he found the right car and slid inside.
“Get in.”
Starting the car, he eased out of the parking lot, doing his best not to attract attention, and headed toward the club. In the passenger seat, Ella leaned forward and rested her head on her knees. “You’re mob. How the hell can you be part of the mob? Why would hire me if you’re part of the fucking mob!?” she shouted.
“What? Just because I’m a criminal means that I can’t do something good?” he asked as he checked the rearview mirror. He was counting on Valeria and her father believing the trapdoor was a safe room rather than a tunnel.
“Where the hell are we going? I need you to let me out. I don’t want to be anywhere near you,” she said in a shaky voice.
Anxiety knotted in his chest, and he swallowed hard. There was no doubt in his mind that she would hate him after this, but if he let her go now, she was dead. Ella wasn’t the type of person who knew how to survive.
“We have to go to the club. I have a stash of cash there, and there’s something that I need to get before Yashin does.”
“What is it?”
Erik glanced warily over at her. “Evidence that several powerful men in the city are enjoying illegal services at my club. If Yashin gets his hands on that, I’ll lose everything.”
“Powerful men?” Ella shook her head and stared out the window. “What the hell have you gotten me into?”
Chapter Fifteen
Ella did her best to remain calm, but a million thoughts were jumbled in her head at once. When she woke up this morning, she was upset that Erik had slunk out of the bedroom. They were adults. He should have owned up to his actions.
But then it was hard to fault him when she couldn’t even figure out how she felt. Erik was a killer. Erik was also the best lover she’d ever had.
Now she’d been shot at, shoved down a creepy tunnel, and kidnapped. As Erik raced towards a club where apparently high ranking city officials fucked and doped their way out of reality, Ella could only focus on one thing.
Russian mob. Was she really so stupid that she didn’t see it before? A wealthy Russian with a slew of heavily armed guards? Of course something illegal was happening.
“Stupid,” she muttered. “So stupid.”
“Calm down, Ella,” Erik said coldly. “You can panic once you’re in the safe house.”
A hysterical bubble of laughter formed in her throat. “Just how long do you plan on keeping me at the safe house, Erik? I agreed to clean your house. You didn’t say anything about fleeing for my life!”
Frustrated, she beat her hand against the dashboard. “I knew your offer was too good to be true.”
“Ella, I will write you a check for five hundred thousand dollars right now if you will just take a deep breath and try to get a hold on yourself.” The car slowed as Erik turned left. Ella gazed out the window as they pulled into the club parking lot.
“There’s an awful lot of cars here,” she whispered.
“We’re open for lunch,” he said with a frown. Parking the car, he killed the engine. “That will work in our favor. Yashin won’t dare risk anything violent at the club during open hours. If even a hint of criminal activity goes public, no one of importance would dare set foot through those doors. He needs that power.”
“I don’t suppose you have any hidden tunnels running under the club in case we need a quick getaway?”
“Sorry, babe. No such luck, but don’t worry. I’ll be in and out in ten minutes.”
“Great.” Ella rubbed her hands on her thighs nervously. “I’ll just wait right here for you.”
Erik sighed and stared at her. “Contrary to what you might believe, I’m not the enemy right now.”
“Sure. Not right now. But just because you’re the lesser of two evils doesn’t make you not evil!” She grabbed the handle to the door and yanked it open. Angrily, she slammed it behind her. “Are you coming?” she growled.
“When we’re finished here, we’re going to have a talk about your attitude,” he muttered as he followed her out of the car. “I’m going to make sure the club closes after the lunch crowd is gone. Don’t talk to anyone while you’re in there, and don’t leave my side.”
Despite her panic, Ella still had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. Holding on to that anger was the only thing that kept her sane.
He draped his arm around her waist. To an innocent bystander, they probably looked like lovers, but his arm kept her anchored to his side. His body relaxed against hers, and he smiled at the hostess when he walked in. “Good crowd today?” he asked casually.
“Mr. Chesnovak! We weren’t expecting you this early. Yes, we have quite a good crowd today. We have a group of overseas businessmen in, and they’re keeping everyone quite busy.”
“As long as they’re spending money,” he said with a smile. “I’m only going to be here for a few minutes. Will you please send the manager to my office? Tell him it’s important. And tell him that I want the notes from last month’s meeting.”
The cute hostess smiled cheerily. “Of course, sir. Would you like me to send a waitress your way?”
“No. I won’t be here long enough. Enjoy the rest of your day. Oh, and sweetheart? If anyone asks, I’m not here.” He pulled Ella through the crowd, past the bar, and across the dance floor. A few heads turned their way, but he didn’t stop for anything.
Ella watched with a dry mouth as he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked a door in the back. She let him pull her through, and she gasped. On the other side of the door, at least five beautiful women lounged along the wall. They all giggled and straightened when they saw him.
“Mr. Chesnovak, this is a pleasant surprise,” a gorgeous blonde said as she sauntered up. Ella saw red and stepped in front of him.
“I know I’m not invisible,” she snapped. “So you can just keep your damn hands to yourself.”
“Ella,” Erik said with a chuckle. “What did I tell you?”
Don’t talk to anyone. She crossed her arms and glared at him. Leaning over, he whispered something in the blonde’s ear. She smirked and stepped out of their way. Erik wrapped his arm around Ella and pulled her down the hall.
“Jealous?” he asked softly.
“Shut up,” she muttered. “Do you really have hookers down here?”
Erik turned left. “Focus on what’s important.”
“Oh sure. You can ask me if I’m jealous, but I can’t ask you about the damn hookers behind your club.” They stopped suddenly, and he unlocked another door and pulled her through.
“Sit down. When the manager comes in, don’t say a word about the Yashins. Got it?”
Ella clamped her mouth shut, but she didn’t sit down. Instead, she started to pace.
Pulling a painting from the wall, Erik revealed a wall safe. As he spun the dial to open the safe, there was a knock on the door.
“Get that,” Erik muttered as he opened the safe.
Grumbling under her breath, she opened the door. A small nervous man stood on the other side. He blinked in surprise when he saw Ella. “I’m so sorry,” he stammered. “I didn’t know Mr. Chesnovak wasn’t alone.”
“It’s fine, Frank. Please come in,” Erik said as he shut the safe and slid an envelope into his back pocket. “Do you have what I asked for?”
Frank nodded and handed him a folder. Flipping it open, Erik gazed at it and smiled. Ella tried to sneak a peek, but he shut it before she could see anything. Still, she had a feeling it was the evidence that Valeria and her father wanted.
“I need you to shut the club down after lunch. It’s not to open again until I get back to you. Offer a discount and my sincere apologies for any special requests that were made this weekend. Tell people that we have a plumbing problem.”
&nbs
p; Frank’s mouth fell open. “Do we have a plumbing problem?”
“Sure,” Erik said as he stared at him. “Tell the employees not to worry. They’ll be compensated for any hours that they were scheduled to work.” He glanced at the monitors on the walls and frown. “Damn.”
Ella followed his line of sight and felt her heart beat speed up. Valeria and two men were walking through the front door.
“Make sure she does not get past the back door,” he growled. “And if she asks, I am not here. Are you parked out back?”
Frank nodded nervously. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Give me your keys.”
Fumbling in his pockets, Frank pulled out his keyring and slid his car key off. “It’s the black Genesis coupe.”
Really? Ella stared at him. This guy owned a sports car? “Thanks. You can bill me for the rental. Ella, let’s go.”
“Erik,” she muttered as she walked towards him. “She’s at the back door.”
“Damn it. Move,” he growled as he grabbed her hand. Tucking the folder under his arm, he dragged her down the hall, but rather than going out the same way they came, he pulled her in the opposite direction. When he produced another key and opened another door, she shook her head.
“This place has more locks than a bank,” she whispered.
“Don’t freak out.”
She was about to ask why until they walked through into a long hallway. Doors and windows lined both sides. The windows had some kind of black film over them, but through some, she could see the silhouettes of moving bodies. There was no mistaking the sensuous motions.
“Really? Swanky stripper rooms,” she said softly. “I can’t decide if that’s tacky or not.”
“They’re not stripper rooms, baby, and right now, they are our escape.” He jerked open one of the rooms and pulled her in. Furnished like a small living room, the space contained an upholstered chair—no arms—a chaise, and a tall accent table. Locking the door behind him, he turned on the light. Turning the chair arounds so he could see the window, he sat down and beckoned to her. “You better make it look good.”
Raising her eyebrows, she pointed at him. “I’m sorry. You want me to climb on top of you right now?”
“If the room is occupied, they can’t come in. If they see that there’s some action in progress, they’ll assume that it’s just another businessman with one of my girls. And when they realize that I’m not here, they’ll leave. So come here. They can see our shapes, but no details.”
Blowing out her breath, she glared at him but walked towards him. “Hold up,” he said. “You’re going to at least have to strip to your underwear. Your clothes are bulky, and they’ll notice it.”
Embarrassment washed over her, and her cheeks flamed as she slowly pulled off her shirt.
“I saw you naked last night,” he reminded her. “You don’t have anything to be ashamed of.”
“I can’t do this if you’re talking,” she snapped as she turned her back to him. Pulling her shorts down, she closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten.
“For God’s sake, Ella, hurry the fuck up!”
“I’m coming,” she hissed. Spinning around, she quickly straddled him and closed her eyes. “I’ve never pretended to have sex before.”
“It doesn’t have to be pretend.”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
She felt his hands circle her waist. “Lean over,” he said softly. Following his command, she tried to relax her body. Slowly, he started to sway her hips.
“I’m not a good person, Ella. I offered you a lot of money just so I could get close to you. I needed to taste you as soon as I laid eyes on you, and I bought your services with the hope that I could seduce you. And you were such an easy target.”
Feeling the tears well up in her eyes, she tried to push away, but he wouldn’t let her go. “Keep moving. They’re watching us.”
“I hate you!” she cried out.
“I need you to know that I’m a bastard. But even though I’m a horrible person, I’m your only way out. I had no intention of hurting you, and I’m going to keep you safe. So you can hate me all you want, but I need you to trust me.”
Ella opened her eyes and stared at him. “Do you enjoy breaking good women?” she asked. “These girls that you keep talking about. Were they good people before you turned them into whores?” He pulled her knees up until she had no choice but to press against him. Her pussy ground against his cock and, despite everything, she moaned a little.
Smiling cruelly, he jerked her up against his body. “They were whores long before I got my hands on them. I just pay them more and protect them better. Most of these girls need the money, and you can’t really judge them for that, can you? Look deep inside yourself and tell me that you weren’t ready to do whatever I wanted so you could pay for your mother’s surgery. You can act as outraged as you want, angel, but we both know damn well that if I had unzipped my pants on day one and told you to suck my dick, you would have done it.”
She slapped him hard across the face. “You bastard. I think I’d rather take my chances with your ex-fiancée.”
Before she could push away from him, he grabbed her hips and carried her to the table. She just had to turn her head a little to see through the window—and the people in the hallway.
“You see those shapes out there?” he whispered in her ear. “That’s Valeria watching. These rooms are specifically set up because some people like to watch, and some people like to be watched. If I hit that switch over there, she’ll be able to see every inch of your exposed skin. Do you know what her father is known for?”
Terrified, she shook her head. His hand moved down her body towards her pussy, and she couldn’t help but buck her hips. How was it possible to be so afraid and so fucking turned on?
Erik kissed her softly on the side of her neck. “Rostilav likes to tie his women up, and he doesn’t really care if they consent or not. If you choose to go with Valeria, I can guarantee that’s what will be waiting for you. I, on the other hand, have never forced a woman in my life. I’ve never had to. Say the word, and I will never touch you again.”
She didn’t say anything, and he pushed her down on the table. Ella closed her eyes when she felt his tongue licking her through her panties.
Panting, she moved her knees up to give him better access. As he continued to tease her, he slid his hands up her body and pushed her bra up so he could fondle her breasts.
It felt like forever before he finally pushed her panties aside and slowly slid his tongue up her pussy. Whimpering, she nearly lost it when flicked it over her clit.
“I could make you come,” he whispered. “Do you want that? Do you want to come right here on this table with me? No one’s watching you. No one will have to know but me.”
Turning her head, she saw that the shadows were gone. With a gasp, she stumbled off the table and grabbed her clothes. She couldn’t even say anything to him as she dressed.
Finally, she turned to him. “You know, I can’t decide what you actually want here. Do you think if you save me, that will wipe some of the blood off your hands? Or are you hoping that I’ll somehow redeem you?”
Erik smirked. “Don’t women fantasize about changing a man for the better?”
“I have a feeling it would take years to change you for the better. Do you have a plan to get us out?”
“This is the last room on the hall. They’ll go back and check out the dining room, and we can slip out the private entrance. There’s a safe house about an hour from here.”
An hour away. That would put her even farther away from her mother. She didn’t voice her concerns out loud, but if Valeria focused too hard on Ella, it wouldn’t take her very long to find her mother.
As soon as Ella could break free, she was going straight to the hospital. She hadn’t put up with all of this just so that her mother could die at the hands of an insane fake blonde.
Chapter Sixteen
Erik watched Ella walk aimlessly around the safe house. She hadn’t said much since the drive from the club, and he wasn’t sure what he could say to her anyway. Logically, he could tell himself that this wasn’t his fault, but he’d invited her into his world knowing the danger that surrounded him every day.
“There are four bedrooms in the house,” he said softly. “You’re welcome to choose whichever one you like. I need to make a phone call.”
Wordlessly, she walked out of the living room and up the stairs. After he checked the locks on the windows, he grabbed the landline phone. “Father,” he muttered. “We have a problem.”
“Are you calling me from a safe house?” The elder Chesnovak asked in a low voice. His father always seemed to remain calm in any situation.
“Yes. Yashin is trying to take over. He’s looking for the blackmail photos on the men that come to my club. I thought you and he were good friends. What the hell happened?” Erik growled.
“Did you turn his daughter down?”
“It didn’t matter. They murdered Leonid before I even voiced my decision. Marriage may have been a bonus, but it was never their priority. I sent some of my armed guards to escort the staff to safety, but the rest are dead. I need backup.” Erik glanced cautiously out the window. Their safe house sat smack in the middle of a gated suburban neighborhood. The middle-class security wouldn’t last long, but his upper-class security hadn’t kept Yashin out either. His only hope was that the paperwork for the safe houses was buried deep enough in shell companies that they couldn’t be found.
“I can send men, but it’s going to take at least twenty-four hours to get them there, and another twenty-four hours to arm them. Is there a chance that Yashin can get his hands on that proof? He’ll use those men to take the club away, and we’ll never get a foothold in that district. I’ve spent too much money on this to lose it now.”
“I have all the photos and video footage. Security has been alerted to keep the high rollers away for the time being. They’re blaming it on construction work. As long as I keep a low profile, I should be fine.” Erik closed the blinds and opened up the entertainment center. It housed one flat screen television and three additional monitors for the cameras that surveyed the outside area. He pulled out the keyboard and turned on the monitors.
