Taken by the Thief

by Eliza Lockhart

  “I’d like to ride, but I can’t find my better riding hat. It’s not where I normally keep it. Go find it while I saddle my horse,” I commanded. Eyes wide, the lad hurried off. I’d sent him on a fool’s errand. The hat was sitting with the others in the stable, but I’d panicked him he’d rushed off without thought.

  Not wasting any time, I picked up my stuff again, opened the stable door and legged it across the paddock.

  I didn’t stop to check if anyone could see me from the house. If I didn’t run now I’d never get another chance.

  The boards I’d pushed to the side before and squeezed between had been fixed, but they weren’t the only ones that had needed maintenance.

  Not caring about my nails, I grabbed the edge of a particularly loose-looking section and yanked as hard as I could. It took some tugging and wiggling but it eventually gave way, the whole thing coming off. With one gone I could easily grab the next. It was stuck better in the first place, but I could get my whole body behind each tug and it gave even sooner, cracking and splintering around the only nail that held fast.

  Hearing some kind of yelling behind me, I hurried through, ducking down and pushing through the lower section of a small tree, the branches catching in my hair. It didn’t take me long to find my car, the vehicle thankfully still where I’d left it.

  By the time I was pulling off and onto the road, I saw two of the guards trying to squeeze out of the small gap I’d made, both far too burly and hampered by the bulletproof vests and other equipment they wore to get through such a small gap with ease.

  Before either could get their bearings and notice me, I was gone, leaving them and my father far behind.

  Although the center of Moscow was to my left, I went right, not wanting to go past the front gates of the house now they knew I had run away. It would take longer, but I knew the roads well enough to find a different route to the city without problem.

  Over the last few weeks, Kostya had also told me several methods for losing a tail and making it hard for people to find me on the roads while still getting to my destination.

  I used all his tricks now as I worked my way back to Moscow, into the center of the city, and then to Yazov’s club. If I didn’t find Kostya or answers there, I planned to try our hut by the river. And if neither of those worked, I’d try his apartment last. Mitka would be there, and I didn’t think Kostya would go anywhere for long without Mitka.

  As I parked in the club lot I spotted his car and immediately exhaled in relief. I’d read him right. This was our safe haven, even if Vasily knew of it.

  The guard opened the door for me, a slight smile on his face.

  “Where’s Konstantine?” I asked, not seeing any point in hiding why I was there when he seemed to know already.

  “Up the stairs, with Yazov. All the way up and then all the way to the back.”

  I nodded and rushed to the stairs hoping I could work out the instructions, but mostly so determined to find Kostya that I’d try every room in the building if I needed to.

  I took the steps two at a time, looking up as I hoped he would appear at any point, but I wound around, reached a landing and had to pause. There was no back, just a rectangular landing with multiple doors off. Confused, I looked around it again, until I spotted a second staircase almost hidden behind a filing cabinet.

  As I climbed the far narrower stairs, I found my first doubts as well. Kostya had said he didn’t love me. Would my behavior be appropriate? Would he even care if my father didn’t condone our strange relationship?

  I pushed the thought aside. I loved him and I need to make that clear. If he breaks my heart, so be it.

  No sooner had I had this thought than I turned a corner and came to a narrow hallway in the eaves of the building. The door at the far end was closed, but I practically ran to it, knocking and turning the handle at the same time.

  The surprised faces of both Yazov and Kostya looked my way, both relaxing as they realized it was me. Not stopping, I hurried over to Kostya. Immediately we embraced each other and I felt myself relax into his arms.

  No one said anything for a moment, all of us standing by a large desk.

  “Tell me what’s going on,” I demanded now I was sure Kostya wanted me there.

  “First I think it would be prudent to either go somewhere else or move your cars. I keep my club neutral. I cannot allow them to be seen here for longer than it would take the pair of you to find each other and leave.” Yazov held his hands up.

  “Are you kicking us out?” I asked, tired of double-speak and polite understatements.

  “Not in the slightest. I just need everyone else to think I did.”

  Kostya laughed as I offered Yazov my keys. “Do with it as you will. I don’t need it. I’m leaving with Kostya anyway.”

  “Then yours can stay. I can use it to substantiate my truth when I tell your father what happened.”

  “Could someone move mine?” Kostya asked, also producing his keys.

  Yazov nodded as he took them. Stepping out the door, he called for someone. Almost immediately a guy appeared. Speaking in hushed tones, Yazov handed them over.

  “That’s the most I can do for you overtly. I will say you both asked me to keep your cars safe. It’s now important you are seen leaving, but it’s clear we need to talk further, and somewhere safe.” Yazov went to his desk, grabbed a scrap of paper, and while leaning on his own leg wrote out an address. He held it up for both of us to see.

  “Will you remember this?”

  Kostya nodded.

  “Good. I will meet you there.”

  Before I could even begin to play it back to myself in my head, Yazov pulled out a lighter, set light to the paper and waited for most of it to burn before he dropped the remainder into a nearby ashtray. Instead of putting the lighter away, he then yanked a packet of cigarettes out of a pocket and offered them our way.

  I shook my head, bordering on confused.

  “These are a nasty habit,” Yazov said. And I know I should give up, but they make it much easier to hide these sorts of things.” Yazov lit up, took a few puffs and sighed.

  As he did Kostya took my hand.

  “We need to go,” he said. Yazov nodded and waved as he perched on the end of the desk.

  My heart pounding, I hurried after Kostya, his grip on my hand close to vice-like, his face unreadable.

  As soon as we were far enough on the route back that there was room, he pulled me beside him, and then swept his arm up and over me, so we held hands across my body and he held me up against his side from behind.

  “Stay close,” he whispered, “and walk in time with me.”

  We synced our steps naturally, but keeping them that way gave me something to focus on as Kostya led us both out of the club. A moment later we were walking away from the parking lot, where only my car remained, and then down the street.

  11:02am

  I was shivering up against Kostya by the time we reached the building Yazov had indicated. It was a town house, tall but not overbearing. He pushed the front door, but it wouldn’t open. Almost frantic, both of us searched around for a key, under the two fake-plant pots and under the door ledge, but no matter where we looked we couldn’t it.

  Not saying a word, Kostya stamped his feet, still not letting go of me for even a second. The possessiveness helped calm me. If nothing else, he still wanted me.

  “We cannot stay here, out in the open,” he said. “We’ll need to—”

  Before he could finish speaking, the door swung open, admitting us.

  He went inside first, his initial steps slow and cautious, but as I followed, we both spotted Yazov in the shadows.

  I shut the door behind me, and only then did Yazov speak.

  “Forgive the brief wait. I had to come a different route, and the back way in decided to be a little temperamental,” Yazov said as he led us towards the back of the house and up the stairs.

  Once at the top, he opened the door into the only room
with furniture. Kostya moved straight for the sofa and I followed, leaning into him as we sat.

  Yazov plonked himself down opposite us and steepled his fingers.

  “So it seems our remaining Petrushkov isn’t letting go of his little crush on Nadenka here,” Yazov said.

  “Hell will freeze over before I agree to do anything with that man,” I snapped before anyone could respond.

  Yazov let out a small chuckle.

  “I don’t think you’re the only one who feels that way,” our host said. “But we should focus on the more immediate problem. As I understand it, Vasily is posing as another don, making it look like he has hired Kostya here to gather information, and then is using that information to blackmail Sokolov into giving up a significant portion of his territory. He’s done this by using the recent scuffle over that farm I believe is now a racing track.

  Kostya nodded.

  “Was that what Vasily tried to take last time?” I asked, lots of different elements of the last three weeks of my life falling into place.

  “He had me do a job for him, but I used it to get your father to let me in,” Kostya added. “I don’t think Vasily appreciated my self-interest. Not that he can prove I fixed it that way, but I get to fuck you and he doesn’t, so he’d be angry at me either way.”

  I raised my eyebrows at how bluntly Kostya had put our relationship in front of a virtual stranger, but Yazov appeared lost in thought.

  “What do you want to achieve?” he asked a moment later. “I can see several problems, and the solution will depend on what matters to you.”

  “I can’t let my father lose everything because Vasily wants me.”

  “Good, because I don’t particularly want to see Vasily get stronger. And Sokolov is definitely one of our more… respectable dons. I personally don’t want to see any more power shift to Vasily, and neither does my benefactor.”

  I raised my eyebrows at Yazov’s clear confession of allegiance to someone with an interest in the Muscovite mafia. He must have picked up on it, because he continued.

  “Don’t get me wrong, my benefactor has no foot in this game currently. They merely wish to help here and there when someone needs a second chance or a refuge. You have them to thank for this, for a particular little hut with a wonderful river view, and I don’t doubt they’ll have a part to play in the future too.”

  Kostya frowned but didn’t respond.

  “And I don’t think we need you to tell us what you want out of all this, Konstantine. You’ve made that clear.” Yazov smirked for half a second as he glanced between us. I felt my cheeks flushing as I realized he meant screwing me. More like fucking, my mind pointed out. I pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter. I was willing, whatever Kostya wanted.

  “So we need to find a solution that lets the two of you continue on and ensures Sokolov doesn’t lose anything to Vasily.”

  In way over my head, I sat and listened as the two men talked of finding information and clearing names, but everything they suggested wasn’t quick enough, and it was soon clear that my father would transfer the territory to Vasily before we could do anything else.

  “What if there was a way we could get the territory to be diverted?” I asked, an idea beginning to form. “Then we’d have time to remove the blackmail.”

  “Vasily wouldn’t just allow that.”

  “No. Not without a good reason. What if we made it so he had to? What if we take his lie, and build on it? Twist it just as Kostya did last time?”

  “You mean pretend Kostya is working for another don?” Yazov asked.

  “Yes, but instead of that don being a fake working for Vasily, have it be one working for us. One I can then transfer back to Father later, once we’ve cleared the blackmail.” I started to get excited, but also to feel a little sick. There was only one way Kostya would get more involved.

  “I only do one thing, Nadenka,” he said. “I take people’s daughters, torture them and video it.”

  I gulped as I nodded.

  “I know. And if that doesn’t put Vasily off wanting me, then nothing will.”

  “Don’t be so flippant.” He shook his head, clearly not liking what I was suggesting.

  “I think I need to give you both a moment to talk about this,” Yazov said, getting up and moving towards the door. “It’s got to be something you both are agreed on, even if it is the only idea we’ve got.”

  I waited for him to go, knowing I needed to convince Kostya somehow.

  “I know I’m suggesting something that would be difficult,” I said, reaching for Kostya with my other hand as well and looking straight at him.

  “Difficult, princess? Are you seriously aware of what I do to women when I use them as leverage?”

  I frowned, then gulped as my imagination served me plenty of ideas. It would hurt, and it would be humiliating, I knew that much, but I nodded. Kostya reached out and lifted my chin.

  “I don’t think you understand what it would put you through. And what it would do to me.”

  “You don’t want to do it?” I asked, almost surprised. He’d struck me as the sort of man who wanted to come out on top at all costs.

  “No, I want to do it. A part of me would love to do all sorts of things to you. That’s the problem. You’re asking me to let the monster out while you’re naked and helpless. I would do despicable things to you, Nadenka. And I’ll enjoy it. It will make me horny, make me want to fuck you even more. And I don’t think you’re going to want that. I don’t want to break what we have now.”

  “I can’t be sure I’ll be okay with that, but I think I will. I think knowing we’re doing it to protect important things, to protect others, will make it worth it. At least in the long run. I know it won’t be easy. Don’t think I don’t understand that.”

  “It’s going to break you. I don’t think I can do that.” He looked away, almost pulling his hands out of mine.

  “Even if it means besting Vasily, saving my father, and putting Vasily off me for good?” I asked, taking a tighter grip with one hand before I pulled his face back towards me. “I want to be yours, and I want to end this. Please, Kostya. I can think of no other way.”

  He shook his head for a third time, pulled out of my hands and got up. Before I could stop him or think of something to say, the sudden loss in contact slammed into me so hard, so overwhelming, tears pricked the back of my eyes. A moment later he opened the door and beckoned Yazov back.

  “We’re not doing it,” Kostya said. “It’s a foolish idea.”

  Yazov frowned and came back towards his chair, but he didn’t sit. As he looked between the two of us, he sighed.

  “The very fact that you don’t want to, Kostya, is why I think it would work doing so. You have a heart under there somewhere. And I know you’ve had to hide it away. But it seems Nadenka is bringing it out of you.”

  Kostya opened his mouth to speak and I felt myself wondering if he would declare himself to not be in love, but Yazov held up his hand.

  “You may not believe you even have a heart anymore. And I’m not saying it’s love, but you care on some level. It will stop you going further than you’re capable of bringing Nadenka back from. As she has already said and we have already discovered, if you want to save Sokolov’s fortune and end up together, this is the only way.”

  This seemed to have no effect, but Yazov didn’t give up.

  “I’ve also just been informed that Vasily is looking for Nadenka already. Something about needing her by his side.”

  I nodded, feeling my blood run cold. With everything that had happened, even if I’d remembered my promise to Vasily, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to say anything. Kostya glared.

  “Vasily was… firm… with Father, basically implied I was going to be his or he wouldn’t help. I had no choice but to play nice. I left at the first opportunity.”

  “Yes, I assumed it was something like that,” Yazov added. “Just another part of this blackmail.”

  Kostya
ran a hand through his hair.

  “If I do this, I want this to be the end of it. No more after that. I want to take Nadenka, go somewhere, and never be disturbed again. I’ll marry her and keep twisted men like Vasily from ever trying to control someone like her again.”

  I raised my eyebrows at Kostya’s declaration. Marriage? That was a big ask, but I didn’t shy away from the idea. Did he care enough to be loyal? I had no idea, but I knew I already loved him so much I didn’t care. If he was asking, my answer would be yes.

  “Right.” Yazov didn’t give either of us any more time to talk about it. “You’re going to need a few other elements to make this work. You’ll need something to make sure Vasily does back off. Leave that with me.”

  The hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth, Yazov got up again, and I did the same.

  “Do you have somewhere to go?” he asked as we began the descent down the three flights of stairs.

  “Yes,” Kostya replied, my hand still firmly entwined in his. The tone was definite, final, and I couldn’t help but shudder. I was about to become a victim of Kostya’s, the tapes sent to my father and Vasily, and the only difference between me and the other girls Kostya had done terrible things to would be that I had volunteered, and I was doing so knowing Kostya would be as tormented by it as me.

  2:42pm

  Kostya

  I kept a grip on Nadenka as we exited the safe house. Yazov had already gone back out the way he’d arrived, leaving me alone with her. I tried to push the sea of emotions I felt away, but every few seconds another wave would rear and threaten to engulf me.

  Although I had heard the words several times and Nadenka had gone out of her way to persuade me, I still couldn’t quite believe she had both suggested and volunteered to let me torture her the way I had countless other women. I’d expected it, of course. They were right in that it was the only way, but I’d not expected her to volunteer so readily and to be so confident either.