Covered in Darkness

by Heather Sunseri

  Jewel pumped a fist in the air. “Yes!” She turned to me. “Being behind the bar means I can flirt without being pawed.”

  “I’m handling towels today,” Jewel said.

  “Oh, that’s not bad,” Pearl said with a smile. I couldn’t decide if Pearl was naive, or just a glass-is-half-full kind of girl.

  Jewel eyed me. “And they’re starting you out in the deep end. You’re working the steam and sauna rooms.” She gave me the third slip of paper.

  Pearl placed a hand on my arm. “We all have to do it at some point. They like to get you in there early to make sure you can handle it.”

  “What do I have to do?” I asked.

  “Basically, whatever the customer needs, you get for them. Keep the used towels picked up. Make sure no one stays inside the steam room or the sauna too long and gets overheated.”

  “Whatever they need…” I said. Find the Russian; get out.

  “Just be careful,” Pearl said. “There are rules about how long you’re to stay inside the steam room or the sauna. Boss is not happy when an ambulance has to be called because one of his girls overheated.” She shrugged. “But most of the time, you don’t even have to enter the rooms.”

  “You can put your stuff in a locker,” Jewel said, pointing to an empty one. “Then I’ll show you around.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  As I walked to the locker, I wondered whether the man at the front desk had truly assigned me the steam room. It was Jewel who had passed out the slips of paper, and there were no names on any of them. She probably took the assignment she liked best and gave the new girl the worst one.

  Facing the locker, I surreptitiously texted Ty: I’m in. I don’t plan on being here long. I dropped my phone back in my bag and closed the locker.

  Chapter 28

  The club’s decor was an attractive mix of earth tones and textures, with green and white accents in the upholstery of the seating. I followed Jewel along a hallway tiled with natural stone.

  “To your right and left are the workout rooms,” she said.

  On one side of the hallway was a room that housed bikes, ellipticals, treadmills, and other machines on bamboo hardwood flooring. Multiple large-screen televisions covered one wall. Mirrors covered another. On the other side of the hall was a room with free weights and Nautilus equipment. There were stacks of white towels on shelves for customer use. The air smelled of cucumbers and mint.

  “Straight ahead is the lap pool,” Jewel said.

  We walked into an open room with sofas and cushioned chairs grouped for members to congregate and enjoy refreshments. In front of us was a wall of windows, beyond which was a four-lane lap pool. Two men were currently crawling through the pool. A third was climbing out of the pool and walking over to a lounge chair. From the chair, a woman’s hand held a towel out to him.

  Along the wall to my right was a bar with a dozen stools. Pearl went to take up her post behind it. Apart from the men at the pool, there was no one around.

  “Is the club usually this dead?” I asked.

  “No,” said Jewel. “Some ridiculously rich men—Russians—rented out the entire club this week. The manager said they called him at home just a few minutes after the power came back on, and they insisted that the club be opened immediately.”

  “So no one else is using the club this week but this one group of Russians?”

  “Well, not quite. We can’t turn away the serious regulars, and there was this group of big-shot executives on Saturday night. American, not Russian. They met with the Russians. But yeah, mostly it’s these Russians, so it’s pretty quiet. It’s not how the club typically runs, but don’t worry about the money, these guys tip great. And a few of them have chosen specific girls to serve them.”

  “Who were the Americans?”

  “No idea, but only a few of the ladies from the club were allowed into the room the two groups met in. And Sasha—a friend of mine—said the atmosphere was extremely tense the whole time.”

  I paused to think about that. What happened the night those executives met with the Russians? Whatever it was, I was sure they had no idea what was planned for the next day when Blake Saltzman was blown up.

  “So the Russians have picked their favorite girls? Has one of them picked you?” I asked.

  “No, but I’ve got my eye on one. Also, more guests are arriving today, so there’s hope for you, too.”

  Afraid I was starting to sound like I was interrogating her, I playfully punched her arm. “Who do you have picked out? Is he cute?”

  “Oh yeah,” she said with an exaggerated smile. “His name is Yury. I’ve heard the men talking, he’s apparently the boss of the little group that’s already here. Which means he’s rich.” She gave me a stern look. “Which means he’s mine, new girl. I need the money.”

  I felt a sudden urge to hug Jewel and beg her to get another job. Serving some wealthy scumball inside this club was not the way to pick up extra cash. But instead I turned back to the man who was drying off by the pool. He raked the towel over his sandy blond hair and face. When he lowered the towel, he looked up, and our eyes met.

  A girl got up from the lounge chair. She was wearing the white halter and skirt like mine. She walked behind the man and draped a towel along the man’s back. She made the motion look very seductive, and the man didn’t seem to mind.

  I turned back to Jewel. “Where are the steam room and sauna?”

  “Right this way,” she said.

  As we walked along the wall of windows past the pool, I chanced another look at the blond-haired man. The girl was kissing him, but he was watching me. His eyes seemed to dance with humor.

  Find the man who took Sam, and get out, I reminded myself.

  We exited the lounge and entered another hallway. When we took a right, we almost ran into a man in a crisp suit and tie. He was at least six-and-a-half feet tall, extremely muscular, and bald. And not Russian.

  “Hello, Mr. Houston,” Jewel said.

  “Hi… Jewel, is it?”

  “That’s right. Uh… this is Beatrice. She’s new. I’m just showing her around.”

  “Nice to meet you, Beatrice. I was just on my way out, but I hope to see you the next time I’m in.” He continued past us.

  “He’s one of the wealthiest men in the area—one of our regulars,” she whispered when he was gone.

  We stopped at the next door we came to. “This is one of four locker rooms.”

  She began to push the door open, and I stopped her with a hand to her arm. “Wait. Isn’t this for men?”

  “Yeah,” she laughed. “This is where the steam room and sauna are located.”

  “Oh.” Oh! Was I going to have to see these men naked? This was why she’d stuck me in here.

  “Come on. You’ll be fine. Just keep your eyes up and imagine they’re businessmen in suits.” She smiled. “I play this game where I make lists in my head. For example, when I work this area of the club, I try to name all of the men’s fashion designers I can think of—Armani, Calvin Klein, Brooks Brothers, Gant Rugger—you get the point. As I name the designers, I imagine a different suit on each of the men.”

  We stepped through the door into a clean, tranquil locker room. We walked past mahogany lockers, a luxurious lounging area, and a row of tiled showers that would give Declan’s bathroom a run for its money.

  Then we turned a corner and came face to face with four men lounging in a whirlpool set in the floor. Their boisterous voices ruined the peaceful setting Jewel had led me into.

  And there he was.

  The Russian man who had kidnapped me—and who still had Sam.

  I quickly let my red bob fall further around my face. I resisted the urge to wipe my sweating hands on my white miniskirt.

  “Hello, gentlemen,” Jewel said. “This is Beatrice. She’s new, so go easy on her.” She winked. “She’s here to serve you. I’m going to get you some fresh towels.”

  Jewel squeezed my hand, then walked thro
ugh a door marked with a discreet sign that said: Supplies—Employees Only.

  I glanced around the room. I saw the wooden door that led to a sauna, and a glass door directly beside it that led to a steam room. I’d been to a fancy spa only one time in my life—with my mom, on a special trip the summer after I graduated from high school—so I recognized both.

  “Beatrice, you say?” one of the men said. His accent was clearly Russian, but his English was easy to understand. I looked over and saw him leaning his chest against the side of the whirlpool, his arms crossed on the ledge. He had thin blond hair and was smiling up at me. “Could you ready a towel for me?” By the glint in his eye, I sensed he was toying with me.

  Beside him, my kidnapper was studying me. Did he recognize me under the wig and makeup? “Leave her alone, Vlad,” he said.

  “Aw, Yury, mind your own business.”

  Yury—so my kidnapper’s name was Yury. And according to Jewel, he was the leader of the group here. How did he fit into the Kharkiv Bratva? And who was arriving later? Would Sergei Charkov be coming to Kentucky?

  I felt a poke to my back. I turned to find Jewel had returned with a stack of towels, which she placed on a shelf. “You heard him. That’s the job,” she said in a low voice through gritted teeth.

  I curled my fingers into fists, then stretched them out wide. I grabbed a towel and turned back around. I’d seen men before. I could do this.

  Vlad climbed from the whirlpool and stood in front of me. “Hold the towel out.”

  “Excuse me?” I said.

  “Hold the towel out like you would for a child.”

  A couple of the men snickered behind him. I smiled sweetly. “Anything you say, sir.” I shook out the folded towel, then held it by two corners so that the man could walk into it.

  “Now, wrap it around my waist and secure it there.”

  I did as he asked, swallowing back bile. When I was done, he crooked a finger under my chin and forced me to look at him. “Thank you.” He let out a boisterous laugh and headed in the direction of the showers.

  The other men climbed out of the whirlpool and announced they were going for a steam. But Yury paused in front of me. He was still studying me, and I was terrified he would recognize me—or already had. I was supposed to verify he was here, then get out.

  It was time to get out.

  But should I just turn and run? And blow my cover?

  “Yury, can I bring you anything?” Jewel asked behind me.

  “No, Jewel. I think Beatrice here can handle my needs.”

  I could almost feel the sharp blades Jewel was sending at my back with her eyes. I glanced over my shoulder. When our eyes met, I was certain she was casting an evil spell on me. She paused a second, then whipped around and disappeared.

  “I’d like a bottle of water, Beatrice,” Yury said. “And then, I’d like you to join me in the steam room. But first…” He grabbed my face and rubbed a thumb roughly across my eye. “Take off this stupid wig and wipe off all this makeup. I like my girls to look more natural.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said.

  He smiled. “I think you and I are going to get along just fine.” He angled his head, narrowed his eyes. “Actually, leave the wig on. Maybe we’ll remove it later, together. It will be like uncovering a surprise.”

  He went to join his friends in the steam room. As the door opened, I caught the men laughing and talking. All had Russian accents, but they spoke in English, and I swore I heard one of them say something about “that cute little blonde.” I immediately wondered if they were talking about Sam.

  “Might as well enjoy tonight,” Yury told them as he entered. “Sergei will be here tomorrow.” Before letting the door close behind him, he turned back. “Now, Beatrice,” he ordered. “You have five minutes.”

  “No!” Ty yelled through the phone. “Get out of there now.”

  “What if I can figure out where they’re keeping Sam?” I asked as I rummaged through my bag for makeup removal wipes.

  “What if he recognizes you?”

  “He’s already seen my face. He didn’t recognize me. I don’t even think he got a very good look at me yesterday.”

  “No!” Ty said again. “If you do this, I’m calling Declan, Dimitri, and your father.”

  “Ty. Give me thirty more minutes.” I knew his threat was an empty one. “If I’m not out the door by then, come in after me. I’ve got to find out where they’re keeping Sam. Oh, and Sergei will be here tomorrow. If I can find out when and where, perhaps we could cut off this snake at its head.”

  “He’s coming here? Why would Sergei Charkov risk coming here if he could take down the electric grid from the other side of the Atlantic?”

  “No idea. Maybe he has other business here. Or maybe, deep down, he’s just an old school mobster who likes to get his hands bloody. Maybe he wants to witness the destruction first-hand. Whatever the reason, it gives us a chance to stop him and capture him… if we know where he is.”

  Ty groaned. “Thirty minutes. Not a second beyond.”

  I hung up, threw the phone in my bag, then walked quickly to the sink and began scrubbing my face with makeup removal wipes. I was going to look splotchy, but if I could get most of the makeup off, I could powder my face to make it look even. I knew what this man wanted; he wanted me to look more youthful, without the smoky eyes. Or maybe he just didn’t want that black eyeliner and mascara running down my face when I got inside the steam room.

  Once the makeup was off, I used cleanser to wash my face. I bent over the sink to rinse. When I stood again, Jewel was behind me. I nearly yelped in surprise.

  “Something wrong, Jewel?”

  “No.” She smiled sweetly. “I saw you come in here, and I realized I hadn’t shown you everything.”

  I grabbed a hand towel and dried my face. “Can it wait? Yury is expecting me back quickly.” I had a job to do.

  “It will only take a second.” She walked away from the locker area. “We also have access to a steam room, sauna, and whirlpool. When we’re off duty, boss man likes us to pamper ourselves. It’s a company perk, I guess.” She walked toward the steam room and the sauna, which were on the same wall, flanking a set of low wooden shelves. She opened the door to the steam room and gestured for me to look inside.

  “Oh. Okay.” I stepped forward and peeked inside. “Thanks for showing me. I look forward to using it. But I’d better get back.” Why was she insisting on stalling me?

  As soon as the question entered my mind, I realized my mistake—but it was too late. In one motion, Jewel grabbed the hair on my head, placed a hand firmly on my back, and shoved me forward into the steam room, ripping the wig off of my head in the process. She slammed the door behind me.

  I fell on my hands and knees, rolled over, then scrambled to my feet and lunged back toward the door. But I wasn’t fast enough. Jewel had managed to push the wooden shelves in front of the door. I pushed hard, but the door didn’t budge.

  I banged on the glass. “Jewel! You don’t know what you’re doing! Don’t leave me in here!”

  She backed away slowly at first, then turned and faced the mirror. She slipped the wig over her own hair and tucked strands of her long dark hair beneath the red bob.

  “Yury is a dangerous man, Jewel!” I screamed. “You don’t want to do this!”

  With the wig fixed on her head, Jewel approached the steam room again with a distant, crazed look. She lifted her hand, and I knew she was going for the dial that controlled how much steam was allowed in the room.

  “Don’t do this, Jewel.”

  Steam began pouring out of the vents around me.

  Jewel turned and headed for the exit.

  “Yury will kill you, Jewel! Don’t leave me here!” I slammed my fist against the glass again.

  But she was gone.

  Already perspiring, I turned to study the room. The walls and floor were tiled, as were the benches that were built into the walls. There was nothing in the room I coul
d pick up, nothing I could use to try to force the door open. But I had to do something. It felt like the room was already at one hundred degrees, and it would only get hotter. I wouldn’t survive in here long.

  I was wearing soft-soled shoes, but I lifted a leg and jabbed my foot into the glass of the door. The glass didn’t break, and the door didn’t budge. Again and again I tried, with the same results. I was getting nowhere, and by kicking and banging on the door, I was only hastening my dehydration.

  So I sat down on the tiled bench to conserve my energy. I watched out the glass, hoping I’d see one of the other girls enter the locker room. All I had to do was bang on the glass and get their attention.

  But no one came.

  More humid heat poured into the room.

  I closed my eyes for just a second.

  I breathed in the thick air, succumbing to the intoxicating relaxation of the heat.

  When I closed my eyes again, I drifted off into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 29

  The smelling salts jarred me awake. Something blissfully cool rested against my face, and I drank in the sensation.

  I opened my eyes to see Dimitri bent over me.

  “There she is,” he said. He smoothed hair off of my forehead. I furrowed my brows, feeling uncomfortable with the touch, yet oddly grateful to see him.

  I realized I was still in the locker room at Churchill Club & Spa. Ty stood behind Dimitri with a phone to his ear. “She’s coming around. No, I don’t know what happened. Yes, I understand she’s reckless. I’ll have her call you when we’re on our way.” He was obviously talking to Declan.

  I rolled my eyes. “What happened?” I asked.

  “We were going to ask you that,” Dimitri said. As I thought about it, he handed me a bottle of water. “Sip this.”

  I heard the sound of a door opening and closing, and in walked the man I’d seen behind the receptionist desk—the one who gave us our assignments. His nametag read “Jared.”