by Katie Reus
“Try that again and I’ll knock your teeth out.” His voice was ice-cold as they reached a waiting SUV.
He shoved her into the back, following in after her as he pulled out flex ties.
Fear gripped her throat as he secured them to her wrists and ordered the driver to move. Did they know about Ellis? About Evie helping them? Nausea swept through her, but she pushed it back down. If she threw up on herself, it wouldn’t matter and she knew Otto would make her sit in it.
So she gritted her teeth, praying that Ellis was okay and that somehow she’d figure out a way to escape. The first opportunity that presented itself, she was running.
Chapter 26
Ellis sat on a fishing charter boat about two hundred yards from the coastline, within viewing distance of the warehouse where Vitaly was supposed to meet the Dominicans.
After Carter’s murder, the Feds had picked up the investigation, and while they’d been hunting Ellis, they’d also been looking into the possibility of a different murderer. Apparently Bird was already on their radar, which gave Ellis back some of his faith in the system.
Georgina had explained to him that she and a team had started digging into Bird after two men—who had broken into Ellis’s house while he’d been on the run—had been killed in federal custody. There was no way the killer had gotten a weapon on the transport without help. And all the FBI’s digging had led them back to Bird. From there, they’d started investigating him. Hard.
So combined with the information Ellis had given them, they knew where this meeting was tonight. Ellis had been vague on how he’d gotten a recording of Vitaly and his second, and they hadn’t pushed too much. The Feds wanted to bring down Bird and Vitaly—and they were gunning for Bird since he was a dirty DEA agent. But taking down Vitaly’s operation and taking out a traitor would look good for the FBI. Really good. And those things mattered when it came time to get funding. Agent Lewis refused to let Ellis take part in the real op, which he definitely understood. He was a liability, considering he was currently wanted for murder.
But she had him under official supervision with one of her guys and they were on the periphery of the op, posing as fishermen while keeping an eye out for when the Dominicans arrived. The boat itself was registered to a real fisherman who was part of the FBI’s cache of informants.
The agent, who’d told Ellis to call him Teddy—whether that was his first name or a nickname, Ellis had no clue—tapped his earpiece. “We’re quiet on this end. What’s up?” He listened in silence, though he glanced over at Ellis more than once. And his expression was far too neutral.
Shit. Was this it? Were they going to slap the cuffs on him and haul him in now? Maybe Vitaly had canceled the meeting and the Feds were going to cut their losses and arrest Ellis for real. Arresting him would sure look good for the Bureau, and he hated that he was cynical—and experienced—enough to expect it.
Jaw tight, he glanced out over the water rippling under the bright moonlight. It was good conditions for night fishing and they weren’t the only boat in the bay—which only helped with their cover. Still, no sign of the Dominicans.
When his phone buzzed in his back pocket, he snagged it immediately. Only a couple people had this number, including Arianna. He’d been forcing himself not to think about her—obsess was more like it—and failing. He kept telling himself that if he could just get through tonight, just get through one more day, he’d be that much closer to bringing Vitaly down, getting justice for Carter—and starting a life with Arianna as a free man.
A lead ball congealed in his gut as he read his sister’s text.
I took out two guys at the hospital. They have A. Tried to follow but they got away in an SUV. The plate’s a fake, but it’s one of V’s men. I don’t know where she is, couldn’t follow. Phone off. Can’t track. Heading to V’s estate now to check if she’s there.
He wanted to ask her what had happened but it didn’t matter. Arianna has been taken.
He had to get out of here, had to get her back. No, no, no. How had this happened?
“There’s been a change in our situation.” The agent’s voice cut through his thoughts of jumping out of the boat and swimming to land and trying to hunt her down. It was a stupid plan with no chance of success, but Ellis needed to find her.
“What?” he asked, trying to keep his shit together.
The guy looked slightly uneasy. “Georgina just let me know that your friend has been taken. It appears as if Vitaly has the woman on-site. She arrived in an SUV under guard.”
Though it took self-control, he didn’t look in the direction of the warehouse in case they were being watched by Vitaly’s men. Instead he tossed out a line, pretending to continue fishing even as his mind whirled.
“Arianna is there now? You’re sure?” he demanded.
Teddy nodded. “In the warehouse inside one of the SUVs. I’m just giving you a heads-up. Our team will do everything to make sure she comes out of this okay.”
Not good enough. He shot off a text to Evie telling her to sit tight and not bother going to Vitaly’s house because Arianna wasn’t there. No, she was in far more danger right now. “I want an earpiece.” At least he knew where Arianna was and that she was alive, but knowing it didn’t make him feel any better. She would be directly in the line of fire when the Feds raided the warehouse.
If Ellis had ever thought he knew what fear was, he’d never truly experienced it until that moment.
The agent’s jaw tightened then he spoke quietly to whom Ellis assumed was Georgina, since she was in charge of everything.
“All right.” Teddy fished a small earpiece out of his windbreaker jacket pocket and handed it to Ellis. “Keep quiet. Don’t interrupt anything.”
He nodded, knowing they were giving him a professional courtesy he shouldn’t be getting, considering the circumstances. So he wasn’t going to be a dick about it and interrupt anything.
As he forced himself not to look in the direction of the warehouse, he couldn’t help but question whether he should have turned himself in earlier or not. If he had, he wouldn’t have met Arianna, but she wouldn’t be in this position.
She’d be at home, safe, far away from all this. Now it was too late and her life was on the line—and there was no way for him to get to her.
Chapter 27
With her hands still bound, Arianna wiped her damp palms on her pants as the driver of the SUV got out and shut the door behind him. Unfortunately Otto stayed right where he was beside her.
Inside a brightly lit warehouse there were far too many sketchy-looking men standing around. She knew they were near the water because Otto hadn’t blindfolded her on the drive here.
In fact, he didn’t seem to care if she saw anything. And he hadn’t taken his gun off her the entire time. She had a bad feeling she wasn’t getting out of this alive. At that thought she had to wipe her palms down again.
She was still holding out hope for Evie, however, because Otto hadn’t been able to get a hold of whoever he’d sent up to the hospital room.
When her door was wrenched open, Arianna flinched to see Vitaly standing there. God, she’d been so wrapped up in her head that she hadn’t realized he’d approached.
There was no warmth in his eyes, just rage.
She flew forward as Otto shoved her, grabbing onto the door with her tied-up wrists. She barely stopped herself from falling onto the concrete.
“Otto,” her stepfather snapped. “That is enough.”
Arianna steeled herself for whatever came next and faced him.
“What were you doing in the hospital?” Vitaly demanded, jumping right to it.
Not answering, she turned her head as a man strode up to them. She vaguely recognized him. He was white, maybe in his fifties, seemed to be in good shape…
Then it clicked. This was Ellis’s former boss, Kyle Bird. She looked away from him, not wanting either of them to see any recognition on her expression. And she wasn’t a great liar.
/> Pain exploded in the left side of her face as Vitaly slapped her with an open palm. It stung, shocking her in its abrupt violence. The sound was loud, echoing in the warehouse as everyone else went still and quiet including Bird and Otto. Zach was there as well, her stepfather’s right-hand man, but he was off a ways by one of the rolling doors as if waiting for someone.
A stinging heat spread across her cheek as she turned to stare at Vitaly.
“I won’t ask again.” His words were quiet, his tone deadly, and a shiver ripped down her spine.
Before she could say a word, Otto stepped up next to her. “We should cancel tonight. If she’s talked to the Feds we need to be smart.”
Bird snorted. “Please. If there was going to be a sting operation, I would know about it. There’s no one in the vicinity watching us. I have all of my people in place. This will go off smoothly. I wouldn’t be here otherwise,” he snapped out the last part forcefully.
Vitaly didn’t respond to either of them but stayed focused on Arianna, clearly watching for a reaction.
Thinking fast, she said, “A man named Ellis Bishop kidnapped me. He hates you. I never lied about that. But I did help him,” she spat at her stepfather, unable to hide her rage. She had to be somewhat truthful right now or they would call off this whole meeting. Considering what Ellis had told her, she now understood that her stepfather was going to get busted tonight. Maybe soon. She couldn’t let him leave, because if the Feds were going to bring him down this would be the place it happened. So telling him half-truths would hopefully keep him in place—and get him busted by the Feds.
Vitaly’s eyes narrowed. “You helped a man who kidnapped you?” His tone was slightly mocking.
“Not at first, you murderer! But he told me what you’re like—showed me how awful you are. You opened that account in my name and you run drugs. Drugs! I can’t believe that after everything that happened to Max. You should be ashamed of yourself!” She screamed the last part. “He’s dead and you put that same garbage on the streets.” She didn’t have to fake any of this as all the fear bubbling under the surface came out in a rage. She hated Vitaly, hated everything he stood for and that he’d stolen Ellis’s life.
Sighing as if she were a nuisance, Vitaly turned to look at Bird. “Would your former employee kidnap a woman?”
The man lifted a shoulder. “Yes.” Then Bird looked at her. “Is that what this is all about? Why were you at the hospital?”
Vitaly held up a hand, his expensive watch glinting under the harsh lights of the warehouse. “Don’t speak to her,” he said, though his focus was still on her. “But you will answer the question, Arianna.”
She stuck out her chin defiantly. “He wanted me out of your house because you’re a horrible human. He loves me,” she added, hoping she sounded naïve enough for him to dismiss her completely. “He wanted to know what you’d talked to me about and to make sure I was okay. He’s going to be leaving the country soon and wanted to see me, to ask me to go with him.”
Vitaly’s mouth curved up ever so slightly. Which was basically his version of a laugh. “You really are a stupid little girl.” He looked at Otto. “Keep her in the SUV. I’ll take care of her later. She has nothing to do with tonight.”
“Like I said,” Bird muttered, “if someone wanted to storm this place they would have done it right now, considering you have a kidnapped woman.” As if to reiterate he started talking to someone, through an earpiece she guessed, then spoke to Vitaly again. “The perimeter is clear.”
Vitaly’s eyebrows rose slightly, then he nodded. At least this time Otto didn’t shove her, just ordered her to get back into the SUV.
She did, praying hard that Vitaly got what was coming to him tonight before she ran out of time. And she prayed that she made it out of this alive. If she did, she was going to tell Ellis how she felt. She didn’t care if it was too soon. She loved him. Simple as that.
Fighting tears as they sat there, Arianna wasn’t sure how much time passed as they waited for…something. Through the tinted window she watched Vitaly making phone calls, his expression staying neutral except for brief flashes of annoyance. If there had been a chance to escape, she would have taken it by now, but she was completely surrounded. The only thing she could hope for was that the Feds would save her.
When a big bay door rolled open and a speedboat zoomed into a docking station, everyone seemed to jump to attention. A taut energy filled the place, even in the interior of the SUV where it was just her and Otto, who had moved to the driver’s seat. At least she didn’t have to sit next to him anymore.
The speedboat was all sleek and slender and she had no doubt that thing flew across the water at crazy speeds. If she had to guess, it was for running drugs.
Vitaly approached as three men exited the boat while one stayed on board. The one on board waved off one of Vitaly’s men when he tried to tie the boat off and the two seemed to be going back and forth about that. She couldn’t hear anything from where she was and it wasn’t like Otto was talking to her.
“Does your daughter know what you do for a living?” Arianna couldn’t keep the disgust out of her voice.
She’d clearly startled Otto because he jerked ever so slightly, barely glancing over his shoulder at her. “I paid for her college and she is happy.”
“I’m sure she would be so proud of you. A big, tough man who roughs up a third-grade teacher.”
His jaw ticked and she knew she’d struck a nerve. She probably shouldn’t be baiting him but she didn’t care because screw him. If she was going to die, she was going to be as loud and obnoxious as possible until the end.
“When did you see her last? No answer?” she continued. “Maybe at the next family get-together you can tell her you helped kill an innocent woman. I’m sure that’ll earn you her undying respect.”
“Shut your mouth.”
Uh, no. “I wonder if the reason she moved so far away was to get away from you because she knows what you are.” Over the years Otto had shown Arianna pictures of his daughter and they were all when she was younger, the oldest being as a teenager. She’d never thought about it before but why didn’t he have any older pictures of his daughter?
Otto slammed his fist down on the center console and started to turn toward her when suddenly all hell broke loose.
She reared back in shock as men and women with blue windbreakers and a whole lot of guns stormed the warehouse from the main door, and some even rappelled from the rafters like freaking ninjas.
Heart in her throat, she ducked low as gunfire erupted everywhere.
Otto jumped from the vehicle so she pulled her knife out of her pocket and started sawing away at her wrist ties. It didn’t take long to get free even as she tried to ignore the rat a tat tat of the gunfire outside.
Ping. Ping. Ping.
The SUV rang with each bullet that smashed into it. She was pretty sure the only reason she was still alive was because the thing had to be bulletproof. A weird numbness had spread across her entire body and she wondered if she was in shock. No, she’d know if she was, right? She had to be though. It was the only reason she wasn’t having a complete breakdown.
Suddenly her door yanked open. For a brief moment relief punched into her because she thought it was the FBI coming to save her.
But it was Vitaly who grabbed her, his blue eyes wild and angry—and fearful. She’d never seen fear before from him. His entire body trembled as he shouted, “Get back!” Dragging her in front of him as if she was a rag doll, he used her as a shield.
She started to struggle until he pressed a pistol to her head.
Icy talons sliced down her back, fear carving deep into her. She wasn’t getting out of this alive. No, screw that. She was going to survive this.
As he dragged her backward, she kept her knife tucked into her hands, not that it would do her a lot of good right now. Even if she managed to lift the knife up, Vitaly would shoot her before she could stab him. And she did not want to die.
No, she wanted to live, with a desperation she’d never felt before.
Years ago when she’d been at her darkest, she’d wondered who would care if she was gone, if it would even matter. Now she had Ellis and she wanted to live to see him again. To tell him what he meant to her. So she kept her knife down low out of Vitaly’s sight. If she ever got the opportunity, she was going to use it.
“Drop your weapon!” A woman with brown skin and piercing gray eyes waved at other federal agents to put their weapons down.
Out of the corner of her eye, Arianna saw that Vitaly’s men and the Dominicans were lying on their stomachs. Some were shouting angrily but most were allowing themselves to be handcuffed. It also looked as if three men were dead, including Otto. Unfortunately Vitaly had managed to save himself. He really was a slimy bastard.
Instead of responding, Vitaly continued walking backward toward the boat.
“I’ll dump her offshore, unharmed. But I will kill her if you come any closer.” His voice echoed loudly.
Liar. He would never let her go. He was going to kill her.
Arianna could see the indecision in the female agent’s gaze as she kept her weapon pinned on them. But from her position there was no way she could actually hit Vitaly without endangering Arianna too.
“Step to the left,” Vitaly ordered Arianna.
That was when Arianna realized they’d made it to the boat. The driver from before was in the water, facedown, clearly dead. She did as he ordered, conscious of the gun still pressed to her head.
Staying low and out of the line of sight, he snapped at her. “Put it in reverse.”
Swallowing hard against the sudden rush of bile, Arianna kicked the boat into reverse, nearly stumbling when the powerful machine revved to life.
It shot backward out into the open water. And as soon as they were clear, she knew Vitaly would shoot her in the head and dump her.
Chapter 28