“Aw,” Bella said and smiled. “So I bet when those guys tried grabbing you and Andriy and Paulo rescued you in time, you realized they cared.”
“Oh, I realized a lot of things. Like how I could have died. How I could have been sold to some wacko somewhere and would never see them or you or anyone again.”
“I’m glad it worked out and they probably told you how much they cared, especially after you slept with them.”
“Actually, Andriy and Hadeon kind of flipped out. I felt like I was used and that I was just another woman they screwed, but then they admitted that they were scared. That they don’t trust anyone.”
“Oh my God, I guess there’s still a lot to learn about them. Maybe the rumors were right.”
“What rumors?” Fina asked and Bella sat forward in her seat.
“I heard that they had terrible childhoods. That they were abused and had to survive on their own, but wound up in a Russian prison. They should have died there.”
“Oh my God,” Fina said, placing her hand over her heart. Tears filled her friend’s eyes. Bella reached out and covered her hands.
“You love them already, don’t you?”
Fina nodded.
“They probably love you, but won’t admit it. Give them time. You’ve opened up their hearts and make them want things they probably never thought they could have or maybe deserved. A ménage relationship is special for many reasons, but a lot of the time it’s special because the people involved need one another to learn and trust again, and to accept love.”
“I think you’re right, Bella. I won’t give them a hard time with their rules. I understand things are going to change. Lucky for me, I have a business that I can do from any location.”
“They are a bit rough around the edges. It won’t be easy, and more than likely you’ll ram heads, but it will work out.”
“I hope so, because after all this I don’t think I could ever live without them. In fact, it may sound silly, but I miss them right now,” Fina said covering her belly with her hand.
“Text them and tell them. They’ll love that and if they miss you, it will help them, too.”
Fina smiled. “I think you and I are going to be getting together more often for these talks.”
Bella smiled.
“We need to stick together,” Bella said and smiled.
* * * *
“We can’t do a thing until this Rose calls back Gabriella to set up a meeting,” Hadeon said to Collin.
“What’s the usual time frame?” Collin asked.
“Rose would have called back already,” Paulo told Collin.
“Shit. They’re onto us,” Collin said.
“They could be, but there’s no way of really knowing for sure. We can’t make too much of a stink or it could cause further problems,” Andriy said.
“I agree. Fina is safe. It more than likely was a mix-up. Misty will heal and then she wants to head back home to Connecticut to her parent’s place. It will work out,” Collin said.
“I just can’t get over this uneasy feeling that the danger isn’t over,” Andriy said.
“I don’t think it is, but driving yourselves crazy isn’t going to solve anything. Finding a name, a person to talk to and confront, is another story. Let’s hope Rose contacts Gabriella and meets with her.”
“It’s getting late,” Paulo said and looked at his watch. Hadeon’s cell phone rang. He answered it.
“Right now?” he said.
Andriy looked at him and wondered if it were Gabriella. Hadeon nodded. “We’ll make our way down. Just keep her there,” Hadeon said and ended the call.
“Rose showed up in the lobby, Gabriella is meeting her. She probably wouldn’t expect us to be waiting. Let’s go,” Hadeon said and they all headed downstairs.
The lounge by the bar area was busy and Hadeon had Andriy and Paulo take Rose and Gabriella out of there immediately. They met them in a back room and Andriy went into questioning Rose without pause.
“Son of a bitch. Are you serious?” Rose asked when they told her about the abductions.
“I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, I’ve been running this business for six years. I’ve established a good reputation. I’ve even been investigated by the cops. This had nothing to do with me,” Rose stated.
“How do you know it doesn’t? Someone work with you? A partner?” Andriy asked her, staring at the attractive, older brunette.
“When I first started I had some dealing with a guy Hernandez Filado. He worked out of a night club in Manhattan.”
“The Crest. Yeah, he went under a year ago. Was into bad shit. Drugs, guns, prostitution, and the feds broke up his whole operation,” Collin stated.
“Yes, and thank God I got away from him as a partner a year into this business. He wanted to try out the women, you know, an interview of sorts, and I was losing great employees. Anyway, I broke off from him and have been handling things on my own. I have three guys who are my heavies in case some dudes get nasty, but other than that, I’m legit,” Rose said.
“Do you mind if we talk to the three guys you have as security?” Andriy asked.
“No, you can ask them whatever you want, but my girls are off limits. They have identities they’re trying to protect, and just trying to pay for college and shit. You understand,” Rose said.
“Sure thing. Maybe you can ask them if anyone has approached them looking to land any of these girls for what Misty and Fina were pulled off the streets for?” Hadeon suggested.
“I can ask,” Rose said and then they asked a few more questions and then let Rose go.
“Well, that got us fucking nowhere,” Collin stated.
“Not necessarily. Someone has an in to seeing those women when they start working besides Rose,” Andriy said.
“She just said we can question the security guys,” Paulo stated.
“That’s the plan. The three of us will take care of it,” Hadeon said to the others.
“What about Fina? She’s at our place,” Collin said and looked at his watch.
“Probably already ate dinner with Bella.”
“I’ll go and bring her to her apartment to grab some clothes and then head to the penthouse,” Paulo said to them.
“Okay. We’ll try to make this quick,” Andriy said and Paulo nodded. They wanted to get to the bottom of this and make sure Fina was safe. Andriy still had an uneasy feeling in his gut and he wanted that gone. Maybe he just needed to see Fina.
* * * *
“They’re asking a lot of questions and getting closer and closer. We need to make the move,” Burner told Frederick.
“Shit, do you have the arrangements in order?” Frederick asked.
“Yes, and we can be on the boat in an hour.”
“What is the plan?” Frederick asked.
“To use the two dipshits to take the fall. Have them go to the location now. Confront, make a scene, and then Dakota and I will be there.”
“Okay. Making the call now. Thirty minutes,” Frederick stated and then disconnected the call with Burner and dialed Bader’s cell phone.
“Yeah,” Bader answered.
“It’s on. Be sure to be packing and do whatever is necessary as we discussed.” He gave him the location and then orders before ending the call. Bader and Jonah were going to have some serious heavies on their asses, including Dmitri Sanclare, but Miami would get his revenge and what he wanted. Fina, on a platter.
* * * *
Fina was holding onto Paulo’s arm as they put her bags in the back of the SUV and prepared to head to the penthouse. She was tired and just wanted to see Andriy and Hadeon. They were still working, from what Paulo told her. As he closed the door and prepared to open the front door, she heard the familiar voice.
“Hey asshole, what are you doing with my bitch.”
She turned to see Bader standing there looking ready to fight and maybe a bit drunk.
“What did you say, asshole?” Paulo asked and placed
“Don’t, Paulo. He’s drunk.”
“He doesn’t belong around here. There’s an order of protection against you. Take a fucking hike or we’ll call the police, or better yet, I’ll put a bullet in your fucking head,” Paulo said and stepped forward.
“I don’t think so, asshole.” She hadn’t expected or seen Jonah approach as he grabbed her and placed a gun to her head. “She’s coming with us,” Jonah stated.
“No, leave me alone. Don’t do this, Jonah,” she yelled and then Paulo pulled his gun and pointed at Jonah and when he turned, shots fired. Quiet ones, and Paulo went down. She screamed out his name. “Paulo!” and struggled to get free.
“Holy fuck. Who shot him?” She heard Bader say.
“I don’t know let’s just get her out of here before Frederick kills us next.”
She struggled to get free, but it was no use as they dragged her down the street screaming after Paulo. “Paulo. Oh God, you shot him. He’s going to die. Oh God,” she cried hysterically. She saw him go down and saw the blood. Bader or Jonah hadn’t done it. Where did the shots come from?
“Get her in,” Bader yelled at Jonah, and they forced her into the backseat, then took off down the road. She cried, worried about Paulo and him dying. She couldn’t stop shaking.
“Why? Why are you doing this? Why couldn’t you just leave us alone? He’s going to die.”
“So are you, Fina, but not before they sell your body to some sick sex freak,” Jonah said and Bader chuckled. The car stopped and she threw her fist at Bader, hitting him in the nose, breaking it. He slapped her in return but she fought him as the door opened behind her.
“Get to the club. It’s all set,” the guy said and dragged her from the backseat.
“Let go of me,” she screamed and he pulled her along.
“Got it?”
“Yeah,” another guys said.
“Give it to her. It will be easier this way,” he said, and then she felt the prick to her neck.
“What are you doing? Let me go. What did you…give…me…” She lost focus and everything went black.
* * * *
“Hadeon.”
Hadeon heard the muffled voice and saw it was Paulo’s number. “Paulo?”
“Shot. They took her. Help.”
“Fuck!” Hadeon yelled and Andriy stopped interrogating Rose’s security guys and he looked at Cobra, Turbo, and Royce.
“Fina’s apartment building, now. Paulo is in trouble,” he yelled to them and they rushed from the place, leaving the guys sitting there.
“Paulo, how bad?”
“Victor,” he mumbled. Hadeon knew it was bad if his brother was asking for Victor, Dmitri’s private surgeon. “I’ll call him,” Andriy said.
“Fina?”
“They got her.”
“Who took her?” Hadeon said.
“Jonah, Bader,” he mumbled.
“We’ll be there shortly. Hang in there, brother.”
“Get to Fina first.”
“No Paulo. You first so we can figure this out. I have Royce calling in for backup to locate Jonah and Bader.”
Hadeon remained on the phone with his brother. Cobra couldn’t seem to drive fast enough. The calls were made. Someone tried to take out one of Dmitri Sanclare’s main enforcers. This was bad. Really bad, and they were going to die for doing this.
As the SUV came to a screeching halt, they saw Jack and Harley getting Paulo into the back of another SUV.
“How bad?” Hadeon asked.
“Bad,” Harley said.
“Find Fina and kill those fuckers,” Paulo stated and Hadeon and Andriy nodded. They watched the SUV head away to the secure location where Victor was. Hadeon looked at Andriy, Turbo, and Cobra.
“We’ll find them and get to the bottom of this. We’ll get her back, Hadeon,” Cobra stated.
“Whoever is responsible, however many people, they all die,” Hadeon said and then they got into the SUV and began to send out alerts all over the city. Hadeon knew that time was of the essence. If these men were the ones who attempted to take Fina before, then this time they would be successful. She wouldn’t survive the things they would do to her. They could punish her for getting away the first time. He didn’t like his thought pattern, or the way this was all going down. His gut clenched.
“Something isn’t adding up, Hadeon,” Andriy stated.
“No, it isn’t, and we must figure it out fast, or Fina is…”
He didn’t finish his sentence, instead he answered the phone. It was Dmitri.
Chapter 10
Not again. Please leave me alone. Please. I’m so weak. My chest hurts when I breathe, and the screaming. I can’t take them screaming anymore.
Fina lay in the fetal position on the floor in the corner of the large room. She couldn’t see anything, but heard more then she wanted to. Her wrists were tied behind her back, her ankles shackled to a small lead of chain on the floor. Her panties and bra hardly covered anything. She wondered why the men, three, four at a time hadn’t raped her. It was like they were just sent to break her down, to make her beg for something. For what, though?
At first, she begged to be let go. Then they starved her and her throat was so dry, her stomach ached so badly she begged for water. How long had she been here? It was so dark, too, her eyes ached. She knew when night approached, because it somehow got darker in the room where she couldn’t even see her own fingers. She shivered and shook, waiting for the hands to come, the chants to sound, and the men to play and tease. A poke to her ribs, a slash with a finger over her breasts and elsewhere, they were relentless. She begged them to stop. They laughed at her. But they didn’t force themselves upon her. They didn’t do more than touch, pet, poke, or hit when she fought back.
Then there was the sound of rats nibbling on things or scurrying across the room, over her feet, against her skin. She kicked at them and hoped to not get bitten. She couldn’t take it. She cried and screamed at first, until her voice went hoarse, but now she moaned and hardly had any voice. Her throat hurt, her chest hurt, and she could feel the cough. She was sick. Would they just leave her here to die? Who were these men? How did Jonah and Bader know them? Who shot Paulo and was he alive? She had no more tears left. She was dehydrated and weak. In her heart, that ached continuously, she felt that Paulo was alive. That he made it. He had to. She would give her life for Paulo, Hadeon, and Andriy. She wouldn’t think twice.
She shivered, her teeth chattered. It was so damn cold in here. Like an ice box that got colder and colder as the night went on. So damn cold. She swore they turned on some kind of air conditioned unit to make them freeze. She didn’t even care anymore. She couldn’t focus on anything.
The sound of footsteps alerted her to the nightly assault. She didn’t bother to tighten up. The hits hurt worse when she tightened. She had no more strength.
She gasped as the hand gripped her hair and yanked her up. The flashlight illuminated her face and she clenched her eyes closed, the light burning her eyeballs. She had been in darkness so long.
“Are you broken yet? Are you ready for your owner?” the man with the deep voice, dirty, hard hands asked her.
“No,” she said, and he released his hold and she fell to the ground with a thump.
“What do we do? It’s been three weeks. He wants her now and he will be here in a day’s time,” another man said.
“If he wants her, then he can haul her out like this. He’d better have the fucking money. If he had the money in the first place, the bitch wouldn’t be in this container in Cuba. He can trek down here and collect her. No money, no woman,” the guy said.
Cuba? Who was the man coming for me who hasn’t paid? Oh God, I’m sold. They took me and sold me to some guy in Cuba.
“Do I feed her before she ships out?” the guy asked, exiting the room.
“The fuck if I care. I want my money, she’ll be the last one in here within the hour.”
I’m the last woman to be sold. That’s why there was so much screaming. These men were shipping women out. My buyer hasn’t had the money he was supposed to have. Oh God. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to be in this position. Help me. Please. Help me to escape. Help someone find me. Please.
* * * *
“Hadeon, you need to calm down and we need to do this right for it to work,” Fedarro said.
Dmitri placed his hand on Hadeon’s shoulder. He looked at Paulo and Andriy. Paulo still looked pale, but he was recovering nicely thanks to Victor.
“How can I be calm? How can you, Dmitri, when you know it’s Miami Cortez that orchestrated this entire thing? That he wants revenge for us killing Emanuel? It has been three weeks and four days,” Hadeon stated in anger, his Russian accent thick.
Dmitri looked around the room. He made eye contact with everyone. Grisha, Paulo, Andriy, Giuseppe and Andreas Coglonie, Fedarro Fiorre, Mateus Fiorre, Cobra, Turbo, Royce, and the other men all gathered together in support and ready to stop Miami Cortez from getting Fina.
“From the start we worked together. Our mission to find Fina and to punish, if not kill, the ones responsible for her abduction. We’ve ransacked places, made threats, beat people up, destroyed businesses, and even used our resources to get people to rat Miami out. You and your brothers gained not only multiple businesses, but control over the Bay Blood gang, who no longer show loyalty to the Cortez family. We now know where they’re holding Fina. One more day, Hadeon. One more day and you and your brothers will have your woman back in your arms, and Miami Cortez and the men who hurt her, held her captive these several weeks, will suffer. Now we need to be smart. Fedarro, Andreas, let’s go over the plan of attack one more time. No mistakes. We all come back alive, and they all die,” Dmitri said.
They mumbled and grunted in agreement, all the men more than ready to fight and to save Fina. Miami Cortez needed to die. Frederick had rolled over in order to save his life and gave up Cortez’s location in Cuba. They used their resources and military connections to get surveillance of the estate where Miami was residing. They heard the phone calls. Caught wind of one an hour ago that specified what was happening and where they were keeping Fina. This was going to end. Dmitri just hoped that Fina was still alive, and that the ones holding her in captivity wouldn’t take her life, as the soldiers invaded the underground facility.
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