by Snow, Lucy
I must have looked confused as hell, because I was confused as hell.
Arkady came in close, moving just past me, his lips right next to my ear. “Knives for Ronan. He comes. He dies.”
My fear turned to anger, boiling over all at once. It was my turn to laugh. “You think Ronan wouldn’t hesitate to break you in half? All these knives won’t help you kill him. He’s gonna make you regret ever crossing him.”
The fire in Arkady’s eyes as he moved his head back shocked me despite what I knew about his capabilities. He was the kind of person who was only fully alive and present when he was in danger, and we both knew that moment was fast approaching.
“See soon. Watch Ronan die my hands. Then we fuck.”
Fuck.
Chapter 23 - Ronan
I don’t know how many laws I broke while driving to the warehouse as fast as I could, but if any cop had tried to pull me over, he would have had an international incident on his hands.
The city went by in a blur. As I drove, I mentally prepared myself for the worst - it was entirely possible that Arkady had already killed Kara, and that I was walking into the biggest trap of my life. In fact, that was the most likely scenario.
My hands gripped tight around the steering while, my knuckles white with tension. I tried to calm myself, prepare mentally for the worst, prepare to come into the warehouse and see it covered in Kara’s blood, but I shook my head instead, trying to get those thoughts out of there.
I needed to focus on saving her life, and ending Arkady’s. That much was clear. Whatever the fallout, whatever the risk to the family and our relationship with the Russians, Arkady had to go.
I figured that Arkady had more people waiting with him for me, but at the same time, I knew how much he liked to work alone. It was entirely possible this was just a ploy to get me alone so he and I could have it out, for keeps this time.
I needed a little back up on my side. What could I do?
Grimly, I realized that I had a call I had to make. I tapped the button on my steering wheel and picked the number from my address book. It rang, and someone picked up.
“Father, it’s Ronan.”
“I know that. What’s up? You don’t call often.”
That was true. I hadn’t really thought this through, no time for that. I hesitated before deciding that I needed to lay my cards on the table. “Kara’s in trouble.”
My father’s voice picked up pace. “So you have heard from her recently.”
“Yes.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s the Russians. They have her.”
“What do they want with her?” My father was getting excited. That wasn’t like him at all.
“Their point man, Arkady. You know him.”
“I do. What’s his interest in Kara?”
“Arkady killed Kara’s ex-boyfriend a couple days ago.”
My father took a deep breath in. “And Kara?”
“She saw it happen. And Arkady found out.”
“So he’s tying up loose ends.”
“Yup.”
“Where are you going?”
“Docking district. Arkady sent me pictures. He’s holding Kara there, wants me to come and see him.”
It sounded like my father was picking up another phone. “I’ll send you backup.”
“No, don’t. Arkady said he’ll kill her if I don’t come alone.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I just wanted to let you know what was going on, in case you don’t hear from me.”
My father cleared his throat. “Ah. I understand. I wish you’d told me about this sooner, I could have helped.”
My father had never been the type to ‘help’ me. That’s why I hadn’t asked in the first place. “You know I would never have asked, wouldn’t even have let you know if I could have avoided it.”
“Yes, I understand. We’re both cut from the same cloth, you and I.”
“Good to know it runs in the family.”
“Be careful out there, son. And bring Kara home.”
“I’ll do that. Goodbye, father.”
I clicked the phone off and picked up a little speed. The Docks were coming up fast, and I knew just which warehouse I would find Kara in.
I gritted my teeth and drove faster.
Chapter 24 - Kara
I must have passed out from the fear again. Or maybe Arkady had hit me once more, because I woke up and he was gone. I looked around the room once I’d shaken the pain and haze from my eyes - nothing had changed, except the table of knives was gone, back where it was when I woke up the first time.
No sign of Arkady, but I knew he couldn’t have just had a change of heart and left me till someone rescued me. You couldn’t really have a change of heart if you had no heart to begin with, right?
I tried again, testing the ropes strength and Arkady’s skill at tying them, and couldn’t find a way out, or even a little give. He’d done a good job. I didn’t try too hard this time, not wanting to tire myself out again, and just as I stopped I heard a sound coming through the open door to my right.
It was a car, approaching fast. Maybe Arkady had come back? I steeled myself as best I could and resolved right then and there to give him as little satisfaction as I possibly could. He’d kill me at the end, I knew that much without even him saying it, but I would bite and claw at him right up until he did so. I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
The car squealed to a stop outside the warehouse, the brakes whining in protest. I heard the door open and shut and someone run toward the building.
Then another silhouette of a man stood in the light and stopped. I couldn’t recognize him from this far away.
“Kara!” Ronan shouted and ran toward me.
“Ronan!” I cried back, face already full of tears of joy. He’d found me! I didn’t know how he’d done it but he found me and he was here to rescue me and and take me away from all this.
He came up to me and kissed me hard, wrapping his hands around me, and I thrust myself against my bonds toward him, trying to touch him as much as possible. After the long kiss, he pulled back, inspecting the ropes and pulling on them, grunting when he saw they didn’t move. “Let me get you out of here.”
“Please,” I whispered, before indicating the table to my left. “There are knives over there.” Ronan immediately ran in that direction and picked up the first knife he could see, coming back. “Hurry! He’ll come back any minute,” I whispered as Ronan started to work on the thick cords with the knife.
“Already back,” Arkady’s loud voice came from the other side of the room. Ronan stopped and turned around, and I strained to look around him, trying to see.
Arkady stood like before in the doorway, slowly walking toward us. Ronan dropped the knife he held into my lap and faced Arkady, squaring up to him and raising his hands. “This ends now, Arkady! Let her go!”
“Yes. Ends now. She stays.” He laughed and reached down to his waist, pulling the angry looking knife from before off his belt and tossing it from hand to hand, cackling all the wild. “This fun, yes?”
Ronan’s voice was grim. “Enough talk, let’s get on with it.” He reached behind him and grabbed the knife he’d left on my lap a few seconds earlier, swinging it around in front of him and testing out its balance before closing the distance between himself and Arkady.
“Agree,” was all Arkady said as their blades met for the first time, the sound of metal clanging together echoing throughout the building. I closed my eyes at first, unable to watch, scared that Ronan would be killed outright, but as I heard the repeated hits of the blades together and the grunts of both men I realized the fight kept going.
I cautiously opened my eyes and saw that both men and turned so I could see them left to right as they fought. It wasn’t so much fighting as it was a dance between the two of them.
Which made sense - fighting with knives was super dangerous, way more so than just regular boxing. One
wrong move, one opening given to your opponent, and you’d be bleeding out on the floor while your opponent stood over you.
Every few moments one of them would take a swing, and the other would parry it or step out of the way. They were just testing each other, each seeing whether the other would flinch and give them the opening they needed to end this thing quickly.
Neither was budging, though Arkady looked to be the more aggressive of the two of them. Ronan held back, which was smart - let Arkady tire himself out. Of course, Arkady was no idiot, he’d know that too and plan accordingly.
I found myself turning and twisting in my chair as they swung at each other, each time their knives collided scaring me all over again.
I wished I could break free and help Ronan out, though I had no idea how to use a knife except when cooking, and I was way too scared to really help out in any other way. Maybe I could run for help? This part of the docks wasn’t very busy, I remembered, but maybe I could find someone.
All of a sudden I realized that moving around in my chair had gotten much easier since Ronan had come close to me. I looked down and saw that my ropes were starting to fray in one place.
Oh shit, Ronan had managed to start the process of freeing me before Arkady had interrupted him! If I kept at this long enough I might be able to break free!
I just hoped Ronan was still alive by then…
Chapter 25 - Ronan
It wasn’t often that I fought with knives. Fists were way more my style; I liked the feeling of my hand breaking into someone’s skin and rearranging their face and bone structure. This knife shit was too clinical, too tentative.
But you don’t often get to choose how you rescue your stepsister and lover from crazed Russian mobsters, so I would have to take what I could get.
We feinted back and forth, neither of us in particular hurry. I knew that worked out in my favor - the longer we fought, the more tired Arkady would get, with his more aggressive style, and the more chance Kara would have to get free and run away.
That was the most important thing, and I hoped I’d done enough work on the ropes before Arkady came in that she could get free. As long as she got out of this I would accept whatever came after.
I could see Arkady starting to wilt, his thrusts becoming a little slower, and he breathed more heavily as the sweat came out. I started to be a little more bold in my attacks, swinging them pulling him in to punch him with my off hand. Arkady grunted as I let him go, but he was a little slow on the pickup.
He must have recognized that the ties were turning but couldn’t find anything to do about it, because his attacks only got more fiercer and stronger. At the same time, though, they were less focused and therefore much easier for me to get out of.
This was definitely going my way - at this rate, he’d collapse in a few minutes and I’d be able to kill him cleanly.
I tried to look back at Kara, and out of the corner of my eye I saw her struggling against the ropes that bound her to the chair. She was moving a lot more freely, now, which meant she’d got the message and was well on her way to getting out of here.
That was a load off my shoulders. At least I knew that if I could hold on she would be safe.
Arkady had different ideas, attacking with a fury that I hadn’t seen before. He was holding his off hand close to his stomach where I’d punched him, but still he came forward.
I countered his swing easily but he came in as if to strike me with that off hand. “Ronan,” he whispered softly. “Now you die.”
I turned away as soon as I saw the glint in his hand but it wasn’t fast enough. The shot from the tiny gun Arkady had concealed in his off hand shook the room and I felt a blinding pain in my shoulder that arced throughout my body.
Far away, Kara screamed as I crumpled to the floor, barely conscious and fighting to stay that way, fighting to climb back from the depths of despair. I didn’t turn to look at her though I wanted nothing more than to see her beautiful face one last time.
I didn’t want her last look at me to be of such pain.
Arkady laughed as he stood over me, kicking me every so often to make sure I was still awake. “Good fight, Ronan. Enjoyed.”
He looked over the gun as if admiring it, and pointed it at my face, clearly hoping that I would shrink away, beg for mercy, beg for my life. I did no such thing, didn’t even close my eyes.
I was ready for the end.
Arkady sighed and dropped the gun. “Knife better anyway.” He picked up the knife and started to crouch down, licking his lips and smiling.
I didn’t want my last look to be his face, but that was out of control. I waited for death, and I knew I didn’t have long to wait.
And then all of a sudden Arkady was rising up and backward as I saw two arms wrap around his neck, throwing him off balance.
Kara had gotten free! But instead of running she was trying to help save me! Endorphins rushed through me once again. I couldn’t let this chance go.
Arkady was turning around and round, swinging his knife back and forth trying to get her off of him, but Kara managed to elude him.
I struggled to get up, managing to prop myself up on one elbow, pain lancing through my shoulder where Arkady had shot me. I looked around for something I could use against him.
Arkady cocked his knife hand back and stabbed backward to his side as he moved out of the way. Kara screamed as the knife went into her stomach and I watched her hands unclasp from around Arkady’s neck as she slid to the floor, clutching at her side and whimpering.
My hands closed around the gun Arkady had dropped, and as he looked down at her triumphantly and turned to me to finish the job, I swung the gun around and shot him in the head.
He collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.
With all the strength I could muster I crawled over to Kara. I could hear cars in the distance as they closed in on the warehouse. My father had been unable to contain himself and sent help after all.
I cradled Kara in my arms, wishing that they would get here sooner. I kissed her on the forehead.
She didn’t respond.
Chapter 26 - Kara
I woke up with an unfamiliar ceiling above me. I was starting to get used to that by now.The ceiling was white and cut into corrugated rectangles and there were strips of tape sealing up the gaps between them.
I looked around without turning my head at first, realizing very quickly that I was lying in a hospital bed. Even if I couldn’t see that from where I lay, the rhythmic beeping of the machines next to my bed were a little too familiar given all the medical dramas I’d watched on television over the years.
I tested out moving my limbs one at a time and I was thrilled to quell my fears at being paralyzed - everything was a little stiff and tough to move around, whether through rust or being bound to the bed, but everything was in working order. I could live with that.
Always with the jokes, Kara, even in scary situations.
What had happened to me? I closed my eyes and tried to bring up my most recent memories from the depths of my brain.
The warehouse. Right, right. Arkady and the warehouse. I was tied up. He was threatening me with one of those knives of his.
Then Ronan showed up and tried to release me, but he and Arkady had fought instead. I’d managed to get away given the start from Ronan, and just when it looked like Arkady might kill Ronan, I’d…
Yeah. I’d been stabbed with one of those knives. No wonder I was in the hospital. I tried to raise my head off the bed and look down at my stomach to where I thought I’d been stabbed.
No dice, I couldn’t raise my head far enough to get a good look. But I could turn my head from side to side. One side was the window, and it must have been morning, because it was too bright. I picked the other direction, slowly easing my head to the right.
Ronan sat in a chair next to me, his eyes closed, his head resting on his fist. He was sleeping soundly. I loved watching him sleep, though this was the first time I’d
seen him do it outside of the bed in the cottage.
The cottage. Memories of the cottage came flooding back to me all at once. Though I had only been there a few days, that time with Ronan together in that tiny little house felt like home more than any other place I could remember.
I lay there, trying not to move, and just enjoyed watching Ronan sleep. He finally looked at peace, despite the bandages on his shoulder and arm. He still wore a suit, that was not nearly as pressed as normally was.
I wondered how much time had passed since the warehouse. I saw a clock on the wall, but it didn’t tell me the date, and my phone wasn’t anywhere nearby.
As if on cue, Ronan’s eyes fluttered open, and as he recognized that I was awake and watching him, he smiled, long and wide. The kind of smile that ships could use a stormy night to find their way home. Ronan was radiant, a gorgeous man waiting attentively by my bed.
“Hey,” he whispered, like he was trying to make sure that no one else could hear him but me. There was no one else in the room.
“Hey yourself,” I whispered back, smiling as wide as I could, working out the muscles in my face as I went. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?” He looked concerned all of a sudden, the key was worried about my memory.
“Not all of it.”
“You lost a lot of blood. It was touch and go there for a little while, but the doctors managed to stitch you up pretty good.”
I close my eyes, thanking the nameless and faceless doctors who it saved me. “And what happened to you?”
He grinned. “Just a flesh wound. I’ll be fine.”
“Typical man. Always downplaying the pain you’re in.”
“I know. I’m the worst.”
“You are the worst. I don’t even know what I see in you.”
“I don’t either, but apparently you’re willing to take a knife to the stomach for me.”