Persuasion

by Stone, Piper

  She arched her back, pressing her breasts against me, moaning through the kiss.

  There was no light or sound around us, only the darkness that she’d pulled herself into. She would never fully understand what she’d done.

  Pop! Pop! Pop!

  I immediately jerked away, listening intently, the music all but masking the easy to recognize sound. Fuck. We’d been compromised.

  “What’s going on?” she asked in a frantic voice, her breath skipping.

  I cupped her face, making certain she was paying close attention. “Listen to me carefully. Get dressed.”

  Her entire body shook as she nodded, her eyes darting back and forth across mine. “Who is it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Pop! Whoosh! Boom!

  “What the fuck?” The hard vibrations indicated a bomb of some sort. “Go. Now!” I waited until she scampered off before moving quickly toward one of several locations where I’d hidden weapons. I snapped ammo into two handguns, shoving them into my pockets before snagging the semi-automatic.

  The sudden eerie silence was just another blow. The electricity had been cut, which meant the security system was down for at least one full minute before the backup generator kicked in.

  One minute too long.

  I raced toward the window, peering out. The shots had come from the front of the house. By the time I reached the main door, the hard pounding noise on the solid wood panel was continuous. There was no way of telling how many of them were outside, but I was forced to face the fact they’d likely cased the house.

  If the attackers were sophisticated and well trained, which I suspected they were, they’d used infrared or an even more structured technology to determine the number of heat sources in and around the house. Even if Worthington was behind this, he’d bring an army in an effort to retrieve what he believed belonged to him.

  If this was something else entirely, the house had been surrounded by Viktor and his hired thugs. It was amazing what you could buy with Russian dollars, including Armenian scum. When I heard another round of shots followed by Tony’s voice just outside the door, I took a chance.

  “Get back!” Tony hissed the second I dared allow him entrance, pushing me further into the hallway and slamming the door. “Fuckers came from nowhere.”

  “Where are the others?”

  “Bruno is down and Marco disappeared. I don’t know where Sergei is. We need to get you the fuck out of here.” He took gulping breaths, wiping his mouth.

  “How many?” Another loud popping of gunfire meant the perpetrators were closer, the heavy rounds indicating at least four shooters.

  “Five. Six. Hell if I know. Come on. I think we can get you to one of the cars.”

  I pointed at him. “Stay right here.” I stormed through the house, grabbing my phone as well as another two rounds of ammunition. We would have one shot at this and even then, the odds were absolute shit. Three people knew of the address in New Orleans and all of them were from the damn Specialist group.

  Giliana was nowhere to be seen, although her dress had disappeared from the floor. “Giliana!” There was no response. A whirlwind of thoughts raced into my mind all trickling to the same damn thing. She’d been taken. I knew Viktor and his tactics as well as his expertise. Even in what would have been a compromised physical state, he would be capable of taking her within seconds.

  I bolted down the basement stairs. The location was empty.

  “Fuck!” I roared, heading back into the kitchen. That’s when I noticed the open back door. I headed into the foyer, my directions not to be challenged. “Find Sergei. The woman staying here is missing, likely taken.”

  “Taken?” Tony asked, his tone gruff. “Who the fuck? The Worthington asshole?”

  “Just find her,” I growled.

  “Sergei couldn’t have gotten far.” Tony jogged toward the door, taking precautions before bolting outside.

  Another solid explosion rocked the entire house, the sound of breaking glass coming from the kitchen. We were out of time.

  I moved out the kitchen door, crouching down as I searched the surrounding area. There was no one in sight, although the single broken vase on the back patio drew my attention. The fucking path. Whoever had taken her had used the cobblestone path leading to the back of the property.

  I took off running, my feet pounding on the stones, the adrenaline kicking into overdrive. I heard nothing at first as I raced through the trees, the denseness of the forest blocking out the majority of noise. When a single crack of a fallen limb sounded to my right, I dropped down, allowing my eyes to get used to the darkness.

  The subtle yet strangled cry yanked at every nerve. She’d been hurt. I would kill the fucker. I took off running again, cringing as another rustle of gunfire suddenly ceased. Another round of silence.

  My gut told me they were changing directions. God damn it!

  I tore my way through the dense underbrush, fighting through the myriad briars and thorns, following her woeful sound. As I broke through the line of trees, I aimed the gun at eye level, swinging around in a full circle.

  She’d been dumped onto the ground. She shot me a look, the darkness cloaking her expression, but I heard her words and they would be the last ones that would ever matter to me.

  “Leave me alone, Kostya.”

  Clarity settled in.

  Something inside of me snapped shut, my emotions gone.

  She hadn’t been taken. She’d run at the first opportunity.

  My extensive trained kicked in. As I dragged her to her feet, there was no time to discover whether or not she was hurt, nor did I care. She was merely expensive property and one I couldn’t afford to lose. I tossed her over my shoulder, shifting once again into a circle before heading back to the path.

  “No. No! Let me go. Let me go!” she hissed, beating her fists against my back.

  I ignored her cries, my breath labored as I fought to get to the street. There was an alternative location, one that I’d put into position, one where we’d be safe until I could figure out a way out of town.

  No. More. Trust.

  The screeching of tires assaulted my senses as I shifted through the last of the trees, the dark SUV coming to jerking halt.

  I was prepared to fire as the door was thrown open, Sergei tumbling out.

  “Boss. Get the fuck in. I have to get you the hell out of here.”

  I could tell by the dim light of the interior of the vehicle that he’d been shot, his massive chest rising and falling rapidly. There was no other choice, not if I wanted to live. Just as I opened the rear door, I caught the sound of at least two other vehicles charging around the corner, headlights nailing our location.

  I dumped her inside, immediately taking aim, firing a full round.

  “Get in. We don’t have much time!” Sergei insisted, tumbling into the driver’s seat.

  The fuckers kept coming. I took one more chance, shifting the long barrel back and forth, issuing a spray of bullets. The lead car veered off to the right, swerving before slamming into the curb.

  The second wasn’t as lucky, the engine revving seconds before the front of the car smashed into the trees, immediately erupting into a fireball. I scanned the street one last time before getting in.

  “Fucking Christ, boss. They came out of nowhere,” Sergei huffed as he pressed on the accelerator.

  “Civilian or assassins?” I asked, growling afterward.

  “Too armed to be basic civilians. Foreign weapons. But you gotta remember, I didn’t see much of anything in the damn dark. There were at least ten of them. I managed to get two, maybe three.”

  Then assuming only the driver of the second vehicle had perished in the fire, that left far too many for comfort.

  “Bruno? Marco?”

  I caught his single glimpse into the rearview mirror and cursed in Russian, turning my attention to Giliana. Huddled in the corner, she’d pulled her legs onto the seat, her arms clinging to them tightly
.

  “Tony?” I continued.

  “Bastard. I don’t know. He wasn’t around for me to ask.” Sergei’s snarky answer was all I needed. Tony had been the snitch, giving up our location. “Where should I go?” he continued.

  “Just drive.” I eased the AK-47 onto my lap, taking several deep breaths before raking my hands through my hair. Before today, I would have said I trusted Sergei with my life. On this night? I wasn’t certain there was a man alive I could trust. I eased my head against the seat, trying to rationalize the events. Hell, just trying to think clearly was difficult.

  The play had been perfect. I calmed my breathing, finally turning toward her. I fisted her hair, yanking her head in my direction. “Did someone put you up to this?”

  As the lights from various open businesses flashed into the SUV, I was able to see the haunted look in her eyes.

  “Someone? You think I had anything to do with that... ambush? No. No!” she retorted, her tone holding a ring of truth.

  “Then why did you run?”

  “Because...” When she didn’t answer immediately, I yanked her hair again. “Because I was afraid. Of you.”

  I took a deep breath, holding it for several seconds then letting her go. The look of fear in her eyes was palpable, shutting down the very door she’d opened. I had no chance to respond, my phone ringing. As I yanked it into my hand, my entire body tensed. The last motherfucker I wanted to hear from.

  “Da?” I answered, curious as to what the asshole had to say.

  “Listen to me, Kostya, and there’s no time for any bullshit,” Dante said in his stylish Italian accent, only this time, there was quite possible a tremor in his voice. “You’ve been compromised. You need to get the fuck out of there immediately. Do not trust anyone. I mean anyone.”

  “Including you?”

  The question seemed to hang.

  “I suppose I deserved that, but this may change your mind.”

  I wasn’t going to listen, my finger ready to end the call, but as he began to speak, I was drawn into the limited but damning facts that he spouted off. And in truth, they held a ring of truth. “Then what?” I asked after he stopped speaking.

  “I have a plane that will be waiting for you at a small, public use airport. You need to leave now,” Dante stated. He relayed the information, including the gate location of the plane.

  “And where am I going?”

  “Not risking telling you. Too many ears. You’re going to have to trust me.”

  Trust. I snickered, rubbing my fingers across the cold steel of the weapon. “Very well. However, if you fuck with me, Dante, I will cut out your heart.” I was the one who ended the call, my instincts on high alert. Heads were going to roll.

  * * *

  Sergei was nervous as fuck, sweating profusely as he stood beside me, staring at the charter jet. “I don’t like this shit, boss. There’s something wrong with this picture.”

  I moved toward the rear, yanking open the small compartment where I’d hidden a bag of necessities in case anything like this ever occurred. Unzipping, I yanked out a packet of cash, moving back around the SUV. “You’re right, my friend, and I suspect more shit will hit the fan. The police are going to be sniffing around. No way you can go back to the house, at least initially. Take this.”

  He gazed down at the envelope, sniffing several times. “You’re going to need all the help you can get, boss.”

  I chuckled. Sergei had no idea how much money I’d made or the fact I had accounts set up all over the world. To him, I was merely Kutaisi blood. I took his wrist, slapping the cash into his hand. “I need you to watch over the operation here. Find out everything you can about Worthington just as we planned. Stay low. I suspect if he had anything to do with this, he’ll enjoy gloating about riding me out of town.”

  Sergei gave me a thin-lipped smile, folding his hand around the offering then shoving it into the pocket of his jacket. “You’re not coming back. Are you?”

  I glanced toward the plane, my hackles raised. “That remains to be seen. I’ll get in contact with you at some point. You know the drill. Use the voicemail box if you find anything. I’ll check it when I can.”

  “Will do, boss. I’m really sorry about everything,” he said quietly and in earnest, glancing quickly toward the SUV as Giliana climbed out into the air.

  I tipped my head in her direction, finally noticing that she was barefoot, her neck and arms scratched by the dense foliage. “Yeah, me too. Ditch the SUV. You have enough to purchase whatever you want, my friend.”

  He finally grinned, giving me a military-style salute. “Will do, boss. Oh, there’s one more thing you need to know.” He inched closer, darting a second glance in her direction. “Mr. Worthington made several calls after you left. I think you ruffled his feathers.”

  I took a deep breath, taking in the information. “Keep track. And if you locate Tony, you know what to do.” I shifted my gaze in his direction, giving him a commanding look. There was no surprise on his face. He’d had his share of reservations about the man from the beginning.

  “Absolutely. I’ll make certain and handle everything that’s necessary. Take care of yourself, boss.”

  I hoisted the bag before wrapping my arm around Giliana.

  “What is happening?” she asked, no longer struggling.

  “We’re taking a little trip, you and I. Change of plans.”

  When she lifted her chin, her eyes searching mine, I could no longer see the fear, only dispassionate reservation.

  After climbing the stairs to the plane, I took one last look at New Orleans. Whatever was going to occur would be even more challenging, likely setting a plan in motion that would alter everything once again.

  What the hell. I always did like adventure.

  I guided her inside, easing her onto one of the seats. She hobbled slightly, her bare feet obviously taking a beating during her run. She immediately glanced out the window, her face pinched. I had no idea what I was going to do with her or even if her capture had been necessary. One thing I couldn’t do was allow her to go free, at least not at this point. I still ached inside, far too many intimate moments shared with her.

  I heard the closing of the main door, engines coming to life, which meant there was a copilot.

  “Welcome aboard, Mr. Visiliev. There is a fully stocked bar as well as food in the pantry. You’ll find blankets and pillows in the closet by the lavatory.” The pilot shook my hand, my eyes immediately drawn to the weapon he wore on his side. Dante had trained him well.

  While he had no accent, I had the feeling it had been by design.

  The pilot had obviously been instructed not to say anything about our destination, merely making certain we had everything. However, I could tell he was surprised there was a second passenger, his gaze drifting to Giliana. He shifted his attention to my bare chest then to the weapon.

  There was no hesitation. He obviously handled difficult... flights.

  “How long is the flight?” I asked in passing, dropping the bag onto one of the leather seats, immediately searching for one of the shirts I’d packed.

  “Several hours, sir.”

  “Let me know thirty minutes prior to landing,” I instructed.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I waited until he closed the door to the cockpit before pulling on the shirt. I walked the length of the plane, studying the complimentary items that had been placed onboard. I suspected Dante had made certain I was pleased with my surroundings, which meant a longer flight. I pulled a bottle of water from the small refrigerator, walking casually in her direction and holding it out in front of her.

  “I’m fine,” she said demurely.

  “Take the water, Giliana. I don’t want to argue with you. This will be a long flight and we need to get a few things straight between us.”

  “Straight. Sure. Whatever you say.”

  She held her breath as she turned her attention toward me, her hand shaking as she reached out to grab
it. The second our fingers touched, the same quick bolt of electricity shot through my arm and her eyes opened wide. I was beginning to loathe our intense connection.

  I studied her intently, remaining quiet. The few cuts and bruises would heal, although she did have a deep scratch on her neck. I moved back toward the cabin area, searching until I found a clean washcloth and grabbing another bottle of water. The second I knelt in front of her, she bristled.

  I kept my eyes on her as I twisted the lid, pouring a stream over the cloth. I held it out then gave her an authoritative look before pressing it against the cut. She winced but remained still, her posture softening.

  “I’m sorry you’re still afraid of me. My intentions aren’t to hurt you.” I said the words in a bland fashion, instead of with any feeling.

  Instead of like a man who’d fallen in love with her.

  The realization was a rocket scorching my mind and soul, tensing every muscle. Love. What the fuck did I know about love?

  She leaned in slightly, pulling back her hair and allowing me to study the cut. “Thank you. You didn’t understand what I meant, Kostya.”

  “I understood you very clearly, Giliana, and in truth, I don’t blame you. What we shared will never happen again.”

  She opened her mouth then shifted her eyes toward her lap. “Allow me to explain.”

  “There is no need. However, you disobeyed me once again.”

  “I heard the gunshots. I had no idea what the hell was happening,” she whispered.

  “Understood. We will deal with your infractions later.” Satisfied with what little I’d been able to glean, I glanced at her torn dress, drawn back to the way she’d looked only two hours before. God damn, she’d been stunning, the moment she walked into the room more like a dream. The way she’d danced in front of me, letting herself go for the first time had been magnificent, freeing for both of us.

  Then I’d allowed her to see my scars. No one could tolerate the man I’d become, both in body and actions. Everything I’d done during the course of the last few days had been foolish.