Dmitri put out his hand and led Kinsey to the bar, his walk very proud, his face radiating good looks and his eyes brimming with confidence, “Let us have another glass. The whiskey is good to relax. A relaxed woman is a passionate lover, no?”
Somehow, and this bothered Kinsey, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why it bothered her, Mr. Yurek was now holding the bottle of scotch and two glasses of ice.
At Dmitri’s signal he brought them to the bar. Mr. Yurek held his hand up to the approaching bartender and began to pour the whiskey into the glasses himself. Dmitri put his hand to Kinsey’s leg and said, “Perhaps you and I could go for a walk this evening? We could tour the town. Hamilton is not a big city. More of a village. The moon is out as well.” He squeezed Kinsey’s thigh, held it tight to the point that it began to hurt and Kinsey knew it was time to begin her escape.
Dmitri’s question and his sudden overplay of aggressive affection had caused Kinsey to turn away from Mr. Yurek as he poured the glasses of scotch. When she turned back to him he was bringing the glasses to them and setting one in front of Dmitri and one on the bar before her.
She needed to get Dmitri focused on something besides her leg and Kinsey took a big drink of the scotch hoping Dmitri would do the same. Then she looked out to Sammy on the dance floor. He was waving his hands at her and then he lipped “No” to her.
No, what? She didn’t get what he was trying to message to her. She shook her head and Sammy stopped dancing and stepped from the dance floor and began to walk to the bathroom. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he walked and then he disappeared through the door to the restroom.
Dmitri was still waiting for an answer and Kinsey learned just how impatient a man he could be.
“Why are you not hearing me? When I speak – a woman must answer. No waiting. Right then. I don’t like to be kept waiting.” His eyes were trying to burn a hole through Kinsey’s eyes so piercing was his gaze. He pushed his hand down hard on her thigh and squeezed her until it really hurt this time.
Kinsey took another drink from her glass. Focused her eyes on a point about three inches inside Dmitri’s skull, “I’m sure you get your way with all women all the time. I’m not all women. I’m a woman with a mind,” Kinsey placed her drink on the bar, reached down and dug into the top of Dmitri’s hand with her nails until he removed it, “and my mind is telling me that your hand is hurting my leg. Don’t ever do that again. I won’t let you command me like one of your cute little young pieces of ass that you have lounging all over this boat waiting for you to call them into your bedroom so they can earn their keep.”
Kinsey’s phone went off in her hand bag. She held her focus on the inside of Dmitri’s skull for another moment then she went for her phone. She was thankful for the chance that her beeping phone was affording her to look away from the suddenly explosive dark, angry and lustful eyes of Dmitri.
When she looked down to remove her phone from her hand bag she realized that the scotch was taking its toll and she felt herself wobble in her chair. She refocused on the phone and managed to pull it from her hand bag.
It was a text message from Sammy. He seemed to be of anther time and place suddenly and it took all her effort to read his text. It said, ‘Don’t drink from the glass Mr. Yurek gave you.’
For a moment it all made sense. Kinsey turned her phone off. She knew she was going down. The world around her began to blur in her vision then she heard Dmitri telling her that she wasn’t feeling well and he would take her to a bedroom to lie down.
Next was darkness, then she knew she was being carried away in the arms of someone strong. She wished it was Tanner but she knew it wasn’t. Then she felt a hand going up her dress and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She should stop that hand was her last thought. Then everything went dark.
25
The Unexpected Morning
Deep from the black there came a desperate moment and she knew that everything depended on waking up if she was to save herself.
Her first thought was to vomit. And so she did. It wasn’t something she could help. What had been an eternal darkness came to be a brightening consciousness that hurt every part of her body. When she finished vomiting she noticed the hand to her forehead that was assisting her by keeping her from falling from whatever precipice that it was that she’d hung her head over to throw-up. She was thankful for the hand.
Her next thought was to open her eyes, and that hurt. There was bright light and the sound of birds. Then she heard a man’s voice. He said, “It all starts to get better now. You’ll be good by lunch, dinner at the latest.
She turned, realized she was in a bed, then she focused, the man was Tanner and all worry and anxiety washed from her. She gave no thought to the question that came to her lips, perhaps it was a continuance of the last thought in her mind as she’d gone down into the drug induced sleep that she’d tried so desperately to fight, “Was I raped? Did I feel a hand… did I feel a hand where it wasn’t…”
Kinsey began to cry but stopped because it hurt her head too much.
Tanner put his hand to hers and Kinsey realized she was in her bed in her hotel room with the doors to the terrace open and a trashcan of her own vomit next to the bed. Tanner squeezed her hand tightly and said, “I don’t know everything he did to you but you weren’t raped. He’s gone by the way.”
Kinsey focused on Tanner. He was looking at her with a deep concern in his eyes, the stitches along his cheek red with dried blood…She sat up, “Tanner! What happened to you? Are you okay?” The sudden movement brought another wave of nausea to her stomach and she turned to the side of the bed and again she threw-up, and again Tanner’s hand went to her forehead to hold her up and assist her.
“I’m fine, Kinsey. We had a scrap getting you off the boat. Dmitri’s assassin, Mr. Yurek, did this to me before Justin took him down.” Tanner helped Kinsey lie back on her pillow and he pushed her hair back from her face. “Let’s just say it was a scary night. Do you remember going to the hospital?”
Kinsey shook her head.
“Why would you? You were out like a light. I carried you off that boat, blood pouring from my face, as Sammy ran ahead to get us a ride to the hospital. Justin was behind me making sure no one came off that boat after us.”
Kinsey now felt terrible; she had tried to do too much and gotten her husband hurt.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on their door. Tanner went to the door, peaked through the peephole, and then opened the door.
“Hey guys. She’s finally up. Not feeling too well but at least she’s awake,” Tanner said as he stepped to the side and Kinsey saw Sammy and Justin walk through the door.
Kinsey saw huge looks of relief on both their faces and this made her cry. She didn’t feel nauseated this time and before she knew it Sammy was sitting next to her and hugging her on the bed.
He was gushing tears and through them he kept saying, “You were incredible, girl. You rocked that man to the core and you rocked that boat. I’m so glad he didn’t hurt you.”
Then Justin sat next to her and gave her a hug as well, which surprised Kinsey as she knew he wasn’t the hugging type.
Tanner said, “Tell her, Justin. Make it worth it to her.”
Justin nodded and as he began to speak, Sammy said, “Can I tell her? She was so brilliant on the boat the way she seduced the Great Seducer himself.”
Justin nodded, “That would be good. I wasn’t on the boat until the end and it hurts my jaw to speak.”
Then Kinsey took a look at Justin’s face and saw that he had a black eye and a large bruise on the side of his jaw. Then she noticed that his fists were swollen and red and one of his fingers was in a splint. She was afraid just yet to ask what happened to him although she could have made a very good guess from simply looking at him.
Sammy stood from the bed and began to tell Kinsey about the previous night, “What’s the last thing you remember, Kinsey?” he asked.
&n
bsp; Kinsey thought about it, “Your text to me from the bathroom. Then I realized I wasn’t feeling well and a part of me knew it was bad but I couldn’t stop from going down. Then I remember feeling a hand under my dress. That was it though, it all went black. Although I think I might remember throwing up on a doctor.”
“That was a nurse at the hospital in Hamilton, you projectile vomited all over her when they tried to wake you. Made her night, I’m sure,” Tanner said.
“Okay then,” Sammy continued, “I was watching Mr. Yurek. He lurks about and he was creeping me out. I saw him get the bottle of scotch and two glasses from the bartender and take them with him to another part of the saloon. I couldn’t see what he was doing but I didn’t trust him. I was going to come over but I was sure Dmitri would go ballistic on me. You and Dmitri looked good together and Dmitri knew it. I had already spoiled his vibe one time. So my next plan was to get your attention as I was dancing and get you to come to me or at least to the restroom but he was all over you and then I saw you blow him off and I was afraid he might hurt you. That guy has a temper like a light switch, either on or off, no in between. So I saw him give a nod to Yurek, and, at first, I thought you saw his little signal as well, then I realized he had his hand on your leg and I saw you scratch his hand and I knew trouble was coming. But he had Yurek put that spiked drink in front of you and I ran to the bathroom to text you.” Sammy, paused, “You got rufied, girl.”
Kinsey nodded and then Tanner said, “They did blood work on you at the hospital. It was a light dose but it knocked you out cold. The doctor said the scotch you were drinking intensified the drug’s effect.”
“I feel like I drank the bottle.”
“You had two drinks is all. Rufies and scotch don’t make for a fun night,” Sammy said, then anxious to get back to his story, he began to pace the room as he spoke, “I waited in the bathroom for you to respond but I never heard back and when I went back to the party you were gone. So were Dmitri and Yurek.
I went into full panic mode and my first thought was to signal Justin and Tanner like we agreed but then I knew it would do no good for them to come on board if I didn’t know where you were; it’s a big ship.
I was trying to think of a way to go down into the ship without alerting one of the guards, and believe me, they were on high alert, and then Chastain came up to me and whispered in my ear saying, “They just took your friend down to a cabin. She was almost passed out. She needs help now.”
Something came over me. My typical response to danger or a stressful situation is to panic. But I felt this calmness, this peace, rolling through my mind and I said to Chastain to go get Sicilee from below deck and have her find where they had taken you.”
Kinsey was amazed, “Sicilee and Chastain did that for me?”
“That they did, girl. You’d be so proud of them. Chastain left me in the party and she was gone about ten minutes, ten eternal minutes, and when she came back up she said, “She’s on this same deck. Just go through those doors, take your first left then it’s the door at the end. But be careful, Yurek stands outside while Dmitri has his way with the girls inside and he’s a born killer.”
So knowing where you were, I had Chastain take my phone and call Justin and Tanner and also go to the deck and wave the flashlight on it in their direction down at the tavern. Chastain didn’t even flinch at what might happen to her, she took the phone and ran for the upper deck.
Then I put on my most effeminate airs and made for the door that would lead me to the cabin Dmitri had taken you to.
I found the room soon enough and a brilliant ploy to get Yurek away from his guard post at the door came to me as I approached him.”
“What did you do?” Kinsey asked as she sat up higher on the bed.
“You remember when we saw Yurek come into White Horse tavern and grab that sailor at the bar and send him running back to the ship with his tail between his legs earlier last night?”
Kinsey nodded.
“Well, I ran up to Yurek and said the bartender is looking for you. I then said that the bartender said to tell you the sailor you had to go grab from the tavern earlier tonight is at the party and he’s very drunk and making a ruckus. Yurek looked at me and asked. “What is ruckus?” The guy isn’t much for English and I answered that he was trying to drink all the liquor and he was putting his hands on the women. Yurek is loyal if nothing else and he had to stand there and think about what to do. He’d look at the door you were behind with Dmitri then he would look at me. Then after a long moment I said, “Hurry!” and he took a last look at the cabin door then he pushed me along in front of him back toward the party. I feigned being a complete klutz and fell to the deck. He just looked at me like I was a bit special if you know what I mean but he kept running, leaving me behind.
I immediately ran back to your door and started beating on it and I could hear Dmitri getting very angry but I just kept beating on the door and acting like your concerned brother.
Finally, he came to the door, his face was a raging red color and I doubt he lives very long with that temper of his, anyway, I said I heard Kinsey had passed out and I was here to check on her and he just looked about for Yurek and then asked me where Yurek was and I said he went to stop a fight on the deck and that Dmitri might want to go up as two or three young sailors had come aboard and started a fight with his crew. He looked back into the room and said, “Your sister is asleep. She can’t hold her whiskey tonight,” and then he took off for the nonexistent melee that I had dreamed up.
I ran into the cabin and saw where you were still in your dress but Dmitri had taken off your shoes and my first thought was to get your shoes and then get you because I know how much you liked those shoes but then I knew I had to get you out of that room and in front of the guests so that Dmitri couldn’t get at you again so I tried to get you to wake up but I may as well have been trying rouse a dead buffalo. You were gone to the world, girl, so I picked you up and threw you over my shoulder and I realized there was no way I could get your shoes so I went out from the cabin and headed for the party in the saloon.
What about Tanner and Justin? Did Chastain get them?” Kinsey asked, she was hanging on Sammy’s every word and she sat up from her pillows on the bed to better listen.
“Oh girl, let me tell you. I carried you into a melee of arms, fists, screaming people and flying bodies. It was like we were invisible though and no one came close to us as I walked you, flung over my shoulder, right through the fight and down the gang plank to safety.”
“That’s where we come in.” Tanner said, looking over to Justin who was rubbing his swollen jaw.
Tanner said to Justin, “Let me tell her. I think the doctor told you no hard foods and avoid anything that causes pain to your jaw. Talking might hurt.
“It does hurt but I can talk if I have to.”
Kinsey looked at Justin, concern and questions in her eyes, as Tanner told her Justin had a hairline fracture of his jaw and she tried to thank him but Tanner interrupted her and said, “I’ve thanked him enough. Now here’s what happened:
I got a phone call from Sammy’s phone at the same time that we saw a little light being waved on the high deck of the ship. The light stopped waving at the same time that I answered the phone and it was Chastain. I had no idea who she was and I had to listen for a minute before I figured out she was calling for you and Sammy. She was saying to get on the boat fast and I hung up and, let me tell you, we ran like world class sprinters onto that boat, straight up the gang plank, by the guards before they could figure out what was going on, and straight into the party. It was easy to see where the party was the way the boat was lit up and Justin got in the door first and met Yurek and dove head first into his gut, totally knocking the wind out of him.
I was right behind him and a guard came at me and took a swing at my face but I ran right by him trying to find you, Kinsey. I had no idea what was going on. It scared me that Yurek was waiting at the door like that but it turned out
to be good timing with Sammy making him think there was something going on with the drunk sailor so he was ready for anything when it turned out that there was no drunk sailor. I’m sure Yurek was on high alert.
I ran into Dmitri. I had never really seen him but I could tell by your earlier description of him and the way he carried himself that it was him and he came at me and I hit him so hard in the side of his face and he fell to the deck by the bar but he was right back up and he grabbed a liquor bottle and he swung it at me and caught me here,” Tanner put his hand to the stitches in his cheek then continued, “I didn’t even feel it hit me I had so much adrenaline pumping through my veins and I dove into him and, well, I learned how big and strong that guy is. He picked me up and threw me onto a table that was surrounded by people who were in the act of standing from their chairs and I rolled across the table and knocked down at least two women on the other side of it.
By the time I could get myself untangled from them to resume my fight with Dmitri I saw that Justin was already pounding the living hell out of him.”
“I’d say Justin was venting a bit there.” Sammy added quickly.
“I’d say you’re right.” Tanner continued, “He was unleashing a lot of coiled rage on Dmitri and I saw Yurek coming up behind Justin. I dove onto him and he tried to reach for a gun he had in a holster on his hip and I put my hand on it to stop it and it fired with a huge blast that echoed throughout the ship. My ears were ringing from it and in the back of my mind I was hoping the bullet didn’t hit anyone. I was able to get my hands around his throat and he was trying to push them off and then I felt a kick in my side and I was knocked off him. I thought I was going to be shot but then here comes Justin again and he knocked the guard that had kicked me away and he dropped down and punched Yurek right in the nose and he went still. I could tell Justin had put him out for a long time, so I turned and I saw Dmitri trying to stand, he had blood pouring from his face and then out of the corner of my eye I saw Sammy carrying you out the doorway and I grabbed Justin and pointed to the door and he saw you and we ran, following you both down the gangplank.”
Lights on the Far Horizon Trilogy Page 29