by C. Luca
No, I’m doing this.
I straighten my back and remain standing boldly in the center of the sidewalk, directly in Nikolai’s path that leads to the idling SUV at the curb. I’m far enough from his vehicle to be safe from an abduction, and I’m dead center in the middle of the pedestrian traffic.
He’d be a fool to try anything, and Nikolai’s no fool.
When his eyes collide with mine, he visibly blinks with surprise, but that is the only emotion he reveals as his expression remains unreadable.
Jonah’s expression, on the other hand, is clear as day. His blue eyes narrow as his facial features tighten. He looks less than pleased to see me as the two men calmly approach where I stand.
Nikolai pauses before me, Jonah at his side.
I’d forgotten how tall he is, and I have to look up to meet his dark gray gaze. All those tiny little knots that had twisted my insides just moments earlier are now turning into melting puddles of hormones. Somehow, I manage to hide my body’s reaction to being so close to him.
“Hello, Nikolai,” I calmly greet as pedestrians have no choice but to move around us, some of them looking annoyed. I don’t blame them. It’s seriously annoying when people choose the middle of the sidewalk to stand around and chat with one another.
He says nothing, which is to be expected with his refusal to speak in general. He coolly inclines his head, acknowledging me. However, his eyes have sharpened around the corners, revealing that he isn’t as collected as he would like to portray.
I hold out the folded slip of paper that I’d been holding inside my palm as I’d waited for him. “This is my phone number if you feel we still have some…things to discuss,” I explain, keeping my voice light.
He makes no move to accept it, and instead, he tilts his head and motions to the dark SUV waiting at the curb.
Yeah, right.
I give him a twisted smile. “I think it’s wise that we remain where we can be seen.” I’m still holding my hand out, waiting for him to accept the paper. I hate Chicago winters, and my skin is turning icy cold.
A look of displeasure crosses his handsome face before he reluctantly takes the paper.
I quickly slip my cold hand back inside my coat pocket. “Enjoy your evening,” I say smoothly before turning and walking away, falling into step with the other pedestrians.
I’m not an idiot.
I’m certain Nikolai has probably sent Jonah to follow me…or worse. Not wanting to confront the obvious, I don’t bother looking behind me. If Jonah believes that I don’t think I’m being followed, I’ll have the upper hand if he should try anything.
I follow the other pedestrians on the sidewalk before breaking off with a small group as we approach the ‘L’ train station. It’s elevated, and we take the stairs up to the platform where people are already assembled and waiting. I step into the crowd, conscious of everyone standing around me.
I’m certain Jonah is somewhere nearby.
When the ‘L’ arrives and passengers exit the train, the crowd impatiently waits until we can enter the cars. I step into the nearest one and make my way to the back, snagging a seat. I want to make certain that I can keep an eye on Jonah if I can spy him in the crowd.
As the train pulls away from the platform a few minutes later, I casually scan the car. I don’t see him. Not that I’m all that surprised. I’m dealing with a professional who would be proficient at not being seen when tailing someone.
I’m tempted to pull the new cell phone out of my bag to see if Nikolai has already tried to contact me, but I refrain from it. I already appear eager since I’d been the one to approach him, and I certainly don’t need Jonah witnessing how anxious I am to find out how Nikolai will react.
I’d figured text messaging would be the easiest way to begin communication with Nikolai. It’s dangerous seeing him in person, and until I know how he’s going to react to my reappearance, I think it’s the safest option.
My thoughts switch to the third stop that will be coming up shortly. That’s when I exit the ‘L’ and have to walk to the apartment building. It’s going to be the trickiest part of this evening, because it’s two blocks, and it’s quickly become dark. Granted, the streets are busy in the area of the building, and the sidewalk is rarely empty, but I still risk a confrontation with Jonah if Nikolai ordered him to snatch me.
This is Chicago, and even in public, bad things can happen.
I won’t feel safe until I’m inside the apartment building, because if Jonah should by chance try anything before then, there’s no guarantee anyone will intervene on my behalf. These days, risking your life for someone else in a shit situation isn’t as common as it used to be. That’s because the world is changing, and more and more people are carrying weapons and guns. A good deed might just get you buried six feet under.
When my stop arrives, I rise to my feet and follow about a dozen others that are also exiting the train. The platform is another elevated one, and I carefully navigate the stairs, the footsteps of others sounding behind me as we make our way down to the street level.
Jonah has to be one of them behind me, but again, I ignore the temptation to look.
My entire body is becoming tense from the cold and the knowledge that these two blocks will be when Jonah will make his move. The others have broken off from our little group, a handful of them walking faster than me as they hurry to wherever their destination is.
They’re crossing the street up ahead in no time, leaving me and a few others as stragglers. The storefronts I’m passing by are still open, but the area isn’t overly busy.
As I approach the end of the block and wait for the intersection light to switch so I can cross, I hug my bag closer to me, shivering. I’m cold, but I also want to be able to reach into my bag for the stun gun. There’s only one block to go, and that’ll be when Jonah makes his move. I can see that the sidewalk is nearly empty.
The light changes and the ‘walk’ sign lights up.
I step forward, quickly making my way across the crosswalk before striding down the sidewalk—the apartment building just up ahead. There’s one alley down this block, and as I make my way down the sidewalk, I slip my hand inside my purse and turn on the stun gun so it’s ready to use.
An odd chill makes its way down my spine, and I know for certain Jonah is approaching me from behind.
Sure enough, I’m just crossing the alley when a strong arm grabs me around the waist and jerks me into the darkness of it. I swing my arm around as I spin to confront him, the stun gun catching Jonah right below the throat.
His eyes widen, and I watch as his body convulses and falls backwards onto the grimy, cold cement.
I stand above him, giving him a dirty look. “Tell him to use the damned phone.” I quickly turn on my heel and hurry down the sidewalk, digging inside my purse for my keycard with my free hand.
A second later, I swipe the card next to the glass entrance door, and the door clicks loudly before swinging open. I hurry across the threshold as it promptly closes and distinctly clicks once more, securely locking itself until someone should come by with their keycard.
I don’t bother glancing behind me as I exit the small foyer and cross the short lobby where a security guard is always stationed behind a desk. There’s no way Jonah would have recovered in time to try to follow me inside. And had he, the guard would have intervened once I’d told him I didn’t let Jonah in.
I flash the guy behind the desk a smile before going to the elevator. As I wait for it, my heart continues to pound inside my chest. This is exactly why I’d chosen this building.
The elevator chimes, announcing its arrival as the doors slide open. I step inside and press the button for the sixth floor. Once the doors close, I exhale and release all the tension I’d been holding in.
I’d known it was going to happen, but that doesn’t make it any less stressful.
Damn it.
I was hoping Nikolai wouldn’t resort to kidnapping.
; Hopefully, he’ll back off now that he knows I’m prepared to fight. Not to mention he can’t just ‘take’ what he wants. Apparently, that’s what he’s accustomed to, but this is going to be different.
If he wants to talk to me, he’ll need to go about it like any other normal individual would. I gave him my number, so he has an easy tool to contact me with.
FIVE
Nikolai
As soon as I’m finished with my scheduled text meeting with Peter, one of my men, I text Jonah to see if Blakely had been secured.
I’d been dumbfounded to find her waiting outside the building for me, and even more aggravated that she’d handed me her phone number and then sauntered off as if she owned the world.
Much to my frustration, missing my appointed time with Peter wasn’t an option. He happens to be in Bangkok, and is dealing with a tricky contract, so we’d set up a designated time to sort out the complications.
That meant I had to send Jonah after Blakely while I headed back to the estate to handle business. I still can’t believe the little thief actually sought me out. It was a very foolish decision on her part, because I want her back in the basement where I am in full control of the situation. She knows too much to be allowed to run around freely.
She’d also looked much different than she had the last time I’d seen her. Her long, dark hair had been cut and now just barely reaches her shoulders. The back appeared to be cut a little shorter, and the sleek haircut had given her a sophisticated appearance. Those eerie yellowish hazel eyes were the same, though. Every time I see them, they draw me in.
The phone vibrates in my hand, signaling an incoming text message, and I quickly scan it. I just arrived on the estate. Without her.
My expression darkens as my fingers fly across the screen. Come to my office. How the hell had she managed to give Jonah the slip?
Impatiently, I remain seated in my chair behind the desk and watch the door expectantly. Jonah’s a professional, she shouldn’t have been able to avoid him. Then again, she’d outwitted him once.
A brief knock sounds on the office door, and then Jonah enters the room. He walks to the chair across from my desk and settles into it, his expression hard. The glint in his eyes warn me he’s barely holding onto his anger. “I tried to grab her as soon as I had the opportunity, and she used a stun gun on me,” he reluctantly confesses through clenched teeth as he rubs the base of his neck.
My eyebrows lift slightly over this news.
She was prepared and is much too smart for my liking. Though to be honest, sending Jonah after her had probably been an easily predictable move, but I couldn’t just allow her to walk away.
“I know where she’s staying, so we at least have that. And she told me to tell you, and I quote, ‘use your damned phone,’” he informs acidly, his temper slipping past his professionalism.
That does not sit well with me, and my eyebrows furrow. I’m not accustomed to not being in control, and it’s worse knowing Blakely currently holds all the cards, so to speak. I ease my chair back a few inches and open my desk drawer, pulling out a notepad and pen. I slide them across the desk to Jonah.
He reaches for them and writes down the address of her location and pushes it back across the desk to me. “Anything else?” he inquires coolly.
I shake my head.
Trying to pull Blakely off the streets clearly isn’t going to work, especially now that she’ll see it coming. The element of surprise is long gone.
Jonah leaves the office, quietly closing the door behind him.
Now that I’m alone, I reach inside the drawer once more and pull out the slip of paper that Blakely had given me earlier. She’s willing to talk, but I’m reluctant to text her since it’s what she wants.
I’m more than just a little curious to find out what game she’s playing so I can get ahead of it, but yet I’m still furious she escaped me in the first place. Not to mention she’d stabbed Jonah, and now she’s used a stun gun on him. He’s a professional hitman turned assistant. If any of this gets out that one woman has caused so much chaos, the business’s reputation will suffer.
A headache is coming on, and I rub my temple.
I hadn’t known what to do with Blakely when she was being held captive in my basement, and now that she’s free, I still don’t know what the fuck to do with her.
SIX
Blakely
It’s been two days since I’d given Nikolai my number, and not once have I received a text from him. His refusal to text me has taken me by surprise, especially after Jonah tried to kidnap me. I’m not sure what his silence means.
Is he giving up on me?
I should be relieved, not disappointed.
Soap drips into my right eye, and I mutter a curse as I quickly duck my head under the spray of water as I try to rinse it out. It’s seven in the morning, and I’m showering before I have to go to work.
As I rinse the soap from my hair, I think about how ridiculous the entire situation happens to be.
I’m also very wary.
Maybe he’s waiting until I let my guard down? That’s a very real possibility, and I release a soft sigh.
The sound of someone pounding on the bathroom door causes me to start with surprise. I automatically turn towards the direction of the door. The shower curtain is in the way of my view, and knowing it’s Ava, I holler, “What?”
“Leah, I gotta pee!” Ava calls from the other side of the door.
“Door’s unlocked!”
Cool air stirs the shower curtain as I hear Ava enter the bathroom. I go back to washing my body as she goes about her business.
The toilet flushes, and then Ava asks, “What are you doing tonight?”
“I work at the club.”
“Oh,” she says, and I can hear the disappointment in her tone. “I was hoping we could do something fun.”
Now that I’m fully rinsed, I turn off the shower and peek around the curtain.
Ava’s standing by the door, blonde hair in wild disarray around her face and shoulders from sleep. Her gray tee is falling off her left shoulder, and she’s clad in just a pair of panties.
“Write down your schedule when you get the chance, and we’ll compare our days off,” I suggest.
She gives me a small smile. “Okay.”
“You can hang at the club,” I offer.
She shakes her head. “I don’t really know anyone here yet.” She shrugs. “We’ll figure something out,” she says easily.
* * *
Late that night, I smile flirtingly as I slide the four beers across the bar to the good-looking man. He gives me a crooked smile as he leaves a generous tip before disappearing into the crowd with the beers.
After working at the strip club in Seattle, I know how to bring in good tips without promising anything in return. Flirting also comes naturally, even though I have no urge to explore anything with anyone. However, they don’t need to know that.
As the loud music pounds throughout the club, I move around behind the bar, mixing drinks and fetching bottles of beer. I absolutely thrive in this kind of atmosphere, and I’ve found that I genuinely enjoy mixing concoctions for those that order them. The club is also always busy, so my shifts fly by.
I’m about halfway through my shift when I feel my stomach rumbling. I’d forgotten to eat earlier, so I’ll have to grab a quick bite back at the apartment before going to bed.
During a brief lull at the bar, I pour myself a glass of water and take a sip.
Jack, one of the bartenders I’m working with tonight, comes over to me. “I need to take a piss.”
I smile and nod, gesturing that now is the time for him to grab a quick break. I’ve got the bar covered, and I’m comfortable doing it alone now that I’ve got the hang of how things work here.
He quickly disappears, and I take another sip of water as I scan the lively crowd.
When my eyes snag on Nikolai across the club, sitting by himself at a table while watching me, I go co
mpletely still. My fingers tighten around the glass in my hand as my heart skips a beat.
How long has he been here?
How had I not noticed him up until this point?
Our eyes remain locked for a long, tension-filled moment as I take in the sight of him. He’s too far away to note details, but he appears to be wearing a dark shirt, and his hand is casually wrapped around a glass. He’s been here long enough to sit down, order a drink, and watch me.
Damn it.
I’m utterly peeved that he’d managed to catch me unaware. Shouldn’t I have expected this?
A group of women approach the bar, and I have no choice but to reluctantly pull my eyes away from him and focus on drink requests. It’s a good five minutes later before I have a free moment to glance in his direction, and I’m surprised to find the table empty.
My eyes swing around the immediate area, searching for him. Had I imagined him?
The rest of my shift, I find myself on edge, waiting for him to reappear. But he doesn’t.
He’s up to something, and I don’t like it.
When my shift is finished, I help with the cleanup and then head out for the night. Because I swear Nikolai was at the club watching me, it would probably be wise to take a cab home rather than chance him trying to grab me again.
But would he actually try?
He knows I’d be expecting it and that I’m prepared. He’s also a very intelligent man, so why go about forcing me when he could just as easily text me to gather information.
So instead of waving down a taxi, I begin to make my way to the ‘L’ station a few blocks from the club. It’s still busy out with people leaving other bars and clubs in the area, so I’m well-protected by the other pedestrians.
As much as I’d like to pull out my phone to see if I have a new text, I refrain from it in case I’m being watched. No need to appear eager.
I frown as I burrow deeper into my coat.
This isn’t how I’d imagined things would play out. I thought for sure Nikolai would have reached out through text, especially since I know about his secret activities.