Jaya could feel the curious eyes of their escort all over the two women as they walked. Any conversation with Ndari was usually bizarre, plus they made a striking pair. Jaya wore a deep pink Sari edged in silver lace with a silver scarf while Ndari wore a pair of ripped up skinny jeans, red stilettos and a Sons of Anarchy T-shirt. Her beautiful black hair was covered with a patterned head scarf and she wore a pair of chic sunglasses.
“My friends have no idea what’s happened to me. And I don’t see you trying to bust my ass out of the gilded cage,” Jaya pointed out.
Ndari goggled at her as they rounded the last of the stairs and stepped out into the bright sunlight. “I like you a lot, girl, I really do. But your ass is not worth getting my ass dismembered and mailed back to my brother in pieces over. Nope, let us just stick to the companionship part of our arrangement and forget about flying the coop. Oh look, the males are going to go shopping while armed with some very interesting weapons. Oh my, is that grenade on the Irishman’s belt?”
Jaya stepped up to Ivan and Keane who were waiting by the penthouse elevators. They were indeed well-armed for their excursion. Ivan was wearing a suit without a jacket, his shoulder holster clearly visible. Keane had at least three guns and a massive knife attached to his body armour as well as at least one grenade on his utility belt. The other guards were wearing similar amounts of weaponry. She was beginning to feel as though she were being escorted by a small army.
As they stepped onto the elevator she turned to Ivan and asked quietly, “Don’t you think the bodyguards and weapons will draw attention to us?”
He glanced down at her and lifted one thick eyebrow. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. That one look told her that he didn’t care. His men were going with them and they were going armed to the teeth, no negotiation. She had no idea if the precaution was for her safety or to prevent her escape. She really hoped it was the former. She decided to just ignore the weapons overkill and try to enjoy her day. Though she didn’t know how Ivan was planning on taking her shopping without drawing a whole lot of notice.
She soon discovered that it wouldn’t be a problem. Ivan had no intention of frequenting the type of places where an armed escort of five men would draw notice. Instead he took Jaya and Ndari to only the most upscale stores in the high-end sections of Jakarta. While Ndari had a blast, spending Ivan’s money like it was water, Jaya was disappointed. She wanted to see more of Jakarta. Not just the rich-rinsed, sanitised parts of the city. Store after store happily paraded their wares in front of Jaya, Ndari and their bodyguards.
It became quickly apparent that Jaya’s plan to cause a scene and get herself lost in a crowd of marketplace shoppers wasn’t going to happen. But she was highly intelligent and resourceful, she assessed the situation and came up with a new plan.
“I’d like to go to that jewelry store over there,” she said, pressing her finger against the tinted window of the car they were in. They’d just finished shopping in a clothing store a street over. She would have liked the chance to wander the streets, looking at the different shops, but Ivan flat out refused to allow their party to do anything but drive from store to store.
“Ohmygodyes!” Ndari squealed as she leaned over Jaya to get a better look at the Tiffany and Co. jewellery store. “I definitely need a replacement tiara for the one that got stolen that time the cat burglar didn’t listen to instructions correctly.”
“And what do you need, Jaya?”
She swivelled her head to look at Ivan who was sitting across from her. His eyes were intent on her face and the tone of his voice was speculative. She lowered her lashes and glanced at his jacket and the bulge beneath where his gun was. He’d put his suit jacket on, covering his broad shoulders and the holster and weapon beneath while patiently escorting the women on their shopping spree. He looked relaxed, at ease, in the back of the car, but she knew he was ready for anything, including any move she might make to flee.
“I like to look at pretty things,” she told him, trying not to betray the excitement in her voice. “I rarely went out when I lived on my own. I would shop online and almost never spent money on frivolous items. I upgraded my computer systems, shopped for necessary items like clothes and food, and I bought state-of-the-art tech equipment, but almost never found the time to shop for girly stuff. I find… I like to look at pretty and expensive things. Who knows, maybe I’ll find something absurdly overpriced to spend your fortune on. Perhaps you’ll decide I’m not worth the effort of keeping around.”
“Hmm, I doubt it,” he said, his eyes lingering on her face. He turned to address the driver. “Pull over up here, we’re going to Tiffany’s.”
Ndari breezed into the store as though she’d been born and raised in a Tiffany’s. She snapped her fingers at one of the sales assistants and asked where they kept the tiaras. Keane found the security officer, had a brief chat and shortly thereafter helped the man clear the store of any other customers. Ivan took Jaya by the arm and steered her toward a case. She took one look, shook her head and backed up, completely forgetting her plan for a moment. She hadn’t been trying to get him into a jewellery store so they could peruse engagement rings together. He gave her another gentle tug forward.
“Just have a look,” he murmured for her ears alone.
She narrowed her eyes at him as she took a step toward the counter, glancing around them to make sure the exchange wasn’t witnessed. A salesperson hovered nearby but the icy persona Ivan projected stopped him from approaching. Smart decision.
“What part of our relationship makes you think we’re ready for engagement rings?” Jaya hissed sarcastically tugging on her arm. “The part where you lock me up in cages or dungeons on a regular basis, put electrocution bracelets on my wrists and tracking chips in my back?” She glanced around again to make sure no one was looking at them. “Oh, I know! It must be the part where you keep threatening me and calling it love or whatever twisted emotion your hideous brain thinks this is.”
His already cold grey gaze turned glacial and she shivered in his hold, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. But Jaya had never been one to keep her mouth shut. Mostly because she lived a solitary life and hadn’t learned the value of keeping silent around dangerous international arms dealers. And this one was beginning to look seriously pissed off. Well, if he didn’t like this part of the Jaya show, he was definitely not going to like act two.
He leaned closer, until his lips brushed the tip of her ear. She noticed he did that when he was mad and really wanted her to hear the terrible thing he was about to say. She flinched, but his grip on her arm became tighter and he pulled her closer into his chest. “Perhaps, it is the part of our relationship where I refuse to let you go.” He turned her in his arms until she was standing directly in front of the counter gazing down at row after row of indecently expensive sparkly diamond rings. “Ever.” He tapped the glass hard with his left index finger. “Pick something, Jaya.”
Jaya began sweating almost as soon as the rings came out. Not because of the symbolism, she could pretend the ring meant nothing to her. And since she was going to be long gone before it ever touched her hand, choosing one didn’t really matter. Not because of the price tags on most of the beautiful solitaire diamonds; she could afford any one or all the rings herself if she wanted them. Hell, she should choose them all just to spite Ivan and his evil plans. No, she was freaking out because she was about to throw her plan into action and she was completely terrified. She was losing focus, constantly glancing at Ivan while he was encouraging the salesperson to bring out more rings for her to try on.
The salesman made the mistake of mentioning that it was store policy to bring out only one ring at a time. Ivan lifted an eyebrow and said in an arrogant drawl, “Change the policy. I want to see all the rings. If you have a problem with that then I’d be happy to speak to the owner. Though I promise you, if Miguel is forced to speak to me at this time of night in Brazil, he’ll have your head.”
The man swal
lowed audibly and stammered something unintelligible while reaching hesitantly for another tray of rings. Ivan reached for the ring on the counter and pulled Jaya’s hand forward, pushing it gently on the third finger of her left hand. She glanced down at it. A shudder rippled through her frame as she stared at the huge gaudy diamond, set in a gold band and surrounded by two rows of tiny diamonds. She didn’t even have a chance to reject it before Ivan was pulling it from her finger and tossing it back on the counter.
“Next,” he said coldly.
“Jaya!”
She twisted around and glanced toward the back of the store where Ndari was trying on tiaras. Despite the anxiety flooding her system she couldn’t help but laugh at the woman. She’d shoved her head scarf back onto her shoulders and was now wearing a ridiculous amount of diamonds perched on her shiny sable head. It looked pretty funny with her rocker T-shirt and jeans.
“Gorgeous,” Jaya announced.
“Get your depressive ass over here and try on some crowns,” Ndari shouted turning back to the alarmed looking salesperson. “I think we will require a matching set. Or perhaps a best friend set. You know, like those friend bracelets where each friend gets half a heart and then we’re friends forever. Only with tiaras instead of bracelets. And not half a tiara, because I’m not willing to compromise and give up half my crown since I am, in fact, a real-life princess.”
Jaya burst out laughing and tugged at the hand that Ivan still had firmly in his grasp. He’d pushed another ring onto her finger. She didn’t even glance at him. Instead she said pleadingly, “Just for a minute, Ivan. I really think I want an indecently expensive best friend tiara.”
Something about the happiness shining in her gaze and her spontaneous smile must have swayed him. As though he knew he’d finally done something right in engaging a companion of an appropriate age and temperament. He nodded indulgently and released her hand, allowing her to cross the store. She held her breath half expecting him to follow her, the possessiveness he felt over her and his wariness of taking her out in public urging him to keep close, but he continued to linger over the engagement rings only his eyes following her as she crossed to stand at Ndari’s side.
She let out a slow breath and barely noticed as the other woman perched a jewel encrusted tiara on her head, chattering away while fluffing Jaya’s hair around her shoulders. “Absolutely perfect! Just look at you.” She spun Jaya around, nearly knocking her into the glass case until she was facing a long-suffering salesman who was helpfully holding up a mirror. “It’s not exactly the same as my tiara, but I think the sapphires in this one really bring out your skin tone.”
Ordinarily, Jaya would be enjoying herself while choosing outrageously priced, useless jewellery and sparring with Ndari but she had other things on her mind. Like calculating the exact distances between the security gates when she brought them down. She was nervous and unhappy and torn about the decision she felt she had to make. A part of her didn’t want to leave Ivan. Okay, a big part of her. But she knew she had to. She’d been trained for half her life to believe he was an evil villain and he’d done very little to prove otherwise. She believed he was becoming attached to her, and his attachment was intoxicating, but she owed her loyalty to someone else. With that last thought, she set her plan into motion.
She yanked the tiara from her head and said to the salesman, “I don’t like it, show me another.” When he reached for it she tossed it just out of his reach. His eyes popped wide in horror as the precious item sailed past his outstretched hand and hit the floor. Jaya barely stopped an eye roll from slowing her down. The jewelry was hardier than the glass cases they were showcased in. Which she fully intended to utilize to her benefit. The second he bent over she grabbed Ndari and yanked her around the counter with her, shoving her down. Then, before anyone could stop her, as all eyes in the store were now on her, she grabbed one of the smaller earring cases, picked it up and slammed it into the big display case, shattering the glass.
“Holy mother of all that is not good!” Ndari gasped, jumping back from the flying glass and covering her face.
Jaya let go of Ndari’s wrist, her eyes glued to Ivan as he lunged toward her, his face twisted in fury. He was too late. Security gates all around the store fell into place cutting them off. He was locked in the front of the store with a salesman and a security guard while Keane was locked in a separate section with another security guard. Jaya, Ndari and the other salesperson was at the back of the store behind the heaviest gate, locked in with the computer system, exactly where she’d been hoping to be.
The rest of Ivan’s security team were locked outside the store. She had to work fast if she wanted to escape before he managed to organize them. Men shouted all around her, but she ignored them, put her head down and worked, her fingers flying across the computer’s keyboard. She quickly and easily hacked into the Tiffany’s security system and made sure all access to the building was denied to Ivan’s men while checking on her own escape routes, then catalogued a plan B and C just in case she was cut off. She was in the process of hacking into the security systems for the other shops in the building when she was wrenched away from the computer. She lost her balance and fell hard against the counter, cutting her arm when she reached out, touching the jagged glass.
She looked up in surprise. She’d completely forgotten about the salesman. He’d jumped out of the way so quickly, she hadn’t thought him brave enough to step in when she began reigning chaos. He was frowning and wringing his hands at the mess she’d made, his wire-rimmed glasses askew on his long nose, his suit somewhat ruffled. She was about to slap him silly and get back to her hack job when a shot rang out. She shrieked and jumped back, slamming into a stunned Ndari as the salesman went down in a spray of blood.
Jaya whipped around to stare at Ivan whose gun was now aimed at the store security guard. The guard’s face was leached of all colour and he was holding his hands up, no weapons visible. Though the gates separated them, they didn’t stop bullets from flying around the store.
“No one touches her,” Ivan growled, his furious gaze still glued to Jaya. “Are we clear?”
No one answered for a moment as stunned silence continued to hold everyone immobile. Then Keane said, “Yes, boss.” He reached toward the shaking store security guard, who he was locked in with and took the gun from his holster. “I’ll just be taking this so you ain’t tempted.”
Ndari continued to clutch Jaya’s arm, her fingernails digging into the skin, her breathing harsh in Jaya’s ear. Jaya could feel blood dripping freely down her arm from where she was cut but she couldn’t seem to move. Couldn’t tear her eyes from Ivan’s cool, angry gaze. In one rash act she’d changed everything. Now there was nowhere to go but forward, because if he got his hands on her he was going to lock her up tighter than ever. Tracking chips, electrocution bracelets and armed guards would be the least of her problems.
“What next, Jaya,” he said coldly, setting his hands on the counter next to the engagement rings. The gun clicked as it hit the glass. She could almost see the vibration go up his arm as fury ripped through him, but he held it in check, knowing there was nothing he could do to her now while they were separated by the gates and he was unwilling to put a bullet in her. “It’s your move.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jaya ignored him and turned back to the computer, typing as fast as she could, knowing that she was losing precious seconds. Ivan was just as quick witted as she. The more time he had to work the problem, the less likely she would be able to escape. She glanced up to see him speaking rapidly into his phone, his voice short and clipped. Another glance through the Tiffany’s window showed his men separating, one going left and the other right to cover the other exits. It was a fair bet that he would have more of his men on their way from the high-rise.
“Oh my god, Jaya!” Ndari exclaimed weakly. “Look at your arm.”
Jaya didn’t respond, instead hunching her shoulders over the store computer. She pounded
her fist against the counter in frustration. “Come on you piece of shit!” She glanced at the other salesman, the one Ivan hadn’t killed yet. “Tell your boss, that guy Miguel or whatever, that he needs to upgrade your system. This one is slower than a turtle racing to its own death.”
The guy opened his mouth to respond, but when Ivan’s head swiveled toward him, he ducked behind the case of engagement rings and hid. Ndari pulled the scarf from her neck and began wrapping it around Jaya’s arm, tucking the ends in. Jaya ignored her, gritting her teeth against the pain as she continued to work. Seconds later she got what she wanted. A hiss sounded from above them and water began spraying all over the jewellery cases. She laughed out loud at her success, only mildly annoyed at how long it took to hack the system. She cocked her head to the side. Yup, she could hear screams and shouts coming from the other stores. She’d tripped the fire system across the entire building.
“Very clever, Jaya.” Ivan’s deep voice reached through the misty spray.
She glanced up and gave him a cocky grin. “Have a nice life, Ivan. Hopefully we won’t run into each other again.” She turned on her heel and sprinted for the side door that would now grant her access to the inside of the strip mall. She’d tripped the release when she hit the fire alarm. It was a safety precaution so no one would get trapped in a burning building.
“Don’t you touch that fucking door!” Ivan shouted after her. She heard the sound of shattering glass just as she rounded the corner to the back office and assumed he must have finally lost his temper.
She was reaching for the door when she heard Keane yell, “Go with her Princess and don’t you let her out of your sight.”
“Okay, but I refuse to take responsibility when she’s like this. Like a feral cat or something, you just can’t please her. I mean I thought the tiara looked amazing!”
Jaya peeked through the side door and didn’t see any of Ivan’s men running. She hadn’t expected them to be on the inside of the shopping centre anyway. He would have sent them to cover the back entrance, not expecting this escape route. She’d hadn’t seen it on the building blueprints but had been relatively certain it would exist when they’d passed the outdoor shopping centre. She’d helped Katie Pullman, cat burglar extraordinaire, and many others pull off enough heists that she knew how most buildings were set up.
Capturing Victory (Driven Hearts Book 3) Page 18