Capturing Victory (Driven Hearts Book 3)

by Nikita Slater

  “Do you know who I am?” Father demanded.

  “Borjan Tadic,” Ivan said without pause. “Born 1964. You were among the men that came to my town of Rekovi in 1992 and massacred 77 people, my family included. I returned the favour by killing yours. I’ve known who you were almost from the moment you started hunting me.”

  For a moment no one said anything as they absorbed the impact of Ivan’s words. Finally, Jaya whispered, almost to herself, “Borjan,” saying Father’s birth name out loud. Somehow it took away some of the impact of his importance. The man that had built himself a jungle compound and filled it with semi-loyal followers, then spewed his hate at them, insisting they follow him. Giving him a name took the teeth from his hate a little. His fingers tightened around her, as though it angered him to hear his given name on her lips.

  “If you knew who I was then why didn’t you kill me?” Borjan growled, anger making him careless as he pulled his gun from Jaya’s head and waved it toward Ivan. She edged her hands, which were still tied behind her back toward him and took a fistful of his shirt. He didn’t seem to notice. “If you’ve been tracking me all these years, why haven’t you brought me down sooner?”

  Ivan’s eyes glinted as his focus finally shifted away from Jaya for the first time since entering the hut. A savage note entered his voice when he responded and his accent became more pronounced. “Same reason you didn’t kill me on that rooftop. You’ll suffer more alive than dead. Every day you spend without your loved ones is one more day that I am victorious over you.”

  Jaya froze, her hands stilling in their quest to find Borjan’s bare stomach. She stared at the man she’d fallen helplessly and completely in love with. This was him, the vicious animal, the beast in all his glory. She was deeply and utterly glad he’d fallen in love with her, because she had no doubt that if he hadn’t she would be in little pieces by now, shipped back to the man now holding her, using her as both a weapon and a shield.

  Ivan spoke again, his stormy, ice cold gaze now returning to Jaya. “I give you one chance only, Tadic. Let her go. I intend that you die here today, but your manner of death is still in question.”

  “I don’t care about death,” Borjan snarled, spit flying past Jaya’s face to land on the ground in front of Ivan. “I will take her with me and enjoy the look on your face as she falls. I will gladly spill the blood of my adoptive daughter if it means crushing what is left of your soul. Fuck this mortal body. I don’t care what you do to it.”

  He lifted the gun against her head. Jaya pressed her wrists against the bare skin of his stomach and closed her eyes, waiting for the jolt. At least she hoped that’s what she was about to feel, because she’d take electrocution over a bullet to the head any day of the week.

  A powerful, sharp vibration hit her, stabbing her arms and running right through her body. Jaya’s knees gave out involuntarily and she tumbled to the ground at Borjan’s feet. Though she knew the electrical current had hit him too, he somehow managed to stay standing. Probably because he didn’t take the bulk of the electricity that Ivan hit them with. As she tumbled, Jaya’s head snapped back and she saw something fly over her head and bury itself deep in Borjan’s shoulder. She lay on the ground, still within reach. She tried to crawl away, but her limbs wouldn’t obey, Ivan had probably hit them with the maximum jolt of electricity the bracelets were capable of.

  Borjan hit the ground next to her, collapsing to his knees. She searched for his gun but didn’t see it. He must’ve dropped it when Ivan zapped them. She rolled her head up in time to see Ivan climbing to his feet and talking a step toward them, the dam finally breaking on the fury within.

  Borjan didn’t see Ivan, wasn’t looking at him, he was so intent on killing Jaya. So utterly focused on destroying the one thing Ivan loved. He crawled over top of Jaya and wrapped shaking fingers around her neck.

  “It’s over, Father,” she whispered.

  He didn’t even get a chance to tighten his fingers around her throat. Ivan stood behind him, looking down at Jaya over top of her captor’s head. He took the knife he’d thrown into Borjan’s shoulder and yanked it out. Blood sprayed across Jaya. She tried to turn her head to the side, but her head was being held immobile. Ivan lifted the blade and sank it into Borjan’s other shoulder, weakening his grip on Jaya.

  She wiggled in his arms, desperately wishing her hands weren’t tied behind her back, until his grip, weak now and slippery from blood, finally gave way. She crawled out from under him and sat a few feet away, hunched over and gagging. She spat out some blood, maybe hers, maybe Father’s. She looked over at the scene in front of her; Ivan standing over the man that had once rescued her from the streets of Mumbai. She could see Father’s fate written all over Ivan’s face.

  “Please, Ivan,” she begged, trying to plead for a swift death. “Please just finish it.”

  His gaze became glacial and she knew what his answer would be before he even spoke. “He took from me.” Ivan shoved the man away and knelt down next to Jaya. He took her chin in his hand and he ran a thumb over her bottom lip then her cheek, brushing gently over a tender spot. She couldn’t suppress a flinch. “He hurt you.” Tears filled her eyes and she met Borjan’s shadowed gaze where he lay on the floor watching the pair. “Now I’m going to hurt him more.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “I don’t understand,” Jaya whispered.

  She was standing in a gorgeous hotel room in Bangkok, wrapped in a big fluffy bathrobe, the horror of the past day having finally been washed from her skin. She gazed blindly out into the waking dawn of the city below not really seeing the splendor. Her brain was still frozen on the terrors of her kidnapping at Father’s hands, his death and their wild ride back through the rainy jungle at night. Ivan hadn’t wanted to linger in Father’s encampment after dispatching him. Though he hadn’t listened to her plea in regard to Father, Ivan had allowed some of her fellow disciples to live. The ones that had dropped arms and walked away from the conflict, agreed to train with Ivan and his men. Ivan had told Jaya if they survived training and he was convinced they weren’t brainwashed by Borjan, he would give them the same choice he’d once given Keane, employment or freedom.

  Ivan came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her against his solid heat. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, taking in his familiar, comforting scent.

  “What don’t you understand, sweetheart?” he asked, gently sweeping the wet strands of her hair aside and kissing the skin behind her ear.

  A shiver ran through her in response and her breath caught. She forced herself to step away from his seductive touch so she wouldn’t be distracted. She needed an answer. She turned to look at him. He was so tall, so solid. He was dressed in only his combat pants, having taken his shirt off and thrown it over a chair. Her chest ached with the knowledge that this beautiful, hard man loved her. That he would do anything to keep her safe. Except… would he?

  “If you always knew who Borjan was… why didn’t you go after him when you realized you l-loved me?” she had to force the words past stiff lips. She knew this conversation was important, but at the same time, part of her didn’t want to know. Not if he gave her the wrong answer. “Was playing with him, making him suffer just a little longer, that important? That you were willing to put my life in danger?”

  Pain blossomed in her chest. Two men had been willing to use her in revenge against each other. The thought was awful, untenable. She didn’t think she could survive knowing Ivan was willing to let her get hurt, or possibly even sacrifice her to Borjan. She’d wanted so badly to believe in all of Ivan’s words of love. But they meant nothing if he’d been willing to allow his enemy to live, putting her life at risk at the same time.

  Ivan turned Jaya in his arms. His grey eyes liquid as they looked down at her. “There is a very simple answer to your question, my love. I may have known who he was, but I didn’t know where he was.”

  “You didn’t?” she asked, surprised. �
�All these years, and you couldn’t find him?”

  Ivan shrugged. “He would come across my radar once in awhile, but no, for the most part, I had no idea. He kept himself well hidden. Who set up the electronic perimeter defences around Borjan’s encampment? Who installed his state-of-the-art security system? Who ensured that every time an interested enemy of Borjan’s went looking for him, they would think he lived first in China, then in Canada, then Australia… you get the picture.”

  “Oh!” she said, her eyes rounding. “I did that.”

  “Yes, you did,” he said, admiration clear in his voice. “And you did such an excellent job of his security that you frustrated my every attempt to discover his whereabouts over the years. About two years ago I’d decided that Borjan had become enough of a nuisance, that I was done keeping him alive for my amusement. I tried hunting him, but every time I turned around, I hit a digital roadblock. Then I became curious about the person setting up the blocks. Sweetheart, I didn’t know where to find him. If I knew, then the moment he became a threat to your life, I would’ve taken him out.”

  “Ivan…” she whispered.

  “I’m so sorry, Jaya.” His deep voice held a wealth of sincerity. “If I’d known you were going to get tangled up in my vendetta, if I’d known what you would come to mean to me, I would find a way to turn back time and change my decision to murder those people. I would have walked away from my burned-out village and dead family and found another way to survive the pain.”

  Jaya stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss against his chest. “Thank you for saying that. I believe if anyone could turn back time through sheer strength of will, it’s you.” She turned her head and listened to his heart beating against her ear. “I’m so sorry about your family, Ivan. If I’d known Borjan’s history, I probably would’ve handed him over myself.”

  Ivan hugged her close, tucking her into his body and enveloping her in his naked warmth. She sighed and pressed herself against him. Jaya had never felt safer in her life. She turned her face up and ran her lips along his jawline, kissing him whisper soft. She felt the clench of his biceps against her as he crushed her into his body, holding her so impossibly close she could barely breathe. She wasn’t going to complain. She loved his possessive need to keep her close. She’d grown up without a family, without connection and love. She trusted Ivan to give those things to her.

  “I need you, sweetheart,” he growled against the top of her head. “Need to feel you under me, around me.”

  Jaya’s body responded instantly, softening for his possession with wet heat. She licked him where she’d been kissing him. His fist clenched in the bathrobe at her back and he yanked, pulling it from her body. She started to stumble backwards at the force he used, but he grabbed her before she could fall and lifted her off her feet. Jaya gasped and gripped him tight around the neck.

  “Legs around my waist,” he ordered.

  “Okay,” she said breathlessly, wrapping her legs tight around him.

  She stared in helpless fascination at the way his arms bulged as they held her up. He backed her right up until her ass hit the window behind her. She squealed as the cold touched her bare skin and tried to arch away from it. He held her up with an arm around her waist, reached between them with his other hand and unzipped his pants. Jaya’s mouth began to water and she tried to lean forward so she could see his cock. He pushed her back with a hand between her breasts.

  “Don’t move,” he growled. His steely grey eyes burned into hers as he lined himself up with her dripping pussy and slammed himself home.

  Jaya cried out and arched her back, gasping at the sudden fullness inside her. He slid his hands underneath her, holding her up by the ass and giving himself leverage to slide even deeper. He growled and pushed her further into the unyielding window, not moving, just enjoying the feel of her sex clamped around his cock, taking him deep.

  “So fucking good, Jaya,” he said against the side of her head. “Could stay here forever.”

  She slid her fingers into his hair, touching the dark strands, caressing the skin of his neck. This man belonged to her, nothing could change that. He wouldn’t allow them to be separated.

  He began moving inside her, taking her with long, deep strokes that sent her senses reeling. Pleasure rocketed through her body as each stroke brushed against her clit and struck her g-spot. She dug her nails into his back and held on for the ride, giving herself up to him.

  Desire swamped her and she cried out. “I’m coming!”

  “Good girl,” he grunted, squeezing her tight.

  He slammed into her, taking her over the edge, revelling in her cries, praising her beauty, the way she looked as she came and everything about her. Jaya floated on a cloud of bliss as he continued to stroke himself within her dripping pussy. His cock flared hot and wide inside her and she screamed as another orgasmic wave took her.

  “Love you so fucking much,” Ivan growled against her, biting her shoulder. He came seconds later, his hot semen bathing the walls of her pussy while he held her tight in his arms. Before she could respond, he took a fistful of her hair, turned her face to his and kissed her hard, bruising her lips in a passionate kiss.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  One month later

  Jaya closed the book and set it on the table next to her lounge chair, her hand lingering for a moment. The dark, wild and tragic tale of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff still called to her even after she’d finished the story. A shiver of appreciation ran down her spine and she closed her eyes on a sigh. This was her second time through and this time she was able to absorb so much more from the story. The deep abiding passion of the characters, the rich scenery, the sense of mystery and awe surrounding the entire story. And though it had ended badly for some, it still finished on a positive note, finished with a love that had sprung out of hate.

  She stood up and gazed out at the sun setting on the city of Jakarta. In the past few days she’d begun hoping Ivan would agree to make their home here. She knew he was considering all the security angles. He thought the high-rise city setting was riskier than another island or a remote country somewhere off the grid. Jaya had argued that it would be easier from a work perspective if they stayed in the city. He’d given her ‘the look’ as she was coming to call it. Now that she no longer feared him, she just ignored it and did her own thing anyway. Which was picking up new jobs at will and playing with her internet friends.

  Ivan had tried to enforce his rule of picking and choosing her jobs for her, but since neither he nor any of his people came anywhere near her tech capabilities there was no way for him to know what kind of jobs she was accepting. He quickly became aware of her rule breaking when she had to sneak out of bed one night to do a particularly time sensitive job that was in a different time zone. Ivan had responded by taking away her laptop. Jaya had then stolen Keane’s smart phone and hacked into the penthouse security system, locking everyone in until Ivan promised to negotiate with her. Since then, she’d agreed to run her jobs by him as long as he agreed to allow her unilateral decision-making on which jobs she chose to take.

  “After all, I am a multi-millionaire,” she’d murmured against his lips, allowing him to wrap his arms around her when it looked like negotiations were going her way. “I’ve been taking care of myself for several years now.”

  “And look where that got you,” he pointed out, kissing her lips, then her nose and forehead.

  “Where?” she asked, breathless.

  “Kidnapped by a villainous arms dealer who caged you up and ravished you,” he growled, picking her up and striding toward the bed.

  She laughed as he dropped her and then came down on top of her. “Maybe so, but I’m happy with the outcome. And if this horrible crime lord arms dealer guy plays his cards right I might consider selling him some of my fancy hacking services.”

  He looked down at her, a frown creasing his forehead as though he were thinking about it. “I said vil
lainous, not horrible,” he finally said. “You need to get your terminology correct if you intend on getting that laptop back. Remember what happened to the last guy that made me an enemy.”

  She gasped and smacked his arm. “That’s so awful, Ivan! No wonder you never make jokes, you’re really bad at it.” She giggled and pulled his head down, meeting his lips in a searing kiss. Her heart soared, bursting with the freedom and happiness he’d gifted her.

  That conversation had been a few days ago and he’d given her laptop back. True to her word Jaya had told him of every job to come along and detailed the ones she intended to take. She’d enjoyed the look of astonishment he couldn’t quite conceal from her as she described the intricacies involved, the reason she didn’t take jobs for completely monetary gain. Sometimes she took jobs for political reasons, sometimes for charitable and sometimes for the sheer challenge. She felt gratified when she saw admiration reflected on his face.

  Since their discussion, Ivan had created an office work space for her right next to his, designed with only the basics. He’d explained that he wanted her to order exactly what she wanted in both tech and office equipment to make her office its most optimal for her use. She’d nearly started crying when he’d shown her. Instead, she’d slammed the door shut and thrown herself into his arms hoping he got the message. He did. They made slow, sweet love on the floor of her brand-new office. A place she’d always dreamed of, but never dared hope to have. A room filled with space and light and all the best and newest equipment. But best of all… the man she loved right next door.