by K. A Knight
I smash it shut and wince at how loud it was, and when the door doesn’t open, I open the second one more gently to find it empty. I head around the bed to the other side, and inside the top drawer I find some silk ties, a watch, and what looks like a Saint Christopher necklace. I don’t know why, but I pocket it. Maybe I can try and choke someone with it.
Shutting the drawer, I open the second one, freezing at the picture lying there. Looking back over my shoulder to see the door still closed, I pick up the old, wooden, hand carved frame. I spot the notches on the wood and the hand draw letters in pink glitter around the outside saying “Family.” The photograph itself holds my attention, it must be important, or whoever’s room this is wouldn’t have left this here.
There is a young man and a girl. He is taller than her, with blond, pushed back hair, scruffy almost. His bright green eyes are smiling and filled with happiness as he grins at the camera, his arm around the younger girl. Behind them is a cabin of sorts, but I can’t see much else. My eyes focus on the young girl. Unlike the man, she has red hair, long and super curly, but her eyes are as green as his and also smiling. A wide grin cutting across her cheeks, revealing dimples. They are related.
Brother and sister?
Who are they though? I hear a noise outside and drop it back into the drawer, shutting it and slipping off the bed before putting my back to the wall next to the window as the huge, old wooden door opens with a creak and the tumble of a lock.
My heart races and my hands shake as I wait nervously, but I sure as shit don’t expect the old-school butler that comes in. He frowns at me disapprovingly. “Miss, please get dressed, it is almost dinner.” He sniffs as if I should have known this.
“Dressed?” I echo, my voice scratchy.
He rolls his eyes in insolence and points helpfully at a dress I didn’t see before, lying across the end of the bed. “You have ten minutes, then please join the master downstairs in the dining room. He is waiting for your presence.” He turns and leaves, shutting the door but not locking it.
I rush to it and peek out into a candlelit hallway covered in more paintings. I see him disappearing around a corner and rush out, ready to escape before stopping. Fuck, Nadia, go, I urge, but I can’t. The master? What if he’s the man behind it all? It’s possible, he could also have bought me, but I doubt it. They wanted to know what I knew too much, so it would make sense they brought me to him...I will never know if I don’t go down there.
Plus, I’m betting they are watching and have security, especially if they are trusting me with an open door. No, it’s a trap. I backtrack into the bedroom and look at the dress he pointed out with a scoff. Who is the master? He sure as shit is rich and has expensive taste. I pick up the slinky designer dress and hold it in front of me. It looks like it will fit. It’s green, a deep one, the material silk and slipping through my fingers. It has spaghetti straps and will most likely cling to my body, cascading down to my bare feet.
Fuck it, it’s just a dress, it’s not like I have weapons or anything I can hide.
If it gets me on his good side, so be it. I might be able to get more out of him that way, and if not, then I’m sure I can find a way to piss him off without coming down in my dirty, leather trousers and sweat drenched top.
I kick off my clothes, keeping the necklace, and wrap it around the elastic of my thong before grabbing the dress and slipping into it. My ribs twinge at the action, reminding me they are still hurt. I reach up and feel the back of my head, which is sore, but it only hurts when I press there. I guess I got off lucky.
For a moment, a vision of Alisha pops into my mind, but I push it away. I can’t break down now, I need to stay strong, like Keanu told me. I know he’s coming for me, but I need to prove I can handle myself, otherwise our partnership is over. Throwing back my shoulders, I leave the bedroom, not skulking this time as I go the same way the butler did. I mean, who the fuck has a butler?
It leads to some stairs, a big winding set that when I peer over the bannister, I spot a large entryway with a huge front door. This place is massive, like a mansion. Fuck. It probably is a mansion. Guess the business of selling humans is worth a lot of money.
I take the stairs slowly, looking at the grandeur of the house. It’s beautiful, filled with artefacts, gems, and money, but knowing it all came from selling off those women makes it turn to stone as I watch. This luxury is paid for with blood money. It’s not beautiful, it’s greed.
When I reach the bottom, I pause, unsure where to go. There is a doorway to my right, it’s closed though, and one to my left. A hallway is tucked away behind the stairs with two suits of armour—what a rich prick. The front door calls to me, but I turn away and head to the left instead, which leads to a dining room, though I would classify it more as a ballroom.
A large table fills the middle of the room, with enough seats to easily accommodate forty guests with two big chairs at each end. It’s set with bowls, plates, cutlery, and wine glasses. Beyond it is another fireplace, a massive one framed by two huge arching windows, showing the night and beyond. To my left is what looks like room to dance and have a band, and to my right are shelves lined with books and a seating area with two sofas and chairs. The whole room is bigger than my house.
A man is standing next to a chair, his back to me. I take in his suit, which is rich and black, like the ones from the bedroom upstairs. His shoes are shined and polished, and every strawberry blond hair is perfectly in place. He is slim but clearly defined, his muscles pulling at the material.
I must make a noise, because he turns.
A charming, friendly smile is already in place, and he holds a wine glass delicately in his hand. It’s the man from the photograph upstairs, but older, his face...different. Colder, smarter...snakier. “Hello, Nadia, I’m so glad you could join me, please, have a seat, won’t you?”
“Who are you?” I demand, staying at the doorway, feeling very out of place in this blood-soaked, rich house. And this man…this is the man who runs it all? He looks like your boy next door all grown up. Not the man responsible for the death and selling of thousands of women. Not responsible for Alena...for Alisha and Sarah and Lea and Poppy.
He sighs but smiles at me, acting friendly. “I’m Elijah. I may call you Nadia, may I not?”
“Not,” I fire back, and realising he’s trying to play nice, I step closer and grab the wine out of his hand, sniffing it to see if it’s drugged.
“That’s the finest year of the—” He starts, but keeping my eyes on his, I toss it back without even tasting it before grabbing the bottle from the table, heading to the main seat at the end, and slumping there, watching him.
He turns with an amused smile on his face as he takes the seat next to me, on my left. He places a napkin on his lap and leans back. “You must be starving. I apologise for the hospitality so far.”
“Which part? Kidnapping me? Locking me up? Torturing me? Almost raping me? Killing my friend? Or are your sorrys as false as you? A show, an act?” I counter, not allowing him to brush it under the rug. I’m betting this man is used to never being spoken back to, never mind questioned. If the flare in his eyes is anything to go by, I would say I guessed correctly. His lips turn down as he stares at me.
“You must understand, business is business, Nadia. I had hoped we could have an adult conversation without having to get nasty...or resorting to other methods,” he explains, his tone disapproving, like he’s scolding a naughty child.
“This is your house and I’m your captive, but it doesn’t mean I have to play nice. Now, why am I here?” I snap.
“Would you rather be back there?” he asks cautiously, like observing a wild animal. I feel like one compared to him.
“Actually, yes, at least there I know what to expect, here...here it’s so fake. All snakes waiting to strike.”
He grins then. “And not to mention your young gentleman is back there,” he adds.
I turn rigid. I don’t mean to, but it’s too late, he n
otices. “Ah, yes, did you really think I wouldn’t know?” He tuts at me. “I know everything, I knew the moment he applied for the job. We hired him because of that, and when Mr. Lewis, or Jamie to you, brought you and your digging to our attention, I asked him to bring you in of course. I was curious who you both were. All I can find on your friend is a fake alias...a cover-up. I dug, of course, and all I got was one name...Spider.”
He stares at me, but I say nothing, so he carries on. “A name which holds fear and had every man I asked almost running away. He instils great loyalty and terror, but who is he? I did wonder, I tried to follow him, but he was too good for that.”
Shit.
“How did you know?” I ask, might as well go down swinging.
He grins. “A slip up, a man’s greatest weakness is his love and he let it blind him. You kissed him in one of the clubs I was actively using. I caught it on camera, I like to keep a check on some of my owners and it was sheer dumb luck I was watching that night. I thought nothing of it, I even turned my phone off until I heard he had disappeared. When I went back, you can imagine what I found on the feeds...nothing. Your man might be good, but he couldn’t do anything about live access and I never forget a face.”
Fuck, so it’s my fault he knows about him.
“He will kill you,” I warn and sip the wine, because damn, it’s seriously good wine and I have nothing better to do.
“He will try, but this is bigger than he even realises, and I have more connections and protections than he can ever imagine, Nadia. Plus, I think when faced with the humiliation of saving you and letting me walk free...he will pick love,” he reasons, as he starts to plate me some food before plating portions for himself.
“You’re wrong,” I scoff. “He won’t, he will kill you. He would never pick me, he doesn’t love me.”
“Ah, then you are foolish and that’s not something I thought you would be,” he answers, not looking at me as he takes a bite of what looks like chicken before dabbing his mouth with his napkin. “A man like him cares for no one, feels nothing...but you? He killed for you, he got sloppy...for you. He loves you and I’m going to use that. Everyone has a weakness, Nadia, and being aware of it means you can conquer all.”
“And what is your weakness, pride? No. Greed? Maybe, but I think it’s more,” I muse, as he sits back and watches me.
“Do tell,” he encourages.
“I think it’s a person. Like you said, love makes you blind...the question is, what happened to the red-haired girl? Your sister, correct? She has your eyes, very pretty. Did you kill her? Sell her?” I accuse, and his eyes crinkle in displeasure. Ah, he doesn’t like that, doesn’t like that I know about her.
“My sister is very much alive and well, I haven’t seen her in years,” he remarks, his voice faraway before he blinks. “Another case of love blinding you, it blinded her.”
“To what an evil prick you are!” I toast him with the bottle.
“No, to the man who destroyed everything she held dear,” he counters, and then seems to close the subject. “Your man will be here soon, you were asleep for a few hours. I have watched him carve a destructive path across my business during that time. When he comes to save you, I will kill him while you watch, and then I am afraid no matter how much I enjoy your company, I must kill you too. Business.” He shrugs, an elegant lift of his shoulders.
“Business.” I nod. “It won’t be when he kills you, it will be personal.” I grin.
“Blind faith, Nadia, I expected more. I hope you still have it when you face the end.” He begins to eat again and I go quiet, snaking my hand onto the table and grasping the knife there. I lean forward, putting the bottle down, and pretend to start eating, but instead I lift the knife and plunge it towards him. No matter the cost, I won’t let him kill Keanu.
Even if it costs me my life, I will save him from watching me die. He wouldn’t survive it. Not after his mother and father.
Elijah looks up and I gasp as his hand darts up lightning fast and grips my wrist, stopping its downward swing, the knife glinting between us as he purses his lips and tuts, his eyes alight with excitement. He’s enjoying this. “That wasn’t smart, Nadia,” he tells me, before twisting my wrist, making me gasp and loosen my hold on the knife.
He takes it and wipes his mouth, standing up and looking at me. “I was going to simply kill you, but now I think I will make it hurt for your rudeness. On your feet or your knees?” he inquires.
Grabbing the bottle under his watchful gaze, I guzzle as much as I can before wiping my mouth and getting to my feet to face him. He nods in respect.
“Then let us begin,” he declares casually.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Keanu
He screams as I stab him in the heart. Getting to my feet, I face down the three remaining guards, the others’ bodies littering the ground behind me.
“Where did you take her?” I ask calmly, even as a storm rages inside me.
“Fuck you!” one spits, and comes at me. I knock his knife away and smash my elbow into his face. As he stumbles, I twist his arm behind his back and break it, making him drop the knife before I snap him back and stab him in the throat.
Pulling my knife free, I turn with him, using him as a shield as one of the others fires at us. When he runs out of bullets, I throw my human shield at them. They both fall backwards, and I use that, grabbing one of their discarded guns, firing as I walk. Stepping over their bodies, I add another shot to their brains just to be safe.
The hallway, where I saw Razor run when the fighting started, is just up ahead, and I prowl there now. In the dark, my gun before me, I check each open cell before reaching the end, where I find him.
He has a gun to the youngest girl’s head—the pussy. He opens his mouth to talk, but I shoot without letting him, and it hits him in the hand and the gun clatters to the floor. He screams, so does the girl.
“Wait outside,” I instruct them, and the older one grabs the younger girl and the other woman, and drags them out of the cell as I face off with the recovering man.
We start to circle each other. I hold my hands at my sides, ready for whatever he does. He doesn’t get to die quickly, not after the way he touched my girl. No, it’s going to hurt. He might think he’s the biggest monster here, but he’s wrong, the biggest monsters hide in plain sight.
Like me.
“Your little bitch loved the pain,” he snarls, but I ignore his barbs. “Fucking wanted me, almost begged for my cock like the slut she was.” He laughs, but when he sees I have no reaction, he frowns and comes at me instead, obviously tired of waiting.
We move in a flurry of fists. I duck under his punch and smash mine into his ribs, and I hear them crack as he gasps. I bring my knee to his cock and he falls to the floor, so I step back and let him get up before we go again.
He grabs his gun and tries to shoot, only to find himself out of bullets, so instead he whips me across the face with it, my head jerking to the side. I lift my hand, dabbing at the blood as I turn cold eyes back to him. Smiling, I give up playing, and I show him exactly how big of a monster I am.
I grab his hand, snapping his wrist, then the other as he falls back, trying to clutch them. Running at him, I leap, grasping his head between my knees as I fall back to the floor, taking him with me. Rolling away as he groans, I bring my elbow down on his face, breaking his nose as he starts to choke on his own blood. I slam it down on his eye, hearing it crack, that’s for my girl.
Standing up, I circle him like a bug under my shoe. I pick up my knife again as I crouch at his feet. “Tell me where you took her and I will make it quick,” I offer.
“Fuck you,” he swears, so I bring the knife down into his knee, plunging it there before yanking it out, careful to miss the arteries.
“One more time, where did you take her?” I demand, and when he doesn’t answer, I stab the other knee. He starts to pass out, so I slap him. “Stay with me, where is she?”
“Boss wan
ted her. Knows who you are.” He groans in pain, his eyes fluttering.
“Where?”
“You’ll let me live?” he begs, fear in his eyes.
I just stare and he nods. “Oak House, Crescent Way.”
“Thank you.” I nod. “But I have a debt to settle with you.” I plunge the knife into his genitals. He screams and jerks before passing out. I pull out the blade and watch as he starts to bleed profusely. I nicked the artery, he will die in pain.
Standing, I pocket my knife and look up to see Lea at the door. She glances from Razor to me. “We didn’t want to leave without you, do you know where they took her?” I nod. “You going to get her?” she asks, and I nod again. “Good. Kill them all.”
I follow her out, finding Sarah sobbing into Redmond’s chest in the main entryway. He has a large lump on his head, I’m betting from when he tried to stop them from taking Nadia or hurting his girl. I clap him on the back, and he lifts his head, his eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop them.”
“It’s okay, I’ll get her back, she’s strong. Take them home?” I request, and he nods, wrapping his arm tighter around Sarah as he leads the girls from the warehouse. I remain, standing in the destruction left behind.
Pulling my phone free, I send the location to Donald. I hear it ringing, but I ignore it. He might be my boss, but the fucker has my girl, and I’m going to get her back.
The address leads to a mansion on the rich side of town. I should have expected that. I know they will be able to see me coming, I don’t have the element of surprise on my side. I do, however, have my emergency laptop in my car, and I manage to get into the electricity feed and shut it off on a timer for when I get inside.
I don’t let myself think about what might be happening to her right now, I can’t, I’ll deal with it when I find her. For now, I need my calm, my cold. I need to kill them all, for her, for all of the women.