by Belle Aurora
I needed to have a care here. Figure out what he wanted and do what I could to appease him. My late nights watching true crime had taught me that being taken to a secondary location would likely mean the only way I’d be coming home was in a body bag.
In an unconscious move, my hand went to my belly.
This whole scene was unfavorable. I watched him bite into his sandwich. He hadn’t taken his eyes off me ’til now. Surprise took hold when his hard gaze landed on Anika, and I shit you not, it softened some. His tone gentled, and he asked, “How you doing, princess?”
Anika’s eyes shot to mine, then back to him, and my chest ached at the familiarity between them.
Her low and emotionless “Roam” was all she responded with.
My brow lowered.
Excuse me?
Numbness seeped into my pores, oozing through me until I felt nothing at all.
They knew each other.
How did they know each other?
“Why are you here?” I asked in a remarkable calm I did not feel. Right now, with the way he was looking at my friend, the need to garner his attention took precedence. Anything to have him stop looking at her like he was hungry and she was the only thing he wanted to eat. “Can I help you with something?”
And when his eyes sliced back to my face, it burned holes into me. “As a matter of fact, you can.”
The way he said it, with undertones of desire and carnage, had my mouth drying, and suddenly, I didn’t want the attention anymore.
He stepped toward me, and my spine turned rigid. My focus shifted when a body obstructed his path. Anika moved to stand in front of me like a shield of flowers facing a fire. Her hands balled into fists, and her voice shook. “Roam, leave her alone.”
This man, this Roam, he looked at her as though she were a walking, talking seraph. It was clear he was enamored. But he also was a man about his business, and her plea went unheard.
“I’m afraid I need to make a point, sweet Anika. A big one. And that requires the right incentive.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Also, what did it have to do with me?
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her expression pleading, her bewilderment evident. She sounded frustrated as hell when she let out a quiet, “Why can’t you just leave us alone?”
Her question reverberated in my head. I heard it over and over again.
Goddammit, Ani.
One thing was clear. Anika knew more than I did, and I didn’t exactly appreciate the naïve, unknowing position I was put in.
Roam looked away a moment in annoyance, licked his lips, then returned his midnight gaze to her. “That’s not how this works. I want what was promised to me, and I was promised an obedient soldier, one I intend to work to the bone. This isn’t a job at Walgreens, princess. You don’t just get to quit. You don’t get to walk away.” His jaw steeled. “Not unless you’re crawling on broken legs.”
A soldier.
My stomach twisted as recognition began to dawn, the pieces of the puzzle coming together, snapping in place and with it, dread vibrated through my chest.
As he moved to step forward, toward me, Anika threw her hands out to stop him and rushed out a shaky, “What do you want? I know how you work. I’ll negotiate with you.” He was already shaking his head regrettably, and Anika stepped closer, shooting out a panicked, “I-I’ll go with you. I’ll do what you want. We get along, don’t we?” Her breathing turned heavy, and her hands shook in unease. “This has nothing to do with her. I’ll go willingly. You’ve done it before. Take me.” She ended on a small, “I’ll be good.”
What she said took root in my mind and began a slow crawl down my spine.
He’d done it before? He’d taken Anika?
Oh no. This was not good.
My head spun with this information.
At her last declaration, he stilled. I was amazed to find he looked as though he was actually thinking it over. But then the moment ceased, and he ultimately said, “You’re right, we do get along, you and me. I’m not above admitting you tempt me, but—” His tone was almost penitent after a brief pause. “—you just don’t have what I need, princess.”
I saw the exact moment her panic turned to sheer desperation.
“She’s pregnant.”
My stomach twisted. “Anika!”
You goddamn snitch.
I twisted to face her, my expression one of utter disbelief.
How could she?
She promised.
Anika’s chin dipped, and when she lifted her face to me, it was one of pure misery. Her whispered apology broke my heart. “I’m sorry.”
Roam’s brow creased. He stared at me a long moment, then scrutinized my fairly flat stomach before those dark eyes went to Anika, and he uttered a cool, “Whatever game you’re playing at, I suggest you stop.”
Wait a second.
Was it just me, or did he sound hesitant?
Oh my God.
Hope flared. It was working. This was working.
Without a care for my safety, I rushed out, “It’s true. I am.”
“Bullshit” was what he spat, but there was a suggestion of uncertainty in his expression.
Anika’s eyes widened as she lost focus and let out a hushed, “The bag.” She lifted her head and said, “The bag.” Turning to the goon closest to us, she pointed to the bags we brought in and all but demanded, “Look in the blue bag.”
I held my breath.
The goon scrutinized us a long moment before looking to his boss and awaiting his order. With a curt nod, Roam’s lips thinned, and the goon brought the bags to the counter and turned them over with a rude shake.
Roam sifted through the mess with a glower until Anika saw what she was looking for and pointed out, “The yellow one.”
Roam put his fingers to the small garment, holding it up, and even amongst all the shit we were in, my heart melted.
It was a long-sleeved onesie. It was a pastel yellow, and it had bumblebees on it. It was so little and so sweet. A gift for my baby. And I loved it.
The bridge of my nose tingled with unshed tears.
Jesus. Get a grip.
This pregnancy foolishness had me a mess.
Although Roam hesitated, he uttered, “This doesn’t mean shit.” His eyes narrowed on Anika. “For all I know, it could be yours.”
What Anika responded with rocked me so hard my head rattled.
Anika’s stance grew rigid. Immediately, she returned a stony, “Yeah, I’m infertile.” And my heart stopped altogether. She glared at Roam as she clarified slowly, as if she were explaining it to an imbecile, “That means I can’t have children.”
The words came out firmly but pained, and the breath that left me was light but full of sorrow. My brow dipped as I swung my head to look at her, my lips parting at the devastating news.
The pressure in my head increased until I felt I might pass out from it. My chest ached as betrayal lit heavy in my soul.
Great. Yet another thing I hadn’t known. Just how many lies had I been told? How many secrets were being kept from me? I was tired of this. So tired.
A feeling akin to grief suddenly weighed me down, and as I blinked at the woman I called my friend, I wondered if I ever really knew her at all.
Then, suddenly, my mind rewound, back to Dr Henley’s office, to how desperately the doctor had tried to get Anika to stay. She begged Anika to spare her a moment. My guess was to talk, presumably about her options.
My gut clenched with the realization that Anika had battled all of this on her own. And it broke my heart that she felt she had to.
Right. So, Anika wasn’t sick. But as it turned out, she was mourning. And I suddenly understood why she was so excited about this baby. It would be the closest she would ever get to having her own.
The hurt I felt dulled a notch, but the ache remained.
Roam’s suspicious eyes swept over me as a whole, and when he uttered a bored, “Co
ngratulations. Now I have two incentives for Viktor to comply,” my stomach dipped painfully when it finally dawned on me.
Of course.
This was him. The guy. The guy from the upper east side. The guy who was feeding Vik rough work. And now, he was a guy who apparently had plans for me.
A sudden rush of hate filled me as I ground out, “He doesn’t know. I haven’t told him yet.”
Laughter rumbled out of his chest as he lowered his head. Hate filled my heart. I was so glad he found this amusing. He then shook his head, took another bite of his sandwich, and spoke around his mouthful. “Wow. You dames are something. That’s perfect. I love it.”
Knowing what was coming, Anika stipulated, “If you take her, you’ll have to take me too.”
And Roam… well… that was the precise moment he had enough.
Throwing his sandwich down onto the counter with a slap, the tall man advanced. His jaw tight, he started for her. My feet began to move to shield her as she had me, but his arm shot out, and a hard shove had me stumbling into the table, hitting my side with a wince, my hip throbbing. I watched in wide-eyed terror as he backed a petrified Anika right into a wall. Pressing the hard barricade of his body into hers, he lifted his hand and ran his knuckles gently across her cheek. She swallowed hard, turning away from his touch, rejecting it.
Roam did not like that.
The expression he wore was one carved in granite. Cold and resolute. He gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and jerked it up, forcing his glacial gaze on her.
He spoke in deathly quiet. “I think it’s cute you think you have some kind of hold over me, princess, but I’m going to lay this down right now so you don’t misunderstand me. Your one and only appeal to me is the sweet-tasting fruit between your legs. We both know that if I wanted you that night, I could have had you.” His lip curled a second before he stated, “But I don’t. Your desperation is wafting under my nose, and it stinks. The charm of your loneliness was fleeting. You’re a pretty woman, but your mouth is going to get you into a lot of trouble. Don’t push me, Anika, because I—” He tightened his grip on her, causing her to flinch. “—push back.”
Anika trembled, and the fear in her eyes spoke volumes. She didn’t know where to go from here, and when her frightened eyes searched for me, my decision was cemented. Seeing my oldest friend in the grasp of this psycho was all I could take.
I didn’t have much of a choice here. And even if I did, I would make this one over and over again to see her out of harm’s way.
Holding my tender hip, I panted out, “Let go of her.” Roam held Anika’s chin firmly in his large hand but twisted back to look at me. Shit, my leg ached. I bit down the pain, hobbling forward, then stating, “I don’t know what you think you’re going to achieve by taking me, but if you really feel married to your task, I’ll go with you freely. Eagerly.” My eyes found Anika’s and turned sad. “But not if you hurt her.”
Roam’s grip on Anika’s chin loosened, and when his hand fell from her, she immediately put her hand to her jaw, massaging out the soreness with a grimace. When she spoke next, it came out a croak. “Nas, no.”
“It’s okay,” I said to Anika but held Roam with a stern stare. “He’s not going to hurt me. He knows better.”
Roam’s eyes narrowed on me before a sly smile stretched his lips ever so slowly. “Do I, now?”
My stomach clenched harshly.
I could only hope.
You are my daughter.
The faint whisper echoed through my mind, only instead of feelings of guilt and fear lighting deep inside my gut, a slow spread of impudence spanned from my chest outward.
I was a Leokov. Raised by wolves. Brought up with criminals, thugs, and murderers. Witnessed death firsthand. This man was just another obstacle. There was nothing he could do to me that I hadn’t already experienced. He may not know it at this moment, but he would learn.
I was an old oak standing tall in a storm. Strong and unyielding.
Logically, if he wanted to abduct me, there was little I could do about that. I was unarmed, outnumbered, and outmaneuvered. But I could do something. I could protect my friend by giving this man what he wanted. I could hold onto my dignity and grace and walk out of this house on my own two feet with my head held high. I could give the illusion of cooperation, thus keeping myself as safe as I could in this asshole’s grip. And that was exactly what I planned on doing.
All right, you fucker. Let’s do this.
My hand went to my stomach, and there it stayed. “I’m ready.”
Roam seemed pleased by my graceful surrender. Anika did not. She shook her head and closed her eyes in silent prayer. And just as Roam stood to move away from my friend, he stopped and held out his hand to her. She stared down at it in confusion until, finally, he stated, “I’m going to need your phone.”
She looked to be weighing her options, and my gut pitched when she blatantly lied, “I don’t have one.”
Roam snuffled out a laugh, but there was nothing funny about it. He jerked his chin toward the place where our bags had fallen, and one of his trusty goons went to it. Our skeletal friend threw the bag upside down, and the contents spilled out onto the floor. The knot in my stomach eased when I noticed there was no phone in sight.
Roam blinked down at the mess of receipts, gum, and tampons. And Anika swallowed hard before letting out a weak, “See?”
He wasn’t a stupid man though. So, when he put his hands to Anika’s waist and spun her unceremoniously, she tried to stop him with an indignant, “Hey!”
But Roam was bigger and stronger than her in every which way. The breath was almost knocked out of her when he put his hand to her back and pushed her the short distance into the wall. She hit it with a light thud. With her palms against the cool brick, Roam placed his hands onto her back and began the slow decent down, searching for the device. My anger ignited when those large hands stilled over her ass and squeezed hard enough to make her flinch. He swept over the rest of her body quickly before spinning her again, looking her dead in her anxious eyes, and put his hands to her shoulders.
“If you want to tell me something, now is the time.”
There was a warning somewhere in that hush, and when she didn’t respond, he took in a deep breath and started his examination. The moment he reached her breasts, he stilled, and a knowing look crossed his face while Anika lowered hers to his chest, unable to look into his eyes.
With a steadiness that begged her to protest, he reached under her shirt, and Anika’s eyes snapped shut. He didn’t dawdle this time. His hand appeared from under the hem of her blouse, and in it, Anika’s phone. Her shoulders slumped. She looked so defeated.
A slight smile pulled at Roam’s full lips as he openly mocked her.
“See, now this is why we would never have worked out, princess.” He shook her cell lightly in her face, and her jaw hardened in time with her gaze. Roam then leaned in to speak a slow and hostile, “No trust.”
The darkness in his eyes returned. He lifted the phone and, with terrifying ease, snapped it in two, letting the broken pieces fall to the ground at her feet.
Holy shit.
He really was a lunatic.
Roam stepped away from her, moved to face me, and his expression completely changed. Now light and easygoing, he checked his watch again and said, “It’s time to make a move. Let’s go.” He peered down at me and uttered a cool, “I’m going to ask you for your phone now, and in the hopes of avoiding any awkwardness between us, perhaps you’ll use better judgement than your friend and simply tell me where it is.”
With a quiet sigh, I gave in. “My purse, in the zipped pocket.”
A skull-faced goon retrieved it, and Roam surprised me by placing it in his pocket intact.
With a bored glance at the display of his cell, he spoke impassively, “Don’t take this the wrong way, princess, but I don’t trust you. And because of that small detail, I can’t leave you here as you are. My b
oys are going to zip-tie you to—” He looked around the room before settling on my dining area, pointing to a specific chair. “—that.” Just when she looked to protest, he cut her off with a severe look. “And you are going to let them, or we”—his tone lowered—“are going to have problems.”
Anika held his gaze a long moment before her chin lifted and she moved, sitting herself down in the chair, allowing the thugs to circled her wrists and feet with thick black cable ties.
When Roam was satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere, he didn’t even spare me a glance as he began to walk out of the kitchen and toward the front door. “Come along, Ms. Leokov.”
Anika and I shared the same look of utter hopelessness. She attempted a smile, but it came across desolate. And when Roam’s goons surrounded me, I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Without looking back, I walked the hall, out the door, and approached the indistinct black SUV Roam was waiting by. He held the door as I climbed in. He took the seat beside me, and not a moment later, the car was moving.
And when Roam turned to me with something in his hands, I balked. Wearing a cruel smirk, he uttered a deliberately unkind, “I’d like to say I’m not enjoying this, but knowing how much you hate me right now… knowing you’re hostile… knowing you’re at my mercy—” He placed the canvas sack over my head, leaned in close, and when he spoke quietly into my ear, I got chills. “—it makes me harder than a fucking rock.”
My stomach twisted, and Roam chuckled low, knowing exactly what he was doing to me.
With every second that followed, it became harder and harder to breathe. But I wouldn’t let it show.
No.
I had bigger things to worry about.
31
Anika
It had been over an hour since Roam had taken Nastasia. As I stared blankly down at the front steps, I contemplated how I was going to do this.