by Nicole Fox
I decide to abort the mission and get out, but as I step out of the seat, my leg knocks a metal key off a ledge and onto the floorboard. I bend down to pick it up and realize it’s the key to the helicopter. Without thinking, I grab it and shove it into my pocket.
I glance through the side window to find the pilot smoking next to the railing, and realize with a start that he isn’t there. Spinning my head in a quick circle, I look for him, only to see the man waiting for me on the deck.
“What in the hell are you doing in my helicopter?” he demands, eyes narrowed.
He is older than me for sure, but we’re roughly the same size. He has on a pair of jeans with a tan windbreaker. I can tell he’s a fit man.
“Oh, I’ve just always liked them, and I wanted to check it out.” The lie is thin, and I can see he doesn’t buy it.
“Bullshit.” He steps back from the door and gestures for me to get out and follow him. “Come with me. I’m taking you to Elena.”
I lower my head and nod, stepping down from the helicopter, pretending that I intend to follow his orders and come quietly.
As soon as my feet are on the deck, however, I lunge forward and wrap my arms around the man’s neck.
He shouts in surprise, but the noise is muffled as my grip on his neck tightens. We both stumble backward and the man swats at me with his hammer-like fists. The blows are bearable, but they knock the wind from me, and I gasp for breath.
The pilot spins hard in one direction, shaking me loose from his neck. I’m back on him in an instant, but it’s still enough time for him to reach into his pocket and pull out the knife he has there.
I feel the pressure of the blade tearing through my jacket before I feel the sear of pain across my ribs.
He stabbed me, but I can’t think about that now. If I don’t kill him, he’ll tell Elena and Devon about the incident and it won’t take long before they realize who they’re looking for.
I ignore the burning in my side and grab the man’s hand, squeezing his fingers to try and loosen his grip on the knife. He is fighting hard—we both know this will be a fight to the death—but the knife clatters to the deck, and I quickly kick it out of his reach.
The pilot is preoccupied with the knife, desperately fighting to get it back, and when he bends down to try and crawl towards the helicopter, I jerk my knee up hard into his chin.
I hear his teeth crack together and watch his eyes roll back in his head. I repeat the move a second time, and he slumps to the deck, limp and lifeless.
Dragging his body to the railing is more difficult than I imagined and it takes much longer than I’d like, but luckily, no one else makes a surprise appearance.
When I get to the railing, I drag him up by the armpits until he’s half resting on my body. Then, I readjust my hold and haul him up until he’s standing at his full height. From there, it’s relatively easy to tip him over the railing and let gravity do the rest of the work.
His body falls into the ocean with a splash, and I jog down the side deck towards the opposite side of the ship as fast as I can.
I’m out of immediate danger, but the helicopter and the missing pilot are a ticking time bomb now. As soon as Elena and Devon realize the pilot is missing, it won’t be long until they begin searching for the person responsible.
I need to find a way to get Courtney and the girls off this ship.
Now.
13
Courtney
The door to the container opens so quietly I almost don’t hear it. I sit up and see a dark shadow moving towards me. Only when it gets close do I realize who it is.
Elena.
This is the first time I’ve seen her in the flesh, though I’ve seen pictures of her before. Dmitry had a few of her and Rurik in his office before Rurik betrayed him.
Then, I see Olivia in her arms.
She turns towards me, her wide blue eyes blinking in the darkness. “Mama.”
My heart breaks, and I try to reach for her, but Elena steps back and out of my reach. She wraps her arms around Olivia and pats her back, soothing my daughter to sleep on her shoulder.
“I’m sure that will fade over time,” Elena says softly. “One day, she won’t remember you at all.”
My hands shake with unspent rage, but I can’t do anything to her while she’s holding my daughter. Or while my other daughter is lying asleep at my side.
“What do you want?”
“To see you,” Elena says simply. “I wanted to see the woman at the center of it all.”
She nods her head to Sadie. “I suspect this is the poor girl who got involved with my Devon.”
“You’re both monsters. Why would you hurt innocent people if you’re angry with Dmitry?”
“Clearly, you were not born into this world, Courtney. If you were, you’d know that the best way to injure someone is to go after those they love.” She looks down at Olivia and smiles. “That is why I’ve always limited the people I love. Kept them few and close. Rurik. Devon. But now Rurik is gone and Devon won’t be long for this world.”
I wrinkle my brow. “What does that mean?”
“You call him a monster,” she says. “I call him a pet.”
I shake my head. “He’s your son.”
“Yes, and he has served his purpose.” Elena strokes a finger across Olivia’s cheek. “The drugs are wearing on his mind. I haven’t dosed him in almost two days, and yet, he’s erratic.”
I haven’t seen Devon since before we got on the ship. I didn’t notice anything special about his behavior then, though I’ve always found him to be compulsive and thoughtless. “Dosed him with what?”
Elena sighs like she’s growing bored of talking to me. “This is a man’s world. They want a woman to come home to and keep their bed warm, but they rarely respect your opinion. I didn’t want my son to be that way. So, I helped … awaken his senses to my persuasion.”
“You drugged him?” The idea of drugging my own child feels unthinkable. I could never … would never. “How could you do that?”
“To help him,” she says sincerely. “Without it, he would have wanted to go out and explore the world, to leave his mother behind. He would have wanted to be part of this world that, as you are learning now, can be so very cruel. I protected him. I kept him with me, where he was safest.”
“You broke him.”
She smiles. “The world would have broken him long before now, so I think I’ve done him a favor. However, his time is running short, so I think it may be time for a replacement.”
“Don’t you dare hurt her,” I growl, my voice deeper than I’ve ever heard before. I barely recognize it. “If you hurt a hair on her head, I will kill you.”
Elena shrugs. “If given the chance, I think you’d kill me whether I hurt your daughter or not.”
“True,” I admit. “But if you hurt her, I will make it excruciating for you. You’ll wish you were high on whatever you’ve got Devon on. You will beg for death and when you do, I’ll keep you alive a little longer, drawing the torture out until death is a sweet reprieve.”
Elena stares at me for a moment and then smiles, amused. “You’re a real treat. I see why Dmitry settled down with you. Too bad things didn’t work out for you crazy kids.”
She shrugs again, as if there is nothing that could be done about the dissolution of our family, and turns to leave.
“Just end this now,” I say, though I know it will do no good. “Let us go and be done with it.”
She bobs her head from side to side like she’s considering it and then wrinkles her nose. “No thanks. I think I’ll see this plan through to the end. Sweet dreams.”
Tati wakes just as the container door is closing, and I soothe her back to sleep. There is no rest for me, however, because the door is suddenly opening again.
Tati is no longer lying on my lap, so I roll onto my feet and crouch down, ready for whatever is to come. Or whoever.
If I’ve learned anything being stuck in this co
ntainer on this ship, it’s that anything can happen.
It could be the Tiger here to sell me to a horny sailor, Elena back to rub my face in the fact that she has my child, or Devon coming around to make his presence known. It has been a while since he has tormented anyone, so he might miss the taste of it.
The door opens only a crack, allowing in a sliver of the dark sky beyond, and a large shape slips into the container.
It isn’t Elena, I know that.
The figure creeps forward slowly, taking slow, quiet steps. Whoever it is, they don’t want anyone to know they’re here.
My heart rate ratchets up. I don’t know whether to raise the alarm or not.
“Courtney?”
I gasp and jump to my feet, throwing myself at him. I bury my face in his neck and take in deep, greedy breaths of him.
“Dmitry.” I kiss his neck and circle my arms around him. “What are you doing here? Why are you here?”
He grabs my hips and holds me away from him, studying my face. “I’m here for you. I told you I’d tell you as soon as I had a plan. And well, I have one … kind of.”
“What is it?”
“Where’s Tati?” he whispers. As soon as he sees her lying on the floor, he takes a step towards her, but I shake my head.
“She doesn’t know you’re here yet, and she’s sleeping. She needs the rest.”
“Is she still sick?” he asks.
“Better, but not much. I don’t want to excite her before I know what we’re doing.” I grab his hand and pull him towards the door. “Is it safe to leave the container? Just for a little bit?”
Dmitry answers by pulling me outside and closing the door behind us. “I had a drink with the Tiger below deck and drugged his drink with some pills I stole from the infirmary. I don’t know exact dosages, but I’d guess he’ll be down for an hour at least.”
“Is that enough time for your plan?” I ask. “What is your plan?”
“I know how to contact the Bratva, I know where you and Tati are being kept, and I know where Olivia is,” he says. “I have all of the pieces, so all that’s left is to put them together.”
“Then let’s do it,” I say. “What are we waiting for? Where is Olivia?”
“We have to find her just before we leave,” he says. “They’re watching her more closely than anyone, so they’ll know something is wrong if she goes missing.”
“What if we can’t? What if they have her too well hidden or she isn’t where you expect her to be? We can’t leave her for the last minute or everything could fall apart.” Of course I want to escape. I want to get off this boat and back to my house and my life. But now that we’re really talking about it, it’s a huge risk. We could all end up dead. We could be putting our children in danger.
“We don’t have another choice.” Dmitry’s words silence all of my doubts.
He is right. There is no other option.
“I just wish this was over,” I say, laying my head on his chest. “I’m so tired.”
Dmitry wraps his arms around me and smooths his hands down my back. “I know. It will be over soon.”
No matter the outcome, it will be over soon. Either we’ll escape and be on our way to freedom, or our plan will be thwarted and we will be killed. Honestly, if we’re lucky, they will kill us.
The thought does little to give me comfort.
This could be the last time I see Dmitry. The last time I feel the warmth of him leaking into my skin. The last time I can look into his pale blue eyes and run my fingers across his tan skin.
I pull back and look into his face, my fingers brushing over his blond beard. “I love you.”
He pushes my hair back from my face. “I love you, too.”
When he leans down to kiss me, I fall into it with everything I have. I kiss him as if it’s the last time—because it may very well be.
The thought encourages me to deepen the kiss. I run my hand around the back of his neck and tug at the collar of his shirt, bringing him closer to me.
Dmitry’s hands slide from my hips under my shirt to my waist. His palms are broad and warm, and I want him everywhere.
“Now,” I say against his lips, reaching down to unbutton his pants.
“Now what?” he asks, frowning as he watches me tug his jeans down.
I kiss him again and wrap my hand around his length. “Make love to me.”
He groans as I stroke him. “Courtney, we—”
“Please,” I beg, massaging my thumb over his tip. “I’m ready. It will be quick.”
I need this. It’s reckless and foolish, but I need him one last time. If my world is going to end, I want Dmitry to be my last memory.
His hands are already sliding under my shirt to cup my breasts even as he argues. “We have limited time.”
I twist my hand down his length, making his body tense. “Then you better work quickly.”
He hesitates for a moment, thinking about what he should do, but then he bends down and scoops me into his arms. Dmitry walks me backwards until my back is pressed against the railing, and I realize we’re at the very back of the ship. The ocean laps against the metal sides of the ship, and it feels like we’re a thousand miles away from danger, from anyone or anything that could hurt us.
It’s just the two of us in the wide expanse of the ocean. Together.
He tugs my cotton pants down my legs and tosses them aside. Next, he peels down my panties. I lift my foot to step out of them, and he licks his lips as he watches me move.
“You’re so fucking sexy.”
I grab him in my hand and position him at my opening. “Show me.”
With one thrust, Dmitry sinks into me to the hilt. I gasp and roll my body against his, desperate for even more. He grips my backside, holding us together as we both adjust to the sensation.
He slides out slowly before thrusting back in, and I’m already half wild.
Nothing should feel this good. It has the ability to turn my brain off, to turn me into an animal whose only desire is more. More of his body, more of his kisses, more of his touch.
More time.
But more is not guaranteed. This could be it, and I’m determined not to waste it. Not to let a single sensation slip away.
I grab his face and kiss him, swirling my tongue in his mouth, tasting him. His lips are soft and pliable against mine, his breath coming in soft huffs in time with his thrusting. Our bodies are connected in every way possible, and I’m full of him. Filled to the brim with Dmitry and my love for him.
I tangle my fingers in his hair and press my nose against his, staring into his eyes as our bodies find one another over and over again.
I want to believe that no matter what, we’ll find each other. In this life or the next, he and I will always be together.
My vision goes blurry with tears, and Dmitry kisses the streaks on my face. His hand slips between us, finding my center, and his finger circles over me.
I’ve never been so out of control of my own emotions before. I’m crying while pleasure builds in my abdomen. Crying while I moan for him to go faster, to give me more. It’s almost comical, but I’m far too turned on to laugh.
The orgasm stalks towards me like a skilled predator, creeping just out of sight. I know it’s there, but I can’t pinpoint where. Then, suddenly, it’s on top of me.
I gasp and grab Dmitry’s shoulders for stability as my legs go weak. My entire body is clenched, and all I can feel is warmth spreading to my limbs like molasses.
Dmitry groans with his next several thrusts and then slows, savoring each sensation as he finds his own bliss.
I cling to him when he’s finished, not yet ready for him to slip out of me and away. Not ready to face whatever we will have to do over the next several hours.
I want to stay in this sensation with him.
Dmitry kisses my nose and then captures my mouth, sucking on my bottom lip.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, pressing his forehead to mine,
his fingers brushing over my cheekbones. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I croak. The words don’t want to come because I know, in a way, they are a form of goodbye.
I massage my hands down his chest and abs, feeling the strength stirring under his skin. As I do, however, he moans.
“What is it? Did I hurt you?” I ask.
Dmitry shakes his head and tries to pull away from me, but I grab the hem of his shirt and lift it up before he can stop me.
A raw, angry cut is open across his ribs, blood dripping from the wound.
“Jesus, Dmitry, what happened?”
He explains that he fought the pilot of Elena’s helicopter and tries to diminish the severity of the wound, but I don’t even let him finish before I pull on my clothes and go to the emergency box built into the hallway of the ship. I pull out the first aid kit and find the antiseptic and large bandages.
“We don’t have time for this,” he argues, trying to bat my hands away.
I narrow my eyes. “We just had sex on the bow of the ship. I think we can find a minute to patch up your wounds. I did go to school to be kind of a doctor, if you remember.”
“We’re at the stern,” he says with a wink, his mouth pulled into a half smile. He spreads his arms wide, giving me free rein. “And I remember. Do what you must.”
He tries to be tough, but he winces when I press a cotton ball of hydrogen peroxide to the cut. Then, I spread an antibacterial cream over the slice and press a large bandage to it. In total, the process takes less than a minute.
“Is it time?” I ask, grabbing his hand and walking back to the container.
He nods. “Get Tati, and we’ll give this our best shot.”
I lift the handle on the door, but before I pull it all the way open, I spin back around and throw my arms around Dmitry’s neck, drawing him into a kiss.