by Lee Savino
She expected a facetious answer in response, but instead Max Mars puffed out his already impressive chest. “Yeah,” he said his voice deepening a little. “I do all my own stunts. Like, all of them.”
Tucked into Max Mar’s side, Anna shook her head slightly and mouthed, “No.”
Cora looked back and forth between them, not sure who to believe.
“Alright, I gotta rehearse.” Max looked down at Anna and gave her a squeeze.
“Okay, baby,” Anna said almost too softly for anyone else to hear. Cora looked away; the way the two looked at each other, she wanted to give them privacy. Averting her eyes, she waited until Anna cleared her throat. They both watched Max leave, a real treat considering the way his pants hugged his perfect backside.
“He’s really…”
“Full of himself?” Anna finished. “Yeah. But he’s a big star. And one of his upcoming films will probably get him nominated for a Golden Idol.”
“I was going to say you guys look great together.”
Anna beamed. “Oh we do. Should be great for the press conferences.”
“So, wait, are you seeing him or is it a publicity stunt?”
“Both.” Anna led her to some seats on the side of the set.
Hours later, Cora concluded that film sets were incredibly boring. Anna sat upright and totally focused on everything in front of her, as if the camera man moving for the billionth time was the most fascinating thing ever.
Cora was almost relieved when a production assistant came up to Anna. “Max Mars would like to see you in his trailer.”
Cora took her cue. “You go ahead,” she told her friend. “I’m going to catch a ride back to the city. I can come back to pick you up.”
“I think I can catch a ride from someone.” Anna’s smile curved knowingly. “Don’t worry about me.”
Cora was walking back off set, wondering if the Shades would be parked somewhere nearby or if she really did need to catch a ride, when a voice called, “Mrs. Ubeli?”
She almost didn’t turn, but a car slid up beside her and a man in a suit leaned through the driver side window, smiling. “Cora?”
Her steps slowed. Was he a Shade? He had spiky blond hair and looked vaguely familiar, but her instincts told her to be cautious.
“Do I know you?” she asked the stranger and he grinned bigger. Something was off. The windows of the car were all tinted. None of Marcus’s cars were.
She noticed this at the same time the back doors opened and two thugs came at her. “If you come with us quietly, we won’t hurt you.”
Opening her mouth to scream, Cora tripped and lost precious seconds she could’ve used to escape. One of the men jabbed her neck in a gesture almost too quick for her to see, and her scream came out a painful gurgle.
She choked and they took their opportunity to wrestle her into the back seat of the car. Kicking at them, she got in a few blows before one of the men slid next to her and caught her legs. No! She couldn’t let them take her. She fought harder than ever.
But the other man came around the car, got in on the other side, and the two of them together subdued her easily. The man with blond spikes watched from the front seat.
By now Cora had caught her breath, and she screamed. Please, someone hear her! The movie set had been bursting with people. But now all the car windows were closed. And they must have been soundproof as well as tinted, because her three kidnappers didn’t seem upset at her screaming.
They took their time tying her arms behind her back. One wrapped his hands around her throat, cutting off her air until spots swam before her eyes. Her ears were ringing, and she didn’t know if she was still screaming or not. All she knew was that she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t breathe.
Was this it? Was she going to die right here? Oh Marcus. It wasn’t supposed to end this way. I never meant to…
She kicked out again but weakly. It was no use. Spots danced before her eyes.
Dimly, she heard the driver cursing at the thugs, who growled back.
The world went black.
Ten
When Cora came to, her head was lying in one of the men’s lap. She started struggling immediately, but her hands and feet were bound. The man hauled her up to sit properly and she looked around. Her heart sank.
They were nowhere near the studio anymore, but driving down a large boulevard lined with abandoned and decrepit shops. She didn’t recognize anything. She had no idea where they were. Wherever it was, though, the area seemed largely devoid of human life. She didn’t see pedestrians around or anyone who might be able to help her.
The driver’s face swam into focus as she blinked and looked around.
“We don’t want to hurt you,” said the spiky-haired blond man who was driving. “Do as we say and you’ll be fine.”
Cora wanted to speak but her throat hurt. She caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror. Her neck already showed bruises. Oh gods, what would these men do to her once they got where they were going? She had to get out of here.
She squirmed in her bonds, jerking her arms and trying to drive an elbow into one of the silent thugs flanking her. He caught it easily and looked down at her, face scary and blank. The pit of acid that was her stomach threatened to rebel.
“Behave, or I send men back to find that little spic hottie and make her pay,” Spike Hair warned from upfront.
Cora froze. She had no idea who these men were or if they had the power to make good on that threat. But the truth was, they’d bound her too well. Even if she could manage to disable one of them, she couldn’t run anywhere, not with her ankles tied together like this.
Still, she made a point to glare at the driver in defiance until he turned back to steer the car. The men on either side of her were silent, and beyond light touches on her arms to steady her, at least they kept their hands to themselves.
From the position of the sun, Cora realized they were heading south and a little east to a place below the city of New Olympus used mainly for shipping. They approached the large docks and Cora recognized the border to an area of the city called the Styx. They were close to the territory her husband controlled. She felt a surge of hope.
The car went through gates into a fenced area. Beyond the vacant dock and warehouse, Cora caught glimpses of the ocean. When they parked, she got another warning to stay silent, but now she realized the futility of struggling. They were in a wasteland of deserted commercial buildings by the docks. There would be no one to hear her scream.
Instead, she said to Spike Hair, “You know who I am, so I’m guessing you know who my husband is.” Her voice was still raspy from that bastard strangling her earlier. It probably would be for a while.
One of the silent thugs took her arm as a warning, but Spike Hair nodded.
“So you know what he does to people who threaten me.” Marcus might not be here at the moment but he could still be her shield.
“We’re not threatening you. Our boss wants to talk.” Spike Hair motioned and they cut the tape binding her ankles and propelled her forward towards a building beyond the parking lot, into a hanger large enough to fit two small planes.
Stiffening her legs, Cora resisted a little but her captors simply dragged her along. Her boots scraped across the ground. A wild thought gripped her—at least she’d worn the perfect outfit to be kidnapped, durable and comfy. She hoped their boss would approve. A laugh started to bubble out of her and caught in her dry, bruised throat. She wheezed and felt lightheaded.
They got her halfway across before she got her feet back under her, and worked up enough air in her lungs to ask, “Who’s your boss?”
Spike Hair simply led the group to the stairs on the side of the building, up into a finished office, and she saw for herself who’d ordered her abduction. She gasped.
Philip Waters wore a pinstripe suit, looking equal parts dapper and intimidating, if not more so, with the sun shining through the great windows over his giant form.
; “Cora Ubeli.” He smiled, white teeth gleaming in his midnight skin. He came forward, greeting her like an old friend. She would have stopped in her tracks but the thugs prodded her forward. As the giant man came closer his gaze dropped to her collar bone and he sighed. “I said no force.”
“She fought.” Spike Hair held up her burner phone. “Her link to Ubeli.”
“Which can be traced, you fool,” Waters rumbled. Cora trembled and felt the fear really start to sink in, even though his anger wasn’t directed at her. This man was extremely dangerous. What would he do to her? His bald head jerked as he ordered, “Get rid of it.”
She wasn’t sure if she felt terror or satisfaction as she watched Spike Hair scurry off. She was alone with the two thugs and her terrifying ‘host.’
“Apologies, Mrs. Ubeli. I promise, no more harm will come to you.” Said the spider to the fly.
Licking her lips, she found her throat was too dry to answer him. She nodded instead.
“Can I offer you a drink?” Philip asked. He walked back to the windows where a few modern looking couches were arranged around a bar area. The ocean spread out behind him. “Something to soothe your throat, perhaps?”
“How about a ride home to my apartment?”
He glanced up at her from the bottle he was pouring, and her heart seized. A grin spread across his face and he laughed. “In due time, my lady.”
So that meant he didn’t mean to murder her where she stood? He and Marcus had looked at each other with such hatred at that party… But if this was a game, her best bet was to start playing along. She couldn’t run or fight anyway. If he liked her enough to laugh, maybe he wouldn’t kill her. Either way, she shouldn’t show fear. A predator would sense that weakness. Marcus had taught her that much.
She held her head high as she walked forward and took one of the seats at the bar.
Waters poured different things into a glass and handed to her. She sipped politely, glad to taste something like a hot toddy.
“Are you turning this into a restaurant?” She looked around the large empty space with the one corner developed.
“Not a bad concept.”
“The view is nice.” She stared out at the ocean, wondering if she stood in the far corner and looked to the left, she’d see a way to escape down the built-up shore to the docks near the Styx.
“Ah, yes, my favorite. I was born on a ship, you know. I’m the son of illegal immigrants, who were smuggling themselves into the country. I received dual citizenship because of it. My first lucky break.”
He offered his own drink and after a second, she clinked it. A kidnapper and kidnappee, hanging out, drinking like two old friends.
“It’s a little late, but I want you to know I was intending to return your calls,” she offered. “Your voicemail got deleted from my phone.”
The white teeth were back with his grin. He reminded her of a shark. “I understand, lovely lady. I was happy to wait, but forces beyond my control moved up my timeline.”
She stared at her drink, willing her hands not to shake. “So, you want a consult?”
“That won’t be necessary at this juncture. For now, I simply wish the pleasure of your company. In a few hours, we’ll be meeting with your husband, who is eager to trade for your release.” His voice was smooth as silk
Aha. So that’s why she was here. She’d been used like this before. AJ had used her as a hostage to force Marcus to reveal the location of the shipping container. And look how that had turned out.
She’d tried to escape the dark but it kept pulling her back under. Maybe this was her penance.
Now she stared at Philip Waters, taking in his calm, controlled demeanor. She wanted to ask what was going on, but didn’t want to anger him. Did he know what was coming for him? Marcus didn’t look kindly on people who took what he considered his.
Deciding to keep with her plan to be the best hostage ever, she asked instead, “A few more hours?” She looked out at the sun, biting her lip and thinking of Brutus whining, all alone in her apartment and wondering where she was.
“Our meeting is at dusk. Is there something you need?”
“My dog is in my apartment all alone…he’ll need to be walked. He’s a puppy.”
“We’ll send word that someone needs to take care of him.” Waters assured her.
Cora blinked at him, her eyebrows furrowing. “Thank you.”
He chuckled. “Your concern is for your dog and not your own life?”
“I can do something about my dog. I can’t stop you from doing anything to me.” She squeezed her hands between her legs to stop her tremors.
“Practical as well as lovely,” Waters toasted her and she looked up, surprised, into his dark brown eyes. “Marcus is a very lucky man.”
Continuing the most surreal conversation she’d had in her life, she blurted, “We’re separated. I asked for a divorce.”
Waters cocked his beautiful head. “Interesting. He made no mention of that in our last conversation.”
“I told him I wanted a divorce. I’ve moved into my own apartment and started a business and everything.” She didn’t know why she was telling him this.
The door opened and they both watched Spike Hair walk back in. “Meet at six thirty. They agreed to every demand.”
Water looked at Cora smugly. “Despite everything, your husband still cares for you deeply. Two months trying to schedule a meet and no success. Two hours after picking you up and he gives me everything I want.”
She sagged in her seat; she couldn’t help it. She was Marcus’s weakness; everyone knew it. She needed to separate from him for his good as well as hers. But now that the criminal world associated them together, would it be too late?
Waters had come out from behind the bar to give orders to his men. Cora turned when she heard her name. “Cora’s dog will need to be walked.” He looked back at Cora and she forced a small smile.
“Why do you want to meet with my husband?” she asked when the men had gone. Maybe this man could give her the answers that Marcus never would.
Waters gave her a puzzled frown.
“Some parts of his business he keeps from me.”
“Ah,” he chuckled. “Perhaps this is the reason for your marital dispute?”
That hit a little too close to home, so she said nothing. Philip Waters seemed tickled by this, and Cora was glad, because it made him only too happy to share.
“He owes me money. Quite a lot of it actually. We had an agreement. Now we have a… disagreement. I’m confident it can be settled without too much bloodshed.” Cora cringed. Too much?
“It would help, actually, if you encouraged him to talk with me.” He said the last part eagerly, as if recruiting her as an ally would make her forget all the trouble he’d caused.
Still, Cora pondered it. “Is my husband in danger?”
“Not from me. Not if I get what I want.” A smile played around his lips. “For someone who wants to divorce your husband, you seem to care for him an awful lot.”
She didn’t answer.
Eleven
Marcus would kill Philip Waters for this. The man had no excuse. He knew the Code. Women and children were left out of their business.
But there was no honor left in the world and Marcus should have known it. He shouldn’t have given Cora a choice in that damn coffee shop. He should have thrown her over his shoulder and dragged her to the safe house with him. How many times would he make the same mistake? He’d never have the chance to win her over if she was dead.
His hands fisted and he wanted to break something, preferably Philip Waters’ face. But not yet. Not until he saw Cora safe and sound. Marcus strode behind Waters along the docks, Sharo at his back.
“If only you’d been reasonable and taken my request for a meeting,” Waters said, “it would never have come to this. Why don’t we discussed terms and then I’ll take you to her?”
“You’re not getting jack shit until I see her,” Marcus grow
led, hands flexing.
Waters sighed. “This way.” He led them into a large warehouse. “Here she is,” rumbled Waters. “Safe and unharmed.”
Safe?
One of Waters’ thugs was holding a gun to her temple and she was pale, her eyes wide with fear.
“I want to speak to her.” Marcus kept his voice tight and controlled. If that idiot holding the gun had even the tiniest slip of his finger… Marcus’s chest went cold with rage and a terror he didn’t want to examine too closely.
“Be my guest,” Waters said. “Let’s sit, shall we?” He gestured towards a long table.
Marcus didn’t take his eyes off Cora. The bastard with the gun to her head shoved her forward until she sat at one end of the table and Waters gestured for Marcus to sit at the other end. Sharo stood behind Marcus, along with two more Shades.
Waters himself took a seat right beside Cora. Another man bent down to chain her ankle to the table. Marcus’s fingers itched to riddle them all with bullets.
“Are you okay?” he asked Cora, ignoring everyone else in the room.
She nodded shakily, attempting a smile and failing. “Mr. Waters just wants to talk. He’s assured me that once you hear him out, he’ll let me go.”
Were those bruises around her neck? Marcus clenched his teeth so hard he thought they might crack.
Don’t think about it right now. Just get her out of here. Get her to safety. You weren’t too late this time. You can still save her.
Marcus fought down the rage bubbling inside him and set the large briefcase he’d brought with him on the table.
“Let’s do this,” he told Waters, not taking his eyes off Cora.
Waters didn’t beat around the bush. “This is a hostile meeting and you know why we’re here. And yet, my hopes were for us to continue to do business with one another.”
“Negotiation ends when you snatch one of ours. We leave family out of it.”
“Ah yes, your Code. Well, I haven’t harmed her, she’s spent a quiet afternoon and is returning to you safe and sound.” Philip smiled at Cora as if she was sitting down at a meal, not a tense business negotiation with a gun to her head. “Like you, I merely want what’s mine.”