Glaring at my watch, I noted the time. They had an eight hour jump on me. They could be anywhere in the massive country that was Russia. Literally anywhere. Luckily, something had come up with Momma and Papa, and the Amatucci children had been unable to fly with me. Which was good. Better than I'd planned on, actually. I couldn't do what I needed to do if they were around. There were some things a person just couldn't hide when someone was in his pocket. The international phone Nik had slapped in my hand at the airport rang. A smirk rose as I read the name scroll across the screen. Mistress Nikanya-Answer Immediately. "Yes, Mistress?" I asked. A chuckle and a lower pitched hiss came over the line together. "Might want to watch what you call me, Ambright. Turo's kinda possessive like that.""Then you shouldn't have listed your name that way in my phone. What's up?"I heard Turo growl in the background. "Seriously, Cricket? You could have just put your name on it. You
The grating screech of the door brought me awake with a harsh jolt. Immediately, my body was locked and loaded for bear. I would do my best to escape today. Just a few pesky details needed to be ironed out. My full bladder merely one of those details.Pulling the blanket up around me, I sat up. Looked towards the door. Or at least, I thought I was looking in the right direction. Both of my eyes were crusted shut. Okay, Pesky Detail Number Two...get my eyes to open. Check. "I have come with your food. You will not get anymore until tonight." With that, I heard Arkady set something down on the floor and push it. Assuming he wasn't a complete asshole went against my common sense, but I needed at least one ally in this hellhole. "I can't see. Can you bring it to me?" I asked. Made sure to keep my voice firm. The light shifted slightly behind my eyelids. I hunched back against the wall. This whole being even momentarily blind thing was awful. I had a new respect for people
I hid the smirk that wanted to rise to my lips as I saw Sergei and Dmitri on the floor, their throats slit. Seems the Italian Princess had more to her than just fancy clothes and an important bloodline. Why these idiots continued to see women as nothing more than brood mares and fuck toys, I'd never understand. Some of the most vicious people I'd ever met in my life had been women. And they felt no pain or sorrow for their ways. And why should they? They were surviving. In this world, that was the name of the game. "Naydi suku. V nastoyashcheye vremya," I barked. Find the bitch. Now. I didn't really want her found, but since it was either her or me, I would sacrifice her. Survival. What a bitch. The handful of men who accompanied me fanned out. Each of them took a branch of the underground facility. Not quite a bomb shelter, it had originally been designed as a secret metro system under Moscow for when the USSR was still functioning. Unless the princess was a ghost, she wou
Stay upright. Stay upright. Stay upright. I chanted the words, tried to brand them on my brain. I couldn't lose consciousness now. It would ruin all the hard work. The tough façade. Whatever respect I'd just earned. I fought to stay not only upright, but to keep walking in a straight line. Who knew blood loss coupled with dehydration could be so awful? I snorted mentally. Right. Maybe I should ask some of the guys I'd helped interrogate how the body responded to such things.A few months ago, when I learned everything about my best friend/sister and the monster she'd been married to, I'd had to ferret out moles in my own line of the organization. Foster had been so helpful in that area. Foster. The Asshole. He was so fucking pretty and so fucking annoying. Bossy. Bitchy. Other than his dick, I didn't really like him. But what he did with his dick...damn. That man rocked my world in ways I didn't even know it moved. Someone grabbed my arm before I faceplanted the wall.
I knew it was a dream. But that didn't stop me from enjoying it again. Anytime I could relive a full-blown fantasy come to life was something I was going to take advantage of. She slapped my ass just as I had slapped hers. Not quite the rocket launcher of the express elevator that had taken us to Ryker's penthouse apartment, we descended at a much more leisurely rate. My hand still cupped her ass. Warmed the skin I was going to paddle. I was harder than a fucking steel spike, but I would be winning this little bet the girls had devised. The doors finally opened into the garage. A cold blast of air tempering my body for a brief second. I inhaled deeply as I walked us to my car. "How drunk are you?" I asked. "Not so drunk I can't get you to beg."I smiled. "What's ten multiplied by -""Shove your math up your ass, Foster. You don't want to play with me, fine. But I will be getting satisfaction tonight. You're welcome to join, but I don't actually need you."My teeth
I stood with my ear pressed against the steel door. Tried to slow my breathing so I could pick up any sound other than the heartbeat that was thumping through my ears. What the hell was going on? And why was I supposed to be quiet?My face still ached from the hard blow of Arkady's hand. I pushed back the tears that wanted to form. He was nothing to me. Nothing but a means of escape. The fact that he was sometimes nice should hold no bearing. I needed to remember that he was doing a job. Even if he wasn't always an asshole, I was still a captive here. I had to admit that having him in my corner was really the only positive I'd been able to find. That he was willing to stand in the gap for me...it meant I could relax. If only for just a little while. And I needed that. Well, I wanted that. That comfort. That space to breathe. But it certainly wasn't a need. I needed to stay alive. I needed to get out of here. Those were true needs. As I stood at the door, I heard muted ton
I forced myself to watch. To remember what would happen to me if I went against these men before it was time. To remind myself that there are worse things than death. As I stood at the door, I found myself praying for the first time in a very long time. To a God I wasn't sure I believed in any longer. Protect her mind, dear Lord. Her body can heal. Protect her mind and her spirit. Keep that fire alive within her. After what felt like years, but I knew was no longer than maybe an hour, the bosses were done with her. They zipped up, rolled out as if they'd just taken a short lunch break instead of destroying a woman's body. Her sense of self. "Uberi yeye. Podumay snova dat' yey privilegii, my zastavim tebya vzyat' yeye," Barrikad said, a slight grin on his face. Clean her up. Think to give her privileges again, we will make you take her.I clenched my fist to keep from bashing him into dust. How they'd found out about the privileges in the first place, I had no idea. But her c
I pushed through the door of the safe house I'd set up almost ten years ago. One of my mentors had told me to make sure I always had bolt holes. Even when I left the Agency. Damned if she hadn't been right. Checking the low tech security system, I finally let out a breath when I saw that it was unchanged from the last time I was here. I threw my shit on the table, sat down on one of the dusty chairs. Twenty-four hours behind her. The knowledge sliced through me again. I knew the longer it took to find her, the less likely I'd find her in one piece. Thankful I'd slept on the plane, I started pulling stuff from my bag. My laptop set up and my phone acting as a hot spot, I was on the line with Nik and Turo as soon as the call connected. "I'm picking up a couple of burners. Once I have the numbers, I'll make sure you get them. Please tell me we have at least cursory information on the group Papa mentioned.""Good afternoon to you, too, Foster," Nik said. "Can the shit, Nik