Dire Straits
32
B rynne pretended to be asleep when a member of the crew entered the cabin with a bottle of water and a sandwich. She was starving, but she waited until he left to reach for the food.
It was dark outside when the same guy returned. He leaned down and leered at her, snaking a hand through the bars toward her leg. She scooted back as far as possible, and he laughed like a serial killer toying with his prey. He was creepy, and she was grateful for the safety of the cage. He spat some words at her before shutting off the lights and slamming the cabin door. Time passed slowly and she couldn’t concentrate on anything. She took only a few sips of water, afraid they wouldn’t let her use the bathroom.
The waves lulled her back to sleep until she heard the roar of the helicopter. The madman was back. She heard loud voices outside the cabin, and then the door burst open, and he flipped on the lights.
“How is my little kitten feeling?”
She refused to engage and instead looked at him with loathing. He leaned down to look at her with a fiendish smile.
“It appears you need more time in the cage. I expected you to be happy to see me.”
She scoffed. “You will never get away with this.”
“Pchelka, I have already gotten away with this. I have half a million in cash, and this ship can be in Russia in four days.”
“Russia? You can’t be serious?” Her shrill voice gave away her panic.
“Da. Deadly serious. I presumed you were bright and figured that out. I have thought of everything.”
“You can have any woman you want. Why me?”
He came close to the bars of the cage. “Gage is the reason I don’t own Club Dominus. Imagine my surprise when I discovered my revenge could be so sweet and satisfying. You see, I’ve always wanted a fiery redhead for my collection. But I will make you suffer for cutting off your beautiful hair. When I saw the surveillance photos, I wanted to cane you black and blue.”
Brynne swallowed a sob.
“Don’t worry, Kiska. Now that I have you, I’ve calmed down. I will punish you at my leisure.”
“You are vile. Why take someone who doesn’t want you?”
“It is the fire in you. The moment I met you, I knew I would enjoy making you surrender your will to me.”
“That will never happen. I’ll never surrender to you.”
He laughed loudly. “Excellent. I hate easy submission. When I break you, it will be all the sweeter.”
Brynne refused to show him any weakness. She wouldn’t cry, either. That was probably the ultimate fetish for him.
“I will leave you now. Dinner awaits. You are not ready to share a table with me. Rude pets stay in the cage until they learn manners.”
He left the cabin. Brynne lay back down on the hard pallet and prayed.
The satellite phone rang in the cockpit, and the pilot transferred the call to Gage.
“John, any news?”
“Yes. We found out who chartered the helicopter. Nikolai Seminov is an employee of Ivanov’s UK holding company. He flew him from Inverness to Skye, then it landed on a yacht anchored off the coast of Lewis. Dimitri then took a jet from Stornoway back to London to meet you. The heli landed thirty minutes ago on the same ship. According to His Majesty’s Coastguard, it’s a seventy-two-meter superyacht called the Russian Princess . She has charted a course for the Shetlands, but we think they will continue to Russia.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. What if Brynne is on that ship? Can we intercept it?”
“Gage, to involve the Coastguard and demand to board and search, we need some proof of a crime.”
“Christ almighty. I just pray to God that she left me a clue at the house. It will be an hour before I am home. I will call you from there. Don’t lose sight of that fucking boat.”
“We won’t, Gage. I’m working on a warrant based on our suspicions, and I hope to hear from your investigator about that woman from the paper. He tracked her to a river cruise due into port tonight. If she knows something, he will get it out of her.”
“Okay, thank you, John. That’s the least of my worries right now. I have to find Brynne.”
Gage couldn’t stomach any food, and he refused a drink on the plane. He needed a clear head. As the helicopter landed at the house, he saw a car waiting in his driveway. Two officers got out and flashed their badges.
“Mr. MacCallum, John sent us. He wanted us to dust for fingerprints and look for any evidence that could help in your girlfriend’s disappearance.”
Girlfriend . The word didn’t do justice to what he was feeling. Maybe it wasn’t a traditional relationship, but he realized at some point she had become important to him.
“Thank you. I’ll go in through the garage. They probably came in through the front door from the helipad. You guys should start there.”
He raced into the house and felt the chill of her absence. His heart started pounding when he saw the note and the untouched coffee. After letting the agents in, he went directly to Brynne’s room.
One man followed him while the other dusted the front door handles. Her closet was empty. Logan had told him, but he needed to see it for himself. In the adjoining bathroom, he opened all the drawers, replaying the events of yesterday in his head. As he turned, he noticed a lipstick on the floor by the tub. He leaned down to grab it and saw the red line drawn on the cabinet.
“I found something!” The agent quickly joined him. “I think she left a note.” Gage carefully unfolded the toilet paper, his heart in his throat.
“Fuck. He took her. Here is the proof.” It was a punch to the gut.
The agent was already dialing the phone. “Sir, I’m sending you a picture. It’s enough for a search warrant. Yes. I’m going to dust everything for prints in case there’s other physical evidence.”
Gage sank down on the bed and dropped his head into his hands. It was his fault for underestimating the Russian’s obsession.
The agent tapped him on the shoulder. “John wants to speak with you.”
He took the phone and watched the man bend down to examine the wall. Gage saw him shine his light on the dark red spatter and his stomach dropped.
“Hold on, John.” He looked at the agent for answers.
“It’s blood. I’ll get a sample to the lab as fast as possible.”
“Did you hear that? So help me god, I will kill that bastard when I get my hands on him.”
“Gage, I’ve put every available man on this. We are getting the warrant and notifying the Coastguard. The yacht has not left Stornoway. They have a large order of provisions being delivered tomorrow morning before they depart.”
“I should never have left her alone. If anything happens to her…”
“Listen, we will get her back. Dimitri has pursued her relentlessly; he will not harm her. We will get there in time.”
Gage’s fear was blossoming into rage. He would destroy Dimitri as soon as he had his woman back safely in his arms. “I want to be there, John. I will fly up to Lewis tonight.”
“That’s not a good idea, man. Let us handle this.”
“I can’t. But I won’t interfere.” He handed the phone back to the agent and went to change. Sleep would be impossible, so he might as well be there.
Two hours later, Gage’s jet landed, and he checked into a local hotel in Stornoway. He forced himself to eat and then took a walk along the waterfront. They anchored the yacht offshore, out of the jurisdiction of the port authority. He felt completely useless, and at ten p.m., he called John.
“Have you got the warrant?”
“Yes, we have it. To safely execute it, Interpol will send operatives to the ship on the supply delivery boat. Once they neutralize the crew, the HMCG will board and do the search.”
“I want to be on that boat, John.”
“No way. If you’re recognized, it could throw everything off. You can be on the Coastguard ship when we come alongside the Princess .”
“Okay.”
“Meet me at the Coastguard HQ at zero-six-hundred. They already positioned one of their vessels out of sight in a nearby cove. We will be on it.”
The cabin door swung open, and a harsh light streamed in from the hall, startling Brynne awake. She felt groggy from too much sleep.
“Where are you, my little kitten? Are you ready to come out to play with your new master?”
Brynne tried to disguise her hatred as she looked through the bars at him. “Please, Mr. Ivanov, I need to use the bathroom and clean myself up. Will you allow me to do that?”
“What is wrong, Kiska? Are you dirty? Did Gage leave his disgusting cum in you?”
“No! Please, I have my period.”
“I don’t know if I believe you.” He dropped into a chair and stared at her.
“I promise, I need the toilet. I can’t hold it much longer. Please.”
His glassy eyes worried her, but she needed him to open the cage.
“I will let you out, but you will owe me something in return. Do you understand?”
Oh god.
She didn’t dare ask what that was. She watched as he kneeled and took a gold keychain from around his neck to open the lock.
He moved back and swung the door open, beckoning her to crawl out. “Come, my fiery little Tinkerbell. But remember, you must stay on your knees.”
Brynne stopped herself from getting up and shook her head in disbelief. He really was sick. She felt more at risk without the locked door between them and prayed he wouldn’t force himself on her. “Could you take these off, please?” She held her cuffed wrists up to him.
“Nyet. You are not yet a trustworthy pet. Maybe once you understand your position.”
Brynne’s shoulders slumped in defeat.
“Hurry up and use the bathroom. I will order some vodka.” He opened the door a fraction and barked at the man outside. The last thing he needed was more alcohol. Then again, if he got loaded, could she escape to the deck? Her chances were slim to none, and she would die after twenty minutes in the frigid water.
“May I have my suitcase, please? I need my toiletries.”
He pointed to the closet. Her case was open, and someone had hung her clothes up. Maybe the food was drugged? She didn’t remember them coming into the room. How fucked up was that?
She crawled across the floor with the things she needed and quickly closed the bathroom door.
“Remember, no locked doors between us, unless I lock them.”
“Okay,” she called out.
He burst in, and she screeched in shock. “When you answer me, you say ‘Yes, Master Dima.’ Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master Dima,” she whispered, her breath still stuck in her throat. He dominated the small space. Her back was against the shower door when he grabbed her by the shoulders. His face came closer, and she held her breath, the panic making her dizzy. When he pressed his lips to her forehead, it was everything she could do not to flinch away. His eyes glittered, but he seemed placated. “Don’t be long, or I’ll come looking for you.”
When he shut the door, she sank to the toilet, shaking. As quickly as possible, Brynne did her business. Her period had come, and brought with it a throbbing headache. She brushed her teeth, wincing when it grazed her cut cheek. Her face was clean now, but nothing could help the dark smudges under her eyes or the bruises darkening her jaw.
He banged on the door, and she almost lost it. “One minute.”
When she opened the door, he roughly grabbed her hair and yanked her down to the floor. “Have you forgotten the rules already?”
Tears clouded her vision as she tried to grasp his hands, but it was futile.
He stood back and studied her, his face a mask of annoyance. “Why are you wearing these ugly clothes? I want to see you in the dress.”
“I wanted to save it for when we have dinner together.”
“You think you are clever, don’t you? You think I don’t know you are trying to manipulate me?”
“No, Master Dima, I promise you I’m not. It’s just that time of the month and don’t feel well.”
He stared down at her, his eyes narrowing. “If you are lying to me, Malishka, I will make you bleed from someplace other than your pizda.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I swear I’m not lying.”
“Crawl over to the bed.”
She remained rooted to the spot, fear clogging her throat. He started toward her when a knock sounded.
The servant hovered at the door until Dimitri directed him to set the vodka and glasses down. As he was leaving the cabin, the ugly henchman walked in and whispered something that set Dimitri off. He swore and started barking orders. The man nodded and bowed as he backed out of the room.
Dimitri poured a large glass of vodka. Brynne watched him take out his cell phone and punch the screen. He paced around the room, yelling in Russian. When he hung up, his complexion was scarlet, and he sneered at her. “Don’t you realize I could have a sniper take Gage out any time? My people are watching him, just like they were watching you.”
All the blood left her head. “You don’t need to. I’m here.”
“Yes, but it seems he doesn’t want to let you go. My team has just informed me he is in Stornoway. He came alone, which was quite stupid. But you’re going to convince him you are with me now. I don’t need him calling the police and claiming I kidnapped you.”
Brynne felt dizzy and sick. “Let me call him and tell him. I will do whatever you want. Just promise not to hurt him.”
“I have sent three of my crew to get him so you can tell him to his face that you don’t love him.”
God help her, she put him in danger! He must have found her note. What was to stop them from killing him?
Dimitri’s eyes had a feral gleam as he stared at her old sweatshirt and leggings. “I want you to change into that black dress and fix your face. You better look radiant when he gets here.”
He removed the handcuffs and left the cabin. She heard him speaking harshly to the guard stationed outside.
With shaking hands, Brynne did her makeup, using plenty of concealer to hide the bruises. She hated putting the special dress on when it held such amazing memories, but the most important thing was convincing Gage to walk away. She would do whatever it took to protect him.
To calm her rattled nerves, she drank a glass of vodka and sank into a chair.
The drink was a bad idea. She felt like she was no longer in her body, and her pulse pounded in her ears.
The sound of the helicopter several floors above signaled their return. She held out faint hope that Gage had eluded them, but when Dimitri burst through the door, she saw triumph in his eyes. She jumped out of the chair and wobbled in the high-heeled shoes. He stood for a long time, his possessive gaze raking over her from head to toe. Brynne mentally steeled herself for what was to come, her stomach churning with fear.
Dimitri stalked toward her, swinging a chain from one hand. “That dress shows off your figure to perfection.” His smile was malevolent as he attached the chain to the collar still locked around her neck. “If you want him to live, you will convince him you are my cherished pet.”
The lump in her throat threatened to choke her. “Yes sir, Master Dima.”
They went up to the main deck and, when the elevator door opened, Dimitri yanked her close. “You may walk behind me until we reach the lounge, then you’ll go to your knees.”
Fury replaced fear at his ill treatment. “Yes, sir,” she seethed.
When they reached the sumptuously decorated salon, Dimitri tugged the leash, and she dropped to her knees. When he moved aside, she saw Gage. A sob escaped before she could stop it. His face was battered. One eye was almost swollen shut and his shirt was spattered with blood. His good eye landed on her, and she saw unfathomable pain reflected there. It was like a knife to her heart. He was flanked by two armed men, with his bloodied hands cuffed in front. Gage must have fought them valiantly because they, too, were beaten and bruised.
If I don’t comply with Dimitri, they will kill him , she realized soberly. She would find some way out of this for herself—but right now she had to get Gage released first.
Dimitri stroked the top of her head like a dog. Brynne closed her eyes, so she didn’t see what it did to Gage.
“What would you like to say to him, my pet?” Dimitri’s overly sweet tone was like nails on a chalkboard.
She cleared her throat, which felt like she had swallowed sand. “I…I’ve decided to leave with Dimitri. He didn’t force me. I want a new life with him.”
Gage stared at her. A twitching muscle in his jaw was the only sign that he heard her.
“Go on.” Dimitri pulled on the leash to make his point.
“I used you.” Her head started pounding, and she felt nauseous. “I needed the money and the job, but I realize I want more. Dimitri can give that to me. So, you should go. You need to let me go.”
He nodded, his face giving nothing away. She hoped he bought it.
Dimitri nodded at his two goons, and they dragged him to his feet. “This is where she wants to be. And if you try to stop us, she will suffer my wrath every day until you desist. My people can take out everyone you care about, one by one.”
Gage stared at Dimitri and spoke, his voice low and gritty. “She has made her decision. You can have her.” Brynne heard the words and went numb.
“I’m glad you can see reason. She will live in the lap of luxury, provided she behaves.” He yanked the leash to make his point. “My pilot will return you to the island now.”
Brynne watched helplessly as the two men dragged Gage forward. She saw he was limping as they made their way through the wide glass doors to the main deck.
A siren pierced the night, making her flinch hard against Dimitri’s leg. A voice rang out on a loudspeaker. “Stop where you are. This is Interpol. We have a warrant to search your vessel!”
Dimitri moved quickly, grabbing a gun from one of the men holding Gage. He dragged Brynne to her feet and backed away, shouting at the crewman. She saw two men scurry to the helipad and start unlocking the steel tie-downs that held the aircraft to the deck.
Gage seized the moment. He elbowed the other guard and wrapped his cuffed wrists around his neck until he finally dropped his firearm to clutch at the metal crushing his throat. Brynne heard Dimitri cock the gun and point it at the two men. She had to do something.
Hysteria fueled the rush of adrenaline. She threw her weight against him and clawed at his face as the gun went off. Blood burst from the guard’s neck and he and Gage fell backward onto the deck. Her scream echoed in her own ears as she watched a growing pool of red beneath them.
She had failed. Her legs gave way, but Dimitri yanked her roughly back against him. One huge hand was at her throat, squeezing as he spat into her ear, “You did this. You killed him.” She closed her eyes, all the fight draining out of her body.
He started toward the helicopter when two officers in riot gear appeared on the deck with their weapons drawn. Dimitri pulled her in front of him and pointed the gun at her head.
“Everybody back off, or I will kill her.”
The Interpol agent spoke. “We have you surrounded, Ivanov. Give yourself up.”
Everyone turned to the sound of a steel latch releasing and watched the crewman leap over the side. Dimitri laughed maniacally when he heard the splash. “He’s fired.”
The rotors began turning over their heads, sending her heartbeat into overdrive. He pressed the gun to her temple and continued dragging her with him.
They were backed up against the cockpit door. She knew he would have to lower the gun or loosen his grip to open the door latch. If she could get free, the officers would have a clear shot. When he shifted her body to cover him, she made her move.