Chapter 19
Sophie
My heart thumps loudly in my ears as we walk up the stairs. We reach the top step, make our way through a short hallway, and Luka opens a door, letting us into the bar area.
This is the closest to freedom I’ve come since I was kidnapped.
The wooden bar shows clear signs of wear and tear, and the leather booths are chafed. Smoke darkens the walls, and the whole place reeks of cheap cologne. It isn’t packed but there are a few people here. If I screamed for help, would they help me?
A mirror covers the wall behind the bar, a generous number of liqueur bottles lining the bottom half. I lock eyes with a server in skimpy clothes, and her nose scrunches with disdain. I guess that is my answer. Everyone here is loyal to Luka. Or at least scared of him.
Still, I’m getting out tonight. It might be just for a night, but I’m getting out. People who support my dad will be there. Maybe they’ll try to help me. My breathing picks up, but so does my stomach. As far as I’m aware, they’re another mafia family which is hardly reassuring.
Loud thump of the bass quiets as we exit the club and approach the black Range Rover parked outside. Luka tries to help me in, but I slap his hand away. I haven’t worn heels in…well, ever, so I barely escape twisting my ankle. Still, after some maneuvering, I climb inside on my own.
I expect Luka to take the front seat, but it’s already occupied, so he climbs in after me, crowding the space.
Leon and Ivan sit in front, both clad in tuxedos.
Luka is wearing a tux, too. His tattoos are covered and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he looks civil.
It must be tailor made, considering his sheer size, but it’s still tight around his biceps, the fabric straining against the power of his muscles.
“Ready?” Ivan asks from the driver’s seat.
“Mm-hm,” Luka mumbles in response.
Fear bubbles low in my stomach, but something else blooms, too.
Excitement. I haven’t been outside in weeks.
Even though I typically have to force myself to get out of the house, today I stare out the window, committing every detail of the outside word to memory.
It’s dark, but the streetlamps illuminate enough for me to see our surroundings.
The road is deserted, meaning we’re obviously on the outskirts of the town. It takes us exactly fourteen minutes to reach the first traffic light. I know this for sure, because I have a clear vision of the clock in the car.
A clock.
I haven’t known what time it is in weeks.
I’m trying to split my attention between watching the digits on the clock change and noticing everything around me.
A weird sense of déjà vu hits me. The last time I’ve watched the world with such childlike wonder, I was an actual child.
My parents and I were driving to the mountains, and my mom was pointing to everything around us.
“The trees are beautiful!”
“Look at the cows!”
“This rock looks like your dad!”
I remember staring, wide-eyed, at everything she pointed at, thrilled with the world around me. In love with the world around me.
It was her.
She was light, and sunshine, and happiness. Moisture pools in my eyes, remembering.
She was magic.
And I’ll never feel her magic again.
A lump forms in my throat as I push my nails into the palms of my hand, trying to relieve some of the pain. I notice Luka’s eyes on me, which makes my heart race, but before he can mention anything, the car pulls to a stop.
Leon, Luka, and I exit the car one by one. “I’ll park the car and meet you inside,” Ivan says, declining the valet’s offer, and drives off, leaving the three of us alone.
The chill air hits my mostly naked skin, and goosebumps erupt. Luka pats his pocket, extracting a cigarette before lighting it, while Leon taps on his phone.
“How many men do we have inside?” Luka asks.
“Five. But it’s just a precaution. They would be stupid to start something here.”
My goosebumps turn to shivers, making my teeth chatter. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Luka looks my way and notices I’m freezing.
“Shit,” he murmurs, taking his jacket off and placing it over my shoulders sooner than I can protest.
His brother shoots him a puzzled look, but Luka ignores him, focusing on his cigarette. The relief is instant. The jacket is huge, so it envelopes me fully, giving me much needed warmth. It doesn’t smell bad, either, the faint scent of tobacco and spicy cologne drifting into my nostrils.
Once my body temperature is no longer concerning, my gaze lifts to see where the hell we are. The imposing building in front of us is one of the most exclusive ones in the city.
“What is this event?” I ask, disappointed with the fact I haven’t asked this sooner.
“The Mayor’s Ball,” Leon responds with a smirk.
My breath hitches. “What do you mean, the Mayor’s Ball?”
I don’t get an answer. Rather, Luka wraps his arm around mine and gestures for me to walk up the massive steps. “You are not to leave my sight for a second. Got it?” he whispers in my ear, and I shiver again.
I nod, my mind reeling with information I’ve just received. The Mayor’s Ball?
I know politics and corruption go hand in hand, but I always thought it was an underground thing. Suspicious deals made behind closed doors. But this is the Mayor’s Ball. And at least two different mafia families will be present. So it’s obviously not as hidden as I assumed.
The luxury and the grandeur hit me as soon as we enter the venue through an ornate archway.
Crystal chandeliers massive enough to kill all of us, white tablecloths that were probably hand sewn by underpaid workers halfway around the world, smiling servers carrying champagne that costs as much as my apartment.
And the guests. Not a hair out of place in the entire room.
Not a wrinkle un-Botoxed, not a smile un-fake.
In the animal kingdom, the male birds use flashy objects or colorful feathers to attract females during the mating season, and this is no different.
Watches and cufflinks polished enough to blind you when they flash them across the room.
The women are no less intimidating, though.
Designer dresses and tiny purses. Seamless veneers under perfectly drawn lips with just the right amount of lip filler.
I don’t belong here. Not for a second.
My instant reaction is shame. My cheeks heat realizing I have no makeup on. My hair is a mess, and I haven’t shaved in weeks. But I squash that reaction as well as I can.
I’m a good person. I don’t work with criminals. At least not unless I’m under a death threat, which makes me better than all these people.
Leon’s smile is wide, and he looks in his element.
Luka, on the other hand, is still holding my elbow in a tight grip.
His jaw is locked, and he looks like he’d rather be anywhere other than here.
His eyes travel the room and back, repeatedly, as if he’s checking for danger.
His shoulders are tense and it’s then I realize I’m still wearing his jacket.
I take it off and hand it to him, snapping him out of his surveillance fugue.
“You don’t need it anymore?” he asks, his gaze lingering on my dress longer than necessary.
I’m not used to being looked like that, so my nipples tighten, reminding me I’m not wearing a bra. I shake my head and look away, clearing my throat.
“You know the mayor?” I ask, trying to break this awkward silence.
“I do. So don’t try any funny business.”
I swallow; any hope I held for tonight slowly leaving me. Desperation builds in my stomach. This was supposed to be my chance. But I guess this place is filled with crooked cops and corrupt politicians, mingling with mobsters who are at war with each other.
The only hope I have is to survive the night.
Leon networks around the room, while Luka eyes the bar. He places his hand on my upper arm and drags me toward it, but we’re interrupted before we reach it.
“Mr. Petrovi?.” It takes me a second to realize that the voice belongs to the mayor himself.
“I’m glad you have made time in your busy schedule to come here tonight.
” The older man shakes Luka’s hand, his slicked back white hair not moving an inch.
A tattoo peeks out from Luka’s sleeve and the mayor’s eyebrow ticks, showing his contempt.
He quickly hides it with a polite smile before turning to me, his blue eyes staring at me with vigilance. “And who do we have here?”
Words escape me. What if I told him the truth? What if I asked him to help me? He is a public servant, after all. A public servant who works closely with the mafia, even though, judging by the look he gave Luka, he despises them.
Thoughts flood my brain, and Luka utilizes the pause to introduce me himself. “This is Sophie, my date.”
I barely suppress a scoff. The mayor extends his hand for me to shake, and I do the same. Unease pulls at me as his cold, thin hand wraps around mine. I can’t fully explain the feeling, but something in my gut moves me closer to Luka.
As if noticing, Luka breaks the moment. “If you’ll excuse us… We have more people we need to say hello to.”
“Of course. Hope you have a great night.” The mayor’s face twists into a snakelike smile.
Luka hauls me away, once again turning me toward the bar. I practically jump out of my skin when I feel his breath on my neck.
“I was kind of waiting for you to introduce yourself as my hostage,” he says under his breath, his lips pressed to my ear. My skin prickles again, though it’s not the cold’s fault this time.
What he’s doing makes sense considering he introduced me as his date, but it’s more intimate than any interaction we ever had, and I step away from his touch, drawing in a deep breath.
“I guess I figured it wouldn’t make a difference,” I respond.
He falls back for a step before catching up to me. His lips press into a line, like he wanted me to fight back.
“Two whiskeys, please,” he tells the bartender tersely.