Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Amy
“Kristoff?” I whispered, as I pushed open the door that I’d seen him open from across the lobby. His expensive suit and dark hair were instantly recognizable in the crowd of people in the hospital.
From the back, I could have mistaken him for Alexei, but my husband was taller and wider through the shoulders. Alexei carried himself differently as well, with an easy-going confidence that Kristoff lacked.
Sparing one last glance behind me, to make sure that my driver hadn’t followed me, I went after the retreating man.
“Don’t do it, ”a familiar voice snapped in my brain, and I recognized it as the older Nikolai. “Do not go out there, Amy. Do not leave the public with that man.”
I quietened the voice in my head. I knew Nikolai would be worried about this, but what other choice did I have? I couldn’t force Kristoff to talk to me in the hospital, where anyone could see us. Our conversion had to be private.
“You promised, docha.”
I squashed his voice down and pushed myself out after the Russian.
“Kristoff?” I asked again, louder this time, when I couldn’t see him. Silence met my ears. “Hello?”
Doubts ate at me. Maybe I’d followed the wrong person? But no, I knew the moment I had seen him that it had been Kristoff. He just wasn’t out here now?
Why lead me out here, if he wasn’t going to wait for me?
“Hello, Amy,” a smooth accented voice said from behind me, whirling around, my hand clutched at my throat. I watched as he stepped out from behind me. “You came alone.”
Frowning, I let my eyes sweep over him. He looked older than the first time I’d met him. More worn around the eyes.
“Yes,” I whispered. Why was I suddenly so uneasy? I threw a glance behind me again. The small space was empty. Nothing but bins. “Yes, I came alone.” Finally, I met his eyes, and I didn’t like the look on his face at all.
They had turned cold and calculating. I took a step back without meaning to.
“That’s good, I guess.” A smile spread across his face. “I don’t think either of us wants surprises, do we?”
I stared at him. The cold look wasn’t in his eyes anymore. His smile was friendly. I was just paranoid. I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me, Kristoff." Stepping forward, I offered him my hand because that’s what people did in this situation, right? They shook hands?
“Well, you made it sound like my life depended on it, Amy.” His much bigger hand closed around mine and squeezed.
“It does.”
“Is that so?” cocking his head to the side he studied me, his fingers gripped my hand. “Then you best tell me what you have haven’t you?”
Back and forth over the back of my hand, his thumb swept. I tried to pull my hand back, and he held on.
My heart sped up a fraction.
“I don’t have to tell you, Kristoff.”
Why was he touching me like that? Why wouldn’t he let go of my hand? Alexei’s grandfather’s voice rose up to a yell in my head. Screaming at me to run, to fight. To just get the hell out of this situation now.
“I can show you,” I finished, and I couldn’t help it. My voice wobbled.
“Then you best show me.” With one hard tug on my hand, he had trapped me in his, and I went crashing into his chest, the wind momentarily knocked out of me.
“Kristoff, what is the meaning of—” My words died on my lips as he grabbed my chin and forced my head up to meet his.
“I’ve always thought you were beautiful.”
My eyes widened in shock.
“Alexei never saw it, but I did,from that first night. I knew you were going to need my help to navigate this world of ours. And you do, don’t you? You need me to make Alexei believe you?”
Shame filled me. He was right. I did, but I wasn’t about to admit that.
“I wonder if he would care that you ditched your security to come out here and be alone with me. Alexei isn’t a very trusting person, Amy. I thought you would have known that by now. The only person he trusts apart from himself is Violet. So I do wonder what he would believe if—”
I cut him off, yanking my hand back from his grip. “I can prove that Violet isn’t to be trusted. She’s been using Alexei, but she’s been using you as well. There are at least half a dozen men on her list.”
Kristoff went completely still. “And you say you have proof?”
Fumbling in my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone. He watched silently as I started to open files. Not one emotion on his face.
“Yes, here.” Without thinking I thrust the phone towards him. He didn’t even look down at it. Instead, his eyes remained glued to my face.
“I honestly thought better of you, Amy,” he said softly with a shake of his head.
Confused, I opened my mouth to speak, and instead, it fell open as he dropped the phone to the floor with a clang.
“Did you really think it was a good idea to come here alone?”
The word no was on was on the tip of my tongue when his fist slammed into my face, and everything spun around me. The ground rushed up to meet my face as I fell.
Shit.
This was not part of the plan. I didn’t have a chance to get my hands under me before my face smashed into the concrete and everything turned blinding white.
I blinked my eyes awake, and at first, nothing I was seeing made sense. I was in a sparse room with wet-looking brick walls that enclosed me on all sides apart from one, where piles and piles of trolleys with what looked like laundry had been pushed.
But not clean laundry, the whole place had a musty smell that made my nose wrinkle in disgust.
“Where—” I tried to say and failed. There was something in my mouth. Some scrap of material that had a bitter taste.
Through my lashes, I let my eyes wander around. I had no clue where I was, but it felt like a basement, and I was tied to a chair. I could feel the hard ropes around my wrists binding me to the chair.
Yanking my arms, I tested the tightness, and they didn’t give. Whoever had tied me up had done a really good job.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
The voice was unmistakable. My head snapped around, and I glared at Violet as she sauntered into the room. Her jeans were crumpled, her shirt was ripped, and there was a bruise forming on her chin.
It looked like someone had hit her, just like Kristoff had hit me. But unlike me, she was walking around free.
“You won’t get away this time, Amy. It would have been better for everyone if you had run further.
Alexei would have lost interest sooner or later.
” She shook her head, and for the first time since I had met her, her hair wasn’t a perfectly sleek curtain.
“But no, you had to stay close, you had to survive.”
Coming to a stop in front of me, she leaned down. Her breath was minty fresh. “You had to think you won. You haven’t won, Amy, and today you will see once and for all that you never will. Is everything ready?”
Confused, I frowned. “What?” It took me exactly three seconds to realize she wasn’t speaking to me.
Kristoff appeared in the doorway, a chair dragged behind him and a rope held loose in his hands. He positioned the chair a few feet from me and then walked forward. “Are you OK?”
Again, I was confused. Wrapping his arm round Violet’s waist, he tilted her head up, his fingers brushing against the forming bruise. “I hated having to hurt you,” he whispered.
It hit me all in a rush. They were both in on it. But of course, they were. Kristoff was under her spell just like Alexei was.
Nikolia’s voice in my head had warned me not to go into that alleyway, and I had ignored it. I’d tried to outsmart people who had been in this life longer than I had.
“I love you,” he whispered as he captured her lips.
“I know,” I saw her smile. “And soon we will have everything we have ever wanted.”
She didn’t say she loved him back, but I already knew that. I had proof she didn’t. Or at least I had pictures on my phone that he had dropped on the floor by the trash and the files back at the apartment. Not that they would do me any good now. Unless Alexei—
I went completely still. I didn’t know how long had passed, but Alexei would realize I was missing soon, if he hadn’t already. If anyone could find me, it would be him.
“Did he find the car?” Violet asked, taking the other seat and positioning her arms behind so Kristoff could tie them just like he had done to mine.
“Yeah, we have maybe five minutes. When it comes to her,” his eyes darted towards me, “he’s like a fucking bloodhound. We could have just—”
Violet’s lips thinned, she stared at me, and if looks could kill, I would have been dead on the floor. “You know he wouldn’t let us be together, Kristoff. You know this is the only way.”
He hesitated just for a second, and I saw the questions on his face. He wasn’t sure. Kristoff was beginning to have doubts. If I could just talk, then I might be able to use that to my advantage, but with the gag in my mouth, it was impossible to do anything but a mumble.
“Shut up.” His hand lashed out, backhanding my face so my head rocked to the side. Tears rushed into my eyes.
“You won’t get to poison me against her bitch.”
“Kristoff,” Violet said softly. The perfect voice of reason. “We don’t have time for this.”
They kissed again, and then he placed a gag in her mouth, just in time as a door in the distance opened with a loud metallic clang.
“Showtime,” Kristoff whispered.
Alexei appeared in the doorway. Gun pressed against his thigh, his eyes swept around the room, landing on Violet first, and then me. I saw his lips part in a sigh of relief, but I didn’t know whether that was because he saw me or Violet.
Then his eyes found Kristoff, and the gun rose.
“Glad you could make it old friend.” Kristoff did not raise a weapon. He just stood there with his hands loose and relaxed at his side. “I was hoping you would join us in time for the fireworks.”
Against the hard wood of my chair, I stiffened. They wanted Alexei here. This was all a trap. But why? That was the part that didn’t make sense to me. If they wanted Alexei dead, they would have tried that, but Violet still needed him. Which meant—
Shit.
I struggled against the ropes. If I could just loosen one arm enough to yank down the gag, I could tell him about the files. I could warn him.
Alexei’s eyes darted to me, an unreadable look in them. It was almost like he was telling me to calm down, and my body responded and went still.
“Let the women go and me and you can sort this out between ourselves like men.” Alexei’s voice was completely neutral. If I hadn’t known him, I would have said they were friends.
Throwing back his head, Kristoff boomed out a laugh. “How about I compromise with you Alexei. You like a deal after all don’t you. I will let one of them go.” He held up one finger like Alexei was a child. “Make a choice Alexei. Which one of your lovers are you going to save.?”
Shit. My shoulders slumped. They didn’t want to kill Alexei yet. They wanted him to kill me. Because everyone knew he would always choose Violet.
“One lives and one dies, Alexei.” Two pistols appeared in Kristoff’s hand. One pointed at my head and the other at Violet. “Time to choose.”