Chapter 4
DIMITRI
Four steps in her walk before she turns, and five steps back. Uneven. She's favoring her right leg. Maybe the heels, maybe nerves.
She turns and paces back toward the table. Her breath is shallow and quick. Fear or excitement? Hard to tell with women like her.
I watch her hand drift to her waist for the third time, adjusting something beneath the fabric of that red dress. Not her underwear. Something harder.
A gun.
Interesting that she'd reach for a knife first if she's got a pistol. Either she doesn't know how to use it, or she's saving it.
"You should be careful with that," I say, nodding toward her hip.
She freezes. "What?"
"Your gun. The way you keep touching it," I say, "it might go off."
Her eyes widen. Nice to know I'm right.
"There's no—"
"You've adjusted it four times now."
She swallows hard.
She's rattled.
I flex my arms against my restraints. I'm feeling stronger now. I feel the drugs burning away from my blood. Control returning inch by inch.
And the three guards behind me? I'm calling bullshit.
I can't hear them. She hasn't signaled anyone. No footsteps but hers. No shift of air behind me. No breath but hers. Maybe one, if they're good. But definitely not three.
I test what's binding my hands again, feeling the rope give slightly. One good yank and I'll be loose. Bleeding, probably. But free.
I need to get her close to me.
"I'm getting bored, Alepoudítsa," I say, deliberately using the nickname she hates. "Untie me so we can have some fun."
She walks toward me, anger making her sloppy. Her dress clings to every perfect curve of her chest, but her demeanor is wrong. She doesn't believe in this anymore.
Time to end it.
"Stop talking."
I tense every muscle. One. Two. Three.
Now.
I twist and pull hard, throwing everything I've got at what's keeping me tied up. The chair leg snaps. Wood splinters. I wasn't expecting that, but I'll take it.
I yank my hands free, feeling skin tear as the rope burns away, but I don't care. Adrenaline surges.
Athena gasps, stumbling back.
I slam the chair legs down, shattering it completely. My hands and legs are free now, rope dangling from my wrists and ankles.
She raises the knife. Too slow.
My hands are on her in an instant. I slam her back against the wall, hard enough to jar her breath. My body cages hers, chest to chest, my hand gripping her throat. Not to choke. To hold.
"You're going to regret taking me," I growl.
My other hand grabs her wrist, twisting until the knife clatters to the floor. Then I reach down under her dress until I feel the cold metal of the pistol.
She screams, high and panicked. Behind me, heavy footsteps. One person, not three. I pull the gun free and spin her around, my arm crushing across her throat.
One man. Bald, mid-thirties, charges with a drawn pistol.
I aim over Athena's shoulder and fire twice. The first bullet finds his left eye. The second, his cheek. He drops instantly, his gun sliding away.
"Jesus!" Athena struggles against me.
I squeeze her tightly.
The door crashes open.
Two more men come. Guess she wasn't completely lying.
I press the hot barrel of the gun to her temple.
"Stop, or she's dead."
The two men freeze and look at one another, unsure of what to do next.
Good thing I do.
I fire one quick shot at the man on my right.
He collapses to the ground. I pull Athena to the side and turn to kill the man on my left.
He fires wildly, the bullet crashing into the wall near my head.
I squeeze off another round, and blood instantly pours from his throat. He drops, kicking as he bleeds out.
I drag Athena with me, backing toward the wall opposite the door. Her perfume and sweat fill my nostrils. Her breathing is rapid and erratic.
She's scared.
"How many more?" I demand.
"Go to hell." Her voice shakes. Not so tough now.
"Fine. You first."
I press the gun to her temple again.
"Last chance."
She stiffens.
"Okay. Okay. One more. The driver," she says and slams her ass hard against me, twisting as if to get away. I pull her up off her feet and hold her in the air.
"You took me. Now you’re mine," I say as I allow her feet to touch back down on the ground.
"Fucking move."
I drag her through the blood-slick floor, out the door, down a hallway. She goes between whimpering and silence.
As we move down the hallway, I make sure her body is always in front of mine, just in case some hero jumps out ahead of us.
We get to a door with a small window, and from what I can tell, it leads outside.
"So out there is only one man?"
She doesn't answer.
I shake her.
"Yes!" she yells.
"Well, ladies first," I say, and we barge out, her pinned against me, leading the way.
"Son of a bitch," I hear someone to my left say.
I spin around and fire once, catch him in the shoulder. He staggers but stays up. I fire again, and his head snaps back in a spray of red. He crumples against a car.
Athena squirms against me. I can feel every curve of her body, every tremor of terror running through her. She's softer than she looks. Warmer.
Suddenly, concrete explodes next to my head and my right ear burns. My grip loosens on Athena and she takes the opportunity to dig her nails into me and run. I lose her, but the sound of a second gunshot forces me to more important issues.
I drop to one knee as a third shot rings in my ears, the whizzing of the bullet sounding above my head. I look and find another man ducking behind a pole.
Motherfucker.
I shoot once, hitting him in the leg. He drops to the ground as I stand. He yells but turns his gun back on me. I fire multiple rounds, emptying my gun into him. His body shakes as each bullet pierces him. Finally, he stops moving, and a pool of blood surrounds him.
I turn to see Athena running. I sprint, and for the first time realize I'm still slightly off balance from the drugs. I run past the first guy I killed and pick up his gun.
I catch up to her as she's passing a car and slam her against it, pinning her with my body.
Her eyes burn. Fear, fury, and something deeper.
"You should've killed me when you had the chance."
I lean in, warm blood trickling down my ear.
Her breath trembles.
I press the gun beneath her chin, forcing her to meet my gaze.
"You wanted a monster."
I lower my voice.
"You fucking found one."
She freezes, chest rising fast, eyes locked on mine.
I tighten my grip.
"Now. You answer to me."