Taken
31
B rynne bit her tongue so she wouldn’t cry out as Dimitri dragged her along and kicked open the door of the master bedroom. “Pack your things.”
“My things are in the other room.”
His head tilted in confusion. “Don’t you sleep in this room with him?”
“Yes, but I have my own room, too.” As soon as the words popped out, she regretted them. It might have been better to deny sleeping with Gage.
His grip tightened. “Lead the way, Kiska.”
With the other man hovering in the living room, she had no way to outmaneuver him. Dimitri interrupted her frantic thoughts. “I expect him to repay me for all the trouble he has caused. And you will too, my pet.”
She tried to pull away. “I am not your pet.”
“Pets don’t talk back; you’ll learn soon enough. You will write him a goodbye note, so he thinks you left him. That way, he won’t come looking for you.”
“You’re crazy!”
He slapped her hard across the face. If he didn’t have an iron grip on her arm, she would have fallen. She tasted blood where her teeth must have cut her cheek. Blood had spattered on the wall, but he hadn’t noticed.
“Don’t make me angry, Kiska. I am not gentle at the best of times, but if you continue to provoke me, you’ll be sorry.”
He opened the closet and scoffed. “This is the extent of your wardrobe?”
Any response could set him off, so she nodded.
He pulled her small suitcase out and tossed it on the bed. “Fill it up.” He finally let go of her arm and she rubbed the tender area, bruised from his grip.
She scooped up her clothes and shoes and dumped them into the case. Next, she collected her toiletries from the bathroom, concealing a lipstick in her hand as she packed her makeup. After putting it into the case, she said, “I need to use the toilet.”
“Fine. Leave the door open.”
“Please. I can’t go with you watching.”
“Kiska, you will do everything in front of me. Get used to it.”
She pleaded, “Please. I have my period—don’t make me do that.”
He stared hard at her, then nodded, his face taking on a lethal scowl. “Da. You may have a few minutes, but I will break this door down if you try to lock me out.”
She sat on the toilet and forced herself to pee. Using a few sheets of toilet paper, she wrote with the lipstick, Dimitri took me! Help! B. On the side of the vanity, she drew a small arrow so the cleaning lady would see it and hopefully find the paper behind the trash can. She flushed the toilet and washed her hands.
He was looking at the black halter dress she left in the closet. “You forgot this.”
“Gage gave that to me. I should leave it.”
“No. I will see you in it. Pack it.”
She put the dress in the suitcase and zipped it up.
He took the case, grabbed her wrist, and hauled her back to the living room. The big, ugly Russian was there waiting. His cheek had a wicked scar from his ear to his mouth that she would never forget. If she lived through this, she could identify him in a lineup.
Dimitri gave him the suitcase and turned to her. “Where are your car keys?”
“Why?”
He grabbed her by the throat and growled close to her face. “Because Vlad is going to drive your car away. How else will they know you left?”
Her mind was spinning. Gage might never look for her if the MG was gone. “I don’t have the keys. The mechanic has them—he takes it out for a run every week.”
The Russian squeezed her throat until tears came to her eyes. He smiled in a way that made her nauseous. “You take me for a fool. My people saw you drive the car up from your little cottage yesterday. Lie to me again and you will regret it.”
“I’m sorry.” She tried to squeak the words out, but his hand still gripped her throat. A hand so powerful it could easily snap her neck.
He finally heeded her panicked sounds and let her breathe. “Now, get your keys, your phone, and a piece of paper. You are going to write a convincing goodbye note.”
His harsh grip on her arm made her gasp as they marched to the kitchen. She handed him the keys and cell phone, and he passed them off to his henchman.
“Make it quick. I have to get back to London.”
“We’re going to London?”
“Not you, my pet. You will wait for me on my yacht until I get my money from the club. Then we will be together.”
God help her. How would she escape if she was on a boat? She ripped a sheet of paper out of her notebook. Her heart was pounding in her chest. How could she let Gage know she wasn’t leaving of her own free will? She dug out a pen from her bag. A quick glance confirmed her abductor looked capable of anything, including murder.
“Tell him you are leaving him. That you don’t love him. Whatever. He needs to know you don’t want him.”
Dear Magnus,
I can’t do this anymore. It’s better for both of us if I go away.
Your investigator will eventually confirm I didn’t write that article, but it will be too late for us. I don’t love you anymore.
RED
Dimitri impatiently grabbed the paper and read the note. He seemed satisfied and walked her to the foyer. “Where is your computer? You have a backpack, don’t you?”
Fuck. She hoped he would forget that. If she left it, Gage would know something was wrong. “It’s over there.” She pointed to the sitting area. “I’ll pack it up.”
“Hurry the fuck up.”
She stuffed the laptop into the bag and put it over her shoulder. He had retrieved her overcoat from the front closet.
“Come here.” He pulled handcuffs out of his leather jacket pocket and snapped a cuff on one wrist. “I will take your bag. Give me your other hand.”
She tried to pull back. “You don’t have to do this. I will come quietly.”
He attached the other cuff. “Be grateful I did not drug you. I expect you to walk normally to the helipad. Act up and you will be very sorry.”
He put the coat over her shoulders and led her out the front door to the waiting helicopter. Vlad was already there, stowing her luggage. Once they were inside the cabin, the ugly man shut the door and saluted.
Dimitri turned to her with a wicked grin. “He will make sure you didn’t forget anything or leave any clues.”
Dimitri buckled her in and gave the signal to the pilot. The hum of the engine increased, and the blades started turning. Brynne prayed to God that someone would see them.
Her stomach dropped as the helicopter lifted high above the house. It rose higher and higher until her little cottage was the size of a dollhouse. They flew north past the Cuillin Hills and stayed close to the coastline until they passed Dunvegan and left Skye behind. When they started their descent, Brynne couldn’t see any place to touch down. Then she spotted a sleek black yacht a few hundred feet below. It was miles from shore, making it an inescapable prison. She closed her eyes, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread.
The machine landed with a thud on the deck of the yacht, and she choked back tears. Dimitri unclipped the seatbelt and waited for his crew to open the cabin door. He handed her stuff to the first uniformed man, then yanked her out of the compartment by her cuffed wrists. Once they were clear of the rotors spinning slowly above their heads, he picked her up and carried her toward the sliding glass doors of the salon. “My kitten has put on some weight. I may need to ration your food to get you down to the size I like.”
She stiffened in shock at the remark. It was everything she could do to keep her mouth shut.
“I’ll wait until I see you naked, before I decide.”
She ignored him and tried to pay attention to her surroundings, so if she got the chance, she could find her way out. They entered an elevator and descended two floors. One of his crew was holding open the door to a cabin. The suite was over the top, like everything else she’d seen. This room boasted a king-size bed with a zebra-patterned headboard, matching the black-and-gold color scheme. He put her down and pushed her back until her legs hit the base of the bed.
“You are lucky I cannot stay, as Gage awaits. I trust my crew with my life, but many of them haven’t had a woman in months. So, I must put you in the cage.”
“What?” She looked around frantically and saw the large cage on the other side of the bed. “No, please,” she begged.
“It is for your own safety. They will bring you food and water and I will be back by tonight.”
Brynne struggled and fought, but it was no use. He easily forced her into the metal enclosure, using his massive body to pin her down. The humiliation wasn’t over. He buckled a collar around her neck, which he padlocked. “This will help you understand you are my pet now.”
She kicked and fought until he roughly drew her cuffed hands over her head with one hand and squeezed her chin painfully with the other. “Stop fighting me. It is futile and will only cause me to hurt you.”
Tears spilled from her eyes, and she sagged against the bars of the cage. “I hate you.”
He backed out of the cage and slammed the door. “You were supposed to be mine weeks ago, but you managed to elude my people. Imagine my disgust when I learned where you were all this time.”
He took a blanket off the bed and passed it through the bars. “I suggest you rest. When I come back, we will begin our life together.”
Gage was getting angrier by the minute. It was going on an hour past the time of their meeting. He had gone to the bank and withdrawn half a million pounds. John had suggested they mark the bills, with Interpol’s help, so they could keep tabs on Dimitri after he left London. With billions at his disposal, there was a chance he wouldn’t touch it, but they would track him if he did. Multiple investigations of extortion and money laundering were underway, but he had a complex set of numbered companies that couldn’t be traced back to him. John confirmed the Range Rover that followed Jared belonged to a Russian who had been in the UK for three months. They were struggling to prove he was linked to Dimitri. One thing was clear, the man was a master at covering his tracks.
He had tried Brynne twice, but she was not answering. She was distant last night after going to her place, so he gave her the space she seemed to want.
As he paced up and down the library, an email arrived from his investigator. He had a lead on someone who worked at the Mirror with her. The woman recently took a leave of absence—after telling her co-workers that she inherited a large sum of money and was going on a cruise. He was tracing the source of the funds and her whereabouts and would advise as soon as he had news.
It was time to tell Garrick about the arrangement he’d made with Tink. He found him in his office and when he explained, his friend just shook his head and laughed.
Gage scowled. “What’s so bloody funny?”
“I knew you liked her more than you were willing to admit.”
“So what? How can I trust her?”
“It’s easy. You just do. She’s nothing like Sierra, and if you would open your eyes, you would see that.”
Gage rubbed his forehead. “She only agreed to the month with me because she needs the money and the kinky sex to finish her book.”
“You keep believing she has some nefarious agenda to part you with your money. What if you’re wrong?”
Gage scowled but didn’t reply.
“How do you feel about her?”
“She makes me crazy. She makes me laugh. And she makes me hard. All the time.”
“Hmm. Sounds terminal.”
Miles rang to announce Dimitri’s arrival.
“Let’s get this shit over with. I need to get back to Skye.”
“You mean back to your girl?”
“Aye.”
Gage met him in the boardroom on the first floor and Garrick remained close by. Dimitri reluctantly agreed to leave his bodyguards outside.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting. Traffic in the city is terrible.”
Gage’s jaw tightened. “You made threats to me and my club, Dimitri—so it was imperative that we have the chance to sit down and discuss this, like adults.”
Dimitri forced a laugh. “You are correct. I want to make it clear; I believe you were hasty in kicking me out of the club. And if you are not willing to welcome me back, I am due all my money.”
“I have your funds. I believe it’s best for all concerned that we part amicably and permanently.”
“The way you British behave so politely is baffling to me. In Russia, if you threw a person of my status out, we would burn your club to the ground. And here, we meet and discuss it like gentlemen.”
Gage gritted his teeth. “Indeed.” He put the paperwork his lawyers drew up on the table in front of Dimitri.
“Is Tinkerbell still working here?”
Gage stilled, giving nothing away. “No. She left some time ago.”
“Ah, that is too bad. I would like to apologize for frightening her that night. And since we are coming to a resolution, I won’t have to sue her for assault.”
He wanted to wipe that smug smile off the Russian’s face, but forced himself to ignore the obvious taunt.
“This document confirms we are refunding your membership dues in the amount of five hundred thousand pounds in cash, and you agree to release the club and all its employees from any damages, now or in the future.”
“You mean you will not accept my word?”
“I am sure your word is your bond, Dimitri, but my lawyers insist upon this paperwork to protect the business from any future liability.”
“Da. I will sign. Even though I should ask my lawyers to examine it.”
“Please look it over. I’ll get your cash.” Gage rose and left the room. He nodded to Garrick, who went to retrieve the large black case.
He returned as Dimitri was signing the documents. Gage signed and gave him a set, concluding their business.
As he prepared to leave, Dimitri asked, “Are you staying in London?”
The question surprised Gage, but he answered casually, “I live here. It’s one of my favorite cities in the world. What about you, Ivanov? Are you staying long?”
The Russian’s mouth twisted into a fake smile. “I am here for a few days, before a brief holiday in Monaco.”
Gage walked him to the front door, and two burly bodyguards flanked Dimitri and escorted him to the waiting Maybach limousine. One got in the front and the other jumped into a Range Rover idling behind it.
The hand-tailored suit couldn’t camouflage the criminal he was. He was pure scum. Gage felt like he needed a shower. Garrick put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad that’s over. And I hope to god they pin something on him soon.”
Gage stared out the front windows. He hoped so, too. He would feel better when Dimitri was locked up or permanently deported. Turning to Garrick, he said, “Let John know he has left with the money and hopefully he leaves a trail of breadcrumbs. I’m heading back to Skye. Brynne has not returned my calls.”
“Okay mate. I’ll keep you posted if I hear anything.”
He called Fiona from the car to let her know he was on his way to Northolt airport. She would alert the pilots about his ETA. Then he called Logan and left him a message to check on Brynne. Twenty minutes later, he rang him back.
“Magnus, I went up to the house and knocked. There was no answer, and her car was not in the garage.”
Gage’s stomach dropped. “Did you see her at all today?”
“No man, I thought you were home though—I heard a helicopter land on your pad this morning, so I figured you were back.”
“It wasn’t me.” Who the fuck would dare? “Do you remember what time that was?”
“Must have been around ten a.m. I got to the cottage around nine thirty this morning.”
“You still have a key, don’t you?” Gage wiped a damp palm on his pants.
“Yeah, do you want me to go in and look around?”
“Yes. Look for anything strange. Check the main floor guest room for her things. I must make a call—I’ll ring you back in fifteen.” Gage hung up and dialed John.
“Gage, what’s up?
“John, I have a bad feeling and I need your help. Do you have people tailing Dimitri?”
“Yeah, we have been tracking him since he left the club. I put a tiny transmitter in the briefcase and layered another between a stack of bills at the bottom, in case he dumps the case.”
“Good. He thinks we are stupid, but god help me, John—Brynne is not at home. She hasn’t answered my calls, and someone landed at my helipad on Skye this morning. Can you find out from the CAA if anyone filed a flight plan?”
“I’ll get on that right away. We will also check for any records of a heli charter. But couldn’t she be out with friends or something? Was everything okay when you left?”
“It was okay—she was distant, but nothing earth-shattering. Just call it a hunch. Maybe before I go crazy, can you track her mobile? If she’s on the island, I’ll calm down.”
“Got it. I will call you back ASAP.”
“I’m getting on my plane in ten minutes. I’ll text you the satellite phone number.”
Gage boarded the plane and called Logan back before they started taxiing. What he said was like a punch to the gut. Her closet was empty. No sign of her computer, but the cord was still plugged into the outlet. He was checking the kitchen next.
“Hey, there’s a full cup of coffee sitting on the counter. And it smells like burnt coffee in here.” He heard him rummaging around. “It looks like she left the pot on.”
“That is strange. She either left in a hurry or someone interrupted her before she could have that coffee. Thanks, Logan. Let me know if you find anything else at all.”
“I will, and I’ll check with the neighbors to see if anyone saw the helicopter or her car leaving.”
“Thanks.”
Gage was about to hang up when he heard Logan yell. “Wait! There’s a note.”
Logan read it to him, and his stomach churned. How did she know about the investigator? She signed it Red and said she didn’t love him anymore? It wasn’t right.
His intuition screamed that she was trying to tell him something. Could she be in danger? Gage texted John the plane’s number, which would work once they reached ten thousand feet.
His mind raced through the events of the last week. How could he be so blind and stupid? Brynne was unlike anyone he had ever been with. She was fiercely independent and not afraid to tell him what she thought. Unlike most, she wasn’t on the hunt for a husband, and money was not her primary motivation. No, she wanted his body more than his bank account, which made him smile.
She fought her submissive nature but loved to be dominated. Christ, he hoped they could continue seeing each other after the thirty days, because he didn’t want it to end.
A text sounded.
John: Brynne’s cell signal was last online at Inverness Airport. Nothing since two o’clock today and no sign of the car yet.
Gage gripped the phone until his knuckles turned white. Did she leave him? Was she that unhappy with the situation? Where would she have gone? He wrote back.
Gage: Jared might know. If she left me, she might run to him.
John: We just spoke. She was very upset last night. Overheard you on the phone with the PI.
Jared said it devastated her that you still didn’t believe her.
Oh my god. What did she overhear? No wonder she avoided him.
Gage: Was she going to leave me?
John: He doesn’t think so. Not yet anyway.
John said he would call when he got answers back on the heli charter. His team was working on it.
Not yet anyway.
Gage’s heart sank. Jared obviously thought she was going to leave him. Could he still try to win her back? He would explain why he hired the investigator. And why he found it so hard to trust. If he wasn’t too late.