Chapter 7 - Arko
I turned to see three men charging down the alley like bulls and immediately realized what was happening.
The dead man at my feet was just their scout. He had back-up, and they were coming for us.
I pulled Beatrice’s trembling body closer to my side. We had seconds, maybe less, before they’d be on us with guns blazing.
Fuck. I only wanted to bring Beatrice out to show off my new Lebedev wife and start those rumors. I certainly didn’t want to put her in the middle of his mess.
“We have to run,” I said, spinning her toward the opposite end of the alley.
“Faster!” I hissed, giving her a gentle push forward with one hand, while I steadied my gun with the other, just in case I needed it to defend ourselves.
I could take them all, probably, but not with Beatrice here. I couldn’t risk a stray bullet hitting her. That thought alone made my blood run cold.
She stumbled forward on those ridiculous heels, and I caught her elbow, steadying her. Those gorgeous shoes were going to get us both killed if she couldn’t move fast enough.
The men started gaining on us just as we broke into a run.
“Stop right there!” one of them yelled, and we heard a gunshot. It hit off the brick wall beside her, and I pulled Beatrice harder as she yelped, forcing her to keep pace.
“Where are we going?” she gasped, her breath coming in short pants. “Your restaurant was closer.”
I tugged her around the corner, away from the restaurant. “There’s a club down there on the left. We can lose them in the crowd, but the restaurant was too risky to head back into.”
We soon saw the sign for Club Enigma, and since it was a Saturday night, the club was packed, with people lined up outside. I thanked the stars, knowing the crowd worked in our favor.
I glanced back, spotting the first of the Volkov men rounding the corner. I fired in his direction, just to slow them down, buying us precious seconds.
“Keep moving!” I urged, as Beatrice nearly tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. I caught her around the waist, my fingers digging into her. Her skin was hot beneath it, and her body tight with tension.
We reached the club entrance, and a line of people wrapped around the block waiting to get in. I pulled Beatrice toward the VIP entrance instead, where the bouncer recognized me immediately.
“Mr. Pavlov—”
“Emergency,” I cut him off, showing past with Beatrice in tow. “Keep those men out.”
I jerked my chin toward our pursuers, who were now pushing through the crowd toward us.
The bouncer knew who I was and what an emergency meant. “Yes, sir,” he said and started barking orders into his walkie-talkie.
Inside, the club was a crushing mass of bodies. The music pounded so loud I felt it in my chest.
“Stay close,” I yelled into Beatrice’s ear, my lips brushing her skin.
We pushed deeper into the club, weaving past drunken groups. I kept Beatrice ahead of me, with one hand on the small of her back, steering her through.
The crowd swallowed us, providing cover, but I knew it wouldn’t last. The Volkovs would find a way in. If not those three men, then they were bound to send in other back-up.
We needed to get through and out the back.
Beatrice suddenly stopped, nearly causing me to crash into her. I followed her gaze to see a suspicious-looking man shoving his way through the entrance, his eyes scanning the crowd like he was looking for someone.
Probably us.
“Keep moving,” I urged, guiding her toward the back of the club, where a hallway led to the offices and rear exit.
We were halfway across the dance floor when it happened. Some idiot DJ hit a button, and a cloud of smoke billowed from the machines above the dance floor like a result of some kind of short-circuit, quickly filling the space around us.
The crowd cheered, thinking it was part of the show. But Beatrice froze, going completely rigid under my hand.
“No,” she whispered, so quietly I almost missed it over the music. “No, no, no.”
Her breathing changed immediately into quick, shallow gasps that wouldn’t get enough air to her lungs.
Her eyes went wide and unfocused, like the time she had that panic attack in the back of my car when we escaped from the fire at the club.
“Beatrice.” I cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at me. She was somewhere else entirely. “Beatrice, look at me.”
But she wasn’t registering my presence.
I made a split-second decision, wrapped my arm around Beatrice’s waist, and pulled her toward a door marked ‘Staff Only’.
We needed to hide before we got caught. I guided her, and she moved as if on autopilot. I tried a bunch of doors until I finally found one that opened to a storage closet. I pulled her inside and locked the door behind us.
The space was tight, with barely enough room for both of us. Our bodies pressed together in the darkness, and I became hyper-aware of how my chest almost touched hers.
I could feel her trembling and was worried about how pale she looked.
“Beatrice,” I whispered, cupping her face in my hands again. “You’re safe. It’s just me. It’s Arko.”
Her eyes were still wild, and her breathing still erratic.
“Can’t—breathe,” she gasped. “The smoke—they left me—they left me to die—”
“No one’s leaving you,” I said, the worry gnawing in my voice. What the hell was she talking about?
“There’s no smoke here. No one is leaving you to die. I’m right here. The smoke out there isn’t real fire. It’s just for the club. You’re safe.”
I stroked her cheeks with my thumbs, trying to anchor her to the present.
“Focus on me,” I commanded gently. “On my voice. On my touch. You’re not there anymore. You’re here with me.”
Gradually, her breathing slowed. Her eyes began to focus on mine in the dark.
“That’s it,” I encouraged. “Just breathe with me. In. Out.”
Her hands came up to grip my wrists, holding on like she wanted to check this wasn’t a nightmare.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered after a moment. “I just—when I saw the smoke, I panicked.”
“Tell me what happened to you,” I asked quietly.
“I was sixteen when one of my brother’s rivals took me,” she started to tell me in a trembling voice. “They wanted to get to Caspian.”
I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to scare her back into silence, even though I already felt rage at where this story was going.
“They kept me in a warehouse for three days, just tied to a chair.” Her voice shook. “My brothers found me, thank god. But when the men realized they were coming, they…” She trailed off, her eyes glazing with the memory.
“They what?” I prompted gently, though part of me didn’t want to know. I just didn’t want to picture her like that, so young and terrified. No kid deserved to face such horror.
Whoever those bastards were, I wished I could find them and show them what it meant to truly regret something.
“They set the place on fire to cover their tracks,” she whispered. “And they left me there, still tied up. The smoke was everywhere. I couldn’t breathe, and I thought I was going to die.”
“Who the fuck were those guys?” I asked, the rage seeping through in my voice.
“I…I don’t know. But ever since then, I can’t stand smoke and fire. It takes me back to that warehouse and reminds me of the time I thought I was going to die alone.”
My hands tightened on her face, just softly. “You’re not alone now,” I whispered. “And I won’t let anyone hurt you like that again.”
Her eyes searched mine like she could see right through me. “Why do you care? I’m just leverage to you, right?”
The truth of her words stung, and I had no answer. I, myself, was confused as hell over how protective I was starting to feel about her.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, honestly. “But some things are just wrong and you don’t deserve to suffer…at the hands of anyone. No matter how much they hate your family.”
We were standing so close I could feel her breath on my face, and still smell the sweet wine on her lips. The small space seemed to shrink further, and I became hyperaware of how our chests crushed against one another’s.
My heart began to race, and her hands slid from my wrists to my chest, resting over my heart.
I felt my breath hitch in my throat as every second pounded in my chest, and my eyes stayed on hers. Then, I heard her let out a small whimper, her eyes falling to my lips.
She flicked back to mine, as though asking a question, before dropping to my lips again. Any logic, any reason, it all flew out of the window, and my body moved on its own as my face dipped to meet hers.
We met halfway, soft and hesitant at first, our lips brushing up against one another. I froze for a heartbeat, shocked by the electric jolt the kiss sent through my body.
Then, every instinct I’d been fighting around her took over. I pressed her against the wall and slid one hand into her hair, messing up that perfect ponytail.
She parted her lips and invited me deeper.
I groaned, and she made a small noise at the back of her throat, one that hit me hot in my blood. God, she was fire, and I was burning.
Her hands clutched at my shoulders, pulling me closer, her body arching into mine like she couldn’t get enough.
I couldn’t get enough either. I kissed her harder, deeper, one hand sliding down to grip her hip, fingers digging into the satin of her dress. She responded with equal hunger, her tongue teasing mine, her teeth nipping at my bottom lip.
For a moment, I forgot everything, including that she was a Lebedev and here to serve a purpose.
There was only Beatrice—beautiful, sassy, bright as hell Beatrice—and her soft curves pressed against me.
I wanted to rip off her clothes, run my hands down her body, and take her then and there against the wall.
But then, just as I thought about that, I thought about whether she wanted it, too.
I gasped and pulled back, a little too abruptly, for she reached for me again, but stopped when she saw whatever it was she saw in my eyes.
Beatrice had just had a panic attack because of some smoke, and here I was, taking advantage when she was at her weakest. A stab of guilt rammed through me, reminding me of the fire I had started in that club, all because I wanted to distract and kidnap her.
I’d used her fear to kidnap her, and now here I was, using that same fear to take something apart.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
Her lips were swollen, her eyes dazed. She looked beautiful and confused.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth, because the last thing I wanted was for her to hate me. I also couldn’t bear to take this further with that lie between us.
At least, not right now.
“Nothing,” I gulped, giving her a soft smile. “I just…it’s not safe here. We should get out as fast as we can.”
“Of course,” she said, but I could have sworn I saw disappointment in her eyes.