Chapter Twenty-Two
Aliannah did not know how long the men had been gone. She had dozed off to sleep in the chair. Everything hurt, between the pain the men had inflicted on her and the stiffness that was causing her joints to ache from being tied to the chair for so long. Her stomach was growling with hunger, and her mouth was as dry as a sandbox. How long had she been there? She had no clue there were no windows or any natural light source. She determined it must have been a good bit of time, considering, at some point, she had soiled herself. She couldn’t remember if that happened while she was screaming in pain or if she had wet herself in her sleep from not being allowed to go to the bathroom.
She bolted upright when she heard voices outside. She knew her captors had returned for more. She wanted to go home but knew nothing that would get them what they needed. She hoped Ivan’s stalking tendencies would help, but she hadn’t heard from him since she told him to get out of her apartment that day. She wished she had not dismissed him now.
“Hello, Sweet-cheeks. Did you miss us?” Cameron smirked at her as he walked into the warehouse. Fred and Brady followed, carrying brown bags. Aliannah feared their contents. They set the bags on the table next to the boxes. Brady reached in and pulled out a mini bread roll.
“Hungry?” Brady waved the bread roll in the air before throwing it at her. He laughed when it hit her and fell to the floor. Aliannah’s hands were still tied behind her back; she couldn’t have caught it even if she wanted to. She did not want to accept food from them; she did not trust that it had not been poisoned, considering they had drugged her with a drink in Zino’s.
“The Boss will be here soon. Since you won’t tell us shit, I am sure you will tell him,” Fred sneered before spitting on the ground by her feet. Brady walked over and stroked her face; he grabbed her jaw hard and forced her to look at him as he touched himself through his jeans.
“You will regret not telling us, sweet-cheeks. Oh, the fun we could have had with you if you only behaved.” Brady moved around the back of the chair and rubbed himself against her hands. Aliannah wanted to puke. Cameron pushed Brady out of the way.
“I get first dibs! I hauled her ass out of the club!” Cameron was eager. “Let’s put on a show for Viktor, boys! Haul her up!” Cameron shouted. He was excited; this scared the hell out of Aliannah. Brady unchained her hands from the back of the chair and re-chained them above her head. Aliannah looked up and saw an industrial hook for hanging meat carcasses. She tried to wriggle out of Brady’s grasp. Brady slapped her.
“Behave bitch!” Aliannah whimpered. She could taste blood. Brady had split her lip. Fred lowered the hook, and Brady attached the chain to it. Fred tightened the tension on the winch so she couldn’t wriggle any more.
“Untie her legs from the chair, but keep them together so she doesn’t pull a Cameron on you!! Fred shouted over the noise of the winch. Cameron came over and held her legs so she couldn’t kick out again. Brady untied her from the chair and rebound them together tightly. He nodded to Fred. Fred raised the winch until Aliannah was only on her toes. Aliannah cried out in pain. The stiffness of her joints from the chair, combined with the redistribution of her weight, made everything feel like it was on fire. Tears streamed down her face.
“This won’t do. Viktor would appreciate more of a show” Brady rubbed his hands together. He walked over to the table and picked up a large knife from the boxes.
“No! Please! Don’t!” Aliannah begged for mercy. The men just looked at each other and laughed. Brady licked his lips as he walked back over. He dragged the tip of the knife along her inner thighs and then along her collarbone. Aliannah tried to back away, but she couldn’t move. In one swift movement, Brady dragged the knife down her torso. Aliannah screamed.
It took a moment for her to realise Brady had not cut her skin. She felt cold. She looked down. Brady had cleanly sliced her dress vertically in half. The material now just hung loose, held up only by her shoulders. Her black lace bra and matching thong were all that remained. That was it. She hung her head, humiliation and vulnerability taking hold with how exposed she was.
“You are absolutely gorgeous, sweet-cheeks” Brady stroked a hand along her stomach before forcing his hand between her legs to cup her. “Count your lucky stars that Viktor will be here any minute, or else I would have my way” He used his other hand to touch himself again. Aliannah spat in his face.
“You are a fucking pig!” She screamed at him. Brady wiped his face before punching her with force in the stomach. Aliannah was winded.
“BITCH!” Brady stormed off, and Fred walked over.
“Let’s play a quick game. Ever heard of Spin the Bottle?” Fred looked at her for an answer, “Let’s play spin the bitch!” Fred grabbed her by the sides and spun hard and fast. Everything became a blur. The men laughed. Aliannah was extremely dizzy by the time the spinning stopped. She puked all down herself.
Fred checked his phone. “Viktor is here.” The men stood to attention. Aliannah heard a car door slam and voices raised outside. A few moments later, the door swung open, and a group of men walked in. Everyone was dressed in black. The group parted, and Viktor stepped forward. Aliannah cried out.
She felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. The fortune cookie had tried to warn her; hell, even Ivan had tried to warn her. She had been too stubborn and too blind to see. She knew Viktor Antonov. She had known him for a while. She knew him as Jasper Conrad.
“Jasper?” Aliannah whispered, in shock at who she saw in front of her.
“Jasper is a fa?ade. You foolish girl” Viktor looked at her with disgust. He walked closer to her before circling her. He spat on her chest. This time, he spoke with a Russian accent instead of the southern Texas tones she was used to hearing. This both shocked and confused her. “You are nothing but Ivan’s whore. You never meant anything to me” Viktor had such hatred in his voice.
“What did I ever do to you?” Aliannah cried. Viktor toyed with the remains of the dress as if he was thinking of what to say. He grabbed her tightly by the throat.
“You are simply a means to an end—an easy in if you will. It is Ivan we want.” He released her throat. “You see, no one can ever find Ivan anywhere unless Ivan wants to be found. Our birdies tell us conflicting locations all the time. He is rather difficult to pin down.” He examined his nails as he spoke.
“What does Ivan have that you want? What did he do?” Aliannah dared to ask. Viktor laughed. All the men in the room laughed with him. He tutted, shaking his head at her; he continued pacing.
“Ivan’s family is the reason my father is dead. They murdered him in Russia, so now I seek retribution. You see, Ivan and I were best friends as children prior to the blood feud between our fathers. His grandfather killed mine, and his father killed my father. Now, I plan to kill him, and the best way to draw him out is you. The whore he spent the summer flaunting all across the Adriatic.” Viktor looked very pleased with himself as he eyed Aliannah up and down.
“That’s it! I knew I recognised the boy on the log in the photo on the wall. It was Ivan in the photo, wasn’t it?” Aliannah gasped as the realisation dawned on her. How did she not click this together sooner? Viktor’s face dropped into disgust again.
“I should have burned that photo long ago!” he roared. “Fred, lower her to the ground. We need her somewhat alive when our guest of honour does show his pretty face to save his whore. It shouldn’t take too long unless he has left her behind.”
Fred smirked and hit rapid-drop on the winch. Aliannah dropped to the ground at speed as the chain holding her up clattered around her. She was weak. She did not even try to move. She just lay there.