35. Lula
35
LULA
T he van jerks to a stop, the motion throwing me and Allegra forward against the cold, unyielding walls of the cargo space. My shoulder slams into the metal, sending a sharp jolt of pain down my arm. I bite down on a groan and glance at Allegra. Her face is pale, her breath shallow. She’s holding onto a shred of composure, but I can see the panic simmering just below the surface.
“It’s okay,” I whisper, my voice trembling but determined. “We’re okay.”
She nods, but her eyes betray her. I reach out, my fingers brushing hers. It’s not much, but it’s enough to ground her—for now.
The engine cuts off, and silence swallows the van, heavy and suffocating. After what feels like hours of driving—endless twists, turns, and bumps that left us bruised and battered—it’s finally over. For better or worse.
The sound of footsteps crunches on gravel outside. Allegra stiffens beside me, and I press a finger to my lips, signaling for her to stay quiet.
The back doors swing open with a violent screech, revealing a man silhouetted against the dim, flickering light of a parking garage. His face is shadowed, but the bulk of his frame and the predatory set of his shoulders make my stomach churn.
“All right, ladies,” he growls, leaning into the van. “Out.”
I’ve been waiting for this moment. My pulse pounds in my ears, but my muscles are steady, coiled like a spring. The man reaches for me first, and that’s when I move.
My leg shoots out, the motion sharp and precise. My heel connects with his face with a sickening crunch. His head snaps back, and he stumbles, clutching his nose as blood gushes down his face. He lets out a strangled yell, a mix of shock and rage, but he doesn’t have the chance to retaliate.
“Come on!” I hiss at Allegra, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the open doors.
We scramble out, my feet hitting the concrete floor of the underground parking lot. The air down here is stale, thick with the smell of gasoline and mildew. I don’t care. All I can think about is putting as much distance as possible between us and the van.
But we don’t get far.
The moment we round the corner of the van, I see him.
Altin Kadri.
He’s leaning casually against a sleek black sedan, his hands in his pockets, his suit immaculate. The dim lighting casts shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and the dark intensity of his eyes. Under any other circumstances, I might think him handsome. But right now, he’s the face of everything that’s wrong, everything that’s terrifying.
He doesn’t move, doesn’t rush toward us. He doesn’t need to. His presence alone is enough to freeze me in my tracks. Allegra’s hand tightens around mine, her nails digging into my palm.
“Going somewhere?” His voice is smooth, almost amused.
For a moment, the only sound is the dripping of water from a leaky pipe in the corner of the garage. My mind races, weighing options, searching for a way out. But there’s nowhere to run. The garage is a maze of concrete and shadows, and even if we made it past him, we wouldn’t make it far.
“You’ve got guts,” Altin says, his gaze flicking to the man crumpled by the van. Blood still pours from his nose, staining the front of his shirt. “I’ll give you that.”
I swallow hard, my body trembling with the effort to keep my fear in check. “Let us go,” I say, surprised by the steadiness of my voice.
Altin raises an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. “Let you go?” He pushes off the car, taking a slow, deliberate step toward us. “After all the trouble I went through to get you here? That wouldn’t be very smart, now would it?”
His calm demeanor is unnerving, like he’s in complete control, like we’re pieces on a chessboard and he’s already won the game.
“They’ll find you,” I say, tightening my grip on Allegra’s hand. My voice is shaking now, but I don’t care. “They’ll find you and they’ll kill you.”
Altin stops a few feet away, tilting his head as he studies me. “I don’t doubt that,” he says. “But you should be careful, Lula. Strength without strategy can get you killed.”
My name on his lips sends a shiver down my spine. How does he know my name?
Behind him, a second man appears, stepping out of the shadows. He’s taller, broader, and his expression is cold, calculating. My heart sinks. Our captors are growing in numbers, and in size.
“Take them,” Altin says, his voice low but firm.
The man moves toward us, and I pull Allegra behind me, ready to fight. But deep down, I know this is a battle I can’t win.
The man coming toward us is a mountain. Broad shoulders, a scar running down his cheek, hands the size of wrecking balls. He’s not rushing—he doesn’t need to. He knows he’ll get what he wants.
I glance at Allegra, her wide eyes brimming with panic. Her breath comes in short, sharp gasps, and I know she’s on the verge of breaking.
Please don’t break down on me now. Please.
“Stay behind me,” I whisper.
She nods, trembling. I think on any other day, Allegra would have been kickass, but she’s pregnant, and her hormones are not helping her one bit. Which means I have to be strong enough for the both of us.
The man steps closer, his boots echoing in the cavernous parking garage. My pulse pounds in my ears. Every instinct screams at me to run, but there’s nowhere to go. The van is behind us, the sedan to our left, and Altin Kadri stands in front of it all, watching us like a cat watching cornered mice.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” the scarred man growls. His voice is rough, like gravel scraping against steel.
“I’ll make it as hard as I damn well please,” I snap.
I lunge, throwing every ounce of my strength into a kick aimed at his knee. My foot connects, and he grunts, stumbling back a step. For a second, hope flickers in my chest. But then he straightens, his eyes narrowing with something between anger and amusement.
“Feisty,” he mutters.
Before I can strike again, his massive hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist in a vice-like grip. I cry out, the pain shooting up my arm like fire. Allegra screams behind me, her voice high and desperate.
“Let her go!”
The man doesn’t even glance at her. He twists my arm, forcing me to my knees. My vision blurs, but I bite back the tears. I won’t give him the satisfaction.
“That’s enough,” Altin’s voice cuts through the air like a blade.
The man pauses, his grip loosening just enough for me to pull free. I scramble back, clutching my wrist, and glare up at Altin.
“What the fuck do you want?” I spit, my voice shaking but defiant. “You take pleasure in preying on women? Why not find someone your own size and gender to pick on!”
Altin steps closer, his polished shoes clicking softly against the concrete. He stops in front of me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. Up close, his face is even more striking—sharp cheekbones, a perfectly trimmed beard, and eyes that seem to see straight through me.
“Lula,” he says, my name rolling off his tongue like a threat. “You’re in no position to lecture me about what I do.”
I hold his gaze, refusing to flinch, even as my heart hammers against my ribs.
“I can see it in your eyes,” he continues, his voice low and steady. “You think you’re strong enough to protect her.” His gaze flicks to Allegra, who’s cowering behind me. “But you don’t understand the game you’re playing.”
“And what game would that be?” I snap. Keep him talking.
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “The kind where you don’t get to make the rules.”
Altin straightens, his presence looming over me. He nods to the scarred man. “Get them in the car.”
“No!” I shout, but it’s too late.
The man grabs Allegra first. She shrieks, struggling against him, but she’s no match for his strength. I lunge toward her, but another pair of hands clamps down on my shoulders, dragging me back.
I twist and thrash, my nails scraping against the concrete as I’m pulled toward the sedan. My body aches from the struggle, but I refuse to give up. I bite down hard on the hand gripping my arm, and the man curses, jerking away.
I scramble to my feet, but Altin is there in an instant. He grabs my chin, forcing me to look up at him.
“Enough,” he says, his voice cold and commanding.
For a moment, the fight drains out of me. His gaze is unrelenting, like he’s daring me to defy him again.
“You’ve made your point,” he says, releasing me. “But if you don’t get in the car willingly, I’ll force you in and you’ll be riding in the boot.”
I glare at him, my chest heaving. I don’t trust myself to speak.
Allegra’s sobs fill the silence, and I turn to see her shoved into the backseat of the sedan. The scarred man is standing by the door, his expression unreadable.
Altin steps aside, gesturing toward the car. “Your choice, Lula.”
I hesitate, my mind racing. If I fight now, I’ll lose. But if I go with them... maybe, just maybe, I’ll find a way to get us out of this later.
With a heavy heart, I force my feet to move. I climb into the car, sliding into the seat beside Allegra. She clings to me, her body shaking with silent sobs, and as the door slams shut, the world outside disappears.