Chapter 6
A ngelina
After seeing the handsome man in the corridor, we were led through a much larger room with tall ceilings.
A cloud of smoke lingered above a crowd of suited men.
They were chatting in various languages and smoking, but they came in close and circled us.
Some were old enough to be my grandfather, and Elena’s words floated through my mind.
They had loomed around us like grotesque caricatures brought to life.
It was lucky that I’d already vomited, because when they’d poked and groped at us, I’d wanted to throw up all over again.
My gut still churned with a hopeless kind of dread, and despite rubbing my arms firmly, I didn’t think I’d ever get the feeling of their hands and eyes off me.
Now we were all in another room. It had high-slitted windows like the shower block, which meant we were probably at the back of the warehouse.
The darkness told me it was nighttime, and if only a guard hadn’t been stationed at the door on the back wall, I might have tried to escape.
Except, you can’t . A nasty voice reminded me of Elena’s words about Rada.
I closed my eyes again and prayed to God to save me from this situation.
It didn’t matter that I’d let my faith lapse years ago; I still begged for a miracle.
The door suddenly burst open, and a tall, skinny man in a suit strode in. He moved directly to the guard at the door. They exchanged words, and the new guy took up his post at the door while the original guard walked out—just a change in captor.
The new guy glanced around, his eyes landing on me and sweeping down, though not in a lecherous way like the men before. I averted my eyes. When I looked back, he was texting, his gaze still on me.
An alarm blared, startling everyone, including me.
“Fire! Fire!” shouts came from the corridor outside.
“Everyone outside,” the tall guy said, opening the back door.
A strong breeze of cold air rushed inside, and we huddled together.
“Let’s go!” the guy barked.
Stumbling forward, we moved towards the door and the darkness of the night beyond.
“Run.” The guy shoved the first girl out into the night, and she froze, staring around.
He shoved the next girl out after her in the same direction, and she took off at top speed despite her bare feet. The other girls surged forward after that.
A hand closed over my arm as I reached the door. “You're coming with me, princess."
The guy flashed me his gun, and my gut lurched. He hustled me quickly along the side of the building. I watched helplessly as the girl I’d held hands with emerged into the night. Our eyes locked, and she looked stricken.
"Go!" I gestured for her to follow the other women who had fled into the trees behind the warehouse.
Indecision flickered on her face, but the guy holding my arm opened the vehicle door, and the tinted windows obscured my view of her. I hoped she escaped.
I was roughly pushed inside, and the door closed. The seats' leather was soft and smelled much nicer than inside the warehouse. The guy got into the driver’s seat and tossed a blanket onto my lap.
"Cover yourself up," he said, his eyes darting around outside and down to his phone.
"Where are you taking me?" I asked through chattering teeth.
"Blanket," he said firmly, and I pulled it around my shoulders.
It smelled new and felt rough, yet it was comforting to cover up. My feet were freezing cold, but they began to throb now that we were inside the warm car.
I wanted to tell him to drive away and get as far from this place as possible, but I had no idea who he was. He was clearly waiting for someone, though, as he looked up from his phone and gunned the engine.
The passenger door opened, and my breath caught. The dark-haired devil from earlier slid smoothly into the car, clutching some thick books that he tossed into the footwell.
His cologne filled the car, and I involuntarily filled my lungs. Our eyes locked, and the same feelings of attraction rushed through me.
"Don't worry, Puhcho . We'll get you out of here."
"Little bear?" I asked dumbly about the Bulgarian endearment.
His lip twitched upwards, but he turned back to the front as the guy in the driver’s seat snorted. He cuffed the driver around the head.
"Fucking hell," the driver muttered as he stomped on the accelerator and peeled away from the warehouse.
"Where are you taking me?"
He swore in Bulgarian and leaned over the back seat towards me. I shrank back from his hand, and he frowned. He yanked out the seatbelt, pulled it around me, and clicked it in. A warm sensation expanded in my chest, but I pushed it away.
"Answer me," I demanded with more bravery than I felt.
His pale eyes pinned me as the guy in the driver’s seat chuckled.
"Did you want to be sold to those old fucks?" he asked.
I flinched. "No. But what do you want with me?"
The intense look on his face made me squirm as inappropriate heat shot through me.
"My name is Viktor, and this is Nik."
The driver raised a hand as he manoeuvred the car through the dark streets.
“Angelina,” I said before I could think better of it.
Viktor's phone rang, and he cursed again.
He answered it, and a rapid burst of Bulgarian followed.
It was something about a man named Dobri taking money, a fire, incompetent people, and the loss of products.
I couldn't keep up and slumped back into the soft seats, a feeling of utter exhaustion settling over me.
I pulled the blanket closer around me and tried to avoid Viktor's gaze in the rearview mirror.
I jolted awake and couldn’t believe that I'd fallen asleep in a car with men who had essentially kidnapped me. It was dark outside, and the outline of a house loomed in front of us as we bumped up the drive. My pulse shot up, and it thumped in my ears. I darted my gaze around.
Viktor's head turned as I tried the door. "We are here."
"Where?"
"Home for now."
I glanced at the house. It was partly covered in ivy, and the darkness surrounding it made me think it wasn't near any other houses—a perfect place for no one to hear my screams. I swallowed, gripping my blanket.
I jumped as Viktor opened my door. I had been lost in horrible thoughts and didn't realise he had got out of the car.
Instead of stepping back, he leaned over me and undid my belt.
I squeaked as he scooped me up under the knees and pulled me into his chest, lifting me out of the car.
My hands flew to his shoulder to stabilise me, and I stared wide-eyed at him.
He stared intently back, and something like butterflies swirled in my stomach.
This was wrong, wrong, wrong. My body wanted to snuggle into his arms, but this man had kidnapped me.
I remained stiff instead as he carried me inside.
Nik turned on the lights, and I squinted.
Inside, the furniture was sparse, and what was there was covered in drapes.
It reminded me of the English period dramas we studied at school.
"You said this was your house."
"It's one of my houses. One where they won’t find you."
"Who?"
"The men from the auction."
"You were a man at the auction," I accused.
Nik snorted. "She’s got you there, boss."
"Go and check the kitchen," Viktor snapped at him.
Nik mumbled something about “Mother Hubbard’s cupboard”, but I didn’t understand what he meant, so perhaps I translated it wrong.
Viktor climbed the stairs, and the air froze in my lungs.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere you can get clean and rest."
I searched his face, but he was watching the stairs. He brought me into a large room. There was a four-poster bed and an open bathroom door. Double doors ahead led to a darkened balcony.
He set me on the edge of the bed and crouched in front of me.
"I might have been at that auction, but I am not like those bastards. I wasn't there to buy a woman, but I couldn't leave without you."
His words stole the breath from my lungs. What did that mean?
"I didn’t plan any of this, which is why the house looks this way, but it has running water, and I'd imagine you want to wash today off your body."
"I don't have any clothes."
He frowned but then removed his suit jacket.
I watched breathlessly as he undid his waistcoat and began unbuttoning his shirt.
A spider flashed on the back of his hand, and tattoos came into view as he undid buttons.
A spider web covered his throat and upper chest, and flowers crawled across part of his chest.
He removed his top entirely and exposed a sleeve of tattoos on one arm that ran from black and white to colourful as they approached his wrist.
"Put this on after your shower." He held out his shirt, and my gaze stuck on his muscular chest. “I'll get you clothes tomorrow, but this will do to sleep in."
Was it a trick? I reached out my hand from the blanket and grasped the warm material.
He stood up and walked towards the door.
"I'll bring you some food shortly," he said as he closed the door, and my gut sank as I heard the lock click.
I was still a prisoner, even if his behaviour had confused me.
Against my better judgment, I brought the shirt to my nose, inhaling the scent of his cologne and something uniquely masculine.
I told myself I was checking whether it was clean, but that was a lie.
Feeling guilty, I thrust the material away from my face, and I noticed a fleck of blood on the front, which reminded me why I'd called him a dark-haired devil.