Chapter 31 Rachel
RACHEL
We’ve been on the road for a while since the truck stop.
I’m not sure how long. My head is still throbbing, and I’ve thrown up twice, much to Vinnie’s disgust. Mine, too, actually, but it’s not like I can help it.
It’s obvious I have a head injury from the dizziness, nausea, pain, and the fact I keep forgetting why we’re in the car and dozing off to sleep.
I don’t think this asshole is concerned about my well-being, but it might be worth trying to appeal to his good nature, if he has one.
“Where are we going?” I ask, to which I receive a death glare in return.
“You’ve asked that one hundred times already,” Vinnie sneers at me. “Are you stupid or something?” I close my eyes as another wave of pain shoots through my head.
“I think my head is going to split open,” I say in my whiniest voice. Bile rises in the back of my throat. “I’m going to be sick.”
“Again?” The word barely leaves his mouth before I’m losing what little stomach contents I have left onto the floor of the backseat.
“God dammit!” Vinnie complains.
The double vision, confusion, dizziness, and nausea are getting worse, and being in a moving vehicle isn’t helping. I don’t have to fake the dry heaves racking my body.
“Please, I need to see a doctor,” I plead, once the worst of the nausea has passed. Vinnie opens his mouth to argue with me, but I continue, “Something is wrong in here.” I touch the side of my head. It’s going to take more than trying to appeal to his good nature from the look on his face.
“What will Nicolai say if I die before you get me to him?” Vinnie’s mouth pinches into a deep frown as he ponders my question.
“You’re more trouble than your worth in my opinion,” Vinnie grumbles, pulling out his phone. He looks reluctant to make the call, but when I dry heave a couple more times, he places the call.
“What is it?” a deep male voice comes over the car speakers. Vinnie’s phone is Bluetoothed to the car. “You wouldn’t be calling unless there was a problem.”
“My apologies, boss,” Vinnie says contritely. “We’re near Richmond and should reach D.C. in another hour, but we have a problem.”
“Which is?” Nicolai sounds annoyed or maybe bored with this conversation.
“The woman was injured when we intercepted her,” Vinnie says. “I don’t think it’s serious, but I’m not a doctor.”
“What happened? What’s wrong with her?” Nicolai’s tone has changed from bored to one of concern. Is he really concerned about me?
“She hit her head in the crash. She’s a little out of it, and she’s been vomiting, complaining of a headache, and blurred vision,” Vinnie informs him. “What do you want me to do?” There’s a distinct pinging sound coming over the line.
“A crash? What crash? What did you do?” Nicolai demands angrily. Why would he care how Vinnie abducted me?
“She was tailing Vena and her brothers,” Vinnie answers, trepidation in his tone. “Lawrence and I forced her to stop so I could get her.”
“You incompetent piece of shit!” Nicolai bellows loudly. “I told you to take custody of her, not put her life in danger. I told you she’s to be unharmed.”
“I…I’m sorry, boss,” Vinnie stammers, sounding terrified.
“You’re right. I wasn’t thinking. I was just trying to get her in my possession.
Should I bring her to you? Or should I take to her the nearest hospital?
I can call Arnold and have him direct me to the closest facility in our control.
” Another ping sounds followed by a muttered curse.
“Bring her to me,” Nicolai demands. “I’ll have a physician on standby. I have to go. Something has come up. Call me if you run into problems.”
“Yes, sir,” Vinnie replies as the line goes dead.
Vinnie’s jaw is audibly clicking he’s gritting his teeth so tightly.
His fingers are flying over his phone typing out messages, one after another.
I want to ask questions, but I keep my mouth shut instead.
The tension coming off Vinnie is palpable.
I’m not going to push him over the edge of what little control he has managed to maintain.
He might get pissed enough to no longer care what his boss wants as long as I’m not an irritation to him anymore.
After several tense minutes, he leans forward. “Get us to Nicolai’s penthouse in D.C. asap. I’ve notified our contacts, so we shouldn’t have any issues with the police.”
“Nicolai is in D.C.?” I ask, no longer able to hold my tongue. Vinnie turns his scathing gaze on me. I shrink away from him, preparing for a fist that never comes.
“Yes,” he growls out. “Now don’t ask any more questions.” I nod and lay my head back on the headrest to pray. Please let Rosco find the twins.
I wake when the car slows. My head is still pounding, and it takes a few slow blinks to get my vision to clear enough to see what’s happening around me.
We must be nearing D.C. The traffic is bumper to bumper, cars weaving in and out with mere inches to spare.
Our driver navigates expertly between the many lanes of traffic.
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into an underground parking garage that has an armed guard at the gate. The driver lowers the window and the guard peers into the car, clocking me and Vinnie in the back.
“Go ahead,” the man says. “Boss is expecting you.” We pull into the dimly lit garage, and the loss of sun eases my pain a fraction. We pull into an open spot near an elevator.
“Don’t give me any trouble,” Vinnie growls when he opens my door and drags me out of the back seat.
I should fight. I should try to escape, but my pounding head, dizziness, and nausea make any attempt futile and would only result in more pain.
I’ll just have to pray I have an opportunity when I’m in a better physical condition.
We enter the elevator. Vinnie swipes a card, then presses the button next to PH. My stomach drops and loses its contents all over the elevator floor when the elevator shoots upward.
“Dammit!” Vinnie exclaims but manages to catch me before I collapse into my own mess.
Minutes later the doors open to a foyer with two armed guards stationed on either side of a set of double doors. Their noses wrinkle when we step out, but they don’t comment. The one on the left presses a button and murmurs into a small box on the wall, but I can’t hear what he’s saying.
A minute later, the double doors open, and one of the men I’ve feared for the last six years is approaching us. I’m taken aback at his worried appearance. I know he’s at least thirty years older than I am, but you wouldn’t know by looking at him. Even at his age, he’s a handsome man.
His graying hair is cut short, and I imagine, it is normally styled to perfection. Right now, it’s mussed like he’s been running his hands through it. He has fine wrinkles on his brow and around his eyes, like he smiles and laughs often, which is at odds with what I know of him.
“Amelia.” Nicolai Caprice saying my given name sends a shiver of fear down my spine. “What has this swine done to you?” Vinnie flinches next to me. His iron grip on my upper arm tightening, causing me to whimper. Nicolai’s eyes shift from me to Vinnie’s hand to Vinnie’s face.
“Release. Her.” Two simple words that sound more deadly than anything I’ve ever heard. Vinnie instantly loosens his hold, and I stumble forward, not realizing how much I’d been using him to keep me upright.
Nicolai lunges forward, catching me. My head spins as his arms sweep me up bride style.
He turns and carries me into the penthouse, which in other circumstances I’d be impressed by.
However, at the moment, I’m too busy trying not to puke to be impressed by the incredible view the floor to ceiling windows provides.
Turning to the right, Nicolai carries me down a hallway and places me on the softest mattress I’ve ever laid on.
The room spins when I try to take in my surroundings.
I’m lying on a king-sized bed with a thick, hunter green comforter and cream throw pillows.
The furniture in the room is a dark mahogany, making the room appear dark and ominous.
He pulls out his cell phone and places a call.
I don’t offer to move, not knowing what’s going to happen.
It’s not like I could do anything anyway.
The room is a roller coaster, and my stomach is about to be a fountain once more, though I don’t know how there can be anything left in it with as many times as I’ve vomited already.
“She’s here. Make it snappy,” Nicolai says into the phone, then places it back in his pocket. A knock on the door draws both our attention. An older woman in a plain, pale blue dress enters with a small tray in her hands.
“I brought some broth and water for her,” the woman says, bringing the tray closer and placing it on the night stand.
“We wait for Michael,” Nicolai says, glancing at me with concern. “He’ll let us know what’s safe to give her.” The woman nods then looks me over from head to toes and back again. She clicks her tongue.
“You poor dear. I’ll draw her a bath and get her something decent to wear.”
“Thank you, Andorra,” Nicolai says in a kinder tone than I’d expect from the head of the Russian mafia. “I appreciate it.” The woman heads into a door on the other side of the room.
“What are you going to do to me?” I ask when I’ve mustered up the courage. I need information if I’m going to plan my escape. Nicolai frowns down at me, and I shudder in fear. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Before he can reply there’s another knock on the door.
“Enter,” Nicolai commands. A man about Nicolai’s age enters, looking harried. He has on a suit, but his loosely tied tie is hanging at an odd angle. He has a black medical bag in one hand, reminding me of a doctor making a house call on old T.V. shows, and a paper cup in the other.
“What do we have?” the man asks as he approaches. His eyes roaming over me with a clinical inspection. “Well, she doesn’t appear to be shot, so that’s something at least.”