Chapter 6
Chloe
Eliminate.
Nikolai issued the word as if it was no big deal, just another day of teaching his class. I shivered, but not from the word itself, from the way he’d stated the entire sentence, with a slight husky growl that would make any girl fall to her knees. But he wasn’t talking about passion.
He was talking about murder.
In his class, I’d learned the real truth behind the Russian Mafia, the kind of stories that were glossed over in the few news articles and reports landing in the US media.
He’d been brief, not entirely graphic, but if anyone read between the lines, it was easy to understand just how brutal, violent, and dangerous the people were who’d gotten involved.
From former prisoners to government officials, corporate moguls and even certain Russian royalty, the activity had been widespread for decades.
I’d listened intently, curious as to why the professor had so much passion for the topic.
Now I knew why. I couldn’t believe he’d been able to hide his true identity for all these years.
No wonder he’d hidden his tattoos, doing everything to keep his privacy.
I twisted my wrists, already feeling the burn of the rope digging into my skin.
Exhaustion had dragged the adrenaline to a barely there level, making it almost impossible to keep my eyes opened, but I was determined not to fall asleep around him. The man wasn’t just dangerous.
He was lethal.
And I was his captive.
I would never forget what had occurred in the parking lot, the ugliness the horrible man had whispered in my ears.
“I’m going to enjoy tasting that sweet American pussy of yours. Then I’m going to force my cock into your mouth. After that, I’ll fuck that tight pussy and asshole until I’ve drained my balls. Then we’re going to have some real fun.”
Then the bastard had laughed, allowing his hot, rancid breath to cascade across my face.
Maybe I should be grateful my professor had killed him in cold blood.
The weight of my eyelids gave me a headache.
I closed my eyes briefly, trying to control my breathing.
How was I going to get out of this? All I needed was to rest my eyes. Just for a little while.
When I felt the shift of the engine, the rumble more intense, I bristled, my eyes snapping open. “What’s going on?”
“Get down on the floor,” he instructed, hissing as he glared into the rearview mirror.
I twisted until I was able to see headlights of another car. From what I could tell, it was approaching quickly. “Is that one of them?”
“I don’t know. Get. Down. Now.”
Fear tumbled into me and I loosened my seatbelt, sliding to the floor, taking shallow breaths. I could feel the vibrations as the engine was pushed, the sudden swing as he rounded a curve releasing butterflies in my stomach.
“Grebanyve gridurki.”
Fucking assholes. I’d overhead him use the phrase twice before, one after a recent class. I could smell his rage, the scent reeking of testosterone.
He dropped his gaze in my direction briefly. “They’re gaining on us. Stay where you are. I’m going to attempt to lose them.”
I gripped the edge of the seat, shaking all over. The screeching sound of the tires pulsed in my ears, the hard pull of inertia adding to my nausea.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Gunfire.
My God. They were shooting at us.
Nikolai yanked his weapon into his lap, constantly scanning the rearview mirror as he swerved from side to side on the road.
He continued to curse in Russian, the majority of words I didn’t understand.
I could tell the bastards were closing in on us, the headlights splashing in through the back window.
Then I felt the pull as he started to slow down.
“What are you doing?” Now I was terrified.
“You’re going to have to trust me. Just hold on.”
They were getting closer. And closer.
My heart hammered against my chest, my throat tightening. I’d never felt so claustrophobic in my life. No. No. I didn’t want to die.
After several additional shots, pinging sounds erupting around us, he slammed on the brakes, able to keep control of the car.
“Hold on. Just hold on.” When the car finally jerked to a stop, I was breathless, a single whimper escaping my mouth.
As the headlights flew by the car, I had to fight to keep from crawling into my seat. The clear sound of metal hitting metal was so loud.
Then there was something else.
An explosion.
I couldn’t hold back a slight scream.
“We’re okay.” Nikolai pressed down on the pedal, roaring away.
Flames became a warm glow around the vehicle, close enough I could almost feel the heat. I folded my arms, chilled to the bone.
“It’s all right. There was only one of them. However, we’re going to need to make a slight detour.”
The rope a hindrance, I struggled back into the passenger seat. I peered into the side mirror, horrified from the sight of the fire. Within minutes, he’d pulled onto another road, one that was dark and gloomy, adding to the horrible fear.
When I turned around, I could hear my teeth chattering.
“Are you all right?” he asked. He was completely calm, his voice soft and comforting.
“Fine. How can you stand that? Was that your life?”
“Not always.”
The two words were the last ones he said for several miles.
Then a motel appeared in the distance, only a couple hundred yards ahead.
I glanced out the passenger window, trying to see any signs indicating where we were.
I had no idea. None. Everything was disjointed, my mind reeling.
I’d tried so hard to keep up with where we were going.
That way, I could provide excellent detail to the authorities when I was able to make contact.
No. No. No! Damn it.
“Is this where we’re staying?” I asked, loathing the meek sound in my voice.
Nikolai snorted. “Hardly. This is a few hours of sleep and nothing more. Where there’s one of them, there is always a second.
We’ll lay low for a little while.” He pulled into the parking lot, shifting to where there was little light and I cringed.
Even the flashing half lit neon sign reminded of something out of a horror movie, the seedy look of the single-story building causing a lump to form in my throat.
I wiggled in my seat, suddenly entirely too claustrophobic.
After pulling the car to a spot near the other side of the lobby, slamming the gear into park, he turned to face me.
“Chloe. I’m only going to say this once.
Stay in this seat. I will be able to see you from inside.
If you so much as make a move or try and cry out, trust me, the punishment you’re going to receive will be much harsher than before. Do you understand me?”
“Why, yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir.” I could see the flash of anger in his eyes and felt oddly vindicated for a few seconds. At least I’d managed to get under his skin.
Cursing quietly in Russian, he exited the vehicle. I watched as he walked into the cramped space before looking out of every window. There was no sign of activity, no people. There had to be a way to get to someone. At least there were a few cars in the place. Maybe I could get lucky.
I studied Nikolai’s activities, watching his frustration grow when no one appeared at his beck and call immediately.
I shifted closer to his seat, hissing from the fact there was a console between the two seats.
When he dared to turn his head away, I managed to slide halfway over.
Sucking in air, I shifted my body at an awkward angle in order to make it appear like I hadn’t moved.
Finally, it was obvious he grew frustrated, moving out of sight likely in some attempt to rouse whoever was supposed to be at the front desk.
There would never be another opportunity to try to get away.
I kicked hard with my feet, making it all the way into his seat.
I had to struggle to get my legs under the steering wheel.
I was already gasping for air, another suffocating moment as my throat closed, prickling sensations like sharp claws.
From this angle, I was unable to see him. I knew I had just a few seconds. Fuck. Fuck! I couldn’t reach the latch. Oh, hell, no, I wasn’t going to be stuck here. Straining and twisting my body, I managed to flick my fingers across the door handle. No luck. Oh, please. Oh, dear God, please.
I tried a second time.
Then a third.
Success.
The soft click gave me a smile. I took a deep breath and kicked hard against the console, tumbling out of the car.
The second I tried to scoot back I felt his presence.
Whimpering, I peered up at him. He was even more gloriously handsome in the horrific light, his blond hair shimmering and the glow around him making him look like a god.
Why did he have to be so damn muscular and sexy? Why was I so attracted to such a monster?
He hunkered down, glancing around him before speaking. “You shouldn’t have done that, little brat. However, I’ll give you credit for your accomplishment. Now you’re going to learn what disobeying the rules truly means.”
There was no anger in his voice, just a matter-of-fact statement.
Almost in a loving manner, he helped me up, taking the time to remove the rope from around my wrists, yet his grip on my arm remained tight. He was so muscular and strong that there was no way I was going anywhere.
He shoved me into the car once again, scanning the area before climbing in. Then he parked the vehicle around the building in the darkness. I was petrified.
“You can get out now,” he instructed, waiting until I opened the door.
I didn’t try to run. I wasn’t even certain I could move much at all. Exhaling, I shifted toward him, glancing every few seconds toward the street.