Chapter 3
She had shocked him.
And that wasn’t something that happened easily. Or often.
Lev saw her move her finger away from the trigger on the gun, but she didn’t lower either of them. She might have given him a reprieve, but she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he gave her a reason.
“Move,” she ordered.
Her Russian was impeccable, without even the slightest accent. That was a skill of someone who had spent considerable time in Russia—and had an excellent tutor. If Lev had to guess, he suspected the woman worked for some American intelligence agency. Most likely the CIA.
He climbed to his feet, only to be forced to put his hand on the wall since he was still slightly dizzy. No one had ever rung his bell quite like the American. He wanted to hate her for it, but he found himself impressed with her.
He’d gotten the upper hand several times in their fight, but she was resilient—and determined. She gave no quarter. He hadn’t pulled any punches either. The fact that she’d been able to take the hits he’d dealt her and still keep coming at him said something about her training.
Her elbow to his temple wouldn’t have knocked him on his ass. Neither would slamming his head into the wall. But both? Yeah, they’d done the job adequately. It meant that she was used to employing anything and everything around her to her advantage.
While he utilized his mind and brute strength.
She’d won this round. The next was still up for grabs. And Lev intended to come out on top of that one.
He grudgingly walked to the stairwell he’d climbed earlier.
Most likely, she would take him to the others.
Fat lot of good he would be to Stasiuk now that he too was caught.
It seemed that the politician wouldn’t be the only one dying this night.
Looked like Lev would be another body for the Saints to drive home their point.
And Lev couldn’t even tell Callie or anyone back in Texas what was going on or warn them. Then again, they’d realize that something was wrong when he didn’t answer through the COMs, and then when they saw his and Stasiuk’s bodies on the news.
Just before Lev was about to go down the stairs, the muzzle of the gun pressed into the middle of his back. “Stop,” the woman stated.
He turned his head to the side to try and get a glimpse of her. “Where do you want me to go?”
She didn’t answer immediately. From what little Lev could see of her face, it appeared as if she were attempting to decide what to do with him.
That could mean that she intended to try and get information out of him.
She would soon learn that it didn’t matter what kind of torture they put him through, he would tell them nothing.
Lev heard her mumble a curse word. He bit back a grin. “Problems?”
“Down one flight of stairs,” she barked.
He made his way down and glanced at her as he turned on the switchback. She didn’t seem fazed at maneuvering in heels and a long dress. In fact, she acted as if she dressed like this for every mission. She certainly fit the part well.
Once they reached the next level, she moved in front to face him. Then she positioned one of the pistols right at his groin. She raised a brow, silently telling him that she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot off his balls if he dared to make a move.
Since Lev was partial to his man parts, he kept silent as she opened the door just wide enough to look through. She told someone in Ukrainian that they were needed below.
As soon as the sound of boots faded, she pushed the door open wider with her shoulder and motioned at Lev with the gun to follow.
He had the opportunity to escape. He’d had it while she spoke with the soldier despite the gun pointed at his cock. But he hadn’t taken it. Mostly because, while she thought she could get intel from him, he knew he could get information from her.
When he was through the door, she moved behind him again. He started walking, their pace quick. It was obvious that she intended to get him out without anyone seeing them together. It was ballsy.
And he reluctantly admitted to himself that he respected her for it.
With remarkable ease, he watched as she navigated them around soldiers without anyone seeing either of them. In no time, they reached the door to exit the theatre. Except it was chained.
She didn’t even pause. Lev frowned as she nudged him to walk to the left. Soon, he was descending into the lower section of the theatre below the stage. He had to bend over in some places just to move, but she effortlessly made her way through the maze of props and beams.
Not long after, Lev figured out where they were thanks to Callie getting the schematics of the theatre. There was a door toward the back that was no longer used. That’s exactly where the woman was taking them.
When they reached it, he stopped, thinking that she had the key to unlock it. Instead, she pulled a pin from her hair and handed it to him.
He held it and gaped at her. “You want me to do it?”
“I’m not exactly going to put my back to you, am I?” she replied.
Lev blew out a breath and dropped to one knee to pick the lock. It took him longer than usual, but he got it done. He heard the click and stood to open the door. She smiled then and motioned with the gun for him to proceed.
“What? No ‘well done?’” he mocked.
She came up behind him and said, “Well done.”
While it had been said sarcastically, the husky sound of her voice and the fact that her body had been nearly pressed against him shocked Lev so much that he didn’t move for a second.
“Come,” she ordered.
She walked him to an older-model black Mercedes and pointed at the driver’s side. Once he was in the seat, she climbed into the passenger side and handed him the keys.
“Any destination in particular?” he said snippily.
Her dark eyes cut to him. “Don’t like being the driver?”
There was a ghost of a smile on her lips. Lev hated that she found humor in his irritation. Though he had to admit, he wondered what her mouth would look like in a true smile.
He started the engine and put the car in drive. She still had one of the guns pointed at him, but her eyes were on the road. He drove them through the city, Lev turning where she told him until the buildings began to fade into the background.
Neither spoke as they continued down the road that took them farther and farther from the city. Another thirty minutes passed before she told him to take the next right.
Lev nearly missed the road. There were no signs, and frankly, it wasn’t much of a road. He drove slowly down the lane as it curved one way and then the other, with dense trees on either side, until he saw the cabin. He pulled in front of it and put the car in park.
The woman reached over and turned off the ignition to take the keys. “Out.”
The only person he’d ever been able to take orders from was Sergei. Having to take them from the American was like rubbing salt in a wound. He ground his teeth together and climbed from the car.
She was quick to follow him out, standing just far enough away to keep him from reaching for her gun.
The woman motioned with the pistol to get him moving.
As he walked to the cabin, he let his gaze wander.
There wasn’t much he could see in the darkness, but the trees would provide him cover when he escaped.
She raised a brow when he hesitated at the door.
He glared at the gun still pointed at him and entered the structure.
Lev stood in darkness as she closed the door behind her after entering.
There was the sound of something striking something else, then a hiss as light flared to his left.
He looked over to see her moving a match to a hurricane lamp.
One by one, she lit three others and two candles.
Oddly, they shed quite a bit of light to show the cozy cabin. There were only the necessities, and it looked as if no one had been there for a few months. Which meant this must be a safe house for her.
“Your name,” she demanded.
He leaned back against the door and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yours first.”
She kicked off her shoes and put her bag and the other gun on the table. “Reyna.”
“Lev,” he responded.
“Well, Lev, let me show you to your quarters.”
He stared down the barrel of the gun she still had pointed at him and dropped his arms to his sides as he pushed away from the door.
Lev walked toward her before she motioned to the door on the right.
He passed a bathroom and moved into a tiny room with a cot and shackles attached to chains hanging from the wall.
“Fasten them,” she demanded.
Lev shrugged out of his jacket and folded it neatly to lay at the foot of the bed. Then he untied his bowtie and tossed it aside. Only then did he turn to face her.
“Confining me is not the way to go.”
“Oh?” she asked sarcastically. “I beg to differ. I actually want to sleep tonight. I’m not going to do that unless you’re locked up.”
“You could ask me to stay.”
She let out a bark of laughter. “I might try that next time.” Then she held out her palm.
He frowned at the outstretched hand. “What?”
“The COM in your ear, please.”
Damn. He’d thought he might get lucky and have her forget about it, though he wasn’t sure what good it was since he hadn’t heard from Callie since the theatre. Lev reached up and removed the COM to place in Reyna’s hand.
She flashed a quick grin of appreciation and motioned to the chains with the gun. He couldn’t wait to take the weapon from her. Maybe he’d even tie her up.
The image that flashed in his mind had nothing to do with torture. It was so surprising that he jerked in shock, but he quickly covered it by locking one shackle and then the other around his wrists. He was able to move slightly from the bed to the window, but little else.
The moment the chains were on, she lowered the gun. Her shoulders dropped slightly, and for the first time, he saw her exhaustion. When she walked to check the window, he noticed that she limped.
Had that happened when they fought? Most likely. He hadn’t even known he’d hurt her. And, dammit, he didn’t want to feel bad about any injuries that he’d given her. He was her prisoner, after all.
Willing prisoner, he had to remind himself.
She didn’t say another word as she walked out. Reyna didn’t even close the door behind her. Lev listened as she moved around the bedroom across the narrow hall. It wasn’t long before she was in the kitchen making noise.
To his surprise, she returned a short time later with a sandwich on a plate as well as a Styrofoam cup filled with beer. She set it on the table next to him and backed away.
“It isn’t much, but I thought you might be hungry.”
He was a little peckish now that he had food in front of him. “Why did you bring me here?”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t exactly a smart move.”
“You want something from me.”
Reyna lifted the COM. “Who sent you?”
Lev ignored her and reached for the food. He took a bite, surprised at how good it tasted. He chewed and swallowed before he drank down half of the beer before bringing the sandwich to his mouth once more.
She finally sighed and walked out. This time, she closed the door behind her. He stared at the entrance even as he heard the sound of a chair scraping on the floor. Was she eating her own sandwich? It was too bad they weren’t eating together.
He winced. Those thoughts really needed to stop. He had a mission, and it didn’t involve an American posing as a Ukrainian.
Lev wiped his mouth after he’d finished his meal. Then he lay back on the bed and crossed his ankles, turning his head to the light under his door as he wondered what Reyna was doing.