Page 94 of Born into Blood

“We work together,” my dad says. “If it affects us, then it affects him.”

“I heard you guys do things differently,” Vladimir muses as he walks to the bar that’s built into the corner of the large living room. “Would you like a drink while we discuss things?”

Sensing my impatience, my dad says, “No, we’d like the girl. We didn’t come here for a visit. You came into our territory uninvited and kidnapped two women, so unless you want a goddamn war, I suggest you bring them out here.”

“Do you know who the young girl is?” Vladimir asks. He pours himself a vodka, and when it’s obvious he’s not going to get an answer, he says, “Osip’s daughter could bring in a lot of money.” He takes a drink and looks at us over the rim of his glass. “I’m willing to share the profits.”

My dad grabs my arm before I can do something stupid like throw my knife at this fucker. Vladimir notices and meets my eyes.

“She’s yours?”

“Yes,” I tell him, and because I can’t help it, I add, “and I’ll be killing anyone who’s hurt her.”

Vladimir smiles and looks at my dad. “Might want to get control of your son, Roman.”

“There’s nothing to control,” my dad says. “He has every right to kill any man who’s touched his woman. You know how this works, Vladimir. Don’t play dumb.”

“I’m not so sure he’s playing,” my Uncle Vitaly says.

“Careful,” Vladimir warns.

“Or what?” my Uncle Matvey asks. “You’re completely surrounded. If you survive this night, it’s only because we’ve allowed it.”

Vladimir looks to his bodyguard, but we all know that even with the help of the men outside, they’re no match for us and that he’ll be dead no matter how this plays out. He downs the last of his drink, trying to appear unfazed, but I can see the fear in his eyes.

“Tell me where she is,” I demand, tired of playing his games and letting him think that he’s in any way in charge of this situation.

For a second I think he’s going to ignore me, but when I reach for my gun, he nods his head to the right and says, “She’s down that hall, second door on the right.”

Chapter 15

Lara

Idon’t know how long I’ve been hanging, long enough for me to feel like my arms have been pulled loose from their sockets and to know that I’m very close to pissing all over myself. I’m unable to muster up enough dignity to give a fuck.

Radek hasn’t been back since his rape attempt was interrupted, and I can’t stop thinking about his inevitable return. I’m terrified, more scared than I ever thought possible, and knowing that things could end up getting a million times worse has my whole body shaking. My toes cramp from desperately trying to support as much of my weight as possible, and I can’t stop crying. I don’t know if my mom is still alive or if I’ll ever see her again, and when I try to think about Luka, it just makes it that much harder to breathe. How will he ever find me? My phone was thrown out, and there aren’t any security cameras at my building. How long will he search for me before he gives up? What if he never finds me?

Question after question races through my mind until my head is pounding and each passing minute has me falling deeper and deeper into a familiar darkness that I swore I’d never allow myself to be pulled into again. A hopelessness surrounds me, covering me until I’m not so sure I care about fighting it. I just want the darkness to take me under so I no longer have to feel any of this.

My head hangs, each breath sending an ache through my shoulders and back. They turned the lights off when they left, and I’m glad that I don’t have to spend the time staring at my naked body, at least I’m spared that indignity. I’m grateful for it, but I know they didn’t do it to be kind. The fuckers did it to try and scare me.

The room must be soundproofed, because I can’t hear shit except the sound of my own panicked breaths and the rapid beat of my own heart. When the sharp bang of the door being kicked in shatters the heavy silence of the room, it takes me a second to realize what’s going on. The light from the hall blinds me, and I start to scream when I hear footsteps coming closer.

“Lara, it’s me,” Luka yells, wrapping his arms around me while he shouts something in Russian. “Fuck, baby,” he groans, lifting me up and carefully removing my bound wrists from the hook. “I’m so sorry.”

He cups the back of my head, holding me tightly against him, telling me he loves me and how fucking sorry he is. When he tries to set me down, my legs give out, too weak to hold my weight. He catches me, not letting me fall.

“My arms,” I groan, feeling a blinding pain start to radiate through them when he frees my wrists from the restraints and the blood rushes back and the feeling returns.

He yells something in Russian again right before someone flips a switch and the overhead light comes on. I quickly try and cover myself, but my arms are useless.

“No! Luka, please, I’m naked,” I yell, already picturing his dad and uncles standing behind him, and for a moment the embarrassment I feel trumps everything else.

“No one can see you but me. Val and Max are standing guard in the hall.” He kisses the top of my head and holds me while I cry.

“Is my mom,” I start to say, but I can’t stop crying long enough to finish my question.

“We’re getting her too,” he promises, and my whole body sags in relief.

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