Page 36 of Russian Roulette
“Kit, what are your thoughts on this man?” I swivel around on the bench to face him. “Does he own you too?”
“Not only does he control me through my contract, but he also technically owns most of my animals in the show,” Kit says in a bitter voice. “To me, this is the worst possible thing to hold over my head. If I were to break my contract today, I wouldn’t be able to walk away with all the animals. As it is now, he can take the animals away at any time. Even Puffin.”
“Why would he do that?” I’m appalled at the image of Kit’s animals being taken away. “What would a rich man want with a bunch of animals?”
Kit snorts in disgust. “He would sell them to any asshole in the world who’s willing to pay an extravagant price for an exotic animal. There’s a huge underground black market animal trade. Can you imagine Puffin being sold off to an Arab sheik and being kept in a cage?”
Even though I’ve only been in Kit’s house a day, it was long enough to witness the bond he has with his animals. His concern for his animals is both deep and real. He would be devastated if something were to happen to them.
“Isn’t there a way to get him to transfer ownership of the animals to you?” I ask. “Surely there must be.” I’m getting a clearer idea of this monster, Giovanni.
“Oh, there is,” Kit replies bitterly. “It’s basically a ‘rent to own’ program written into my contract. It will take me years to gain ownership of them. They’ll all be dead before I can call them truly mine. In captivity, tigers only live around fourteen years and Puffin is already eight years old. A sizeable portion of my salary and performance bonuses every year goes toward paying down this debt.”
“There’s no other way to get the animals away from him then? I’m sorry, that’s truly terrible.”
“Oh, there are other ways,” he replies. “I can buy the contract outright in full, which includes the animals.”
“Why don’t you do that?” I ask. “Just forget the show and work on setting up an animal sanctuary here.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t have the money. We’re not talking chump change here. I need tens of millions of dollars to get out from under him. I make good money with my show, but nothing compared to what I would need.”
My heart sinks at the reality of Kit and his beautiful animals being under the control of the ruthless Giovanni. “You’re right, that’s a lot of money.” I turn my attention back to Seven. “I understand why Kit feels trapped. What’s your story? What is Giovanni holding over you?”
Seven gets up and walks over to peer out the kitchen window. After a moment, he turns and leans back against the kitchen counter.
“He dangles the threat of hurting one of my family members over my head. If I continue to do everything he says and stay in line, my family member is safe. If I don’t, bad things might happen. That’s all I can say.” Seven is clearly reluctant to discuss it. I wonder who the family member is.
“Fair enough,” I say, nodding at him. “What about you, Vulcan? Do you work for him too? By the way, what the hell do you even do? Are you a performer like them?” Vulcan remains a mystery I would love to unravel.
He grins at me and runs his fingers along my thigh under the table. “I already told you what I do for a living. I chase thrills just like you.”
“I’m certain my definition of thrills differs from yours,” I reply.
“Don’t be too sure.”
“Does Giovanni have something he’s holding over you, too?”
“Fuck no!” Vulcan says. “He doesn’t have a damn thing on me. Listen up, sweetheart. Here’s my secret and a life lesson for you. If you’re only concerned with your own interests, then you can’t be controlled. I don’t have any family or animals. Giovanni can’t threaten me because I simply don’t give a flying fuck about anything or anyone. I work for him because I enjoy what I do. Nothing else matters to me. Not even the money or fame. I thrive on adrenaline, that’s it.”
Vulcan’s words aren’t ringing completely true to me. He obviously has a bond with Seven and Kit or he wouldn’t be here. He’s trying hard to make himself out to be a tough guy who is indifferent toward others. I’m not sure that’s true.
“Why did you kidnap me then if you don’t care? Seven said he did it because my life was on the line. Why did you agree to help him?”
“Believe me, I didn’t go along with his kidnap scheme because I cared for a strange woman I’d never met.” He scoffs at the idea. “Doing anything out of the goodness of my heart is not my style. I went along with it because I was bored, and it sounded fun. I never turn down a chance for adventure. Last night in the desert was exciting, right? Didn’t you get a huge shot of adrenaline when you heard the coyotes howl or when I grabbed you in the dark? I live for that kind of shit.”
His words and attitude are making me angry. “You went along with kidnapping me for fun? What the hell, Vulcan? Who do you think you are screwing around with my life? I knew you were an asshole!”
I shove his hand off my leg and stand. Why did I imagine there might be a slight connection building between us? He’s nothing but an arrogant prick. He quickly reaches up to grab my hand and tries to tug me back down on the bench. I struggle with him and finally jerk my hand loose.
“Ah, come on!” he says. “Don’t get all mad and huffy at me. I’m being honest with you. Would you rather I pretend to be a white knight trying to save a poor lady in distress? This is the real world, sweetheart. Get used to it.”
“I’m not a lady in distress!” I snap back at him.
He chuckles at my anger, which makes me madder. He has a way of getting under my skin quicker than anyone I’ve ever met in my life. I’m constantly torn between wanting to slap him or kiss him.
“Exactly my point,” he says. “You don’t strike me as someone who needs saving, either.”
“I’m sure Jade is capable of taking care of herself in most situations,” Seven says, attempting to head off the conflict. “Dealing with Giovanni is a whole different ballgame. Vulcan, you understand as well as any of us what he’s capable of. Trying to downplay the danger Jade is in isn’t helping. You’re intentionally misleading her, and you need to cut that out.”
