With This Secret

“Follow him,” I instructed. “From a distance.” Blood suddenly trickled down my nose onto my clothes. With a curse, I grabbed the towel I had tossed aside once again and held it to my nose. I kept my eyes on the road as we followed silently behind Maxim, but the adrenaline was leaving my bloodstream and pain had begun to radiate through my body. My head felt as if it was splitting into jagged pieces. I had to shut my eyes at the impending nausea and hazy vision.

“He’s slowing down …” Alex said.

I heard him but couldn’t make my eyes open. I leaned back against the headrest and muttered out my instructions, “Let me know when they stop, and disembark.”

We continued on the road until a few minutes later when Alex called, “Boss.”

“Yeah?” Even speaking was hard. My whole stomach and ribcage area felt as if they were on fire.

“They just got out, and about a dozen of our guys are waiting. They’re all armed.”

I shot up then, my vision instantly clearing up as I focused my gaze through the windshield.

“That’s Sergei,” Yuri pointed out. “Viktor and Otari …”

I nodded blankly, the reality of what was about to happen beginning to dawn on me. “Maxim’s going to end him.”

24

Bianca

I was distraught as I ran out of Levan’s study in horror. I stood in the sumptuous hallway in a state of complete shock and confusion. Nothing seemed real anymore. It was like I was caught in a nightmare. Everything I thought and believed was a lie.

Levan knew and he didn’t tell me!

Moments passed as I stood there in limbo. Not knowing what to do, what to think, how to help Aldie. Tears stung my eyes at the thought of the way that man had hit her. The way she had flown across the room as if she was no more than a ragdoll.

I shook with rage … if any one of them laid a filthy hand on her, I was going to kill them all myself. I pushed the blind fury back. This was not the time to fall apart or act stupidly. With every second I remained here, she drew closer to her death. I knew what Bogdan was capable of.

At the traffic lights that first night after he took me, I’d seen into the eyes of the monster that lived inside him. The fear of what he might do to her was crippling. This storm was my fault and it was up to me to make it better.

I took a deep breath. Think Bianca, think. I simply couldn’t stay locked up here then find out that everyone I gave a fuck about had been killed. I needed to get out of here and find a way to help her, but there was no way out. The place was more guarded than a prison. I went over to the window by the front door, and peeped outside. I saw no one, and for a moment, it gave me hope.

Perhaps they’d all left with Maxim and Levan. No, impossible … Levan would not leave me unguarded.

Nonetheless, I pulled the door open and stepped out onto the marble porch. I looked past the compound of perfectly manicured plants and flower beds towards a high iron fence. I knew I could climb it, as long as it wasn’t electrified. I took another step, walking towards it. No one came to ask me what I was doing and I began to wonder if perhaps the house was truly empty. I couldn’t believe my luck. Perhaps this would be easier than I thought.

I threw a little branch at the fence to see it sizzle and crackle.

Right, it was electric.

I turned to run towards the gate. A few minutes later, I reached it. I slowed down to a walk and looked nervously around. There was still no one in sight. I realized however with a sinking heart that the massive gate was locked and probably centrally controlled.

As I was contemplating my options, a shadow fell on me. I was so startled I shrieked and jumped away.

“Is there a problem, Miss?” It was one of the guards. He had a thick Russian accent, cold black eyes, no smile, and a black gun in his hand.

I looked to the left and right as I wondered where the fuck he had come from. He had literally appeared out of nowhere. “Uh …” I began. “Uh … no.”

He loomed over me like a brick wall as he stated clearly, “Then please go back to the house.”

I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him to open the gates and let me out, but I knew he wouldn’t. It would be certain death for him most likely and nothing I did or said would make him turn from his purpose. I turned around and hurried back to the house. My heart was pounding in my chest as I shut the door solidly behind me.