“Do you believe me now?”
He blinks slowly as if aching, before his eyes flare and he sits up so fiercely in the chair that the ropes keeping him in place almost break. His gaze bores into mine, dark and forbidden and it drips with fury. “What the fuck are you doing in here? Get out now before anyone finds you here.”
“Keep your voice down,” I urge, throwing a distressed glance at the door. “They’ve gone to bed, you don’t need to worry about them.” I raise my chin because I know he will protest. “And I’m here to save you.”
The corners of Rammstein’s mouth twitch and I’m amazed that he still can smile after everything he’s been through. “A woman saving a man? Think again, little Freya. Turn around, walk out that door and pretend you never saw me like this.”
My lower lip trembles from frustration. “Why do you always reject me, Rammstein?” Tears flood my eyes, one trickling down my cheek and falling on the concrete floor. Oh no, it must be all the hormones. But it’s not easy being in this situation with the dad of your baby.
Agony flashes his face. “I’m not rejecting you. I’ve never rejected you and I never will. I’m trying to do what’s best for you.”
“Too late,” I whisper. The baby kicks in agreement and I hide a smile. “Now, how do I get these stupid ropes off?” Getting my hands on the ropes, I let out a low curse because whoever did this, did such a good job there’s no way I’ll be able to get him loose without a knife. Guess, I’ll need a knife then...
“Freya,” Rammstein murmurs in a pained voice. “Baby girl, you don’t want to do this. I’m not a good man, you don’t want to save me and I’d rather be tortured to death than have you put yourself in danger because of me.”
“Uncle won’t do anything,” I say, looking around for a knife. “He loves me, he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Rammstein coughs. “That may be true but you’d bring shame upon him for cooperating with his enemy. He’d have to punish you somehow.” Rage crosses Rammstein’s eyes. “Probably marry you off to a made man from another mob.”
I tense. That does sound like something uncle would do. And what a disaster it would be if I was married off to someone while pregnant. Black spots dance before my eyes at the thought of raising Rammstein’s child with someone else and I look around in anguish.
“I have to get you out,” I whimper and Rammstein lets out a growl.
“Listen to me and listen good. Even if you managed to get me out of here, I still wouldn’t be able to leave the compound. Not in my condition and there are guards everywhere. I don’t stand a chance.”
He’s right. He’s in a weakened state and it’s not like I know how to use a gun. I mean, I did get lessons but I never paid any attention, thinking I’d never need to use them. Damn, was I wrong. That knowledge would’ve come in handy right now.
“Best thing you can do is leave me here,” he adds and I stare at him.
Leave him here like this? Tied up and drained and waiting for his next torture session. It makes me nauseous but deep down I know he has a point. Acting too recklessly will only get us caught. I need some more time to come up with a plan.
I need to find out a way how we’ll leave the compound without getting caught... I look down at his face, at the scars crisscrossing his chest and I’m amazed that despite everything he seems to be brimming with strength.
His muscles clench beneath the ropes and his jaw’s hard. And worst of all, he’s looking at me like he both wants to spank me and praise me.
“Didn’t expect this from you,” he rasps, “didn’t think you cared this much after what I said.”
Biting my lip, I reply, “Did you mean it?” My heart pounds as I wait for his answer, my legs feeling like jelly and it feels like I’m about to drop down into a pile of feminine overwhelm. Rammstein’s eyes stir and his voice is husky when he says,
“No. I hated myself for doing that to you. For sleeping with you and then making you feel like I tossed you to the side. Fuck Freya, everything went to hell after our night together. I couldn’t focus, couldn’t be myself.” He curses again. “No wonder I fucked up.”
Rammstein straightens, coughing again and I hurry over to the sink to get him some water. It feels good being able to do something for him. I’d like to wet a rag and clean up the blood on his body but then they’ll know someone’s been in here.
I carefully let Rammstein’s drink and he does it so greedily that it makes me think of the time when he...drank me that way and my face heats. Oh, now’s not the time to think about that...
Once he’s done, I put the cup back in its place, covering all tracks. But something’s really bothering me at the back of my head and I can’t ignore it anymore. I have to know.
“Rammstein?” I whisper and he raises his brows. “They didn’t take you down here because they know about us, did they?” He slowly shakes his head, his eyes careful and I’m grateful that uncle doesn’t know but why the hell are they torturing him then? Gulping, I breathe, “What did you do?”
****
Rammstein
She’ll hate me when she finds out. It’s in her blood. The mafia life is all she’s ever known. She was born into it, raised in it and she knows the meaning of loyalty. I’m terrified, she’ll run out of the room once I tell her but I can’t lie to her anymore.
There’s no point. It’s over. Things screwed up and fuck, maybe deep down I wanted to screw up. Maybe I wanted boss to find out about me, maybe I was sick of hiding and knowing that I’d lost Freya forever made me feel like I didn’t have anything to lose anyway.
“Don’t start crying when I tell you,” I grind and she raises her brows.