“He’s just trying to scare you is all. It’ll be okay.” I lie back, my voice cracking with the fear of what’s to come.
“I can’t!” Her tears stream down her face.
“Everything will be okay. Just go home for your dad. Let him know you’re safe.”
I pull Amari in for a hug and hold her for as long as I can. I feel like I’m holding onto my future, my hope and my life.
“Darling.” Sergei’s voice ripples through the room, and I freeze in her embrace. “So happy to have you home.”
“Go to your brothers,” I whisper hurriedly in her ear.
My body trembles with every step he takes, but I suck in a breath and give one last squeeze to Amari before letting go.
I stand, square my shoulders and turn to face him. The sight of him nearly knocks me to my feet. He looks just like I remember when we first met, from the tattoo that spirals up his neck to the mischievous boyish grin that he uses to lull you into his trap. The look of a man who knows he could have any woman he wanted, anytime he wanted. If only he didn’t want me.
He walks without a care in the world, and not in our direction. He continues past us towards the elevator without looking at me once.
“Amari,” he says as he passes, the two dimples on his cheeks deepening as he smiles at her. “Thank you for stopping by. You have been a tremendous help. Do be sure to grab that painting on your way out.” He points to a piece of art leaning against the wall.
He doesn’t wait for a response, he continues towards the elevator, then he glances over his shoulder as casual as can be.
“Come, moya lyubov’,” he says, expecting me to fall in line behind him.
My eyes close and I breathe. I can do this. I must do this.
I take Amari’s hand and squeeze it. I know she can see my fear; I can see hers. My lips tremble slightly as I mouth.
“I’ll be okay,” I say and hope the tiniest of smiles will convince us both.
Despite the overwhelming fear, my feet move. One step after another, I follow him like a lost puppy and say goodbye to a life that filled me with love.
But not for long.
Ren will get me back, I know he will.
The elevator doors slide open with a ding and Sergei waits for me to step in first. He follows along with all his men, leaving Amari alone in the apartment.
Sergei settles in behind me, standing so close I feel his hard chest brush up against my back every time he breathes. The smell of his cologne is so familiar, but makes me struggle to keep the nausea swirling in my stomach at bay. He leans forward, his face in the crook of my neck as he dips his nose into my hair, inhaling deeply, causing me to shiver all over. His knuckles trace up my spine, and my breathing turns to short shallow breaths.
What the hell was I thinking?
Why did I come back?
How could I have come back?
No.
No. it’s the right thing to do. The only thing to do.
“I can almost taste your fear.” His low voice drips with a lust that makes the bile rise to the back of my throat. “I’ve missed it.”
Thankfully, the ride is short, and the doors open to the carpark. He places a hand on my lower back, ushering me out of the elevator. But this is the wrong floor, not the one he parks his cars, and it's filled with black SUVs with men all dressed the same, standing next to them, all of them armed. There could be close to twenty and all waiting for something.
Sergei walks to the side of one of the SUV’s. Two of his men open the back door and jump into the back seats. Then Sergei gestures for me to climb in and I swallow back the panic and slide in. Sergei follows and takes the seat directly next to me, the other two sit in the seats in front of us, and I’m surrounded and trapped in the middle.
And like a well-planned symphony the mob of men all hop into their cars. This doesn’t feel right, and doubt begins to creep in. My brows furrow as a line forms, our car somewhere in the middle.
But it’s okay. Ren has eyes on all the ways out of this city. Even if he loses us in the crowd, he will find me. It’s okay. I tell myself over and over again.