Suddenly, the sound of a gun rang out and my eyes shot open in terror. I turned my neck towards the side mirror only to see it had been torn off, but through a piece that still hung on I was able to make out a haze of people engaged in vicious combat. This was a new danger that galvanized me into action.
I immediately reached for the seat belt’s latch, as I fumbled to set myself free. I could feel the tears of frustration filling my eyes as I fought with the belt and it didn’t respond, the buckle, broken by the crash.
I didn’t dare scream or make a sound to alert anyone to my presence.
Then at that moment, a masked figure appeared by my side and the door was wrenched open. Terrified, I tried to reach for the knife that I had lodged in my waistband, but it must have fallen out during the crash. Before I could respond, my arm was grabbed and the belt holding me in place was cut away. Before I could fall forward, I was immediately caught and, like a rag doll, dragged out of the wreckage.
“Are you alright?” he asked in a thick Russian accent.
“Yes,” I said automatically.
“Good. Come with me,” he ordered.
I looked at him as though he were crazy. His face was not only masked, but he was also wearing a baseball cap positioned low enough to shield even his eyes, and I felt as if I was living someone else’s life. I should be in my bed now. Sleeping, so I could be up before dawn to start my baking. “Why the hell would I—”
“Because you’re not stupid,” he shot back impatiently.
In a flash, the truth hit me—anything would be better than the fate Bogdan had in mind for me. Everything from then on was a blur as I was dragged through a flurry of rapid activity. Soon, I was inside on the backseat of an SUV just as another shot rang out. The whole earth seemed to shudder at the release and so did I, as I looked around in fright. The SUV zoomed off with me and the three masked men inside it.
We went through the Holland tunnel and out of the state as I realized that we must be heading to New Jersey.
None of the men spoke to me, but neither did they try to restrain me in any way. They had taken their caps and masks off. They were bulky, thickly muscled men, covered in tattoos with military-styled haircuts, and hard, determined faces.
“W-why have I been taken?” I stuttered.
The one closest to me replied, “Have no fear. We will not harm you.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“You will be safe,” he replied.
Usually, I was an even-tempered person, mild even, but with all the incredible goings-on of the last twenty-four hours, my nerves were shot to pieces. My temper flared like acid through my system. “How am I to know that when I don’t know who the hell any of you are?”
He turned away from me, neither intimidated nor the slightest bit bothered by my outburst.
With a scowl, I placed my head in my hands and tried to think. What the hell was happening? Had I become a pawn in some Bratva feud? How was I to extricate myself from this mess? What would happen to my father? With the exception of my best friend, Aldie, I made a vow then, that if I were somehow lucky enough to come out of all of this alive … I would never have anything to do with any Russians again for the rest of my life.
I lifted my head and stole a glance at them.
They showed no interest in me at all. They were all staring straight ahead or glancing at the rear-mirror to make sure we were not being followed.
Slowly, my hand inched towards the door handle. I waited … my stomach twisted into tight knots until the car came to a stop at a red light. I took a deep breath, and pushing away the memory of the gun they had fired earlier, I pulled with all my strength at the door latch.
The door refused to budge. I lost my shit then and banged on it with my fists. I felt angry, frustrated and utterly helpless.
The men didn’t move an inch.
When I turned to see the bored looks on their faces at my little temper tantrum, my heart fell. Exhausted, I settled into the seat and momentarily accepted my fate. Even my butter knife was gone. I would just save my energy until it would be time once again, to fight back.
Perhaps it was the route they followed, but after a while, there was very little illumination for me to figure out where we were headed. Finally, we arrived at the imposing gates of what looked to be a very huge estate.