This one had been marked urgent.
I had asked questions over the years and they remained unanswered to this day, raising my suspicions. That wasn’t entirely true. I’d looked the other way more than anything, determined to work through the ‘sentence’ that Peter had imposed then find a new life.
If I really could do that.
I shivered and not from the temperature in the car or the presence of true danger. My instincts were working overtime, screaming that I should have found a way out of Peter’s clutches a long time ago.
If you ran, Peter would ruin you.
The thought always remained in my mind. What little I knew about my brother highlighted his vindictive nature. I wasn’t stupid enough to think he wouldn’t seek revenge, even on his own sister.
I gave an exaggerated sigh as Aleksei sped through the city, hitting the highway at excessive speed. He was a man on a mission.
Everything he’d said about my brother pinged in my mind, refusing to let go, tentacles weaving in a sickening manner. Peter had been secretive, even more so as of late. He was also obsessive about being cautious, terrified that he’d lose investors.
“You need to see something,” he finally said.
“What now? Candyland?”
He slowly turned his head, accelerating until he was flying around various cars. He seemed on edge, but for what reason? He’d played my number and now he held all the cards. I continued studying him, every feature of his aristocratic face. He was obviously highly intelligent, polished in every manner and quite capable of securing any woman he hungered for.
Our attraction was… unforgettable.
I shuddered and huddled in the seat, trying to keep the paralyzing fear at bay. After ten minutes, I realized he was driving out of the city. “Where are we going?”
He offered no answer of any kind and the silence was even more terrifying. What could he want to show me?
When his cell phone rang, he cursed in Russian before bothering to yank out his phone. “Da?”
I’d studied several languages, perfecting three. Sadly, Russian wasn’t one of them, but I could easily tell how frustrated he was, the sudden smash of his hand on the steering wheel followed by a loud string of words said quickly.
“Blyad!” Aleksei tossed the phone on the dashboard, grumbling under his breath.
That word I knew easily. Fuck. Whatever news he’d received was obviously worse than anticipated.
When we entered New Jersey, I knew exactly where we were going. One of the port terminals. “What do you have on my brother? How did you get the information?”
“I have my sources, Willow. I make it my business to learn all about those attempting to kill me.”
“You think you’re going to show me anything that will allow me to believe you?”
“We shall see. As I told you before, I appreciate and value the truth as much as you seem to.”
He was throwing my own words in my face. Sadly, he was right. I hated liars of any kind, but this man, this… monster was a consummate liar. That much I knew. I folded my arms, staring out as the night sky, trying to figure out how I was going to get the hell out of the terrible position I’d placed myself into.
Peter would know I was missing. Right?
The answer was no. I went under the radar, often for days when I was on a job. Any contact could easily derail my mission, notifying my target even before I arrived. I closed my eyes, thinking about how I’d managed to be coerced into becoming a killing machine.
A creature no better than Aleksei.
You know why. You’re just as much a monster.
I bit back a whimper, the little voice inside my head nagging me more than usual.
Certain decisions I’d made when I was still na? ve and stupid had altered my fate, stripping away my innocence and my happiness. But that had been all my fault. The rest had been a blur.
Peter had nurtured my talent, as he liked to call it, helping me understand that there were devious and very evil people preying on the talent and good nature of others. I’d known all about the Bratva existence early in life, following stories of their brutal savagery. I also knew there were criminal elements in all walks of life, men and women allowing greed to overtake any concept of humanity.
And my love of all creatures big and small had been used, told I was only killing the scourge of the earth, people who didn’t deserve to breathe air.
I rubbed my eyes, exhaustion settling in.
“How long do you plan on keeping me?” I finally asked.
“As long as necessary.”
“But you are going to let me go.” I made the words a statement.
His expression finally changed, becoming even more devious. “I may never let you go, Willow.”
“Then one night you might not wake up from your enraptured sleep. Keep that in mind.”
He laughed. “We shall see. You are quite the woman and I obviously know you’re capable of killing.”
“You have no idea.”
“I wonder what else you’re capable of.”