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The next message made me want to punch a hole in the wall.
“Unless you want her dead, come to this location now, and come alone. You have one hour.”
Another notification popped up with the coordinates. A quick google search told me it was an abandoned building and nothing but forest surrounded it. Of course it had to be a fucking forest.
Why was I this angry?
I stared at the picture, at the woman. I could’ve ignored it and moved along, yet, somehow, I couldn’t. The mere thought of blocking the number and deleting the message made me feel uneasy. What was this feeling? If it were me in her position, she would’ve come to me within minutes. She wouldn’t have hesitated.
The woman in the picture was Rhea.
“Are you okay?”
Her voice broke my train of thought.
My head snapped in the direction of the voice, only to see Rhea’s worried face. After I left the mansion, it took me roughly forty minutes to reach the destination. The moment my car engine was off, a knock came to the window. I couldn’t remember all the details after that, and it pissed me off.
I groaned. I’d almost forgotten what she sounded like. Harshly, I blinked a couple of times, as if it was going to ease the ache.
Rhea was sitting, leaning against the dirty wall. It was the same background I’d seen in the picture I was sent. Her wavy hair was a mess, there was matted blood dried on her forehead, her lips were chapped, bruised, and bloody, and her makeup smudged. Her dress was ripped in multiple places, and the rope tied around her waist that kept her arms locked had left a mark.
“Where are we?”
“Not a clue.” She sighed. “You shouldn’t have come.”
A laugh turned into a cough. “A simple ‘thank you’ would have sufficed.”
Rhea gave me a blank stare. “For what? Getting captured with me? Thank you, Ekaterina.” Sarcasm laced her words.
My eyes roamed the room. It was tiny, dirty, and it smelled awful. It had no windows, and a door that I could’ve unlocked, but I lacked the material to do so. In the far corner, out of reach, was a single chair that was as filthy as the room. My right arm ached more than the rest of my body. And what a sight to be seen; a sloppily placed bandage.
Rhea noticed me staring at my arm. “They took out that tracking device.”
I grinned. “Did they do it here?”
She nodded her head, confused. “Yes, why?”
I sighed and leaned against the wall. “Then don’t worry. We’ll be out of here soon.”
Rhea caught on quickly. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess.”
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Her eyes swelled with tears. “Your brothers and Davorin met up in Himeros from time to time, and… I know everything. They didn’t tell me, but I snooped around and found out a few things. I didn’t plan on Bogdan’s people catching on, but they did.”
“Next time, please, just keep yourself out of this mess.”
Rhea shook off the tears, clearing her throat. “I just wanted to help.”
I knew that, which was why I was pissed. Although I was grateful for her efforts, she’d put herself on Bogdan’s radar and gotten involved in this shitty situation. Yes, like me, she was born into a family of criminals. Throughout her childhood, she’d witnessed a lot of horror and gore, but we weren’t the same.
I could handle seeing people being skinned alive before my eyes; watch them burn or get gutted and not bat an eyelash. That kind of violence was something I didn’t want her to continue witnessing. In a way, Rhea was the one I wanted to protect.
The men who brought us here were most likely instructed to get information out of me. Right now, Rhea was a liability. I wouldn’t let them lay a hand on her, but Lord knew which methods they would use to get me to talk.
“How long have I been unconscious?”
“Not sure.” She sighed. “A few hours, probably.”
