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“I’ve said it before, Kostya. You’re losing your edge. There might come a time I’m not around to pick up the goddamn pieces.”
He didn’t bother to hear my words of anger before storming out of the room. I held up my glass as I leaned back in my chair. “Then so be it.”
CHAPTER10
Emily
“Ms. Shephard. We need to leave in five minutes.”
While I heard the man’s voice from behind me, the weariness and anxiety that had replaced the rush of adrenaline caused my reaction time to skid to a near halt.
“Five minutes,” I repeated finally, turning my head to study the young man. He was dressed in fatigues as if anticipating a war at any time, a Russian grade assault rifle slung over his shoulder. The constant reminders that this was a battle zone continued to push me to the very edge of my sanity.
He nodded abruptly then left, but I knew he hadn’t gone far. I was a prisoner even here. Sighing, I brushed my hand across my forehead, wiping drips of perspiration from just under my hairline. I continued to marvel at the warm outside temperatures, February in New York often brutal. But this was another world altogether, one where time held little meaning other than to a man like Kostya.
Two hours.
Kostya had provided a limitation when he had no understanding of the medical field. Two hours. I stared at the wall clock, a nervous tic appearing in the corner of my mouth. I’d almost used up my time. Would he come looking for me if I didn’t obey him? Would he punish me for disrespecting him? For as close as we’d seemed inside his bedroom, the distance between us at this point was vast and unforgiving.
I checked on the cub’s vitals one last time before closing the cage door, still surprised at the level of sophisticated equipment he’d purchased for the facility. Still, I shuddered at the thought of what he’d used the location to treat. I walked to the back window, staring out at protected yard behind the standalone building. There were several much larger cages, the fencing taller and thicker than surrounding the area where he’d taken me.
Then I returned one last time to gaze down at the furry creature. Kiki moved toward me, hunkering down in front of the cage. I’d allowed her in almost immediately after Kostya had left, longing for company while I was reminded of a life I’d never be allowed to return to.
While her tail thumped, I sensed her sadness. I eased down beside her, crossing my legs, a single tear forming when Kiki rested her head on my knee. “What’s your story, little girl? How did you end up with a monster like Kostya?”
Panting, she lifted her head, the love in her brown eyes infectious. I stroked her head, taking a few minutes to myself. Fuck Kostya if he didn’t like it. The warmth of Kiki’s body was likely the only real comfort I’d get as the man’s captive. Why was a man full of a depth of passion most people dreamt about incapable of any level of empathy?
I remained staring at the cub, unable to put the pieces of the puzzle together regarding Kostya. He was an enigma, a man with no identity. Maybe that was the problem. With no family, he didn’t need to worry about conventional thinking, etiquette, or thoughtfulness. He could make his own rules in his kingdom.
The fact he’d rescued so many wild animals was as difficult to process as everything else. In order to nurture them back to health, he would have needed a large animal veterinarian expert on call, not an inexpensive endeavor. Then there was the substantial food needed, humane yet protective facilities. He’d spent a fortune creating his sanctuary.
And you treated him like an animal.
I closed my tired eyes; my inner voice, while correct, was forgetting about everything the brutal man had put me through. Still, I felt confident I was right that a small part of his humanity did exist.
What seemed like only seconds later, I heard the door being opened and tensed.
“Please, Ms. Shephard. We should go.” While the soldier spoke fluent English, his accent was thick.
“You can call me Emily.”
I should have anticipated he wouldn’t answer or dare call me anything but what he’d been commanded.
“Just a few minutes longer.”
“No, please, Ms. Shephard. We are already late.SeñorBaranov will be very angry.”
There was fear in the man’s tone, enough that I knew my delay could force him to endure the punishment Kostya wanted to give me. “Of course.” I rose to my feet, a heated shiver coursing down my spine from the thought of seeing Kostya again.
He had a way of overwhelming me no matter the distance, but there was also an almost desperate sense of need for him.
Especially after what I’d seen. Who was I kidding? What I’d been forced to endure.
The soldier kept the door open, Kiki bounding out first. I swept the room then turned off only one of the two lights, making certain the cub wouldn’t awaken in the dark. I followed the man toward a Jeep, Kiki immediately jumping inside, obviously used to being taken on rides. I eased in, swallowing several times as he started the engine, wasting no time roaring away from the clinic.
As he drove, I darted several looks in his direction, noticing his face was scarred, the jagged edge of one a clear indication of knife attack. All I could think about was that Kostya had put it there.
“What is your name?” I asked, not expecting an answer.
