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“Do you fucking mind?” I hiss. “You can’t expect me to work like this.”
Konstantin chuckles. “You’re brilliant, Luka. I’ve always known that. But I won’t have you doing something as dumb as reaching out to your brothers for help. Jerome and Calvin are here to ensure you don’t get up to any funny business.”
My hands shake. There’s really no way out of this. I just have to hope my brothers can find it in their hearts to forgive me.
I place my hands over the keyboard and reluctantly get to work.
* * *
It’s been hours since I started. Creating brand new bank accounts while circumventing all manner of security checks is no small feat. Banks these days require several different forms of identification, home addresses, and work history before you can open a checking account. I’m jumping through ten different hoops at one time, but after diligently putting through the electronic paperwork, I’ve done it.
Three separate accounts, one for each of my revenge-thirsty kidnappers.
Konstantin left quite a while ago, leaving Jerome and Calvin behind to keep an eye on me. They haven’t spoken a word to me, but I hate them with every fiber of my being. I can’t cough, can’t blink, can’t even stretch my arms without one of them hitting me across the back of the head—a warning not to waste time.
I lean back with a sigh, running a hand through my hair.
“Keep working,” Calvin snaps. For someone so large, he has a surprisingly high-pitched voice.
I glare at him over my shoulder. “I need a fucking break. I’m starting to go cross-eyed.”
“I fail to see how that’s my problem,” Jerome grumbles.
Exhaustion sweeps through me, dragging my patience along with it. “Look, I need rest. A breath of fresh air. The chance to fuckingstandevery once in a while. I’m doing what Konstantin asked, alright? But this shit requires a high level of focus and attention to detail—something I can’t do if you won’t let me fuckingsleep. If I make a single mistake, I could lose Konstantin millions. And if I do, you bet your sorry asses I’m going to pin the blame on you two assholes.”
Jerome and Calvin glance at each other. It seems the possibility of incurring my uncle’s wrath is far more effective than I first believed. I wasn’t alive to witness the horrible things Konstantin was capable of when he was the head of the Antonov Bratva, but I’ve heard stories. Driving my family out of Moscow and imprisoning my father in one of the most remote towns in Siberia was only the tip of the iceberg. I can’t imagine what Konstantin might do to these two if he feels they’re more of a hindrance than a help.
After a tense beat, Jerome nods. “Fine. With us.”
They try to grab at me, one on either arm, but I swat them away. “No need to manhandle me. I’m coming. Just lead the way.”
Dumb and Dumber lead me out of the room and down the hall, completely forgetting to replace the bag over my head. They don’t realize what an advantage they’ve given me. I diligently take in my surroundings, drinking up every little detail I can.
The hallway is narrow, barely wide enough for two people to stand shoulder to shoulder. Dirt floors and dirt walls, the entire structure supported by a series of wooden beams. Bulkhead lights have been drilled into the sides, spaced out every few feet. I can tell this place was built in a hurry, an underground bunker of some sort. It reminds me of an old documentary I watched about El Chapo and all the tunnels he used to smuggle drugs across the border, though it doesn’t appear this tunnel system is particularly complex.
We walk roughly five yards, take a left, and then an immediate right. It doesn’t look like there’s much else. I fail to notice an exit, which tells me it must be on the other side of my newly appointed office space. I suppose it makes sense to keep your prisoners as far away from the exit as possible.
Eventually, Jerome and Calvin stop me in front of a large metal door. It looks heavy, impossible to break out of. The padlocks are as thick and big as my skull.
“Home sweet home,” Calvin says as he reaches down to retrieve the key. He has a set attached to a metal wire on his belt so he doesn’t lose them. He unlocks the door and pushes it open, giving me one final shove to force me inside.
“We’ll be back in a few hours,” Jerome informs me. “Get some shut eye. You’re working onourschedule now.”
I don’t see the point in fighting back. They’re armed and could easily riddle me full of holes. Still, that doesn’t stop me from flipping them off as they slam the door shut.
The room is dark. The only hint of light streams in through the small gap at the door’s base, but it’s not enough for me to make out my new abode. There’s something terrifying about being trapped here. It’s even worse than in that cramped workspace, because here, the darkness is daunting.
Intrusive thoughts jolt through my brain. Is this what it feels like to be buried alive? What if these walls cave in? What if that idiot Calvin loses the key and I’m left to rot away in here, alone and forgotten?
Soft, quiet sniffles reach my ear.
I’m not alone.
“Who’s there?” I call out into the darkness.
“Luka?”
The sound of Dani’s voice sends my heart into a mad sprint. I reach out blindly, bumping into the nearest wall and nearly tripping over my own feet in my haste. “Dani? Where are you?”
