THIRTY-EIGHT
The kidnappers knew the area well. The driver had pulled into an alley behind a building on Main Street, where they switched vehicles. Then they waited in a four-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser for all of the emergency vehicles to scream past on their way to the park, before calmly pulling away. They drove through town on back roads, blazed a trail through a section of forest land, and, before Jess knew it, they'd bypassed any road blocks that might have been put into place and were pulling up in front of a secluded cabin.
Jess hadn't recognized him at first, but now she realized the driver was the tattooed man from the water park. The fact that they'd let her see his face, hadn't blindfolded her while they took her to this remote location, told her more than she needed to know. She wasn't walking out of here if they had anything to do with it. Her and Gracie’s only hope was to buy time and pray that Kayne would find them.
She wondered if she'd ever have the chance to explain why she couldn't let them take Gracie without her. Truth was, she hadn't thought about anything but Gracie's fear and the possibility she was going to die. She couldn't let her face that alone. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life, she would do everything she could to save her daughter.
Jess's last glimpse of freedom was a darkening sky full of rain-laden clouds. The same angry gray Jess knew Kayne's eyes must be right now. God she wanted him here.
The gunman shoved Jess through the front door, and Jess blinked frantically, trying to adjust to the darker interior.
They weren't alone. Three other men and a woman stood in the room. It was clear which one was in charge. They circled him like he was the nucleus to their cell. Jess surmised he must be the one they called The Wolf. Tall in stature, with broad shoulders, he exuded an air of confidence that reminded her of someone, though she wasn't sure who. His suit did little to hide an incredibly fit body, especially for someone who must be in his mid- to late sixties. As she was shoved forward, she noticed other details like the gray laced through his thick black hair and the scar that bisected his cheek from his chin to his lower eyelid.
His eyes...
Good God, it couldn't be. She knew those eyes. She'd stared into those eyes as she'd made love again and again. Dark steel, the color of the churning storm outside. Kayne's eyes. But this sure as hell wasn't Kayne, because while there was a resemblance physically, there was nothing but a soulless murderer staring at her.
The stranger's eyes flickered in amusement for a moment. “I see that bastard son of mine chose better this time. Obviously, you've figured out who I am.” Even his voice was Kayne's, despite his thick Russian accent.
Jess took a staggering step back. “His mother said she had no idea who you were.”
“Nina had her reasons for keeping secrets. Didn't you, dear?” He turned to the woman next to him. His mother? She was part of this?
Nina scoffed. “Oh, don't look so shocked. You of all people should understand why I participated in this.”
Jess slowly shook her head, whether in denial or confusion, she wasn’t sure. “Actually, I'm at a loss, but let’s start with this, what exactly is this?”
“She,” Kayne’s sperm donor—Jess couldn’t bring herself to think of him as her husband’s father—said, indicating Gracie, “Will ensure Krysin returns what he stole from me. Or not.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him either way.
Jess tried to take a step back, only to feel a wall of muscle in her path. “Who is Krysin?”
“Cody said the marriage was a sham, but really. Doesn't my bastard talk to you about anything?” Nina mocked. “Krysin is Tasha's maternal grandfather.”
Cody? How the hell did he fit into this? Jess frowned. “You willingly killed your own grandchildren?” She studied Kayne's sperm donor, frantically piecing the puzzle together.
“They are little more than a means to an end. Krysin feels the same. In fact, he was my inspiration for drowning them. I took great delight in letting Oksana escape, once I had ensured she was pregnant.” He smiled manically.
Dear God, he was the monster who'd raped a fourteen-year-old Oksana? Jess fought hard to swallow the fear that was threatening to erupt in the form of vomit.
“Krysin's response was to return that baby to me on the day of his birth. He'd drowned the little bastard. Too bad he hadn't done that with the first bastard I'd sired, then none of us would be here.”
It took a second for Jess to realize he meant Kayne. Christ Almighty, life meant nothing to this man. “You are a part of this?” She looked Nina in the eye, hoping she read the contempt Jess felt for her. “How could you be with someone that would have so little regard for life? Are money and security all the matter to you?”
Nina laughed a cold humorless laugh. “That was good. Cody, would you like to remind Jessica how you helped her kill her first husband and collect his death benefits?”
Already reeling from the previous revelations, it took a moment for what Nina said to sink in, but when it did Jess shouted, “I did no such thing! I loved Jarred.”
Jess stood helpless as a man dragged a badly beaten Cody Johnson into the room. Fuck, even Cody was involved in this. Somehow that didn't surprise her as much as it should.
“This wasn’t the deal,” he rasped, looking at her through eyes that were nearly swollen shut. “I agreed to help you take the brat. It's not my fault your men fucked up time and time again. Let her go.” Cody’s voice was full of a threat his body clearly couldn’t back.
“Never. This all started with the birth of Kayne, but it will end here. When everything that has ever mattered to Krysin and Dobrescu—what a name, Dobrescu translates to good-son and that little bastard has been anything but—has been destroyed while they watch. Only then will it be over. She matters to him, so she must die too.”
Cody struggled to get free. “No, you promised me I would get Jess.”
“I lied.” The Wolf’s tone was flat. Emotionless.
Before Jess could blink, The Wolf pulled out a handgun and shot Cody between the eyes. Jessica was too stunned to scream.
As if he executed people every day—and the sick son of a bitch probably did, she thought grimly—he turned away. “Zeff, take them to the underground room and chain them up. The storm is almost here.”
“No, please. I need to be able to take care of my daughter,” Jess pleaded. “I swear I won't run.” Taking a wild guess that Kayne had been given his Russian middle name for a reason, Jess said, “Aleksandr, please.” She stood no chance of escape if she were chained up.
There was a brief flash of surprise in his features. She'd guessed right.
“It's a shame you ended up with Dobrescu; you're a smart girl. I would have enjoyed you.” He looked lecherously over her body. “I had his first wife, maybe I'll have you too before it's over. I'm sure he'd enjoy watching me take my pleasure with you, don't you?”
Jess couldn't help the shudder of revulsion that ran through her. God, she was going to be sick.
“In the meantime, there are arrangements for Dobrescu's whelp.”
The Wolf nodded, and his brute squad jumped to action like well-trained circus monkeys. Too bad they looked far more dangerous. “Take her with you.” He motioned to Nina.
“Me? What? No, Sasha, don't do this. I beg— ” Nina’s words cut off midsentence when The Wolf backhanded her, then jammed his gun barrel to her forehead.
“You swore to me, when you came back from California, that you'd gotten rid of that little bastard. Yet he lives. I should have killed you years ago, when I discovered your lie. Not only did he live, he was married to Valentin's daughter. You'd have been dead long ago if I still didn't have a possible use for you. Go, or I will shoot you now.” Jess had no doubt he'd do it too. He'd already proven he was capable of unspeakable acts.
The scariest of the brute squad—the one The Wolf had just called Zeff—grabbed Jess’s arm, spun her around, and marched her out of the cabin toward the forest behind it. A fat drop of rain landed on the hand that cradled Gracie's head into the crook of her neck. Gracie wasn't making a sound, but she was trembling like an Aspen leaf. If they made it out of here, there was going to be serious therapy in her future. When, damn it. When they made it out.
Without warning, Zeff stopped. It wasn't until he reached down that Jess saw the steel-framed grate at their feet. It looked like a jail cell door lying on the ground. He pulled the heavy door open and stepped down into the darkness, dragging Jess with him into a moldy, Cold War era, concrete bunker.
Jess cleared the last step, and her foot splashed in an inch of stagnate water on the floor. She wanted to vomit. Everything became clear. The iron bar door, the chains on the wall, the small metal animal cage bolted down in the center of the room, and the video cameras mounted in the upper corners—they were going to be drowned.
Jess planted her feet, refusing to budge. “No please,” she begged before she could stop herself. “Please let my daughter go.”
Zeff cocked his head, and for a brief second, she saw compassion in his eyes, before he ripped Gracie out of Jess's arms and handed her to The Wolf.
“Mama!” Gracie screamed the word over and over again as she struggled to get free.
Jess fought to get to her daughter. She couldn't help it. God, what were they going to do to her? But she was no match for Zeff, who had her manacled to the wall in seconds.
The Wolf cuddled Gracie to him, though she fought him, reaching desperately for Jess, her pleading blue eyes swimming in tears. “You know, I have clients who enjoy children. Perhaps such a beautiful child would serve me better by being sold for carnal pleasures.”
“Get away from my daughter, you sick bastard!” Jess fought with all her strength to get to Gracie, even though she knew it was useless. Hearing Gracie's frightened pleas for her “Mama.” shredded Jess's heart.
The Wolf laughed at Jess and stroked the barrel of his gun down the side of Gracie's face before kissing her forehead, seating her in the animal cage, and locking the door.
He said something inaudible to the man at his left. They both looked to where Zeff stood talking to the third member of the brute squad, while he fiddled with the eye-bolt that held Jess’s chain. Though she'd seen no signal given, both men lunged and attacked Zeff. He struggled until Volkov walked up and slammed the butt of his gun into the back of Zeff's head. Jesus Christ, this was how the man rewarded loyalty?
The brute squad searched Zeff for weapons and keys before chaining him to the wall. Without another word, Volkov and his two henchmen left, walking right past and ignoring Nina who was chained to the other side of the room, pleading for him not to leave her there. A moment later, the grate shut with resounding finality.
Jess tugged on her restraints, desperately needing to get to Gracie. Surprise stole her breath when the chain gave. While she wasn't free, whatever Zeff had done gave her enough length that she could reach the cage. Regrettably, it was locked. Jess sat on the edge of the slightly raised platform and leaned against the cage, where she could at least reach her fingers through and touch Gracie. “It's okay, baby. Daddy's going to come find us. He'll save us,” she whispered.
Then she prayed to God it would be true.