Niko sat back on the mattress and closed her eyes, trying to be patient while the headache tablets kicked in.
The journey through the mountains had been picturesque but so slow, and whether it was the change in altitude, the travel sickness, or just nerves she wasn’t sure, but whatever it was had left Niko feeling nauseous all day, with a stinking headache to top it off.
As if her life wasn’t miserable enough, she thought, looking down to where she’d folded her hands so tightly in her lap, the fingers were almost bloodless with lack of circulation.
Niko unlinked her hands and flexed out her fingers. She’d been a bag of nerves ever since her conversation with Marla this morning.
When Niko had slipped into the room where the women were being kept, she’d thought that they’d all been asleep.
It was only when her eyes accustomed themselves to the dim light that she’d realised that about ten of the women closest to the door appeared to be wide awake, and all staring directly at her.
Sentries! Of course, they must be keeping watch, taking it in turns to look out for each other.
Niko had looked at their faces, trying to find the one face she recognised.
There she was, right up front, and looking like she would defend the other women with her life.
Niko had pointed to the woman and beckoned her over.
Watching her suspiciously, the woman had crawled over the other bodies to reach her.
“What’s your name?” Niko had asked.
The woman eyed her like she was a rattlesnake ready to pounce.
“Why?”
Niko could’ve rolled her eyes. Why did anyone ask someone’s name?
“So that I can address you by your name. Isn’t that the usual reason?” She’d smiled. “I’m Niko.”
“I know who you are.” The woman still looked wary. “My name is Marla.”
Niko had smiled sadly.
“If you know who I am, then you know that I work for my brother.” She’d continued, watching Marla’s expression carefully. “What you may not realise is that I don’t do so by choice. Nor do I support what he does. But I do value my life and that of my son. Ilya, my brother, values neither. If I tried to stop him, or interfered, he would think nothing of killing us.”
Niko had watched the look of surprise come over Marla’s face.
“What? Did you think I enjoy what I do?” She’d scoffed. “I do what I have to, just to survive. And I know you think the way I treat you women is harsh, but I have to keep you from causing trouble, so that I don’t give Ilya’s men an excuse to take over. If they did, you’d be completely at their mercy, and I think you can probably guess what they want to do to you all.”
“I’ve seen how you work hard to keep the men away.” Marla had nodded. “Except the new ones.”
“They’re here for your protection.” Niko had promised her. “They won’t hurt you. I trust them.”
Marla had seemed slightly reassured.
“So, why are you telling me this?” She’d frowned.
Niko had lowered her voice.
“I’m working on something that will hopefully get us both out of this mess.” She’d looked around to make sure nobody was paying them too much attention. “If everything goes to plan, we might all get out of here alive.”
Marla’s eyes widened.
“Why share this with me now?” She was ever suspicious. “How do I know it isn’t a trick?”
Niko had smiled.
“If I manage to pull this off, you’ll be free, but I’ll be forever running from my brother.” She’d explained. “I need to get my son away from him, if only to give him to people who will bring him up with love before I disappear. Believe me when I tell you that I have more at stake here than you do.”
“Wait a minute. You mean you’re going to help us escape so you can give your son away?” Marla had frowned.
“No, I’m going to help you escape because it’s the right thing to do.” She’d explained. “As part of helping you, my plan is to get away myself, at least for long enough so that I can give Roman into the care of people who’ll love him like I do. Once he’s beyond Ilya’s reach, I’ll have to leave for a while as Ilya will no doubt try to find me. Once it’s safe, or I’m far enough away, the people looking after Roman will bring him to me.”
“How long will that take?” Marla had watched her carefully.
Niko had shrugged.
“It could be months, or even years.” She’d smiled sadly. “However long it takes to make him safe.”
“Are you working with the police?” Marla had asked, curiously.
“It’s best if you don’t know too much. It could compromise you.” Niko had glanced around. “All you need to do is pick maybe half a dozen women you can trust. When it happens, you need to be ready, and they all need to be able to issue instructions that the other women will obey without question.”
Marla had looked around the room, obviously selecting in her mind the women she would pick.
“I can do that.” She’d confirmed. “When will this happen?”
“I can’t say for sure.” Niko had shrugged. “But it will be in the next few days. Be ready.”
Marla had nodded, and Niko had stood up.
“I have to get back before anyone sees me.” She’d brushed the dust off her jeans. “Don’t acknowledge me or speak to me in front of Ilya’s men. It has to be business as usual.”
“Be safe.” Marla had cautioned her. “You’re the only hope we’ve got.”
With one last smile, Niko had slipped back out of the room.
That conversation had been playing over and over in her mind all day, as though someone had hit the replay button a hundred times.
Niko looked down on her sleeping son and brushed his soft curls away from his face.
Had she been foolish to trust Marla? Was it all going to turn to dust? Roman’s life depended on her making the best decisions.
“Hey. You Ok?” Hollywood slipped through the curtain from the front of the cab. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.”
Niko glanced up to see the concerned look on his face.
“Headache.” She smiled tiredly. “Just taken some medication, so it should be fine soon.”
“You’ve been looking pale for most of the day.” Hollywood noted. “Are you sure it’s just a headache?”
Niko smiled.
“Pale is the natural skin-tone of most Russian women. Haven’t you realised that by now?” She teased. “It’s in our DNA.”
Hollywood crouched in front of her and took her chin carefully in his hand.
“You have circles under your eyes, and a purplish-brown bruise on your cheek, courtesy of your brother.” He noted. “It’s hard to know what your natural skin-tone might be.”
Niko pushed his hand away, annoyed at being reminded how the bruise got there.
“I’m fine.” She insisted. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
Hollywood moved closer.
“Honey, I’ve been worrying about you since about two seconds after I met you.” He lifted his hand and she watched it come closer until he cupped her cheek. “I may not have wanted to, and may even have tried not to, but that hasn’t actually made much difference.”
“You don’t like me.” She said bluntly.
Hollywood smiled sadly.
“I didn’t want to like you, it’s true.” He nodded. “But once I learned to separate what you do from who you are, I couldn’t help myself.”
“But isn’t what you do just as bad?” She sat back, and Hollywood’s hand dropped away.
Hollywood frowned.
“We’re all doing things we don’t like.” He was being careful with his words, leaving Niko wondering what he was trying to say.
“You chose your job.” She pressed. “I didn’t.”
“I chose my employer, it’s true.” Hollywood nodded. “But this type of work isn’t what I want to be doing. None of us are happy about this situation, Niko. But we’re all here for our own reasons.”
She looked into his face and could see his frustration.
It was like looking into a mirror.
“One day soon, I’m going to be somewhere ten thousand miles from here, Roman will be safely away from Ilya, and all this will be a distant memory.” She whispered. “Or I’ll be dead. Either way, I won’t be living like this anymore.”
“Hey, you’re not going to die anytime soon.” Hollywood grabbed her by the upper arms and gave her a little shake. “I’m not going to let it happen, Niko. I swear it. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Don’t!” She hissed. “Don’t think you have to keep me safe. I’m my own responsibility, not yours. If you want to promise me anything, then promise me that you’ll protect Roman for me. He’s the only thing in the world that has been good in my life for so long. He’s so precious.”
Niko felt the tears fall down her cheeks and swiped at them. This wasn’t like her, to be weak in front of strangers, but she was so tired, and her head ached so much.
“Niko, I’ll protect you both, if you’ll let me.” Hollywood insisted. “You just have to trust me.”
Niko looked into Hollywood’s eyes, so full of compassion and the tears fell harder.
“Don’t be nice to me.” She sniffed. “I don’t deserve it.”
Hollywood snorted, but didn’t reply. Instead he climbed up on the bed and lay his huge frame down.
“Come here.” He lifted his arm and Niko didn’t hesitate.
She lifted Roman into his makeshift bed, and then lay next to Hollywood, loving the way he wrapped his strong arms around her.
This felt safe. It felt like every good dream she’d ever had as a child about being loved and protected by her Prince Charming.
Ok, so maybe Hollywood wasn’t exactly Prince Charming material, but that didn’t matter. He was here, and he seemed to care. That was enough.
Niko turned her head into Hollywood’s chest and her hand came up to rest on his abs.
She closed her eyes, and just breathed in his strong male scent, which was remarkably fresh under the circumstances.
When she felt his fingers surround hers, she almost lost it.
Didn’t he understand that she didn’t deserve comfort? Not with those women still being held in captivity, less than a hundred feet from them.
“Hey…” He whispered, making her look up. “None of this is your doing. Don’t forget that.”
How did he understand so easily what was going through her mind?
When she gazed up at him, she found his warm brown eyes locked on hers. They captivated her and wouldn’t let her look away.
When his head lowered, Niko couldn’t resist the temptation to lift her face for his kiss. His lips were as soft as she remembered from the previous night, but they were no longer as tentative.
This was a kiss full of need, and Niko met passion with passion, reaching up to grip Hollywood around the neck to pull him closer.
With both of his arms wrapped around her, Hollywood lifted her higher on the mattress, angling her body so he could devour her lips.
The sensation of her breasts crushed between them, and her nipples rubbing against his hard chest, had sparks shooting to her core. Niko could feel her inner muscles clenching with unfulfilled need.
Hollywood turned to face her, reaching down to pull her leg up over his thigh, and she groaned in pleasure as her mound pressed against his hip bone. The pressure against her clit was almost enough to make her come.
He growled into her mouth as his teeth nibbled at her lips, and she moaned her satisfaction as his tongue pushed into her mouth. He tasted of mint and coffee and Hollywood.
With her leg now firmly wrapped around him, she suddenly realised that what she was feeling pressed against her leg was the unmistakable evidence of Hollywood’s arousal.
It was so good to realise that he wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him.
She kissed him harder, wanting him to understand what he was doing to her, and melted into him when she felt his hand skim up her leg and across the cheek of her bottom.
Niko could have cried in frustration.
Clothing!
If only they’d been naked, she’d have given herself over to the passion, and allowed Hollywood to bury himself inside her, to lose himself in her while she revelled in the glorious sight and feel of his body.
If only…
The sound of Roman’s giggling had them both turned to stone inside a second.
Niko lifted her head up and stared at Hollywood, who was looking as dazed and shocked as she was.
He loosened his arms, so they could both turn and look at her son.
She sat up and leaned over Hollywood to find Roman in his bed, fast asleep, giggling away like he was having the best dream.
She snorted with laughter, and dropped her head on Hollywood’s chest, just as he caught sight of her son.
“He’s still asleep?” Hollywood whispered.
Niko started giggling which made it difficult to provide him with an answer, so she just nodded, her head still pressed against his ribs.
She felt Hollywood’s chest start to shake and realised that he’d seen the funny side too.
She lifted her head and stared into his face.
“He’s very effective as a contraceptive.” She explained, and then blushed at what she was saying.
“For the record, I’d like it noted that I wouldn’t have let it get that far.” Hollywood smiled as he pushed a loose curl behind her ear.
Niko stared at him in surprise.
“I would.” She said honestly. “Maybe not here and now… But if we’d been somewhere else…”
Her voice trailed off. What was the use of even thinking it. There never would be a somewhere else.
She looked away, not wanting him to see the pain in her expression.
“We need to get some sleep.” She murmured.
Hollywood seemed to be lost for words for a few seconds. Eventually, he adjusted his position, so she could lie with her back to him.
Maybe he didn’t like a woman who was so forthright about what she wanted? It didn’t seem likely, but you could never tell.
When she settled back into him, Niko could still feel the rock-hard erection at her backside.
Ah well, she thought. It was never meant to be hers, so it was probably best that she hadn’t had the chance to experience it properly for herself.
She had a feeling that just one time with Hollywood would be enough to ruin her for other men.