Deva winced at Damon. As he was carrying her outside, the scratches on his arms and neck looking meaner and deeper than she intended.
However, appearing completely spent and submissive after apparently being raped stopped her from having any additional interaction with Semyon. The bastard would pay, and the entire Chicago Bratva if she got her way.
Damon gently put her on her feet beside a muscle car. Two men were waiting a few feet away.
It was impossible for Deva not to take a step back, there were so many variables, and it was becoming more and more impossible to know who to trust.
“Easy, Deva. These are two of my men who knew the scheme. You have nothing to fear. Get in the car, I’d much prefer to put as much distance as possible between us and those assholes.”
Damon nodded at the two men who walked toward their motorcycles nearby as she got inside and closed the door, and without waiting for them, Damon drove off.
The engine roared loudly, making speaking impossible as he accelerated. Deva took that moment to lean her head back and close her eyes. Offering a small thankful prayer, she wished for her nerves to keep it together only for a while longer. Just a little while, until she could sort the situation with Damon, find Sasha, and finally, contact Aleksei. And not necessarily in the order.
As they drove, Deva realized that Semyon had brought her quite far from the city. Once back on the highway, with the level of decibels more manageable, Deva turned to her savior.
“Do you have any idea where they have taken Sasha?”
Damon shook his head, somber. “The other woman? I’m not sure. The compound was big, and apart from guards, I didn’t see anybody else. Semyon could have lied too. She may still be inside.”
“I need to make a few calls; do you have a phone?”
Damon dug behind his back to hand her his. As she went to grab it, he hesitated. “I heard you were friendly with Aleksei Voronov. I don’t know the guy, but he’s supposedly Bratva.”
He let the words hang between them. Aleksei was Bratva. The meeting with Gerasim proved it. But had he taken part in all this? Did he know? If she was being honest, the thought had lingered in her mind. But her gut and her heart told her otherwise. She had been the one making contact in the first place. But what if? Damon might have a point. The link between Aleksei and Gerasim was undeniable, and Semyon acted in Gerasim’s name.
“I know he’s not behind my kidnapping. I don’t believe he knows what Semyon and his boss are up to. But my first call will be to one who sent me here.” She may have said what she hoped out loud, but doubts screamed in her mind.
Damon nodded reluctantly and returned his attention back to the road as she dialed Gabrielle. When she answered, Deva was so relieved, she almost wept.
“Gab, it’s me.”
“Deva? Thank goodness!! Are you alright? Where are you?”
“It’s a long story, I’m on my way back to Chicago. A friend saved me. It was Semyon. I don’t remember his last time... kuz-something. He’s the right hand of Gerasim Egorov from the Bratva.”
“Yeah, we suspected as much when Lance and Kai came back from the hospital.”
Deva winced. She hadn’t even thought about the two men, and she felt bad about it. “Are they alright?”
“A few bruises and a lot of police reports later, they will survive. But I have to warn you, they are mightily pissed at you. It was the one thing they are in agreement about. Not only it was the worst idea ever to go to the hospital to confront your father, but you put people at risk.”
“And Sasha still is. She was kidnapped with me, but I haven’t seen her since the hospital. And she didn’t seem to be where I was kept either. That needs to be confirmed though.”
All business, Gabrielle talked to someone in the background before returning on the line. “Give me the address where you were held, I’ll coordinate with Oz so a team can make sure she’s not there. I have someone that can hack their computers and phones. Even their cars if they are linked to a GPS. I’ll need time, but we might get lucky.”
Deva inhaled sharply. “Gabrielle, how is Aleksei?”
It took a moment for Gabrielle to answer. “When Lance called me after the hospital incident, and we confirmed your disappearance and Sasha’s, your Russian went a little berserk. He’s angry at you, Deva, but I suspect it was to hide his fear. You shook him. And I’d say he’s not one to be easily shaken. And I’m not even talking about Lazarus’s reaction. I thought he would go nuclear on me. Are you heading back to The Drake?”
Deva looked at Damon. “No, I don’t think so. The man who saved me, we have things to negotiate.” Deva summarized the situation for Gabrielle, to make her understand the situation.
“What a mess, Deva. I would prefer you take Lance with you.”
“Wait a sec.” She turned to Damon. “I don’t know where you are taking me, but I suggest that it’s a neutral site. I’m very grateful for the rescue, and I’m in no way backing out from our agreement, but the people I work with, they want me safe. I can’t stay away from them. It would cause more harm than good.”
Damon debated her request. “Do you trust them? I mean really trust them? Because my MC can’t afford a war with the mob or the Bratva.”
“I do trust them, all of them. And that includes Aleksei.” Her jaw locked from saying the words, both in defiance and to convince herself.
“I don’t like it, not at all. I just rescued you from the Bratva!”
“I can’t explain everything that happened or why I came out of hiding for this, but it has to do with Aleksei. And his brothers. Let’s find a neutral ground, keep low for now until we can sort everything out. I think that it would be best for both of us.”
Damon turned his head and stared deep into her eyes for a second. “I know a place. I’ll only let my lieutenant know where I’m going, with the reason that I need to have time alone with you. Give the information to your crew. It’s a bit far away, but apart from me, nobody knows the place. And it’s under my sister’s name. Check the phone’s contact list under ‘Cottage’. The address is there.”
Deva relayed the details to Gabrielle. “Good, I’ll tell everyone. And Deva, be careful. The more we dig, the more I sense a trap.”
“I’m right there with you. Find Sasha for me, please. And once she’s safe again, we’ll bring this son of a bitch down.”