Mikhail was carried outside over Sergei’s shoulder while he gritted his teeth from the pain he suffered. The order to get rid of him was loud and clear by his father.
He spit the blood from his mouth wondering how the hell he’d survived the beating that Dimitri and Sergei had dished out. He still wondered as Sergei dropped him like a sack of potatoes onto hard ground.
“You go back inside. I have this,” Dimitri growled, prowling closer.
“No way! The boss told us both to get rid of him. I’m going nowhere.” Sergei pulled out a gun and pointed it at his head.
“Blyad,” Dimitri cursed seconds before Sergei dropped to the floor a bullet between his eyes.
Mikhail’s eyes snapped to Dimitri who quickly crossed to him. He turned him over and before he could catch his breath, he emptied a bucket of cold water over his face. “We have no time. You have to get your girl and leave. I’ll distract your father.”
He blinked up at Dimitri while his mind tried to comprehend that the man appeared to be helping him once again.
“Hurry,” Dimitri urged. “I know it doesn’t make sense. We don’t have time for it too.” He pulled him to his feet and passed him Sergei’s gun. “Hugh waits through the forest behind your cabin with a truck. Everything is legal and it cannot be traced to any of us, and especially your father. But you need to hurry.” Dimitri ran toward the front of the house while he followed at a slower pace, diverting to the cellar.
He still had no clue about Dimitri and he wasn’t even sure how far he could trust the man. All of it could be a trap even though he was desperate to believe that he really was helping him get India free.
His father wasn’t as stupid as he’d like to think, which was why his father did the whole dominance show in the dinning room. His father had wanted him to know who was boss. That was proven, but now he was about to steal the woman whom he suspected his father would give anything for.
In the past his father had not given a shit who had seen the women half-dressed, naked, or even in the throes of passion. He’d wanted his men to watch although Mikhail had always refused. But his father hadn’t cared about the women as they’d been a means to an end for his pleasure. India was different. His father had kept her covered apart from her naked ass, which he had to admit was beautifully smooth. So perfect that just the thought got him moving.
The cellar wasn’t used like they used them in the movies as torture rooms. This one actually housed wine. Lots of wine. Vintage as well as the one he gave to casual dinner guests, unless of course he wanted to win them over. The three thousand dollar a bottle came out then.
Carefully revealing the door in the wall, he slipped through and onto the stairs and the secret corridor system that ran through the walls of the huge monstrosity that his father bought with blood money. He knew which way he was going to be bringing her out, and if he could he’d hurt his father in more ways than just taking India.
Hearing a scraping sound, he stopped in his tracks and listened, which was difficult. Blood rushed through his head as fear tightened in his gut. His body ached badly and as he moved at a slower pace to try and keep any noise to the minimum, he realized that Dimitri hadn’t hit him hard at all. It had looked like he had and his actions said that he was hitting him to kill, but he hadn’t.
It was all for show.
Why?
Dimitri had been loyal to his father for years. Maybe he’d never find out what was really going on, unless of course, Hugh knew. He never missed anything.
Making his way slowly down the last corridor toward India’s room, he tried to slow his breathing so that he could hear everything that was going on. The rapid pounding in his head didn’t help, but seconds later he reached the door that would take him into the closet in her room. It wasn’t ideal and he could end up making more noise than intended. His way of thinking though was that once he’d gotten her away from the house that he’d be able to protect her. His father still had a lot of loyal men so it wouldn’t be easy once they were aware of his betrayal of the Vasiliev name. That was what it came down to. Vasiliev.
Peeling the lock back on the door, he cringed at the rusty noise it made and again when he pushed the door open and the hinges creaked as though they needed a good oiling. Seconds later, he pushed through the clothing that had been put in the closet for India and then out of the doors. The image that greeted him had him instantly hard as rock.
India was naked and spread out over the bed with her wrists and ankles tied to each corner of the four-poster bed. Her large breasts jiggled as she breathed and softly cried. Her startled gasp at seeing him put an end to her tears and clearing his throat, he whispered, “Don’t make a sound. I need to get you out of here and quickly before my father knows what’s going on.”
She nodded and her eyes stayed on him . . . on his body, as she took in the battered and bruised state that he knew he was in. Her eyes widened when she got to the erection he was unable to hide.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be aroused when the bastard has done this to you.”
“I’m glad that you react that way to me.”
He stilled at her words and held her gaze. “I promise you. When we’re away from here, I’m going to show you what it’s like to be loved by a man.”
A tear slipped down her face. “He didn’t do anything to me, Mikhail. He frightened me. He tied me up like this, but he didn’t get chance to touch me. You came for me just like I knew you would.”
“You know more than I did.” He quickly got her free from the bed. “Wear this for now. We don’t have time to find you anything else.” The nightgown did nothing to cover what was beneath, but they really didn’t have time to root through her clothing for something more suitable.
Taking her hand, they moved back through her closet, closing the door behind them. “Wait,” she whispered. “My boots.” Once she had them on her feet, they moved slowly through the dark and molded corridors, and back down the stairs.
He was surprised that they hadn’t come across any of his father’s men, which made him wonder just what exactly Dimitri had done to get the others away from that part of the house. Whatever it was though, he wasn’t taking any chances by standing around idly.
He brought India into the circle of his arms and holding her close, said, “When we leave the house there won’t be any cover, so we have to run, okay?”
She nodded. “I can run, Mikhail. Just don’t let go of my hand.”
He kissed her forehead and intertwined their fingers together. “I won’t let you go.” His meaning wasn’t lost on her when her lips curled up in a secretive smile.
“Let’s go.”
With one quick kiss to her lips, they softly closed the door behind them, and ran. India could run and even though it was hurting him like a fucker, he managed to get them behind the tree line and into the forest. They didn’t stop and at the far wall, he was surprised as fuck to find a gap where there shouldn’t be one . . . and then Hugh appeared.
“This isn’t new,” he commented, pushing India through the gap first.
“Of course! You’re running and you notice the gap.” Hugh rolled his eyes. “Seriously? It’s been there a while. I don’t know who put it in there or why, but it was sure as hell quicker than getting you both over the wall.”
At the car his steps slowed and India turned, her eyes widened when she met his gaze. He knew what she saw—him having second thoughts. “I need to go back.”
She shook her head. “No.” Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer. “You heard your father,” she quickly whispered into his ear. “You can not go back in there.”
“Dimitri is distracting them while I get you away. I can’t leave him to face the aftermath. I have to give him a way out.” He cupped her beautiful face in his hands. “I’ll find you. I promise.” He kissed her beautiful lips and the sob she released broke his heart.
“I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Hugh opened the car door and grabbed some clothes. “Quickly. Put them on.” He waved his hands in front of India. “They’ll, um, cover you better.”
“Listen to me.” He held the nightgown so that she could slip the leggings on beneath. “I trust Hugh with my life, and he’s going to take you away from here.”
She turned her back to Hugh and tossed the nightgown into a heap on the floor. He had to swallow around the lump in his throat at the sight of her breasts swaying before they were covered with a fitted vest top.
Hugh snickered, giving him a knowing look. He narrowed his eyes and Hugh quickly got into the car.
Once India had pulled the shirt on top of the vest, he picked her up and shoved her into the vehicle. He grabbed the nightgown and tossed that at her feet. “I’ll meet you.”
“You better do or I’m coming back to look for you,” she said, determination written all over her beautiful face.
He glanced at Hugh. “You know where to go and what to do.”
“Yes.”
Turning back, he held India’s gaze. “Be safe,” he whispered, kissing her forehead.
After one last glance, he slammed the door shut and banged against the side of the vehicle with his fist.
Hugh took off and when they’d disappeared from view, he ran through the gap in the wall and tried to cover it up with branches. It might be his only way out once he’d found Dimitri.