Lost Bastard Page 18

  “A signal for what?”

  Mex shook his head. “I don’t know. He said that there may be some trouble after he’s done, that he may need to calm people down.”

  Sasha shifted. “We need to go, now.”

  But Deva felt that she was onto something and didn’t want to leave.

  “When is it supposed to happen?”

  Mex hesitated, but Deva pressed her hand on the now bleeding flesh. “Tell me, dammit!”

  “Soon. He told me soon. He said to be patient and that his plan had been in the making for years!!!”

  So many more questions, but before she could ask them, Sasha was pulling her out of the room. “I said out! I reopened his painkillers, he will be out when the nurses come in, which will give us a little more time.”

  In the sitting room, Kai opened the door, and as they were to leave, four men walked in. Deva froze when she recognized Semyon. Why on earth would the Chicago Bratva second-in-command visit an MC president? And by the look on Semyon’s face, he wasn’t very happy to see her either. Furious was more the word.

  When he reached for his gun, Deva knew she screamed but everything went so fast, it was as if moving in slow motion. And someone grabbed her and threw her out of the room. Her body rolled and slid on the floor until she slammed into the opposite wall.

  Sasha crawled out and then the door slammed shut on the men. From the noises coming from the room, it was sounding like a pack of mating rhinos.

  “Go Sasha. Go now!”

  “I’m not leaving you, Deva, or those two lunatics!”

  “I’m not letting you get entangled in this mess that could mean the end of your career!”

  “And I’m not leaving you alone, ma belle. Forget it.”

  Right then, the door opened, and Semyon and another man rushed out. In the background, Deva saw a glimpse of Lance still wrestling one tall man. Kai was nowhere to be seen. Semyon drew a gun on them, and Deva knew she should have made a move sooner.

  The Russian snarled. “You two, come with me.” Semyon turned her around and poked his gun in her back. The other man did the same with Sasha.

  “We’re walking out of here in a civilized manner and nobody dies.”

  Sasha hissed at her captor. “And if we want to die?”

  Semyon only smiled at her. “Well, your cousin will definitely precede you to the tomb. What about that?”

  Deva exchanged a desperate look with Sasha who only pinched her lips. No way out for the moment. Semyon and his man steered them in the corridors until they reached the elevators. Alone, he punched the button for the hospital’s parking lot.

  “So sweet of you to visit my father, Semyon. I didn’t know that you and Gerasim had such a compassionate heart, or maybe you had another goal in mind.”

  He fisted her hair and pulled. Deva bit back a whimper of pain, all too aware of the gun digging into her back. “Shut up! And be thankful to still be alive.”

  Just as the door opened, he released her head and pushed her forward. Sasha followed silently, submitting to the menace. Deva was desperate to find any opening, any crack that could allow them to flee. She didn’t know the implications of the Bratva with her father, or with Finch, but there were very few options where she remained alive. The best scenario was being delivered as a gift to her father. The worst was death.

  They approached a big SUV on the far left of the parking garage. Heart pounding, Deva was about to attempt anything, even pleading to release Sasha when something hit her on the head, and everything turned black.

  Chapter 29

  Nausea woke Deva, followed by the sound of thunder resonating inside her skull. Disoriented, it was the coldness of concrete against her cheek that made her realize she was lying on the ground. Her body felt sluggish. When she tried to move her arms, pain reverberated through her entire being.

  Strangely, the pain lifted some of the haze inside her mind, enough to open her eyes. Concrete floor, concrete wall, and a light bulb barely illuminating what seemed to be a stinking gray cube she was held in.

  Just turning her head made her dizzy, but she tried to sit anyway. Memories started flooding in. The hospital, the attack, Semyon. Sasha!

  Deva pushed herself into a sitting position and waited for the room to be still again. She was definitely alone. No window. Only a door. It was difficult to not succumb to fear at that point. Where was she? Where was Sasha? Deva touched her pocket to confirm that her phone was gone. No dumb villains for her it seemed.

  Crawling toward the wall, she was finally able to make her legs work until she was standing again. She paused for a second before testing her equilibrium. Satisfied, Deva stumbled toward the door. Again, no surprise to find it locked. She started pounding on it with her fists.

  “Hey! Anybody there? Let me out!!” Her screams echoed through her small cell, amplifying her headache. For a long while she continued pounding, more and more to keep her mind occupied and not melt into a puddle of panic and anxiety.

  After a long moment, her throat raw from screaming and out of breath, she looked at the bare space around her in despair. Walking to the farthest wall from the door, she let herself slide down into a small ball to ward off the damp and cold that was slowly seeping into her bones.

  No sound apart from her own breathing. And no thoughts apart what a fool she had been. And how Aleksei would be angry with her. More than angry. Thoughts of him in her mind, his memory, the very high probability that she would never see him again almost brought fresh tears to her eyes. It was impossible to deny when she was facing the greatest danger of all, if not the end of her life. She was in love with Aleksei Voronov. It was past lust or attachment. Deva had lost her heart to the Russian. The mob enforcer. The cage fighter. The sarcastic ass. The tender lover. The one she shouldn’t want at all.

  Whatever might happen next, she wished he could forgive her.

  Lost in her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize that noises were coming from outside her door. Scrambling to her feet, Deva braced herself for who might come in.

  Semyon was the first one to appear. Followed by two other men. One of them from the Storm Wayfarers MC. A rival club she recognized immediately from the patches, and the one that her father had wanted to make an alliance with ten years ago through her marriage.

  The third man she recognized from the hospital. One of the thugs who brutalized Sasha.

  “Ah! I see you’ve come around Deva. Or is it, Victoria? I tend to have trouble remembering names.”

  There was no way she was giving him any satisfaction by answering his question. “Where is Sasha?”

  “Oh, she’s not here anymore. Personally, I would worry about my own fate, if I were you. Speaking of fate, you surely remember Damon Evans.”

  Deva’s eyes returned to the man blocking the entrance to her cell. Desperately jogging her memory, trying to remember the face with the name, there was something familiar about him. The tall stature, wide shoulders, blond hair, and goatee, pale green eyes, so much like a cat. He made her think of a musketeer. A funny and very inappropriate thought that led to another. And that new one made her blink, taking her back to a long time ago. To the moment her father had announced he had traded her to a member of the Storm Wayfarers MC and showed her the picture of a young man with emerald cat-eyes.

  “Ah, I see you recognized the man you stood up at the altar. Isn’t it ironic that both of you are still single? Your father and Mr. Evans, who has been named the president of his club now, are willing to renew the agreement you broke. Isn’t it wonderful? A real fairy tale, don’t you think, Deva?”

  Panic seized her, her eyes traveling from Semyon to Damon, trying to decide who would be the lesser evil. There was something about Damon Evans, the way he looked at her with a stony expression that made her think twice. At least, with Damon Evans, she had a possible way out, with less physical torture and pain. Probably. And if she played her cards well, maybe even a possible escape.

  Semyon was on a roll, enjoyi
ng the situation way too much. “And just to make sure you don’t flee, it has been decided that the ceremony will take place after the wedding night. Isn’t that romantic?”

  The situation was so bizarre, Deva didn’t know if it was a joke or not. “You mean the rape before the ceremony. You are insane.”

  “Not quite. It just seals the deal, so to speak.”

  Deva looked at Semyon and then at Damon. “Here?”

  “Well, again, flight risk. And Mr. Evans has agreed to this inconvenience too. So, we’ll leave you two alone.”

  Semyon gave her a sickening smile before chuckling with his partner and closing the door on them.

  The nightmare was turning darker and darker by the minute, with the final click of the lock sealing her destiny.

  Damon Evans’s leather-clad body seemed to swallow the entire space, making it difficult for her to breathe.

  Both of them remained on the opposite sides of the cell, Deva so strung up, even though it was clear she was never going to be able to flee or overpower the man. So that was it, she was going to be raped.

  When Damon moved in her direction, she yelped, even though she swore she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of showing fear. Her only hope would be for it to be quick, but she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

  As she took a fighting stance, Damon lifted his hands.

  “Calm down, I have no intention of raping you.”

  Deva gave him a half-laugh. “And you want me to believe you?”

  The MC president had the decency to put his back against the wall and keep his hands lifted.

  “I have never raped a woman in my life and I ain’t gonna start today.”

  Despite her terror, she laughed somberly. “Ten years made you see the light? How convenient!”

  The man’s face turned fierce. “I was in the same spot as you were back then. I didn’t have any choice either.”

  “Fancy you, Damon Evans, the victim of a forced marriage. We should write a book about your struggles.”

  “Victoria…”

  Now she roared. “Deva. My name is Deva!”

  Damon sighed, racking his fingers in his hair in frustration. “Sorry. Deva. Many things happened, but we don’t have a lot of time. I know you don’t trust me. But right now, it’s the only place where we don’t have eyes on us. They are probably behind the door listening, but can’t hear what we are saying. We’re going to act as if I’m raping you. And I hope we can be convincing enough.”

  Deva shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

  “Let’s say you’re not the only one trying to figure out what’s going on with your father. And the Bratva just gave me an opening I never thought I had to end this madness.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Mex is acting erratically. He’s dangerous. Did you know he has almost turned three other MCs against his club? Into a state war? It was a close call and contained quickly.”

  “No, I didn’t know. When did it start?”

  Damon seemed to ponder on that for a moment. “I’d say it started one year after I became president. So, five years now.”

  And from Deva’s calculations, it coincided with the probable start of Finch’s plan.

  “And you suddenly trust the Bratva, Evans? And what if I tell you that you may be dealing with someone even more devious. Jamieson Finch. He’s probably the one behind my father’s sudden weariness of peace and the Bratva reaching out to you to take me. Finch seems to be pulling the strings and would do anything to keep my father on his side. Thus, the call about your runaway bride.”

  “Deva, honestly, I only want the threat from your father to end, and I don’t give a fuck about Finch.”

  Deva shook her head. “Semyon will ask something from you for that favor.”

  “I have survived so far, I can stall him awhile longer. I know you faked your death for a good reason and when the Bratva approached me, I found a way of saving you and maybe a way to…”

  And it clicked in her head. “A way to the Rows, isn’t it? And use my gratitude to either make sure my father stops disturbing the force or kill him? Why not a merger?”

  Damon bit back a smile. “I’m not against war when there is a purpose in it. Listen, I don’t mind explaining everything, but the situation is volatile. We must get out.”

  If there was an alliance to be made, it seemed that Damon Evans was the way to go. For now, at least. “I understand. Let’s talk later. What do you need me to do?”

  Damon looked as if he was bracing himself for what was to come. “What about we tear at our clothes some, I’ll unbuckle my pants, you scratch me and yell like hell?”

  This surreal situation couldn’t get weirder, but she wasn’t to pass up a way to get out of there. Even if it meant making a deal with the devil.

  “Okay, let’s get down with it.”

  Chapter 30

  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 wh
en 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.”