Chapter 12 NEUTRAL GROUND

Chapter 12 NEUTRAL GROUND
                      MIA
I hate him!
First, he brings me to Russia and has me tortured by his little minion, and then he starts blabbering about keeping me here. And now he is ordering me around. I have no idea what his angle is.
Is he trying to use me as bait? In hopes of luring Dante here?
I stare at my reflection in the mirror as I dry my wet white hair. My eyes look dull, and it seems like ages since I applied some makeup or even some lip balm.
I sigh and grab a dress from the stack of dresses I had gotten from the mall the other day and put it on, while still trying to dry my hair with a towel since I have no hair dryer.
I hear a knock on my door, and I walk over to open it. Fin is standing there with a dryer in his hand.
“How did you –“
“Instinct,” he cuts me off.
He is dressed in a black suit that doesn’t bother pretending to be prim or proper. The jacket is hanging open, framing the dark burgundy shirt underneath – buttons left carelessly undone, exposing the sharp lines of his collarbone and the warm tone of his skin. A silver chain rests against his chest, a bold black cross dangling from it.
I take the dryer and nod slowly. “Is this you being a friend?” I ask, looking him in the eye.
He scoffs. “Do you consider me one?”
I shrug, “I don’t really have a lot of choices now, do I?”
He stares at me like he’s looking for something before sighing. “Be ready in fifteen minutes, Nikolai doesn’t like to wait.”
He walks away without another word, and I shut the door behind him.
I pick up the dress that I’d set aside and stare at it. The deep red dress looks beautiful and luxurious, but I’m really not feeling it tonight. So, I opt for something a bit more comfortable.
I settled for the midnight black strapless dress. As soon as I put it on, I knew I’d made the right choice. The bodice hugs my torso and my waist like a deprived lover before cascading down the hips in layered ruches.
But it was the part below the waist that made it unforgettable.
Strategic cutouts along the thighs revealed lashes of skin, framed by sheer, fluttering panels of chiffon that drifted like dark smoke. It screams power and confidence and – me.
I pair it with a simple cross necklace and a pair of black stilettoes while brushing my hair to the side.
I didn’t get a chance to buy any makeup, so I think this is it then. I sigh as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I just have to hang in there. If I can’t find a way out of here, then I’m sure Dante would come find me.
I hear a knock on the door.
Must be Fin, he’s the only one who ever knocks.
I reach the door, and it is him, standing there looking like a piece of pie that I wouldn’t mind having.
“I’m ready,” I say before he opens his mouth and walks past him, my heels clicking against the floor. I hear him behind me and slow down my pace so he can lead the way.
When we get to the outside of the building, Nikolai is already outside, saying something to the men that I can’t hear. Fin increases his pace and approaches them, while I just keep my distance. I’m not dense enough to think that they want me there.
Nikolai is dressed in a Black long-sleeved button-down shirt paired with a black belt and dark trousers, accessorized with two layered necklaces. His sleeves are folded, and his neck tattoos are on full display as usual. I look away immediately and sigh.
“Nice dress,” Delilah walks up to me and eyes me down with a chuckle.
“What?”
“You ever heard of dressing for the occasion?” she asks.
“Yeah, well, that’s kind of hard to do when I have no idea what the occasion is,” I reply.
“This is going to be fun.”
She walks away, dressed in combat boots and grey pants, and a jacket.
Meanwhile, I’m standing there with a million questions. Great, I look like I’m headed for a gala while everyone else looks ready to break into a bank.
I exhale and start moving towards them as soon as I see that their little meeting is over. “Can someone at least tell me where we’re going?” I mutter.
Nikolai looks at me, and his eyes go from my face all the way down, and for some reason, I shiver as images from that night flash in my mind without even bothering to seek permission.
“Get in the car,” he says and walks away to enter the front seat.
Delilah opens the back door and nods for me to get in. I hesitate, not because I have a choice because but because I can’t help the anger that comes with being so helpless.
I slide in, and Delilah joins me. Fin and Nikolai are in the front seat with Fin driving, and there are two SUVs behind us, ready to go.
I draw in a deep breath and let it out.
“Is there a problem?” Nik asks.
‘Of course not,” I say. It’s not like I was kidnapped and now being taken to an unknown location.”
A slow breath escapes his nose – almost a laugh but not quite. “You’ll live.”
“Is that your professional opinion as my captor?”
“He turns his head then, eyes locking on mine. “As someone ensuring you stay alive,” he corrects.
Right. Comforting.
Fin drives in silence. I catch his eyes a few times in the rearview mirror, but his face barely holds any expression. As we go forward, the city fades behind us, and there are fewer buildings and people.
“Are you taking me to the middle of nowhere to bury me?” I half-joke.
“Don’t insult me,” Nikolai says softly. “If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t even have the chance to ask questions. And I sure as hell won’t need any back-up.”
I swallow. “Again. Very comforting.”
He ignores my sarcasm and just glances out the window.
The SUV slows as massive iron gates slide open ahead. Behind them stands a building – old, towering stone walls and tall arched windows lit from within. It looks like a cathedral someone stole from France and dropped it in the middle of nowhere.
“What is this place?” I whisper.
“Neutral ground. A meeting hall for families who’d rather talk than shoot.”
“Like a - mafia conference center?”
Fin chuckles at that.
“Something like that,” Nik says.
The car rolls to a stop. Delilah steps out first, then Fin. They both seem to be on high alert before Nikolai steps out.
One thing is instantly clear: this might be neutral grounds or whatever, but they obviously don’t trust these people.
Nik opens the door for me and offers me his hand. “You stay close.”
“Close, why? So, I don’t get lost? Or shot?”
“Both.”
I stare at his outstretched hand, hesitating a moment before finally placing my hand in his. His grip is firm, and it sends heat radiating through my body.
The night air hits as soon as I step out – colder than I expected. We enter the building, and there are over a dozen men and women, all dressed in tailored suits or coats.
All eyes slide to me as soon as we step in. Not with disrespect, but surprise. On the downside, I do not look like I’m here for any sort of serious business. Too much skin, loud shoes, and my white long hair that has always been an attention magnet all my life. It’s why Dante suggested I wear a wig.
On the upside, though, everyone is dressed in dark, dull colors, so at least I fit the general theme.