CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I woke to the sound of people speaking in a strange language and pains in every part of my body, my vision was woozy and I was trying to adjust to the dark lighting of my surroundings, and I felt something warm rolling down my forehead. In addition to that, I was having a blistering headache. This was too much for one person. I quickly got into a seating position as I remembered the events that led to this moment and I quickly regretted that action, everything in me protested and I fell back to the cold hard floor.

My movements seemed to have alerted my Jailors because I heard some rushed words in Russian and then the sound of something metal opening.

"Ah, I see sleeping beauty has awakened. I hope you enjoyed your nap?"

I carefully sat up as the voice drew closer to me, my eyes were fixed on a figure and I could have sworn I went blind for a few seconds when the light was turned on. I slowly opened my eyes and tried hard as I could to adjust to the sudden brightness in the room. I was in a very big concrete room with only a tiny window and a man was sitting in the center of the room, not too far from where I was. He was dressed in a designer suit and blonde, could have passed for a supermodel. He was that good-looking.

"Well, you might need to go back to your princess stories because last I checked, this is no way to treat a princess, mister."

"Da, I'm sorry about that. I shall personally see to it that a bed is brought in and maybe a bath? Also, someone to check up on your wounds, yes?"

"Yes, please, thank you."

"Now that we have that over us, why don't we start with the basics. Introductions. I'm Dimitrov Parvanov and you are?"

I felt my heart stop for a bit; I didn't need anyone to tell me I was in some hot soup right now. They were back for revenge. I wonder…

"Where is Ian?"

"I see we're skipping the introductions. Well, my sister is currently settling a few scores with that bastard."

"Is he here, is she going to kill him?"

"Well, I can't say for sure. My sister always did have a little trouble controlling her temper, most times they did not end well for the other person."

I felt sorry for Ian, though, for some reason, I just didn't feel like she was going to kill him, I knew she was going to do some serious damage that might eventually be life-threatening. How did the saying go again? Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. And this girl already sounded to me like a grade one psycho.

"If you're done thinking about what would happen to your beloved, would you like to come back to the conversation at hand?"

A very sarcastic comment had already sprung to my lips but I quelled it just in time, if he was been nice to me, it wouldn't do me well to bring out the bad side in him. No matter how nice he was, it would do me good to remember that he was still in the mob, and could do anything to me.

"I'm sorry I drifted. I couldn't help it."

"Yes, I completely understand. The acclaimed professor, father of your only child, housemate, and lover at the hands of his crazy supposed ex. I'd be bothered too."

My mind froze when I heard him talk about my son. They knew about him; did they kidnap him too? Was he hurt as well?

"What did you do to him?"

"Who?"

"My son!!!"

"Easy there, lady. I'll tell you what you need to know about your son when you tell me what I want to know, I might even let you see him. Agreed?"

I thought about it for a second, I worked in the lab, I didn't know anything about the investigation or arrest or anything. I wasn't even in the FBI when this was going on. What could he possibly want to ask me?

"I take your silence as a yes, then. Good. How was the Don caught?"

I looked at him and his countenance had changed, he was no longer nice and flirty. The man sitting in front of me wanted answers and didn't mind chopping off my fingers to get them. I moved backward until my back hit the stone wall. That didn't stop him, he simply moved his chair till he was close to me again.

"Miss, I don't want to have to hurt you or your son, don't make me do it, or worse, send my sister in here. So, I'll ask you again. How was the Don caught?"

"I thought you already knew that? Isn't that why we're here?"

"Well, not exactly. You and that bastard are here to avenge my sister's honor. You see, Ian proposed to her, told her he was coming to see us to properly ask for her hand in marriage. We spread the word, everyone knew, even other mobs knew…and then he left. Ran off, made my sister a laughing stock in the whole of Russia!!!"

"Was that what she told you?"

"Yes, it was the saddest day of her life?"

"Okay, then why are you asking me about your Don? I wouldn't know about that."

He looked as though he was lost in thought for a few seconds before he focused his attention back on me.

"Hmm, yes, you shouldn't."

"Then…why am I here? Why don't you just let me go?" He chuckled darkly and grabbed my chin in his arms.

"Darling, you might not know but your Ian does. When my sister wanted to avenge her honor, I did my homework and you wouldn't believe what I found. Ian was an FBI agent assigned to my father's case and was the one who got him behind bars. Two birds, one stone."

"So, you know how he got your father captured? You know he had some inside help?"

"Of course, I know that. My sister is not as sleek as she thinks she is, but she is my sister all the same"

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

"You're going to tell me a few 'interesting' things about Ian. I know he must have discussed his time in Russia with you so…"

I knew exactly what he was talking about and I knew that I was stuck, there was no way out and I didn't know if help was already on the way. I decided I wouldn't tell him a thing and I told him as much.

"Bad decision, baby girl. Bad decision."

Parvanov left my room and not up to ten minutes later, his crazy little sister graced me with her presence. She shut the door with a loud bang and advanced on me like a predator.

"You little bitch…you thought you could steal him from me and get away with it, huh?"

"Sorry, I think you lost me at the stolen part…" The words were barely out of my mouth before my head was knocked to the side by a heavy object, I barely had time to recover before my nose was greeted by the sole of her designer boot. She is not as nice as her brother.

"Wow…you hit like a girl."

I made the mistake of looking up at her face, boy, was she vexed as fuck!!! And that was when the punches and hits began, this time, she didn't swing like a girl. She hit as a woman possessed. That was the last thought I had before I blacked out again.

***

I was woken up from my "beauty slumber" by a loud bang and the sounds of guns going off. Just what the hell is wrong with everybody? Is violence always the answer?

My jumbled mind immediately pieced itself back together when I heard loud voices at my door. That was a maximum steel door, even I in my ignorance of these things knew that I didn't know who was attacking and if they would favor my interests. I stood up from the floor with all the speed I could muster—which wasn't much—and swung Parvanov's chair at the only lightbulb in the room, thankfully I was just the right height and the right force was used. I held the chair in a tight grip in my hand and moved to the darkest part of the room, trying not to fidget.

Finally, the door gave way and three men entered the room, I couldn't see them clearly to know who or what they were, as soon as one of them was close enough, I swung the chair as hard as I could and was able to knock one down. I wasn't so lucky with the second and I was restrained before I could pull off the fabulous moves I had coming.

"Easy, Miss Anderson. It's the FBI."

The other guy stood up and raised an ID and a torch in my face, I recognized the tag immediately and I could feel the tension leave my body.

"Come with us, we need to get moving."

"But we don't have Ian!"

"A team is en route to his location. We'll be seeing them soon."

I nodded slowly and followed them, I felt anxiety at having to see Ian again. Was he hurt? Was he tortured? Was he badly injured?

I guess you don't value what you have until you lose it. Just when I thought that we have our fresh start. I breathed in the fresh air as we stepped outside and with that air came a new realization. Mikael.

"Oh my God!!!"

"What's the problem, Miss?"

"They have my son!!!"

"No, they don't, ma'am. He's not in the building."

But…was that man just messing with me?

I could see two black vans up ahead; one was already closed up and ready to go so I guess the other was waiting for us. If my son was in that building, I couldn't risk it, and so, without a second thought, I turned to run back into the building. And that was when I felt it, piercing pain in my abdomen. I fell to the ground, hit my head on a rock. Everything blurred for a minute and then I was out.