"Okay, I'm going to send someone to stay with you. I want you to stay there. My friends and I will go get Cam, and hopefully find Sergei as well."
"He said I only had ten minutes to get back or he'd hurt Cam."
"Don't worry about that. My friends know what they are doing. You just stay there. Do not come back to the club."
"But—"
"Just stay there."
Knox hung up before I could protest again.
Damn.
I made sure Andrew was still buckled up then shut the door and walked around to the driver's side door. I climbed in, dropped the cell phone in the cup holder, pulled on the seatbelt, and then started up the SUV. I knew Knox wanted me to stay here, but that just didn't feel right.
I was a little unused to driving something so big, but it wasn't like there were a lot of cars out on the road this late at night in this neighborhood. I also didn't have far to go. I drove around the corner and then stopped on the corner the club was on.
From where I was parked, I could see the side of the club and the front door. I kept the vehicle running just in case I had to make a quick escape.
After a few minutes, I picked up the cell phone, hoping for a message.
Nothing.
My anxiety level was through the roof. I felt as if I was on the verge of crawling right out of my skin. It didn't itch exactly, but it ached a bit as if I needed to rub my hands up and down my arms, but I was afraid to put the cell phone down.
A flash of movement on the side of the building caught my eye. When I looked closer, all the air in my lungs whooshed out, but only for a moment. In the next second, I sucked in a breath, dropped the cell phone into the cup holder again, and put the car in drive.
I quickly looked both ways then shot across the street into the parking lot, screeching to a halt mere inches from the three men hurrying through the parking lot. As soon as they reached the SUV, I unlocked the doors.
Cam and Clark climbed into the back next to Andrew. Sergei ran around to the driver's seat. I climbed over to the passenger seat and buckled in. I was glad I had. The second Sergei was inside, the vehicle shot forward, tires squealing on the pavement.
"Hold on," Sergei called out as he maneuvered into traffic and drove down the street at a high rate of speed.
I glanced at the club as it became smaller and smaller in the rearview window. "What about your friends?"
"Is good."
I rolled my eyes. I knew the guy spoke better English than that. I'd heard him. I don't know why he insisted on speaking like he barely knew English.
"Where are we going?" I asked. "Andrew needs to see a doctor."
And I needed some clothes.
I glanced into the backseat. "Were you able to get my bag?"
Cam shook his head. "Sorry, there just wasn't time." His eyes were rounded and wide as he looked at the large man driving. "He came barreling in with Clark, told me he was there to rescue me, grabbed me, and we just started running."
I guess the dress shirt I was wearing would just have to do until I...Damn! "Brasov arranged for someone to pack up my apartment. I have no idea where anything is." My heart started to sink in my chest as the reality of my situation hit me. "I don't even have clean clothes to put on."
"I'm really sorry, Didi," Cam said. "Getting out of there before Brasov or Kirk caught us seemed more important."
"No, no, you're right. If Brasov had caught you, things would have gone a lot worse." I had no clothes, no money, no apartment to go back to. I didn't have anything to my name except a pair of black booty shorts.
I had nothing.
I turned to look out the window when tears flooded my eyes. I'd started out with almost nothing when I left home at the young age of sixteen, but I'd still had a backpack full of belongings. I'd never started out with absolutely nothing before.
I knew I could do it. I just wasn't sure how to go about doing it. I refused to let Brasov win, and if I gave in to my heartache and grief, he'd win for sure. I had to be stronger than that asshole. I just needed a few minutes to fall apart, and then I'd be strong.
