Chapter 26
Oh my God. Why does my head hurt so bad?Addison tried to turn on her side and bury her face in the pillow, but her arms were stuck on something. She pulled on them and felt bindings tighten around her wrists. What the fuck?
She blinked open her eyes and squinted in the light. Was this some weird, kinky game Devon was playing? If it was, why the hell didn’t she remember? She racked her brain, trying to remember what led her to being tied to a bed in a dingy motel.
D.C. traffic. Driving to Charleston. She’d been tired so she’d stopped at the obnoxious rest stop just over the South Carolina line. All she needed was coffee and gas. And a chance to gird her loins, so to speak, before the last two hours to Charleston.
Now all she had was a splitting headache and no idea what happened.
A toilet flushed, followed by running water. Should she fake being asleep? Screw that. She yanked on the ropes, wiggling the headboard.
“Oh, good. You’re awake. I was worried Andrew had hit you too hard.”
What. The. Fuck. Addison stared at Tsarevna as she stood at the foot of the bed, hands on her hips. Dressed casually in dark jeans and a blouse, with her hair in a low ponytail, she looked different than she had at the castle—almost approachable. Until Addison met her gaze and the familiar derisive gleam in her eyes.
“I see you are surprised to see me,” she said. “You almost got me with your little raid, but there are more tunnels under that castle than the one you used.”
“You—”
Tsarevna waved a hand. “Yes, yes. I’m not going to get away with this. You have people that will be looking for you. I will pay for this. I’ve heard it all before. Believe me when I say it never happens the way people think. I always get away with it. No one will find you. And the only person getting paid is me—one way or the other.”
She sat in the only chair in the room and crossed her legs. “I will say you surprised me, though. Not too many people are able to do that. I didn’t expect you to steal my merchandise.”
Addison gnashed her teeth at Braedon and Michael being referred to as merchandise—again. “What did you expect, then?”
“I expected you to bid on your brother to try to win him in the auction.” She must have seen the shock on Addison’s face. “Oh, yes, I knew who you were almost immediately after you arrived. I always do research on my guests. It was difficult—whoever you work for did a masterful job of scrubbing your online identity, but they missed photos of your brother’s funeral.”
“Then why play along?” It was very difficult to pull on her wrists without giving away was she was doing.
“Because it amused me. I wanted to watch your face as you realized your brother was so close, only to be ripped out of your grasp. But, like a greedy, entitled American, you decided to take what you didn’t possess.”
“They’re human beings, not possessions.”
Any hint of civility fell from Tsarevna’s face as she snarled. “They were mine, and you took them.” She visibly fought to control her expression. “So I took you. I won’t get as much for you as I would have for them, but it will have to do.”
The door beeped and opened. Addison strained against the ropes and lifted her head. If someone was outside the room, she could scream for help. She only caught a glimpse of the hood of a car right outside the room before the door closed, but she could hear traffic from the interstate. Were they still at South of the Border?
She recognized the man from the castle. He’d been in the dungeon with them and had followed Tsarevna around like personal security.
“There you are. What took so long? I’m starving.” Tsarevna took the bag of to-go containers and set them on the desk. Pulling one out, she opened the lid and grimaced, setting it aside. She did the same with the other two containers.
“What is this slop?”
“It’s what they have here,” Andrew said.
“I can’t eat this. This doesn’t even qualify as food.”
Addison huffed out a laugh. “What did you expect—gourmet dining? You’re at a rest stop in South Carolina with a tower topped with a giant sombrero and a reptile park. Maybe you could try the gator tail. It tastes just like chicken.”
Tsarevna sneered. “I’m going to enjoy whipping that attitude out of you before I pass you off.”
“I thought she would be let go after you received the money,” Andrew said.
“That’s what you get for thinking. They are not going to have the money in time and, even if they did, I still would not hand her over. She cost me too much. Lessons must be learned. Now go get me something edible to eat.”
Andrew turned toward the door.
“Stop!” Tsarevna stood. “I don’t trust you and I’m too hungry for you to figure it out—I’ll go myself.” She looked at Addison. “Don’t bother testing the ropes. I tied them—you’ll never get free until I free you.
