Fuck, my body seems out of control; every instinct screams to arch into him, to relieve the throbbing ache building between my legs. But I can’t give in to this insanity. I need to get out of here before I lose my head completely.
I try to buck him off, but it’s like trying to move a mountain. He’s too big, too strong, his body an immovable weight above me.
And fuck, if that doesn’t just make me wetter.
Think, Clara. Think…
Just then, the man who’s been standing at the door clears his throat awkwardly from the doorway.
“Erm… I don’t want to spoil the fun,” he whips out a gun, aiming it directly at me, “but I think it’s time we take the party somewhere else…”
twenty-six
Clara
Right, kidnapped in a velvet-lined trunk—because, of course, if I’m going to be abducted, it might as well be in style.
The velvet lining is so soft, it’s like being swaddled in a cloud. Which would be great if I weren’t trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey, my eyes and mouth covered, hands and feet bound with cable ties.
The car makes a sharp right, and I roll with it, my body slamming against the side of the trunk.Ouch.That’s going to leave a bruise. I’d curse, but the cloth in my mouth muffles any sound I make.
Fucking perfect. I finally track down Leonid Kuznetsov, the man I’ve been hunting for years, only to end up as his captive.
How did I let him get one over on me like this?
No. How did I mess up so badly?
Some super-assassin I turned out to be.
Elijah’s face flashes through my mind, his gap-toothed grin, the way his little arms wrap around my neck when I tuck him in at night.
“I’ll be back before you know it, baby,” I’d promised, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Mommy just has to take care of some business.”
Right. Business. What a joke.
I should be home, reading my son bedtime stories and sneaking him extra cookies when Pam isn’t looking. Not playing Nancy Drew with the most dangerous man in the city.
What the hell was I thinking?
I’m starting to regret everything—why did I even think I could outsmart Leonid Kuznetsov?
Pam’s probably worried sick. She’s been my lifeline these past five years—my hired nanny who became so much more. Stepping in to care for Elijah when I couldn’t, she’s the reason I’ve managed to hold it together this long. I don’t know what I’d do without her. The thought of leaving her to raise my boy alone, with no explanation… it’s unbearable.
The car hits a pothole, jolting me out of my pity party. I need to focus, dammit. Wasting energy on regret won’t get me out of this mess.
Think, Clara, think!
The Ravens are ruthless; everyone knows that. If I want to survive whatever Kuznetsov has planned, I need to keep my wits sharp.
I strain against my bonds, testing for weak spots. But whoever tied these knew what they were doing. The plastic bites into my skin, unyielding. Fucking great.
Okay, new plan.
I close my eyes behind the blindfold, try to map our route in my head. Judging from the turns and the fading sounds ofthe city, we must be heading into the countryside. Somewhere remote, hard to trace.
The sour taste of fear coats my tongue.
Think, Clara, think hard.
