Focus (6 page)

“
O
kay
,” I said, trying to stay calm. “You sold her. Please tell me to whom you sold her.”

“I cannot divulge that information. I do have a lovely girl upstairs. She is the same age as….”

“I don’t want this other woman. I want CJ.” I felt inside my pocket for the button. If I pressed it, then Nikolai would come in with guns blazing. As much as I wanted that to happen, I knew that would have to be the very last resort. The last thing that I wanted to do would be to start a war, which would certainly happen if I iced this guy. He wasn’t as powerful as my father, but that didn’t matter. He was certainly in a powerful position, judging by the size of his home, and he could even be in the number two position in his group.

I promised my father that I wouldn’t start any kind of a war with rival families and groups once I got over here in America. That was important. These kinds of things never ended well. In fact, they usually ended with many people dead.

“I’m very sorry. She’s not available anymore. I have a contractual obligation…”

“You don’t have a contractual obligation,” I said. “At least not one that the law would recognize.” Even as I said this, though, I knew that this was not a good way of persuading this man. He didn’t care about the law, anymore than my group did in Russia. These contracts were forged in blood, and they were enforced the same way. I knew that if this man, this Yuri, reneged on this contract, there might be blood spilled. Yuri’s blood, to be exact.

“You’re going to have to take it up with her new master,” he said. “At the moment, my hands are tied.”

“Is this new master going to be here this evening?” I asked.

“Yes. He is on his way right now to claim her. She was extremely easy to sell, and very profitable for me. She’s a beautiful girl, full of intelligence and spirit. Yet she’s also very easy to break. She barely put up a fight. But the morphine she was given by the Bardha clan is probably the reason for her docility.” He shuddered. “I don’t like to give drugs to my girls. I prefer that they obey without having their minds altered like that.”

I shook my head. “You’re such an ethical businessman.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you impugning me?”

“Yes. I am. Now, let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? I will tell you that, whatever this man is paying you for CJ, I will give you double that.”

“I understand. But you have to understand that it’s out of my hands. You can offer me 10 times as much, and I would have to turn it down. It’s like a car. If you sell a car, and the owner is about to pick it up, you can’t just sell it to somebody else. Surely you understand this.”

I drew a deep breath. “My girlfriend is not the same as a car. She’s not property.” But, even as I said it, I thought about my group back home. The more repugnant part of our business was human trafficking. I would never be involved with that, though. I refused. Yet I knew that my father made a lot of money off of that. And, of course, my father, and everybody else who was involved in the trafficking, thought the same way that this Yuri did about the humans we trafficked. They were property. The same thing as a cow or a car. They were bought, sold and traded exactly as if they were property, and not humans.

That was the mentality of men like Yuri. And men like my father. That was why I hated my father, even though he did protect me and ensure my safety. He was one of the most powerful
Pakhans
in the country. If he ever chose to stop his protection of me, then I would be a dead man for sure. Bodyguards or no.

It sickened me that I was going to have to soon go to him for further help. Because I knew that, once I got CJ out of this place, I was going to marry her. I felt that deeply for her. And, for that to happen, I was going to have to talk to my father to make sure that she was as safe as me. That was going to be difficult to do. Not just because I despised him, but also because negotiating safety for CJ wasn’t going to be a given. I was going to have to make a multitude of agreements with my father before he would even consider allowing the marriage to happen. And he had to give his blessing, otherwise CJ’s life would be in danger.

But I had to approach this one step at a time. At the moment, CJ literally belonged to somebody else.

I was actually tempted, just for a moment, to call the police and have them deal with this entire mess. But I knew what that would do. That would invalidate any agreement that my father’s group had with the Kazakov group, and that would mean that he couldn’t protect me from them. More importantly, he couldn’t protect CJ, either. I knew that my father’s group did have an agreement with the Kazakovs. His group had an agreement with all of the different syndicates in the United States.

I wasn’t going to play that card. If there was any move that could be made that would mean danger for CJ, I wouldn’t go there.

Yuri crossed his arms. “I understand how you feel about this,” he said. “But I’m a businessman.” He shrugged his shoulders. “In the ordinary world, these girls are not considered to be chattel. But, in my world, they are. The rules change. Not that I don’t see your point, because I do, of course. You must see mine as well, however. I paid good money for CJ, and I have a buyer who is willing to pay top dollar for her, sight unseen. Well, I showed him a picture, and that really was enough. I’m very sorry. I actually did not mean to sell CJ. I was trailing her, but, when I found out where she was, I had to pay to get her out of there. So, I really had no choice. I had to get that money back.”

I swallowed, hard. I thought about my father and all the men like my father, who would be making the exact same argument as Yuri. And I suddenly wanted to kill every one of them.

“I need to meet this man who bought CJ,” I said. “When is he going to be here to get her?”

“That’s not possible,” Yuri said. I knew that he would say this. “This information must stay confidential, of course. I only allowed you to come in here and talk to me because you told me that you were sent here by Sofia.” He smiled. “And any friend of Sofia is a friend of mine. But this man who purchased CJ doesn’t have the same connection to you as I do. I do hope that you understand.”

I nodded. A plan was already formulating in my mind. “I do understand. Well, I thank you for your time. I’m very sorry that this couldn’t work out.”

He narrowed his eyes. He knew that I wouldn’t be giving up this easily. He was no fool. “Asher,” he said. “I just told you that the woman that you love is soon going to be the property of another man. Yet you’re ready to just give up. You have a plan up your sleeve, and I would just like to warn you that the man who purchased CJ is a powerful man.” He shrugged. “It’s really not my affair anymore. CJ no longer belongs to me. So, I do not have, as they say, a dog in this hunt anymore. But I need to warn you that if you’re planning anything, you had better be careful.”

“You’re so sure that she is the woman I love?” I said.

“I’m positive of that. I can see it in your eyes. And I know men. They won’t give up on their love so easily. That’s why I have to make my warning to you. If you’re planning anything, you better have something airtight. Because otherwise, you could easily end up dead.”

“Duly noted,” I said. “Well, I shall leave you now. Thank you again for your time.”

He nodded. “I wish you luck,” he said. “And I mean that. I’m very sorry that things couldn’t have turned out better. I hope that you understand my position, too. Again…”

“I know. It’s just business.”

“Yes. Say hello to Sofia to me.”

I nodded and left.

I got to the helicopter, where Nikolai was still waiting. “We need to get to my office ASAP,” I said. “I have some computer hacking to do.”

And with that, Nikolai and I put on our headphones, I pulled on the throttle. But, right before the helicopter was aloft, Yuri was on the lawn, waving his arms.

I held my breath, hoping against hope that he was there to tell me that he made a mistake, and I could take CJ after all. That would certainly make things easier. I was going to get her back, no matter what it took. But I didn’t want her suffering for a second longer than she had to. So, I was very hopeful that Yuri was summoning me to tell me that I could take CJ after all.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that. But it was still something that gave me some hope.

T
he man came back
up to the room. I could hear him and I could smell the scent of his cologne. “Little one,” he said. “I’m back.”

“Yes,” I said. “Who was the visitor?”

“His name was Asher Sloane,” he said, and my heart leaped.

“Asher? He was here?”

“Yes. He was here.”

“Where is he? Was he the one who bought me?” For the first time since I was put in this position, I felt optimistic. Asher didn’t forget about me after all. He was here to save me.

All at once, the memories of our time together flooded in and I found myself crying. The emotions that I felt when I was with him were stronger than anything I had ever experienced. And when he dumped me, I felt like I did after Nathaniel was killed. Empty, miserable and alone. I grieved the loss of Asher like I grieved the loss of Nathaniel. But it was better than when Nathaniel was killed, because I was able to try to focus on something else to take my mind off of Asher. That something else was my new job. If it weren’t for that, I knew that I might have done something, once again, to hurt myself. I was that devastated.

Yet he was here for me. That must mean something. It must mean that he still loved me too. That he still needed me. That he felt as empty without me as I did without him. Maybe he wanted to get back together. Perhaps he realized that we belonged together and he wanted to make it work.

“When can I leave with him?” I asked the man. “And can he take Marisa too?”

“I never thought about that,” he said. “I’ve been having problems finding a buyer for Misha, just because she’s a little bit headstrong. But this Asher would probably be suitable, if it means something to you.”

At that, he left the room.

I thought that I was going to burst with joy. I was at the lowest point in my life, being trapped here with this strange man, and not really knowing what was going to happen next. And the fear that I was going to end up the property of a man who would probably abuse me and beat me down, not to mention rape me, was paramount on my mind. I tried hard not to think about it, but that was my reality.

It was. Now it wasn’t. Because Asher was here, and he apparently paid this man to free me, and everything was going to be okay. More than okay. Because I was going to be together with Asher again, and, hopefully, he could also free Marisa. I didn’t want to leave her here all alone. That would haunt me.

“Marisa,” I said. “Did you hear what that man was saying?”

“What?” she said. Her loud sobbing had been reduced to a low whimper.

“We’re going to get out of here. My boyfriend, who’s very wealthy, apparently paid this man to free me. And I just asked him if he could talk to Asher about freeing you as well. I’m sure Asher would do that. He has all kinds of money, so he can pay for you too. We’re going to get out of here. I told you. I told you not to lose hope.”

“Asher? Who is Asher?”

“He’s the CEO of Sloane Industries,” I said. “He’s an awesome guy. Very generous, a huge heart. He really cares about the underdog. I’m sure that he’ll be more than happy to pay for you if it meant a lot to me.”

“You said that you didn’t have a boyfriend,” she said. “Didn’t you?”

“Well, I thought that I didn’t. We broke up. Long story. But if he’s here, then it must mean that he loves me. Don’t you think?”

“It sounds like it,” she said. I heard a note of hope in her voice. “But are you sure that he’ll save me, too? He doesn’t even know me.”

“I’m sure he will. When he comes to get me, I’ll talk to him about paying for you to be free, too. He won’t just leave you here to be sold like a hog. Asher is a great guy.” Of course, I knew that wasn’t necessarily true. After all, he was in the Russian mob, and one of the main functions of the mob was human trafficking. I shuddered to think that Asher possibly could have been one of those men who were involved with that. But he had left that behind. He was a legitimate businessman. I couldn’t ask him what he did in Russia. I didn’t want to know, and he didn’t want to tell me.

“I don’t want to get my hopes up,” she said.

Just then, the man came back in. “Good news, Misha,” he said. I heard him undoing her handcuffs. “You have a buyer. He’s here for you.”

I heard Marisa crying again. “No, please no. CJ said that this Asher person would free me. She promised. Please. Please talk to this Asher before you promise me to somebody else. Please.”

“Misha,” he said. “Asher is your buyer.”

My heart soared. I knew it. I knew that Asher would come through for both of us. Even though he didn’t know Marisa, I knew that he would help her as well. He was such an awesome guy.

I waited for the man to unhook my handcuffs as well.

He led Marisa out. “Wait,” she said. “What about CJ?”

Then I heard him say something that made my blood run absolutely cold. “Just you are going with Mr. Sloane,” he said. “I promised CJ to a different man.”

I
was back
in Yuri’s home, as he had summoned me back right before the helicopter left the lawn. He frantically had waved his arms, so I got back out of the helicopter to talk to him.

“Mr. Sloane,” he said to me. “I’m glad that I caught you before you left.”

“You did,” I said. “Are we negotiating again?”

“Not for CJ,” he said. “I’m very sorry, but she’s still off the market.”

I prepared to turn back to the helicopter. I didn’t have a moment to waste.

“Mr. Sloane, there’s another girl,” he said. “She’s in the room with CJ. She’s available.”

I turned back around. “Available. She’s in the room with CJ?”

“Yes,” he said. “Are you interested?”

“How much?”

“One million,” he said.

I thought about it for a split second. Really, I didn’t have to think hard. This other girl was in there with CJ, and hopefully, she could give me some information about her. About how she was doing. How she was holding up. If she was mentally strong, or if she was breaking down. It would make me feel somewhat better to know that CJ was handling her captivity as well as could be expected. I also knew that I had to be prepared for the worst – that CJ was absolutely freaked out, terrified, and breaking down mentally.

Nonetheless, I needed information about CJ.

Also, this girl needed me. I didn’t know her, but what kind of a person would I be if I just left her there to be sold to some monster? Especially if I had the chance to prevent that from happening?

“I’ll wire the money,” I said. “I’ll do it right now.”

At that, I tapped onto my bank and wired the money to him, after he gave me the details on where I needed to transfer this money.

“Very good,” he said. “I’ll get her.”

“Please hurry,” I said. “I need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“I understand,” he said. “I’ll be right out with her.”

Within a few minutes, he came back out with a young girl with him. The poor girl looked terrified. She was thin and blonde and had enormous blue eyes. I felt horrible seeing her, for she was shaking all over.

I put my arms around her. “I’m Asher,” I said. “And you’re safe.”

“I am?” she said. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now, we have to leave. I hope you don’t mind.” I gestured to the helicopter. “Please get in.”

She looked back at the house frantically. “What about CJ? We can’t just leave her there?”

“We have to for now,” I said. “We have to leave. I have to get to my office so that I can find out who bought CJ. Then I’m going to make sure that I get her as well.”

“You have to make sure you get her now,” she said. “She can’t just stay there all alone. I was in there all alone for over a day. It was the most terrifying time of my life. You can’t just leave her.”

My heart was ripped out, but I knew that I had to do it this way. I could kill Yuri to free CJ, but that would cause a war to erupt between the Kazakovs and Pushkins, one that would no doubt result in bloodshed all around. I couldn’t just take out somebody as powerful as Yuri, without paying the price.

But the bastard who bought CJ? Assuming that this man wasn’t also a member of the Mafia, then I could get away with killing him to free CJ. If it came to that. I hoped that it wouldn’t. I hoped that he could be reasoned with. But if he couldn’t?

I would kill him.

Literally.

“We have to do it this way,” I said. “CJ was already sold. So, please, get in this helicopter. We have to get to my office. That’s where my most powerful computer is. I’m going to find Yuri’s records, and I’m going to find who bought CJ, and I’m going to rescue her. I promise you this. But every second we stand here is another second wasted. So, get in.”

“No,” she said. “I won’t leave her behind. I won’t.”

“You have to. Trust me when I tell you that I’m going to rescue her as well. You can stay here if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s nothing that can be done right at this moment. Please, get in this helicopter. Get in, or I’m going to have to leave you behind.”

She shook her head. I gestured to Nikolai, and he got out of the helicopter. “Please,” he said. “Please get in the helicopter. We won’t hurt you.”

She started to cry, and Nikolai picked her up and forcefully pushed her into the chopper. While she got more and more hysterical, he buckled her seatbelt and then got in next to me. “Punch it, Alexei,” he said as I got into the driver’s seat.

And we were soon aloft. Me, Nikolai, and a very hysterical Marisa in the back.