The Captive Series (33 page)

The moment they arrived in the estate, Sergei escorted Lana to her room. It was late and they needed to get accustomed to the time change. Sergei was getting a little irritable with the whole situation, and it was noticeable to her when he turned into a total prick again and put his captor attitude back in place.

“Your clothes will be brought up in a few moments. Don’t think of escaping or trying to contact anyone. The phones and the internet signal are both locked. Just get some rest and behave.”

“Oh, really? Well, don’t test me, Mr. Antonov. I may just find a way out somehow.”

“No one here will help you escape, and you have no money. The only thing you’ve got of value is your body, which I’d say is a valuable commodity. If you trade that to flee, then you’d be a fool.” His words struck a chord, pissing her off.

“Whatever, jackass. I’m going to sleep.” Lana slammed the door in Sergei’s face and locked it. If she was going to be trapped she wasn’t going to be a nice girl anymore. She paced back and forth in the very elegant room. Her blood was at a boiling point. When she let her guard down for a moment he reverted back to her kidnapper. She wouldn’t let her guard down again, or at least she’d try.

~~~~~~

Sleep didn’t come easy to either of them, so it was late in the morning when they both woke up. Sergei was pissed that he had overslept. He had plans to go into the city and to the company headquarters to get started on the plans Nikolai wanted executed.

“Have you asked Miss Grey if she would like something to eat?” he asked one of the maids as he sat down for breakfast.

The maid looked skittish, so Sergei knew he wouldn’t like the answer. “She didn’t want to dine outside of her room, sir.” 

“Very well. I’ll be leaving after I eat and will not be returning until late this evening. Please make sure that she eats enough and show her the house and grounds, if she wishes. Remember she has been forbidden to use any technology except for the television and the movies in the theater room.”

“Yes, sir.” The servant rushed from the room because it was clear Sergei was not happy. He felt ready to punch something, but it was to be expected.

After working all day and night, Sergei returned to a quiet house, and instantly he checked on Lana’s whereabouts. The staff informed him that she was sitting outside with a glass of wine. He decided to join her too see if he still felt the same as he did when he left. His anger had worked out well for him at the office, and he’d managed to get a great deal of business done before he called it a night.

Peering out, he could see Lana staring out at the night sky. He slid open the glass door and stepped onto the stone-paved patio. It was a serene, peaceful and clear night. As his feet hit the patio stone, Lana must have heard him because she turned around quickly.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” Sergei approached and took a seat next to her at the patio table.

“You didn’t. I was just seeing who was approaching.”

Sergei could tell that she was lying about it, but he let it go. He didn’t really want to argue with her. “I know this is a stupid question considering everything, but how was your day?”

“It’s not that stupid. Well, only a little, but it was okay. Your maid showed me around when I asked, but like you said, she refused to let me use anything electronic besides the TV,” Lana said blandly.

He paused then asked, “Did you get to watch anything special?” The conversation was stilted because he knew that she wasn’t going to be happy being his prisoner. Hell, he didn’t like it either. He’d rather have her here as an invited guest or better yet, his wife.

“Surprisingly, you had a great deal in English to choose from. I thought everything would be in Russian. I ended up watching Mission Impossible 3.”

“Ha. What, are you trying to find a way to escape? Did you learn anything from Ethan Hunt?” he teased.

She giggled with the pretty blush that Sergei noticed, then she added, “If I was looking for a way to get away, I would have went with Shawshank Redemption.”

“You’re going to dig a hole through the wall and run?” Playing along, Sergei smiled at her and she smiled brightly back. Suddenly hoped filled his chest. Her face was unbelievably beautiful and her smile was breathtaking.

“I don’t have twenty years for it, or a sexy poster. Plus, Mexico is so far away,” Lana teased right back at him. “So why is almost everything in English here? Even the staff members speak English.”

“Well, Nikolai and I spent most of our growing years in England. We grew up as English gentlemen, so we prefer movies that were made in English originally rather than their dubbed Russian counterparts. Being away from here for so long has stilted our Russian, so we like to have staff that speak both just in case we start speaking in one then switch to the other.” He was embarrassed by the revelation but just shrugged it off.

“I can understand that. So you and Nikolai Rykov are super close,” Lana commented.

“Was that a statement or a question?” Sergei asked, looking at her strangely.

“I guess a little bit of both,” she said, seeming to have confused herself. Sergei wanted her to know him, but he was afraid to divulge too much to her just in case she went to the cops after he freed her.

He paused and looked down at his hands before looking back up at her and said, “Yes, we’ve been friends for a very long time, and had each other’s backs during rough times.”

Lana looked at him like she was wondering how his life could have been tough. He knew she would think that, anyone would, but it wasn’t his life in England that was terrible. “Living as English gentlemen doesn’t sound like a rough life,” she scoffed.

“No. It was after his father was murdered that it was difficult,” Sergei responded.

“So he helped you with kidnapping me?” Lana asked with intense curiosity in her tone.

“Nope.” Sergei wouldn’t have ratted Nikolai out even if he had helped him take Lana.

“Did he help you with the other kidnappings?” Lana sounded like she was jealous, but that was just wishful thinking on Sergei’s part.

“Despite what you think, we don’t do this all the time. For the record, I helped him last time. She happens to be his wife now.”

“That’s crazy. She married him after that?” Sergei didn’t like the way she said that. It was like a blow to the gut, and it smashed Sergei’s hopes for him and Lana.

“Yes, but she loves him, so whatever. I’m going to bed,” he growled. Sergei got up and walked into the house without looking back at her.

“Okay,” Lana whispered as she watched him walk away.

~~~~~~

The next morning they had breakfast together. Their conversation was short but very personal.

As much as Lana wanted to build a barrier, she couldn’t help but want to know more about him. “How is it that you and Nikolai became so close?”

“My mother didn’t work when I was little, and my father took care of all the bills. I didn’t know what he did until I was older, but he happened to work for Vladimir Rykov, Nikolai’s father. It wasn’t until he died in a car accident that I met Nikolai. My mother came to Mr. Rykov for a job as a maid and he brought us into the house. We played together and that started our bond.”

“So, you grew up for all intents and purposes as brothers?” Lana asked, curious about the closeness of their relationship.

Sergei smiled, which caught Lana by surprise, making her smile back at him as he responded, “Yes. We were thick as thieves, so when his father sent Nikolai away for schooling, he asked me to come along.”

“Do you still see your mother?” she asked.

Sergei took a deep breath, looked down at his breakfast for an instant before lifting his head, pain written on his face. “No. She died of cancer when I was in my senior year.”

Lana was hit with embarrassment and sympathy. “I’m sorry,” she muttered. Kicking herself was looking like a good idea at the moment. She had known his mother was dead from his file.

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago and the Rykovs helped me through it.” Sergei tried to play it off, but it was clear it still hurt. “How about yours?” he asked.

Lana, blanched, but she didn’t answer. Instead she changed the subject and said, “Isn’t it time for you to go to the office?”

“If you want to avoid the subject, that’s fine. I get it. You’re right. I really do have to get into the office soon.” Sergei seemed put off, but tried to hide it. He had to be at the office to meet with head of the human resources department.

“Have a good day,” Lana said as he walked out. He turned to look at her and gave her a huge grin.

“I’ll try, but you know how talking to HR can be a nightmare.” They looked at each other like a married couple. She actually smiled back at him before ducking her head in embarrassment.

Sergei practically grinned all the way to the office.

Three days into her captivity, Lana decided to make her move. It was now or never for her. Truthfully, it was because of her inability to rid Sergei from her thoughts and dreams that she had to go. Lana knew she had to get out of there before she caved to his charm and sexuality; if she stayed she’d give herself to him. They spent every night talking at dinner and laughing about the stupid things he’d say. They both had a liking for English comedies like Shaun of the Dead. He even offered her a trip to London. It was awkward, both considering their situation and the fact that she was tempted to take him up on it.

He didn’t restrict her to any part of the house. The only thing she couldn’t have was the internet and phone. There was no leaving the property’s tall, manned, rod-ironed fence. It was a fortress if she had ever seen one. Lana had to figure out a different way out of the mansion.

Sergei was always leaving every morning to go to the office or the actual warehouses. He had daily meetings that he didn’t discuss with her because he said it was boring, but Lana’s skepticism told her that it was for illegal business matters. After all, he had proven her right; he was a criminal. It had been too easy for him to capture her, and none of the people who worked for him batted an eyelash when he had taken her as prisoner. As much as Lana desired him, Sergei was still dangerous to her health. Denial was her best option.

Lana’s plan was very simple, so much so that it was almost too easy. She had laid it out and talked it through to herself. She was going to wait until Sergei was getting ready in the early hours of the morning, then sneak into the garage and into the back of the black SUV he drove daily. He didn’t usually check on her before he left, so he wouldn’t start now. Sergei always gave her time to get ready and would eat breakfast alone if she didn’t come down fast enough because he said he was too busy to wait.

Money was Lana’s biggest problem. He hadn’t packed any of her personal documents to take with her. How he got her into the country without verifying her information and going through a screening process puzzled her. Lana had no access to her monies, but once she broke free she’d find internet access somewhere and get her money transferred to her from her bank accounts. How she’d collect it Lana didn’t know, but she’d find a way. Worst case scenario, Lana would go to the US embassy and claim her IDs had been stolen. There was no way she would tell anyone the truth. She actually cared too much to do that to Sergei, but she couldn’t stay.

Lana thought back to last night’s dinner and to the fact that she had almost kissed him.

“So, are you ever going to let me go?” I asked as I stared at Sergei eating his steak. Even the way the man chewed was sexy. His jaw was so perfectly chiseled and covered in a five o’clock shadow.

His mood was playful tonight. If this had been a normal date, I would lose my heart to him easily. Sergei’s eyes glowed with mischief as he said, “I don’t know. I kind of like having dinner with you every night.”

I looked at him and said, “Well you didn’t have to kidnap me to ask me out.”

“Would you have said yes if I had asked you out?” I saw the sincerity in his eyes, and I needed to stop the bonding between us.

“No, but at least you would have saved yourself all this trouble.” I wasn’t sure if I was lying or not because I did want him, but he was like Santini. Although, it seemed I may have been wrong about that.

“Honey, I didn’t want to kidnap you to date you. I kidnapped you because you wouldn’t quit harassing me. The fact that you’re beautiful, and we have some stimulating conversations, adds to the enjoyment.  Although when you toss the whole kidnapping thing into every conversation it gets less and less appealing,” Sergei remarked as he took a drink of his wine.

“I’m sorry, but that’s the only reason you have me here. What else am I to say? I’m vacationing with a mobster.”

Sergei stood up and threw his napkin down on his plate. “I already told you I’m not like that. We did what we had to do to survive a world we were forced into. Good night.”

“Sergei, wait!” I stood up, and he halted. When he turned to look at me, I saw a pain in his eyes that I didn’t want to see. “I just don’t understand you. I’m scared.”

He walked up to me with a slow measured pace. “Lana, I wouldn’t hurt you. You may consider me a bad man, but I don’t. I promise I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you,” he whispered, inches from my face.

“I’ve heard that before,” I whispered as I leaned in and closed my eyes. I didn’t mean to try and kiss him, but the need to taste that strong mouth was overwhelming.

Before I could feel his lips on mine, he stepped back and growled, “Don’t ever compare me to that filth again.” He stormed out of the room with a look of pure disgust and hatred. I felt my heart start to crack. I ran to my room and cried, not because of his words, but because I nearly caved to him—to my captor.

Just before the sun rose, Lana had gotten dressed with some of her clothes layered, since she couldn’t carry any luggage with her. Then she used the path she had laid out and made it to the garage easily. She was almost concerned that it was too easy, but since Lana hadn’t given Sergei any reason to think she’d run, he wouldn’t be looking for her to flee. She slipped into the unlocked truck and hopped into the back seat with a cover over her. Since it was colder in Russia, there was a spare cover kept in the back just in case of emergencies, and it worked perfectly for her plan.

††††

“Sir, she’s gone ahead with the plan,” said the head of the home security, Mikhail. Sergei was sitting down drinking his coffee, hoping that she wasn’t that foolish to escape. He’d been waiting for her to join him for breakfast, but it seemed she’d had other plans.

With everything that happened Sergei had hoped Lana was falling for him and wouldn’t try to run. To Sergei’s dismay, she did try to get away, but what Lana didn’t know was that Sergei was onto her from the very start. Her room had been bugged.

“Prepare everything to be ready to depart in the next half hour,” he growled angrily to both the housekeeper and the security guard. 

“Very well,” the housekeeper replied before she and Mikhail left the room.

Once everyone had left him alone to the hot breakfast that he no longer wanted, Sergei slammed down his coffee cup with a growl. He knew Lana was attracted to him, to the extent that she had nearly kissed him. He hadn’t been blind to that fact. So why was she running? Was it because she thought he would be just like Claudio was to her? Did she still love Claudio? Or was she playing him in order to find her escape?

Sergei was so confused by everything that he let the confusion turn to hurt and anger. Forty-five minutes later, Sergei climbed into his truck and started to drive away. Instead of driving to work like he had done all the other days, he took a detour. They would be taking a trip a day earlier than he had expected. His emotions were all over the place as Sergei tried to pretend that he was just on his way to the office. He even managed to call Nikolai.

“Good morning beautiful,” Sergei said when Bianca answered the phone. He teasingly flirted with her before asking for Nikolai.

Nikolai of course threatened him, but Sergei responded, “Well tell her to stop blushing every time.” He laughed until Nikolai said he’d be eager to return the favor with Lana. After that little byplay in English, Sergei went into speaking Russian. Nikolai didn’t know what to tell Sergei and only said not to lose control. Then the men discussed some business before hanging up.

So that Lana wouldn’t be on to him and try to jump out of a moving vehicle, a second car carried their luggage. Once he reached his destination, Sergei nodded to the other driver, and the man started unloading the vehicle. Soon it was Sergei’s turn to unload his truck and carry his cargo to the plane. Before Lana had a chance to look around, Sergei opened the back door and snatched the cover from her.

“Hmm…seems I have a stowaway. Let’s go,” Sergei said sinisterly. Lana shook her head at him, but he wasn’t going to let that slide. He gripped her by her ponytail and started to pull, which got her moving. “Lana, I’m so disappointed in you.” Sergei lifted her out of the car and over his shoulder again. “I’m starting to think you like me carrying you like this as we board a plane.”

“A plane?” Lana asked frightfully.

“Yes, my dear. I am taking you on a little trip for a few days. Then it’s back to the States where you can go about your life, and I can go about mine like none of this happened.”

“Really?” she asked in a tone he couldn’t quite make out.

“Yes. You obviously don’t like my company, so once we get back you’re free to do whatever the fuck you please,” Sergei snarled as he walked up the steps.

“Thank you,” Lana muttered upside down.

Once they were on the plane Sergei strapped her in and the crew locked the plane. He wasn’t taking any chances with this nut. “I would like to know why you ran, but hell, what’s the point! You’ve proven that you’re nothing but a liar. So just like last time, please be quiet.” His anger reverberated around the fuselage and his body was tense.

“I’m sorry,” Lana said in apparent sincerity, but he’d believed her lies before. She knew how to play pretend.

“I don’t want to hear it. I shared many things with you these past few days and yet you just built my trust only to run. Well, sweetheart, you never really had it. I had you watched like a hawk, so the only thing you did was prove to me is that you’re a liar and that you despise me.”

“I don’t despise you. I don’t really know that much about you. You told me of your friendship with Nikolai and that you grew up together and even attended a boys school in London together, but you didn’t tell me anything that I didn’t already have on file.”

Sergei tried not to be offended that he had been just a means to an end. She had the right to want to flee her captor, after all, no matter how inviting he had made it. He didn’t respond to her retort, he just focused on the paperwork he’d had brought along with him, ignoring Lana until it was time to land. It didn’t fail to catch his notice that she stared at him often, but he refused to give her any more attention than he already had.

In the few days that Sergei had been in her presence, he knew that he’d lost his heart. Their talks had been long and mostly about their likes. He told Lana that he was the operations manager for the Nikolai’s company, so he had to go to the office daily whilst he was in Russia, but each day, he felt it get harder and harder to leave her to her own devices and go into the office. Yet for Lana it was the exact opposite. She couldn’t wait to get away from him.

At this point Sergei was tempted to let Lana go back to the States and out of his life. Damn the consequences. But he didn’t want her to go. 

~~~~~~

The flight wasn’t as long as before, so Lana knew that Sergei wasn’t taking her back to the US, but he also refused to talk to her. When they landed, Anika walked up to Lana and whispered in her ear, “You’re a fool. If you do not want him there are many of us who do.” Then she shoved past Lana, bumping her in the process.

Sergei saw her stumble, but had missed the bump from Anika. He assisted Lana and helped her into the car. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I don’t want your lies. I have business and pleasure to attend to here, then I will take you back. You are free to do whatever you please in the villa and on the beach. If you go swimming, be careful, because if you drift out with the current, I’ll just assume you have escaped again.”

“Sergei…” Lana whispered softly.

“What?!” Sergei snarled at her, nearly discomposing her.

“Nothing.” If Sergei was this mad then Lana didn’t want to even talk to him. It wouldn’t get resolved because she wasn’t going to tell him why she’d left.

They were driven in silence as Sergei continued to work and ignore her. Lana tried not to get angry, but she was at the point of smacking him. What did he expect from her? Was she supposed to stay his prisoner forever? He had no idea why she’d run and never would.

Once they reached the villa, Sergei escorted her to the room she would be staying in without saying a word. Lana looked up at him, but his pissed off look hadn’t faded at all. She turned away to break up the tension, but didn’t focus on anything in particular.

“Dinner will be ready at seven. It can be brought to you or you can eat in the dining room,” Sergei stated.

Feeling more composed, Lana turned back and asked, “Where are we? I didn’t see any signs.”

“We are in the south of France. There is much to enjoy, but you can save that for another visit. Perhaps, you can find yourself another man to take you.” Sergei’s words started off normal, but his rage increased by the time he finished his reply.

“Whatever. I’ll eat in the dining room. I’ve been a prisoner in a room long enough,” Lana hissed spitefully.

He started to walk to the door, then turned back. With a smile he said, “Very well. I will inform the cook to prepare the table for one.”

“Aren’t you going to join me?” Lana was confused because he normally didn’t miss dinner with her.

Giving her a look of spite, Sergei said, “No. I will be dining out tonight with a woman who will want my company.”

“For business or pleasure?” Lana asked anxiously.

“Both,” he boasted before exiting the room.

Lana had a sudden pain in her chest, and didn’t care for that feeling at all. She closed the door without looking to see where he went. It really didn’t matter, since he was going to go meet someone else.