Page 47 of Balls to the Walls

“So, you are floating in ocean,” the man said, taking the seat opposite of me.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“And how is it you come to this…this position?”

“Floating in the ocean?” He nodded. “It’s classified.”

The man leaned back in his seat, running his finger over the top of his lip. “Yes, I know all about classified.”

I bet he did. The man looked like he killed people for a living.

“It is enough for one night. You get some sleep and we talk in the morning.”

I twirled the glass in my hand, wishing I had just one more drink to keep me warm as I was thrown in the cellar for the night. As if reading my mind, he walked over with a decanter and poured me another glass.

“Drink. You feel better.”

I tossed it back and stood, my body shivering in the process.

“You need warm bath. Come, Alexei will show you to your room.”

“My room?” I asked. Surely there was some mistake. Maybe he thought room was the correct term for cellar or basement. But I wasn’t taken down. I was guided to the stairs and down the hall of the second floor to a set of double doors. The man pushed them open and I walked slack-jawed into the most comfortable room I’d ever seen in my life.

“This is for me?” I asked Alexei.

“You stay here. Bathroom is there,” he pointed to the other side of the room. Then he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. He didn’t even lock it like I expected.

I huffed out a laugh, but then realized maybe they were just making me comfortable until they could kill me in my sleep. But at least I would die in luxury. The first thing I did was strip out of my wet clothes and run a hot bath. I wasn’t normally a bath guy, but I needed hot water surrounding me. And frankly, I didn’t think I was strong enough to stand. It was only when I was about to sink down in the hot water that I saw the arrangement of various bath salts and oils waiting for me on the ledge.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I should go for it. After all, I was a guest in his house—until he decided he didn’t need me anymore. And on that thought, I dumped in the bath salts and a little bubble bath as well, then leaned back and basked in the warmth of the water. This was the good life and I was going to enjoy it for as long as I still had a head.

I must have fallen asleep at some point because when I woke up, a man was standing over me. It wasn’t Alexei and that had me worried.

“My name is Sasha. I am here to?—”

“Kill me,” I nodded.

He looked at me funny. “No, to bring you food. Come, you get out of tub and I prepare dinner plate for you.”

“Seriously?” I asked, still expecting him to draw his gun and shoot me in the face.

He walked over to the door and took a robe off the back I hadn’t even noticed. “I hope it is what you like,” he said, handing it to me.

“Uh…I’m sure it’s good.”

He looked stricken at my comment, almost like I had insulted him. I felt the fabric and smiled for him. “It’s perfect. So soft and fluffy.” When my eyes met his again, he seemed pleased with that answer.

“Is good, right? I wash in special detergent by hand. And then…” He pursed his lips together, chuckling slightly. “No, I cannot tell you. It is secret.”

This was the weirdest thing I’d ever experienced. “Um…then you’d better not tell me.”

“I will see you in other room. Don’t worry about cleaning up. Olga will be in tomorrow to take care of you.”

Ah, so they sent women in to do the dirty work. This was a sick game they were playing, allowing me to enjoy one final night before they took me out by way of a woman. And in some ways, it was poetic justice. Rae could kick my ass at home, and now this Olga woman would take my life.

I wrapped the robe around me and walked into the other room, sitting at the table Sasha had prepared for me. He walked over with a napkin and laid it on my lap. I stared at the massive amount of food in front of me and felt my tummy rumble. Sasha chuckled, then picked up a bottle and poured me a glass of something.

“Is special recipe to regain strength.”

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