It all checks out.

I lean against my chair, running a hand through my hair as I process the information I’ve gathered. Lenny Ramsey has abandoned his house, leaving no trace of where he's gone. The daughter, Lilah, is out of town, sunning herself on some beach without a care in the world.

"Fuck," I mutter under my breath, feeling the churning in my gut as it sinks in. Pippa was telling the truth—she's not the one I was supposed to kidnap. She's innocent, and yet here she is, locked up in this godforsaken room because of my actions.

My thoughts are a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I only wanted to protect my family and get the money we're owed. Pippa isn’t the answer to that.

I should just let her go.

Yet despite the truth gnawing at me, something inside me refuses to let her go. She’s kept me thoroughly entertained, and things have been boring around here. I saw her rise from terror to defiance to rage, a curious change in her nature, depending on what I say. I wonder what other sides I can bring out in her. For some reason, I want to know just how fiery Pippa is capable of being. Besides, she’s not sore on the eyes…

But, she’s not mine to keep. It's an impossible situation, and for the first time in my life, I'm unsure of what to do next.

"Lev…" I mutter to myself. "You're losing your damn mind."

Perhaps I don’t have to decide right now. Maybe I should sleep on it and take a call tomorrow. My impulsivity landed me in this mess, and there’s no need to go make another impulsive decision. With that in mind, I head to savor a nightcap and tumble into bed after that nightcap turned to three. I toss and turn, sleep evading me for a while until the world goes dark.

At some point in the early hours, Pippa comes into my mind. Her lips are glossy, and her face? Enraged. She’s telling me I’ve got this all wrong, and I try to tell her I know, but she won’t listen. A strand of her hair is stuck to her glossy lip and that’s all I can see. In the midst of our argument, I walk over and reach out to remove that strand of hair. She looks up at me, biting her lower lip. She looks delicious, good enough to eat, and the next thing I know, my hands are fisted through her hair, she gets on her toes and I lean down, taking her lips in mine.

I wake up with a start, sweat running down my back. I look around my room, orienting myself. Did I just dream about Pippa Anderson? Jesus.

Is it really so wrong to want to keep her around…just a little longer?

I’ve been with dozens of women in my life. Most whose names I don’t care to remember. Yet here I am, having wet dreams about Pippa Anderson. If I had met Pippa in another situation, she’d still have me reeled in. That’s no mere coincidence. So, how can I let her go?

Perhaps I don’t have to. Perhaps she can still help me reach Ramsey, in time. Maybe she’s friends with Lenny’s daughter. I don’t know.

Deep down, I know I'm just grasping at straws, trying to find a reason to justify keeping her with me. And since she works for Ramsey, that’s reason enough for me.

Pippa Anderson will continue to remain my prisoner. It’s late tonight. But in the morning, she’s going to learn that.

Chapter 4 - Pippa

I barely slept the previous night, tossing and turning, fearing the worst. Something tells me Lev Zolotov was only joking when he told me he’d kill me. But, I don’t want to take the risk. Besides, my only chance out was praying that Lenny Ramsey would call the cops to report the kidnapping. However, knowing that Lev wanted to kidnap his daughter, there’s no chance he’d try to save me, not without risking his daughter’s safety.

The anxiety gnaws at my insides, and I realize I’m all alone in the world. I have no parents, both of whom died when I was a teenager. I have no siblings, no grandparents, no friends. There’s no one who would miss me and that petrifying reality only makes my present circumstances more dire.

I’m my only shot at an escape.

The next morning, I wake up with a startled jerk, confused by my surroundings. It all comes back to me. Panic fills my lungs as I rush to the door. It’s locked. I look around the bathroom and notice that there’s no window. There’s one vent, but too small for me to squeeze through. Back in the room, I'm standing on a rickety wooden chair inspecting the grill on my window when the door slams open with such force that I nearly topple over. Regaining my balance, I spin around to see Lev leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face.

"Turns out you were telling the truth, Pippa," he says nonchalantly.

Suddenly, I feel weak in my knees. I quickly scramble down from the chair, and sit down on it, staring at him in disbelief.

“You look like you just got hit by a truck,” he sniggers, looking amused.

I shake my head, and stare up at him, feeling the need to give him a smile for some reason. At last, I can put this nightmare behind me now. “So, when can I leave?” I ask, my voice quivering with hope.

“Leave?” he drawls, as though perplexed at the question.

My hands begin to shake, afraid of where this might be going. “Please, you have no business with me,” I tell him. “You have to let me go.”

“But turns out you’re not that innocent.” His eyes move from mine and glance down my neck, my breasts, my belly, my thighs, and then back up again. It was the slightest movement, but I caught it, and something in his tone makes the heat rise in my neck.

“I… I’m not?” I ask. My voice comes out extra squeaky. Damn it.

“You were trying to run away, weren’t you?” He shakes his head to the window and then turns his gaze back to me.