“I can’t believe she bit me. Who the fuck bites people?”

He turns his arm towards me to show the very distinct and deep pattern of her teeth in his skin.

I laugh again. “Damn. That looks painful.”

“It is painful.”

“You know where the first aid kit is. Go disinfect it and wrap it up and take some painkillers or something. Then come back and find me. We have some work to do.”

Ivan mutters to himself as he wanders off in search of pain relief.

I head over to the bar in the living room to pour myself a vodka. A little celebration before the fun begins. I pour one for Ivan as well and place it on the living room coffee table while I sip mine and wait for him.

It doesn’t take long before he comes into the living room with his arm wrapped up in a clean white bandage.

“I think I should go for a rabies shot,” he grumbles, as I nod towards his glass.

“Drink that. You’ll be fine.”

Ivan slumps into the chair next to me. “So what do you have planned?” he asks, downing the vodka.

“Get your phone out. I am going to dictate a message. Take note of it, then I want you to take it to the security guys and have them send it, encrypted, to that asshole Danil.”

“You are messaging him already?” Ivan asks, confused.

“Just a little taunt. I don’t want him to know it’s me yet. For now I just want the satisfaction of having him under duress—knowing his daughter has been taken, and not knowing who it is that has her.”

“Mm. That’s dark. I like it. Alright. I’m ready. What do you want to say?”

I run through a message with some input from Ivan, and when we are happy with the details, he has one more vodka before disappearing to take the message through to the security room at the back of my property.

I lean back with a smile on my face, draping my arms over the back of the sofa.

“Sasha, you and I are going to have an incredible time,” I laugh, talking to myself. “Well, at least I know I am.”

Then I pull out my phone and message my entire security team to tell them it’s time to start planning. Things have been moved up, and I want to get the ball rolling on the rest of my plan.

Glancing at my watch, I notice that it’s almost three. I push up off the sofa and walk upstairs, passing Sasha’s room on the way to my own. I pause outside the door, listening for any sounds that might come from inside. I don’t hear anything. I almost want to open the door and check on her, but I decide against it. I know she’s in there, and silence is good because it means she isn’t up to anything.

Besides, I had that room so heavily secured before I even moved in that I have no doubt she will never be able to escape.

I climb into the shower and let the hot water soak over my body while I think about how quickly things escalated this evening.

When I climb into bed later on, I am fidgety. I think I’m just over-stimulated by everything that has happened tonight—the excitement of finally getting my hands on her, and how easy it all was.

But the one thing that seems to be playing on my mind the most is the kiss we shared in that red passageway.

I guess it’s been ages since I kissed a girl, especially one that beautiful.

I know what I am really happy about is the fact that this is all coming together now.

At least I fall asleep quickly, because I know I need to rest.

I have a lot to plan over the next two days.

Chapter 6 - Sasha

I wake up feeling nauseous and groggy. I assume it's a leftover symptom of whatever that asshole drugged me with at the club.