Page 62 of The Pakhan

The dude narrowed his eyes and was about to say something when my phone rang and I couldn’t have been more grateful.

“You’ll need to excuse me.” I walked away before the asshole had a chance to say anything, yanking out my phone with a shaking hand. “Joshua.”

“You’re alive. I was so worried. I even dropped by your place and it had been trashed.” His tone was anxious.

“Yeah, I was lucky to get out. Do you know anything?” I made certain the asshole had disappeared into the crowd but still felt goosebumps prickling my skin.

“Yeah, I do and I need to warn you that?—”

Another wave of goosebumps rushed down my arms when he was cut off mid-sentence. I pulled the phone away, staring not only at the ended call but at the signal as well. The hotel had high-powered internet service, allowing all their guests to connect automatically. That’s something I’d learned from my father.

He’d had more than a couple of his pontificating meetings here. So it shocked me to see zero connection at all. Zero. There was no raging storm, no electrical outage.

A sick and knowing feeling pooled into my stomach. It had purposely been cut. All communications were down.

I snapped my head up, searching for Vadim’s whereabouts. Something was terribly wrong. The only thing I could do at this point was shove my way through the crowd. I had to warn him.

I wasn’t typically subject to crazed fear, but a split second of terror slammed into my system much like a few nights before.

Suddenly, I heard a clicking sound I didn’t recognize. But I wasn’t surprised when the lights went out.

The moment they did, a bag was tossed over my head and I was dragged away. “You can run but you can’t hide, Caroline.”

The voice. It was the man I’d been looking for.

And as I tried to scream, a hand was placed over my mouth and I was dragged from the room. Reaching back, I raked my nails down the man’s face.

“You fucking bitch. You’re going to pay for that.”

The hard crack of his hand across my face was jarring, enough so I was winded and found it difficult to fight off the bastard. But I would try. Yes, I would try.

As I struggled, he dragged me and every muffled sound I made seemed weaker. At least I’d scratched the bastard’s face.

“Your time is up, you little whore.”

His words infuriated me, but my mind was floating elsewhere.

All I could think about was Vadim.

Five minutes earlier

Vadim

Ending a conversation with one of the most boring men in the room was sheer delight.

“Good to talk to you, Vadim. Give your father my best.”

“Will do.”

Being the police commissioner meant he rode a very fine line with keeping the mayor happy and his rank and file. He was no idiot. He knew I owned a good portion of his men and women in blue, but he was smart enough to realize he didn’t have enough political clout to stop the activity.

Neither did the mayor for that matter.

I thew the commissioner a bone every so often, including a few offenders that had allowed him to get a pat on the back and two sets of accommodations. It was the least I could do for the man who looked the other way on a regular basis. It made my life easier in the end.

As he walked off, I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t the kind of man to be able to handle small talk under the best of circumstances.

I glanced over my shoulder, finding comfort in seeing my lovely date. She was obeying me but I could tell she was growing bored. A particular expression she had made it easy for me to tell. It was time to get the fuck out of here.

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