Page 31 of Captivated By Him

Steady and sure, she explains. “Henry got picked up on a drug charge. I had nothing to do with it, but he’s probably told them I did. I broke up with Henry, but he doesn’t exactly take no for an answer. They wouldn’t be looking for me just because I left him; if they’re helping him find me it’s because he’s told them I have something to do with his arrest.” She raises her chin another fraction. “And I don’t.”

They take in her story and remain quiet for a long moment.

Finally, my father walks over to the table and pulls out a kitchen chair. Once he sinks into it, he rests his elbow on the table and takes a few slow breaths.

“Okay. So, this Henry is just a hired hand? He has no real position?”

“Not that I know of.” Nicole glances at me. “He worked like my dad, loyal but not blood.”

Joseph nods then rubs his forehead.

“You okay?” I ask, taking a step toward him. His color seems to be fading again.

He waves a hand at me. “I’m fine. I’m just tired of all this bullshit.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Staszek. I never meant for Jakub to be involved in anything.” Nicole goes to my father and places a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looks up at her then pats her hand.

“I know. My sons have a habit of getting into shit without realizing it until it’s too late.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I ask Dominik.

He shakes his head with a frown.

“It appears Micah fucked up a trade deal his father was making with the Kaczmareks.”

“What? How?”

Dominik glances toward Nicole, like he’s not sure we should be having this conversation with her there. I fold my arms over my chest. She might as well know considering whatever it is seems to be affecting how we deal with the Kaczmareks now.

“After he saved Lena, the deal was broken,” Dominik answers.

“You never told me they planned to give Lena to the Kaczmareks.” I step toward him. My little sister should have been better protected. I should have been around her more when she was handed off to the damn Ivanovs.

Dominik shakes his head. “She wasn’t. But after all that mess, the deal was cut off. The Kaczmareks were cut out of the deal. They’re not happy about it.”

“Then they can take it out on Micah, not us.”

“Micah is us.” My father raises his voice. His face reddens. “He is your sister’s husband, he’s part of this family. We protect our own. If they go after him, they go after us. And right now, with what you did yesterday, they now have two reasons to go after us.”

Nicole’s shoulders slump. She pulls the chair out from the table beside my father and sinks into it.

“Maybe it would be easier if you handed me over to Piotr. I’ve never met him, but I have met his cousin, Christian, in New York.”

“I’ve heard Christian isn’t exactly reasonable,” Dominik says.

She looks up at him. “He’s not. But maybe Piotr is better?”

“You’re not going to talk to Piotr Kaczmarek. You aren’t even going to be seen by him.” I won’t even tolerate the thought of having her in the same room as that bastard. The Kaczmarek family isn’t known for their respectability. What they can’t buy or barter, they steal. And when they can’t do that, they kill.

There’s always danger and violence in our world, but the Kaczmarek family is on a different level. They have no souls.

“Jakub, it’s my fault you had to shoot that jerk yesterday. I don’t want any more blood on my hands.”

I step over to her. “Listen to me.” I cup her chin and pull her attention up to me. “There is no blood on your hands.”

“Jakub’s right. If that asshole was in your apartment, it’s his own fault,” Dominik backs me up.

“Let her breathe, for God’s sake.” My father pushes his foot into my leg. I drop my hand from Nicole’s chin, satisfied she isn’t going to argue about turning herself over to the Kaczmareks again.

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