Page 6 of Fatal Bonds

I study the back half of the woman’s ragdoll form. Even as she dangles motionlessly over Vlad’s shoulder, I can tell she’s got a killer figure. Her skirt barely reaches low enough to cover her full ass, and I can’t help but admire her long, toned legs, though the observation feels scummy when she’s not awake to know I’m doing it.

“What do you want me to do, boss?” Vlad asks, freezing in his tracks, his bald head shining beneath the hallway’s overhead lighting.

Sighing heavily, I comb the stray locks off my forehead with my fingers. “Bring her to the Evanston house, and lock her in the basement—and do it quietly. Take her out the back way so no one sees you. Call Gleb to bring the car around.” I have to choose my words carefully with Vlad. He isn’t the sharpest blade in my arsenal, and a casual direction could be misinterpreted, but he’s a monster when it comes to brute strength, and he’s loyal—a man worth keeping around despite his lack of common sense. “Stay there until I say otherwise. I’ll deal with the girl when I’m done here.”

My man gives a curt nod and gets on the radio to call Gleb as I turn my attention back to Lucian Guerra, my temporary business partner and potential ally—if he can get his shit together and finish the job he set out to do. Even after the commotion, he looks poised, his dark hair styled in a perfect disarray around his olive-toned face, his hazel eyes sharp and assessing as he watches the drama unfold.

“Perhaps we should have held the meeting in a more discreet location,” he observes dryly.

“This is more discreet than anything you could offer, I assure you. Don Costanzo knows better than to allow his men into my territory. The girl was a regrettable accident, but I’ll handle it—and I’ll look into finding someone we can trust to get the information you need. Let me know if you find an alternative solution in the meantime.”

Lucian gives a curt nod, extending his hand in silent agreement, and I clasp it firmly. I wouldn’t normally make a deal like this one. Generally, I believe in loyalty and blunt conflict resolution, but if this is what it takes to ruin Don Costanzo, I’ll make an exception.

I watch as Lucian and his men fade into the crowd and hope I’ve put my trust in someone who can live up to his word. I have a lot riding on this deal. Then I head up the stairs to my private table in the VIP section. I could use a drink before I deal with the complication waiting for me in the basement of my Evanston house—the nondescript suburban house I keep just along the city limits for occasions like these. Not that I’ve ever had to silence a young woman before, but like I said, when it comes to Don Costanzo, I’m willing to make exceptions.

“Vodka,” I tell Annika as she approaches the table.

She flashes me a sultry smile before turning to collect my standard drink from Aleks, putting extra sway in her hips in the hopes of catching my attention. She’s a beautiful girl, and I won’t deny I’ve looked in the past, but I know better than to mix business with pleasure. Over the past week, though, a different girl has lingered on my mind, making my cock ache whenever I think about her too hard.Lindsey, the sharp-witted blonde with the nerves of steel to sneak into the VIP section ofmyclub. My gaze wanders toward the dance floor, like it has every night this week, but once again, I don’t see her.

“Your drink, sir,” Annika says, leaning unnecessarily far forward to give me a glimpse of her cleavage as she sets my tumbler of chilled vodka on my table.

“Thank you, Annika.” I do another sweep of the crowd and sigh before downing the entire shot. Normally, I would sip on the luxury liquor from my home country, but tonight, I have business to attend to, and if Lindsey hasn’t appeared by now, I doubt she’ll show. There’s no sense in delaying any longer.

“Anything else I can get you?” Annika asks sweetly.

“That’s alright, thank you.” Pulling a wad of cash from my pocket, I toss a large bill on the table and stand. “I have somewhere to be.”

From the corner of my eye, I catch the cocktail waitress’s shoulders as they sag slightly in disappointment, but she quickly recovers to wish me a good night before I head back down the steps.

The drive up to Evanston goes by in a flash as I sit in the back seat, scrolling through my contacts for anyone who might be useful to Lucian, but the answer isn’t that simple. I’m still looking as the SUV pulls into the garage and the door closes behind us. Vlad is waiting for me inside, pacing as he keeps an eye on the closed door into the basement.

“Is she awake?” I ask as he stops, his gaze shifting to me.

“And then some. I had to tie her up and gag her, she was making such a racket.”

My lips twitch, but I manage to keep the smile off my face. I won’t bother reminding Vlad that the house has been soundproofed. She could scream herself hoarse, and no one would hear her once he closed the door. “Thank you, Vlad. You can head back to the club to finish your shift.”

He gives a single nod before striding toward the front door. I sincerely hope Gleb had better sense than to let him come in that way.

“Through the garage, Vlad,” I state. “You can use my driver. Just send him to pick me back up once you’re at the club.”

“Right,” he says, turning on his heel to head deeper into the house.

Shaking my head, I approach the door leading into the basement. The old stairs groan under my weight, and I catch the sound of shuffling as I descend into the cool, unfinished space. It’s been outfitted with three wrought iron cells along one wall. Chains hang from the ceiling near the center of the room, right above the industrial-sized drain—a useful tool both to intimidate prisoners, when necessary, and to make clean-up easier after interrogations.

My foot pauses on the bottom step as I catch sight of my eavesdropper’s face for the first time, those Baltic-blue eyes behind her oversized gray-framed glasses. Even with a strip of cloth trapped between her lips, they look full and tempting. But from the way Lindsey’s glaring at me, I have no doubt my chances of ever kissing her have been blown out of the water. Her back is pressed against the cement wall at the far side of her cell, her long legs drawn defensively up to her body—maybe to ward off the damp chill of the basement or maybe to protect her modesty despite her precariously short skirt. Either way, it doesn’t look comfortable with the way her hands have been tied behind her back.

“I’ll admit, this wasn’t how I pictured meeting again,” I state, continuing into the basement so I can take the key off its hook that will unlock her cage. My tone hides the conflict warring inside my chest. I’ve never relished the thought of hurting a woman—let alone killing one. Now that I knowwhoit is that’s heard too much, I’m even less inclined. But if I want to ensure her silence, my best plan would be to kill her.

The deadbolt on her cell clanks open as I twist the key, and as I swing the door wide, Lindsey scrambles farther from me, her heels scraping across the hard ground. It makes my stomach knot, but I close the barred door behind me so she can’t escape, then turn to face her.

She’s shaking visibly, and I approach slowly to crouch in front of her. Her head jerks back, a protest rushing past the fabric trapped between her teeth as I reach up to remove it.

“I’m just taking that off so we can talk,” I state, my hands stilling.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lindsey’s shoulders relax, and I can see the reluctant permission in her eyes. Reaching around her head, I untie the knot and loosen the fabric until it slips free of her mouth. She licks her full red slightly-chapped lips and swallows hard as her eyes track every move I make.

“My friends were with me at the club. They’ll notice I’m missing. Just let me go, and I swear, I’ll never breathe a word of this.”

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