Page 56 of Captive Union
But then that’s love for you—it makes fools of even the best of us.
The car finally stops after what feels like hours, but it’s probably only been an hour at most. It’s starting to become a struggle to breathe inside the truck, but I take slow, steady breaths that keep my oxygen preserved for longer.
It doesn’t escape me how ironic this situation is—me the kidnapper, now being the kidnapped.
I hear voices outside, then silence. I kick on the door to no avail. No one comes to check on me. Maybe that’s Maxim’s plan—let me die slowly in the trunk of his car. But no. Maxim wants to torture me. He doesn’t want me dying anytime soon.
When I first took Kira, I wasn’t afraid of death. In fact, I welcomed it. But now that I’ve found love, the thought of dying terrifies me. I might never get to see Kira again, and the pain of that thought hurts me more than the day my dad died.
The trunk is finally opened, and Maxim stares down at me, a twisted smile on his lips. This will be the last face I’ll ever see. I know it deep in my gut.
I don’t put up a fight as he jams a gun under my chin and orders me out of the trunk. This is my fate. Everything I’ve been working toward leads to this moment.
It’s time to own up to my mistakes.
It’s time for me to lose.
CHAPTER17
Kira
Ican’t believe this is happening.
A few weeks ago, the sight of my brother would have brought me so much joy, and now …
Now, I feel like the new person I was becoming has been ripped away from me.
After getting into Maxim’s car and watching as Erik is forced into the trunk, my mind starts spiraling, trying to figure out a way out of this.
Maxim sits next to me as Nik drives, Alexei in the front seat next to him. Erik is so silent in the trunk that, for a moment, I think he might be dead. Then I remind myself that Maxim wants to torture my husband, not kill him right away. That’s a small, twisted comfort.
There’s still a chance to explain everything to Maxim and make him understand.
“Maxim, you don’t need to do this,” I say, gripping his arm.
He places his hand over mine, probably thinking he’s comforting me when, in fact, he’s doing the opposite. “You don’t need to worry ever again, Kira. I’m never letting you out of my sight again. You’ll be safe and sound back home soon enough.”
“But you’re not listening to me!” I scream my words so loud that even Alexei glances back to check on me.
“Kira, are you all right?” Alexei asks.
I huff. “No, I’m not.”
“Alexei,” Maxim growls. “Let me handle this.”
Alexei grumbles to himself but turns back in his seat.
“Kira.” Maxim turns to me, his eyes soft. “I’m here for you. You’ve been through a lot these past weeks. Now, just relax. You’re safe.”
“But I don’t want this.”
“Shh.”
“No!” I jerk my entire body away from my brother, creating a literal and metaphorical distance between us. “You’re not listening, Maxim. Erik hasn’t hurt me. He’s shown me how to be braver. I’ve become the woman I’ve always wanted to be because of him.”
Maxim snorts, turning away from me. “Nonsense.”
My mouth drops open. No words come out.
