Page 43 of Call Sign: King
Trevor.
Was her dear friend still alive, or had he traded his own life protecting her? Her last glimpse of him, bleeding on the bathroom floor, would haunt her for the rest of her life, which may not be very long.
That didn’t bring her comfort.
And Ricky?
Her assistant had been a loyal friend and employee for years. He’d been so brave standing up to the kidnapper, even as he’d had the barrel of a gun pointed at his temple. Memories of the blood pouring out of the wound on his shoulder had tears pricking at her eyes.
It was only then that she remembered the very last favor Ricky had done for her. Thinking of what she’d been doing when the kidnapper had barged in caused her first sob to escape. Desperate longing merged with her fear, creating a dangerous cocktail of emotions.
Is there a chance I’m pregnant?
Just acknowledging the possibility changed everything. A burst of fury invaded her thoughts, pushing her sadness and fear aside. It was bad enough that those closest to her were injured or that Ryder had to be freaking out as he learned about her abduction. But if she really was pregnant, then it wasn’t just her life on the line anymore. A wave of maternal instincts washed over her, giving her a fresh boost of energy.
“Finally.” Her abductor’s voice broke the silence in the cabin.
“Finally, what?” she spat back, happy her anger made her voice strong.
“Your tears. I expected them long ago.”
“Glad to have disappointed you.”
“Ah, but your tears tell me you are not so brave now.”
“I don’t need to be brave,” Khloe spat back. “I just need to stay alive to be found.”
“Such a silly girl. This is not one of your movies where some hero will come to your rescue.”
“You’re wrong. He’ll come.”
“I’m counting on it.” The man winced in pain as he repositioned in his seat.
Several minutes went by in awkward silence. With each passing moment, she became more aware of the three men in the cabin staring at her naked body.
“It’s cold in here. Can I please have a blanket?”
“No. You are my trophy. I get great pleasure in looking at my prize, and believe me, I’ve had very little pleasure since Nicolai destroyed my family.”
Khloe shivered, less from the temperature and more from the man’s evil glare.
“Are you planning on raping me?” The ugly question fell from her lips before she could stop it.
Leaning forward, an evil grin on his face, he said, “Every single day for the rest of your life — however short that may be. And if I tire of you, I will hand you over to my men and take joy in watching you passed around like a party favor.”
Her heart pounded so hard in her chest she was sure it was about to explode. Maybe that would be a blessing. Put her out of her misery before they landed the plane and things got even worse.
A beeping sound drew her attention back to the two accomplices sitting on the other side of the cabin. The three men bantered back and forth in Russian, getting more animated with each second. She didn’t have a clue what they were saying, but when all three of them stared in her direction, she knew something had happened.
“Where is it?” The man across from her growled.
“Where is what?”
“The GPS tracker. We left all of your belongings back on the ground.”
“Exactly,” she said, summoning her best acting skills.
“Our jammer is detecting another device.”
