Page 78 of Call Sign: King
“Ah… well, I sent my men last night, but you evaded them before they could extend the invitation. Your disappearance has me concerned about where your loyalties lie.”
If Alexi was intimidated by his ruthless cousin, he didn’t show it. Instead, he walked to the table, casually took a few grapes from a fruit tray, and popped them into his mouth before answering.
“And the fact that you have your men following me in the first place has me concerned about where your own loyalties might lie.” Looking up at Vlad, he added. “If I’m not mistaken, four years ago you asked me to call you brother — no longer cousin. You asked me to change my name from Ivanov to Volkov and to devote my life to leading our family, which I have done without fail.
“That you now have so little trust in me after these years of loyalty hurts.”
Vladimir was silent, reflecting on Alexi’s words, but Yana had no problems speaking up.
“Perhaps you took your vows to protect the family too seriously,” Yana said, her voice full of reproach for her nephew.
“Oh, and how is that? By doubling our revenues? By expanding our interests into many new international directions? Or by spreading our good Volkov name through charity work?” Alexi said, his anger bubbling up in his tone of voice.
“Our name isn’t all that you spread, is it?” Yana groused, turning her head to stare at Irena still shackled to the wall not far from Khloe. Her innuendo was obvious.
Alexi somehow managed to maintain his cool under the heat of the confrontation. “At least I was there for her, unlike her husband. I kept your secrets at great cost to myself, and yet you still question my loyalty. I knew there was only one way to prove to you once and for all that I am loyal to the Volkov name — the Volkov businesses — the Volkovfamily.
“With your permission, I’d like to present a very special gift to you in my attempt to put the question of my loyalty to rest once and for all.”
Vlad looked like he was unsure if he trusted his cousin, yet he gave a curt nod as his approval.
Alexi walked back to the door, pulling it open and waving a group of armed soldiers in. Khloe’s heart raced, wondering if the different factions of guards were about to start shooting it out in some kind of fucked up showdown between the two Volkov camps. But when she saw they were literally dragging an unconscious man along between them, her heart stopped.
She’d run her fingers through that thick salt and pepper hair thousands of times. Her choked cry at seeing Ryder there — disarmed and at the Volkov men’s mercy — broke her heart. His arms and shirt were bloody, telling he’d fought against being captured.
Vladimir walked slowly toward the group near the door, his eyes widening with each step he took until stopping directly in front of Ryder. Khloe crawled along the floor as far as her chains allowed so she could still see Ryder. When Vlad pulled Ryder’s head up by yanking his hair, Khloe cried out, “Don’t touch him!”
His maniacal laughter mocked her.
Even from across the room, she saw the bruising and swelling on her husband’s face. He’d already taken a beating and if he didn’t wake up soon, Vlad would be adding to his injuries.
I need you to wake up, honey. Please, wake up.
Vladimir’s fist connecting with Ryder’s stomach brought the first sign of life from her captured husband. With his hands pulled behind his back, Ryder was defenseless to stop the second blow, doubling him over, sputtering blood from his mouth to the hardwood floor.
This couldn’t be happening. Ryder was invincible. She had been so sure he would arrive and when he did, he would save her — save them. That he’d been captured just as she had been was like a death blow to Khloe’s hope. Tears fell down her face as her body started to tremble, recognizing that she wasn’t going to be leaving this room alive.
At least she’d gotten to see him one last time, but that wasn’t enough. She needed to talk to him. To tell him how much she loved him and regretted not taking his worries about her safety more seriously.
“Ryder… wake up,” Khloe called out to him, hoping that if he heard her voice, it would help him regain consciousness. If he knew she was near, maybe it would help him fight again.
“Khloe… “ His voice was so weak.
“I’m sorry!” she called out to him, desperate for him to hear her. “Please… I love you!”
One of Alexi’s men chose that moment to add to her husband’s misery. Still holding Ryder up by one arm, the guard leaned over and gave another sucker punch to Ryder’s unprotected stomach, just as Vladimir had done seconds before.
“Stop it! Don’t hurt him anymore!” She screamed again, trying not to let her panic for her husband consume her.
And that was when the guard who’d just hit Ryder turned back around, pinning her with a hard glare. She took her first good look at him and had to stifle a gasp.
Don’t react. Don’t react. Don’t react.
She was an actress. In that split second, she knew she had just landed the most important role of her life. If she played it well, they just might get out of this alive after all.
It wasn’t hard for Khloe to break into hysterical sobs, drawing Vladimir’s gloating glare away from Ryder and back in her direction. The question was, could she keep him and his guards focused on her long enough for Ryder and Torch to put whatever plan they had into motion.
Chapter Twenty-five
