“Ouch,” I muttered under my breath.

“Hurry up or I’ll make you hurt worse,” he threatened in a shouting voice behind me.

His fingers twisted around my arm, and we must have been inside the cabin because that distinct smell of inside of an airplane hit me. He pulled me along and shoved me forward. Instinctively, I raised my bound hands in front of me to fall onto my hands and not my face. Luckily, I landed on the soft couch.

I wished I could see anything through this headcover. It was getting hard to breath, especially with my pulse racing from fear. I worked hard to calm my racing heart. I didn’t want to risk passing out. That would make me even more vulnerable. Slowly, I eased up my breathing and stilled, listening to the engine of the airplane roar to life. Seconds and minutes ticked making me wonder why we weren’t moving yet. Did my screaming work? Maybe the plane was surrounded. It was wishful thinking, I knew but couldn’t help but hope.

Then after what seemed hours although probably were just minutes, the plane started moving, and I blindly reached to find something to hold onto, knowing as we took off there was nothing holding me firm. I had to settle for the armrest and clutched it in a tight grip. And just in time, too, since the plane sharply angled up into the air and my whole body shifted, sliding.

The entire flight, the men whispered low, talking in Russian. Why they whispered, I had no idea. It was rather clear I didn’t speak a lick of Russian. But I remained quiet for the duration of the flight. I didn’t want to tempt them while in an enclosed space. I had a full intention of trying to attract attention when we arrived at the next airport. My chances of running away were slimmer with each minute that went by, so I’d be stupid not to cease every chance I had.

Why did I go for a jog this morning?

I thought to myself for the hundredth time although there was no sense in dwelling. If I made it out of this alive, for the rest of my life I would wait for Nikolai to wake up before I went for my jog.

There wasn’t a shred of doubt in my mind he’d come after me. The only worry I had was whether they were taking me to Nikolai’s childhood home. He would look there first. God, I hoped they didn’t change locations.

We should have done the tracking device.Hindsight was truly a bitch.Stop pondering. Nikolai had men watching his every move.

God, I worried about Nikolai too. I worried about him getting hurt when he came after me.

It wasn’t long before the plane started descending. Alert as I could possibly be without my sight, I sat up straight. One of them approached me and started lifting my head cover, and I held my breath, hoping for a break. I could try to run away from them if I could see where I was running.

Before the hope even boomed inside me, it was quickly extinguished. He stuffed a cloth into my mouth, my gagging reflexes instantly flaring up.

No. No. No.

I tried to push it out with my tongue but the damn thing wouldn’t bulge. The only thing I accomplished was to have it sink deeper into my mouth.

Oh, God help me!

Chapter Forty-One

Nikolai

We had the entire house that used to belong to my parents surrounded and men on every corner of the street. I wasn’t taking any chances. It was hard not to swarm the entire street with my men and barge into the home.

I tapped into the security camera one more time. Anguish and restlessness started rising inside me. I could see Malcome and his men but where was Olivia? I needed to see that she was alright. If that bastard or his men even put one scar on her, I would make their lives a living hell. I have a perfect warehouse where I could stash them and torture them for months coming.

I promised to keep her safe. It was not time to panic, but unless I saw her soon, I was going to lose my cool and possibly lose my shit. I needed her. She had become my entire life.

“Everything will be alright, brother,” Dimitry murmured quietly next to me. Immediately after receiving my message, he took his private plane and met us in Moscow. That was my brother. Always there for me. He knew exactly what I was going through. He left Anastasia with her father and grandfather and fully armed security detail. Thankfully, we had it all planned out and just had to shift it by a day.

“I fucking told her I’d protect her, and she was taken under my own damn nose,” I gritted out.

If something happened to her, I’d never forgive myself.

“Car pulling onto the street,” Ilya’s voice came through the earpiece.

Tensing, I watched the car pull right in front of the house. Fuck, I didn’t need anyone hanging around here. I didn’t want innocent casualties, and I was sure there would be bloodshed today.

The moment the door opened, I sighted Vlad, that fucking asshole. Good, maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. He started dragging another person out of the car and my heart stopped.

“Olivia,” I murmured softly. Her wrists were bound and there was a bag over her head but there was no mistaking it. It was her. A heavy weight lifted off my chest seeing her alive.

“Let’s go,” he barked out at her. “And don’t you dare pull any shit. Next time, I won’t shove cloth into your mouth, it will be my cock.”

Fury burned through my body, and I was already rising from my spot when Dimitry’s hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me back. I shook with fury.