34. Raven

34

RAVEN

The gentle sway of the bed underneath me left me confused and slightly nauseous. My head pounded from whatever the hell Zavala made me take in the car. But overall, I didn't feel half bad, considering I could be dead right now. I pushed myself into a sitting position and cursed under my breath. I was on a boat.

"I see you're finally awake."

Looking to my right, Zavala sat in a chair, sipping a glass of what looked like whiskey. He fit nicely on the luxurious boat. Dressed in white slacks and a white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top, he looked like he was heading out for a day of sailing. But I supposed that was the point. He didn't want anyone to know he was a notorious drug lord. That would draw too many questions from authorities.

"Where are we?"

"On my private yacht. I think you'll find the accommodations more than satisfactory."

"Are we…"

"At sea? No, but we will be shortly. I hope you don't get seasick."

"I've never been on a boat."

He stood, walked over to the bar, and poured a second drink. As he held it out to me, I hesitated. The last time I took a drink from him, I blacked out.

"This one's not drugged."

Grudgingly, I took the drink and downed it. My mouth was dry and tasted like cotton, but the scotch didn't do much to rid my mouth of the foul taste.

"Why did you bring me out here?"

"Because you're going to help me set a trap, my dear."

"And why would I do that?"

A sly grin graced his lips. "Because you want to live."

I did, but not at the expense of others. I may be a thief with few morals, but killing was one thing I didn't tolerate unless it was a life or death situation. Besides, Rafe had promised to get my brother released from prison. If I turned my back on Rafe now, I might never see my brother again.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the business of getting other people killed."

"Well, you see, this is why my plan is so perfect. I want the man behind the curtain, and you're my steppingstone to getting what I want."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I'm going to offer him the one thing he really wants."

"What's that?"

"A chance to interrupt my supply chain again."

My heart skipped a beat in my chest. "Why would you do that?"

"Because whoever is behind all of this desperately wants to ruin my operation. I'm going to tempt him with something that he can't resist. And when he comes, I'll take him and then have my revenge."

Rafe would be walking into a trap. I had no way to warn him or stop him from coming. Even if I could get to a phone, I had no way of letting him know what was really going on.

Unless I could contact Nicholas.

But then he would want to be involved and I needed Nicholas as far away from this guy as possible. Just the thought that Zavala would come within a mile of Nicholas made my skin crawl.

"I'm not helping you kill another man."

He chuckled as he took his seat once again. "Just being here is all the help I need. The damsel in distress that no man can resist helping. All I have to do is send a message and the hard work will be done."

"You'll never get away with this," I hissed.

He cocked his head at me as his lips twisted. With the snap of his fingers, four men stormed down the stairs and entered the room, walking over to me. I backed up, trying to get away from them, but there was nowhere to go. Hands grabbed at me, dragging me through the room. I fought to break free of them, but they were too strong. Despite all my training, this was a losing battle.

I tripped over my feet as I fought them on the stairs. Once we were on the deck, it was clear if I wanted to escape, I would have to do it now. Using the man on either side of me as leverage, I swung my feet up, kicking one man in the chest. He stumbled backward, falling over the side of the yacht. While the other men tightened their grip on me, I didn't hesitate to use their height against them, letting my body fall to the deck and taking them with me. As they bent over me, I flung my head back, cracking one of them in the skull. As soon as I was free, I took a running leap and jumped off the yacht, splashing hard into the water.

I wasn't much of a swimmer, but I would rather drown than be used against anyone. I sucked in a mouthful of water as I fought to stay at the surface, then started kicking with all my might, refusing to let the growing panic take me under. I finally got in a rhythm and swam as hard as I could toward another yacht docked not far from me. A man was walking along the deck, smoking a cigar.

"Help!" I shouted, drawing his attention immediately. "Help!"

He snagged a lifebuoy and threw it in the water, holding on to the other end of the rope. I grabbed it and sighed in relief, thankful I didn't have to worry about drowning any longer.

I glanced over my shoulder at the yacht I had jumped from, watching the men glaring at me. I had narrowly escaped, but that didn't mean I was home free yet. I still had to find a way to get away from the docks and off their radar. They found me once, and I still didn't know how.

Several more men appeared on the yacht, pulling me up the side of the boat as I struggled to hang on. By the time I was on deck, I was shivering from the cold water, but my mind was going a hundred miles a minute to figure out my next move.

"Here," the cigar man said, holding out a blanket for me.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. I'm always here to help a friend."

I looked up at him sharply, noting the strange tone of voice. His eyes roamed over me as if I were a missing package he'd finally retrieved. I took a step back, but quickly found myself surrounded by the rest of his men. Their arms gripped me tight, refusing to let me move.

"Who are you?"

He laughed uproariously. "I think that's a question you should have asked before you swam to my yacht." He waved his hand, acknowledging Zavala on the other boat.

I slowly turned and faced Zavala. He was smirking at me, laughing at how easily I'd been caught. I thought I was escaping him, but instead, I swam right into the arms of someone who was clearly friends with him.

"You work with him?"

"Work? No. I'm what you would call an acquaintance. We have similar interests, and those interests sometimes align to create…opportunities."

"Do you have any idea what he's planning?" I hissed.

"Yes," he said, flicking his cigar. "Why do you think I'm here? I have to say, I didn't plan on my payment being quite so…feisty." His eyes roamed over my body and I shivered at the tone in his voice.

The weight of his words descended on me, sending chills through my body. He was going to help Zavala, and in return, he would get me as payment. I wished more now than ever that I had stayed with Nolan in Wisconsin. I never should have taken the job with Snatch.

He suddenly grabbed me by the arms and pulled me against his body, leering at me in such a way that I almost vomited right there. "Put her in the cage."

My eyes widened at his words as I was jerked from his grasp. "Wait! We can make a deal!"

"There's no deal you can offer that would be better than the one I have with Zavala."

"I can get you anything you want! It's what I do!"

His low chuckle sent shivers of unease through me. It wasn't only his lack of empathy, but the dead look in his eyes that sent a jolt of fear through me. It didn't matter what I said or did, this man wouldn't listen to a word I said. He didn't care, and more than that, I feared he wanted my pain and suffering for his own enjoyment.

His measured steps ticked like a countdown clock as he approached. He raised his hand, brushing his knuckles down my cheek. "I already have what I want. Soon, you'll be beyond the reach of anyone you've ever loved, and there will be no escape. No hope. Nothing but fear."

His lips skimmed over mine before he stepped back. "Take her to the cage."

I was jerked backward and shoved toward the steps leading below. The first step was the hardest as I descended into darkness. My heart hammered in my chest with every step I took, knowing I would never see anyone I knew ever again. This was the end of my previous life, and the beginning of one I knew would only end in torture and pain.

The men shoved me through the cabin until we reached the back of the yacht. Metal bars would soon be all that separated me from the outside world, and once those doors closed, there would be no escaping.

I had one last chance to escape. Spinning, I never even laid a hand on the men as a needle pricked my neck and the world spun. I was shoved backward. Tripping over my own feet, I fell to the ground, hitting the wooden floor hard. The last thing I heard was the metal clank as the door slammed shut and my chance of escape disappeared.