Chapter 20

Penny

Gunfire.

It was coming from every direction.

Men in hoodies moving like shadowy assassins.

Screaming, I had no idea what to do, no understanding of how this could have occurred. I could hear Kraven's bellows, but everything was in a giant bubble, the echoes pinging in my ears. And I could swear time had slowed to one tenth of its normal speed.

Terrified, I dove to the floor out of instinct, grabbing Remington by the collar. He was barking and whimpering, matching the brutal thudding of my heart. I couldn't see, the single light in the suite full of ominous shadows.

I was sick. Certain I was going to die. When I felt a hand on my face, I jumped. Kraven. I was thrilled to see him alive but knew it wasn't going to be that way for long. There were too many of them. Oh, God. Oh, God. "Kraven…"

"Go. Go. Go!" he yelled. I knew he was talking to me. There was no way to get to the door. None.

Perhaps if I survived, I would look back wondering how I'd been able to move at all, but without needing to give a single command, I raced toward the corridor leading to the bedrooms, every gunshot fired echoing in my ears. There wasn't a chance the man trying to save my life would survive. There were too many assailants. My mind was fried, my thoughts nothing but irrational jumbles. How had the monsters gotten in? What was going on?

I made it into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door. "Please. Please. Please." As if that was going to do any good. The barrier wouldn't hold. If the monsters wanted me, they would get me.

Remington whined and I pulled him closer, sitting on the floor as far away from the door as possible. I had no weapon, no way of protecting myself. All I could do was pull my sweet puppy closer, wrapping my arms around him in hopes I could keep him safe.

He whined but God love the furry baby, his tail was still wagging. I was sick, my stomach in knots, my mind a blur. Kraven had been right. But how had we been sabotaged here?

Another round of gunfire forced me to cover my ears. I cinched my eyes closed, praying for the first time in a very long time. Seconds or minutes later, I shifted my hands away. A single gunshot was followed by utter silence.

The deafening kind.

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.

I lifted my head, trying to catch my breath. The seconds ticked by then another single shot that forced a yelp from my mouth. The assailants were picking off those remaining alive. Oh, God. I was next.

What if Kraven was dead?

Suddenly, there were voices but muffled given my location. Were they coming from the men who'd attacked us?

More sounds.

More voices.

Horror.

Fear.

Dread.

Footsteps.

I was shaking all over but there had to be a way of protecting myself. There had to be. There had to be something I could use. "Stay here, baby. Right here. It's going to be okay."

Although I wasn't certain anything was going to be okay. I struggled to stay, my body swaying. As I looked around, I couldn't stop shaking. But I managed to calm my nerves long enough to grab the only thing that I could use in self-defense.

The lid of the toilet tank. Yes. Yes. Yes. It was heavy enough to knock someone unconscious. I held it in my hands, prepared to knock the fuck out of anyone who tried to hurt either one of us. As I moved from foot to foot, I heard additional sounds, more voices.

Then someone tried the handle of the door.

I gripped the lid, praying to God I could get us out of here.

And that Kraven wasn't dead.

He couldn't be dead. He was… He meant… the world to me. I held my breath, the hard thudding of my heart shifting into my throat.

But a strange tingling washed over me, a jolt of the most powerful electric current I'd felt to date.

"Penny. Unlock the door."

The deep voice resonated in my mind but I couldn't process what I was hearing. He tried the lock again before kicking open the door.

Without realizing what I was doing, I lifted the lid, ready to smash his head in.

"Penny!" Kraven snapped one hand around the ceramic piece, his eyes on fire. "My God. You're alive. Are you hurt? Are either one of you hurt?"

I was still in some kind of shock, tears forming in my eyes so I couldn't focus. As he took the lid from me, easing it to the counter, I almost crumpled to the floor.

He caught me, pulling me against his warm body. "Oh, baby. It's okay. I've got you."

Woof. Woof.

"You're alive," I managed. "I was so afraid. I knew you were dead. I was worried and I was…" I choked back sobs, trying to pull myself together.

"I'm alive, baby. I'm a hell of a lot tougher than I look. It's going to be okay." He kissed the top of my head, both of us breathing hard.

"How can it be?" I pushed away from him. "Remington!"

The pup jumped up on both our legs, his tail wagging. Relief flooded me until I glanced at my savior.

He was covered in blood.

"What happened? Who did this?"

"It doesn't matter at this moment," he said. "It's over. We're getting out of here. Okay? But you're going to need to trust me. Please, can you do that for me?"

I found myself nodding although I couldn't process anything that had happened.

"What about Remington's food? His things? My things? I just…"

"Don't worry. My men will bring everything we need later. Okay?" He grumbled something in Russian that I didn't have the energy to ask him to translate.

I continued petting Remington, better understanding why Kraven had been so observant, watching everyone in every crowd, scanning the roads and sidewalks as if anticipating an enemy would suddenly start shooting.

He was right that I had no clue about his life or what he'd been through, no right to judge him and how he handled his business. "Yes, I trust you. I do. I can. I am."

"Good, baby. Now, I need you to keep your eyes closed as I walk us to the hallway. It's the only way out."

I didn't need to ask why. I'd heard the horrific number of gunshots and could only envision how many hours it would take to clean the mess. A part of me was ready to laugh, the rolling nerves filling my stomach ready to get the best of me.

The powerful Russian kept me close as he led me from the bathroom, allowing me to keep my hand on Remington's head as he walked me down the hallway.

Konstantin blocked our way before we were able to make it to the main room, the man as disheveled as I felt. "I have no idea how they gained access to the suite, boss."

"Fucking find out!" Kraven roared. "Ensure the guests haven't been disturbed."

"I have men scouring the main floor but so far, the only target was the suite. There's something else. Misha is down. He was hit just inside the door before you managed to take the last guy out."

"No!" I interjected, managing to break free of Kraven's hold, pushing past Konstantin before either man could stop me. When I raced toward the suite's door, I wasn't thinking about what I might find or the consequences of my actions. The only thing on my mind was getting to Misha.

I found him lying in a pool of blood just inside the door. While it was obvious to tell he was still alive, he was in serious distress, his eyes close to becoming vacant.

Misha's body was convulsing, one of the soldiers keeping his palms pressed against the man's chest, his hands and fingers covered in blood.

I reacted, racing through the men, yanking kitchen towels into my hand. My legs were wobbling by the time I made it back, dropping to the floor beside him. "Use these. Okay? You have to keep the blood loss down."

The man was looking to Konstantin for the okay.

"Do it," he growled. "Keep that man alive."

"Misha. It's going to be okay. We'll get you some help. Okay? Stay with us." I rubbed my hand across his forehead, trying not to show my devastation from seeing the blood oozing from his mouth and the gaping hole in his chest. I'd never seen anything like this. "Someone call 9-1-1. Fucking hurry."

"It's been done, Ms. Valentine. He'll pull through." It was Konstantin trying to comfort me while I could hear Kraven's voice as he barked orders in Russian to the dozen or so soldiers that had crowded into the suite. It was the scene of a freaking massacre. Even in movies, I'd never seen so much blood. So much gore. My stomach lurched, bile forming in my throat. I had to stay strong.

At least the other soldier had followed my directions. As if I knew what the hell I was talking about.

"See? You're going to be fine, Misha." I pressed my hand against his cheek, no longer able to feel my legs. Remington was fussing over the man, whimpering and whining. He knew something, no, everything was horrible askew. Misha was coughing up blood, blinking but not able to focus.

"Come on, pretty Penny. Let's get you to safety." Kraven's voice held the sound of exhaustion as well as vivid rage. "We're going to take care of you, Misha."

"We can't leave him." As soon as I made the statement, I was shocked when Misha grabbed my hand, his grip much firmer than I could dare imagine he'd have. I could tell he was trying to talk, attempting to tell me something.

I leaned over but was pulled to my feet, Kraven cradling me once again. "We need to get out of here. I promise you he'll be taken care of. Okay?"

"You damn well better. He cares about you. He's family too." I had blood on my hands and clothes, and I stared at my stained fingers for a few seconds, trying not to be horrified.

"Where are you going, boss?" Konstantin asked.

"To my estate. For now. I want every soldier online and prepared. I want every camera in the goddamn resort checked, especially the exterior doors including the underground garages. Check the trash bins in every location for clothes, bags, any sign the assholes arrived in different clothing. Have our resorts covered, our casinos. The warehouses. Everything. We need to find the fucking spineless leader of this shitshow."

"Already in the works." Konstantin threw me another look. "Who do you think they were after?"

They both still thought I had something to do with the initial assassination attempt. I was certain of it.

"You mean other than my death? Uncertain but it is something I'm going to discover," Kraven said in more of a determined growl. "I will scour this city until I find what I need."

Kraven started to pull me from the room, but I fought one last time, turning around to face the suite.

It was something I shouldn't have done.

I'd never been the kind of girl to get spooked during horror movies. Blood and guts had done little more than make me laugh, especially when the heroines acted so stupidly, engaging whatever killer was on the loose.

My friends had always had nightmares, screaming when the boogeymen appeared from the shadows. I'd done nothing but laugh because they weren't real. There were no little green men or bad guys with machetes hiding underneath my bed, no hairy monsters living in my closet.

Yet as I turned around, I realized nightmares were real, mankind a freakshow of violence and murder. Blood covered several surfaces, the once beautiful leather couches covering in red strings. Bodies seemed to be everywhere, terrifying in their stillness.

Kraven followed my gaze, immediately pulling me against him. As soon as we were out in the corridor, he pushed me against the wall, placing a single finger underneath my chin. "It's going to be fine, Penny."

"How can it be?" I managed, tears finally slipping past my lashes. "How can it ever be?"

The drive seemed short but also felt like the longest ride of my life. It was already pitch-black outside, the cresting moon in the sky barely visible. I couldn't get warm, couldn't stop envisioning the horrible scenes that had plagued my life over the last couple of days. Everything was surreal, as if I was doing nothing more than living in a bubble that was prepared to burst.

I was cognizant Kraven was barking out orders, making one phone call after another while driving to his home, but had no clue of what he'd said. Not that he'd spoken in his native language but that my brain couldn't tolerate any additional trauma.

Even Remington had remained severely affected by what he'd seen, not making a single sound during the drive. I had my hand behind me, trying to comfort him while I continued to feel so alone, so helpless.

So uncertain of the future.

Kraven tossed the phone onto the dashboard, his exhale exactly the way I felt. "We'll be home soon."

"Home. I don't have a home any longer. Remember?" I hadn't realized until at that moment I was scratching my scars. Even after I'd stopped cutting myself, when I was nervous, I resorted to the bad habit. I had a feeling I'd made my skin bleed, although I wasn't certain I could tell since I'd yet to have a chance to wash off the blood.

Realizing what I was doing made me rub my palms down my dress over and over again. It wasn't going to help. Misha's blood was caked on, dried. I was suddenly panting, now sweating where I'd had the chills before. I pressed the button for the window, infuriated when it didn't budge. When I slammed my fist against the glass, Kraven hissed, immediately grabbing my hand. Even though he squeezed for reassurance, my instinct was to try to pull it away.

"Calm down, pretty Penny."

"How in God's name can you say that after what just happened? Maybe you're used to the horror but I'm not. The worst thing I've seen was when my mother took her last breath, her body nothing but a stick. I was heartbroken but knew she'd gone to a better place. At least that's what our minister told my father and me. I don't know if I believe in heaven and hell now."

I also had the habit of rambling when I was anxious or frightened. Right now, I was both. But oddly enough, no longer of the bloodied man sitting next to me. In two days, I'd found myself feeling almost comfortable around him. No, the intensity of my feelings was more significant. It felt as if I needed him like the air around me to breathe.

It was crazy, possibly heading into the insane but I'd thoroughly enjoyed the day. Just to see the man playing putt-putt had done my soul some good. Even when I'd smeared ice cream all over his face or the moment I'd yanked him into the water at the park, I'd seen utter joy and I knew it had been as surprising for him as it had been for me.

I pounded on the glass again, still panting. "Open the goddamn thing. I need some air."

He pressed a button on the massive interactive screen on the dashboard, which allowed me to control the window. Maybe I should unlock the door at the same time.

He turned down a driveway, lowering his window as well to motion toward one of four or more guards. They looked like Marines standing guard at a gatehouse, ready to shoot at will.

I took a deep breath while Remington tried to get to the man who leaned over.

"Good evening, sir," the guy said.

"Is my brother here?" Kraven asked. I sensed he was exasperated and I'd almost forgotten he'd mentioned he had a brother.

"He's here. He's not happy about it either. He was brought back from a club."

Kraven snorted. "He can sulk all he wants. Any other sign of trouble? Any visitors?"

"Nothing. I have twelve men on duty tonight. They'll keep good watch."

"Call me if you see anything and I do mean a goddamn coyote."

"Will do, boss."

He rolled up the window, pressing down on the accelerator as he rolled down the long driveway. Vegas was so damn dry, watering barely allowed. There were no pretty shrubs or flowering trees, but I could swear there were prickly cactuses off on both sides. I hadn't paid much attention to how far we'd driven but seeing the bright stars in the sky allowed me to realize his estate was far removed from the bright lights of the city.

I leaned forward, enjoying the fresh air as I stared up at the sky. The stars were twinkling so brightly, like the beacons of hope that I'd mentioned to the brutal Russian seconds before tragedy had struck.

"How did you kill all those men by yourself?" I don't know why I asked or if I really wanted to know.

"It's called training, Penny. My father was in the Russian army and had a stint in the KGB. While my family left Mother Russia prior to my requirement to serve, he made certain I was taught everything he'd been beaten into learning."

"Your father was KGB, a law enforcement officer and a Bratva leader?"

He chuckled and picked up speed. "Don't believe everything you hear about the KGB, especially from twenty plus years ago. They were hunters, eliminating anyone who dared go against the politics. My grandfather had told my dad it was excellent training ground."

"Jesus. That's no way to be forced to grow up."

"Don't worry, pretty Penny. While my father was a hard man, often unemotional, he wanted better for his children, which is why we moved to the States."

"Yet, you're a mafia leader, a brutal man who enjoys killing people. How many men have you killed in your lifetime?"

"Be careful asking questions you don't want to know, Penny. You might not like the answers, but I can tell you that there have been reasons for what I'd been forced to do in my life."

"Isn't that how all bad men justify their existence? They act as if they're allowed to take life for any and all reasons, becoming judge and jury?"

As lights flashed across the windshield, my attention was pulled away. I found myself squinting as I peered out the glass at the massive building presenting itself in all its magnificent glory. I had a feeling my mouth had dropped open as I peered at the modern structure that was at least four stories tall, every roof line angled. There was so much glass I was shocked, anticipating a concrete fortress of some kind like the military would use.

"Welcome to my estate, Penny. You should be comfortable here and soon will consider it your home."

My home.

In his asking about my mom, another wave of bad memories had settled in. How long had it been since I'd felt like I had a real home, one with laughter, and all those celebrations I'd mentioned to Kraven? Too long. I felt as if the memories of the good times were going to be replaced with horrors.

I turned my head toward him, the silly fantasy I'd allowed myself to buy into earlier fading completely away, reality forming a knot in my stomach.

The man was terrifying and glorious. He'd seemed so put together with his Armani suit and Gucci shoes, his dark wavy hair as if he'd just come from getting it coiffed in a posh barbershop. But now, at this moment, when the burst of light allowed me to see his blood-soaked, ruined clothes, and his face mottled from the violence he'd inflicted, I thought he was the most gorgeous man on the face of this earth.

Why was an alarming amount of lust sweeping down my spine, sending a pulsing wave of heat into my pussy?

I knew what he was capable of, the horrors he'd inflicted even while doing so to save my life. I also knew of his dark desires, a sadistic man refusing to take no for an answer.

He'd captured his prey whether by accident or by design.

Now he was going to cage and use me for his personal pleasure.

And there was nothing I could do about it.