Chapter 8 - Elena

Once I chuck my dirty clothes out of the shower, I stand there and grip the shower head tightly in case Arseny changes his mind and decides he can come into the shower with me.

I turn the water on, still standing there waiting.

Arseny Milov. I'd never seen a Milov before, but I've heard the brothers were very good-looking. Apparently, two of them have a thing for curvy girls. I wonder if that's why Arseny took me. Maybe he's looking to take advantage of me. Maybe this has nothing to do with the butchers. Maybe this is just a typical ransom.

He doesn't come, though. He doesn't move. He lets me shower, mostly in peace, and I enjoy every single second I can wring out of it before I dry myself off and wrap the towel around me.

I thought he'd simply say we're to go to bed, but to my abject horror, he says he's going to shower now and pulls down his pants and boxers.

I look away, but not before I see he's semi-erect. It makes me nervous, but I plonk myself down on the toilet and simply look ahead as he closes the shower curtain.

He already felt big when he wasn't erect. I kind of want to see him fully erect to compare the size difference. The water is on, and he groans with pleasure. It makes my stomach tighten as I imagine him on top of me while my body makes him moan like that.

No, I cannot let my thoughts go that way. I sit tight as he showers, and with every tug of the chain, I wonder if he's pleasuring himself, taking care of his little problem. Let's be honest, it's not fucking little problem.

I take a steadying breath, trying to control myself. I know a lot about Arseny. His ruthlessness is well known in Las Vegas. He's the one who extracts the information for the Milovs. The one who deals with traitors and transgressors alike. His skill with a blade is apparently unmatched. I've heard a lot about him, but at the same time, I know absolutely nothing about him. He's hardly given me any information since we've met. What I know is just hearsay. He said, she said, they said, and all that. Nothing concrete. I realize, though, that I am in danger if this is the Milov I'm stuck with.

I run my fingers through my hair to work out any knots.

"You can't escape," he says, with tired resignation.

"I'm just running my fingers through my hair," I say sharply.

He goes back to showering and leaves me to undo the knots in my hair.

I wonder if his Pakhan arranged for him to be at that butcher's, arranged for him to take me. Arseny keeps making out as though my father is the problem, but what if that's just a front for what he actually wants?

This could have been arranged from the beginning.

No. No, how could they have known where I'd be? Unless they were following me the entire day and slipped in through the back. Still, why pretend to be a butcher"s son for so long?

The water shuts off, and his hand grabs a towel. He doesn't dry off. He simply climbs out of the shower, his body glistening, and with the towel wrapped around his waist. He has so many muscles he must work out every day.

"Let's find something to wear," he says. I get up and follow him to the bedroom, where he opens the closet. The clothes are vacuum-sealed to protect them from bugs. He takes out one set and hands it to me. "It's about my sister-in-law's size, something I stored in case I ever have to bring them here. There's fresh underwear, tracksuit pants, and a T-shirt in there.

"Keep your back turned," I warn him as I turn to the bed.

He moves to shut the door and then takes the cuff off my hand. "I'm counting to twenty."

"What?"

"One… Two… Three…"

I quickly get dressed, and when I'm done, I sit on the bed. He turns around at twenty and comes over to cuff me again.

I need to keep my strength for during the day so that I can escape when it's daylight and see where I'm going.

He dries himself off and pulls on a pair of boxers before he motions to the bed. "Get in."

"What if I need the bathroom?" I ask quietly.

"You'll obviously wake me up, won't you?" he asks.

I nod quietly and climb into the bed, but when he climbs in, I take all the extra pillows on the bed and build a barrier between us.

"Aw, are you worried I'm going to hold you in your sleep, princess?" he teases me.

He likes to tease me, and I wouldn't mind having someone that strong and built to hold me in my sleep. I would feel like the safest girlfriend ever. But not him. I don't want him touching me. I would feel dirty if a Milov put his hands on me.

"Just keep your hands to yourself," I demand. "I mean it. If you bring anything near me, I'll break it."

He chuckles as he settles down. "Fine. Fine. I won't hold you if you get scared of the forest noises."

He pulls the duvet over us, and I hug it, keeping my back to him.

"You can ask me." His voice is quiet as he turns off the lamp.

In the dark, I'm a lot more scared. I realize what kind of vulnerable position I've been put in.

"Ask you what?" I ask curiously.

"Whatever you want to know," he says quietly. "Now that you know who I am, I have no issue answering most of your questions."

I lie there quietly, willing myself to sleep, but the questions are buzzing through my head. I've never been one who can be quiet or not question things. My father thinks it"s a fault, but I think it's the best way to find the answers.

"Why did you take me?" I ask, listening intently.

"I told you that already. I want to know why your father is buying all the butchers. If you could just tell me that, I swear, I would release you."

"But why take me? Why not approach my father? He's always been straightforward when it comes to business." I turn slightly.

"He hasn't been straightforward about this," he says quietly.

"What are you going to do with me?" I ask hesitantly.

"Keep you until I figure out the best way to extract the information I need," he turns on the bed, and I realize he's lying on his back looking at me. The moon shines through the window and illuminates the room. He seems almost like a man possessed, with his eyes appearing so dark. It's bone-chilling.

"Are you going to hurt me?" I ask.

"Not if you do what I say," he admits. "If you don't, I can't make any promises. This isn't my finest hour. I didn't have an exact plan when I took you, so now I need to figure out the best course of action that will have a minimal impact on my family. If your father had just…" he trails off.

"You're accusing my father of being underhanded. We're not like that," I inform him. "We've never done business that way."

"Well, your father has changed tactics. I don't expect he would have run them by you. You're not a key player in the family." He sighs. "I would have been better off getting Ethan."

I huff and spin around, turning my back on him again. "I am a key player in the family, and I know my father would have mentioned it if he were up to something." I'm angry at him but don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me riled up.

"Whatever you say, princess. Get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll make eggs for breakfast. Maybe some bacon."

"Better not be like pigeon eggs or something," I mumble. I close my eyes. The exhaustion of the day washes over me, and I slowly drift off.

Something croaks, and my eyes fly open. "What's that?"

"It's a frog," he grumbles. "You know, because we're in the middle of the woods."

"That means we're near a water source," I say quietly.

"Good guess. We are near a water source, where the cabin"s running water comes from. It's run through purifiers and whatnot." He sighs and smacks his lips. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

The frog croaks again, and I whimper. "Is it in the room?"

"Unlikely, though, it sounds like it. The cabin is pretty well sealed, and the only place it could really come up is through the pipes, but there are gulley grates on all the drains, and nothing can get through except maybe a bug or two. Nothing to worry about."

I shiver slightly at the thought of bugs crawling all over me and hug the blanket closer.

"If something comes into the room, I'll kill it, okay?" Arseny says gently. "I promise."

"Okay," I agree quietly, trying to settle down and fall asleep again.

My eyes flutter, and I open them slowly. The room is flooded with warm light, and there's a warm presence spooning me from behind. Pressing against my ass is a hard rod of some sort, and the morning grogginess makes me wonder what it is. I groan and yawn and realize someone other than me is holding my boob.

Everything comes flooding back to me, and I remember Arseny Milov took me captive, and I freeze. I told him to keep his hands to himself, but I can't help but wonder if there's potential here.

Maybe this isn't a bad idea after all. Maybe I can seduce him into releasing me. At least get him to undo the cuff so I can kick him in the nuts and make a run for it. With it being daytime, I will be able to see where I'm going and spot any potential dangers.

I could make it further than I did last night. Although I do wince at the thought of how cut up my feet are going to be. The adrenaline should stop that from hurting until I reach the road, at the very least.

I decide to go for it, and I wriggle my butt slightly. Arseny groans and rubs himself up and down my ass cheek. His boxers are straining with his morning wood, and he is bigger than I imagined.

I wiggle my ass again, and his hand moves to my hips as he sleepily mumbles. "Careful, Princess, you might start something you can't finish."

I turn around, and his wood is in line with my crotch. I press myself forward and stroke his chest. His eyes snap open, and he looks down at me. "I mean it."

I raise my head a fraction and lean up to kiss him. "Maybe I want to finish this."

Arseny lets me kiss him before I kiss down his neck and his chest before I surface to kiss his lips again.

"Nice try, princess," he growls and turns away. I grab his dick and stroke it slowly. He takes a deep breath and watches me with those intense, dark eyes.

I look up at him, innocently licking my lips.

He moves my hand away and takes both my wrists in one hand. He lifts them above my head and kisses me intensely. His mouth capturing mine. I return the kiss, and our tongues dance together. His other hand wraps around my neck, and at first, I'm worried he's going to choke me, but he simply holds me in place.

Before I know what's happening, his hand drops to my breast and massages it through the shirt.

I can't stop the little gasp that escapes my mouth into his.