14. ISABELLA

Chapter 14

ISABELLA

I go still, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My chest heaves, and I fight back tears of frustration and betrayal, realizing I really am alone—I really can't trust anyone, not even my dogs. My mind races, searching for another escape plan, but the reality of my situation crashes down on me.

Stacy reaches out, her hand trembling. "Izzy, please, just listen. We're trying to help you."

"Help me?" I spit, glaring at her. "Wait! Let me take the knife out of my back first. Then you can continue telling me how you're helping me by kidnapping me?"

"It's complicated," Stacy says.

"It always is," I mutter, my voice breaking.

I glance at Davey, who avoids my gaze, and Pavel, who keeps his eyes on the road and probably hasn't blinked at my puny attempt at jumping out of the moving car. And I'm once again betrayed by the people I trusted most—trapped between them and yet another man who sees me as nothing but someone he can control.

Hazel-eyes' grip loosens slightly, but his presence is still imposing. "When you calm down, Isabella, we'll explain everything."

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "And, of course, it's going to make all this better!" I clench my jaw.

"Now, Izzy…" Stacy's voice is soft and supportive, but I'm not falling for that ever again. "I know this isn't the way we planned it."

"We?" I turn and look at her. "As far as I was aware, you only came in on this recently." I see her look away, and my gaze narrows suspiciously. "You were in this from the start." My eyes fall on Davey. So much for my go-to-fixer. Davey and Stacy are going to pay for this.

"Isabella," Davey turns to me, "we're all just doing what's best for you."

"What's best for me?" My voice is now low, with only the slightest tremor giving away the anger burning inside me. "I'm getting rather sick of people telling me what's best for me."

"We know you're upset," Hazel-eyes says. "But if you'd just listen instead of being so fucking stubborn." He shakes his head.

"Upset?" My eyebrows raise, my eyes widen, and I push my head forward. "Upset!" I start laughing and move one hand behind my back, sliding it carefully into my back pocket. "You think this is just upset?" My anger pushes through the words. "I've had a really shitty few days. I found out that my whole life, I've been like this little creature kept in a zoo full of fucking crazy psychopaths trying to hitch me to a monster. So no, this isn't upset. I'm fucking furious that you took my freedom away once again!"

"Isabella!" Hazel-eyes's voice is low with warning. "Calm down. I don't want to have to drug you."

"Drug me?" My brows raise as my fingers curl around my pocket knife. I slowly pull it out. "You should've thought of that sooner."

Before he can react, I have the knife out, click the blade, and jab it into his thigh.

"Fucking hell." Hazel-eyes howls in pain.

Stacy balks at the sight, and I use her shock. I lean over her, shoving her head against the window with all my strength. She yelps, grabbing her head and I yank her toward me by the hair, giving me just enough space to scramble over her lap and reach for the door handle. My heart pounds in my chest as I push the door open before Pavel has time to react and hit the locks. Without a second thought I jump out, feeling the rush of cool air hit my face.

I hit the ground hard, rolling down an embankment. Pain shoots through my body as rocks and debris scrape my skin. Fuck, jumping out of a moving car hurts like hell! But I only give myself a second to wallow in agonizing pain before I'm up and limping as fast as I can into the woods.

Branches whip against my face and arms as I push through the underbrush, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I glance back once, seeing the car at the top of the embankment and hearing shouts behind me. But I can't stop. I have to keep moving. I have to get away.

It's getting dark, and the woods are dense, but I use the cover to my advantage, weaving through trees and bushes, trying to put as much distance between me and the car as possible. My ankle throbs with each step, but the adrenaline keeps me going. I stumble a few times, catching myself on tree trunks, but I push on, not daring to slow down.

The sounds of pursuit fade, and I find myself in a small clearing. I lean against a tree, trying to catch my breath, my mind racing. I can't stay here. I need to keep moving, find help, and get as far away from them as possible.

I have to find water in case they set my dogs after me. I've been there before. I tried to run away when I was eighteen, and Zeus found me. He didn't know he was doing anything wrong; he was just trying to find me. But I'll be damned if I let them catch me today. Today was my day to get away. I want to be free once and for all, and that is what I'm going to be.

Well, after I find a hospital and get the verdict on how many broken ribs I have. I try not to think about the dark and the woods. I don't like either, but I've trained for this, and this is no longer a training exercise. It's the real fucking deal, and I have no safety net this time. I look down and shake my head. Fucking stupid wedge sandals. I'm going to have to run through this place barefoot.

An idea hits me. I slip the shoes off and throw them in two different directions. That should keep Zeus and Hera distracted for a few seconds longer, as I have no doubt they'll use them to track me.

"God, when did it get to this?" I ask as my bare feet squish through the grass, and I try not to think about the bugs and spiders underfoot. "What is happening to my life? When did it get so shitten crazy?" I mutter before stopping and listening. I breathe and let myself go quiet, absorbing the sounds of the woods. I hear the sound of running water, but I can also hear the sound of barking.

Fuck, I don't have long. I set off and find the stream. It's not too big, but there's a muddy bank, and that's all I need. I jump across and head into the bush on the other side, where I scoop up a few handfuls of mucky mulchy mud. Before I can let myself think, I slather it all over myself. It might not completely hide my scent, but it could confuse them just enough.

I know that once I have my dogs, they will obey me, hopefully, if they're not having a ride in a car which turns them into fucking little drooling pussies. But they will also be accompanied by two obviously highly trained giant SWAT team types. Hazel-eyes doesn't have an accent but speaks perfect Russian. But if Pavel's accent is anything to go by, they're probably a Russian SWAT team. Does Russia have SWAT teams? Of course they do. I shake my straying thoughts from my mind.

I have to concentrate and think. My only chance is a surprise attack. I just have to take one of them down and get my dogs back on my side. Davey and Stacy, I can deal with, and oh, am I going to deal with those two motherfucking traitors. I will get back to the car. Leave them on the side of the road, take my dogs, and get the fuck out of here.

As soon as my scent has been covered, I quickly make my way back across the stream. Ignoring my sore ribs, bruised arm, and aching ankle, I nimbly climb up a tree. Flattening myself against a branch and hoping to Christ there are no fucking snakes or other curious creatures in this tree, I wait.

Minutes pass like hours. I hear rustling below and hold my breath. Pavel emerges first, looking around cautiously. Zeus and Hera follow, their noses to the ground but clearly confused by the mulch. I see Hazel-eyes just behind them, scanning the area with a stern look on his face.

Now. My instincts scream.

I drop from the tree, landing directly behind Pavel. The surprise and momentum give me an edge. I kick his legs out from under him, flipping him onto his back. He goes down with a hard thud on the ground. Zeus and Hera perked up immediately at my presence and rush over to me.

"Zeus, Hera, hold!" I command, my voice firm despite my pounding heart. To my relief, my dogs instantly obey. Zeus is on top of Pavel before the big guy can get up while Hera vaults her large one-hundred-and-ten-pound body at Hazel-eyes, taking him down with ease. Before the two men can fling the big dogs off them, they are held hostage by very sharp canine teeth positioned strategically on the men's throats while my dogs growl menacingly.

"Don't move!" I snap, disarming Pavel, taking his gun and pointing it at Hazel-eyes. "Because I have no qualms about shooting either of you, but before I even manage to pull the trigger, my dogs will have ripped your throats out."

I move to Hazel-eyes and take his gun, his dagger, and the rest of the arsenal he has hidden on him. "Fuck, man." I shake my head at him. "Seriously, dude, you have some trust issues." I throw his weapons a distance away but keep his gun.

I feel like a super spy standing with a gun in each hand pointed at the two soldiers or whatever the fuck they are. I don't know, and I don't care, as I'm not sticking around long enough to find out.

Hazel-eyes doesn't flinch, even with Hera's jaws near his neck. "Isabella, listen to me," he says calmly. "We're not here to harm you. We're trying to help you escape. We don't have time for this. The effects of that drug will wear off soon and we need to be long gone when it does."

"How am I supposed to trust you?" I hiss, tightening my grip on the guns when he tries to move, but stops when Hera increases the pressure on his throat, making him wince.

"Don't move," I warn. "Hera is especially ruthless, and right now, she wants you to move, so she has an excuse to rip your throat out."

"Fucking hell hounds," Pavel hisses. Zeus's growls grow more threatening. "Jesus, sorry, Zeus."

Hazel-eyes sighs deeply. "If you'd stuck around, I was about to introduce myself, but I hadn't up to then as I was hoping you'd remember."

"We've met before?" I ask. "I mean before the other night at the Velvet Lounge."

"Yes, but I guess you were too young to remember me." His voice is low. "I'm Konstantin."

As he says the name, fragments of faded memories hit me between the eyes. My breath catches in my throat— no, it can't be! Confusion swirls away the memories, and I feel strangely light-headed, but the memories are coming fast and furious now.

A young boy with dark hair and eyes that mirrored mine pushing me on a swing—standing up for me and taking the blame when I did something wrong. Hunting beneath my bed and in a closet for monsters each night before I went to sleep.

His name slices through my brain and stabs at my heart. My eyes open wide, and I look at him.

"Tanti?" I whisper. I hear him suck in a quick breath. "No, it can't be."

"It is," he says softly. "I'm not going to hurt you, and if you want to go, I won't stop you, but can you please call your pets off?"

I hesitate, not sure whether to believe him or not, but in my heart, I feel it's the truth. But I've been lied to and manipulated by everyone who I thought loved me.

"Prove it!" I look at Hazel-eyes.

"When you were a kid you were afraid of the dark," Hazel-eyes tells me. "Each night before you went to sleep I'd check your room for monsters and then tell you stories until you fell asleep."

My heart jolts and I feel the sting of tears burning behind my eyes as those memories come back to me once again but I swallow the emotion and keep my hands steady. He still could be lying but I have the guns and my dogs.

"Hera, Zeus, release," I command. "Guard!"

My dogs instantly obey, releasing the men's necks, stepping off them, and sitting in front of each of them, watching them warily.

Konstantin sits and rubs his neck before pushing himself into a standing position. A smile lifts his mouth, and I see haunting emotions flicker in his cold eyes. "Hello, little sister."

I feel the tears well up as I suck in a breath. I remember those words and the way he said it so well. All doubt about who he is leaves me, and before I can stop myself, I launch into his arms.

"Tanti."

My mind is admittedly still skeptical, but my heart, it's like it knew the moment he walked up to me and handed me his jacket in the Velvet Lounge three nights ago. His powerful arms wrap around me and grip me to him. His one hand wraps around my head, and he buries his face in my hair.

"It's so good to finally get you out of there," Konstantin whispers. "I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you."

"I thought you were dead." I sob into his solid chest. "All I had left of you and Mom was a photo in my locket." My hand reaches for my locket, but it's not there. I step out of his arms. "Shit!"

"What is it?" Konstantin is immediately alert.

"My locket," I tell him. "I'm sure I had it on earlier." My eyes widen. "Oh no. I think I lost Mom's locket."

"Mom didn't have a locket," Konstantin tells me, frowning.

"No, she did," I tell him. "I got it when I was sixteen. Genevra brought it to me as per Mom's instructions." I feel Konstantin stiffen.

"What did it look like?" Konstantin asks me.

"It was gold." I instantly reach for my phone. "Fuck!" I hiss. "Andrey has my phone. I'm sure there's a picture of it on there, as I never take it off."

"Maybe you dropped it when you jumped out of the moving car," Pavel says. "I'll backtrack your steps and look." He looks at Konstantin. "We need to go." He points to his gun. "May I?"

"Oh, shit!" I didn't even realize I was still holding them. As I hand the weapons back to them, I realize that the safety was on, but they don't say anything.

"Pavel's right," Konstantin says, holstering his gun. "We have to go." His eyes scan my body. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," I assure him. "I just need some ice for my ankle, antiseptic for my scratches, and a wrap for my ribs."

"I have a doctor at home who will look at you," Konstantin tells me and feels me stiffen at the word home. "Please, Izzy-B. All I ask is that you come with us to our safe house. Hear me out, and I promise you if you want to leave, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

I look at him, and while he seems sincere, I'm not sure I can trust anyone. But it's getting dark, my body aches like hell, and right now, he's the better evil of the two.

"Found them." Pavel nearly scares the shit out of me, popping up behind Konstantin and holding the weapons I'd thrown away. I didn't even see him walk past us.

Konstantin takes them, and we head back the way we came. Pavel is on high alert, looking for my locket. My heart hangs heavy, and I've almost given up hope that it will be found.

"Is this it?" Konstantin asks, holding up his hand to show the necklace.

"Yes." I breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

I'm about to take it from him but he closes his hand over it. "I'll give it back to you when we're at the safe house." He tells me, handing it to Pavel. "Put it in a Faraday bag." He looks at me. "Actually, little sister. I'm going to have to ask you for all your jewelry. Just until we've checked them out."

I nod and hand him my watch, earrings, and gold bracelet. Pavel takes them while we get back to the car. Stacy and Davey are standing beside it, looking nervous.

"Fuck Isabella!" Stacy hisses, running forward, but I hold up my hand to stop her.

"I don't want to talk to you or Davey right now," I tell her, then order the dogs to jump into the back. "I'm riding shotgun," I say, climbing into the front passenger seat.

Konstantin takes over the driving. Stacy climbs in beside him. Davey and Pavel squash me between them in the back. We've barely pulled back onto the road, and Stacy pops her head around the seat.

"Your father's not who you think he is, Izzy," she tells me.

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" I ask, remembering Andrey's words. You really don't know who you or your father are, do you? Anger bursts through me again. "These past four days have been a lot ," I grate. "I'm tired of the lies, being kept in the dark, and manipulated. So unless you want me to jump from this moving car again or push you all out of it, I suggest someone starts talking."

"Marco Moretti doesn't just defend the underworld, Izzy-B," Konstantin says, glancing at me in the mirror. "He runs it."

"No!" The denial escapes my lips. I remember how Andrey had started calling me princess. If what Konstantin had just said was true, it wasn't in reference to me being his fiance and future Bratva queen—it was in reference to me being the king of the underworld's daughter! "I don't understand."

"Your father is Mafia—the Moretti family mob boss," Pavel gives me a clear picture of who my father is.