Page 50 of Captive

I studied him for a few seconds, marveling at the way he was able to pull it forward by several feet. With his change in attire as well as the light level, I was able to catch a better look at several of the artistic pieces covering his body. Every one of them haunted me.

“Why don’t you allow me to help you?” I asked, although I knew the answer.

“Go back to the house.”

“Nikolai. Let me help you.” Refusing to take no for an answer, I moved closer, tugging on the front end of the boat.

“You’ll hurt yourself. I can get this.”

“Now you’re the stubborn one. I’m stronger than I look.” As if needing to prove myself for some crazy reason, I managed to drag the ugly vessel by several feet and into the limited sunlight.

The initial moment of anger crossing his face was followed by another shake of his head. “Fine. Have it your way. Let’s go.”

I knew he was testing me, determined I’d bail out after only a few minutes. He didn’t understand my dogged determination when I set my mind to something. Besides, his constant anxiety had allowed the danger to sink into my mind. We had to be prepared for whatever happened.

The boat wasn’t that heavy, but even with two people, it was awkward carrying it through the woods. While there’d obviously been a path at some point leading down to the river, the area was completely overgrown, the underbrush close to being treacherous.

Tree limbs snapped against my face, portions snagging my sweater. The trek seemed much further than the day before. The second we reached the clearing, the boat slipped out of my hand.

There was no admonishment or thank you. Nikolai simply hoisted the boat off the ground, dragging it several yards then positioning it next to a massive oak tree. I walked closer, noticing the oars locked in place against both sides. There was a moment of foreshadowing in my mind, although at this point there was no reason for it. His caution kept me on edge. Maybe that was the only way he’d managed to survive.

My thoughts drifted to the hidden room at his house. The sight of dozens of weapons had been chilling, but not nearly as much as the man’s keen abilities he’d used to keep us out of harm’s way. There was nothing the man couldn’t do.

I shifted closer to the river, listening to the sounds as water lapped over the jagged rocks. I hadn’t noticed before but there were scores of fish, the river obviously deeper than I’d realized. The location was actually beautiful in its natural design. I held back a frustrated laugh.

I sensed he’d walked closer, likely to tell me once again to go back to the cabin and hide. When he flanked my side, remaining quiet, I couldn’t think of anything to say to him. As close as we’d been the night before, the moment was as awkward as always.

“I never meant for any of this to happen to you, Chloe. I do hope you realize that. However, whether you believe me or not, you’re going to need to trust me.”

I thought about his words before answering, almost laughing before speaking. I’d gone from wanting to scratch out his eyes to trusting him? “I actually do. You don’t know how rare that is for me.”

“Good,” he huffed, still staring out at the water. “That will be tested.”

“Did something happen you’re not telling me about?”

“No, which is also a problem. I was expecting a phone call from a Russian contact. The silence is telling.”

“Can you trust him?”

I could see his expression darkening. “I’m not entirely certain at this point. If I don’t learn any additional information today, there’s going to be a change in plans.”

“Meaning?”

He slowly turned in my direction. “Meaning I’m going to find a safer place for you.”

“Which means you’re going to be the one doing the hunting.” I sensed he wasn’t telling me something.

“Exactly. I can’t risk your life. I won’t do that. You should have a bag ready with a few items you want to take. If something goes down, it will happen quickly. You’ll have minutes to be ready. Do you understand?”

“You are scaring me, Nikolai, even more than those men chasing us did.”

“If you haven’t figured out by now, you should be terrified. You’re not going to fight me on taking you somewhere safe. If you have a location in mind, I suggest you let me know. However, if there’s any possibility the Bratva can find out where you’re staying, that can’t be your choice.”

“I don’t have anyone in my life, Nikolai. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”

“You really aren’t in contact with your parents?”

“No. My parents tossed me out because I tried to help my brother, the black sheep of the family. The moment I took his side over theirs, I was dead to them. Yeah, there are extenuating circumstances as to why they’d do something so drastic, but their actions forced me to realize that I couldn’t count on anyonebut myself. And I’ve never placed my trust in anyone, so that makes the fact I actually trust you a big damn deal.”