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“If you try to escape, there will be consequences,” I murmur.
“I won’t. You have my word.” I doubt her word is worth much. She'll take the first opportunity to escape, but I have ways of locking down this cabin, unseen from the outside, that will happily prevent her from getting out while I take my phone call in the forest.
I obviously don’t want her to hear me hashing out plans with my brothers—especially plans about her.
She already knows I don’t have a plan, and I don’t want her to take advantage of it any more than she already has.
I let go of her and watch as she walks toward the bathroom. She stops at the door. “Do you have any more clean clothes?”
“You can wear some of mine. We’ll wash your clothes afterward and set them out to dry.” I walk toward the bedroom with her and take out a tracksuit and a top for her. “It might be a bit big.”
“That’s okay. It’s not like I’m going on the red carpet.” She takes the clothes and goes into the bathroom, shutting the door.
I get dressed, first and foremost, in warm gear. I have plans after this phone call.
I take out some nails and a hammer and go from window to window, closing the windows by hammering nails into the frame. It doesn’t take me long. I only need two or three per frame.
After I’ve done that, I take the tools and hide them. Then I grab my cell phone and go outside. I bolt the windows and shutters from the outside and deadbolt both the back and front doors. No one is getting in or out of this cabin without my keys.
I take out my cell phone and take a deep breath.
It’s cold outside in the night air. The sounds of the woods surround me. I dial Kervyn’s number and wait patiently to be torn in two.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Kervyn answers his phone. Then he moves it away. “Take Samuel out of here, Penny. I need to take this privately.” He brings the phone back to speak to me. “I thought you were kidnapped or dead.”
“I had to lie low. I had to take care of some things,” I say quietly. Remaining calm is my only option here.
“What things?” Kervyn asks. What did you need to take care of, Arseny? What stopped you from texting me just to let me know you’re alive? It’s been almost a week since the last time you were seen.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I did something, and it had unintended consequences.”
“Please tell me you weren’t involved in kidnapping Elena Sokolov.” Kervyn’s groan tells me it’s big news amongst the families.
“I had to. It was the perfect opportunity, and it was her father who made the power move against our family by buying the businesses in our districts. I think they’re trying to oust us from the inside out.” I take a deep breath. “Come on, Kervyn, you would have done the same if you were given an opportunity,”
“That doesn’t sound like something Emery Sokolov would do. He isn’t a smoke and daggers kind of guy,” Kervyn muses.
“His daughter admitted that it was him buying the businesses. By force, may I add, he isn’t giving the owners any choice in the matter.” I wait while Kervyn digests this new information.
“Do you have a plan on what you’re going to do with Elena?” he asks me finally.
“I’m working on it.”
“You took her without a plan. Arseny, you’re going to cause a war. There is going to be bloodshed. Emery has declared he wants his daughter back by the end of the week, or he will kill everyone to find out where she is.” Kervyn sighs. “I say you bring her back with a big apology to Emery. Maybe I can smooth it over by giving him some business we don’t give a shit about.”
“We can’t do that. We can’t let them win,” I say quickly.
“We’re not letting them win. You fucked this up, baby brother. You’re the one who took a well-known Mafia princess to who knows where.” Kervyn pauses. “Let’s get Danil on the line.”
I hear buttons being pressed and then another line ringing.
“Hello?” Danil answers.
“Are you alone?” Kervyn asks.
“One sec.” I can hear him getting up and excusing himself. They must have been having dinner. I hear a door close, and he says, “I am now.”
“Arseny is on the line with us,” Kervyn explains.
