Savage Tracker by Maggie Cole

32

Selena

Four Weeks Later

"You're up early,"Obrecht says. Sweat covers his body. He leans down, and I tilt my head up. He gives me a quick kiss on the lips.

I put my makeup brush down and spin on the vanity stool. "Anna isn't feeling well. She called and asked if I could check on the flooring install. They screwed it up the first time, and she made them redo it."

"Which project?"

"That Sasha guy."

He strips his wet clothes off and tosses them on the floor. "Sasha must be going nuts. That's going to cost him an arm and a leg."

"Yep. He wasn't too happy." I point. "I'm buying a laundry hamper for that corner today."

He glances at his pile of workout gear. "I always put it in the basket after I shower." He sticks his hand under the water to test the temperature.

"It makes sense to have one in the bathroom and one in the closet." I rise and walk toward him, checking out every inch of his hard body, from the snake face on his neck and his Natalia tattoo to his rock-hard calves. I bend over, pick up his dirty clothes, and pat his ass.

My husband.

He glances at me. "Whatever you want but careful what you're slapping, Mrs. Ivanov. I'll drag you into the shower, and you'll miss your appointment."

"Hmmm." I tilt my head and trail my finger down his spine. "That sounds tempting."

He chuckles and steps into the shower. "What time are you done today? Should I meet you here or at Skylar's office?"

Skylar started her own fashion line and her office is finished. She's having a small party. "I'm not sure. Can we play it by ear? I'm meeting your mom for lunch with the wedding planner to solidify loose ends."

He smirks. "Have fun with that. Text me when you know if I'm picking you up or meeting you."

"Okay, I will!" Ever since we got married in Hawaii, I only feel excitement about the wedding. My night terrors have gotten a bit better, but they seemed to have sprung up again the last few nights. I'm trying not to let them ruin any of the joy I feel. I'm Mrs. Obrecht Ivanov. My husband loves and adores me. And I get to repeat my vow to him, in front of all the people we care about, that I dedicate myself to him forever.

He kisses the top of my head and slaps my ass. "Have a good day, baby girl."

"You, too."

He winks and returns to his shower. I leave the penthouse and go through my day. I work on several projects for Anna, meet Svetlana and the wedding planner for lunch, and go to the showroom to pick up a few samples the manager called to say arrived. On my way back to the penthouse, I remember the laundry hamper.

I redirect my driver and go into the store and text Obrecht.

Me: Meet me at Skylar's office. I forgot about the hamper.

Obrecht: Okay, baby girl. Don't take too long. I'll wait in my car. I've got a present for you to open before you go inside.

Me: What is it?

Obrecht: You'll find out later.

Me: Okay, sir.

Obrecht: Get moving, madam.

I smile and send him a photo of me with my cleavage showing.

He returns a photo of his fingers in a V and his tongue sticking through them.

The car stops and Matvey opens the door. He and Gleb follow me inside. Matvey stays near the front of the store, and Gleb trails me. He's a new bodyguard. Obrecht has a rule. The two new guys are never with me alone. One is always with Matvey or Vlad.

The hampers are in the back of the store. I spend a few minutes looking them over and finally decide on a gray wicker one with a cloth interior. I pick it up and turn, expecting to see Gleb. Normally, I can't carry anything without someone taking it from me. I used to feel guilty having them lug all my stuff everywhere, but I realized it's just the Ivanov men or anyone under their employment. They see it as a sign of respect for women. It no longer bothers me.

My chest tightens as I look for Gleb but then I hear something crash and his voice several aisles over. "Sorry. Let me help you pick that up."

I relax, and a mirror in the next row catches my eye. I'm on my way to view it when a black-gloved hand goes over my mouth. The smell of tobacco flares in my nostrils. An Irish accent says in my ear, "Move, and I slice your spine."

I freeze, unsure what to do. I try to see Gleb or Matvey in my peripheral vision, but they are nowhere. I'm dragged through the employee door and down a white hallway. The exit door is at the end of the hall. I'm swiftly taken outside and thrown into the backseat of a black sedan.

The car takes off the moment the door shuts. A hood with only a hole in the mouth gets pulled over my head, and I begin to scream.

"Shut up!" a man barks, holding me tight on his lap. "If you don't, I'm tying an anchor to your legs and dropping you over the bridge."

My screams turn to whimpers. The spandex fabric suctions against my skin. It's a feeling I know too well. It's the same as when I was with Jack and in my dreams. The tightening in my chest sends pain through my heart.

The car ride doesn't last very long. When it stops, the door opens. The man yanks me out of the car, and I count the steps I walk.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

No. Please. No.

The door opens. The scent of musk consumes me.

Jack's scent.

My heart squeezes tighter. Tears soak the cloak over my head. I'm in the place I never again wanted to be. Jack's home. My prison for a decade. Hell on earth.

I try to fight, but the man takes my wrists and pins them behind my back. He pushes me forward, and I almost trip. The counting begins again. This time, there are twenty-three steps, including the landing I have to make a ninety-degree turn on.

My chest seizes so badly, I hyperventilate. I try to scream but nothing comes out. The sliding of metal screeches in my ears. A knife slits my shirt, pants, bra, and underwear so they fall off me. He shoves me until I'm on all fours on a cold, metallic floor. The clanging of metal fills the room.

No amount of crying or fighting will save me. I've spent too many hours in this cage. It's dug into my very core how there is no escaping it. I am once again, Jack's prisoner. His slave.

The heavy oak door slams shut. I stay on my hands and knees, not able to move, knowing cameras are filming me. If I attempt to get into another position, there will be consequences. I try not to think about them, but they consume me, making me tremble harder.

More reality hits me. I defied Jack and left him. I broke our vow by divorcing him. If he could hunt me down and kidnap me, he has to know I married Obrecht. The fear gripping me is stronger than ever.

He's going to make me pay.

Time passes, and my body aches. The position I'm in and the lack of movement creates more pain than I remember. The ticking of the clock is the only thing echoing in the room. I shiver from the cold and my anxious fear.

The door creaks open. The smell of Jack's musk becomes overpowering. I shake harder, and the heat from Jack's body penetrates through the cage.

The voice I hear sends a deeper chill down my spine. The Irish accent is thick. I've heard it too many times in the past. "Do you want to have some fun with her before you sell her to me?"