Downswing Page 4

  "How long have I been asleep, Zak?"

  "Two days, though I was the one who insisted on drugging you enough to keep you asleep that long to heal, after I was assured your concussion was not an imminent threat. The doctor was just in and said you should be sore, but able to move about when you woke up. It seems you heal very fast, thank god."

  I felt Zak stand and looked back to him. He was turned from me, and I just looked my fill at his strong shoulders and slim frame. Zakhar was exactly the type of man I had gone for most of my life, as far as looks were concerned, but I didn’t feel the twinge of desire as I usually did looking at him. As my mind went over the events that had gotten me laid up in bed, I only felt an emptiness in my chest that was so vast, it felt like a desert had settled where my soul had once been.

  My fists clenched, and rage burned low in my belly as Ludo's face flashed across my mind.

  "Zak. Is Ludo okay?" My voice was deceptively soft, but the steel that was beneath my question was unmistakable.

  Zak turned slowly to me, lifting a haughty brow.

  "You mean the boy who prompted you to act out as you did? He is perfectly safe, though for how long will probably depend on how you treat the Pakhan tonight when he visits you."

  My lip curled into a snarl. "How can he be safe after going through the horrors he had to experience? He's only a kid, Zak. What was done to him was sick." My voice grew stronger, and I sat up slowly as I talked. My body gave a few twinges of pain but other than my throat, nothing screamed in pain, just a dull ache here and there.

  "Ah, you do not know. The cartel boy did not go to entertain the Pakhan's guests. Another prisoner volunteered in his place."

  My head snapped back at that, and I let out a grunt of pain as my neck screamed in agony. Zak stepped forward, his hands outstretched as if to help, but I held up a staying hand.

  "Who?" I stared into Zak's eyes and he stood up straight, his hands falling to his sides.

  "The French boy. I believe his name is Silas." Zak broke the news gently and looked as if he was about to say something but pressed his lips together instead.

  Shock spread through me, and I knew my face was showing every inch of it.

  Zak gave a sad looking smile, and said in a quiet voice, "It seems he did it for you, angel."

  Tears sprang to my eyes in an instant, and I lowered my head. My shoulders shook with suppressed sobs, and I had to clench my eyes tight to keep myself from losing control. I clenched my teeth, forcing the tears and sobs back with all the power I could muster. I breathed heavily for a few moments, not saying a word. Zak's legs appeared at the corner of my vision as he came up to stand right next to the bed, and I could almost feel him reaching out a hand to comfort me.

  An eerie calm washed over me, and I felt my mind switch gears from trying to process the myriad of emotions surfacing, to calculating plans of action.

  "Zakhar." I looked up into his face that was full of compassion, and spoke in a calm, cool voice. "What time should I be expecting Korol's visit?"

  Surprise crossed Zakhar's face, but he recovered quickly.

  "Pakhan Korol said to be sure to see you into the shower and to have you dressed and ready as soon as you awoke. Shall I try to stall him, angel?"

  "No, Zakhar. That’s fine. Can’t put the bastard off forever.” I tossed the covers aside and swung my feet across the large bed. I was wearing nothing but an oversized cotton shirt, but didn't flinch as Zakhar's gaze connected with my bare legs. Standing slowly, I smiled as Zakhar stepped back a few paces to give me room to maneuver. I took a few tentative steps, testing the strength of my legs. Feeling no unnecessary discomfort, I raised my head and walked with purpose towards the bathroom. Turning to look at Zakhar over my shoulder, a gentle smile curled my lips.

  "I assume you've been asked to leave?"

  Zakhar just stared at me with that predatory gaze of his, and nodded once.

  I sighed, then gave a shrug. Grasping the cotton shirt in my fists, I flung it over my head and tossed it to the floor. I turned fully towards Zakhar, whose eyes widened in shock. Completely naked save the bandage around my throat, I walked slowly towards my dumbstruck bodyguard. He stifled the shock quickly and simply held my gaze with that unflinching, predator stare that I had seen on him so many times before.

  Walking right up to him, I craned my sore neck to stare up into his beautiful face. I tilted my head slightly to the side, and a breath of discomfort escaped me. Staring into those intense amber eyes, I leaned forward, licking my lips.

  "Will you remove my bandage, Zak?" My voice was husky, and my eyelids drooped ever so slightly. My breath stilled in my lungs as I waited to see what Zak would do. He had never touched my naked skin before, and I couldn’t stem the need that seemed to blossom in my chest for my ever-loyal friend.

  Zakhar stared into my eyes the entire time, his gaze holding a million secrets, but complied with my request. His long, graceful fingers slowly unwrapped the bandage at my throat. His eyes dipped down and a furrow appeared between his brows as he stared at my neck. I felt the cool air against the tortured flesh of my throat and gave a chuckle.

  "Do you think Korol will still want this body? I imagine it's quite ugly now." I raised my hands and pressed them against the hard planes of Zakhar's chest. Marveling at the new sensation of touching Zak, I let out a shaky breath. I could feel the muscles through his shirt, and I slid my hands slowly downwards.

  Zakhar's hands were suddenly wrapped around my wrists and he jerked my hands up. I flinched slightly at the contact, but our gazes collided all the same. I was taken aback at the burning gaze that bored into mine. Zakhar's eyes were molten gold as he stared at me with a look of pure, tortured desire.

  His head swooped down and his sculpted lips caught mine in a kiss filled with fire. The want at the center of my chest bloomed, spreading through me like poisoned vines. It infected my every breath as I let him own me. I tasted a very distinct smoky flavor as his tongue tangled against my own. Pressing his body against mine, I couldn't suppress a low, throaty moan from escaping. His hands grasped my face tightly as his lips burned a brand onto my own, and I kissed him back with equal intensity. And all the while, that smoky flavor wound its way through my being, forging a path of pure ice that lead straight to my heart.

  Zak's hands brushed against my neck and I flinched at the sudden pain. Zakhar stepped away from me swiftly breaking the kiss and we both stood there, staring at each other. Our breaths were heavy, and I felt my lips swell from the force of the kiss. Zakhar stood up straight, reached one hand out to brush his fingertips against my cheek, and spoke in a soft voice, thick with regret.

  "Korol will always want you, angel. A thousand scars would not change that. There will never be an escape for you. Never."

  Zakhar left me then, standing naked in the middle of the room, my lips still burning from his kiss. My body felt frozen as I turned and walked across the room, into the extravagant bathroom attached to my room. I paused in front of the floor length mirrors and just stood numbly, staring at my own reflection.

  I stared for several long, agonizing moments. Only a few bruises adorned my body in scattered places but the red, jagged line around my throat stood out amongst any other imperfection on my body. It was definitely going to scar. I couldn't help but feel a vicious stab of satisfaction at the prospect of my flesh being forever marked from my efforts to save Ludo. I remembered to breathe in and out slowly and just stared at my grey eyes that were as flat and cold as stone.

  My mind mulled over the kiss that Zakhar and I had finally shared. He had always been very careful not to touch me, and I had always assumed it had been because he didn't want to invoke Korol's wrath. Zak's taste stained my tongue, and the smoky flavor he had left me with filled my body. I lifted a hand that wavered slightly to my lips and remembered the hard planes of his chest, the feel of his graceful fingers against my face. I pondered over the feel of his lips against mine as I stroked a slow finger across my lips.


  I watched dispassionately as my whole body started to shake. As if the real me was the one standing on the other side of the mirror, I regarded my reflection impassively as tears fell freely down my cheeks. If the cold numbness that had settled into my chest hadn't been in place, I would've had trouble processing my thoughts as the constructs of my world crumbled even more around me. There was no mocking laughter that echoed in my mind this time, only the quiet numbness that scared me even more than the constant serpent that seemed to emerge when I was at my weakest moments.

  The dead look in my eyes frightened me more than all of my delusions combined.

  Turning to the shower, I turned the water to the hottest setting I could. I slowly stepped into the large shower stall and barely flinched as the scalding water burned my skin. When the water fell against the still healing flesh of my throat, I let out a strangled scream, but never changed expression. I simply turned to let the water cascade against my sensitive lips and face. I felt a stab of sick glee at the feel of the water searing my skin.

  An hour passed, and still I stood in the shower, feeling the water go from scalding to lukewarm to freezing. Tears fell freely down my cheeks the entire time, and I just let myself slowly process the situation before me.

  A secret, tentative idea I had been forming for the better part of six months became a concrete plan of action in my mind. If Korol thought I was going to remain his pretty, little victim in my own life’s story, he had another thing coming. I switched the water off, my tears having run out completely, and began to go through the motions of getting ready for Korol's appearance.

  Escape was now my sole objective. I had been too frightened of turning into something I despised to fully gear myself towards my escape plan previously. Even having secured the help of others in the household, I still hadn't been able to give the signal that would let them know I was ready to commence the execution of my escape strategy. The crippling fear that had filled me previously was nowhere to be found now as I coldly tossed aside any and all of my previous reservations.

  Zakhar had told me once that I was capable of more than I knew. He had been right, though not in the way he imagined. A deep, eerie laugh escaped me as I stared into the cold, dead eyes of my reflection.

  I knew - had always known - that I was more than capable of violence. I was more than capable of exacting revenge and leaving behind me a wake of devastation. Violence and ruthlessness had always been my close companions, and it had taken all my mother's love and affection to get me to reign in those tendencies. Now, as I sat alone in my plush prison, about to be brutalized both physically and emotionally, I felt not the slightest twinge of guilt at my decision.

  I was ready to kill… and I was ready to die.

  My lips curled further into a smile as the door to my room opened. My gaze climbed up the mirror of the vanity I was perched at, dressed in absolutely nothing. The man who stood in the doorway was tall, imposing, and moved slowly, but with a singular purpose. A predator’s walk. He strode in, giving low orders to the gaggle of his terrifying personal guards that had followed him. The guards remained outside the room and the man shut the door slowly behind him, staring at the back of my head.

  His gaze caught my own in the mirror, and I watched as he walked with the slow stalking manner of a large cat hunting its prey. He was all grace and sinewy muscle, and he held my eyes captive as he came up to stand behind me. His long fingers curled around my shoulders, and I leaned into his grip, smiling even wider.

  "Welcome… Korol."

  My head tilted back as the man leaned down and pressed a loving kiss to my lips, leaving behind his signature smoky taste.

  "No need to be formal, angel moy. I will always be your Zakhar."

  Chapter Five

  The Bluff

  Emilia

  "It feels so good to stand before you as Korol without restraining and blindfolding you, myshka. I knew you would figure it out after that kiss. Clever girl, enticing me like that." Zak perched himself on the corner of my vanity and played with a strand of my hair between his fingers.

  Looking up at my once-treasured friend, I held onto my smile with a singular stubborn determination. I knew my eyes were flat and cold from the look of amusement that transformed his face from handsome to breathtakingly stunning.

  God, how I loved that smile. My heart cried in anguish. I tamped it down firmly, needing my cold hatred. Needing the numbness that left my mind able to deal with the blow of this betrayal.

  "Why?" I breathed the word, not trusting myself to speak louder for fear of my voice trembling.

  Show no weakness.

  "Very few people know my real face, angel. And you were so insistent upon fighting me at first. If you knew me only as Korol, you would not have opened up to me as you did when I presented myself as your Zakhar. I didn’t trust any of my men around you, so I knew that I had to be the one to gain your trust and slip beneath your defenses. You are too much of a temptation for them. You are truly a rare diamond, Emilia." Zak smiled, as if bestowing me a great compliment.

  I turned my head in one swift movement, jerking my hair from between his fingers. I stood and walked to the middle of the room, still completely naked. Feeling the breeze on my flesh, I forced myself not to shiver and turned back to the monster that had dogged my every waking moment for the past year- Korol, king of the Russian mafia.

  "Why? You're rich, handsome, powerful. You could have anyone you want. Why would you choose to take some random American girl who had to be blindfolded and restrained every time you wanted to fuck me? Why lie to me all this time about who you are?"

  Zakhar regarded me for a long moment. His eyes caught on my breasts and he adjusted himself slightly, clearing his throat. Looking back up into my eyes over the rim of his glasses, his lips tilted into a half smile and his tone gentled.

  "Your smile.” His eyes softened, and a look of longing crossed his face. “Your smile lit up the entire room. When I saw you in my club that night, I knew you were going to be trouble. I tried to look away from you, angel, I truly did. But though you were not the most beautiful woman in that club you still danced, laughed… and smiled as if you were. It was as if you were so full of joy that you could not contain it. Everyone stared at you, trying to get close to you, just to bask in some of that light. They all wanted to get just a taste of the heaven your smile promises. And that made you the most beautiful woman in the world to me."

  Zakhar stood to his full height and slowly crossed to me. He grasped my face in both of his hands, stared right into my eyes and whispered his next damning words.

  "I knew then that I had to be the one to possess you. I had to be the one to dominate all of that light, that promise of heaven on earth. No matter what I had to do - lie to you, drug you, kidnap you, I had to have you." The image of Zakhar, my friend, my ally, the man I had come to care about dimmed. As a slow, terrifying smile curled his lush lips, I gazed into the eyes of the man who had violated me over and over for the past year, the man who had stolen everything, the man who had almost broken me.

  Korol pressed his forehead to mine, that smile transforming into one of sick glee as he breathed his next words in that familiar deep, rasping voice that froze my blood.

  "I had to break you."

  His lips came crashing against my own, and I felt my teeth jerk with the sudden attack. The cruel movement of his mouth made my flesh crawl, and nausea hit me hard. No amount of gentleness was in his body as he broke contact, grabbed my arm and tossed me onto the bed. He stood at the foot of the bed and stripped off his shirt while I scrambled to rise into a sitting position. His muscular chest rose and fell with his ragged breaths as he let me gaze upon his naked chest for the first time. He had a few scars along his chest and stomach that only added to his rugged masculinity. As he unbuckled his belt next, his amber gaze glowed with his sadistic triumph.

  "For the first time, I'm going to fuck you while you gaze upon my face. Seeing me for the first time not as your precious Za
khar, but as Korol. If you fight me this time, I will use this belt and beat that little Mexican brat right in front of you until he begs for death. And I will still fuck you. Either way suits me just fine, myshka."

  I stared into his burning gaze as the familiar voice of Korol echoed in the room. I knew that deep, rasping voice from a year of having it whispered into my ear as he invaded me, body and soul. Zakhar's voice was normally like soft velvet but this tone was that of smoky steel. Two completely different sounding voices for the two faces that I now knew Zakhar to wear.

  My eyes traveled along the muscular planes of Korol’s body and caught on the belt held in his tight grip. The fucker was basking in his victory, I could see it on his face. He had found something that was a sure-fire way of keeping me compliant. If I thought I could get away with it, I would have taunted him for not figuring out until a year later, but I bit the words back. This was going to be a rough night as it was, I didn’t need to endanger myself further. I simply raised my brow at him, smiling my own cold smile.

  "You've nothing to fear from me, Korol. I won't hurt a hair on your pretty, little head."

  Korol stared at me for a surprised moment. He gave a bark of laughter, but thankfully threw the belt against the wall. His movements quick as lightning, he grabbed my ankles and tugged me to the edge of the bed. He unzipped his pants, and shoved them down his hips, all the while branding my body with his gaze. I refused to wince as his rough hands gripped my thighs, yanking them apart. He stepped between them, and I watched as he reached into his back pocket, withdrawing the condom that I thanked all the gods, old and new, that he had worn every time he had raped me. Korol’s lips came out to wet his lips, his breath scissoring in and out as he ran that gaze along my body, lingering on every curve as he made his way up to my face. Our eyes finally locked, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis as two elements clashed.