Vasili paused, then nodded. “Too bad,” the big man murmured, expression never changing, “I liked her.” He waved toward the door. “You may leave. I will contact you when ready.”
Lucas pulled my chair back and I stood, skittering away when I felt his hand on the small of my back. His response was to pull me tight beside him as deep, thumping music washed over us. We reached the end of the stairs. As one man in a bouncer shirt pulled the rope gate open for us, we exited out into the chaos of music and flesh.
Before today, I’d never been inside a strip club. Two platforms connected both sides of the room, with naked women climbing tall poles at each end. Additional poles rose around the room, but most of the action here was done off the stages. Topless ladies entertained the various men seated in plush couches dotting the room. We moved slowly around the back of the club, Lucas keeping me in front of him, and I watched as two women led older businessmen behind curtains to our right. Neither woman was smiling, but that didn’t seem to bother the men, whose gazes were very much not focused on the strippers’ faces.
The women were all beautiful, but none of them seemed happy to be there. They ignored my presence completely, and I stayed tense and nervous until we got outside.
Lucas’ big driver met us near the door with the car. After so long in a dark place, the bright sunlight momentarily blinded me. I shielded my eyes with one hand as Lucas let me forward toward the car. I climbed inside the limo first and crawled to the far end, while Lucas sat in his normal seat near the door. I studiously ignored the man, staring out the window.
“You did well in there,” he said after a moment.
“Not like I had a choice,” I replied bitterly, watching as we left this area of the city. I didn’t even know where we were; buildings rose up all around me, blocking out any landmarks that could tell me my location. In the short time I’d lived in New York City and its surrounding areas, I hadn’t given myself time to explore, so the street signs meant little to me.
“There is always a choice,” Lucas replied, his voice even. “Sometimes, there just isn’t a good one.”
I turned to look at my erstwhile captor, but he was staring out a window at the passing city, not at me. Lucas was somber, an expression I hadn’t seen on the man’s face before. There was always a sneer, a snide remark or some sarcastic comment, but never this kind of quiet introspection. The change threw me for a loop and reminded me of another man who looked so similar.
My heart clenched at the thought of Jeremiah, and I stared down at my hands. I wonder if he’s searching for me. Not even four hours before, I’d been snuggled in bed with the man I loved, and my life couldn’t have been more perfect.
Now I was here.
“Why did you kidnap me?” I asked suddenly, searching for something to drive away the aching loneliness.
A ghost of a smile danced across Lucas’ lips. “Would you believe it’s because I enjoy your company?” he asked. I snorted. He shrugged one shoulder. “I thought not.”
“If you needed an interpreter, you could have asked.” Preferably someone else, I added silently, crossing my arms.
He looked at me. “What would you have said if I had asked?”
“No.”
A true smile graced Lucas’ lips. Even from across the car the familiarity of those blue-green eyes on the somber face struck me. He looks so much like his brother.
Beyond their appearance however, the two men were as different as could be. The scar bisecting the face of the man before me was only one outward representation. Lucas was lean, lacking the broadness of his ex-Army brother. His hands, I noted absently, were nothing like Jeremiah’s. The billionaire’s were rough, a workingman’s hand, while Lucas’s were smooth and well manicured. They were the kind that, to my mind, had never before seen a day of hard labor.
“What do you want, Lucas?” I asked, suddenly tired of everything.
“What do you want, Ms. Delacourt?” he mused, watching me intently.
“I want to go home.”
“As do I.”
A snide remark was on the tip of my tongue but I bit it back as I saw the rueful look on his face. Ignoring him again, I stared out the window. “You could have at least warned me about what was happening in there.”
He said nothing to that and we lapsed back into silence. I watched the city pass by without really noticing anything until finally, we turned down an alley and into a gated parking garage. Some trepidation crept over me as we pulled through another inner gate and parked beside an elevator.
“Ah, finally.” The light tone was back, and when the door to the limo was opened Lucas scooted sideways and out. “Coming?” he added a moment later, poking his head inside the vehicle.
The urge to stay in my seat came over me again – our last stop had been an unwelcome surprise – but after a moment’s contemplation I walked hunched over through the long cab to the door. Ignoring Lucas’ hand, I pulled myself out into the cool air, but instead of backing away to give me some space, the wretched man moved in close.
Unable to back away, I turned my head, irritated by his proximity, as he ran a finger down my face. His hand came under my chin, tilting my head back around to face him. “Anger, not fear,” he murmured, and then a self-satisfied smile split his face. “I can work with that.”
He stepped away, giving me some space, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The driver closed the door and pulled the car away as I reluctantly followed the dark-haired man toward the elevator. Lucas ran a card through a slot and inputted a code of some kind, and then I heard the contraption start its descent.
“Where are we now?” I asked as he held the door open for me. I kept on the opposite end of the small room, and thankfully he didn’t try to invade my space again. “Some other meeting where I might get shot?”
“Not quite.”
The elevator went up and up, and I wondered how tall the building was. The panel had a single floor button labeled Penthouse, and I realized this elevator was meant only for the top floor. Eventually, the lift slowed, then with a ding the doors opened directly into a bright, thoroughly modern living room.
Hmm. Not quite what I was expecting.
“After you,” Lucas said.
I stepped out of the elevator, gazing around the spacious room. The ceilings were tall, with lights hanging down on thin wires to just above head level. Two skylights let sunlight stream inside, but the room was lined with windows that overlooked the New York skyline. The furniture was a pale cream, almost white, and all leather with a few colored accents. It certainly didn’t look like much of a bachelor pad.