CHAPTER 2
Delaney couldn’t tear her gaze away from the phone as she was dragged back into the dark crevice between the club and the closed restaurant at its right. The sky was practically black overhead, and the second they were in the shadows, her brain finally registered what was going on.
Her struggling increased, and she shook her head back and forth to try to dislodge the hand on her mouth. The arm around her waist tightened, almost to the point of pain, and she was pressed flush against her captor.
“Stop it, Lissa,” mumbled a deep male voice directly above her. “We need to go.”
She tried to tell him that he had the wrong girl, but she couldn’t even manage a muffled word past his hold. Frustration welled, and she took a stuttering breath to clear her head before reacting. Slamming her foot down on top of his, she dropped to her knees when his grip momentarily loosened, not waiting for him to regain his composure.
Twisting around so she was sitting on the cold ground, she kicked out with both legs, landing a blow to his stomach. It felt like she was hitting a rock wall. Flipping onto her feet, she bolted for the alley opening.
A growl sounded at her back, and right before she was about to make it into the light, she was grabbed again. This time he lifted her off her feet, letting out pained grunts when she repeatedly kicked him in the shins. He didn’t loosen his hold again, and instead shifted her weight to his side.
He carried her as if she weighed nothing, toward the end of the alley and farther from the front of the club and any semblance of safety. His shoulders practically blocked out the building behind him, and she had to tip her head all the way back just to maintain eye contact. He wasn’t bulky by any means, but he was fit and, judging by that kick she’d given him earlier, steady as a damn tree.
Which meant that the five measly self-defense classes she’d let Mariana drag her to weren’t getting her out of this.
“I’ll scream,” she threatened, not really sure why she was telling him instead of doing just that.
“Then I’ll silence you.”
He dropped her suddenly and slammed her back against the frozen stone wall. His body settled around her, effectively pinning her in. Her head didn’t even come up to his chin, but a couple of inches lower so that she was staring at the top of his chest. When she pressed her hands against him, he didn’t budge, and there wasn’t enough room for her to attempt kicking again.
She waited and, when nothing happened, risked glancing up at him.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked her, suddenly breaking the silence. His brows were creased, and he was inspecting her like he would an unruly animal.
“With me?” Her voice was incredulous. “I’m not the one who just kidnapped someone, buddy.”
“I told you, it’s time to leave. You’re the one who’s making this difficult.”
“I’m the one—” She stopped, shoved down the fear, and held up her hand between them. “Okay, let’s start again. First of all, dragging someone into an alley against her will constitutes kidnapping. Second of all, you also happened to kidnap the wrong person.”
“We don’t have time for this.”
Seriously? What wasn’t he getting?
“I’m not Lissa,” she stated plainly, watching his face for the obvious to set in.
Which it never did.
If anything, he seemed more aggravated than he had before. Instead of pulling back or apologizing, he gritted his teeth and relinquished the small amount of space between them. Her hand was now stuck between their bodies, and she wiggled it to get free until his low growl had her freezing for what seemed like the millionth time that night.
“This isn’t attractive,” he sneered down at her. “I told you what would happen if you tested me again, Olena.”
She blinked at him. What? So was the girl he was looking for named Lissa … or Olena? The realization that he was clearly insane actually gave her an inkling of relief. He was delusional, sure, but all she had to do was stall him a bit, and someone would eventually stumble upon them, right?
Did delusional people have actual plans? She assumed—hoped, really—not. Besides, this was a dead end. In order to get her anywhere from here, he’d have to lead her back out the opening on the other side. It was very early in the morning, but all she needed was for one person to be there so that she could call for help. Then it was only ten feet to her car and home free she’d be.
Having a plan, even one as dodgy as that, helped calm her nerves so she could think more clearly. She wasn’t sure if one could actually get through to a delusional person, but what would be the harm in trying? It’d certainly fall under the category of stalling.
“Whoever you think I am,” she said, making sure to ease her tone, “I promise you, I’m not her. Just let me go, and no one has to get in trouble here. I won’t tell anyone about this, or you. You can go your way, and I can go mine.”
She tried to look trustworthy, easing her features to hopefully cover her dread. She’d grab the first cop she could once she left this alley.
“Enough,” he barked, slamming a fist against the wall a few inches from her head. Bits of the stone broke off and crumbled to the ground.
How the hell…? Her eyes widened, and some of her panic returned.
“You aren’t listening—” she tried again, only to be swiftly cut off by his face invading the personal space of her own.
“They’re coming, Olena. We don’t have time for any more of your games. You don’t want to leave? I get it, but you have responsibilities, and it’s time you owned up to who you are. Now”—he angled his head at her, his expression softening some—“stop playing. I’m trying to protect you.”
She forced herself to look him dead in the eye. “I swear to god, I am not the girl you’re looking for.”
He let out a frustrated sigh and pulled back, wrapping a large hand around her thin arm to tug her after him. When she stumbled forward, he linked his other arm around her waist, keeping her securely upright with his large body.
Before her mind could filter through all the possible ways she could attempt getting loose, the sound of footsteps to her right caught her attention and she frowned.
That was the dead end.… How…?
“Ander Ruckus.” Another man, only slightly less imposing than the guy holding her to him, appeared in the darkness. He bowed his head, then straightened, nodding curtly toward Delaney. “Lissa Olena.”
She didn’t bother correcting this one when he called her the wrong name. She wouldn’t be able to get through to him no matter what she said. Even now, the way he held himself across from them, legs spread, hands clasped and visible, like a soldier—
She gasped, and both of their eyes snapped in her direction, instantly confirming her suspicions.
Her body started shaking, and she was too shocked to realize how weak that would make her look. It’d been too dark to see before, but she could make out the color of her captor’s eyes now, yellow with a ring of dark green.