“You fucking ass. Who the hell—” Lucy stopped speaking when he thrust her robe open.
“Oh my word. What treasures await me,” he hissed, his eyes devouring her breasts and the patch of dark hair between her legs.
*****
“You what?” Lenny asked.
“I forgive you your debts.”
“Grigori, this isn't the time for jokes.”
“Forget it. I apologize. I was being an ass.”
Grigori was standing in Lenny's house in the middle of the night, wearing just a pair of jeans and sneakers. Lenny hadn't slept since Lucy had been taken. He'd considered calling the police, but he knew they wouldn't believe him. What he'd decided to do was call all his dubious Irish friends and put together a small army to go and set her free.
“Okay. Now you can give me my daughter back, can't you?”
“Iakov's got her.”
“What?” Lenny shouted. “Jesus, how the fuck did that happen?”
“Natasha kidnapped her.”
“Why?”
“Because she's pathologically jealous.”
“What gave her reason to be jealous?”
“Because I've fallen for Lucy, and she felt it.”
Lenny laughed. “Give me a break. Do you think Lucy would marry a pathetic ass like you?”
“Watch what you're saying,” Grigori said. He regretted taking Lucy, but he still wasn't going to let Lenny say such things to him.
“Jesus, Grigori, Iakov's a murderer,” Lenny said. “He'll do all sorts of terrible things to her.” Lenny was suddenly close to tears.
“We're gonna set her free, okay?”
“How? He's got his own private army. His place is impenetrable.”
“You know the Irish boys, and I've got my men. We can get her back.”
“It's too dangerous. If she's in their house, they'll kill her as soon as we start attacking,” Lenny said.
“What do you suggest?” Grigori asked.
“I don't fucking know. Think of something. You’re the one who got her into this shit.”
“There is only one thing that will make him listen,” Grigori said.
“What?”
“Money. I'll have to pay for her,” Grigori said.
“And how much do you think he would want?”
“A few million, maybe.”
“Fucking hell. As if I have a few million kicking around.”
“You don't, but I do.”
“And you would pay that much to get her freed?” Lenny asked.
“Yes.”
“Then call the asshole and ask him. Just do anything to get her back safely, please.”
“Okay. It's the middle of the night now. I'll call him first thing in the morning.”
*****
It was peculiar, but Lucy hadn't felt she was in much danger when she was at Grigori's. At his house, from the very beginning, she'd felt he had a soft spot for her. It was that feeling that had made her hopeful she could sway him, which she'd eventually done. Locked away in a damp cellar in Natasha's father's house, she had an altogether different feeling. She could smell danger. This man was evil, and he would do to her what he'd said; of that she was certain. She had to escape.
Her circumstances were similar to those at Grigori's house. She was locked in a basement. The only difference was that Grigori lived in a new house, and this house was old. She wondered if at some time there had been any alterations or repairs to the basement. Perhaps there was a weak spot in the wall somewhere—a bricked up window or door, a rotten air vent. Anything would do. Her situation was desperate. She felt her way around in the dark and began to push against the walls. She worked her way from floor to ceiling every meter or so until she'd covered the whole room. Nowhere had she felt anything give. She tried to remember what the ceiling was made of. She tough it was wood, but she wasn't sure. But even if it was made of wood, what good would it do? She needed to get out of the house, not appear a floor farther up.
Lucy sat down on the brick floor and put her head in her hands. The only thing she had to cling to was the vain hope that Grigori would come for her. But that wasn't certain. She remembered he'd told her how powerful Natasha's father was. Unless a miracle occurred, she would be at the mercy of the small ugly man the next day, and the thought of that was too much to bear.
“Shit! What's that?” Lucy shrieked. She'd fallen asleep for a few minutes, and something fury had run over her face. “Please don't let it bet rats. You know how scared I am of those creatures,” she shouted. She fumbled around and found a piece of wood. She sat up and held her breath, trying to hear something. But there was nothing. “What the fuck was it?” she sobbed. “Please, let me out of here,” she screamed.
*****
“Iakov, it's Grigori.”
“What the fuck do you want? Do you know how much you've upset my daughter?”
““Fuck your daughter. She's a bitch.”
“What? You'll pay for saying that.”
“She's even uglier than you are, you fat slob.”
Lenny was listening to the conversation and wondered what Grigori was doing. Why was he antagonizing him?