Chapter 64

I leg it around the front of the building onto the open pavement and run straight into the smug bastard, thumping into that hard wall of intimidation and muscle standing waiting on me. I didn’t see him at all. I literally ran straight into his goddamn chest and arms and get lifted right off my feet in an angry swoop that gives me no chance of changing direction. Breathless, panting and sweating from exertion, and he just strolled out the front bloody door catching me blindly.

‘‘Going somewhere London? We have more than one exit you know.’’ He sounds amused rather than angry, but I know that’s not what that is. He’s in devil mode and his amusement masks simmering rage. I try to wriggle and fight him off as he carries me back inside the gloomy club, feet dangling pathetically and no fight in me as I try to recover from my sprint. He barks at everyone who stops to gawp.

‘‘Everyone out!’’ He yells it into the silence and I go limp, fear washing through me as I realise this isn’t going to end well at all. Emptying the room is not a signal for a cosy little chat and a heart-to-heart. I can’t escape, he’s too powerful, and he has me caught up in a hold that’s making it hard to breathe, holding me tight enough to crack ribs as I wither with cold panic in his crushing grip. There’s a scattering of feet as people exit from any door they can, knowing better than to disobey, and the room is cleared barren in a nanosecond.

They all know who to fear and all he needs to do is click his fingers and everyone scatters to the wind. No one is going to stick around and help me. I wouldn’t stick around to help either if it was me.

There are no windows in this club, so apart from the light from the small high portholes he had installed and the electric mood lighting, we are in the gloomy darkness of a deserted bar and as it’s a club, every wall is soundproofed to maximum effect. No one will hear my screams.

Alexi walks me forward, focused on where we are going as I start to struggle again, my legs dangling above the floor by two feet and held taught against him, my arms tight to my sides and crushed to his chest as I have tip over his shoulder. He has me higher than his head and is making this seem like I am weightless. I could kick and damage him with my heels, but I think that would just add a level of stupid to what I have done already.

‘‘I’m sorry. I’ll behave, just put me down. Alexi, please …’’ I start to tremble, fear coursing through my veins, but my tears mean nothing to him. He has no soul, and he might not hit women, but he finds other means to punish us, and I don’t want to experience anything he can throw my way.

I recoil into docile weight he is dragging along effortlessly, old habits die hard when I know that fighting is futile. I just defied him in front of his own people and now he’s pissed, cold and closed off and that’s when he is at his worst. I need to just revert to submissive and hope he gets over it quickly.

He pulls out his master card and swipes one of the boudoir doors pushing it open harshly and drops me on my feet uncaringly, so I go over on one ankle and yelp in pain as he gets us inside. He doesn’t stop to right me or even care that I cried in pain. The lights blink on automatically, with being motion sensors and I pale as the room before me becomes illuminated and realise exactly what he intends to do to me.

Using information from last night to punish me in the worst kind of way. It belongs to another mafia boss, Santagato, and his taste is much like Alexi’s, in that this room is full of BDSM playthings and a huge cross in the middle with straps to anchor his victim to. Alexi knows my fear of being restrained and being taken from behind is enough to make me an emotional wreck. He is all about the psychological trauma and I turn to run but get nowhere fast as he catches my upper arm and hauls me with him, his vice-like grip inescapable.

I start to sob impulsively as he drags me in and kicks the door closed behind us, pulling me towards the wooden torture device in the middle, and I strain against him with all my might, trying hard to get loose from his barbaric grip; digging my heels into the floor with as much strength as I can muster. Alexi just yanks me with him like I weigh nothing more than a bag of sugar. Inside my organs are a mass of shaking Jelly and my blood has turned to ice water in my veins, I literally feel the blood drain coldly from every part of me, and I am left in desolate fear.

‘’Please, Alexi, I’m begging you.’’ I can’t help it; all my self-composure falling to ruin as he gets me closer and I fall apart mentally. Sobbing and clinging to his hand as I try to pry his fingers from me, praying for any hope that he has an ounce of human decency.

Don’t tie me up, don’t bind me and gag me and hurt me. I’ll die inside, more so than I am already.