“I’m not tellin’ you where we’re goin’, nor am I going to discuss anything with you. You speak when I tell you to. Until such time, you keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told.”

“That’s fine by me—I’ve run with assholes long enough to know how people like you work,” I quip. “If you think I’m telling you anything about Hendrix, you’re very wrong. If you want me to shut up, then I will shut up.”

Dimitri slams on the breaks and I go surging forward. It’s then I realize I’m not wearing a seatbelt. My face smashes against the back of his chair and my nose cracks. Blood pours down my face. I wail loudly and reach up, feeling my fingers become coated in the warm, sticky liquid. I hear Dimitri’s door slam, and then mine is pulled open. He grips me by my shoulders and hurls me out of the car.

“Here’s the thing, girl,” he snarls, pulling me close. I’m sure any other time I’d be able to smell him, he’s that close, but all I can smell is my own blood as it fills my nose. “You don’t get a say in how this goes down. You don’t answer my questions, you will find yourself six feet under. Get my drift? I’ll leave it up to you to decide how much your life is worth. Stop protecting that no good son of a bitch. He deserves to fuckin’ die a long, painful death.”

“You don’t know him,” I say in a small, angry voice. “You know only what you have created in your head, but it’s so far from the—”

“Shut up!” he bellows. “Don’t tell me what I know and what I don’t know. You haven’t lived my life so don’t go tellin’ me what I’ve created.”

“You’re wasting your time,” I whisper. “He’s not going to give in to you.”

His eyes flicker. “He’ll do whatever I fuckin’ want, because I saw how he looked at you. If you were worth nothing, girl, then he would have shot me down and risked your life. He didn’t. Now, get back in that car and shut your mouth.”

My hands tremble with emotion, and I turn and shuffle back into the car. There are so many words I want to say, but what good will they do? He’s sticking with whatever crazy story he’s created about Hendrix in his head, and he’s not backing down. I don’t expect him to, but I have to do whatever I can to protect myself. This man, he’s on the edge. I don’t know how far I can push him, because I can’t read him.

All I see is hatred.

A hatred so deep I wonder what else is in there.

We pull up at a massive house. It’s surrounded by a solid, black iron fence that’s easily eight feet high. I shiver. That’s not going to be easy to escape from. Inside that fence is a huge three-story home. It’s made of sandstone and is quite stunning. The boundary of the property boasts thick trees and bushes, clearly for privacy. When the car comes to a stop at the front door, I stare out. Wow.

Dimitri gets out of the SUV and comes straight to my door. He opens it, takes my arm, and pulls me out. He tugs me toward the front door and the two large men follow. I trip on the steps with these stupid chains on my feet, and with a growl he leans down and unlocks them. “Try to escape,” he hisses. “I’ll cut your fuckin’ feet off.”

“Because that’s a logical threat,” I mutter.

He stares at me for a minute, in shock or rage, I don’t know. His face is blank.

He swings the front door of the house open, and we step inside. I lose my breath. The house is massive. All polished wooden floors, maroon rugs, dark furniture. There is extravagant artwork hanging on the walls, the kind of art that’s twisted. Dark figures curled around strange things, or women, looking broken, naked, and damaged. I shiver.

Dimitri leads me down the hall, and we pass numerous large rooms, including a white wood kitchen to die for and a ballroom. Jesus, this house has a little of everything. I imagine I’ll be spending my time in a cell, but in a place like this, it’s probably luxury. I try to take in as much as I can as I’m tugged down the halls. Dimitri walks with determination, his large body quite overwhelming from this angle. He’s so much bigger than me.

He takes me up a flight of stairs, and I notice that the two guards are behind us still. We get to the top of the stairs and he swings tightly to the left, gripping a door handle and shoving it open. We step into a massive room. I gape—it’s nearly bigger than Hendrix’s entire ship. I don’t hesitate when Dimitri shoves me in; instead, my eyes widen with shock.

Thick, soft carpet, a big white bed, a bathroom with a spa, a massive lounge and television, and that’s just the basics. It’s outfitted with only the nicest spreads, curtains, and rugs. Dimitri obviously has a shitload of money—that or this isn’t his house. I get the feeling it is, though. I turn with big, deer-in-headlight eyes, and meet Dimitri’s angry glare.

“You’ll stay in here. The door locks, you can’t get out. You’ll have everything you need, and I’ll use you as I see fit.”

Use me?

He obviously sees the confusion on my face.

“Don’t flatter yourself, girl. I mean I will use you to piece together my plan. You’ll give me information. You will accompany me anyplace I need to go, because I don’t trust anyone but myself. I won’t have you escaping.”

Great.

I place my hands on my hips. “I have nowhere to escape to. In case you didn’t notice, I lived on a ship. Maybe you never questioned it, but there’s usually a reason a girl like me is on a ship away from land.”