Savage: Iron Dragons MC (24 page)

Kristina

The cramp in her leg was what woke Kristina from her uneasy sleep. She blinked her eyes open and tried to focus on her surroundings. It took only a second for the memory to come screaming back to her, and when it did, she had a hard time believing it hadn’t been just a dream.

She was holed in the back of Kovic’s car, and it smelt of smoke and alcohol. Her stomach growled with hunger and that somehow sent another wave of cramps through her leg. Kristina moaned and leaned back against the seat. Kovic had tied her hands together, and they were now well and truly bruised from the tight knot he had fastened around her wrists. She was feeling so many different kinds of uncomfortable that she could barely keep up with each new tinge of pain.

The driver’s door was thrown open suddenly, and Kovic slid into the seat. He turned back to glance at Kristina and shot her a condescending smile. “Slept well?” he asked.

“Fuck you,” Kristina spat.

“I’ll say this much for you, at least you have spirit,” Kovic went on, uncaring of her discomfort. “Natalie was not quite as… vocal.”

“You talk as though you knew her well,” Kristina asked.

“Oh I did,” Kovic nodded. Then he dug his hand into the brown paper bag he had brought in with him and drew out a sandwich cocooned in glad wrap. He threw it back at her without warning, and Kristina barely managed to catch it in time.

“Can you untie my wrists?” Kristina asked, trying to mimic politeness. “It’s going to be hard to eat this way.”

“Try,” Kovic said uncaringly.

“You are such an evil fuck,” Kristina spat.

Kovic laughed. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”

Kristina thought about refusing the sandwich, but she was too desperately hungry to seriously consider doing it. She tore away the glad wrap and bit into the sandwich. The bread was stale, and the filling was chicken mayo that had a strange kick to it, but Kristina barely cared. It was food, and her stomach needed filling. Within a minute, she had finished her meal and she was licking her fingers greedily, her hunger far from satiated.

“You can eat,” Kovic said, with his eyes fixed on her face.

“Do you have another one?” Kristina asked.

He threw her another sandwich, and she started on it immediately. She could probably have done with another one or two, but she decided not to push her luck. The edge had been taken off her hunger and that was enough to keep her going. Kovic was still staring at her.

“What?” Kristina demanded.

“Just trying to figure something out,” Kovic replied in a thoughtful voice.

“Are you going to tell me what that is?” Kristina demanded. “Or are you just going to keep staring at me like some creepy fucking pervert?”

“You and Natalie,” he said shortly.

“What about me and Natalie?” Kristina asked impatiently.

“You can’t accuse Keith of having a type.”

Kristina wrinkled her brows together. “You’re saying that Natalie was different to me.”

“Complete opposite actually,” Kovic said with interest. “She was more the shy type, ironic really, considering her line of work.”

“What was her line of work?” Kristina asked immediately.

“He really told you nothing?” Kovic asked in that condescending tone that made Kristina want to slap him across the face. “I seriously hope I’m not overestimating his affection for you.”

“You probably are though,” Kristina said, trying to sound unconcerned.

“And how would that make you feel?”

Kristina shot him a dirty look. “That isn’t really your concern.”

Kovic shrugged. “Just curious,” he said. “Still… I don’t think I’m wrong in this. I’ve seen that look in Keith’s eyes before. He cares about you… he may even love you.”

Kristina felt that unpredictable surge of hope rush through her, and she immediately felt ridiculous. That was not what she should have been hoping for. “He doesn’t love me,” she said, and she was certain she was right. “He doesn’t.”

“You sound sure.”

“I am,” Kristina nodded. “Fucking a couple of times does not translate into love.”

“Not usually,” Kovic agreed. “But Keith is different, and whatever he may think…I know him. I truly know him, and I can predict his next move.”

“And what exactly are you predicting?”

“He’s going to come for you,” Kovic said, licking his lips at the same time. “He’s going to play the knight in shining armor, and you will play his damsel in distress. Keith has always been fond of role-playing. He especially enjoys playing the hero.”

“That’s preferable to playing the villain,” Kristina spat.

Kovic chortled, as though he just couldn’t help but be amused by Kristina. He shook his head and looked her in the eye. “This is not a storybook, little girl,” he said threateningly, but the smile stayed on his face. “This doesn’t have a happily ever after. Keith learned that the hard way, and now you will too. This is real life and in real life… the villains win.”

“Maybe they do,” Kristina nodded. “But not every time. The odds maybe against you in this round.”

“Somehow I highly doubt that,” Kovic replied.

“You’re assuming he’s going to know where to find me,” Kristina pointed out. “What if he doesn’t?"

“Don’t worry,” Kovic assured her. “He’s a smart lad… he’ll figure it out.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

Kovic shrugged. “Doesn’t matter… I made him a promise, and I’m going to stick to it. Either he and I will face each other in the next two days or… he will receive a present from me.”

“In the form of my tortured body?” Kristina said, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

“It’s sort of poetic when you think about it,” Kovic said, looking off in another direction. “This story has come full circle.”

“You are deranged.”

Kovic smiled at her again. “You are much more interesting than Natalie ever was, I’ll say that much. She was so much tamer.”

“Are you going to do to me what you did to her?” Kristina asked before she could stop herself.

Kovic raised his eyebrows. He looked like some comic book caricature of a villain. His white blonde hair was shining so brightly it hurt Kristina’s eyes. “Ah yes,” Kovic nodded. “I forgot you don’t know the story. Well… this seems like the perfect time to enlighten you.”

Keith

Three years ago

“Hey man, you can’t be back here.”

The man who spoke was short and bald; he had a tattoo of a bird on the left hand side of his face and piercings lining both ears. The rooms were tiny and crowded in together. There was a sea of people, but none that Keith could recognize.

“Sorry,” Keith replied. “I came here to meet someone.”

“You and every other dude out there,” the guy replied. “Like I said, you can’t be back here.”

“Her name is Nat—” Keith stopped short and corrected himself. “Her name is Roxy.”

“She’s in one of the private rooms with a client,” the guy replied. “It’s four hundred dollars for fifteen minutes with her.”

“I’m not here to see her dance,” Keith said through gritted teeth.

“Then hit the road, buddy. If you’re not here to see the girls dance, you got no place here at all.”

“Fine,” Keith said impatiently. “Here’s four hundred. Give me one of the private rooms and send Roxy in when she’s finished with her… client.”

The guy winked at him as he took the money. “You got it, dude.” He looked back over his shoulder and whistled. “Hey Misty… show our friend here to one of the private rooms.”

The woman who approached was tall and well endowed. She was completed naked—except for the green-sequined thong that she wore. Her hair was long and dirty blonde, and it ran over her shoulders, falling just above her large, rounded nipples. She had dark eyes and seductive features, and she flashed Keith a come-hither smile, as she led him back to the music and lights of the club.

There were five large stages set up around the room, and each one exhibited a different woman in various stages of nudity. Keith barely registered more than their gyrating bodies before he was shown to one of the private rooms. It was a small, circular one with a large round table with a pole running down the middle.

“Can I get you anything?” Misty asked him, leaning over unnecessarily. “A drink?”

“No,” Keith said as he sat down. “I’ll just wait here for… Roxy.”

She raised her eyebrows, and Keith realized she was looking him up and down. “You don’t want any company while you wait for her?” she asked seductively. “I could give you a lap dance?”

“No thank you,” Keith replied in a clipped voice.

“I could join Roxy and we could really put on a real good show for you,” she suggested. “Two bodies are always better than one.”

“I’d rather have just Roxy,” Keith said with finality.

Clearly disappointed, she moved out of the room and closed the curtain behind her. Keith could still hear the music pounding in the background, but now it didn’t hurt his ears as much. He had to wait nearly half an hour, but finally the curtain was drawn open and Natalie stepped in. She was wearing a red thong and a silver bra that barely contained her breasts. Her hair was unnaturally wavy as it fell to her middle back.

She was wearing a smile when she walked in, but the moment she saw Keith, it slipped off her face and the mask she wore dropped instantly. “Keith,” she said.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Keith suggested, as he moved over to give her some space.

She looked uncomfortable. “I’m working.”

“I know,” Keith nodded. “I paid for fifteen minutes of your time.”

Natalie sat down gingerly; she looked distinctly uncomfortable, as though she had no idea what to do with her arms and legs.

“Why won’t you look me in the eye?” Keith asked.

“I told you never to come here,” Kristina said with force.

“I didn’t listen.”

Natalie shook her head. “Keith… I don’t want you to see me like this.”

“Then stop doing this,” Keith said abruptly. “Stop dancing. You can move on from this life, Natalie.”

She shook her head, as though Keith didn’t understand anything. “I can’t just move on… this is my life. It’s the only means I have to support myself.”

“I can support you,” Keith said immediately.

Her eyes snapped to his face. “I don’t want your money or your pity,” she said with more fierceness than she had shown in the four months they had known each other. “Did you think I was the kind of girl who would accept charity?”

“It’s not charity, Natalie,” Keith said gently. “I just want…”

“What?”

“I just want you to be happy,” Keith said finally. “If you’re happy doing this… then I won’t say another word about it. Are you?”

Natalie looked down, and Keith had his answer. “I never should have told you what I did,” Natalie said at last. “I knew you would start seeing me differently.”

“I don’t see you differently,” Keith said firmly. “I just… don’t want you to have to do this if you don’t have to.”

“Keith,” Natalie said softly. “You can’t support me… you don’t have the money either.”

“But I will,” Keith said confidently. “Miles and I are getting the hang of this business... we’re going to be ok, I promise.”

“That’s not a guarantee, Keith,” Natalie said. “And anyway… it’s pointless talking about it. I’m not going to be dancing for much longer.”

“You’re not?” Keith asked with some relief.

“No,” Natalie said, and her face changed visibly. “I probably should have told you this a long time ago… but I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

“Just tell me,” Keith said hoping it was nothing.

“A few months ago I was approached by this guy… he’s running a business too, and he wanted to recruit me.”

“Recruit you?” Keith said, his instincts pinging with worry. “What business would this be?”

Natalie seemed to take a deep breath before she spoke. “I… he… the thing is—”

“Natalie!”

She was quiet for a moment. “It’s like an… escort service.”

“Prostitution?” Keith gasped. “Prostitution?”

“Don’t say it like that,” Natalie pleaded. “Don’t say it like that.”

“You’re going to sell your body?” Keith demanded, as he rose from his seat. “You’re going to fuck a bunch of strangers for money?”

“Keith,” Natalie said, as she grabbed his hand. “Please don’t leave… this was before we met… I didn’t think I would ever meet someone like you.”

“Ok,” Keith said slowly. “So get out of it.”

Natalie’s face fell. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Keith demanded.

Natalie’s eyes filled with tears, and when she spoke, Keith could hear the fear in her voice. “The man who recruited me… he scares me. I don’t think he’ll let me go now that I’ve agreed.”

“What’s his name?” Keith demanded. “Tell me his name.”

“Kovic,” Natalie replied, as a tear slipped down her cheek. “His name is Anton Kovic.”