Chapter Six

Lena wanted nothing more than to be dismissed, but she knew she couldn’t leave. They would want her to stay, if for no other reason than to force her to see and hear the pain she’d caused this man.

It wasn’t her fault he was here. If she hadn’t agreed to bring him in, they would have found another way to get to him. She was insignificant. How many times had Viktor Kulakov told her this? Enough that she’d finally realized it was true.

She wouldn’t leave, though, even if she were granted that chance. If she stayed, she might have some small opportunity to help him.

It hadn’t taken her long to realize Dane wasn’t a sleazy criminal. He hadn’t leered at her when she sat down at the bar. He hadn’t pressured her to come back to his room after one drink. He’d been kind and sweet. He’d asked her questions about herself and waited patiently for her answers. Though the answers were all lies, she felt like he’d cared.

Then he’d kissed her, and she realized what she’d done. She’d allowed herself to be happy for the first time in months. She’d actually fallen into her own trap.

As she’d walked hand-in-hand with him to her hotel room, she’d desperately tried to come up with some way to get him out of this without incurring Viktor’s wrath.

Coming up with nothing, she allowed her heart to freeze over so she could do what needed to be done. Not for the first time, she wondered how long her heart could stay at that temperature before irreparable damage was done.

She stayed in the corner of the dingy room, trying not to be noticed. She had turned into a mouse over the last months. Hiding and scurrying away whenever danger approached.

Before her nightmare began, she’d managed a busy salon in Miami. She’d been strong and decisive. The stylists who’d worked for her respected her. No one would respect her now. She didn’t even respect herself.

She would have been content to stay hidden in her corner, but another vehicle had arrived. Another one of Viktor’s men came in carrying a little boy. The way his small body dangled over Murphy’s arm, she thought he was dead, but then he kicked out and grunted against his restraints.

Murphy placed the boy on a chair in the other room, and she watched as Weller and Butch picked up Dane and dragged him into the same room.

What was going on? She’d listened in as they made their plans, and she’d not heard anything about them involving a child.

When Dane’s hood was ripped off it had taken a few seconds for him to notice the boy in front of him. He’d gazed at the child and she saw the exact moment his heart burst into pieces—when the boy called him Dad.

“What’s this?” Lena was propelled into the room by some remaining shred of courage.

“You did your job well,” Viktor said from his spot beside the boy. “You can wait out in the other room if you wish.”

She stepped closer, her gaze fastened to the little boy tied to a chair, fear evident on his oddly familiar face. He’d called Dane Dad. Apparently, Dane had lied when he told her he had no family.

No. No. No. This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“You soulless witch,” Dane spat at her. The warm, dark eyes that had gazed down at her the night before when they’d kissed had transformed into cold obsidian.

A chill shuddered through her, and she stepped back as if he’d hit her. What had she done?

“Lena?” Viktor’s address brought her back under control. Even his voice—filled with smooth concern—was nothing but a lie. The man was slippery as a serpent. He didn’t care about anything except money and power.

Slowly, Dane moved his scowl to the man in front of him, and Lena wanted to run away so he couldn’t look at her like that again. But despite what she’d told herself earlier, this was her fault, and she needed to stay in case there was something she could do to help.

She also needed to make sure Viktor didn’t doubt her. It would help her later.

Lifting her chin, she met Viktor’s cold eyes. “I’ll stay.” He’d already taken everything else from her. She wouldn’t walk away and allow harm to come to this child. She wasn’t a monster. Desperate maybe, but not a monster.

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and turned his attention to Dane.

“I guess I don’t need to make introductions, since Tobey seems to remember you.”

Dane’s voice was calm. “I don’t know who you are.”

“Viktor Kulakov.” Viktor held out his hand to shake, then chuckled as if only then realizing Dane couldn’t oblige. Viktor liked to play with his prey. It was possibly his worst feature.

When the color fell from Dane’s face, Lena knew Dane recognized the name.

Crossing his legs, Viktor brushed a piece of lint from his slacks. “I’m a man of business.”

Business was an apt description. Though drug smuggling and human trafficking didn’t get people mentioned in Forbes.

“I heard you’d been arrested.”

Viktor steepled his fingers and let out a breath. “It was an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

She was sure that meant some slimy lawyer had gotten him off.

Dane said nothing.

“Your son is a smart lad, Deputy Marshal Ryan.”

She shot a surprised look at Dane. He was a U.S. Marshal? Her actions suddenly took on a whole new dimension of punishment. Great. Because she hadn’t been in enough trouble as it was.

Dane didn’t rise to Viktor’s bait regarding his son. He remained calm, though she could tell he was seething with controlled anger. She admired his strength, but knew it wouldn’t help him. At one time she’d been strong, too.

“I understand it’s been some time since the two of you have been together.” Viktor looked up at the rest of the group. Weller and Butch loomed over Dane, muscles bulging. “Let’s give the father and son a moment alone to catch up, shall we?”

Lena knew the gesture was not from the goodness of his heart. Viktor Kulakov had no heart. This was a tactic. Viktor was setting the hook, to ensure the deputy marshal’s cooperation.

Dane spared another glare for her as she left the room. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to tell him she hadn’t known who he was. Hadn’t known this was going to happen. But she was worried if she did, he might actually forgive her.

The last thing she deserved was forgiveness.

She was just outside the room when Viktor nodded to Weller, and the behemoth smacked her across the face. The fiery crack dropped her to the floor as she blinked the stars from her vision.

“Don’t ever question my actions again. You put me behind schedule, and I hate when my schedule is disrupted.”

She nodded, and the mouse retreated to the corner once again.