Page 6

APRIL

T he good news is that Jay is not dead.

The bad news is that I have somehow kidnapped my boss, and he’s furious. Which I kind of expected, so that’s why I tied him up. To make sure he’ll listen to me.

I felt so relieved when I first noticed Jay's eyes flutter open, dazed and unfocused at first. His breathing was slow, shallow—then it sharpened. A jolt ran through him. His muscles went rigid as awareness slammed into his face like a brick wall.

An enraged brick wall.

And that’s when I realized I should still be worried. I don’t think Jay is in a frame of mind to listen.

He’s wearing a tux, so I must have abducted him from someone’s wedding. Which makes sense, since the van I borrowed was parked outside the small wedding chapel in town.

Maybe borrowed is playing loose with the truth. Okay, I stole it. But it was sitting there with the keys inside. If I wasn’t so afraid of Viktor catching up with me, I’d never have taken it. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life. When your mom and uncle are gunned down in front of you because of your dad living a life of crime, you walk the straight and narrow path for the rest of your life. Or, maybe you fully embrace the criminal life to get revenge, but I’m just one girl. Taking on the Russian mob of Chicago was not an option. so, I ran and stayed away from crime.

Until now. Now I’ve committed a felony.

Jay tries to move, but the zip ties around his wrists keep him pinned to the chair. The sound of plastic grating against wood fills the room as he struggles against his bonds.

I found the zip ties in the back of the van.

After I found Jay, covered in food, and passed out. It was a pain to drag him into this cabin. Who knew someone in such great shape could weight that much?

“April,” he growls, his voice thick with anger and confusion. “What the fuck is this?”

I flinch, my pulse thudding in my ears. I take a step back, my boot scraping against the floor.

“Jay, please,” I say, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Just…just calm down.”

His body jerks as he pulls harder against the zip ties. “I’m tied to a fucking chair, April! Untie me. Right now.”

“I can’t.” The words taste bitter coming out.

His nostrils flare, his jaw tightening until I swear I hear his teeth grind. “You did this,” he spits. “What the hell is wrong with you? Who are you working with?”

Guilt claws at my ribs. I shake my head. “I’m not working with anyone, but had to tie you up.”

“You had to?” He lets out a short, humorless laugh, but there’s nothing funny about the fury burning in his eyes. “Let me the fuck go.”

If only it were that simple. I swallow hard, scanning the inside of the cabin. I lit the logs in the fireplace when I first got here. We’re up in the mountains, in a remote area, and a winter storm is coming through. Luckily, the cabin is well stocked with food and firewood. This is my neighbors’ vacation home. They told me where the key was, in case I got here before them. Which I did. But judging from how heavily the snow falls outside the window right now, I don’t think they’ll be making the drive until the storm passes.

“I need you to listen to me,” I say, voice lower now, urgent. “I’ve put you in danger, but I didn’t know you were in the back of the car.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “I don’t give a shit about your games, April. I don’t know what this is, but you need to?—”

“My dad stole something from the Russian mob,” I blurt out. The words taste like gasoline on my tongue. “And they think I know where it is, so they’re chasing me. They’ve been chasing me for six years. And now, because of me, they’ll be after you, too.”

His face goes blank for half a second before his expression hardens again. “What the fuck?”

I swallow back the rising panic clawing at my throat. “I know it sounds bonkers, but it’s the truth.”

His chest rises and falls with deep, measured breaths. “You should’ve told me,” he says finally, voice still edged with anger. “I thought we were friends.”

“Friends.” The laughter bubbling up inside me is laced with hysteria. “I have had no real friends for six years. You are my boss and we fucked once, that’s all.”

His eyes lock onto mine, sharp as broken glass. “If that’s all, why did you sneak out and avoid me for days?”

I suck in a breath. “I panicked.” Sex with Jay unsettled me. I’m still processing the emotions it brought up. Okay, fine, I’ve suppressed all the emotions it brought up and am in denial about feeling anything for Jay. “I had bigger problems,” I say weakly.

He sighs. “April, just untie me. I have to call my brother and I have to call Charlotte. I was supposed to get married today.”

An icepick stabs my chest. “Married,” I whisper. “You fucked me silly on the desk in your office a few days before your wedding to another woman?”

Jay flinches. “When you say it like that, it sounds bad. But I can explain?—"

I lift my hand and shake my head. “Shut the fuck up.” The betrayal is so sharp, I lose my breath for a moment. I thought Jay was one of the good guys. I stagger to the couch across from the chair where I tied him up and sink into it.

Jay exhales slowly, shaking his head again. “Untie me, April.”

“I can’t,” I say, and this time my voice cracks. “Not yet.” I have to figure out what to do first, but his marriage news has blocked my brain.

“Goddamn it, April.” He yanks at the zip ties again, veins straining in his forearms. He looks like he’s about to break the damn chair.

“Who are you marrying?” I ask. “Why hasn’t anyone at Lola’s met your fiancée?” I’m pretty sure Liam or Iris would have told me if they knew Jay was about to get married. The two of them love gossip and are the opposite of discrete when they have tea to spill.

Jay stills. “I wasn’t unfaithful,” he says with a sigh. “It’s a complicated situation.” He barks out a dry laught. “Not as complicated as being chased by the Russian mob, but still.” He rattles the arms of the chair again. “Let’s figure this out together and head back into town and sort everything out. Nick and I can help you. We can keep you safe.”

“Nobody can keep me safe. They always find me.” I look out the window. The wind has picked up and even though it’s dark outside, I can see the snow hitting the glass. “I don’t think anyone is going anywhere tonight though. We’re definitely not getting off this mountain. But the good news is that nobody can reach us either.”

The sound of plastic snapping flicks my gaze back to Jay. His hands are free and he’s massaging his wrists. I cringe when I see the red welts that mar his skin. I did that.

I stand up, not sure if I should go toward him or run away. “How did you do that.”

He looks up at me and fishes a multi-tool out of his pocket. “I was in the Special Forces,” he says calmly while he cuts the ties holding his legs to the chair.

“If you knew how to snap the twist ties, why didn’t you do it earlier?”

“I wanted to see if you would untie me. I wasn’t sure what kind of game you were running.”

“It’s not a game.”

He stands up, but wobbles. I run over and prop him up before he falls. He shakes his legs out and then seems to be steady again. I let him go and take a step back.

Jay grabs my hand and pulls me toward him. He caresses my face. “Here’s the plan,” he says, looking deeply into my eyes. “I’m going to wash up and get all this food crap off me. You are going to sit in front of the fire and warm up.”

“But—”

“And then we’ll talk.”

W hile Jay’s cleaning up, I go through the kitchen to see what kind of food there is. By the time he comes out of the bathroom, I’ve assembled a meal of clam chowder from cans and crackers. I even found a bottle of merlot and some stemmed glasses. I put it all on the low sofa table in front of the fire.

Jay pads over, wearing his tux pants and shirt. There’s still stains on both garments, but with evidence of him trying to wipe them off. His hair is wet, and he’s ditched his shoes, wearing only socks. “The shower is wonderful,” he says. “And this looks amazing. I’m so hungry.”

I take another gulp of wine. I poured myself a large measure as soon as I found the bottle. “Um. So we should talk then.” Even though I’m fortified by wine, I’m still nervous.

Jay pours himself a glass of wine and sits down on the blanket I’ve spread between the table and the fireplace. “Let me start,” he says. “I know I said I’m in a complicated situation, but I think my story will be a lot shorter than you explaining why the Russian mob is after you.”

I take another sip of wine. “Good point.” Also, I don’t think I could tell my story before knowing how screwing my brains out a few days before getting married isn’t cheating.