Page 185 of Bratva Jewels Box Set

Guess that makes me feel better as I curl up into a ball and eventually fall asleep, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster today has been.

“Grace, wake up. You’re home.” Sergei shakes me awake. I wipe the drool from my mouth and rub my eyes. “We’ve landed in Ibiza. You’re going to have to get a move on as I have to be wheels-up again in ten minutes.”

Oh.

“There’s a taxi waiting for you.” Sergei points to the bright lights as he escorts me toward the car. “Here is the money for the driver.” He hands over a wad of Euros to me then gives me a tight hug. “I’ll see you again soon. I know it,” he tells me as he holds the door open for me, giving me one last smile before closing the door and walking back toward the plane where he turns and waves.

“I’ll take you home, Miss,” the taxi driver says as he starts the car, and we leave the airport. Staring out at the landscape doesn’t feel right. I miss the rolling green hills of Tuscany compared to the rocky ones of Ibiza. It all feels wrong. The taxi pulls up at the familiar iron gates. I peel a couple of notes and hand it to him and watch as he drives away. I notice the security camera pointed directly at me and wave, hoping someone is watching and comes and gets me. The gates eventually open and I can see my family at the end of the driveway, running toward me. I do the same. My sisters are the first to reach me, pulling me into their arms. Everyone is screaming, crying, throwing a million questions at me, pulling me, touching me. They’re in shock.

“Where’s my baby? Where is she?” Mum sobs as she pushes through the crowd and pulls me into her arms. “You’re home, you’re really home.” She squeezes me to death.

“I can’t breathe, Mum.”

“I don’t care, darling, I’m just glad you’re home.”

“Baby girl.” Dad tries to pull me from Mum’s vice-like grip, and

she eventually lets me go so I can hug him.

“Let me look at you?” my mother says, giving me a once over. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Come, we must get you some food you must be starving,” she says, grabbing my hand as she drags me across the driveaway.

“Mum, I’m fine. I was well looked after. I ate good food.”

Everyone stills at my comment, they all have such worried looks on their faces, and here I am telling them everything is fine. Last time they found me I was a mess.

“How did you get free?” Sophie questions me.

“They let me go.”

“What do you mean, they just let you go?” Brooks asks.

“They put me on a plane, and now here I am.” I don’t mean to give them attitude, but they aren’t going to understand what I’ve been through.

“That’s kind of weird, don’t you think?” Sophie asks.

I shrug. Maybe in time I’ll tell them what happened or maybe I won’t. If Maxim does come back for me and they know he’s the one that kidnapped me, they won’t let me have anything to do with him and would probably have me committed.

“Who cares how she got here, Grace is home!” Zoe yells, and

everyone cheers as I’m pulled into the house. Zoe takes my hand and brings me into the living room, everyone is fawning over me, making me claustrophobic and giving me a headache. I’m used to the quiet and solitary noise of Maxim’s villa.

“What happened to you? You called us weeks ago, then you weren’t there. We came for you, Grace,” Sophie says.

“I knew you would, but they found me again and took me back home.” I don’t want my family to think that I’m not grateful for them trying to rescue me.

“Home?” Sophie states, noticing my slip-up. She knows there’s more to the story than I’m letting on, it’s the damn journalist in her.

“I’m confused, today has been crazy. I can’t believe I’m home,” I say, trying to switch the subject.

“Are you okay?” Zoe asks.

I nod, reassuring her. “It wasn’t like last time. They looked after me.”

“They?” Sophie questions.

“They protected me from Dmitri. The people that took me were not on his side,” I try to explain to them.

“Oh, thank god, you weren’t held captive by that monster,” Mum says, clutching her chest.