Chapter 33

Anya gritted her teeth in pain as a rope tightened around her wrists. "Ease the fuck up, you twat!" she snapped at the guy securing her to a chair.
He responded by tightening the bonds even more.
Anya fantasized about all the gory things she was going to do to his scrawny ass when she, a) got loose, and b) found something sharp and pointy, like the knife that lived in her boot since her last kidnapping. She had already tipped them off to her self-defence capabilities when she'd fought like a wild cat after they grabbed her. She hoped those cracks she'd heard as they struggled to get her into the trunk of a car were broken bones. If not then she'd be sure to remedy that situation when she finished exacting her revenge on her friend, Idiot Twat, who couldn't tie a knot to save his life.
Anya continued to think vicious, bloody thoughts so she wouldn't give in to the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She knew her brother would come for her. Eventually. Anya just hoped he found her with enough time to rescue her while she was still alive.
Her heart broke over the way she had left Ash. He could be such an asshole, but he was her asshole and she loved him. And he didn't know the truth about her. She never gave him a chance to understand her properly. Now she would probably die before she could truly open up to him and tell him he was wrong in his assumption that she was just a playgirl that liked kinky games. That thought made her extra angry, so when the bastard responsible for her most recent kidnapping entered the room, she wasn't as careful as she maybe should have been.
"Hey, it's dead man walking," she smirked and tried to look casual, which wasn't easy to pull off when tied to a chair. "Any last thoughts before my brother guts your worthless ass and ships the entrails to your momma?"
The foul-mouthed, worse-smelling ringleader of the kidnappers stepped up to her. "You think you're so clever little girl?"
She eyed him with disdain and said, "There isn't much competition in the room, now is there?" He was sweating profusely and constantly fidgeting with his low-slung jeans and t-shirt. She suspected he was probably high.
He reached out, snatched her by the neck and pulled her forward, dragging both girl and chair toward him. Anya choked as he squeezed the breath in her throat. She used the slackening pressure on her wrists to wriggle them and hopefully loosen the rope Idiot Twat had tied so badly.
"Not so smart when you can't speak, bitch." He tossed her backward so hard the chair rocked back sharply before settling. "Maybe I should cut out your tongue? I don't know who your brother is and I don't really care. It's your fuck buddy I'm after," he spat.
Anya froze in the chair and then started laughing. "You don't even know who my brother is?"
The three men, Smelly Leader, Idiot Twat and Super Fugly stared at her like she was crazy.
"Seriously guys, this is priceless." She would have wiped tears from her eyes if her hands weren't busy elsewhere. "Vladimir Sitnikov is about to take down that door, dismember you while you're still alive and you have no fucking clue exactly who it is you've stolen."
Idiot Twat and Super Fugly looked uncertain for the moment, but Smelly Leader continued to look smug. "Lie all you want bitch. We ain't seen you hanging with Sitnikov or his men, you've been shacking up with Asher Bowles. I've been waiting some time to make Asher pay for going legit and screwing me over on a fair bit of cash in a street fight he never showed for."
"This is about Ash?" Anya asked incredulously.
"You're his woman. Something he finally gives a fuck about. I been waiting years for him to care about something. Thought I was going to have to kill his damn dog just to get my own."
Anya was even more upset that he'd thought about killing Bane than the fact that he had kidnapped her. Hurting animals just wasn't right!
He eyed her and picked up a piece of hair from her shoulder, running his fingers down the feathery length. He rubbed the bright blue section between his fingers. "You ain't half bad for such a mouthy bitch. Thought you were too skinny, but now I see you up close, there might be some possibility here if you close that fucking mouth and start acting a little more grateful for your life."
Smelly Leader cupped her breast and squeezed, hard. Anya seriously thought about vomiting, but thought there was probably a better use for her mouth now that his hand had drifted close enough. She sank her teeth into his arm until she tasted blood. He screamed and yanked his arm back so hard his flesh tore.
Grossed out, Anya unlatched her teeth and spat.
She had barely a second to look up when his fist smashed into the side of her head so hard she crashed to the floor still tied to the chair. His next move was to kick her in the stomach, which caused the chair to jump back a few feet and hit the wall.
"You're dead, you fucking bitch!"
Anya lifted her head a few inches off the floor and grinned, blood trickling from her mouth. "Bring it on, Smelly."
* * *
"Drive faster!" Ash snapped at Boris.
Boris ignored him.
"There is no point in harassing my man," Sitnikov said, sitting back against the leather seat in deceptive relaxation. "Her panic button went off twenty minutes ago. We have her GPS location. Unless they killed her immediately, which we could not do anything about anyway, they will not have much time before we arrive."
"They'll have enough time," Ash snarled, his voice cracking.
Sitnikov stared at the younger man thoughtfully, but said nothing more. Truthfully, the Russian was barely holding himself together. He was perfectly willing to burn the city to the ground to ensure Anastasia's safe return. As it was, there would be no need. His intelligent young sister had managed to push the panic button on her purse, alerting them to her predicament and exact whereabouts. Provided she hadn't been separated from the accessory, they would track her to the kidnapper's location.
"Here," Boris said into the tense silence, bringing the SUV to a sudden stop in front of a dilapidated warehouse in the river district.
Ash was out of the vehicle before it fully stopped and launching himself at a dark shape that had separated from the building. He had the man's throat in one giant fist and slammed him so hard into the brick building that the guy's head hit with an audible crack.
Sitnikov got out of the SUV.
The guy saw him and his eyes widened in surprise.
"I know him," Ash snarled into the other guys face. "I used to know this guy when I still used."
"He does seem surprised to see me here." Sitnikov frowned. "You kidnapped my sister, how did you not believe you would see me here eventually?"
Ash let up on his grip enough so the guy could speak. "Sister?" he choked. "Swear to god, we had no idea Mr. Sitnokov. Please we didn't hurt her."
"Hmm, isn't this an unfortunate mistake."
Ash dropped the guy and turned to the building while Sitnikov made sure the guy would never repeat his mistake again. Wrenching open the door, he ran inside, heedless of any danger in his desperation to reach Anya. He stood in what looked like an empty detail shop. Hearing a scream from one of the back rooms, Ash launched himself toward the sound, terrified he was too late and knowing he wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her.
* * *
Heart thundering, breaths coming in sharp gasps, Anya surveyed the scene before her. She turned to the door and prepared to leave when the door opened with so much force it separated from its hinges and skidded toward her. She jumped to the side and crouched, knife clutched in her bloody fist, prepared to take on her next attacker.
"Ash!" she gasped.
He stood surveying the scene with shock, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. "Did you do this?"
She glanced over at the three bodies scattered across the floor. She dropped the blade guiltily and rubbed self-consciously at a streak of blood that had splattered across her bare arm. She glanced at his face. He looked surprised, but not disgusted. In fact, when his icy blue eyes swept over her, searching for damage, she realized he was intensely relieved.
"Yes," she breathed and launched herself at him. He caught her up in his arms and held her tightly. "They threatened Bane! It wasn't right."
Anya was shaking, definitely in shock and barely aware of what she was saying. Her pupils were dilated and her eyes darted around the room, unable to focus. Ash's fingers clenched against her skin as if reassuring himself she was really there, alive and unhurt in his arms.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. He kissed her hair and rocked her in his arms. "I'm so damn sorry baby, I had no idea. I would never put you in danger. I should have known my old life would catch up with me eventually."
"It's not your fault, it could just as easily have been Vlad's enemies," she whispered, tears squeezing between her eyelids. "I killed their asses dead, so there's no more threat to you, me or Bane."
"You killed them good," he said, sounding impressed with her bloody handiwork. "I always knew you were a wild thing, baby."
She grinned and leaned back in his arms far enough to press her lips hard against his and shove her tongue into his mouth. He groaned and tightened his arms until he was squeezing the breath from her. She sensed the need in him to make sure she was truly unhurt.
"Anastasia."
Anya broke the kiss off and looked around nervously. Ash let her slide down until her feet touched the floor. She turned to her brother and stepped toward him. Vlad looked down at her, touching a smear of blood on her cheek with a frown. "It's not mine," she said softly. "Thanks to everything you've taught me over the years, I was able to eliminate the threat."
"I couldn't be prouder," he said, pulling her into his strong embrace.
She sniffled against his chest and hugged him back, heedless of the blood she was smearing on his expensive suit. They may not be a typical family, but he was the only family she had, and she knew he loved her more than anyone in the world.
"I'm going to have to call the cleaner," he said, pushing her back gently. "You made quite a mess in here."
She shrugged. "Maybe I'll get better with practice."
"Not funny, Anastasia."
Vlad turned and looked at Ash, eyeing the other man with some hostility now that the immediate situation was resolved. "I'm not happy that he is the reason you were dragged into this."
Anya tensed, sensing the danger in his tone. "Don't you dare Vladimir!" she snapped and then switched to Russian, speaking rapidly and vehemently. "It could have easily been one of your enemies that snatched me. No one in our world is invulnerable."
He maintained a stony silence. It didn't help that Ash looked like he was ready to throw her over his shoulder and walk out with her. While she was happy to have a boyfriend that would stand up to her brother, she didn't think this was a particularly good time for an alpha display.
"You have always trusted in my judgment, brother," she said touching his hand. "Please trust me now when I tell you this man holds my soul."
Sitnikov stared at her his expression both sad and resigned. She relaxed and smiled up at him, "I would rather you not put a bullet in my heart."
"I would never do such a thing."
"Then you must promise me, Ash is not to be touched by you or your enforcers. Ever."
He nodded once. "It is done."
"Dos Vedanya, brother," she whispered, turning back to Ash.