“Fucking nice,” I chuckle.
“Come.” He leads me up chrome stairs that gleam in the afternoon sunlight. When the top floor comes into view, I see Sadiki and Idrizi talking with three new soldiers, Pano, Sava, and Kola, who I don’t know much about.
There are four other men, and when Zef Rama comes up the stairs and he nods in their direction, I realize they’re his team.
The four men leave the deck as Rama comes toward John. The two men hug, then Rama asks, “Is this him?”
John looks at me, a nervous gleam in his eyes. “Yes. Danny Laze. Joseph brought him in.”
“Where’s Joseph?” Rama asks. Even though he’s dressed in an expensive suit, his appearance screaming wealth, his eyes are void of emotion.
“His daughter’s at the hospital,” John explains.
Rama nods. “Is she okay?”
Hearing the question is in total contrast with the danger emanating from him.
“She might have broken her arm,” I answer.
Rama’s eyes snap to mine. Coming face to face with him has been my goal, and now that the moment is here and I’m staring one of the most dangerous men I’ve ever met in the eye, it all becomes real.
I’m here to take him down.
His gaze slowly roams over every inch of me before locking on mine again. “Laze, you’ve made a name for yourself with my men.”
I just nod.
He tilts his head, searching my eyes for something. “Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you.”
Done with me, Rama turns his attention back to John. “You know the drill. Gather all devices and jewelry.”
John nods then holds his hand out to me. “Phone.”
Pulling the device from my pocket, I place it on his palm. “Why?”
“Security measurements so Zef knows it’s safe for the bosses to come.”
Rama’s four men return with a crate where everything’s placed, and then one of them comes to pat me down, doing a damn good job of searching me for devices and weapons.
Knowing my team should have eyes on me, I’m not worried and watch as the other new soldiers are also searched, and then the crate’s dropped overboard, and the engine roars to life.
Music sounds up, and girls wearing bikinis come out with trays of drinks. After John takes a glass of raki, I also grab one.
Rama holds his drink up, his eyes touching on each of us. “To new family.”
I swallow the alcohol down, and I’m just about to take my pack of cigarettes from my pocket when Rama’s eyes lock on me. “Time for your final test.” He glances at the other three newcomers, “Follow me.”
Fuck.
John pats me on the back, not looking worried at all and sporting a broad grin. “Enjoy.”
All the men follow Rama below deck. I glance around, taking in every detail of the yacht. We’re led down a hallway, then Rama stops at a door. Opening it, he looks at Kola. “Yours.” Then he glances at John. “You watch him.”
As we keep moving down the hallway, the new soldiers are paired with someone to supervise whatever the fuck we have to do until it’s just Rama and me.
My gut starts to churn as a fear I haven’t considered surfaces.
Rama opens a door and waits for me to step inside. My eyes dart around the room, and the sight of the bed alone instantly makes my heart thunder in my chest.
No.
As if in slow motion, my gaze goes to the red leather and chrome X against the wall, and the girl cuffed to it. Then I lock eyes with her, and my stomach bottoms out. A sickening wave crashes over me, the bile dangerously churning in my gut.
NoNoNoNo.
My skin prickles, my mouth dries, and my heart fucking shrivels at the sight of JJ cuffed to the cross. Naked.
“I was told you favored this girl. She’s my gift to you.”
Christ. No.
I remain frozen on the spot, all my training and years of experience out the window in a blink of an eye. I can’t think straight enough to try and form a plan. I don’t even take in JJ’s body.
Fuck, I can hardly suck in a breath of air.
“Unless you prefer someone else?” Rama asks. “I can give this one to the other men.”
A growl builds in my chest as I spin to face Rama. “No one fucking touches her.”
The threat of JJ landing in one of those fuckers hands is enough to clear my mind.
Rama watches me closely after my strong reaction, then he waves a hand in JJ’s direction before he takes a seat on a leather single-seater. “Then she’s all yours.”
Looking for a way out, I ask, “Why the fuck are you making yourself comfortable?”
Rama’s lips curve up as he leans back against the leather. “I need to see if you can actually fuck a woman, or you’ll be of no use to me when it comes to training girls.”
Another sickening wave crashes over me, and for the life of me, I can’t hide my emotions flaying my soul bare.
He looks at JJ, and I have to fist my hands so I don’t pummel him to death. There’s no emotion on his face as he says, “She’s drugged. It will be an easy fuck.”
When I still don’t move, Rama leans a little forward and pulls his gun out. Resting the hand holding the weapon on his thigh, he nods toward JJ. “I’m not getting any younger. Either you fuck her, or I kill you and keep her for myself.”
Knowing he’s not joking, my eyes turn to JJ. Her head’s tilted back, her eyes on me. She might be drugged, but it looks as if she understands what’s happening.
Christ.
Fuck.
“Now!” Rama barks.
I have a choice between taking the one thing I want most in the world and certain death.
Never thought it would be so hard.
Forcing my feet to move, my insides start to burn as if I swallowed flaming coals.
Fuck, JJ.
Shit.
Stopping in front of her, I take in the glassy look in her eyes, her dry lips, and the pale sheen over her skin. Her breaths are shallow with fear.
Either I do this, or I die. I won’t be able to protect her if I’m dead.
FuckFuckFuck.
Lifting a hand to JJ’s face, I cup her cheek. She’s fucking cold.
My eyes dart to her wrists, taking in the cuffs.
“I was told you like this girl,” Rama says, annoyance tightening his voice. “Do you prefer cock?”
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, my lungs filling with JJ’s scent.
I’m sorry.
Fuck, I’m so sorry.
“Can you fucking shut up? It’s hard to get in the mood with your constant talking.”
All I get in return is a deadly chuckle from Rama.
Christ. I’m so sorry, JJ.
Opening my eyes, I lower them and take in the fucking incredible sight of JJ’s naked body. She’s even more perfect than I imagined.
And that’s all it takes for me to get hard.
JJ
When I came to, enough to make sense of my surroundings, I found myself cuffed to the wall and stripped of my clothes. The past couple of hours are a blur, and whatever they gave me makes it hard to focus.
I’m trembling with fear because I know this will not end well for me. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is the Bregu syndicate took me, and that means O’Brien’s cover has been blown.