Seized By Darkness Read online

  No. He would not have let her live until morning if she had done so.

  Did Gorgon plan to replace her?

  Fear captured the breath from her lungs at the thought. If so, he would have her killed. Then he’d take Luka to his wife to be raised as her own. Eva would not refuse him.

  Nicole’s muscles twitched as adrenalin flowed into her system. She fought the urge to race up the stairs, gather Luka from his bed and escape while Gorgon showered. There wasn’t enough time.

  They had to escape tonight. Gorgon had chosen the time. Her mind whirled as scenarios played out in her thoughts and were dismissed. Her stomach twisted while she studied the girl. Maybe while Gorgon was busy with his new treasure she and Luka could slip out of the house unnoticed. By morning they would be several states away from their New Jersey prison.

  Hope threaded through Nicole as she worked the details out in her mind. Yes. Her plan could work.

  “Mom,” Susie called.

  Nicole folded and laid the girl’s coat on the cushioned chair in the corner.

  Empathy held Nicole spellbound. How could she leave this child here? Would the teenager be strong enough to withstand the horror she’d endured, or would Susie die under Gorgon’s hand?

  Tears blurred Nicole’s vision while she removed the girl’s right sneaker. What choice did she have? There was no way she could escape with both Luka and Susie in tow. And even if there was a slim chance she could, she didn’t have the money to transport them beyond Gorgon’s reach for long.

  Nicole removed Susie’s left shoe. She could leave the girl somewhere safe and place a call to the authorities as to her whereabouts.

  “Mommy,” Susie whimpered again and then moaned while thrashing her head from one side to the other. The child’s upper lip beaded with perspiration.

  Brushing Susie’s hair from her face, Nicole laid her hand on the child’s forehead. The girl was burning up.

  “God’s watching over you. Gorgon will not take you tonight if you’re sick,” Nicole whispered as she soothed the child by stroking her hair. “Your poor mother. She must be sick with worry.”

  The door opened behind her.

  Nicole spun around.

  Barefooted, his dark hairy legs planted wide on the plush carpet, Gorgon blocked the doorway. His robe hung open and Nicole saw that droplets of water still clung to his black chest hair. His sandalwood cologne wafted toward her like long fingers.

  “What have you been doing, Katrina? She is not washed.”

  Backing up to the head of the bed out of Gorgon’s immediate reach, Nicole said, “The girl has a fever. She’s been tossing about. I was about to get a cold towel to wash her and give her some fever reducer.”

  The Russian’s dark gaze dropped to Susie and his fingers stretched and then clenched around his robe’s tie. “I was told she was in good health.”

  If Gorgon thought Susie was diseased, he’d dispose of her. He might even hand her off to his loyal men outside to do what they wanted with her. Afterwards, her lifeless body would be dumped in a landfill and covered with tons of plastic bottles and garbage. No one would find her bones for hundreds of years, if ever.

  Nicole fought to keep the trepidation she felt from entering her voice. “I’m sure it’s nothing. She has been through much. I know.”

  Seeing the mixture of anger and lust in Gorgon’s eyes, Nicole knew she couldn’t let anything more happen to the girl. Somehow she had to save at least one child from Gorgon’s family business. “Her body needs rest and nourishment. I’m sure that in a few days she will be just fine.”

  He released his disappointment in a huff. “Take care of her. I will wait for you upstairs in our bed.”

  Knowing what his words meant, Nicole shuddered inside.

  When Gorgon disappeared from view, she turned to the child. As her fingertips brushed across Susie’s cheek, the child turned into them. How was she going to save them all?

  Nicole hurried and finished undressing Susie down to her training bra and matching panties. Then she sponged the girl with cool towels and forced medicine and tiny bits of fruit flavored Popsicle into her mouth. After thirty minutes, the child slept. Now she had to face Gorgon.

  Outside, wild gusts of wind and rain slapped the window panes.

  In the foyer, Nicole stood motionless, clutching the banister, while a battle raged within her. She closed her mind to the fear at disobeying Gorgon. She focused on the dream of Luka having a normal life. She wanted Luka to grow onto a good man. She wanted him to graduate from college, get married and hold his newborn children without fear of the family’s enemies.

  She took a deep breath and stared at the floor above. She had no choice, if she wanted all those things for her son, she had to act. She was out of time. Either she killed Gorgon or he would kill her.

  Backtracking, she hurried to the kitchen. Her trembling fingers hovered above the knife’s handle. Gorgon had made it very clear that any defiance on her part and not only would she suffer, but so would her family.

  She loved her parents and siblings. Her one hope to save them and Luka and herself, was to kill the bastard upstairs.

  The paring knife sang as she slid its blade from the butcher block caddy. A larger butcher knife would give her the confidence of doing serious damage in one strike, but would be hard to conceal from Gorgon. The smaller knife would be better for her planned surprise attack.

  On shaky legs, Nicole made her way up the stairs. Her moist palm cradled the paring knife hidden in the folds of her gown. She would need to cut Gorgon’s carotid artery for him to die within minutes. Would she be able to do kill him? She’d never hurt anyone in her entire life. And she’d been trained by Gorgon to cower at the cast of his anger.

  “Remember his ruthlessness,” she whispered and recalled the moment Gorgon had killed a man for disobeying an order. He had done so without a wasted movement.

  Could she steel herself against his will and stand up to him? Do the same to him as he had done to that man?

  She bit her lip and tasted the saltiness of her own blood. She had no choice. If she missed her mark, her last breath would not be far off, and Luka and Susie would be lost forever.

  The lights in the bedroom were off. The candle she’d placed on the high bureau earlier still flickered. Its rays danced across the ceiling and Gorgon, who lay sprawled on the bed in all his glory.

  She held her breath. He did not move. Was he asleep?

  Her fingers curled around the knife’s handle. Could she cross the room and plunge the knife into his neck without waking him?

  Determined, she took a step inside the room.

  “Why are you tip-toeing?”

  Nicole jumped, almost dropping the knife. “I— I thought you slept.”

  He stretched his arms above his head, exposing his chest to her. “Nah. Did you take care of the girl?”

  She tightened her grip on the knife, anticipating the way Gorgon’s body would give way when she drove the blade into his neck. “I gave her some medicine. She’s sleeping now.”

  “Is she a virgin?”

  His member stirred and it took every ounce of control in her not to rush toward him and strike the cold bastard. The son-of-a-bitch didn’t care if Susie’s pain had subsided. All the monster cared about was whether he’d have the pleasure of tearing away her virginity.

  “Yes,” she said only the one syllable, afraid if she’d say more he’d hear her detestation for him in her tone.

  Beyond the French doors that led to a balcony, lightning flashed across the sky.

  “Excellent. I would hate to cut Ralph off at the knees.”

  Nicole faltered in step. Gorgon did not speak literally, she was sure.

  “He has the knack to find many good girls.” Gorgon yawned.

  Good meant virgins. She wondered how many he had deflowered himself instead of selling them to the highest bidder.

  She went on guard when Gorgon sat and shifted up onto the pile of pillows behind him. “
It is getting late, and I have an early meeting.”

  “You are not going home to your wife tonight?”

  “Nah.”

  “It is her night.”

  “I make the decision where I sleep. Come here.” He patted the mattress.

  “I must use the bathroom first,” she said, feeling the knife slip in her sweaty palm. She needed to dry her hands, calm her nerves and regain her strength before approaching him.

  “Be quick, my treasure.”

  Nicole turned and closed the bedroom door so Luka would not be awakened. Then with her head lowered she hurried to the bathroom, feeling Gorgon’s eyes following her. Standing before the mirror, she ripped a hand towel from the bar and covered the knife before twisting the knob, turning on the cold water. She scooped and splashed her face. While patting her face dry, she reviewed one more time the steps she would take to end Gorgon’s life.

  Inhaling a quick breath, she dropped the hand towel and picked up the knife. “I am ready.” She snapped off the lights and entered the bedroom. She would wait until he was at the cusp of his release when he’d be at his weakest. Then she would make her move.

  He slid from the bed, stopping her from approaching her bedside. His swollen member bobbed toward her. “On your knees.”

  Nicole’s heart sank. Pleasuring him this way would not allow her to cut his neck.

  “I said come here.” Impatience rumbled in Gorgon’s voice.

  Nicole couldn’t move. Her feet had become one with the floor. She didn’t want to be degraded again.

  The candle sputtered and its glow shadowed the angry angles of Gorgon’s jaw.

  “Are you dumb, woman?” Gorgon crossed the hardwood floor and slapped her.

  Pain ripped through her skull and Nicole shook her head to ward off the stars developing behind her closed eyes. All the feelings she’d held in check for years flooded to her bloody lips. “I hate you, you son-of-a-bitch.”

  His fist shot out.

  She tried to dodge him but he grabbed her upper arm and yanked, exposing the knife.

  Realization of her plan narrowed Gorgon’s eyes, but before he could tighten his hold on her, she thrust forward with all her might. His lower abdomen gave way as she pushed the blade into its hilt. A gush of warm blood soaked the metal handle, making the knife slick, and her hand slid free.

  “Argh… You bitch,” Gorgon screamed in pain. “I will kill you.”

  He backhanded her and Nicole crashed back against the bureau. The candle on top toppled and crashed to the floor, sending broken chunks of glass and hot wax across their feet.

  Nicole’s blood thundered through her veins. If she was going to survive, she had to kill Gorgon, now.

  A dark line streamed from his abdomen, through his pubic hair to his limp penis. Grabbing the bed, he turned toward the nightstand. Toward his gun.

  Max barked once in Luka’s room and Nicole sent up a silent prayer that he’d remain quiet. She had to finish Gorgon, before Luka woke and came to investigate the noise. Glass crunched under her slippers as Nicole shoved him onto the mattress.

  Again, he wailed with anguish.

  Her fingertips grazed the cold steel before he grabbed her by her long hair, tearing strands by the roots from her scalp. He yanked her away from her only hope.

  “You will not defeat me,” he growled into her ear.

  She was no match for his strength. “You want to bet.” Nicole went limp, reached back, snared the knife and gave the blade a final twist. Gorgon’s muscles and organs crackled as they ripped apart inside of him. His cry left her eardrum ringing.

  He released her and she grabbed the gun. Turning, she found Gorgon on his knees. His head lulled to his chest, before he crashed to the floor. A crimson pool spread around his hips while his twitching fingers stilled.

  ~~

  Chapter Three

  Reasoning had kept her from putting a bullet through Gorgon’s head. His men would’ve heard the shot. She would have no means of escaping two armed men. She’d been lucky once tonight.

  Max whimpered behind the garage door which separated the hallway leading to the kitchen from the garage. Her heart broke. She didn’t want to leave the dog behind. He was family but she had no choice.

  Nicole strained lifting Susie’s dead weight into the trunk. The combination of medicine, high fever and days of malnutrition had left the teenager drained. Under the circumstances, that was a good thing. Wrapped in a blanket and tucked into the car’s trunk, she prayed Susie would remain quiet.

  She closed the lid, hurried around the car and peeked into the back window. Luka, on the other hand, was healthy as a baby ox. She hated that she had drugged her son, giving him a tiny sip of antihistamine, but she had to make sure he remained asleep. He slept peacefully in his car seat, despite her movements and the clap of thunder overhead.

  She slid into the car and took a moment to settle her nerves. There was no turning back the hands of the clock. She was Gorgon’s murderer. Now, she had to escape his family.

  The garage door rumbled overhead.

  Nicole ignored the pain in her shoulder and neck as she shoved her gym bag onto the front floor board. With the taste of blood still on her tongue, she started the car and backed out from the double bay garage, and headed down the short driveway leading to the main road. Mid-July and still she shivered.

  Two of Gorgon’s men always manned the gate at the bottom of the hill. Wrapping her fingers around the steering wheel, she prayed both Susie and Luka would remain asleep. Her fingers fumbled to touch the cold steel of Gorgon’s gun tucked along the seat. Would she be able to use the weapon if she had to? What if they told her to get out of the car as they’d done on several occasions and saw the gun? What if they wanted to check the entire car and found Gorgon’s new treasure? What if hearing their voices, the child cried out for her mother?

  No. She pushed the gun down between the seat’s cushion and the console. Their escape would not play out like that. She’d killed once tonight. She would again, to save them all.

  Ahead, a woman stood with Marco. His girlfriend Tiffany.

  Marco was the one bodyguard who had special privileges because he’d been with the family eons.

  As the headlights crept up on the couple, the petite mousey brunette stepped out of Marco’s embrace and disappeared into the shadows along the brick wall which surrounded the estate. Marco held up his hand, and Nicole slowed the car to a stop and shifted into park.

  Marco’s flashlight blinded her through the glass.

  Nicole lowered the window with one hand and raised the other to shield her eyes. “Put that down, before you wake Luka.”

  A gust bellowed through the opening and made the moisture at the nape of her neck feel cool.

  “Gorgon did not say he was sending you out, Katrina. Where are you going?”

  Peter, the other guard, walked around the far side of the car, checking the rear seat.

  Heat lightning seared the sky.

  Nicole lifted her chin so that Marco would see the bruise left on her cheek from Gorgon’s slap and the split of her lip. “I didn’t like him bringing that girl into our home,” she spat. “He told me to go to his brother’s for the night. I imagine he wants to be alone with his new prize.”

  The smirk that grew on Marco’s face sickened her. He knew what she implied.

  “Gila waits for us.” She put the car into gear.

  “Wait.” Marco grabbed the steering wheel. “We will need to check with Gorgon.” His smile made her pulse kick up a notch. “You understand.”

  She was betting their lives on the fear Gorgon caused his men. Keeping her cool, she shrugged as if his intentions made no difference to her and shifted the car into park again. “Of course. I’m sure he won’t mind if you disturb him. Our fight was small.” She held up her hand and displayed the tiny distance between her thumb and index finger. “But know, I will not accept the responsibility of your blood.”

  Marco’s smile faded. His ha
nd fell away from the steering wheel and he nodded to Peter, who met him at the car’s grill.

  Nicole leaned towards her window and tried hard to hear their muffled conversation. Apparently, Peter didn’t think disturbing Gorgon was in their best interest. Marco agreed.

  Peter headed toward the gate and Marco returned to her window. “Okay. You go right to Donnie’s. I will call Gila and let her know you are on your way.”

  Again, she shrugged, holding back the sigh of relief waiting to escape her lungs. “Do what you must.”

  When she was away from these people, she had to watch her speech. Over the years her speech patterns had picked up the parlance of the Russian tongue.

  Peter’s stare prickled the hair at her neck’s nape as she drove through the gate. In her rearview mirror, she saw Marco pull his cell from his pocket. Tiffany came out of the shadows and stood next to Peter.

  She had to hurry. “Be patient,” she said gripping the steering wheel.

  Under the haze of the street lights, Ash Avenue had never looked so wonderful. Nicole tapped the gas and drove away from hell.

  Rounding the corner as if she was going to Gila’s, Nicole fought to keep from panicking. She had to think straight. Gorgon had kept her in line for years, first threatening her family and then telling her how disgusted they would be to find out she was a whore. Then he used her son as a weapon against her. Well, Gorgon didn’t rule over her any longer.

  Once out of the sight of Gorgon’s men, she stomped on the accelerator. In a minute, Marco and Peter would wake Donnie from a sound sleep and know that neither Gorgon’s brother nor his sister-in-law were aware of her late night visit.

  One of the men would come after her. The other would go to the house and find Gorgon dead. She had maybe fifteen minutes, at the most, before the whole Novokoff family would be alerted and any and every man and woman under their power would search for her.

  A crack of thunder shook the car and rain drops smashed against the windshield. Nicole turned on the wipers and curled her fingers tighter around the steering wheel. Where could she go that they’d be safe? She’d heard more than once while eavesdropping on Gorgon’s conversations that he had friends on the police force. Friends who’d turned their heads or gave up information for a sizeable dollar. If captured by the cops, they’d make sure Susie was returned to her family, stating they found her in a drug induced state, walking along the highway. They’d take Luka away from her and hand him back to Gorgon’s family and charge her with his murder.