Manchester Ménage 01 - Saving Samuel (24 page)

Nikolay grabbed his chin and forced him to look directly into his dark eyes. “How could you stay away from me? ME! Me who gave you anything you wanted. Me who protected you, who took you from the paying clients and kept you here, by my side. In my bed. In my heart.” Nikolay slammed his hand over his chest. “How could you leave? I love you. I have always loved you. It’s because of that love why you are here.”

Nikolay grabbed the back of Samuel’s neck and dragged him to his knees by his feet. “When I found out your snivelling excuse for a father was lying to me, that he was trying to take what was mine, to deliver me into the hands of those who would punish me and incarcerate me, I promised him, I swore as I looked into his eyes as he took his last breath on this earth that I would find you. That his sins would become yours. I swore that. His heart broke.” Nikolay smiled. “He knew I would do it. Even tortured, broken and bleeding, what hurt him the most was knowing you would be here. That I would own you and do what I pleased with you.”

Nikolay slapped Samuel, not as hard as Boris, but it made his head spin. Nikolay didn’t hit him. It shocked him more than anything he had said. “As soon as I saw you, I knew you would be the death of me. So many times I would watch you sleep…” Nikolay produced a blade from his pocket and flicked it open, holding it against Samuel’s throat. “I would hold this against your throat while you slept beside me, and every time I would leave you to wake another day. You were too beautiful to spoil. Too endearing to me. Too captivating. The world would be a hollow and empty place for me, my love, if you were to leave me alone in it. But…I am a fool! You betrayed me. Betrayed the one who gave you your life so many times when I could have taken it. All I ever asked from you was to lay beside me, entertain me when I visited, show me love when I craved it.”

Samuel whimpered when the blade cut through his skin, warm blood dripping down his throat. “I'm sorry, Nikky.” Samuel swallowed heavily. “I never meant to leave. You know I didn’t. I was drunk. Boris gave me too much coke and I went for a walk. The next thing I remember I'm in some hospital hooked up to machines and being given Methadone. I was out of it for so long. And then when I came round, I thought you'd have forgotten me.” Samuel looked through his heavy lashes at the dark image of Nikolay leaning over him. “I forgot so much.” Samuel saw how cloudy Nikolay eyes were. He was high and capable of anything, but like this, Samuel had more control over things because he wasn’t thinking straight. “Boris locked me in a cell and set the building on fire. I couldn’t get out. I thought he would bring me to you, but he didn’t. That's how the police found me. It’s all his fault.”

Nikolay nodded, the knife slipping from Samuel’s throat. “I know this. Kris has confirmed the fire and what Boris did. Come here.” Nikolay took Samuel’s hand and led him out of the room, holding him possessively by the waist, gently cooing and wiping the blood from Samuel’s neck. “You look so beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“I've missed you so much, Sammy.”

“I've missed you too, Nikky.”

Nikolay smiled, his eyes blurring more before he leaned down and kissed Samuel. “I won't ever let anyone take you from me again. Tomorrow we’re leaving for home. Back to Russia. You’ll be my companion. One who I will keep tethered to my side if I have to.”

Samuel grew cold all over, keeping his eyes on the red and gold swirls on the carpet and not on Nikolay. “Won’t your wife mind?” He ran his finger slowly up Nikolay’s shirt.

“You will have you own house, one we will share our times in together. You will be the envy of every man who sees you. I have so many pretty things for you. Jewels, trinkets for your hair. Pretty dresses which I love to see you in. And shoes, I know how you love shoes. You can wear them and dance across the marble filled halls for me.” Nikolay was swaying now and Samuel helped him stand straight. “Look at what I've done for you.”

Samuel followed to where Nikolay was pointing, his gaze falling on the pitch black of the courtyard outside the hotel. He moved closer to the window as Nikolay barked out an order and the small enclosed garden was lit up by bright lights.

Samuel shook his head, hot tears flowing down his cheeks.

Nikolay moved closer, holding him tightly from behind, kissing his neck. “See what I have done for you, Sammy? See what I've done to the person who took you from me?”

Samuel’s silent tears flowed down his cheeks. Boris, or what used to be Boris, was nailed to a cross. They’d crucified him. Long nails were protruding from his wrists and ankles, barbed wire was wrapped around his head, rivers of blood were running down his face. Samuel could see his stomach bulging open, intestines hanging out, cold dead eyes staring at him.

“Nikolay…”

“See what happens to those who take things which belong to me, Sammy? See what I would do to your new friends if they tried to take you from me?”

Samuel stopped crying, a new feeling of strength filling him. No matter what, Daniel and Milo would live. “Nikolay, even if they asked me to, I would never leave you.” Samuel turned and wrapped his arms around Nikolay’s neck, standing on his tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his lips. “I love you, remember? I’ve always loved you. You look after me. Look what you do for me. You're so good to me, Nikky.”

Nikolay grabbed his chin in his hand and snarled. “You will love me. You're mine, Sammy. You're branded inside and out with my mark. I own you, all of you. You’ll be mine until I tire of you or until you get ugly. I suggest you don’t allow either of those to happen. Now get changed. I want you looking pretty for our first flight together.”

M
ilo turned to look at one of the agents working with Interpol. He’d long since forgotten to take note of their names—they were all just faces and badges.

“You're sure that’s where they’re heading?” Milo looked into the stern eyes of the agent and watched him nod, pointing to a digital map displayed behind him.

“They’re stopping in Lithuania to refuel. It’s been confirmed by Air Traffic Control that’s where they’ve been tracking the plane. It’s not big enough to get from the UK to Moscow in one flight. It’s our best chance at locating them before Volkov gets back on home soil and we have to start extradition procedures. It’s not foolproof, but it’s the best we’ve got. This could all be some trick and he’s heading to a Caribbean island for all we know, but this is where the evidence is pointing, so that’s what we follow.”

Milo stood still, looking at the flashing beacon on the screen making its way to the airport in Lithuania. The plane they were on was catching them up—despite setting off later, they had more speed. They had to get there. They had to stop the next flight from happening.

“We’ll find him.” The guy placed his hand on Milo’s shoulder and squeezed. “We will do.”

Milo nodded. “I know. I won't stop until I do.”

It had been two days since Samuel was taken. When he’d heard the news, he’d been in the station. He just stood there, frozen, not being able to understand how it had happened. Too shocked to feel or do anything. He’d been driven home and had to go through it all again with Daniel.

Daniel had been the opposite, frantic and angry, shouting and arguing with anyone and everyone, demanding they find him, begging Milo to do something, anything. But right then, all they could do was wait for information.

All of the places Samuel had told them about were being watched, and none of them showed up anything. There were only a few places which were still safe to Volkov and everyone rushed to find them. Samuel was important to them as a witness, but to Milo and Daniel he was so much more.

When they found the abandoned hotel, both Milo and Daniel had driven with CID, hoping they would find Samuel and be able to offer him comfort. After the place had been searched and it was confirmed Samuel had been moved again, Milo was taken to one side and he saw the evidence of what these guys could do. He saw Boris. Crucified and left to hang there as a warning to others who would dare to take what belonged to Nikolay Volkov.

When he walked through the bedroom where Samuel had been just hours before, he knew something else too—Samuel meant more to Volkov than anyone had realised. The plush surroundings, the clothes and expensive champagne, the chocolates on the bed. It made Milo sick. He couldn't stand to think of Samuel being laid on there with Volkov. In Nikolay’s warped mind, Samuel was more than a toy. He was a lover. One which had been taken from him.

Everyone knew. Everyone looked at him, wondering how he would cope, but he just walked out and found Daniel, explaining Samuel was safe, wherever he was.

“Safe? He’s not safe. God knows what’s happening to him.” Daniel had been so mad, but he didn’t understand. After seeing the other boys in that building, then seeing the room where Samuel was, Milo was sure Volkov had a soft spot for Samuel, one which, if Samuel was clever, he could use to his advantage.

He nursed his head in his hands, praying to every god he could remember for Samuel to be returned to him.

An hour later and they were descending. Communications from the airport in Lithuania were coming in and everyone on the ground and in the plane began to move. Milo stood back, letting them get on with their job, listening for anything which caught his attention. The plane they were looking for landed twenty minutes ago and was almost refuelled. Calls were being made to delay all takeoffs, to close the airport down and to do it quietly.

By the time they landed, the airport wasn’t allowing any flights in or out. Some cover story had been used and everything seemed calm. Milo and a few plain clothes guys were herded into a security office full with cameras. There were army and agents all around, all looking for Volkov and Samuel. Pictures flashed up of him and Milo found himself staring at the man who had taken his heart so quickly.

Milo began to track the cameras, searching them for Samuel. He could see everywhere inside the airport, the bars, the shops, the corridors leading to their private plane. No one was having any joy. The fear they weren’t here at all made them all worry. Maybe this was a decoy plan and they were somewhere else. Milo knew there were other guys outside searching the plane and the surrounding other private planes for Volkov, but so far nothing had turned up.

Milo stared at the black and white grainy images of a packed waiting room on the monitor in front of him. There was a commercial flight setting off which had been delayed but it seemed now they had been checked and confirmed okay to leave. Less people around would make it easier to search and Milo watched as they began to filter from the room and down the corridor to their plane.

A flash of long legs mingled in the crowd made him pause, and he turned back to the screen, leaning forward and looking at the willowy figure of a woman. “I need to see this one. I need a clear image.” Milo tapped the TV and a guy messed around, bringing up a colour image of the room on another larger screen hanging on the wall.

“That's as good as you're going to get. See something, Officer?”

“I don’t know.” Milo looked again, mentally pushing the other people in his view out of the way and searching for the woman again. “There. Her!” Milo pointed to a tall, slender built woman wearing a fitted dusky pink woollen dress ending a little too high up her thighs and killer cream heels. Her blonde hair was braided and arranged at the back of her head, and she had large designer sunglasses covering her eyes. “That’s him. He’s got Samuel dressed as a woman.” Milo would know those lips anywhere, even glossed up in lipstick. “That’s Samuel Tate.”

The other guys in the room looked like at him like he'd lost his mind, but he stood up and shouted, “That’s him. I’d know him anywhere. That’s why I'm here.”

There was a lot of commotion and everyone jumped into gear. Milo let them move around him, knowing he would just be in the way, and stared at Samuel on the screen. He was alone, looking around himself, seeming to be waiting for someone. When the room was nearly empty, a business man wearing sunglasses and an expensive suit appeared beside him, wrapping his arm around his waist and kissing his cheek before whispering something to Samuel. He could see Samuel stiffen, looking around then back to Nikolay.

Milo smiled when he saw the cute smile playing on Samuel’s lips, the way he tilted his head, the teasing way he touched Volkov. He was okay. He was playing along.

They would get him back.

They disappeared into the corridor after showing their passports and that’s when Milo started to panic. He had to see them, to know. He walked outside, looking at the plane they would be getting on. It was surrounded by armed police. He stopped breathing when he heard gunshots and shouting. Screams came from the plane then people were everywhere. It was chaos. Milo was with two other agents from Interpol as they rushed to the scene, Milo’s heart in his throat the whole time.

Please don’t be Samuel. Please.

The crowds were being cleared, and he could hear Volkov shouting. When he spotted him, he saw Samuel beside him, being held with a gun to his head. Unable to stop the fear in him rising, Milo shouted ‘no.’ Samuel lifted his head, the two hundred or so feet between them seeming to get longer the more Milo ran to him. Two men grabbed him, holding him back.

“Samuel!” Milo watched as Samuel recognised him. A look of worry passed over his face, then a smile. Even distorted by makeup, Milo could see how pleased he was. In the midst of everything, a moment of peace passed between them, one where there was just them and nothing else.

“I love you,” Samuel mouthed with a smile.

“I love you, Princess,” Milo mouthed back.

Samuel nodded.

The sounds of gunshots filled the air and Milo was pushed to the ground. He fought to turn around and saw Samuel on the floor, Volkov on top of him, and the blood… Milo cried out, rushing through the sea of men and guns, shouting for Samuel.

Men were pointing their guns at them, moving Volkov’s body with their feet. Samuel was laid still, his outfit stained with blood. Milo couldn't get to him, he could only watch as Volkov was pulled to his knees, the gunshot wound in his chest not taking his life just yet. It was then that Samuel moved, his eyes finding Volkov's, and a whispered conversation happened between them before Volkov collapsed.

Samuel just sat there, his pretty dress saturated and his skin drip white.

“Let me go to him,” Milo growled out. The urge to protect and comfort Samuel was too much.

“They’re moving him now. There could be more of Volkov’s men around. We have to be careful. He’s the best witness we’ve got.”

“He’s not just a fucking witness. He’s the man I love.” Milo jerked out of their hold and stared at Samuel.

“I'm sorry. We’re doing what we can. We want him safe.”

“I know.” Milo nodded. “I know.”

Milo watched as Samuel was gently helped to his feet, an officer having to support him as they walked to a more secure location not out in the open.

As soon as they got close, Milo ran for him. “Samuel!”

Samuel turned and saw Milo, tears springing to his eyes as he took a few shaky steps to him.

Milo grabbed him and swung him into his arms. “Princess.”

“Milo! Milo, you came.”

“I'm here. I'm here. You're safe. Everything’s okay.”

“Milo…” Samuel burst into tears, clinging onto him, the shock making him shake violently and the six inch heels he had on weren’t helping his balance. “I love you so much. I didn’t think… They said they would hurt you.” He looked into Milo’s eyes, fresh fear running through him, the long fake eyelashes he was wearing enhancing every blink and movement. “Where’s Daniel? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine.” Milo swept Samuel up in his arms, carrying his limp body into the secure offices where they were before. “He’s back home.”

“Milo.” Samuel buried his face into his chest and wept, sobbing until he passed out and Milo handed him over to the paramedics who were waiting for them.

When Samuel woke, he was given a shot to help calm him and then he was strapped to gurney while Milo held his hand, both of them afraid they would be taken from the other. Milo didn’t care about what was going on around him, his only thought was Samuel. When they were in the ambulance, with a couple of cars full of armed police following them, Milo took out his phone and called Daniel up.

“Milo... tell me you have him.”

“I have him.” Milo’s voice broke and he passed the phone to Samuel.

“Daniel, are you okay?” Samuel made Milo smile. Even now his main concern was how they were doing. “I'm safe. I'm okay. I'm not hurt. I'm with Milo.” His lids dropped. “I love you. I'm coming home soon.”

Milo took the phone from him. “He’s a bit drugged up and sleepy, but he’s doing okay. We got Volkov, Danny. He was hurt pretty bad.”

“Good,” Daniel growled out. “Did he…” Daniel sucked in a big breath. “Has he touched Samuel?”

Milo paused. He didn’t know and now wasn’t the time to ask. “I don’t know.”

“No!” Daniel wept down the phone while Milo tried to calm him.

Samuel reached for Milo’s hand and looked into his eyes. “What’s wrong? Please, tell me.”

“He’s just happy your safe, Princess. Just rest.”

Samuel didn’t believe a word, but he was too sleepy to argue.

“Danny, he’s alive. That’s all that matters.”

Samuel sighed and grabbed the phone from Milo. “He didn’t touch me. And even if he did… I would still be only yours.” He looked into Milo’s eyes as he said the words to Danny and Milo smiled. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“You both that said together.” Samuel chuckled then his lids finally dropped, the phone lying beside him on the bed.

Milo took it and comforted Danny until they pulled up at the hospital. “I have to go. I’ll call you as soon as I get the chance. I love you. Stay safe.”

Danny was being held in a safe house just in case anyone had tried to get to him and Milo had no idea right now if that was still in the cards.

When they’d got Samuel in a room and two armed police officers outside who made Milo look small, he found one of the Interpol agents and they sat down and talked.

“Volkov is dead. The bullet severed the main artery going to his heart. Mr Barnes…” He lifted his gaze to Milo and tilted his head. “That bullet wasn’t one of ours. It came from one of Volkov’s own men. Samuel became too dangerous. It was better for them to silence him than let him escape, even if that’s what Volkov wanted. Volkov saved Samuel’s life by taking that bullet when he could have let him take the hit and ran. His last words were, ‘I knew you’d be the death of me as soon as I saw you. I wasn’t wrong, was I, my love?’”

Milo looked at his feet, hating and thanking Volkov for loving Samuel. He put him in this life-endangering position and then sacrificed himself to save his life. “Samuel whispered something to him, what did he say?”