Captured in Croatia (17 page)

I remain quiet
for a minute, absorbing his surprising offer.

I
say quietly, “Zoran, I’m beginning to have feelings for you. I think that you should release me now. It will be much harder if we wait. Please.”

He steps back and levels me with those magnetic eyes before dipping low to gently kiss my lips. Right against my mouth
, he says, “No. This is not negotiable,
princeza
. Come now.”

I sigh heavily as my mind whirls
at the thought of my upcoming freedom. Relief washes over me, knowing that he is letting me go back to my life, that he is releasing me. We walk back to the clearing at the top of the hill. Crossing over to the edge, we both lean over to take in the sight of the magnificent waterfall. When he was after me I only saw it as a barrier, a trap. Now I watch the swirls of white spray and mist with tranquil ease.

“There are many
waterfalls here. Over twenty, if I’m not mistaken.”

“It
’s breathtaking. How large is the park?”

“Over
two hundred and fifty thousand acres.”

“That is so impressive
. I could spend all day in this very spot. It’s so peaceful.”

“Yes
. Come, there is plenty more to see before we meet B and Georgina back at the truck. We’ll be more than ready to eat a late lunch after that vigorous workout, eh?”

“Right
,” I say, suppressing a laugh. We take our time meandering through the lush park.

We
are making our way back to the bridge when he asks, “What is your last name?”

“Sloan, and your
s is Vranic?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I mull the pretty name over in my mind and say it again. “Vranic. That’s lovely.”

His hand runs across my back. “Thank you. Where do you live in America?”

“Atlanta, in the South.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of
it. Atlanta Braves baseball?”

I can’t
help but laugh. “Yeah, spot on. But how would you know about baseball?”

“Did you have a look at the size of my
TV, woman?”

“I did, and?”

“And, I have just about every sports channel offered on the planet.”

I shake my head in amusement.

Stopping midway across the scenic, narrow bridge, I pull him close, wrapping my arms around his waist and ask, “Why didn’t you kill me after the crash?”

Staring out at the clear azure water
, he is silent for a long while before confessing, “I’ve never killed someone who didn’t deserve it, Carew. And I’ve certainly never killed a woman or a child.”

“But I
took proprietary information from your boss. And I fled from you after you warned me, repeatedly.”

“I’m fully aware of what you did
. What I still don’t know is why.” He turns me in his arms to confront me. “Tell me why you took what you did from Juric.”

I sigh and look away. “I suppose it’s time. I’m employed by an American company that specializes in
acquiring cyber intel. I won’t tell you the name of the company or our client, so please don’t ask. There is a prominent electronics designer who was convinced that Juric had stolen his design for a specialized engineering program. He paid us a boatload of money to see if it was true. From what I saw that night, Juric’s design is a standalone. Our client was mistaken. Wherever he got the tip … well, let’s say it cost him. On the bright side, his design is safe and so is Juric’s.”

He pulls me
against his chest, so warm and comforting. His scent works like an aphrodisiac as I breathe deeply, no longer afraid.

“Thank you. Thank you for finally telling me the truth
,
princeza
.”

He kisses the top of my hair and whispers, “
Obozavam te
.”

I lean back and look into his face. I ask, “What does that mean?”

He trails a lone finger down and across my left cheek before answering, “It means I adore you.”

I wrap my arms around his wide torso and snuggle into the softness of his sweater. In a barely audible whisper,
I say, “Likewise, Tigar, and thank you for not killing me that night.”

“
Da,
princeza
.”

T
he nearby town of Slunj is set directly on the edge of one of the rushing waterfalls. When we first drove in thirty minutes ago I felt like we had been transported into a romantic, medieval world. All the structures in the small village are made of white stones with red, sloped terracotta rooftops. We passed by a stunning water wheel that must have been close to forty feet in height. The proud structure has no doubt withstood countless centuries of rotation.

We’ve just ordered
lunch. Well, my order was placed for me because I had little idea what I was reading on the menu. Zoran and Georgina told me that they would ‘surprise me.’ If the late lunch proves to be half as fresh and tasty as the tall pints of draft beer sitting on our table, then I’m
so
loving life.

Georgina cocks her head and asks across the wooden plank table, “So
, Carew, how long will you be staying in Croatia?”

“At least another week
, I believe.”

Zoran’s warm
, weighty palm lands on my hip, pulling me closer to his side.

“Well then, B and I will have to have you over to our apartment for dinner. Zoran, you let us know what night works best.”

He takes a healthy swig from his pint glass and sets it down. “Yeah, okay, Georgina. That sounds good.”

“Thank you, I’d like that as well. I
’ll make an American dessert to bring along. You’ll take me to a grocery store, right, Zoran?”

“Yes, of course.”

Georgina claps her hands in glee. “Yum! An American style dessert, excellent!”

B chimes in, “Yeah, you better make double
, blondie, because my brother can really pack it away. He is a total pig!”

We all laugh and order our third round of beers just as the
succulent food is brought out of the local pub’s tiny kitchen and laid out, family style, on the plank table.

Zoran lifts my plate and begins serving me
first, explaining as he goes. “Okay, Carew, this is Pasticada, very delicious. It’s a stewed beef that is marinated with lemon, rosemary, and carrots. Next up is the parmesan gnocchi, which we traditionally serve with Pasticada.”

The aromatic plate is set
before me as my stomach rumbles in anticipation. He reaches for my colorful painted bowl and fills it with a red soup that smells of paprika and is swimming with veggies.

“You’ve most likely heard of goulash
, right?”

“Yes,
but I’ve never tried it.”

B s
ays, “The goulash here is amazing!” He serves Georgina, and I watch both men, thinking how much they favor each other in both looks and demeanor.

B raises his full glass to give the third toast of the afternoon. “To love and family,
zivjeli
!”

We tip our glasses and begin to savor the hearty meal.

“Are you enjoying everything?” The deep voice rumbling close to my ear has me flashing back to our steamy afternoon encounter.

I flush and pat my lips with the napkin. “Yes, it’s superb. Thank you. An
d you?” I take note of the empty plate—his second helping.

“Very good, yes.”

He reaches beneath the table to gently squeeze my hand. A sweetly romantic gesture.

“What was that funny movie that you wanted to download tonight
, Georgina?”

Before she
can respond to B’s question, a mobile goes off. Zoran frowns as he slips his ringing phone from his front jeans pocket.

He looks at the screen and takes the call. “
Da
?”
Yes?

He is silent for a moment as he grips the phone tighter. “
Salite.
”
You’re kidding.

He
tells the person on the other end that he will be there in two hours.

As he hangs up his mood has changed
. He’s cold as ice, nearly arctic.

He addresses his brother but thankfully speaks in English. “Juric phoned.
Two of my guards failed to show up for their afternoon shift that began over an hour ago. Nobody can reach them. I must go to Zagreb and investigate. Let’s settle up here.”

B lifts his hand for the waitress to bring the tab as Zoran reaches into his wallet for cash. We are in the truck and moving
in under three minutes.

Georgina t
ries to defuse the tension. “Hey Carew, you can come stay with us. How does that sound?”

Zoran cuts in, “I would prefer if B were to keep an eye on the house until I arrive back, hopefully late tonight. Carew will stay there.”

B’s normally jovial, relaxed demeanor is suddenly tight and serious as he responds swiftly, “Yeah, no worries, bro.”

***

Our drive back takes half the time. Obviously the lazy scenic tour is over. The silence inside the vehicle is deafening. The tension rolling off Zoran is so thick it’s nearly suffocating.

As we pull into the long dri
ve B talks softly in English to Georgina, “Come inside, baby, we’ll see if we can find that movie. He has every satellite channel imaginable.”

“Not tonight
, my love. I promised my grandfather I’d drop by to have tea late this afternoon, and I have to finish preparing for school tomorrow. I will see you later this evening or in the morning, all right?”

I try not to look as he helps her down from the truck and pulls her into a passionate embrace
, dipping low to kiss her delicate lips. Zoran is already out of the truck, making a beeline to the front door, and calling out to the dogs along the way. “
Dole!
”
Down
.

It’s obvious that he takes his business very serious
ly, but something feels off.
Why would two of his lead guards simply not show?
I wonder if there is something he’s failed to tell me.

I wave goodbye to Georgina as she makes her way down the drive in her dark blue Jeep. She throws a hand out the open window and disappears into the trees at the end of the road.

“C’mon, blondie, don’t want to waste a good sofa. Let’s chill out and watch bad horror films together, cool? I hope that big bastard still has beer left over from the poker game. Man, the guys still talk about that fight. You must be missing brain cells or have a death wish to fuck with Tigar. You know he was a top heavyweight boxer, right?”

“I knew he boxed but I wasn’t aware of the details.”

We step into the warmth of the foyer. Zoran is nowhere to be seen. I follow B into the living room as he kicks off his black and turquoise Adidas Samoas.

“Yeah, he was on his way to turn pro
, trained all through the military, boxed when he got out. He gave it up to focus on his security business. He couldn’t give his undivided attention to both so he had to choose. Works too damn much, if you ask me. The crime in Zagreb is climbing so he’s in demand, but only the ones willing to pay the most get his services. He’s been with this jackass businessman Juric for over a year now. Man, the things I hear from Tigar about that guy and his pussy—oops, I mean ladies. Wild shit.”

He
shakes his head and flops down on the couch, leaving a large space at the end. “Here, have a seat. I’ll even be a gentleman and let you pick the film.”

“Fair enough.” I slide off Georgina’s boots and take the remote from him as Zoran enters the room. He’s dressed in a black suit and a white shirt, looking much like the night I met him
, except today his tie is scarlet red.

Focusing intently on his brother, he
speaks quickly and curtly in Croatian. I understand that he is telling him he’s not sure how long he will be gone and that he’ll call his mobile. The rest I can’t make out because he’s speaking low and quickly. My shoulders tense as he opens his suit jacket, pulls out a Sig Sauer P226 pistol, and hands it over to B, handle first.

B
takes it, double-checks the safety, and shoves it into the back of his waistband, telling Zoran in English, “We’ll be fine.”

Zoran turns to leave but stops to swivel his head, looking right at me. A torrent of emotion passes between us in the span of sev
eral seconds. I’m about to tell him to be careful but he strides out of the room before the words can leave my lips.

I think hard, trying to connect the
dots because something is gnawing at my gut. I feel helpless because for the life of me I can’t place it. I do know this: what’s coming isn’t good.

***

We’ve made it halfway through the horror film,
The Descent,
when I decide to head upstairs to get some rest. It’s only seven forty-five, but it’s already dark outside. I’m worried for Zoran and hope that a shower will relieve some tension.

“B,
if you get too scared just shout up to me, ’kay?”

He puffs out an exasperated breath and takes a swig from his Croati
an bottled beer. “You forget that I’m the one with the loaded Sig, blondie. I protect you from the boogeyman, not the other way around. Go on up and relax. Today was quite an adventure.”

“Yes, I really loved seeing Plitvice and meeting Georg
ina. She is an amazing lady.”

“Yeah, you got that right.”

“All right, B, ’night.”

“
 ’Night, blondie. And don’t worry about anything. Tigar can handle himself.”

“I suppose you
’re right.”

I walk slowly up the stairs to find that a warm fire is in full force. He must have started it before he left. The house feels strangely empty without him here. I’m tired and decide to skip the shower, instead opting to slip into the red silk short slip. It is unbelievably sexy and I smile at the thought of him slipping in bed later tonight to find this little kinky surprise. The eight
-inch slit in the side of the slip ends just an inch below my red silk-clad sex. Talk about full access. He is going to love this one.

I
snuggle up in the sumptuous white sheets and fall asleep while thinking of our earlier tryst in the forest.

I jerk awake to shouting. Sitting up, I struggle to make out the words. It’s B. He’s coming up the stairs and yelling to me.

“Carew! Wake the fuck up!
Someone’s here. You need to hide, like fucking now! I’m thinking maybe it’s Kreshmir, back for round two or some fucking bullshit!”

I scramble out of bed, my head swi
rling with his words and the wild barking coming from the dogs outside.

His gun is drawn, pointed straight down to the floor, clutched in both hands between his spread legs. He’s on the top step
with his eyes fixed on the door. He glances back at me.

“Fucking hide
, Carew!”

I know from before that in this open
area there is only one place big enough to fit a body besides in the wardrobe, which is full of hanging clothes. I drop to my stomach, mindful of my wrist, and wiggle underneath the high bed. Just as I turn to look at his legs, the unmistakable sound of machine gun fire erupts outside. And then the dogs are silent.

From under the darkness of the bed
, I call to him, “B?”

He stands b
locking the steps and says in a strained voice, “Fuck, oh fuck! No way Kreshmir would do that. Who the fuck is breaking in?”

I
scramble out and run over to him, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him to face me. “B, I can shoot! Where are the other guns? Tell me!”

His eyes are hard and wild as he answers,
“He has them locked in the basement safe.”

“Give me the combination.”

“There’s no time.”

Before he finishes the sent
ence, the front door splinters apart from three explosive blasts. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that there are several men on the other side of the destroyed door.

“He can’t
lose us both, Carew. Fucking get way back!”

Without a weapon there is little I can do but
offer encouragement. I back away until my ass hits the cold glass of the windows. I hear them. They are inside and shouting loudly. B’s frame locks into place as he begins to unload his gun in the direction of the foyer. He gets off several shots before one slug lands in his lower leg, taking him down to a knee. He turns to me, the firelight projecting the wild panic in his hazel eyes.

He screams one word that chills my blood cold, “Jump!”

I race to his side to help him up onto his good leg. “Not without you!”

We
dash to the windows. I throw them open and help him up on the sill. “Push far out,” I say in a trembling voice.

“Follow
right behind me, Carew,” he yells before leaping out toward the dark water. I hear a loud splash below but he is nowhere in sight.