“Well, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but all you need to know is that I need you to get information from Dimitri. I need to know where his boss, Ivan, is and what his next move is. You don’t need to know why. You just need to get that information for me if you want to go home,” I told her plainly.
“Oh, so now you’re going to hold me against my will? Just like you’re doing to poor Dimitri down there?” She tapped her fingers impatiently on the table.
“No one is being held against their will,” I told her. “I’m just not letting anyone leave.”
“How the hell is that any different? And besides, I saw the straps and ropes on Dimitri’s arms and legs holding him to that chair downstairs. You’re holding him here, and now you’re not just telling me to stay, you’re telling me you’re not going to let me leave.”
“Right. And the restraints on Dimitri are for his own good. I don’t want him roaming around in that room down there. It’s dark. It would be a shame if anything happened to him,” I responded.
She shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m involved in something like this.”
“I know it’s got to be quite different from what you’re used to. You’re used to the quiet academic lifestyle, aren’t you?” I tried to sound reassuring. I figured I’d try to distract her by getting her to talk about herself, and that way I’d learn a little bit about who she was as well.
She narrowed her eyes at me, suspicion all over her beautiful face.
“What made you so interested in Russia to begin with?” I asked her, not backing down. I was determined to break through her walls.
“I think we need to focus on the matter at hand,” she said, dodging my question.
“Help me out, then. Tell me a little about who you are.” I looked at my empty pint glass and thought about getting Ricky to pour me another.
“I think the less you know, the easier it will be for you to let me go back to my quiet academic life when all of this is over,” she fired back, using my words against me.
“Ouch. You know, I didn’t have you pegged for being a smart-ass,” I told her.
“Oh? Did you think I was this sheltered little nerd because I have obviously devoted my life to scholarly pursuits?”
I had her. “Well, yeah,” I admitted. “I expected a quiet, naïve woman I could easily trick into doing whatever I wanted, but that’s obviously not you.”
“No, it’s not. And thank you for noticing,” she said.
I fought back the grin trying to spread across my face. It would have given me away. “I couldn’t help but notice. You made it very clear you’re not completely clueless like so many other professors and researchers.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time out in the field,” she said. “You gain a lot of worldly experience that way. It gets you out of your head and out of your books.”
I’d obviously struck a chord with her. She wasn’t above flattery, and I was going to use that fact to get what I needed from her.
She finished her wine and stood up.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, trying to sound like I was teasing. My deep, husky voice had a tendency to always sound menacing. I wanted her to realize when I was being playful. It didn’t help that I was a little suspicious that she was going to try to leave again.
“I figure I need to go ahead and sit back down with Dimitri for you,” she said, stretching. “The sooner I get some answers from him, the sooner I get to leave, right?”
“Sure.” I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted to keep her around so I could figure out what made her tick. Plus, I didn’t trust how willing she was to help me. Something didn’t seem right, like she was playing along just to find a way out. “Let me walk you back down there,” I told her.
“No, I’m fine,” she insisted, starting to walk away from me.
I got up from the table and followed her, cornering her at the top of the stairs. I grabbed her by her hips and pushed her against the wall, positioning myself between her and the staircase. I could feel the curve of her hips under my hands. I stood close, almost touching her.
I could feel her anxiety growing like vibrations emanating from her body. I heard her breath quicken. She was scared and nervous, and her fear was delicious. I leaned in to whisper in her ear, and she pulled her hands up to block me from getting too close.
I smiled at her feeble gesture. “I’ve got the key,” I reminded her. “You’re not getting in that room without me.”