CHAPTER ELEVEN

The atmosphere was booming with loud music, a mix of sweat, passion, lust, and crowds whispering sweet-nothing to each other as Natasha walked with Antonov down the stair.

The atmosphere noticed the change and suddenly, she felt as if all eyes were on her and all lips were chattering about her. She was right. Not all, though. Just Sugar and a few other girls.

Ignoring their deadly glares, Natasha thought fast and hard on his to slip away from Antonov. Her opportunity came.

She saw fuming Sugar walking up to her. Natasha knew that the confrontation would lead to no good, so she braced herself.

Sugar made sure that all the bitterness in her system was visible on her face.

"You're not a slut, you say. How then did you land him to give nobody but you, his total attention?"

Antonov, who stood protectively around Natasha, stretched forth his hand to ward Sugar off, so they can continue walking. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I'll have to ask you to step out of the way. Now is not a time for your girly quarrel."

Natasha kept quiet, her thought fixed on how to maximize the situation to her benefit of briefly getting away.

Sugar shoved Antonov, which had no impact because the man was a mountain, bulky to move. "Let me deal with this bitch!" Sugar reached for Natasha's hair, pulling roughly.

Natasha, having enough of it, slapped her hard across the face and began dragging her by the clothes.

Antonov tried separately both women, as Natasha was beating the crap out of Sugar. But, his efforts were futile because Daisy saw the commotion and out of nowhere, slid her feet in the way of Antonov, causing him to trip and fall.

She has been waiting for a day when someone would teach Sugar a lesson.

The entire club turned their attention to them. As most people were drunk, they thought it was entertainment from the club and began cheering as Natasha, besides her now disheveled hair, looked untouched.

While Sugar looked like someone who ran into a train. Her clothes were messy, her hair seemed like she got shocked by electricity, and her eyes were swollen from the numerous slaps Natasha landed on her cheeks.

She should be grateful. If it were to be an enemy for Natasha, she would have looked and felt worse. Maybe even end up with a broken spine and fractured skull.

"Fucking women!" Antonov grunted.

Daisy moved to the side and helped Natasha up, scowling at Sugar.

The entire club started clapping, whistling, and cheering loudly. The noise had gotten Natasha's boss and Lorenzo's attention.

While her boss offered to step in, Lorenzo stopped him, enjoying the view. They had been watching from upstairs, and Lorenzo couldn't help but smile.

He, too, was enjoying the furious side of his acquisition. He had a feeling that he made the right choice and this one would need little or none of his help in taking care of herself. She would be fine.

Seeing that the fight was over, he went through the back door to the exit and outside, waiting for her in the car.

"We have to leave," Antonov growled, holding Natasha's arm roughly.

She didn't protest and continued on her way, smiling at Daisy, to which she returned following a nod of approval.

Natasha wasn't allowed to leave with anything that she came with, and she made sure to have whispered into Daisy's ears while they were together, "take my bag and everything in it. The cash, clothing, and whatever valuable. You were a true friend while I was here, and I won't forget your kindness," she had said.

As the chilly air hit her skin, she winced at the small cut she had sustained on her arm during the fight. Trying to touch it, Antonov spoke, bringing her attention to the fact that she was still with the guy.

"I won't be able to protect you if you'll keep on getting into meaningless fights," he cautioned.

"The last I remembered, I didn't ask for your protection."

"If you want to survive, you'll have to be a lot nicer to me, and that starts with an apology for kicking me in the balls."

"You're the one who owes me an apology for harassing me."

Antonov cleared his throat and cast his eyes away from Natasha's stares. "I guess I'm stuck with you after all," he spat.

He continued walking until he got to the car. Antonov got into the front seat, leaving Natasha behind.

"Punk!" she cursed, opening the back door. As she slid herself into the back seat, she met Lorenzo.

His gaze was cast on his tablet and remained silent. As they began to move, "did you search her, Antonov?" Lorenzo questioned.

"Yes, boss," he lied.

He was supposed to do a second round of assessment before the left to make sure she was clean. But, in the middle of the entire commotion, he had forgotten. Plus, his earlier encounter with Natasha. That memory was very much fresh. He wouldn't dare tell Lorenzo that he didn't properly do his job.

Silence overwhelmed the moment, with Natasha stealing glances at Lorenzo. She was choosing what and how to say it.

This man put her on her toes, made her heart beat faster than normal, and at the same time, made her feel safe. She had a feeling that going with him was the right decision.

Long and hard, she thought if she should speak as the car began to bounce on a rock path. They must have left the road to a hilly path.

Natasha was so distracted by monitoring Lorenzo's movement that she didn't pay attention to studying the way to where they were headed.

It hit her that it was a big mistake. If there was the need for an escape, how would she find her route?

"Do you have something to say?" Lorenzo questioned, his tone stiff, dark, and low.

"Huh?"

"You've been ogling me since the start of this journey," he explained. Turning fully to face Natasha as he slid close his tablet, "do you have something to tell me?" he repeated.

"I need to excise myself. I'm pressed," she said.

"Oh, well. You should have said it earlier." Tapping Antonov three times on the shoulder, the car came to a stop. "You have five minutes. For your privacy, we'll wait in the car."

Natasha turned to open her door, "and, Natasha?" Lorenzo called, "don't do anything stupid. I can read minds, sense things and sniff out betrayal.

Don't get on my bad side. You don't want to know what happens to people who get on my bad side, Natasha."

She said nothing and proceeded to dash away from the car, moving further. Natasha looked around but could see nothing as it was so dark.

The car was off and there was no source of light. Even squinting her eyes didn't help. The only thing she noticed from the rocks underneath her feet was that, wherever they were, it was isolated.

Seeing that nobody was coming from the car or around her and that she was alone, added to the fact that it was so far that no one could see her or what she was doing,

Natasha reached into her trousers and brought out a phone. A phone she had snatched from Sugar during the fight. The main reason she engaged in the brawl.

The question was: How could she reach Luca or Olivia without getting caught in less than five minutes?

The clock was ticking, and so was this one-time opportunity. She knew nothing about the confinement she was heading to, and she wasn't ready to risk it all.