Chapter 60

  Shawn politely asked Kim to stay with one of her friends and get one of her assistants to take over her duties at the club, but after she refused, he told her in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t allow her to stay at the house or go to work while these men were still hunting for him. It was simply too dangerous. Reluctantly, Kim agreed and made arrangements with one of her assistants to meet her at the office to go over the duties she expected her to take while she was gone. After Kim finished the meeting, she went to her office to gather a few things and was about to leave when a man stepped in front of her open door, effectively blocking her exit. Kim had no idea who the man was. However, she was about to find out.

  “Good day, Miss Lee; your photo doesn’t do you justice. You’re much lovelier in person.”

  Kim had never met the man before. He was tall, blond, and very muscular, yet his demeanor wasn’t threatening. Kim immediately picked up on his British accent. She had no idea what he was doing in an “employee’s only” area of the club or what photo he was talking about.

  “This is a restricted area, Mr…?”

  “Pardon me, Miss Lee. You can call me…Mr. Smith.”

  “What is your business here, Mr. Smith?”

  “I’m looking for this man,” Smith said as he held out the photo taken from Choi’s office.

  “I was informed that you two are very close and that you know where I can find him. I just need to ask him a few questions. That’s all.”

  A chill ran down Kim's spine as she looked at the photo of Choi, Shawn, and herself that was taken at the club.

  “Where did you get that?” she snapped.

  “That’s not important, but what IS important is for you to answer my questions, Miss Lee.” Mr. Smith said in a much more sinister tone.

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  “I have no intention of answering your questions. Now get out of my office and out of my club before I call the police.”

  Kim tried to sound tough, but Mr. Smith only found it amusing. “Well, you are spunky, I’ll give you that. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to play games with you.”

  Smith looked to his right and nodded, then he stepped into her office, and another man stepped in right behind him and closed the door. Kim recognized him instantly, and her blood ran cold. He was the ugly Russian that Shawn had taken a photo of outside Choi’s office. Without saying a word, the man rushed forward. He grabbed her cell phone from her hand and forced her to sit in her chair. The man’s breath was foul, and he was extremely strong. Her arm and neck ached where he had grabbed her.

  “Get you’re fucking hands off me, you bastard,” Kim shouted.

  Rakov snorted and bent down to look into her face, “Boy, this pretty little thing sure has a foul mouth on her. Maybe we should wash it out with soap?”

  Kim got a good look at the man’s face.

  “Who the fuck beat you with an ugly stick?” Kim shouted and then spit in his face.

  Rakov slowly stood and wiped his face with the back of his hand, then faster than Kim expected, he backhanded her across her mouth. The powerful blow almost knocked her out. Her vision blurred and was filled with stars. When she regained her senses, she could taste blood in her mouth. After she gently touched her bloodied lips, she turned to look at Rakov with contempt in her eyes.

  He pulled a big knife out of his boot with one hand and pulled her hair back against the chair with the other. The tip of his knife was shoved just under Kim’s nose, and Rakov responded, “So you think I’m ugly. Well, let’s see how you look after I’m done with you, pretty lady.”

  At first, Smith looked on with amusement, but then he decided to intervene before things got out of hand. “That’s enough; put your knife away. We need her in one piece…at least for now,” Mr. Smith said with a calm but raised voice.

  Rakov slowly ran the blade across her face, and then, just before he pulled it away, he cut a shallow half-inch-long slice with the top of his knife just under her left eye.

  “Now you almost look as pretty as me,” Rakov said with genuine glee.

  Mr. Smith looked at Rakov and shook his head. He pulled a Kleenex from a box on Kim’s desk and handed it to her.

  “I’m so sorry about that, Miss Lee, but you shouldn’t have provoked my associate. He’s a little…shall we say… sensitive about his appearance. Now that I have your undivided attention, please tell me where I can find this man.”

  Anger filled her being, and disregarding her own safety, she said softly, “Why don’t you two blokes go and fuck yourselves.”

  Her feistiness was met with another blow to the side of her head by the big, ugly Russian.