Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Sabrina, don’t move. Do you hear me? Do not move or make a sound.”
She’s fully awake now. I smile at her, staring, knife gleaming in the moonlight filtering in through the front windows. Her mouth opens, her eyes widen, and she’s about to scream.
I hold up a finger. “Don’t make a sound,” I say gently. “You’ll only get him killed.”
She makes a burbling, choking sound as she moves away from me, groaning and pulling the sheets to cover her bare breasts.
I look back at Fyodor. He’s sweating and breathing hard. He must know how close he is to dying.
Just like my poor Bianca.
“Did you think coming to this safehouse would protect you?” I ask him very quietly. “Did you know Ruslan was going to make a move against my wife?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says but gags and stops talking when I press the blade tighter.
“Don’t fucking lie to me. I’ll happily slit your throat and leave if you waste my fucking time.”
“They don’t tell me things like that,” he moans, trembling all over.
“You just happened to be coming here to fuck your whore?”
“Yes, please, I didn’t know.”
“Fyodor, this is a problem. I trusted you. I believed in you.” I lean down, getting closer to him. “I told you to make Ruslan stand down. Instead, a car bomb nearly killed my wife.”
“I tried.” Tears stream down his cheeks. “He didn’t listen.”
“Here is what will happen.” I lightly slice the blade against his chin, making him gasp with sudden sharp pain. Blood glistens and the girl’s quietly sobbing, her shoulders shaking. “I’m going to fuck you with this knife. I’m going to kill you slow and make your whore watch. Then I’ll hang your body alongside your whore’s body for your wife and children to find. Once that’s done, I’ll go find someone in your worthless fucking Bratva who can follow orders.”
The girl lets out a pained moan as she pulls into a tight ball, crying harder. Fyodor’s lips twitch and his chest heaves. I watch them come to grips with their end and feel a glimmer of pleasure. But it’s nothing compared to what my Bianca can tease out of me.
God, she fucking ruined me forever, and I love her for it.
“I’ll do whatever you say. I mean it. I’ll beg him if I have to, but please, let me try again.”
I cock my head to the side. “Are you saying you didn’t try hard enough the first time?”
“I’m saying I’ll debase myself for you.”
“And then what? Ruslan will decide he’s had enough? You can change his mind?”
“I don’t know! But I’ll try! Please, don’t do this.”
I smile at him and lean in closer. “I love it when they beg,” I whisper and look at the girl. “Don’t you love it?”
She whimpers and can’t look at me.
Fucking pathetic.
“I’ll make it happen. I swear. Anything you need. Just this time, you have to be willing to work with him, okay?”
My eyebrows raise. “Are you making demands?”
“I’m trying to be realistic about this. Ruslan will back down, but he’ll need concessions.”
A deep sigh escapes me. Disappointment flutters into my stomach. “Oh, Fyodor.” I shake my head sadly. “You stupid man.”
“Wait, please—”
I slice his throat in one quick motion. Blade rips through skin, muscle, and arteries. Blood spurts and flows, drenching the pillows, the sheets, covering his mistress with its sticky heat. She screams, edging away, but she’s too afraid to get off the bed. Fyodor gags, gasping, twitching, and bleeds his last moments onto the whore he’s been fucking behind his wife’s back.
The cheating cocksucker.
A small spark of bliss fills me. It’s weak compared to what I used to feel, but at least it’s something.
I slowly turn to the girl.
“Are you listening?” I say and she nods, her eyes wide, tears streaming down through the blood matting her cheeks. I think Bianca would look so fucking beautiful like that. Drenched in the blood of her enemies. “Tell me you’re listening.”
“I’m listening,” she says, voice trembling.
“That’s good. Very good. Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you. Not tonight, anyway.”
She stifles a sob, hugging herself. “Please don’t.”
“Since our friend here is clearly not going to be talking anytime soon…” I tilt her chin up with the tip of my knife.
“I need you to deliver a message.”
Chapter 30
Bianca
Mourners line the block. I don’t recognize any of them, but there are so many people here. Young and old, colleagues and family, all wearing black.
None of them know who I am. I don’t get any hard looks. No accusations, no blame, no screams of revenge or anything like that. Mostly everyone’s too busy crying and consoling each other.
The city lost an angel.
And it’s my fault.
Cormac stays by my side as we drift through Elena Vasquez’s receiving line. I tell the family I was a colleague and nobody questions it. She had a brother and three sisters, a father and a mother, cousins and uncles and nieces and nephews. A whole family, a constellation of people. Friends and boyfriends and more.