AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kenzo smiles broadly. “You bet your ass I can.” All the black limitless Amex credit cards have a tracking chip in them in case they're lost or stolen. If we're lucky, the men that took her won't know that.
“Bingo,” he shouts. “You're not going to believe this. They're at the motel where Cora was found murdered. I’ve sent the address to your phones.” This news should surprise me, but it doesn't. If I've learned anything it's that Ada seems to have a flare for the dramatic when it comes to Vanya. For Ada, that motel is where it all began. Long before murdering her own mother.
“Let’s get strapped up,” I tell them. In minutes we're down in the basement of the casino where I keep the Armory. Each of us grabs a Beretta 93R submachine gun as well as our Glock 45s. Fifteen of my men are gearing up with us and ready to be on standby in case anything goes wrong. We don't know how many men Ada will have at her disposal, and we want to be prepared.
I strap on a bulletproof vest and tuck my Glock into the holster that sits above my heart. Another Glock sits at the small of my back while I sling the strap of the machine gun over my shoulder. I load extra ammunition onto the clips that are anchored on my belt.
Together we make our way to the parking garage, our entourage of SUVs already waiting.
“You all know our target,” I tell the men. “The asset’s picture has been loaded onto your phones and you are to protect her at all costs.”
“Are we taking anyone alive?” one of my men asks.
“No. Kill them all.”
Don’t worry, moya malen’kaya I’vitsa. I’m coming for you.
Thirty-Eight
Pain.
White, hot, blinding pain.
It is all I feel. It's everywhere. Unbearable and relentless, offering no escape from the constant torment. Groaning, I slowly begin to regain consciousness, fighting the roll of my stomach. How long have I been out this time? Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
My brain is pounding like a heartbeat against my skull. Warm, sticky liquid is trailing down the side of my arm where Ada had started cutting me. My breathing is shallow and painful, an ache in my lungs making it nearly impossible to take a deep breath. Even the tiniest movement sends a searing bout of agony cascading through my midsection, burning a trail across my lower body.
I'm not sure how long she worked that knife across my skin like it was a paintbrush, and I was her canvas, but it was long enough that my body finally gave out. My shoulders are screaming at me and I'm worried about the damage that having them above my head for so long is causing. It almost feels like they're dislocated, but when I try to move them or do anything to lessen the strain on the tender joints, a fiery stinging on my wrists stops me.
“Welcome back,” Ada drawls, standing up from her chair. “I can't tell you how cathartic it is to see you in my position. You always did say my life was better than yours. That one day we'd trade places. Well—” she gestures to the room around her. “Welcome to my life, little sister.”
“What are you talking about?” My voice sounds strange to my ears, hoarse and scratchy, my larynx sore from all the screaming.
“This was my reality, Vanya,” she hisses at me. “I was fourteen when our father brought me here and made me watch as his men gang-raped my mother.”
No. My father was a monster but not… he wouldn't…
“I can see you're struggling with that.” She moves closer to me. Instinct has me shrinking away from her. My toes slip out from under me as I try to move away, and I grunt in pain as my body weight pulls against my shoulders and wrists. I can feel the fresh blood of my torn skin pouring down my arms. A feral smile stretches across her painted lips. She's enjoying this.
“You got your revenge,” I tell her. “You killed him. You killed them all.”
She laughs. “I did. Hired that stupid uncle of mine to do the job and he couldn't even do it right. He had to go and take the heads. Sick bastard liked to use them.”
Oh, that's disgusting. If I wasn't nauseous before I am now.
“So, what now Ada?” I ask. “You're gonna kill me, too?”
She touches my cheek with a long, painted fingernail. “Oh no, little sister. I've got an exciting agenda for you.”
That sounds about as much fun as Edward Scissorhands giving me a back massage.
“Sorry to disappoint. But my agenda is already fully booked.”
Ada throws her head back and lets out a full-belly laugh. “It seems the little mouse has found her voice. You were always such a meek and quiet little thing which is why it was just so easy to manipulate you. Make you see what I wanted you to see. I told you once, Vanya, that it's always worth taking something from someone.”
“Is that why you took Adrik?” I snarl at her. “Because you wanted to take something from me?”
Ada makes a tsking sound, wagging her finger in front of me. “It's about so much more than that. You wouldn't understand because you don't have my vision. My drive. You should never have been the heir. If only he would have recognized me, I could have been the one writing letters and dreaming about a better place. Instead, I was tortured and beaten and raped. Our father used to call it the two-for-one special. Buy the mother get the daughter half-priced.”
