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"Can I be alone with him, please?" My voice softened and cracked as I laid back down next to him, setting my head on his chest and cuddling him.
"Yeah, I'll tell the others to give you some space for a bit." Angel smiled warmly at me, patting my arm as she passed.
I lay there like a statue for a long time, letting the buzz and beeps from the machines fill the room while I collected my thoughts. "Styosha, don't leave me please, please don't leave me. You're not allowed to leave me, not like this, you stupid idiot, how dare you go get shot like that? You're not supposed to be laying in bed near death like this, you asshole! You weren't supposed to get hurt out there."
As if he had any control of any of it. None of it was his fault. He didn't ask to get shot, nor did he purposely put himself in the line of fire—at least, I hoped he didn't do something that stupid. Also, I just wanted to know what happened to put him in this state. Stepan was always careful, nearly overly so. So, how did a group get the jump on him like this? He wasn't a part of the leading group raiding with Nikolai and Lev; he hung afar to snipe, so he should've or would've seen an ambush coming.
"Don't you dare fucking die on me, or I swear I'll find a way to bring your ass back to life and kill you myself for leaving me in this rotten world. I can't fucking live without you, so please, please, please, don't leave me alone." Well, at least he wasn't awake to see me ugly sobbing and getting my snot and tears all over him.
"I have something important to tell you, so you can't leave me until I do." To think about Stepan dying before... No, I couldn't even thoroughly think about it.
"I'm gonna make them pay for doing this to you." I didn't plan on stopping even after I couldn't feel my hands when I met the fuckers who were a part of the crew who did this to Stepan. I will beat them to death, not would or could or should or if; I. Fucking. Will.
"Hanna, we don't have to do this today if you aren't in the right mindset. They aren't going anywhere, and none of us will touch them." Arseny spoke beside me as we descended the stairs to the holding area of The Catacombs.
Hissing out a sigh, I glared over at Arseny as I put my brass knuckles on. "I'm in the fucking mood to break some faces, whether that be yours or theirs, I don't care." Yes, I was still a little pissed at him for trying to prevent me from seeing Stepan the night the call came in.
"Now, unless you want some plastic surgery from Alexei, which cell are they in?" I demanded with a stern galre.
Defeated, he shook his head with a sigh before pointing at a cell with two raggedy-looking men in them. "Want me to set up a room for you?"
"No, I'm setting a fucking example of them for everyone here. Don't fucking mess with me, don't even think about it." I let out a short scream to startle everyone in the area as I lunged at the cage, pounding my fist against it to let the sound of metal against the metal ring out.
In one fast motion, I reached through the bars and grabbed the unfortunate man who was too close. Fisting the front of his shirt, I yank him against the bars with a loud thud and bang. "You're gonna regret ever thinking about pointing your gun at Stepan." I seethed right in his face before banging him against the cage again and shoving him back onto his ass.
Spinning around, I nod at the cage after locking eyes with Arseny. "Open the cage." Then, I looked at Lev, "Hold the shorter one while I deal with his buddy first."
Arseny seemed hesitant, but he budged after I harshened my glare at him. "Should I call the cleanup crew at least?"
"No, I want everyone here to have a constant reminder of what happens if they dare to entertain the idea of crossing me or anyone in my company." There's nothing like watching a good old death beating to really knock the point into thick skulls.
I had a sadistic streak like Angel, but I also enjoyed death, unlike her—death by my hands that is.
Once Arseny opened the cell door, I trudged in, grabbed the taller, lankier man by the front of his shirt, and hauled him out to the center of the holding area where everyone else pressed up against their cells to get a close look at the commotion.
"Wait, why does it have to be me first? Why can't it be him? Listen, spare me, please, I'll give you the money she paid me, I didn't even spend it yet." The man begged me with desperate eyes as he groveled at my feet.
Unfortunately for him, I didn't have a heart like Angel—he didn't have to know that, for now. "What do you mean the money she paid you?" I sweetened my voice as I bent down to his level. "You weren't just protecting the warehouse?"
If I had any ounce of empathy, then I might feel a little bad for the hope that crossed his eyes at my change in demeanor. "The business tyrant, Lily Woo or something like that, she gave us money to hunt down the blonde brother. We were gonna run him off the road, but when we saw him splitting from the group, we followed and ambushed him."
"This 'Lily Woo,' did she happen to look somewhat like me only a lot skinnier, very bright red lipstick, and very sharp eyes?" The silent anger dripped behind my saccharine smile like venom off of fangs.
"Man, just shut up! She's gonna kill you either way! She's—mhmmpfh!" Lev's big hand instantly slapped over the other man's mouth, shutting him up.
The man before me looked up at me with shaky eyes after eyeing his buddy for a second. "Y-yes, only she didn't look hot like you." Cute, his attempt to get into my good graces was almost laughable given his fate.
"Flirting will get you nowhere, but I appreciate the compliment." The edges of my smile widened twistedly. "Do you know who I am? What they call me?" He probably wouldn't be flirting with me if he knew.
The man's throat bobbed with his hard swallow as he looked at me closely. Then, slowly, his head shook. "I'd remember a hot chick like you…" Oh, he kept digging himself deeper and deeper.
With an exaggerated smile on my face, I darkened my eyes at him. "Tell me, have you heard about the story about how you should never cross the triad's princess? Or more of why you should never cross or harm her?" I questioned with a tilt of my head.
"B-because it's a death sentence." His breathing started to pick up erratically.
"And why is that? Besides the fact her father would have sent a squad after you." There was a huge reason people kept their distance from Angel, and it wasn't because of the hidden guards or her father.
By the way, his face dropped and paled as if he faced Death itself, he knew the answer. "Y-you? You-you're The Beast? The Beast is a man, a brute of a man capable of ripping people to shreds. There's no way... No." He stared and shook his head at me in disbelief, jerking away from me as if being in my presence burned him.
