Page 16 of Devil’s Candy

He drops with a gurgle, even as the other guy spins.

My vision is going black, and I can hardly think, but I hear the other guy drop before I start sinking too.

“You’ve got one second to let her go before I cut off the hand you’re holding her neck with.”

The Russian accent hits my ear, waking me up, as the hand at my throat loosens, air rushing into my lungs as I draw in a gasping breath.

Sver stands in front of me, his shoulders broader than I remember, his stance wide.

He swings the bloody knife in his hand and that’s when the man behind me lets out a blood-curdling scream.

I’m free in a second as I stumble to the ground.

With a quick move that I don’t even understand, Sver catches me before I hit the ground and spins me from in between him and the other man.

Blood is everywhere as he grabs Pablo, pinning him to the wall. It takes no more than two seconds and Pablo’s hands are cuffed behind his back, a gag in his mouth.

“Now…” I hear Sver speak softly into the man’s ear. “The choice is yours. Take me to Marco and live. Or refuse and die next to your friends. Thoughts?”

Take him to Marco?

I stare up at Sver, slowly sinking to the ground, my legs not able to hold me.

“Candy.” Sver gives me a quick glance over his shoulder. “I’m going to need you to get up and take yourself inside.”

“I…” I cry softly. I’m tough. Street tough.

But my hand is currently resting in a pool of blood. “I’m not sure I can.”

“You can, sweet treat. Be a good girl and take yourself up to your apartment and then lock the door.”

Blinking several times, I let out a puff of air and then push up, willing my legs to hold me. When they do, I take a tentative step, my sneaker slipping in the blood. “I’m sorry,” I gasp.

“There is nothing for you to be sorry about, milaya. Take your sneakers off. I’ll take care of them.”

I do as he commands, managing to avoid stepping in any more blood. Then I tiptoe in my socks the hundred yards to my front door.

Somehow the key is still in my pocket, and I pull it out, looking over my shoulder at Sver.

He nods to me. “Inside.”

Pablo has started to struggle, but Sver holds him like he’s a child, not struggling at all, his gaze intent upon me.

“Will I see you again?” I don’t even know if I want to or not.

“Inside,” he commands softly.

I don’t ask any more questions as I insert the key and open the door, racing up the stairs.

But when I make it to my apartment and lock the door, that’s when I notice I’ve gotten blood all over the door handle.

I let out a scream and then race to the sink, washing off the blood as best I can.

And then I sit myself on the tiny kitchen floor, afraid to touch anything else. I look down at my hand, noting that there is blood under my fingernails.

Letting out a small cry, I clasp my hands together and lean my back against the tiny bank of cabinets.

Closing my eyes, I let the tears I’ve been mostly holding in fall down my cheeks.