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Prologue
The sound of heavy rainfall dripping onto the antique windows of the abandoned church created an ominous atmosphere that was as dark as it was outside at this hour. In this part of Manhattan, the streets were filthy, despite the fresh smell of the rain that had wiped out the usual stink of rubbish coming from the huge dumpsters and trash bags discarded freely by careless business owners and residents.
It was no weather to be out on the streets. But there were always those who were in need of their fix. In need of their cash. In need of their lay.
The woman in his arms should have been out now, selling her cocaine, doing her duty, and providing for her family. But she was a fallen angel, a beauty in disgrace. Ripe for the taking.
Saint George’s Church let out a long chime that shook him out of his reverie and back to the task at hand.
They were on their second date and Carol had never been more in love, nor more enchanted by this man, who was so different from the American guys she’d dated before. He was well-mannered and soft-spoken, his foreign accent a constant reminder of all the things she’d wish to discover in life one day, and she was determined to exorcize whatever coldness haunted him, replacing it with her growing love. If only he would let her.
She was so intoxicated by him—thischarmer,who’d literally just walked into her life—that she failed to see the red flags that were slowly but steadily smothering her. Those that were indicating that something entirely different was about to happen.
His hand on her shoulder was warm and filled with that familiar touch. It shouldn’t bring her such comfort, yet it did. She leaned into it, consumed by his smell, and that voice that was now leading her deeper into her own mind, bringing her back to moments lived that she had forgotten about.
He’d brought her to one of the few abandoned churches in Manhattan tonight. It had been easy to get in, surprisingly so. They’d climbed all the way up to the gallery above the narthex, where a pipe organ had once stood. Over the last few hours, they’d shared a bottle of wine, had some snacks, and had made out. Carol was so ready for more, but instead, they’d once more talked about her life. With him, she felt no shame, no fear. Where her lips were usually sealed, she found them open in his presence, sharing her deepest secrets. Especially like this, when his enchanting voice made her become all drowsy and compliant.
“Carol, can you hear me?” He purred. She soothed even further into its smooth melody, only vaguely registering the rope that was being loosely pulled around her neck.
“Yesss,” she slurred, nuzzling her face onto his chest. God, he felt so good, so warm and reassuring. She raised a hand to touch his dark curls, loving how they slid through her fingers like loose sand.
Ever since she’d come to Manhattan, her life had taken her on a wild ride, but joining The Business was probably the best thing she could have done. Dealing C was easy for a crime organization that already had a marked territory. Being the family business that they were, they provided full protection if she performed well. Which she hadn’t done recently, since she’d fallen into that common trap of becoming her own best client.
“Your family must miss you,” her French lover mused, and in the fog that was Carol’s mind, she briefly wondered which family he was referring to. The one that had abandoned her when she was sentenced to prison, or the one that had prevented her from going in the first place? She wanted to ask him, but he continued, “My family wants what your family has. You know that?”
“No,” Carol mumbled sleepily.
“I know,” his finger trailed along her cheek and Carol couldn’t prevent the sigh from spilling from her lips. “I’m here to take what your family has.”
“Take,” Carol stammered lazily in reply, then blinked her eyes with heavily dilated pupils.
His fingertips teased her chin, then dipped further down to the rope on her neck as he murmured, “C’est ça.” That’s it.
He leaned in for her willing lips while his other hand took out the phone that was safely tucked away in the pocket of her coat.
“Now the fun begins,” he murmured to himself, and then pressed play on the voice recorder. With his free hand, he tucked Carol’s sand-colored hair behind the ears of her narrow face. Before, it had been full and thick, but too much cocaine had gotten rid of the fine strands like a lawn mower, leaving some parts of her skull practically uncovered.
“Viens.” Come.
Leaning heavily on him for support, Carol scrambled to her feet, cherishing that grounding grip on her shoulder. She eyed him with a glassy stare, her lips slightly parted.
Barely an hour ago, she’d been looking at him with lust and heat, wanting him to touch her. He smirked into the darkness. That’s what they always wanted, his perfect victims.
They’d tried before, and had failed to set foot on American soil by infiltrating American companies. The promised land where they’d be free from all those who were no longer part of their family. Because they’d forged anewone.Though all of them, including hisownfamily, underestimated him and his mission. He’d show them his true devotion and the tables would turn. Both organizations he’d targeted for the cause were full of weak lackeys, making it easy to reach his objective, and unless they wanted to negotiate, he’d continue his murderous path until he hit his destination.
“Tonight, you’re going to make me so happy, Carol. You know why, don’t you?” She gave him a sweet, confused smile in return.
He nudged her gently to take a step forward until she was standing on the edge of the platform above the empty nave of the church. From here they had a perfect view of all the rows of pews that hadn’t been taken out, despite the church being out of service for a long time. Even the altar was still there, with its beautiful statues and paintings portraying a suffering Jesus Christ.
Without removing his hand from Carol’s shoulder, he stroked her hair once more before he started tightening the noose around her neck. She sighed into the warmth of his soft touch and he even went as far as moaning gently in her ear as he rubbed his growing erection into the crack of her ass. She was face to face with doom and she hadn’t even realized. Just the thought of it made him horny.
Aware of the fact that they’d be listening, he decided to continue the charade and mumbled into the voice recorder, “We’re here at Saint George’s church, me and Carol. Aren’t we, baby?”
Carol moaned something that vaguely resembled a yes, and he let out a soft chuckle and pinched her ass. If only she had a dick, he would have started their closing scene with a quick fuck. But women didn’t do it for him.
“We’ll come to America and take what you have. Until you let us in and give us what we want, no one will be safe from us.” His voice dropped to a whisper and he pulled the noose tight around Carol’s neck, then tilted her head to drop a soft, last kiss on her cheek. After he’d reassured himself that the other side of the rope had been firmly knotted around the connecting pillar, he gave Carol the subtle push she needed.
The woman let out a surprised gasp as she plummeted down into a free fall, grasping at the emptiness, plunging toward death. The sound filled the quiet of the church and brought him out of his own trance, and he gave himself a moment to revel in the usual rush of adrenaline. Below him, dangling in the open air, he felt Carol coming back to her senses, but it was too late. Too late to change her destiny.
