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I nod, a tiny smile tugging at my lips. “It was perfect.” I let out a huff as I reach for my moisturizing cream. “That’s what makes this all so confusing. It’s like the Misha from that night and the Misha we saw today are two totally different men.”
“You have to remember,” Abbie says while wiping her hands on a towel, “he’s loyal to Viktor Vetrov and Luca Cotroni. You don’t just turn your back on the bratva and mafia, and you certainly don’t do it for a woman.”
“You’re right.”
Heading to the living room, I watch as Abbie loads a plate with chocolate-coated strawberries, all flavors of macaroons, and a massive red velvet cupcake.
“Anyway, I’m over him,” I mention as I steal a pistachio-flavored macaroon off her plate.
I might not believe the words coming out of my mouth, but I’m determined to make it a reality. The man left red marks on my neck, and if that’s not a red flag, then I don’t know what is.
Anger bubbles in my chest just at the thought of how he treated me.
Abbie bites into the cupcake, her gaze searching my face. After she’s swallowed, she says, “It’s for the best. You’re from two completely different worlds.”
“Are we?” I ask. “We’re both from mafia families.”
Abbie scrunches her nose. “Besides the criminal world, I mean. You’re on opposing sides.” The corner of her mouth lifts, but the smile looks sad. “Romeo and Juliet.”
I let out a sigh. “Yeah, and we both know how that story turned out.” Changing the subject, I ask, “Are you really going to pursue Nikolai?”
She shakes her head while picking up a strawberry. “Nah, I just like ruffling his feathers.”
Relieved, I help myself to another macaroon. “We should focus on our training. If we’re going head-to-head with the bratva, we need to know how to fight them.”
“Among other things,” she mumbles around a mouthful. “My father expects me to take over the business.” She lets out a worried chuckle. “Can you imagine me running the empire? I can’t even kill an ant, never mind a human being.”
“That makes two of us,” I sigh.
Silence falls between us, and our worry tightens the air. It’s one thing training and a completely different thing controlling hundreds of soldiers and running a criminal empire.
I have no idea what the future holds, but it doesn’t look as rosy anymore.
Chapter 10
Misha
“Rat torture is not for the faint of heart,” Instructor Volkov says while bringing images up on the screen. “As you can see, rats are placed in a metal bucket, then strapped to the individual. You can use a flame torch to warm the back of the bucket, forcing the rats to gnaw their way through the person.”
“Yum,” Alek mutters. “Just what I needed to see after breakfast.”
Instructor Volkov shoots a scowl at Alek before returning to the lesson. “This is known as one of the worst torture methods. As the rat claws and eats its way through the person’s intestines, the pain is excruciating. The fear of being eaten alive by rats should be enough to get the person talking before you have to resort to this.”
“And if they don’t talk?” I ask.
Instructor Volkov shrugs. “Then they die.”
We watch two other videos of rat torture, both gruesome.
Instructor Volkov’s eyes glance over the seven attendees, then he says, “If you find yourself in the position of captive and the enemy uses this technique on you, you should try to switch off. Always remember, if you talk, you’re dead anyway. As severe as the pain and terror is, everything comes to an end.”
“Loyal until death,” I whisper.
By the similar expressions on everyone’s faces, it’s clear we’re all thinking the same thing. Hopefully, we never have to use this method of torture or be subjected to it.
The screen goes dark then Instructor Volkov gives us all a creepy as fuck grin. “Tomorrow, the fun starts.”
“Fun?” Alek asks.
