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Dying.
“Jesus Christ,” Charlotte whimpers as time lapses on the video for a couple of hours, the guy slowly and painfully dying on the floor. Once he does, two of Anton’s goons come in, wrap the guy up in the rug, which is plastic backed, and drag him out the back of the house.
And just like that—Charlotte has seen therealAnton Novikov.
I switch off the recording.
Charlotte lets out a sob, her hand moving to her stomach, and she shoves me to the side, her stomach lurching. She can’t hold back as she loses her stomach contents all over the floor in a violent way.
Grimacing, I stand back, letting her heave as she drops to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she vomits again, coughing and spluttering.
Goddammit!I couldn’t feel more like shit, being responsible for her realizing who she has given herself to.
But she needed to know.
If anything, she needs protection from him.
Stepping up to her, I place my hand on her back to try and comfort her, but she spins, slapping my hand away from her.“Get. Off. Me!”
I jerk back as she wobbles, trying to stand. “Charlotte, let us help yo—”
“Help me?Help me!My life wasfinehalf an hour ago. I was happy.Can you believe that?Sure, my relationship with Anton wasn’t conventional. I know being involved with a married man isn’t exactly kosher, but fuck, Nico. I love him!And I thought he loved me. We made it work. I’ve raised his kids. I thought I knew everything about him, but he lives this completely different life I knewnothingabout.” She quiets for a few seconds and then whispers, “Was any of it real?” She sobs as she rushes forward, shoving me.
I take a step back, grabbing her wrists. “I don’t know. All Idoknow is that youcan’ttrust him. He’s lied to you your entire relationship. He’s put you in dang—”
She shakes her head. “The way I see it, he kept me from that part of his business. He tried tokeepme out of danger. He was simply protecting me.You’rethe one putting me in danger. I was fine untilyoubroke the barriers of my safe haven.”
Jerking my head back, I scoff. “The fuck are you talking about? We’re simply showing you who you’re getting into bed with… Charlotte, youcan’tkeep seeing him. He’ll end up destroying you.”
She shakes her head adamantly. “No… I need to go back to him. He’salwayskept me safe. He’salwaysprovided for me. However, I am pretty sure I can’t trustyou. Youhaveto let me go.”
My eyes shift to Bayou, and he narrows his eyes on me, not liking where this is headed. “Charlotte, I need you to see sense here. The whole point of this was for you to see the man Anton is and to leave him for the monster he is.”
She stands taller, curling her lip. “It shocked me. I didn’t think he was capable of that, but in all honesty, it only makes me adore him more. It means he can protect me. And when he finds out thatyoutried to turn me against him…” she narrows her eyes on me with a vicious stare, “… he’s going tokillyou.”
I turn to Bayou and throw my hands in the air. “I don’t understand this shit?”
Grudge grunts, walking over to us. “He’s brainwashed her. Subliminal mind-fucking over the years she’s been with him. She may not have known who he is, but he’s conditioned her into thinking that if anyone goes against him, she will blindly fight for him. Jesus! I don’t think we have any hope here, Hoodoo.”
Running my hands through my hair, I glance at my brothers. “Guys, can you give us a minute.”
They glance at me like they’re not sure what I’m doing, but I can’t help but wonder if having us all here is too overwhelming for her. Maybe if it’s just me, she might be more open.
I don’t know, but I have to try.
“Brothers… please.”
They start walking over to the door, standing back, giving us space. They’re far enough away so they can’t hear what we’re saying. Hopefully, it’s enough for me to get through to her. So I’m going to try with everything I have. “Charlotte, I need you to fight. I need you tothink about what you’ve seen on the screen, what that shit means to you, andhow it madeyoufeel when you saw it. Howyoureacted.”
Her bottom lip quivers, and she looks at me. I think I see a glimmer, but then the walls are back up, and she glowers at me. “Anton is more of a man than you’ll ever be, and I will fight for him…no matter what!”
“You can’t be serious? He’s a killer, Charlotte. I’m sure evenyouare indispensable to him.”
This haze fogs over her eyes, her cheeks flush crimson red, her nostrils flare, and she lets out an animalistic scream. She pushes past me, racing for the tray of utensils on the stool. My eyes burst out of my head as I dive for her, tackling her to the floor. The tray and utensils clang on the concrete. She crawls, reaching for a scalpel, grabbing it before I can get it off her, and she stabs at me. The blade jabs into my shoulder, and pain sears through me as she keeps stabbing. My brothers run for us, but I pick up the metal tray from the floor, blood pooling from my shoulder as she screams out her rage. I hesitate for a brief moment, but as she lunges to stab my chest, I jerk back, using the tray to deflect her attack, but she keeps coming for me.
The scalpel slashes at my arms as I try to fend her off. “Charlotte, stop!” But she continues to scream in her rage.
I lower the tray in one hand to try and grab the scalpel with my other.
