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Chapter41
Valentina
Sparks fire underneath my skin, igniting into tiny flames as Branko Ivanov’s blue eyes focus on me like lethal lasers. I’ve never felt more repulsed in my entire life. Hatred rages through me, my vision flooding with a deep red haze.
The Swiss Army knife burns a hole in my palm, my mind willing him to get closer so that I can jam it into his fucking eyes one at a time before ending him.
“The only thing that comes next is your excruciatingly painful death.” My voice is steely, not at all giving away the angst knotting in my chest.
He laughs. The sound hits my ears, the vibration scraping against my skin like tiny razor blades. “Interesting, since I’m the one with the army here right now.” His eyes sweep over me. My skin crawls with the sensation of being dipped in the most toxic slime under his leering gaze.
But he doesn’t get close. He stays just far enough away where I’d have to lunge for him and risk taking a bullet. Of course, it’d be worth it if I killed the bastard. But since I have no guarantee that I can work this stupid weapon, I stand down and wait for my chance.
“It’s a shame what had to happen to Charly.”
“Oh, you mean a shame that you had to kidnap her and drug her to the point where she overdosed and died? Is that the shame you’re talking about?” I can’t keep the emotion out of my voice, my mind swimming with so many splintered memories of that horrific night. “She had her whole life in front of her, and you took it away. You snuffed it out without a second thought. I’d like to peel the skin from your bones and dangle you over a vat of fucking acid so that it eats you alive.”
“You have quite the imagination.” Branko strokes his bearded chin. Then he nods his head toward Quinn, who lies nearby, struggling for breath. “Maybe we should experiment with that torture technique. Starting with him.”
I swallow hard past the knot of tears in my throat. “I’m the one you want. Leave him out of this.”
Branko cocks his head to the side and adjusts the lapels of his jacket. “I don’t think I could. You see, he tried to interfere with my organization’s business. And I don’t like when people try to derail me from my interests.”
“They’re our fucking interests, prick,” Quinn mutters. “You went after my family. And you’re gonna pay for what you did.”
“Are you going to collect on that debt?” Branko sneers, hovering over Quinn. “Because it sure as hell doesn’t look like you can stand, much less ‘make me pay.’”
“I want to know why you’re doing this. Why you needed to hurt us all so badly.” I press the hand with the knife against my side to keep it from slipping since my palms are soaked with sweat.
Branko brings a hand to the back of his head and rubs his neck. “Your father, Viktor.” He lets out a sardonic chuckle. “He was always such a greedy fuck. He formed the Brotherhood 7 so he could make money off of us. And when we came up with new and better ideas, he vetoed them all. He didn’t like to lose control.” With a lift of an eyebrow, he says, “Just like his daughter.”
“Of course, he vetoed your scumbag ideas. You wanted to make money by kidnapping and selling innocent young girls. He’d never agree to that.”
“But it didn’t stop him from taking our money and using it to build his own businesses.” Branko inches closer, but he’s still a little bit too damn far. “He used us. Used our investments. Used our connections and network. Then he pocketed the profits for himself.”
“I don’t believe you. He was always a fair man.”
“Whenheset the rules.” Branko smooths the front of his white shirt. “But he lost that battle. And for every life he took with his secret efforts to destroy the Brotherhood, we took one in return. He wanted to extinguish us all until we figured out a way to beat him at his own game. We took out each and every partner he brought in, including Olek Moroz.” His straight white teeth flash at me, a smile stretching across his thin pink lips. “We won, Valentina. And we will own you all. Anyone who’s still standing will wish they were dead with what we will do with the information collected on Viktor, Alek Severinov, and the rest of Red Ladro.”
“We own you. Or at least, those of you who will survive the attack.” He steeples his fingers and brings them to his lips, his expression tinged with hatred and disdain. “And that doesn’t include you or Mulligan.”
“Do you want to hear how Molly begged for her life in the end? What she lived through before she died?” Branko shakes his head at Quinn. “All because your father and his brother took issue with the wrong enemy so many years ago. The beautiful part of this operation is that I control so much of it that you never really know for sure where I begin or end.” He flashes an evil grin. “Kind of makes me sound a little like God, don’t you think? Always is, always will be.”
Pain slices through my temples. It’s blinding, blurring my vision. His words are like daggers, sharp, jagged edges tearing into my heart like it’s a slab of meat being expertly butchered. I can’t breathe. Each gulp of air slices into my lungs, grating them like shards of glass. I stumble, using my free hand to steady myself.
I blink fast, the overhead light flashing in slow motion. Veins throb, ire coursing through them, bubbling in my chest. Branko leans toward me and there are two of him.
Which one is real?
I sway to the side.
“Val, are you okay?”
Quinn’s voice is muffled, like I’m hearing it underwater.
Branko just laughs and speaks to the men around us in Spanish. He waves a hand at us, then at the girls. I press a hand to my temple. I don’t understand what he’s saying, but I know it’s bad. White noise assaults me and a pain explodes down my left arm… the arm holding tight to the Swiss Army knife.
He turns away from me. I jerk my head left and right. The men watch him with rapt attention. My fingers tremble. Nobody watches me. They all watch him like he’s the leader of some fucking cult. I work my fingers to release one of the blades as inconspicuously as possible.
