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Chapter 57 – Talia
The bedroom stank.I didn’t want to imagine what the stains mottling the dirty carpet were from. If I left this room without an STD, it would be a miracle. The tough-guy mobsters had shoved me inside and slammed the door. There wasn’t a lock on the exterior, but I wasn’t trying to escape.
The moment I was alone, I reached down the front of my shorts and took out the small handgun. There were several strategic places I could hide it, and I settled on one quickly. Bending down, I set it under the dresser, nestled among the dust bunnies. The knife I removed and hid in plain sight on the messy dresser top.
There was a chance Claude would search me, and he would do it thoroughly. Plus, if I was pinned, it would be easier to reach for somewhere unhindered rather than in my clothing.
Not content with only those weapons, I unplugged the bedside lamp, tossed the shade into the closet, and broke the bulb. The jagged pieces and exposed filament could act as a sharp instrument for stabbing, and the cord for strangulation—this common household object could be deadly in a pinch. I put it back, relieved I now had three weapons within easy reach. Opening drawers, I looked for anything else of use, but as I pulled hard on a drawer, the front faceplate of wood came off.Huh, that’ll work.I could bludgeon the ogre.
Hopping up and down, I shifted my body loose. At any moment, my brother would come bursting through that door, big and mean. I would end his torment and kill him. Thinking of all the beatings I’d taken at his hands helped, but they weren’t necessary. I’d seen other siblings act kindly and reverently with one another. Not us. That had never been us. If anything, I was an untouchable whore my brother had no regard for.
Flexing my fingers, I looked to where my wedding ring had sat. I’d decided on how this death match was going to go down, and it was going to hurt like hell. Constantine needed more than blood—Claude and I needed to suffer. Splaying my hand over my battered ribs, I inhaled courage and told myself it would all be over soon.
The sound of a large body lumbering up the stairs warned me who came. Stationed in the middle of the room, I focused on Claude’s distinct shuffle, barely audible over the music coming from downstairs. I considered grabbing the gun and shooting him in the face as soon as he entered. But it was too easy—Constantine needed suffering, both mine and Claude’s. A fight was theonlyway I could prove myself to my husband.
The door crashed open, and my brother stood in the doorway. “What the fuck doyouthink you’re doing?” the man who shared parents with me taunted. “You’re even stupider than I thought, Talia.”
Mercifully, he was alone; none of the street cronies trailed after him.
A calm fell over me. I lifted my shoulders. “You made a mess. I came to help you clean it up.”
“I don’t need your help!” Claude bellowed, his shout punctuated with the slam of the door. “Especially from the little pet princess.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. Was Claude...jealous?Huh, I can work with that.“What the fuck does that mean?” I snapped back. “I’m the one who was whored out to our enemy.”
“The smarty pants of the family. School was easy for you, and you excelled at training. You masteredeverythingpère demanded of you.” Claude advanced. “And yet, which one of us was able to strike when the opportunity presented itself? Not Daddy’s precious prodigy!”
I saw his fist fly out but didn’t shy away from the blow. Claude was incensed. This was exactly what I needed.Time to pay!
Stars rocketed across my vision. I licked my split lips, the coppery tang of blood flooding over my tongue. “That’s the last time you strike me,” I spat, slipping out of his reach before he could grab me.
“Oh, yeah?” Claude chuckled, pushing up the sleeves of his hoodie.
There wasn’t a lot of space in this room, and the mattress was an obstacle. The door was to my back and Claude was framed by the light from the streaked, unwashed window. Still, I could make out the cruel curve of his mouth.
Claude dove. I jumped.
Those meaty hands clasped around my legs. I fell. Smacking into the floor didn’t knock the wind out of me, but it hurt like hell.Fight. Fight!I struggled, but he had my legs pinned.
Get the gun!
Knowing there was only one way to escape him, I refocused my efforts on trying to reach for the gun under the dresser. I kicked and bucked, my fingers scrambling for the hidden weapon. I could see it—it was right there. So close!Why didn’t I just fucking shoot him when he entered?
I pushed forward. Right there, the dresser was right there. The ogre grabbed my elbow and wrenched my left hand back at a painful angle. I gasped in pain, moving with his tug, as the alternative was having my arm horribly broken.
“I’m going to kill your disappointing ass!” Claude raged.
“You think Daddy will approve of your actions then?” I seethed. Gritting my teeth, I reared back, smashing my head into his face.
“You bitch!” he screamed, releasing my arm as he lifted a hand to touch his nose.
I lost no time. I wriggled on my side, arms outstretched, for the back of the dresser. But as my fingers wrapped around the small metal piece, Claude yanked me away again.
“Time to die, slut!” Claude shouted.
