in some kind of warehouse, and I jumped when I heard something jangle, and I stood when the door opened.
The last ember of hope died when a huge figure entered. So large, he completely blocked the doorway. He walked toward me, his night-dark eyes unblinking, his face set in a grim scowl. I wanted to cower, to turn away from his gaze. Only the determination not to die simpering kept me from looking away.
He looked me from my bare feet to the top of my head, stepping ever closer until he came to stop in front of me. I looked at him, noticed that he was tall, even taller than Sorin. I bit down on the soft flesh inside my cheek and kept my eyes on his.
“Let’s go,” he said in a gravelly voice.
Of all the things I had expected, this was not one of them, so I stood still, shock holding me in place. He tilted his head toward the door, but before I could move, another figure entered, and I immediately recognized him as the man who’d taken me.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he moved toward the other man.
“I’m trying to save my brother’s life,” he said calmly, looking at the other almost scornfully. “Let’s go,” he stated again, this time looking at me.
I was ready to move this time but didn’t make it far.
“Stop!”
My eyes snapped toward at the familiar voice, and I watched as Natasha emerged from the shadows, the gun she held pointed directly at me.
----
S orin
“ W here is she ?” I said to the man who stood in her living room.
He smiled, looking far more cocky than he had been when I’d kicked him in his ribs or when I’d taken his thumb. I burned with regret that I hadn’t taken his life when I had the chance, vowed that I would correct that error.
“Not so tough now, huh?” he said.
“Where is Esther?” I repeated, managing to keep my voice calm, though rage and fear raced through me.
But my nervousness was not lost on him. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said.
“I’m going to kill you. And if anything happens to her, I’m going to kill everyone you ever loved,” I said.
The kid laughed again. “We’ll see. Let’s go.”
I hadn’t had time to call Vasile or anyone else, so I waited for my opportunity, kept an eye on my surroundings. We’d headed to the industrial part of the city, and few knew better than me what happened here. The vise on my heart squeezed tighter. But no matter what, I wouldn’t let Esther die here, in a place like this. So I did the thing most unnatural to me. I played it cool.
I followed the kid, certain he was only confident enough to turn his back to me because he knew I wouldn’t make a move until I saw her, got her to safety. After that, I would slice his skin off, but until then…
“What the fuck?” the kid uttered as he stopped in the doorway.
I rushed passed him but pulled up short at the scene that greeted me. I comprehended what I saw, but I didn’t want to believe it.
Esther, feet bare, face drawn tight with fear.
Anton and Petey standing side by side, eyes glued to the final person in the room.
Natasha, her gun trained on Esther, her intent as clear as day.
“You a part of this, Anton?” I asked, not moving my eyes from Natasha.
“No,” he said.
I believed him.
“What’s your angle, Petey? What are you trying to gain?”
“Everything, Sorin,” Natasha said.
“Your father will be disappointed in you, Petey. Yours would have been too, Natasha.”
The gun wavered and her eyes sparked, but she quickly regained control.
“Don’t speak to me of betrayal. Not after all I gave you. Honor, loyalty. They only mean something when you decide they do so you can do whatever you want and then pat us on the head as you toss us away. Not anymore,” she said, pulling her mouth into a tight frown.
“What do you want, Natasha?” I asked.
She laughed. “What if I wanted you to beg for her life, promise me you’ll marry me, that you’ll give me the world if I let her live? Do you love her enough for
The last ember of hope died when a huge figure entered. So large, he completely blocked the doorway. He walked toward me, his night-dark eyes unblinking, his face set in a grim scowl. I wanted to cower, to turn away from his gaze. Only the determination not to die simpering kept me from looking away.
He looked me from my bare feet to the top of my head, stepping ever closer until he came to stop in front of me. I looked at him, noticed that he was tall, even taller than Sorin. I bit down on the soft flesh inside my cheek and kept my eyes on his.
“Let’s go,” he said in a gravelly voice.
Of all the things I had expected, this was not one of them, so I stood still, shock holding me in place. He tilted his head toward the door, but before I could move, another figure entered, and I immediately recognized him as the man who’d taken me.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he moved toward the other man.
“I’m trying to save my brother’s life,” he said calmly, looking at the other almost scornfully. “Let’s go,” he stated again, this time looking at me.
I was ready to move this time but didn’t make it far.
“Stop!”
My eyes snapped toward at the familiar voice, and I watched as Natasha emerged from the shadows, the gun she held pointed directly at me.
----
S orin
“ W here is she ?” I said to the man who stood in her living room.
He smiled, looking far more cocky than he had been when I’d kicked him in his ribs or when I’d taken his thumb. I burned with regret that I hadn’t taken his life when I had the chance, vowed that I would correct that error.
“Not so tough now, huh?” he said.
“Where is Esther?” I repeated, managing to keep my voice calm, though rage and fear raced through me.
But my nervousness was not lost on him. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said.
“I’m going to kill you. And if anything happens to her, I’m going to kill everyone you ever loved,” I said.
The kid laughed again. “We’ll see. Let’s go.”
I hadn’t had time to call Vasile or anyone else, so I waited for my opportunity, kept an eye on my surroundings. We’d headed to the industrial part of the city, and few knew better than me what happened here. The vise on my heart squeezed tighter. But no matter what, I wouldn’t let Esther die here, in a place like this. So I did the thing most unnatural to me. I played it cool.
I followed the kid, certain he was only confident enough to turn his back to me because he knew I wouldn’t make a move until I saw her, got her to safety. After that, I would slice his skin off, but until then…
“What the fuck?” the kid uttered as he stopped in the doorway.
I rushed passed him but pulled up short at the scene that greeted me. I comprehended what I saw, but I didn’t want to believe it.
Esther, feet bare, face drawn tight with fear.
Anton and Petey standing side by side, eyes glued to the final person in the room.
Natasha, her gun trained on Esther, her intent as clear as day.
“You a part of this, Anton?” I asked, not moving my eyes from Natasha.
“No,” he said.
I believed him.
“What’s your angle, Petey? What are you trying to gain?”
“Everything, Sorin,” Natasha said.
“Your father will be disappointed in you, Petey. Yours would have been too, Natasha.”
The gun wavered and her eyes sparked, but she quickly regained control.
“Don’t speak to me of betrayal. Not after all I gave you. Honor, loyalty. They only mean something when you decide they do so you can do whatever you want and then pat us on the head as you toss us away. Not anymore,” she said, pulling her mouth into a tight frown.
“What do you want, Natasha?” I asked.
She laughed. “What if I wanted you to beg for her life, promise me you’ll marry me, that you’ll give me the world if I let her live? Do you love her enough for
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