Maria
I jolt awake from the sudden noise of glass breaking somewhere in the house. Having spent the night on the dining room floor, I sit up quickly. Holding myself still, I listen for movement, but it’s silent again. That’s not reassuring. Outside, it’s an overcast morning. But for now, I’m still here and alive. I tug at the zip tie binding my ankle to the chair, and the chair’s legs bang against the hardwood floor louder and louder as I desperately try to free myself. The plastic cuts into my skin, leaving red marks on my ankle and across my fingertips. I wince in pain but keep trying, wondering who will come through that door next.
I freeze when the door opens, but when I see Mikhail, my tension deflates in a loud, pent-up breath.
“Maria.” Mikhail takes hold of my shoulders and pulls my mouth hard against his. My eyes close as the relief of seeing him overcomes me. But we don’t have time to stare into each other’s eyes. He cuts the zip tie with a pocketknife and quickly releases me.
“They took Mercy somewhere.” I hobble onto my feet, but pins and needles make me limp, and I lean on his arm for support.
Mikhail looks up at the ceiling as if he can look through it. “Zakhar is upstairs.” He turns to me. “Who’s here?” he asks.
“I only saw Gunsyn and Alexander,” I whisper, staring at the door.
He faces me and holds onto me tightly. “Maria, stay close. Don’t leave my side.”
Mikhail stares at me with a look that I don’t like. He must know what will happen to Mercy but refuses to share the gruesome details with me. Instead, Mikhail guides me into the hallway, his arm tightly wrapped around me as if he wants to make sure I won’t leave his side. We move to the foot of the stairs and listen, when I hear a click behind us.
Gunsyn stands behind us, between us and the front door, with his gun drawn. “You found us sooner than expected, Kolya.” He glares at Mikhail. “You had nothing to worry about. We want what she’s carrying.”
Mikhail steps in front of me, shielding me with his body. “What are you playing at, Gunsyn?”
“You’ve been a disappointment, Kolya.” Gunsyn lifts the gun higher, aiming it toward us. “You don’t honor your elders, and I will have my due respect.”
Mikhail’s eyes narrow as a sneer lifts the corner of his mouth. “Respect is earned, old man. Not taken by force.” He shifts his stance even closer to me. “You will not touch her again.”
“I’ve already taken her from you twice,” Gunsyn laughs. “Perhaps the third time will be the last.”
Like a spark shooting into the air, Mikhail launches himself at Gunsyn and sends them both sprawling to the floor. Watching, I back away while they roll in a blur of limbs and fists. They grapple for control of the gun, and their bodies strain against each other until there’s a deafening bang and a howl of pain. I hold my breath. And when they come apart, the gun is in Mikhail’s hand, and Gunsyn is clutching his bloody shoulder.
There’s a creak on the stairs above, and I turn to see my father looking down on us. But another movement, much closer, catches my eye. Alexander is using the chaos as a distraction and an opportunity to escape. He runs through the hallway, past us, and out the front door. His figure quickly disappears into the woods, leaving a cursing Gunsyn behind.
“You snake!” shouts Gunsyn, rocking in pain on the floor. “I’ll find you, and I’ll get you too!” He eyes Mikhail while getting up off the floor. “Well, the rest of the Bratva will never accept your Lanzzare bride. Or her traitor father. We will make you choose, Kolya. You can’t have both!”
“You betrayed my family, and you will confess.”
Gunsyn sprays bloody spit as he speaks. “You can’t make me confess to a lie.”
“A lie?” Mikhail shakes his head in disbelief. “I’ll drag you to hell, and I’ll make you confess the truth before I leave you there forever.” Mikhail’s expression darkens into madness that can’t be pleaded with, and a swift blow crunches against Gunsyn’s jaw. The impact sends the man backward, gasping in pain.
Wide-eyed, I witness Mikhail’s brutality find its release, but deep inside, I feel a strange awe of him at this moment. Smirking, Iwatch Gunsyn collapse in agony, which satisfies me more than I care to admit.
There is hardly time to recover when Uncle Vito storms in, and the floorboards groan under the pounding of his footsteps. His eyes scan the hallway, and his terrorizing gaze takes each one of us in until it lands on Gunsyn, still sprawled on the floor. Uncle Vito motions to two of his men, and they drag Gunsyn out into the front yard.
“Where is my daughter?” Uncle Vito roars, grabbing Gunsyn by his shirt and hoisting him up against a tree. “Tell me where my Mercy is, you bastard!”
“Vito!” Dad tries to intervene with Mikhail’s help, but Vito refuses to loosen his powerful grip.
Gunsyn spits back. “One of your enemies will own her shortly. I’m sure they’ll contact you, Genovesi.”
“An enemy?” Vito’s anger intensifies as his hands tighten. “Who are you selling her to? Give me a name, dammit.”
“Were it so easy,” Gunsyn smirks, his eyes cold as a rat, as Uncle Vito pulls out a gun and aims it.
“No!” Zakhar steps forward, placing himself in the way. “We need him alive for information, Vito. Don’t make him a martyr.”
Breathing heavily, Vito lowers the gun. He bends over from the waist, placing his hands on his knees as he catches his breath. The anguish takes over his body as he shakes, screaming at his own helplessness.
I walk over to him and place my hand on his back. He looks searchingly at me, grief etched across his face, as I send all the love I can summon to him with a comforting touch.
“Are you okay, Marie?” he whispers.
I nod, my gaze on him. “I’m fine.” My voice is barely a whisper, and I’m anything but fine.
The anger hasn’t left my uncle, and his back rises and lowers as he stamps the ground. I scurry backward as he shouts, “He comes with me until I get my daughter back!” Vito’s men grab Gunsyn’s arms, dragging him toward an SUV.
Vito glares at Mikhail, who stoically stares back. “He’s your man, and I still blame you for this.”
The sound of gravel crunching is the only sound as Gunsyn is thrown against the SUV, and his wrists and ankles are bound. We watch him as if we’re statues positioned on the lawn that can do nothing to intervene. I don’t want to interfere as Gunsyn is led to a certain death, but we must find Mercy first.
“Maria.” Mikhail pulls me aside gently, and I lean into him for warmth. “We can’t return to the penthouse. We have to lie low for a while.”
My heart sinks, but I have to know. “What happened to Dominika?” I ask, my voice cracking. “Is she?-”
Mikhail glances away and hesitates before answering. “Dominika is dead, Maria.”
The words hit me like a blow to the gut, and my legs go weak beneath me. My body would’ve sunk to the ground if Mikhail hadn’t held me tight. Dominika had become a part of me, a friend I could love and trust, and now she’s gone because of what I left her.
“Maria,” Mikhail whispers. “I’m sorry. It was too late to save her. She wanted you safe because she loved you.”
“No!” The scream tears from my throat, and I push myself away from Mikhail. I can’t bear the weight of another loss or the thought that Mercy could be next. My rage overcomes me and leaves me shaking. My humanity deserts me for a feeling that is so base I can’t describe the hatred taking me over. I glare at Gunsyn, lying beside the SUV, and his smug expression falters. His eyes narrow, and for the first time since I’ve known him, I see fear lurking underneath his unbelievable ego. Good. I want him terrified.
“Fuck you!” I run at him before anyone can stop me. Uncle Vito stares in astonishment as I kick Gunsyn repeatedly. I try so hard to make him feel my stinging pain. Hands pull me away, and I cry out again, desperate to claw at him until there is nothing left. Rage overtakes my voice. “Love saved me, but it won’t save you!” I shout, and then I face my uncle. “I want him to feel everything Dominika felt before she died.”
Gunsyn’s eyes dart between us, and I can tell he’s trying to gauge whether it will end for him now. The arrogant smirk that rarely leaves his face is now replaced by an uncertain stare.
“In the trunk,” Vito orders, and his men waste no time hauling Gunsyn up and in, slamming the back shut. Vito’s steady gaze meets mine, and something unspoken passes between us. A shared understanding fueled by loss. He nods once, leaving no doubt that he’ll carry out my wishes.
My outrage subsides with each calming breath, which brings my thoughts back to my father. I turn toward him, and his eyes are fixed upon his former home. The gloom shrouds the old house, and the dark gray clouds add an eeriness that makes the surroundings otherworldly. As the wind picks up and the trees sway, he looks so pained, his face scowling as he gazes at an upstairs window, hoping to catch one glimpse of her ghost.
“Let’s get out of here.” Zakhar shakes himself out of it. “We’ll talk at the safe house.”
I cast one final glance at the place where I spent a night bound and helpless. The home I’ll never remember and never want to see again.