Chapter 22 Natasha
NATASHA
I looked at Ivan as I rubbed my arm. Those sneering eyes and that crooked grin. Everything about him screamed at me to run. And it was true. I was tired. Tired of running. Tired of fighting. Tired of doing the bare minimum to save my life. Tired of people lying to me.
I was also tired of him.
You won’t scare me this time, Ivan.
“Are you going to answer me? Or keep me on bated breath?” Ivan asked.
I sighed. “You know why I’m tired. I’m tired of running. I’m tired of living alone. Living a lie.”
“Oh?”
I nodded slowly. “Yes. Oh.”
“Natasha, what are you doing?” Toxin whispered.
I licked my lips and let my eyes trail down Ivan.
I straightened my back, exposing my body to him as I took a small step forward.
His chuckle seized my gut. His eyes wafting down my body caused my heart to clench.
But the second his eyes hit my hips, my hand went up to my ear.
I scratched it, slowly moving the earpiece out.
And as quickly as I could, I tucked it into the bottoms of my lingerie set.
Feeling it pressing against my back. If I was going to do this successfully, I couldn't have him in my ear. For once, I had to trust Toxin’s words.
I had to trust that he was close, and that he’d intervene if necessary.
Even though I still had to take that damn stage, I also had to trust that when he said I wouldn’t get hurt, that I wouldn’t actually get hurt.
But my life wasn’t the only one at stake, either.
Ivan took his sweet, precious time studying my body.
He always had. Envisioning every nook and cranny he’d kiss and touch.
Casing me like a piece of meat. Which gave me plenty of time to discard the earpiece without his knowledge.
The idiot. He was never one to pay attention to me unless I was ready to spread my legs for him.
And as his eyes traveled back to mine, I saw them flash with heat.
With want.
With lust.
Gross.
“You look stronger than the last time I saw you,” Ivan said.
I grinned. “Would you believe I was working out for you?”
He snickered. “No.”
“Good. Because you really shouldn't believe everything you hear.”
“Is that your way of telling me your prior statement was a lie?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then, why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind, beautiful?”
I sighed. “I told you. I’m tired.”
“Would you like to talk about the reason why you’re tired?”
I forced tears to my eyes, then tried blinking them back.
If there was ever a reason to perform, this was the time.
I quickly rushed over to Ivan and threw my arms around him.
I pressed myself against him, silently cringing at his touch on the small of my back.
He patted my skin. His hug was empty. The way it always had been.
But pressing against him with my hips informed me of where his gun was.
In case I needed to reach for it.
“My, my. How eager we are to get back in my good graces. But you’ve been gone for a while now, Nat. If you think I don’t see through your ruse—”
“He took me,” I whispered.
Ivan froze. “What?”
I sniffled. “I tried to stop him, but I couldn't.”
He pulled me out, his hands firmly on my hips. “Which one? I need a name. No one touches my things.”
My lower lip quivered. “Toxin. I-I-I, I tried to get him off. But it just—there was this plan they were concocting, and Phillip told me to use my ways to get information out of them and—”
“He commanded you to do that?”
I paused. “Yes.”
Ivan released me and slipped his hand through my hair. I had pressed an unintentional button that opened a wonderful door for me. Ivan paced around. The anger in his face grew. The tension in the room thickened. And it took all I had to bury the smile wanting to spread across my face.
“That rat bastard! I told him to make sure no one touched you. No one even got near you,” Ivan hissed.
I shook my head. “That isn’t what he told me. He told me to use whatever it is I had at my disposal to stay in the good graces of the group. Whatever it took to get him and his boss information.”
“My fucking brother,” he growled.
I sniffled. “I’m sorry. I tried fighting him off. I swear to you, I did.”
He rushed me, his hands cupping my cheeks. “I know. I know you would have. I know you’re not that stupid, beautiful.”
His thumbs rushed over my skin, but inside I wanted to choke him until he gurgled on his own blood.
He pulled me into a hug, and I scanned the room behind him. There was a couch in the corner. It looked dingy from sitting in the dark, but another idea came to me.
“I don’t want him to be the most current man that touches me, Ivan,” I whispered.
He patted my back. “Don’t you worry. We’re rectifying that as soon as we get the hell out of here. And as soon as I find that fucking Phillip guy.”
“Please. I need you now. I’m so—I’m so happy to see you, I just—”
I slid my nose along his cheek. I slowly backed him to the couch.
When his legs stopped moving, I pressed against his chest, easing him against the cushions.
He grimaced at the feel of the couch. But one thing he never could resist was the swiveling of my hips.
I snaked between his legs and pushed them open.
I swirled my hips as his eyes met the movements.
I rose my hands above my head, swallowing the bile creeping up the back of my throat.
And when he wrapped his arms around me, I braced myself.
He pulled me down against him on the couch, his pelvis grinding against me.
I wanted to puke. But I also had him right where I wanted him.
I wiggled around until I straddled him. My knees on either side of his body.
His eyes were distracted by my tits. I felt blood flowing to his groin.
He licked his lips, enjoying the show as I danced for him.
Swayed for him. Jiggled my curves for his viewing pleasure.
“I need to kiss you. I need to know you’re still mine,” he murmured.
He fisted my hair. He slowly eased my face closer to his.
And just as his eyes closed, my hand moved in for the kill.
I snaked my fingers behind the flap of his pearly white suit coat.
I slipped his gun out of the holster. His eyes flew open as I brought the gun up, clocking him against his temple.
His grip fell away from me and I stood up.
I cocked the gun and grinned at the sight of the suppressor at the tip.
I backed away. Slowly. Watching as Ivan groaned and held tightly onto the bleeding side of his head.
Then, a disgusting chuckle fell from his lips.
“I have to admit, that performance was Oscar-worthy, Nat. You have talent.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Where’s who?”
“Diesel. You tell me right now or I’m going to shoot you.”
He snickered. “You don’t have the balls to shoot me, little girl.”
Just the answer I wanted.
I took aim for his crotch and pulled the trigger, listening to the soft noise that left the tip of the barrel.
I watched as blood splattered. I listened as Ivan cried out in pain.
In terror. In horror, as he held what he considered his “most prized possession.” Blood pooled onto the couch.
The cushions were so disgusting that it didn’t even soak in.
Just seeped onto the floor as the little bitch curled up onto the couch.
“I’m going to have you slaughtered for this,” he choked out.
And as he continued slinging insults, I pointed the gun at his head.
“Diesel. Where is he?” I asked.
Ivan shuddered. “Downstairs. Basement. With my brother, Lars. This was all his idea. I had nothing to do with it.”
I grinned. “Feel that fear, Ivan?”
He whimpered in response.
“That’s the fear I lived with for years underneath your thumb. The fear you ingrained into me as normal from the second you moved me into your home. The fear. The pain. The blood. The hurt. All of it, wrapped up into some botched version of reality you didn’t give me a choice but to believe.”
He coughed before he heaved, puking all over himself. All over that pearly white suit that matched my lingerie I had once vomited on.
What a beautiful picture of full-circle.
“Stop this, Nat.”
I snickered. “Beg me.”
His eyes slowly found mine. “Please, don’t do this.”
I paused. “Did you ever listen to me when I begged?”
“No, Nat. Don’t do this. Nat. Nat! Cut it out!”
And despite his insistence, I pulled the trigger again.
Watching as the bullet in the chamber embedded itself into his skull.