Chapter 12 #2
Gavriil motions for Roman to release Petrov before the guard grabs my arm and shoves me toward the staircase.
“If you try to escape, Roman will shoot you in both legs,” Gavriil remarks.
“And before you even think about raising the gun toward me or him, you should be aware that Valentin has a gun pointed at Alina. She’ll immediately receive the same wound as you inflict on either of us. ”
Now that he knows she’s my weakness, he’ll use her to keep me in line.
He would have her killed just to keep me from her.
The four of us walk down a hallway toward a door that leads outside.
The sunlight hits us right as we step out, blinding me after going without the light for so long.
When my eyes adjust, they sweep around as we head to the field that’s to the left of the mansion, catching sight of a few guards roaming around the grounds. More than the normal amount.
Roman tightens his grip on my arm to stop me, as Gavriil motions to Petrov to walk farther out into the field. “You tried to play both sides and lost,” Gavriil tells him.
“Why are we out here?” I question him since we could’ve done this without getting Petrov out of his cell.
Gavriil doesn’t reply, but there’s a haze of amusement in his eyes that makes me uneasy. He takes out his phone and presses it against his ear. “Valentin, take our captive to the bedroom window.”
I turn around toward the side of the house, quickly locating the two windows. After a minute, a familiar figure appears in one of them, and my heart drops.
I can’t make out much because there’s a glare on the window, but I can see that she has something wrapped around her torso. Maybe a towel? It’s not big enough to cover her entire body, only part of it. Has she been naked since he brought me her clothes?
“Why isn’t she dressed?” I bite out as I take a step closer to Gavriil.
Gavriil retrieves his handgun from the shoulder holster, but he doesn’t point it at me. All he has to do is let it sit in his hand as his arm hangs at his side. “Do as you’re told, little brother. I don’t answer to you.”
My eyes move back to Alina, my heart aching at the sight of her leaning against the window. She isn’t reaching for me. She can barely stand. Even from down here, I can tell that she looks weaker and paler than normal.
“You’re letting her waste away,” I grit out, wanting to run to her so badly and wrap her in my arms.
I need to help her.
“I agreed that I will entice her to eat, one way or another,” Gavriil replies cryptically. “Now, do as you were instructed before I add more bullets.”
I glare at Gavriil, but I hold my hand out for the revolver. He knows that I won’t be stupid enough to use it on him. There are too many guards, and I have Alina to think about.
Gavriil shows me the cylinder, the single bullet, before he spins it. Once it’s locked in place, he pulls back the hammer, then places the gun in my palm.
I turn toward Petrov as Roman steps to the side to get out of the way. Drawing in a deep breath, I lift the gun and point it at Petrov’s right shoulder. It’ll hurt like a bitch if there’s a bullet ready to fire with this shot. And if so, and I miss by a few inches, I could kill him.
Even after what he did to me, I still feel guilty about shooting him this way. It’s even worse that Alina is watching because I know how she is. She’ll blame herself for this too. It’ll remind her of the gunshot that took her brother’s life.
Petrov meets my gaze. There’s a flicker of fear in his eyes, but he remains still aside from giving me a tiny nod. Acceptance of whatever happens next.
“Tick tock. Should I add another bullet or two?” Gavriil asks knowing the answer.
I try to breathe smoothly through my nose to steady my hand, but the lack of decent sleep and nutrition is wearing on me, making my hand shakier than normal. My finger rests on the trigger as I take in one more breath, steeling myself as much as I can.
And then I pull the trigger.
I barely flinch when the gun goes off, but I tense up more than normal as the sound rings in my ears.
Fuck.
I don’t see where the bullet lands, but it knocks him off his feet and sends him into the grass. I exhale heavily and take a step forward, but Gavriil holds out his hand to stop me.
“You’re still not completely off the hook,” Gavriil says as he takes the gun from my hand. Roman grabs my arm again and yanks me back toward the house.
I look over my shoulder to see a guard kneeling next to Petrov, who hasn’t gotten up. My blood runs cold. Did I miss and kill him?
Gavriil doesn’t give me the chance to wait and see before he has Roman drag me inside.
He takes me down to the prison and shoves me into my cell before locking the door behind me.
“This was fun. Too bad for Petrov,” my brother says.
“But I have some business to take care of before I convince Alina to let me fill her mouth.”
I lunge at the door, trying to grab him through the bars.
Gavriil steps out of the way just in time, amusement sparking in his eyes. “With food of course. She has been stubborn, but it hasn’t been all bad. She was more than happy to let me warm her up after her shower.”
I shake my head. “I don’t believe you.”
Gavriil shrugs. “I don’t care what you believe. I held her in my arms, and she couldn’t get close enough.”
Jealousy burns through me like fire. “Keep your fucking hands off her!”
Gavriil smirks. “Come on. You know what happens to women in my cage. Soon she’ll be begging me for more, proving my point to you that she’s not loyal to you, and that your obsession with her is a waste of time. I can’t wait to show you the video after she gives herself to me.”
I spin around with a scowl, putting my back to him as fury pulses through me so I don’t have to look at his fucking face. All I can think about is his hands on her, on my wildcat. “She doesn’t deserve this, and you fucking know it!”
“What did I say about being sentimental?” Gavriil sighs like he’s disappointed in me.
“If you hurt her, I’ll fucking kill you,” I bite out as I glare at him over my shoulder.
To him, emotion is weakness. To me, it’s the reason to fight. I give a damn about someone, and he sees that as a flaw.
Gavriil cocks an eyebrow at me. “Seeing how our wildcat affects you after such a short amount of time with her just makes me all that more intrigued by her.”
My stomach twists as we stare at each other. He’s right. I’m only piquing his interest even more with my outbursts. And I don’t like the way he called her “ours”.
“Don’t hurt her,” I say, my voice coming out weaker and more desperate than I mean for it to. “Figure out a way to get her to eat or at least drink something.”
“I told you not to get attached to anyone after how badly things ended with Daria,” Gavriil tells me as he starts to walk away. “Alina’s not worth the trouble, little brother. Why would you ever want a woman who enjoys screaming my name?”
My frown deepens as I watch him step out of view, leaving me alone with my dread.
If this goes wrong, if he can’t convince Alina to eat or drink something, I may never see her again.
I’ll never get the chance to apologize or tell her how much I love her.
I need her to stay strong.
Because I can’t lose her. Not like this.
Especially not to him.