Chapter Thirteen
There were a lot of things in Dinah’s life that she had been afraid of. The darkness, horror movies, frozen garden peas. As a kid, they used to terrify her because they tasted like vomit. It was only as an adult that she got to see a huge benefit of enjoying peas, especially in pies, or curries, or as a nice bright color to a pasta casserole. She didn’t even know why she was thinking about peas right now.
She hated that she cried. She hated that he’d made her scream.
One of her fingers was twisted as Sergey had snapped her finger. He’d also made a cut in her thigh, giving her a taste of the blade that would be carving up her face. He told her to think about what her mother must have gone throug h— the fear and pai n— but Dinah didn’t need to guess. She had witnessed her mother’s fear most of the days after she’d been attacked. Even though Angela had tried to hide it, there was no getting away from the fact that every ring of the doorbell, or knock, would send her mother into a panic.
Dinah knew it had gotten that bad, which was why she had stopped asking her mother to get the door, and even if she’d been dressed in a robe or had to run out of the shower, nearly killing herself in the process, she would get the door herself.
She couldn’t clench her hands. So far, he’d snapped one finger, and Dinah knew he intended to take all her fingers. She made a fool out of him. She spotted the bruises forming around his eyes, and he looked a mess, but she didn’t care. It gave her a delightful satisfaction, knowing he was hurting because of her, and there was no way he was getting away from it. This was good news for her.
She stared at him, waited, and continued to wait.
“Son of a bitch!” Sergey picked up a knife and hurled it across the room.
Something told her this wasn’t good. Dinah stayed perfectly still. There was nothing more she could do. She was at the mercy of his anger.
“Little fucking bastards.” Sergey suddenly whirled around and he went for her. She couldn’t go anywhere as he had her tied to a chair. Her arms were tied, leaving her exposed to whatever abuse he wanted to do to her hands. Also, her legs were bound, and there was even a nice piece of rope around her midsection, and she figured that was to keep her in place.
He came toward her before she could even get over the blow to the face, and it was a full-on face slap, with his palm stinging so much she saw stars. Then, he wrapped his fingers around her neck, keeping her in place, not allowing her to breathe. This wasn’t good.
She always imagined that if she ever got the chance to confront Sergey Golubev, it would go down a lot differently.
“So, you intend to kill her, Father?”
She knew that voice, but she didn’t turn to look at Nikki. Instead, she took in every mouthful of air she could stand, trying to get her senses together.
He was going to kill her. She didn’t know what Road or the group had done, but either way, she was more than happy for them.
She took several deep breaths, trying to gain her bearings, feeling the panic starting to rise inside her. Whatever Road had done, she was going to pay the price, but again, if he’d pissed off Golubev, then she was happy for him. Dinah knew she should hate him, and a part of her did hate him. He’d helped to attack her mother. He’d not done the deed, and she understood that, but he had ordered it. By Sergey’s orders.
She lifted her head and watched as father and son got close.
“No, I don’t intend to kill her. First, I’m going to do to her what I had ordered done to her mother, and then I’m going to allow her life to fall apart so she has no choice but to come begging for me. When she’s ready to see that I am her savior, I’m going to make her crawl across broken glass just to suck any man’s cock, I deem.”
Dinah would never come begging to him, and if she ever got close to his cock, it would be to bite it off. In fact, tearing into his flesh sounded like an awesome idea to her. She wanted to hurt him, to destroy him. And watch him scream. One day, the bruises on his face would seem like child’s play.
He could mark up her face, hurt her, Dinah didn’t care. He didn’t know she always had a backup plan. Admittedly, not one that would get her out of an evil man’s clutches, but she would add that to her list of shit to learn.
“You know they are going to blame you for this,” Nikki said.
Sergey didn’t like that.
“You had a responsibility and you failed.”
Dinah was shocked to see Sergey strike his son. Where he’d slapped her with an open palm, Nikki didn’t get the same courtesy. He had a closed fist that sent his son to the floor. She watched him, his hands clenched into fists, and Dinah knew this man hated his father.
“I never fail. Now, pick up that knife and cut her,” Sergey said.
Dinah took a deep breath, and she tried not to panic as Nikki got to his feet and started to approach her. He looked at her long and hard, but she couldn’t read his face.
There was no salvation here. He was going to do a job.
Seconds later, he turned toward the table of tools, and Dinah had hoped they were all for show. They weren’t, as Sergey had already made a cut to her thigh, and he’d not even needed to apply much pressure. She wanted to scream, to cry, not panic, and be this brave person who could handle anything, but that fear bubbled up. He approached, and Dinah opened her mouth and screamed.
“Carve her a new smile, so when kids see her, they run away in fear,” Sergey said.
Nikki grabbed her face, tilting her head back, and she knew he was trying to figure out how not to do this. This man was a contradiction, because she hated him and knew he wasn’t a good man, and yet she saw the struggle as he tried to think of the right thing to do. Dinah didn’t know what to do or say.
And then, it was like Road entered the equation, as she heard the shout.
Road’s voice.
“Sergey, I’m waiting,” Road said.
Nikki pulled away.
“Don’t fucking move,” Sergey said.
Dinah looked around in the old, crumbling warehouse. She saw old bloodstains on the floor, and she’d seen chains hanging from the ceiling. She felt this sickness swirling in her gut. She didn’t want to die here.
Sergey left the warehouse and Dinah looked at Nikki. “You’ve got to get me out of here.”
“Shut up,” Nikki said.
There were a couple of Sergey’s guards, and Nikki got close again, but this time, as he slid the blade beneath the bindings, she knew he was trying to help her.
****
Road stood outside the warehouse, the only place he knew Sergey would go. The evil bastard was so predictable, he thought as he waited. The guys surrounded the warehouse and Brute had told him he had to give them the signal to help.
First, he needed to get to Dinah. He needed to see what they had done.
He stood, hands on his gun, waiting. In his pocket was his cell phone, the call to Brute already playing.
“Hello, Sergey, you old bastard,” Road said.
Road couldn’t help but wonder how Tank was doing. This was one of their brother’s first missions since he’d been taken. Whatever Sergey had done to him, it had messed with his head, and the brother struggled to even sleep at night. Road had an idea of the shit he’d done. Sergey liked to dabble in many different torture methods, even some that were considered medieval.
He looked at Sergey and failed to see any kind of man he could have admired. He had been so blinded by the power Sergey had granted him. It was only when that true evil had turned on him, that he saw it.
He was repulsed by the man in front of him. The shit he knew Sergey was capable of. He had to be stopped.
Brute had given him the signal, and if he could, he was allowed to end Sergey’s life. He was going to make that shot, regardless, but first he needed to get to Dinah.
“Long time, no see,” Road said.
“I know what you’ve been up to. It’s kind of hard not to follow a man with a face like a horror movie.”
Months ago, that would have bothered him, but Road saw past all that bullshit, and he looked at Sergey and merely smiled.
“Is that all you’ve got? You’re failing yourself, Sergey.” He gave a little tut. “I think I’m a late bloomer and I’ve grown into my looks.”
He offered Sergey a pout.
“You know, I’ve got your girlfriend tied and ready. My son is more than happy to replicate his handiwork with you.”
“Do you think looking at myself is going to repulse me? Trust me, it’s not, but you might want to reconsider. You see, I have it on good authority that all six of your shipments didn’t make it. Last time I checked, the Italians don’t take too kindly to their products going missing, and, well, there’s that little pesky detail of you being liable and all that. After all, Evil Fallen Bratva MC has no beef with any Italians, but we do with Sergey.” Road let out a little gasp. “If news of that got out, along with what happened to Butterworth, and making your life and your organization miserable the past couple of months, then I guess you’re all but … done.”
Road stared at Sergey. He’d watched this man play the game so many times. For what felt like a lifetime, he’d been on Sergey’s side, watching him work, manipulate, but Road knew what Sergey was after.
Killing Butterworth had caused a ripple effect in Golubev’s power. It had shaken the entire foundation of the Bratva, and only could Road and the Evil Fallen Bratva MC start to repair it. Road knew Brute had no intention of allowing that to happen. Right now, they had a window of opportunity to get Dinah.
That was all he was interested in, and he knew he had to call in all the bullshit, the arguments, and everything at his disposal.
There was also the risk that Sergey could just take his gun and shoot him. The fact he didn’t was a good indication that Sergey needed them. He had no doubt that pissed Sergey off. This man didn’t like to be at the mercy of anyone.
“You’re alone,” Sergey said.
“I want Dinah, and then I will make sure your good friends know they have a new enemy.”
Sergey took a second to answer, and Road watched the conflict he was having. He waited, knowing time was running out.
“Then come on in,” Sergey said.
Road tensed up as two of Sergey’s soldiers marched him inside the warehouse, and that was where he saw Dinah tied to a chair, and Nikki was close to her.
“You son of a bitch,” Road said, and he tried to break free to get to her, but Sergey’s men held him back.
A new wave of anger flooded his body. “I’ll fucking kill you, you piece of shit.”
“You’re just in time to see him recreate the handiwork he did on you, now, he’s going to work on this charming young woman,” Sergey said.
“You touch her and any deal is off.”
“I’ll kill her,” Sergey said.
“Then I will have no reason to make this deal.” He looked at Sergey and knew there was no more waiting.
Road had hoped by the time he got to Dinah, everything would have fallen into place and he would have his woman in his arms, but that was not how it was going to pan out.
“It’s time,” Road said. He slid his arms through the two men, drawing out a knife through either arm, and in the process slicing through their stomachs. He withdrew his arms, running the blade across the men’s faces, and without another glance, charged for Dinah.
Before he could get to her, gunshots rang out, and Dinah fell to the floor. In that moment, he knew Nikki had sliced through her bindings. Road covered her, and reached for his gun.
The whole warehouse was surrounded, and Road was able to grab Dinah and make his escape, but just before he did, Sergey grabbed him, sending them both falling to the ground.
“You think this is over?” Sergey asked.
“No, I think it’s only just beginning.”
He shoved Sergey off him, and then, like so many times before, he was faster as he drew his weapon and stared up at his opponent, who was once his friend.
Road didn’t hesitate. He fired his gun and didn’t know where he had hit, as he grabbed Dinah and made his escape, knowing the club would join him.
They had to get back to the clubhouse. It was the only place they could regroup.