Chapter 11 - Maya
Strapped to a non-descript office chair, I squirmed uncomfortably; I was losing circulation to my fingers, my hands bound with a tightly-knotted rope behind my back. I wavered sporadically between anxiety and terror, and I kept wondering, What the hell is going on?
My mind was locked in a haze of questions and possibilities—what could have led to this? I didn’t remember offending anyone or doing anything else, for that matter, that would warrant this kind of treatment. Not me. I used few words, and was careful when picking my friends.
I may have accidentally thrown in my lot with Dominik, but surely, that shouldn’t warrant this! I wasn’t even part of his world. Yet, Mike had made it clear that this had everything to do with him.
Writhing like a fish out of water, I strained against the rope. However, sinister laughter echoed through the space, causing me to fall still. I craned my neck, trying to get a good look at whoever it was. I needn’t have bothered, though; I knew it was the man from the apartment. He had to be the one. That laugh, that voice.
He had called Dominik, right there in front of me, and from what I’d heard, it seemed Dominik would be acquiescing to his demand.
“Don’t struggle.” Mike’s voice drifted to my ears, following the fading strains of his laughter. “All you know is that this will be your last night with Dominik—I’ll let him have the mercy of speaking to you one last time.”
My heart skipped a few beats, then pounded against my ribcage with renewed vigor, screaming to be let out. Terror warred with anger, bubbling up to my throat.
“What did he do to you?” I whispered.
“Shhhh,” Mike said, approaching me from behind. “Little girls shouldn’t be asking the big boys questions… but, perhaps, that’s a valid one. Only, I’m not feeling obligated to answer. I’ve brought you here to watch as I kill your baby’s daddy—you’re the bait in this trap.”
He gestured to the screen set up before me. It looked like live-CCTV footage. A factory?
“Your precious Dominik will soon show up there,” Mike said, pointing at the screen. “He’ll show up, just like I want him to, and he’ll die right before your eyes. My only regret is that I won’t be the one pulling the trigger.”
His ever-present smile drooped a little, but didn’t stay gone long. “But I guess I’ll still be the one pulling the trigger, now that I think of it—just from behind the scenes.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I trembled like a leaf in the wind. Oh God, is this going to be my life now? Constantly being snatched into dangerous situations like this one, all because I was the mother of Dominik’s child? Was there even anywhere I could run to that I’d be safe?
Mike, who’d wandered to the far corner of the room, made his way towards me with swaggering steps, then stooped down and looked up at me.
“Don’t worry,” he crooned. “Whatever he is to you, he’ll be dead soon. You see, he may have put that inside you”—he poked at my belly, and I flinched before I could stop myself—“but I’ll put a fucking bullet in his skull. As for you? Well, after he’s dead…”
He licked his lips, narrowing his eyes. “I will kill you next.”
My entire body turned to ice. I’d always been a woman of faith, and my belief had never wavered; now, I desperately, silently prayed that God would come to my rescue.
“I wish it didn’t have to be you, considering how pretty you are,” Mike continued, oblivious to my silent supplication. “I mean, I could take you to wife… but, you see, I can’t just let Dominik’s bloodline live on—that’s why you have to die too. Believe me, it will be a shame getting rid of you, but really, it’s a necessary evil. Can’t be avoided.”
He shook his head, a look of regret crossing his features before an odd gleam came into his eyes. “However, there’s nothing saying I can’t taste you once before you go.” He took my jaw in a string grip.
He brought his face roughly against mine even as I writhed, twisting my face from side to side to fight him off. His lips met mine, kissing me aggressively; his tongue tried to probe mine, but I tightened my lips—until I suddenly had a better idea.
I parted my lips to give him access, and just as his tongue passed my teeth, I bit down—hard.
I clenched my jaw tight, with the intent to draw blood. Wherever I got the boldness from, I knew not. Perhaps it was a bit fatalistic; if I was going to die, I did wanted to draw blood, be it little, from my adversary.
He may have the last laugh, but at least he would have a mark—my mark, one which would give him a few sleepless nights. Maybe.
“Bitch!” Mike cursed. “Damn!” He stood, slapping me across the face.
My face stung from the impact of his palm against my cheek.
“Fucking bitch,” Mike spat.
I looked at the floor, then furrowed my brow as I heard him laugh.
With dread, I considered that he might do worse, like rape me; however, when I looked up, it was to see his face glued to the screen.
“My day is about to get better.” Mike grinned, his teeth red with blood. “It’s already going well—just a few hitches.” He wiped the blood from his lips. “This is going to be satisfying.”
My gaze moved to the screen to see a black car pulling into the factory. Dominik. I didn’t want to watch him die.
I whimpered and looked away, but Mike walked up to me, grabbed my face, and positioned it to the screen.
I closed my eyes. I really didn’t want to see this part.
“If you don’t look, I’ll kill you first,” Mike hissed in my ear.
To me, it wasn’t much of a threat; I was slowly beginning to accept my reality. Dominik would die, and I would die next.
However, for some reason, I opened my eyes; some sick fascination made me watch as Dominik’s car came to a stop. Before the door could open, bullets hit the car from all sides, piercing it.
I jerked.
I prayed Dominik would survive somehow, but the men continued to fire on the car, riddling it with bullets while Mike chuckled.
The gunshots stopped, and the men closed in on the car. Tears streamed down my face as I struggled not to cry out loud, coming to terms with the fact that Dominik was dead.
Two men approached cautiously till they reached the car. Mike released me and straightened as he got out a walkie talkie.
“Open it,” he barked.
“Alright, boss,” a voice from the device replied.
They opened the passenger side, only to find it empty.
The men looked at each other in confusion.
I looked at Mike, who frowned and gripped the walkie talkie. “What’s going on?”
“There’s no one in the car, sir. It was on automatic mode.”
Hope blossomed in my heart as I wondered what Dominik was up to. Dominik. It was good to think his name again, knowing he wasn’t dead.
Mike’s scowl grew savage, his eyes darkening.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, careful not to draw Mike’s attention.
More of Mike’s men approached the car, as if to check it out. Suddenly, a bright light burst out of the car; men were tossed to the ground, and the CCTV feed went dark.
Mike twitched, but I remained still, watching, wondering what really was happening.
The door opened, and Mike snapped, “I don’t wish to be disturbed.”
“You’d be disturbed alright,” came a heart-lifting voice. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was, but from the look on Mike’s face, he hadn’t been expecting this.
Men briskly surrounded us, guns raised and trained on Mike, while I felt my bonds loosen.
Mike’s men desperately stormed into the room through the entrance before us, but they were quickly subdued by gunfire, not even having the chance to fire a single shot.
In the blink of an eye, Mike’s men were incapacitated—possibly dead—and I couldn’t help but wonder how many there were inside this warehouse. More than twenty, for certain. Perhaps two dozen?
Like something out of a dream, Dominik walked up to me, his hand lifting to my face to brush over the place Mike slapped me. I could still feel the sting of his palm as Dominik ran his hand over the spot. His eyes burned with anger.
Dominik’s fingers brushed across my lower lip, where I felt something wet. It made me remember how Mike had kissed me before the shooting started.
It felt like forever since I had felt such warmth on my lips, such tenderness, and when Dominik’s finger slid along my chin, I could have died and lived again, just to have those same feelings ever returned, to feel him kiss me again.
My eyes burned and drifted to his hand, and I noticed a faint red stain on the tip of his fingers.
Blood, I thought as panic surged through me, and I backed away.
“Fuck—did he do this to you?” Dominik asked quietly. His deep, husky voice resonated within me.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
“Did he hurt you anywhere else? Did he… touch you?”
The concern in Dominik’s voice made me blink—this was the first time he’d spoken to me with an emotion that bordered on care. All this time, I’d felt as if all he’d cared about was his heir.
I shook my head weakly, still trembling.
“Then stay here.”
Relieved, I stayed put, as instructed.
His expression grew dark as he looked at my bloody lip. He came closer, inspecting the wound closely.
I winced at the intensity of his scrutiny; it seemed nothing had changed in that regard. His lips formed a tight line, and those dark green eyes narrowed as his eyes traced the cut.
He wrapped his arms around me so tightly that it almost hurt. Then, he pulled back and looked deep into my eyes. With tenderness in his eyes, he kissed my forehead, and I finally felt safe, protected.
That was when I realized that, no matter how dangerous the situation, Dominik would always manage to protect me from harm.
Mike stood shaking—with fear or anger, I couldn’t quite tell. Probably both.
Dominik released me and pulled out his gun as he walked up to Mike.
“You motherfucking bas—”
Mike’s words were cut off as Dominik pushed the muzzle of his gun into his smug mouth.
Dominik looked at me, then at Artem. “Get her out of here.”
Artem nodded, and just as we turned to leave, the gun went off; a heavy thud reached my ears as a body hit the floor.
I didn’t want to look. I really didn’t want to look… but for some reason, I felt the urge to check, to make sure that Mike was dead. Perhaps it was someone else.
My legs stopped me in place, and now, my tears flowed freely.
I cried out as a sharp pain ripped through my belly; in seconds, Dominik was next to me, spots of dotted blood on his face. No doubt, the blood of his enemy.