Chapter 37 Henry #2
Sitting in the chair across from her, I take a sip of my scotch and breathe an internal sigh of relief when she mirrors my action with her wine.
I’m not sure what all Sasha put in the vial he gave me.
All I know is that it is supposedly super potent and only requires a sip or two.
I know it has some of the seeds from the Cerbera odollam, but he said not to worry about it when I asked if there was more.
Hiding my smile with another drink, I continue with the rest of the plan.
“This is a delicate subject, but there’s nobody I trust more than you, Linda.
I need advice on how to get rid of my wife.
As you know, the contract is airtight, or I wouldn’t have married her in the first place.
To be frank, I need to make her disappear permanently. ”
“Oh!” she says, the shock on her face is genuine as I make my request.
“The problem is her family. You see, although they hide it well, the Taranovs are a very dangerous family. Their ties to the bratva make it almost impossible to get one over on them. I need a way to get rid of Kat that will look like an accident. One the Taranovs won’t dispute.”
Linda searches my eyes before gulping down the rest of her wine. “Alright, Henry, but I have a little confession of my own.”
“Let’s hear it!” I say with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.
She stands and walks over to the bar table. “Did you give her the basket?” she asks, her back to me as she pours herself another glass of wine.
“No, I haven’t seen her. Why?”
Turning to come back, she flops down in her chair. “Have you ever heard of the plant Cerbera odollam?” she asks, pausing as I shake my head before continuing on. “It’s a tree native to Southeast Asia, also known as the suicide tree. And I know from experience that it works.”
“Oh?” I say, leaning forward in my chair as if this is brand-new information. “And what experience is that, you naughty thing?”
While I’m fighting the urge to throw up over my words, I reach for the red satin rope planted beside my chair. “Speaking of which,” I say, holding it up with a forced smirk on my face. “Well, you know my proclivities.”
“Oh course,” she says, giving what I assume to be her attempt at a seductive smile before answering my first question.
“That’s the thing, I’ve also solved another one of your problems. I’ve successfully fooled the Taranovs.
Well, their leader, to be exact. If I can get rid of Pavel Taranov without them being suspicious, I can surely help you get rid of his whore of a daughter. ”
Luckily, I’m behind her, tying her wrists together, so she doesn’t notice the way I ball my hands into a fist to keep from knocking her out cold. “Oh?” I manage to breathe out, my actual loss of breath making it sound extremely convincing. “And how did you do that?”
“Easy. His fool of a nephew got chatty at a bar and didn’t notice the light dose of Rohypnol I slipped in his drink, making it all too easy to swipe his keys from him.
From there, I was able to get into the Taranov compound.
I posed as one of the maids, gave him the basket, then talked up how rare and wonderful the fruit was. He ate one immediately, of course.”
I finish securing her wrists and move to her left ankle. “And the others? I assume there were others.”
“Of course,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“I wasn’t going to experiment on him. I tried it on some less important individuals in my way before moving on to Pavel.
There was a lawyer who helped my uncle with contracts years ago, Burnam or something or another.
An old neighbor of yours—sorry about that, by the way—but, well, let me backtrack.
The tree is on your land. I was trying to get possession of it so I wouldn’t have to keep sneaking around.
It all would’ve ended up both of ours in the end anyway. ”
“Ah, your uncle, you say?” I say, finishing the tie around her ankles.
“Excuse me?”
“So Simon L. Dixon was you, then.” My grin this time is sincere since I have her bound in front of me with no way to escape. “And why did you kill Tommy, Simona?” I ask.
She narrows her eyes at me, realization starting to sink in. “He got in my way,” she deadpans.
I stay on my haunches, my eyeline level with hers as I stare at her. “Your way of what, Simona?”
“You!” she yells, pulling harder on her restraints.
I walk back to my chair, sipping my scotch, relieved that I don’t have to act anymore. “I wouldn’t do that. You, for one, should know how practiced I am in shibari. Not that you’ve ever experienced it firsthand.” I pause to take a sip of my drink. “Katarina has, though.”
If looks could kill, I’d be dead before her poison takes her out.
“What? You thought I was actually trying to kill my wife? Tsk, tsk, tsk. That was very silly of you, Simona. Katarina is the love of my life. She is my life. There are no lengths I wouldn’t go to keep her safe, and nobody I wouldn’t burn who might cause her harm.
Plus, she is a beautiful little thing, isn’t she?
And let me tell you a secret.” I pause to lean closer.
“She’s got the most amazing little pussy. ”
She’s practically frothing at the mouth as my words hit their mark.
“You were supposed to marry me!” she screams. “If it wasn’t for that cunt Pavel telling his father about my mom getting knocked up, she wouldn’t have been disowned from the precious Taranov family.
I should have been the one to take her place in that stupid contract!
Not that teenage whore! While I fought to keep food on the table for my addict mother, she got to grow up like a little princess in her gilded palace.
She took everything from me, and I swore she wasn’t going to take you too.
She has no business fucking around with a man twice her age!
I know what you like, Henry. I spent the last decade making sure every partner you had was qualified enough for your bed, and there is no way that perfect virgin girl knows what to do to please you. ”
I stand, sending a text to Sasha, letting him know to send in Kat for the next stage of our plan. “I guess you’re about to find out.”