Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
Sage
Anton wakes me early in the morning. There's been some kind of incident involving Chet at the Rushkoff estate and we need to meet Freddie there. It's a good two-hour drive but what I see when I get there shocks me in one way and fills me with pride on the other.
The place has clearly seen a good fight. But this time, it looks like they won. In fact, we won. There's people littered everywhere, DeMarcos and Rushkoffs alike, putting the finishing touches on what's left of Chet's men.
I hold in a smile as the car pulls up in front of the house.
Anton exits first and opens the door for me.
Standing in their driveway I immediately spot Alexei, standing not too far away.
He's imposing in his black clothes, spattered like paint with tiny drops of blood.
His hair is slightly out of place, and his forehead holds the memory of dried sweat from their fight.
His sleeves are rolled up, and he folds his tattooed arms while he looks down upon one of Chet's men, who is on his knees with his hands bound.
Like we are made to seek each other out, Alexei immediately spots me too.
I jump when he quickly shoots the guy in the head and walks over to us while pocketing his pistol in the back of his pants. As if it's no bother, and like it happens every day.
I don't even notice when Freddie shuts the car door behind me, and I am embarrassed to be caught in a state of distraction.
"Impressive," Freddie says when Alexei comes up to us.
"Brought you here cos we got a live one. Chet's second in charge."
"It looks like the joint efforts have been fruitful," Anton says, looking around to acknowledge the DeMarco men that greet him. "Did you lose any men?"
"A few," Alexei says, gritting his teeth. "But we took out far more than that."
They share a look and oddly I can tell that this loss affects Alexei, too.
"Come," Isla says, appearing from out of nowhere, but looking more like sunshine than ever. I'm sure she was part of the fight too but it shows less on her than it does on the others. Not a hair out of place in her blonde ponytail. "Thought we'd interrogate him together."
"No," Alexei says, stopping the others who were making a move to walk away. "Just me. And her."
"Her?" Anton asks, sending a questioning look my way. "Why?"
Alexei doesn't answer, only gesturing his head for me to follow. My steps are hesitant but my body obeys and I follow.
"Alright then," Isla says, also out of the loop of what is going on.
We must trust Alexei again, because nobody follows me. In fact, they let Isla direct them wherever she wants as I disappear into the house with our worst enemy and the man who's spent the past year trying to kill me.
Inside the house there's no damage. Luckily for the Rushkoffs it looks like none of Chet's men made it in here and the fighting was confined to the outside lawns. Alexei doesn't look back at me as we walk, knowing that I will expectantly follow.
As we pass the living room I get the courage to speak. "So why me?"
I only know he's heard me from the slight tilt of his head. "The guy won't talk for me."
"You think he'll talk for me?" I ask, almost wanting to laugh.
"You're a shock," Alexei says. "The last person anyone expects to walk into that room is you."
He leads me downstairs and we enter the basement where I was once held captive with Anton, but this time there's someone else. Chet's second in charge is tied to a chair, looking very worse for wear.
My head swims with reminders of before. From when I was trapped here with Anton, no idea of what I was about to lose.
I think of that day. If I really let my emotions win, I could break down right here and now.
If I really let myself think about it I could hyperventilate, scream and cry out loud.
But I don't. I have to focus on what's in front of me and not on what my mind wants to lose me in.
"Get away from me you Rushkoff scum, I will not tell you anything!" The man's rage is solely focused on Alexei as he launches a giant wad of spit his way.
It lands with a thud and Alexei turns a disappointed stare onto the spot where it settles. The man is red-faced and frenzied, readying to shout more vitriol but when he sees me his face goes a pale shade of white.
"You," he says, looking between me and Alexei. "Both of you."
"Problem?" Alexei asks, looking like he's ready to drag me closer and throw me under the bus if it gets him to his end goal.
The man chokes, coughing up more spit to launch our way. Alexei narrowly avoids it again, but he grits his teeth, flicks his knife and grabs the guy's hand.
"I suggest you speak, if you don't want to lose a finger," Alexei says.
The man's eyes go wide and he holds his lips shut, violently shaking his head.
But I know too well that fear is exactly what we want.
Alexei smiles. His teeth are rabid as he points the knife and cuts the man's finger off in a single sweeping movement.
An insane look of pleasure crosses his face when he addresses the man again. "Nothing?" Alexei laughs. "Because I can keep cutting. You have nine more fingers."
The guy shakes his head again, but his jaw tenses, waiting to lose another digit as Alexei motions to cut off another finger. I want something this time though. I don't want to be a bystander and sit on the sidelines while life is lived around me. I want to be a part of it.
"Wait!" I say, surprised to find myself spoken. Their eyes turn to me. Both the man's grimaced face and Alexei's dark expression as he hovers with the knife. Both expectant as they wait to see what I have interrupted them for. My words come slowly. "I want to try."
Silence.
I pause and bite my lip, fiddling with my hands and feeling shy as I wait for Alexei to respond.
"Try what?" Alexei clarifies.
"Chop- I mean- cut his finger," I say.
Alexei frowns for only a moment. It takes no time at all for a deranged smile to appear on his face as he holds his hand out to me.
I take both the literal and metaphorical leap, putting my hand in his and letting him tug me closer.
Alexei's fingers brush against mine, his hand traveling up my arm and to my shoulder as he moves behind me for support.
"Just chop, princess," he whispers, his lips against my ear and his tattooed hands gripping my arms. "No need to make it fast. Take your time."
Alexei's hands rub strokes up and down my arms as I allow the weight of the knife to settle in my hand. My eyes close on a shudder as Alexei's calloused finger brushes against my throat when he sweeps my hair behind my back.
"Don't think," he says, his voice a presence on the wind.
With him pressed up against me from behind, it feels like both of us are doing it as I lean forward and press the blade against the man's ring finger. The first slice of the blade does nothing but make a minor cut.
"Beautiful," Alexei says, acting like the devil on my shoulder.
Despite the settings, the blood leaking out onto the floor, my heart rate triples and settles low in my belly.
The muffled screams of my victim are nothing but background noise when Alexei's lips are against my ear, telling me how beautiful I cut.
I rock the blade back and forth, making a messy maniacal cut.
"That's it," Alexei says. "Keep going."
I saw until the finger finally falls off and the man is screaming at full force. Blood spurts everywhere but all I can focus on is the way Alexei holds me. I turn my head up to look at him and he is locked onto me as well.
"Perfect," he says, his finger stroking over my cheek as his eyes bore into mine with something feral that takes my breath away.
The moment is broken as Alexei's eyes shift away and he grabs me more forcefully. "Back up," he says, taking us both a step back as the man vomits all over the floor in the place we were just standing.
Alexei drops his hands from me and my body goes cold. I feel like I might sink to the ground without them. He recovers far more quickly and I'm left feeling empty and stupid.
"Ready to tell us where we can find Chet?" Alexei asks, pacing around the vomit.
The guy spits again. "I couldn't if I wanted to," he says. "Chet will not come out of hiding for just anyone."
Alexei smirks, pausing before he addresses me.
"Alright, princess head back in," Alexei says, pointing to the knife.
"No, no, no!" the guy says. "Just wait a second."
Alexei raises his brow, unimpressed. I know we need information out of this guy. I know this is important. But I can't focus on anything other than the power that Alexei has as he moves. The muscles in his back. The way he commands the whole situation.
"Chet, he, um, he had some stuff delivered to a flower shop not too long ago, in the middle zone. I don't know what he wa-"
"Seriously," Alexei says, flicking his wrist. "That's the best you've got?"
The guy grimaces in anger this time, knowing full well that information isn't good enough to keep him alive.
"What does he want?" I ask, voice shaking as I make a step to stand next to Alexei.
"You," he says, smiling at me. "Both of you."
"We're right here," Alexei says. "He could come get us."
"He won't show himself until he knows he has you. And then for you, it's too late."
Alexei sighs. "This is information we already know."
"There's nothing more I could tell you if I wanted to," the guy says. "I don't suppose no matter what I say you're going to let me live."
"No," Alexei agrees. "But if you give us what we want, then I will kill you. If you don't, she kills you."
I frown. "How is that any different?"
"You are a novice," the man answers, rolling his eyes. "You will kill me slowly, and badly. It will probably hurt more."
"You don't know that," I roll my eyes.
"I don't know what you were thinking making a death promise with him," the man says, smirking at me. Alexei narrows his eyes but remains still to see where the guy is going with this.
"Chet knows about the death promise?" I ask.