I kick Mazurâs leg. âWake up, fucker.â
I have him tied to a chair and men guarding the freezers, while others clean up the mess outside.
Emre comes in. âGrabowski is in the other freezer. What do you want to do with him?â
âIs he conscious?â I ask.
âEvet.â
âWatch Mazur while I question the other fucker.â
On my way to Grabowski, Luca stops me. âYou need us for anything else?â
âLike helping with torture,â Viktor offers, giving me a hopeful look.
âSure, why not. Just donât kill the fucker until I have all my answers,â I warn him.
As we walk to the freezer, I glance at Viktor. âThanks for tonight.â
âI always pay my debt.â
âYou didnât owe me shit,â I mutter as we stop outside the door. âThe fight against the Sicilians was for Nikolas.â
Viktor shrugs. âI guess you owe me.â
âJust give me six months before you collect,â I joke.
He nods toward the door. âLetâs do this.â
We step inside, and I look at Grabowski with disgust. âIâm sure you know how this works. I ask a question. You answer. Donât, and my friendâs going to make you suffer.â
I pull a chair closer and take a seat, my body protesting against the movement.
Viktor goes to stand behind the man. âPlease be stubborn and refuse to answer the questions. I have a lot of pent-up frustration to take out on you.â
I chuckle, assuming heâs referring to Rosalie, the granddaughter of the Sicilian we helped Nikolas kill a couple of months back.
Leveling Grabowski with a bored look, I ask, âWhat business ties do you have with Mazur?â
He lets out a heavy breath, the cold air making it visible. âSex trafficking.â
I raise an eyebrow, giving Viktor an apologetic look. âSeems heâs a talker.â
âA fucking pity,â Viktor mutters as he crosses his arms.
I lean forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. âIâm guessing you had Agnieska?â
âThe whore was a gift from Mazur,â he spits out.
âWhy separate mother and daughter?â
âMazur used the daughter as a tool to keep the whore from trying to escape.â He lets out a sigh. âI know youâre going to kill me.â
âWhy answer my questions?â
âPromise me a quick death of my choosing.â
âHow would you like me to kill you?â
âA shot to the head.â
I nod. âTell me everything about the role you played in keeping Agnieska and Lara apart.â I want every single fucking answer so I can give them to Lara.
âLike I said, the whore was a gift.â He tries to shrug, but with his hands tied behind his back, he canât. âShe served a purpose, and as long as I showed her photos of her daughter, she did anything I wanted.â He lets out a humorless chuckle. âItâs surprising what a woman will do for her child.â
âYou used Agnieska as a sex slave?â
He nods. âThe best one I ever had.â
It doesnât take much for me to figure out the rest. âBut you wore her out, and Lara was going to replace her?â
âYes.â
âWhy them?â
He gives me a wry smile. âI know theyâre not beauties, but they have an innocence that canât be ruined. Itâs exquisite. Like sampling a rare dish. It melts on your tongue.â
My eyes flick up to Viktor, and I nod. Without any hesitation, he pulls his gun from behind his back, trains the barrel on Grabowskiâs head, and pulls the trigger.
He fires another shot. âI fucking despise sex traffickers.â
âThat makes two of us.â
Standing up, I walk out of the freezer, telling the guards, âClean up the mess.â
Lucaâs leaning against the wall, but thereâs no sign of Nikolas. âDid Nikolas leave?â
He shakes his head. âHe went to find a drink and call his wife.â
I nod. âYou donât have to stay. Itâs over.â
âI know, but that would ruin the fun for Viktor, and Iâd have to listen to him complain all the way home. Besides, I booked a room at a hotel.â
I chuckle, admiring the brotherly bond the two men have.
I walk to Mazurâs freezer, and seeing heâs still out cold, I glance at Emre. âIâm going to head home and shower. I wonât be long.â
âYes, you will,â my cousin says as he shoves Mazurâs head. âHe better wake up.â
âCall me the moment he does. Want me to bring you something from home?â
âFood.â
I nod, then ask Luca, âNeed a ride?â
âI thought youâd never offer,â he chuckles. âNo, I have a car waiting.â He turns his attention to Viktor. âYou coming or staying?â
âStaying. I want to be here when the fucker wakes up. Rough him up a little.â
âThe plane leaves at six am. With or without you,â Luca warns.
I shake Lucaâs hand. âThank you for tonight.â
âNo problem. Thatâs what the Priesthood is for.â
Our eyes lock for a moment. After tonight, Iâll drop everything to help them.
When Luca heads down the hallway, I turn to Viktor. âDonât kill Mazur, and donât drive my cousin insane.â
He glances into the freezer. âEmre loves me.â
Shaking my head, I walk away. âYou want me to bring you food, as well?â
âYes. A lot. All the excitement is making me hungry.â
I gesture that I heard him before stopping at Elifâs office. âMirac, weâre heading home.â
He kisses his wife, murmuring. âYou go home. Iâll be thereâ¦â He glances at me, and I hold up two fingers. âIâll be home in two hours.â
As we leave the building and I climb into the back of the SUV, I worry about the difficult time lying ahead for Lara and her mother.
Iâll have to get psychological help for Agnieska.
Fuck, Iâm not sure whether sex slavery is something you can heal from.
Just give the woman a safe place and leave the rest to God.
Mirac brings the SUV to a stop in front of the house. Everything looks quiet, but I know itâs not the case. Climbing out, I head inside. I walk to my bedroom, needing to shower and change my clothes because the women will worry if they see the state Iâm in.
I open the door and switch on the light, then freeze. Laraâs sitting on the bed, paging through a book. Her head snaps up, then she shoots off the bed.
âOh my God! What happened?â
âWhy arenât you with your mother?â
âYou answer first,â she demands as she slowly peels the fabric away from the dried blood on my arm.
âItâs nothing. Just a couple of scrapes.â
âYour arm is bleeding!â She scowls up at me. âSit on the bed.â
âYes, Lara Hanim,â I tease her. I take a seat, then repeat the question, âWhy arenât you with your mother?â
âSheâs sleeping. After Nisa gave her enough food to feed a small army, she couldnât stay awake.â
âHow is she?â
Taking hold of the hem of my shirt, Lara pulls it over my head before carefully peeling the sleeve down my left arm.
Shaking her head, she answers, âI donât know. I told her sheâs safe here, but I donât think she believes me.â
âItâs been ten years, baby. She just needs time. Be patient with her.â
âI know. Iâm going to get the first aid kit.â
She darts out of the bedroom, and I look down at the torn skin. Itâs really not that bad and should heal quickly.
When Lara returns, I let her fuss over me, thinking it will set her at ease. My eyes stay glued to her, searching for any signs that sheâs not coping after the day from hell.
âHow are you?â I ask when she wraps a bandage around my arm.
âIâm okay.â
âLara.â I wait for her to meet my eyes. âDonât lie to me.â
She stares at me for a moment, then continues to fasten the bandage. Once sheâs satisfied, she starts to gather the used antiseptic wipes.
I take hold of her hand and pull her closer until sheâs standing between my legs.
âHow are you, baby?â
I watch as she fights to keep control over her emotions.
âCome here,â I murmur, pulling her onto my lap, so sheâs straddling me. Placing a hand behind her head, I press her face into the crook of my neck. âTalk to me.â
Lara wraps her arms around me, burrowing as close to me as she can get, then she whispers, âIâm glad I have her back.â
âBut?â
âIâm worried about her.â
âIâll get a psychiatrist to help her through this.â
âWhat if sheâs never the same again?â
I press a kiss to her hair. âThatâs something you need to prepare yourself for. Itâs been years, Lara. Youâve changed, and so has she. Youâll have to get to know each other again.â
âI know.â Her breaths fan against my neck. âAt least I have her back.â Lara lifts her head, and her eyes meet mine. âDid you find out why Mazur told me she was dead?â
I nod. âBut I feel itâs something your mother needs to tell you. When sheâs ready. Donât push her for answers on what happened to her over the past ten years.â
Worry tightens her features. âIs it that bad?â
I nod again. âSheâs going to need a lot of care and time. Thatâs all we can give her.â A tear spirals down her cheek, and I reach up to brush it away. âJust be strong for your mother, and Iâll be strong for you. Okay?â
âOkay.â She hesitates, then asks, âDid you kill Tymon?â
âNot yet.â
âWhy?â
I shake my head. She doesnât need to hear what I have planned for him. âHeâll die soon. Donât worry.â
Lara lifts her hand to my face and frames my jaw. âThank you for saving my mom.â
âYouâre welcome, Ãdülüm.â