Chapter 87: Chapter Thirty-Two

Alice

The room was purple.

I imagined more of a jail cell or dungeon sort of situation, something cold and dirty. Instead, the room seemed almost flirty, nice.

Though I did notice that the door was thick enough the room had to be completely soundproof.

There were multiple curtains covering something in the very back.

And tied to a chair was the woman who should have protected Andrei from the devil but instead tried to seduce him.

She was part of the reason he’d become the man he was.

And I hated her.

I hated how pretty she was.

How her hair was thick, luscious.

How even after staying up all night writhing in pain, her face held a ghost of a smile for her stepson.

Rage filled my soul as she eyed him up and down like she owned him.

Bull. Shit.

I clenched my hands into fists.

Andrei turned to me and looked down. “Feeling a bit… aggressive?”

“Very.”

He looked puzzled. “Is there a reason for that?”

Elena sighed loudly. “I’m right here!”

“I’m not speaking to you.” Andrei said in a bored tone.

I almost stuck my tongue out at her.

Instead, I wrapped my arms around Andrei and whispered in his ear. “She hurt you, so I want to hurt her.”

When I pulled back, his eyes flashed. “I should be completely disgusted with how erotic that actually sounds.”

I felt myself blush.

“And that—” He tapped a gloved finger to my cheek. “—is just another reason you need to go. Today.”

“We’ll see.”

He just shook his head like he didn’t want to argue, and then he turned to Elena. “How’s the ant bite?”

“How’s the limp dick?”

He burst out laughing. “Only when you’re in the room. God, I can’t even imagine how many poor souls got the syph because of you.”

She clenched her teeth and tried lunging for him, but the metal chair must have either been heavy or anchored to the floor.

I watched as he circled her, his smile amused, calm. He was in his element, it felt like I was watching something personal, vulnerable, he was hunting.

She was his prey.

I crossed my arms and shivered as his muscles flexed beneath his tight, long, black shirt.

He was wearing jeans that looked expensive, and his nose piercing seemed to make him look more predatory as he smiled at her with perfect white teeth.

He was mocking her without even opening his mouth.

“Who’s supplying the women?” he asked stopping behind her.

“Offer me protection.

He sighed in annoyance and then winked at me like he was enjoying himself. “Alice, tell me, do you like fish?”

“Um… yes?”

He grinned and crooked his finger.

I followed him to the far side of the room. He pressed a button, and the curtain spread revealing several tanks of different sizes.

I noticed the jellyfish right away.

Rats of different sizes.

A few smaller spiders that looked exotic.

A snail that looked completely harmless.

A puffer fish that was cute but, I knew, deadly.

And then a sleek looking fish that had a sharp fin.

“That one,” I pointed to the sleek fish. “What’s that?”

“Surgeon fish.” He grabbed a pair of metal tongs and a net. As he dipped the net into the water and scooped up the fish, he grabbed the tongs and clasped the fish as it flopped around.

“Are they?”

“No.” He grinned. “Sharper.”

“So, you’re saying don’t touch it.”

“Exactly.”

He turned to Elena. “You like fishing, right Elena?”

She glared. “Protection for the names.”

“No,” he barked and then looked to me. “You see that bucket in the far corner? Can you fill it in the sink and bring it over?”

I located the yellow bucket, filled it in the sink next to the bathroom, and walked toward Elena.

“You his assistant or his whore?”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Both.”

“Enjoy it while it lasts, sweetheart. Soon you’ll be in this chair.”

“No. I won’t. He promised he’d kill me and make it quick if it ever came to that, so no, Elena, I won’t ever be in that chair.”

Her face turned a bright red as I dropped the bucket in front of her; water sloshed all over her jean-clad legs.

Andrei had a remote in his hand. The floor below the chair suddenly lowered, and he slid the bucket under her dangling feet and dropped the fish in.

I watched in fascination as he pressed another button, bringing the bucket closer and closer to her feet while the fish swam around in agitated circles.

“Now,” Andrei cleared his throat. “I either leave you in here for an hour with this fish while he cuts your feet to tiny ribbons and bone, or you can tell me who’s sending the girls.”

“Your father’s son,” Elena spat. “You’ll have to do more than torture me with your freaky zoo.”

“This…” Andrei grinned. “I do for fun. I do for free. Because killing you is too easy, because slitting your throat is pretty painless, because I want to see how much blood of yours I can spill.

“You’ll tell me because you value your life. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it while I can.”

“You’re sick!” she yelled. “Just like him!”

“You’re right about one thing.” He pressed the button until her feet dipped in the water; she let out a scream.

He pressed the button all the way.

The bucket went all the way up to her knees.

The water went from clear to crimson in seconds.

I couldn’t look away.

Andrei, however, yawned. “Names?”

“P-protection!” She shook in her seat as she tried to jerk her body free and kick over the bucket.

It seemed to just piss off the fish more.

Andrei reached for something on a shelf and then walked over to the bucket.

I cringed.

She screamed so loud my ears rang.

I covered them briefly and then lowered them as tears ran down her cheeks. She looked ready to pass out.

“No?” Andrei sighed. “That’s too bad.”

He grabbed a bottle with a fine-tipped nozzle and squirted it down one arm in circular motions as though writing something, and then did the same on the wooden plank floor.

“Last chance before you pass out,” Andrei said in a cold, detached voice.

“GO TO HELL!” she roared.

“Already living there. Even have a nice flat screen and king-size bed, but your concern—” He grabbed a pack of matches from his pocket and lit a stick. “—is noted.”

He dropped it.

Instantly, the floor erupted in flames.

It was writhing.

Petrov.

It didn’t touch her body.

He grabbed another match, lit it, and grabbed a bottle of vodka that was sitting near the bed.

“Give me a name,” he demanded.

She stared down at the floor.

He took a swig of alcohol and blew across the match, lighting her entire right arm on fire.

Amidst her screaming, he pressed a button, lowering the floor again. He grabbed the bucket filled with blood and salt, then dumped it over her burning flesh.

Her screams pierced the air.

It smelled like blood and alcohol.

Like salt and acid.

Like the fires of Hell.

He nodded to her arm. “So, you don’t forget who you’re talking to.”

And then he pointed to the floor. “So, you never forget who runs this family. I’ll be back tonight.”

Her teeth chattered and then her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she slumped in her seat.

She’d passed out from pain.

Covered in her own blood.

In salt.

And still smoking from where he’d set her on fire.

With a burned inscription on her arm.

Andrei.

A sick part of me was glad.

A sick part of me.

Was proud.

Because I would have given anything to be able to do that to my brother for laying his hands on me, for daring to touch what wasn’t his.

I didn’t realize how much I wanted vengeance.

No... revenge.

Until Andrei led me back down the hall and into the apartment.

“You’re shaking,” he whispered. “Good.”

I nodded.

“You’re afraid,” he added after another minute. “Even better.”

“No,” I said quickly.

“No?” he repeated, hesitating briefly before putting his hands on my shoulders and turning me toward him. “Is this your first lie?”

“Not scared,” I exhaled roughly and met his gaze. “You gave me his tongue.”

Andrei nodded slowly.

“If I asked for his still-beating heart?”

He showed no surprise as he said, “Consider it done.”

“And if I wanted to do the honors?”

“I’d hand you the fucking knife.”

“That would be murder.”

“No,” he whispered harshly. “That would be justice.”

I kissed him then, stood up on my tiptoes, and crushed my mouth against his. He was warm, every hard part of his body.

He pulled me into his arms, pressing me against the countertop as he deepened the kiss, digging his hands into my hair, the same hands that had just tortured another human being.

Maybe I was as depraved as he was.

Maybe he’d awakened something inside me.

Because I wasn’t sorry.

No, I wanted more.

Because I was on the other side.

And for once, I was empowered.

No longer the victim.