9

DAMIAN

“What the hell are you trying to do?” I yell at the woman whose eyes are well rounded into saucers, fear etching onto the soft lines of her features.

“I–” she stammers.

Alice stumbles out of the bathroom with a towel in hand, her eyes darting around quickly for something. When they land on the figure on the bed, she closes her eyes with a weary exhale.

I glance towards the men. “Who gave orders to have her brought up here? Don't keep me waiting. You only have about two seconds to spit the truth. One…”

No one says a thing.

My gaze sweeps to Liliana. “Two…”

I dip my hand into the band of my trousers to retrieve my gun and point towards her, reveling in the dread I see on her face. “My fingers are trigger happy and I don't think any of you would like to be at the end of this baby.”

“You will do no such thing, Kristoffor.” Alice shrieks with an inscrutable glance at Liliana. “Lower the gun down, will ya? Scaring the printsessa half to death.”

“Is anyone going to answer the damn question?" No one says a word. "I see that flouting order is about to be–”

“It is Irina. So? You want to put a bullet in all our heads? Start from me then. It's my fault that I did not notify you of the move first.”

My rage only spikes higher. The arm lowers from Liliana. I point it at the men, gripping the metal with renewed anger. They immediately start to fidget and give one another accusatory looks.

She is covering for them. I know it.

Alice has always taken the Seemya as hers right from the moment she and her husband pledged their loyalty. Family, for her, ran deeper than the ties of blood. It was a vow to be upheld.

Time slows down and I place my finger on the trigger, prepared to pull it. One of them raises a hand to get my attention.

My head rivets to him. I nod in approval.

“It's the girl, boss. She's saying the truth.”

I grit my teeth in anger but don't say a word. In a second, the gun is tucked back into its holster.

I inch closer to Liliana, close enough to see the tiny birthmark at the top of her lip where it archs. “You should be grateful I let you a small favor. Not all my prisoners enjoy such privilege as you have. The next time you try as stupid something as this…” I taper off.

I'm certain the rest of my unspoken words are crystal through the message I convey with my eyes.

I am not a very patient man but for some weird fucking reason, I haven't put a bullet through her head already.

For some stupid reason that is beyond my reach.

Patience, Damian. It's only one more day.

Alice smiles at me then grabs a hold of Liliana's hand to lead her to the bathroom. I wait behind until the the lady is out and dressed in more than that horrific-looking bathrobe.

Did she plan on escaping with that flimsy material? How is that even gonna work after she runs off a few miles and the weather drops a thousand fucking degrees?

Stupid.

One thing is certain. The second I extract the information I need, then she'd be of no use. Till then, she'd remain locked in this room. If she wants fairytale princess treatment, that she will get.

In swift movements, I grab one of her wrist and slap a pair of cuffs on it, the other end clasped on the bar of the window.

She gives me a derisive snort as she glares at me with those eyes. Fire is brimming through them once more. “Have you lost faith in your abilities that you cuff me to the window? Scared I'll try another escape? How about I run and you chase after giving me a headstart? Makes it even more fun, don't you think?”

She is pushing my buttons on purpose and I try not to let her get to me. My loss of control led me to kill one of my men down in the dungeon and she wants the same now.

She'll never get the satisfaction.

“You won't even run far before a bullet tears through you.” I scoff, the tone of my voice riding on mockery.

“Wanna bet?”

“This isn't some game, dammit!” I snap, losing my cool in an instant.

She leans back and smiles at my reaction. The fucking wench.

“It isn't? But it's what you have been playing since you brought me here.”

I straighten from my position without a word but one lingering look at her. Then I force my feet to move towards the door.

Alice would do what she has to and one of my men would keep watch over her.

“Don't hesitate to reach out to me if she tries to act smart. I'm fast losing my patience for delinquency.” I instruct then walk out of the room. “She's not proving to be useful anyway.” I mutter to myself.

There's work to do down in the lab which requires all of my attention and the more I delay, the more agitated the dealers become.

I get a ping from my phone. It is retrieved from my pocket to reveal a message.

‘The body is here.’ It reads.

Fucking finally!

I hasten my steps down the stairs, winding between corridors and pillars until I get to the cold room. Shrugging into a leather coat to keeps the cold out, I step into the chilly room.

The corpse lays bare on the stone slab with a bullet wound in its throat and chest. It's Nicolo’s corpse. I had given orders for my men to retrieve the body from the morgue last night.

The limbs are twisted in a grotesque shape and the face is nothing to write home about. Barely recognizable. There's a fresh burn wound on the left wrist with initials I recognize.

It had to be the job of the mafia gang with affiliation to mine. The last punishment they mete out to debtors is searing their initials before mutilation.

I scoff. “Serves him right.”

I take a scalpel and with expert ease, slice through the stomach. The flesh gives way when the blade digs deeper in.

I put down the metal to dig my gloved hands in, retrieving vital organs. There are other people who would appreciate them than the ingrates who initially possessed it.

Greedy bastard.

Taking the things I need, I toss it to the man standing beside me who in turn tosses it into a Ziploc bag and into an open freezer.

I crack my neck. A crooked smile stretches my lips as my mind rewinds back to Kyle's woman;

She is next.