Page 41 of Broken Empire
Leah held a small basket of muffins while I trailed behind her with a black duffel bag. We stopped at apartment 7B and pressed on the doorbell. “Ready?” I asked under my breath, glancing at Leah.
She nodded. “Don’t worry, I can pull this off,” she whispered back.
A British-accented voice called out to us from inside the apartment. “Just a second!” Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then the voice came again. “Who is it?”
Leah smiled brightly and waved at the peephole on the door. “Hi!” she said, in a perky tone I never imagined coming out of someone like her. “We just moved in down the hall, and we thought it would be nice to bring everyone muffins for breakfast while we introduce ourselves. I’m Lana, and this is my boyfriend Scott.”
“Oh. Just give me a second.” There was a short rattling sound as Davina undid the chain on her door and opened it. She was a tall, elegant-looking brunette with a pale complexion and green eyes. When she saw the basket of muffins, she smiled. “This is sweet of you. Which apartment did you say you moved into?”
“The one down there,” Leah said, pointing vaguely with her free hand. “Anyway, which do you prefer? Blueberry or raspberry?”
“Blueberry. I’m Davina, by the way.”
I smiled thinly. “We know who you are, Ms. Hewittson.”
Davina’s smile dropped. Before she could say anything or try to close the door, I clamped a hand over her mouth, wrapped my free arm around her, and pushed her backward. She kicked out her legs and tried to scratch me, but she didn’t stand a chance at overpowering me.
“Grab the bag and lock the door behind us,” I told Leah as I pushed Davina farther down the hall. She was trying to scream, but the sound was mostly muffled by my hand.
I pushed her into the living room. Then I pulled her around to face me. “I’m going to take my hand off your mouth in a second,” I said in a low voice. “I have a knife with me, and I’ll use it on you if you scream. Got it?”
She nodded, eyes saucer-wide.
I slowly removed my hand from her face, staring down at her through narrowed eyes. Behind us, Leah was dragging a chair over from the dining area.
“Please,” Davina whispered. “Take whatever you want. Just don’t hurt me.”
“We’re not here to rob you.”
“Then what do you want?”
I ignored her question and clicked my fingers at Leah. She unzipped the black duffel bag and pulled out two ropes. Davina’s eyes fell on the other items in the bag—two pairs of pliers, a small saw, a lighter, and several knives—and her pale face turned even whiter.
I pushed her down on the chair and tied her hands and ankles to it while Leah stood in front of her, holding a knife right under her chin. “Who are you?” she asked, voice cracking with terror. “What do you want?”
I reached into the bag and pulled out the smaller pair of pliers. “Tell us about your employer, Davina.”
“My employer?” She slowly shook her head. “I… I don’t understand. I’m an art dealer. I work for multiple clients.”
“PyotrTwoDelta,” I said. “Does that name ring any bells for you?”
Her eyes flickered. “No, I’ve never heard of that,” she said, tilting her face away.
“You’re not a very good liar.” I stooped next to the chair and placed the pliers over her right index fingernail. “Maybe you’ll feel more inclined to tell the truth after I rip out your nail.”
“No! Please!” she whimpered. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I ignored her and clamped the pliers down, right on the nailbed. She let out a piercing shriek. “Wait! Stop!”
“Do you have something to say?” I asked, raising a brow.
She nodded. “I know who you’re talking about, okay?” she said, words spilling out so fast they almost jumbled together. “Stop hurting me! Please!”
“Make this easier for us, then,” I said, rising to my feet.
“I… I work for the person you’re asking about,” Davina said, chest heaving. “I take care of his financial affairs. But that’s it. I’ve never actually met him in person.”
Leah stuck the tip of the knife right under her chin. “And?”
