Page 2 of Inferno

He leads me out of the room and down the stairs. I keep my breathing steady as I am pushed into the kitchen.

I let out a scream when I find my mom and dad on their knees with their hands behind their head.

Tears run down my father’s cheeks, my mother is shaking in fear as she looks at me.

A tall man stands behind them, he must be in his mid-twenties. His eyes are like the first guy’s, almost black, except he has a defining scar over his left eyebrow. His gaze drags over my body, almost with satisfaction on his face.

He jabs the pistol into the back of my dad’s head.

“Pretty little thing, your daughter. I’m going to have a lot of fun. This is a very rewarding deal for me after all.”

The Russian guy runs his tattooed finger along his lip, and I want to throw up as I watch him. Blood pulses in my ears and the room starts to spin.

“Vlad. No. Take me. I’ll do whatever you want. Don’t harm my girl,” my dad pleads, and Vladimir simply laughs.

It’s menacing. It’s evil.

“No more chances, Damien. You’re lucky I’m not burning your house to the ground with you all tied up inside.”

My mouth falls open as the guy behind me tightens his grip. I am frozen in fear.

“You aren’t taking her!” my mom yells. Jumping to her feet, she launches herself atVlad. The guy behind me throws me down, my head smashing against the tiles. As I look up, I hear the shot go off, and she falls to the floor. My father’s cries rip through the air.

“Charlotte, run!” he bellows.

I scramble to my feet and wipe my tears as I run. Before I can grab the door, a hand clamps down on my shoulder. I thrust my elbow into his ribs and spin to face him so I can block his next move.

When his fist flies towards me, I snatch his arm, moving out of the way and twisting hard enough to elicit a growl from him. I smash my foot into the back of his calf, dropping him to his knees. I push him forward until he topples and use my weight and force to hold him down by the back of the neck, pulling back his left arm, waiting for the pop of his shoulder.

“You cunt!” he grunts out in agony. He tries to shake me off, but I hold him in position. Grabbing him by his chestnut hair, I smash his face into the tiles as hard as I can, not once, but twice. As his body relaxes under mine, I leap off him and race for escape.

As the door opens and the air hits my face, gunfire makes me jump and glass shatters next to my head.

“Do not take another step or my next bullet will be in the back of your skull, Charlotte.”

I hold up my hands. He knows my name.

“Turn around,” he commands.

I do, slowly, keeping my head down.

“Look at me.”

As I slowly bring my chin up, he looks at me with amusement. And then down to his man on the ground.

“Is Emil dead?” He raises a brow, his pistol pointing between my eyes.

“P-probably not, I don’t aim to kill.” My voice shakes.

He slowly nods as he moves towards me, I instinctively step back.

I suck in a breath as his aftershave assaults my nostrils and I shiver in fear as he runs his fingers along my bare arm.

“We will have a lot of fun, Charlotte. I can see it now. You will make the perfect wife.”

My heart stops. The blood drains from my face. I snap my eyes up to him and he laughs.

“Daddy didn’t tell you that?”

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