Page 33 of Broken Embers

“Let her go!” Valeska shouts again in Russian.

“I don’t think so.” He laughs. “I’m not about to let either of you go.” His eyes land on Nadia. “Hello, Nadia.”

I see her visibly stiffen, and the flicker of fear flitters through her eyes. But she raises her chin, not breaking eye contact with the sick bastard.

“Let her go, Mikhail,” Nadia orders. “You’re not going to win tonight.”

“I think I already have.” He looks at Syd, then snorts nastily at his sister. “You are a fucking little idiot aren’t you?” He shakes his head in disgust. “You bring two little women to rescue you.” He laughs. Then turns to them. “You two are welcome to come back with us. There is plenty of me to go around.”

“Why don’t you let Sabrina go and come over here to show us what you’re made of, asshole.” Syd takes a step forward.

“Don’t.” Nadia blocks her. Her voice shakes. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

Mikhail grins. His eyes rake over Nadia like filth.

“That’s right, Nadia, tell them,” he taunts. “Tell them how I was the first dick you ever had. How I had you screaming and begging…”

“Shut up,” Valeska snaps. “I should have killed you back there.”

“You didn’t swing hard enough earlier,” he says, tightening his grip. My lungs burn. My vision blurs as he starts to cut off my oxygen, and all I can think of is my baby. “I always told you, you’re pathetic at everything you do, except spreading your legs.”

“Shut up, you fucking…” Nadia’s eyes blaze fire, and I see her hand reach behind her back, but this time, Syd’s the one who stops her.

Happy with his victory over them, Mikhail turns his attention back to Valeska.

“Now, Val, I’m not going to tell you again. Get back into the compound. I will give you five seconds to comply or I’ll snap her neck.”

I can’t swallow as his grip tightens to prove he's not joking. I can feel my face turning red. I can’t even grip his hand as he has my arms pinned to my sides. “Five. Four. Three.”

“Okay!” Valeska’s voice breaks.

She steps forward.

“No,” I croak. “Valeska, don’t.”

“It’s okay, Sabrina.” Valeska’s eyes go blank as she gives me a sad smile. “I’m sorry.”

“Not… your…” I’m struggling to draw breath as his cruel fingers dig into my throat, and Valeska brushes past me.

“Well ladies, it’s been fun, but I’m fucking horny and I have two bitches that I need to teach a lesson,” Mikhail tells them he takes a step back and I feel his body jerk as if he’d been stung along with a noise that sound like like gravel scraping metal—once, twice, three times.

Then Mikhail jerks again. I feel a warm trickle run down my back as his grip slackens.

I stumble forward.

A hiss escapes his lips. “You bitch?—”

I turn to see him stumble. Blood is pooling from his side. Valeska steps forward with a bloody dagger in her hand. Her face is pale and void of all emotion as she watches him. Still, Mikhail tries to lunge toward Valeska. A gunshot echoes like thunder through the still night. The bullet hits Mikhail dead center between his eyes.

He drops.

Dead weight. Then there is nothing but a heavy silence.

I stand staring at his lifeless body and wide, blank staring eyes.

“You’ll never touch anyone again,” Nadia says, stepping forward with the still-smoking gun in her hand. Her eyes, like Valeska's, have no remorse for what they’ve done as they stare at Mikhail's lifeless, bloodied body.

Valeska kneels beside him and touches his throat.

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