Page 87 of Deadly Vows

Once again, silence.

Ivan tries to keep a straight face, his eyes shifting briefly to Sophia before shifting back to me. All the confidence he had entering the room has been instantly sucked out as he looks at me.

I release a bitter chuckle, keeping my eyes on him.

“Romelo,” I call.

Suddenly, I hear the gunshot go off, and Sophia’s whimpers stop. Ivan doesn’t react other than holding my glare.

“My father would shudder to know what I’m going to do to you if you cannot produce an ounce of information regarding who bought her, and where the fuck they are.”

Ivan Sokolov is a man my father respected, but refused to do business with. He would always say Ivan was another column on the powers of the world.

It’s weapons, women, and drugs—all of which amount to money.

These are the three that make the world go round—that build and break entire empires.

And as he looks at me, trying to keep his composure, I can’t understand why my father ever thought he was a power. He is an old man who preys on the weak and refuses to step into the actual ring with the big boys. And now that he has, he doesn’t know what to do.

“It seems that you have gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble, Luca, if government entities are getting involved,” he says as his servant pours him a cup of tea. We’re in his office, in his home, on his turf. It was the only way he’d speak with me about Elise’s whereabouts. He doesn’t realize that by bringing me here, he’s already killed everyone on his estate. And if I don’t leave here with information on her, he will be next.

Once again, he’s showing why he works in the circles that he does. He isn’t suited for ours.

“My wife, Ivan. That is why I am here,” I say.

He takes a sip of his drink, composing himself before looking at me.

“You must understand, Luca. My business runs on our ability to keep information hidden, no matter its importance. If I had known your wife was placed within my bids, I would have pulled her out. But now that she has been sold, it is out of my hands. Her bid was anonymous,” he says.

I shift my attention to the servant who stands quietly behind him before standing.

“Then I guess there is nothing more to discuss,” I say.

I pull out my blade, plunging it into Ivan’s hand, anchoring him to his seat. His screams fill the air, but it isn’t enough to sate the bloodlust coursing through me. His servant takes off to the door, and I pull out my gun and fire a shot.

It hits him right in the back of his skull as he crashes into the door, lifeless.

“Are you crazy?” Ivan shouts, looking around in panic, when he realizes none of his men have come through to rescue him.

I rip the blade from his palm, holding it against his throat.

“I know you’re indebted to the government. And I know you specifically took her as a request. Now, last chance, Ivan. Where is my wife?”

Elise

My father always shielded me from the nasty dealings of our world. And while Luca tried to introduce me to the gruesome sides, he never let me see anything like this. This, being sold, is one of the worst things I could have imagined. And what’s worse, this man knows exactly who I am.

I remain silent as I sit at the dinner table in a long, black gown, waiting for his arrival. For the past few days, I have been traveling to wherever he planned to keep me after his purchase, and now that I have arrived, he’s bothered to show himself.

I look up as he enters the room, dressed in a dark suit, much different than the way Luca dresses. His dark hair is pushed away from his face as his cold blue eyes take me in.

He laughs when he notices me trembling.

I’ve never seen this man at any of the events we attended or meetings Luca had. But whoever he is, he has the time and resources to pull me from my life and mold me into being part of his.

“Stand up,” he says as he walks around the table.

I clench my fingers, slowly standing as he approaches. I note that he has an accent.

---