Page 37 of Shadows of the Past
"And she bled like hell! Pretty sure she cried afterward, too, while I let her clean up."
I know what he’s doing. From the moment he saw me, he knew he wouldn’t leave here alive. He’s trying to push me into killing him quickly.
Just then, a message lights up my phone. It’s from Akim.
?
Damn it. I wanted more time. I guess I’ll have to get creative.
Gripping my knife, I stand. As expected, Martin starts thrashing against the chair, his panic palpable.
Without hesitation, I force his mouth open and slice his tongue out.
His scream tears through the room, sharp and guttural, and I feel it soothe something dark inside me.
"Much better now. Your voice was grating on my nerves. Screaming suits you far better."
For a moment, I consider filming this for Julia, but I know she wouldn’t appreciate such a graphic reminder.
"I can’t avenge every girl you’ve ruined, but I can make you feel a fraction of what they did."
His eyes are bloodshot from crying, and his once-piercing screams have dissolved into broken sobs.
"You know what scum like you never understand? That for every stolen dream, for every shred of innocence you’ve ripped away, there’s a counter. And your bill is due."
He shakes his head weakly, sputtering as fluids drip from his nose and mouth. Blood streams down his chin and neck, andbefore he can choke on it, I shove a rag into his mouth. That should slow the bleeding down, at least for now.
I grab my knife, and with two swift cuts, I sever his Achilles tendons. The muffled scream that escapes him is so raw, it feels as though his vocal cords might physically rip apart. The rag silences most of it, dulling some of my satisfaction, but it’s enough.
His gaze starts to lose focus, his pain dragging him toward the edge of unconsciousness. But I need him lucid for what comes next.
"This one’s for Julia," I whisper and pull the trigger.
His eyes widen instantly as the realization hits him that his manhood is gone, obliterated. There’s not an inch of him that isn’t covered in blood now, a crimson layer painting his skin. And something inside me smiles at the sight.
Before I get rid of him and ensure his body becomes food for the creatures in the water, I remember something Julia mentioned. I grab a pair of pliers from my kit.
The weak whimper that crawls out of him isn’t loud, but it’s there.
So much blood, yet somehow, it still doesn’t feel like enough.
Chapter 15
?
Julia
It’s been over two days since Maksim left, and there hasn’t been a single sign from him. I didn’t expect him to reach out, though I’ve been glued to my laptop, trying to absorb every bit of information he gave me.
Yesterday and this morning, Akim trained me in self-defense techniques. Even though I’ve hit the mat 1,236 times, I’m confident I could cause some damage if it comes down to it.
Zoya let me into the kitchen and showed me how to make oladyi, a type of Russian pancake. I tried to get her to talk more, but her answers barely stretched beyond three words, always accompanied by a suspicious look.
Now, I’m stuck in this room while rain pours outside, thunder rumbling and lightning flashing. The temperature inside is fine, but I’m cold anyway—and I hate myself for thinking about those gray eyes. Eyes that can say things that shrink my heart to the size of a flea one moment and leave without even a goodbye the next.
Logically, I understand his behavior. Growing up among these psychopaths has made it impossible for him to be normal. But there’s that sliver of soul in him that no one seems to notice and that’s the part that softens me.
Maksim is a protector through and through, and I have to remind myself that it’s not about me. I just happened to be the one he saved this time. When I’m gone, he’ll do the same for someone else.
