Page 6 of P.S. I'm With You
“Masked? So you saw none of their faces?” I try to hide the disappointment, but fuck, I was hopeful she might’ve seen something to lead me somewhere. I sigh while rolling up the sleeves of my dress shirt. “Why don’t you have a seat while I clean this—”
“The flower!” Zora gasps as she points to the tattoo on my arm. The Iris tattoo that all of us under Kasapin’s reign have… except Nika herself.
“Have you seen this?” I ask, giving her a better view of the tattoo.
Zora nods urgently. “Yes, the man who hit mommy—he had it on his arm here.” She points to the inside of her bicep. My heart drops and my gut twists at the realization. I only know one man who has our tattoo on the inside of his bicep, and if it is him, we have a serious fucking problem.
Five
NIKA
“Crazy fucking bitch!” the man cries, and I smile at him before spitting the piece of flesh I bit off of him back at his face.
“I’ve been called worse.” I laugh as I leap onto him and pull him to the ground. “You think you imbeciles would’ve learned over the last week not to come in here alone.” I hum while pulling his knife from his belt. He tries to fight me but I’m too fast. I stab him in his throat, twisting the blade before ripping it back out. I stand, watching as he bleeds out on my cell floor before walking to the cot that is my bed. I sit down and stare at the open door.
Four. I’ve killed four of the seven men responsible for entering my home, taking me… taking my daughter.Ninety-seven.
“Fuck,” I hiss, the heartache hitting me again. My baby. I don’t want to breathe anymore, I don’t want to be here when there is no Zora. But I have to, just a little longer. I can’t allow her killers to remain breathing—myself included. I am not so dense as to not realize that this is all because of the choices I made. Money, power, respect, fear, greed—I put all of it aheadof my daughter while justifying that I was doing this for her. I wanted her to have a better life than me or Dominik had growing up in our village. Drugs, fathers selling their daughters—I never wanted Zora to know that life. I thought that by becoming the leader of the biggest crime organization, I was ensuring she wouldn’t. But I am a woman—a mother, and no man will willingly bow to a woman. Even if I break their legs and make them fall to my feet, I am but one person, I can only last so long.
The plan had always been to get enough money and leave the country—me, Zora, and Dominik. But again, the power, the greed…
“I’m sorry, my flower,” I whisper as I walk out of the cell. It won’t be long before the others make their way down here. I’m sure he, like the others, was coming down here to try to get me to my knees, but I fall to my knees for no one.
I look at the filthy desk in the corner and see the pack of cigarettes and a phone. Do I try?
Walking over to the desk, I pull a cigarette from its home and look around for a lighter. I spot a couple matches and strike one against the block walls. I take a long inhale while staring at the phone. If I call him, what do I say? I have no idea where I am, who's taken me, and I don’t plan on leaving here alive… but still. I miss his voice, he’s the only one who could make me feel grounded in chaos.
Putting the receiver to my ear, I take another drag of the cigarette before dialing the number I know by heart. It rings and rings… and rings. Dread begins to fill me. What if they’ve found him? What if they’ve—
“Dominik.” I nearly sob at his voice. It’s the comfort I didn’t know I needed right now. I feel my body fall as I land on my knees. Kasapin will never fall to her knees, but Nika? Nika will always fall for Dominik Kovac.
“Nika,” he breathes, as if he is just as relieved as I am. “Baby, oh my god, thank the gods. Where are you?” I close my eyes, trying to stop the tears. I have moments before the men come for me and I cannot show them weakness.
“Dominik, I’m so sorry,” I whisper weakly, the cigarette falling onto the metal desk. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep her safe.”
“Daddy?” My heart nearly stops—or maybe it starts again.
“Zora!” I cry out louder than I intend, but I can’t help it, she’s there. She’s breathing. “Dominik, is she alright?”
“Yes,” he says, still sounding in shock. “Y-Yes, she’s fine. Nika, where are you?”
“I don’t know,” I state softly while listening to the footsteps. “I have no idea where they’ve taken me. Dominik, listen, you need to uproot the flower—it’s time.”
“Fuck you,” he hisses. “Fuck you for daring to—Nika, I am not—”
“I thought I lost her once,” I growl out. “Don’t make me feel that heartbreak again.”
“So insteadImust feel that heartbreak with you? Give me something,anything! Nika, one of the men, is Jakov. Tell me where you are and I will come to you! Please, I won’t lose you! I—Ican’tlose you!” I hear the men coming down the steps, but I feel oddly calm.
“Don’t worry, my love,” I say softly. “I’m with you, always.” Hanging up the phone, I hop on the desk and light another cigarette. The men rush into my space as I exhale my drag. I give them a soft smile while one of the men gags at the sight of his dead comrade.
“Hey, boys,” I purr while standing up, ignoring their raised pistols. If they were going to shoot me, they would’ve done it by now. No, they have strict orders to keep me alive. That’s unfortunate for them. There’s three of them—none match Jakov’s build. “Your boss too busy to come see me himself?”
“Stupid bitch.” The man snatches my cigarette from my mouth. “I can’t wait for the ‘okay’ to put one right between your cold, dead eyes.” He pokes my forehead with his index finger as another man—one not wearing a mask—rushes down the steps and up to him. He’s young, late teens at the most. He’s far too young to be caught up in this, then again, I was but a child when I had my first kill.
“He’s called for her,” the boy pants out.
“Ohhh.” I fake the severity while crossing my arms over my chest. “Well, we don’t want to keep his royal ass waiting.” The man flicks my cigarette at my feet.
