Page 85 of Stolen Empire
"But this isn't necessary. I can prove myself another way."
He's not buying it.
He's sick and twisted and who the fuck knows what he'll make me do to prove I'm trustworthy.
My body feels like a piano string ready to snap.
"This is the way." Daniil's smile fades.
"You do it now, or you leave. Those are your options."
I set the bag down, my jaw tight.
"And if I do this? What happens after that?"
"Then we talk about the job. The real job. The one that pays forty million rubles and gets you out of debt."
Forty million.
Exactly what I owe according to Dimitri’s false ledger.
This is too convenient.
Too easy.
But I can't think clearly.
My head's spinning, my hands shaking.
I need to buy time.
I need to figure out what to do.
"I need a surface," I finally say.
"And something to cut it with."
Daniil reaches into his pocket again, pulling out a small mirror and a razor.
He sets them on the table, then leans back, watching.
I open the bag with trembling fingers and pour a small amount of powder onto the mirror.
The white crystals catch the light, glittering.
I pick up the razor, my hand unsteady, and start to cut lines.
"You have done this before," Daniil says.
"No." I keep my eyes on the mirror.
"But I have watched people do it."
I finish cutting the lines, then set the razor down.
My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.
I look up at Daniil, searching his face for any sign of mercy.
