Sinister

by Sherell Cummings

  “Baby,” I said smiling sweetly as he pushed his chair back and tapped his thigh for me to sit.

  Tentatively I sat like a trophy perched on his lap while he placed a protective arm around my waist. He kissed my neck, and though I tried to keep my focus on Nicole, I could still sense Andrea watching me. They were all watching me, but not like Andrea, his gaze ripped through me and broke every bone while tearing every muscle until I felt him in my heart.

  “You boys say I never cared about anyone, but you’re wrong. This woman,” he gazed at me with half-lidded eyes that almost made him seem sincere.

  Almost.

  I gazed back at him. “I care about her. From the first moment I saw you I knew you were something special. I mean look her beauty and bronze.” He grinned as he tore his eyes away from mine toward everyone on the table. I watched them too before closing my eyes in the slowest blink humanly possible because I knew Nicolae. He never half-assed anything, and with a compliment the truth always followed.

  “And her pussy—Andrea wouldn’t you say it was one of the best you’ve ever had?” It was then I felt him grip the back of my head right before it slammed against the plate with his unfinished meal. Pain pumped through my head like a heartbeat as I slowly opened my eyes and found everything all blurry. I could hear voices around me, but they were all to jumbled to clearly understand.

  I didn’t know how long it took, but soon I regained my sight while my hearing slowly followed, allowing me to fully understand the chaos around me. I tried to lift my head but his hand was still holding me down.

  “You think I wouldn’t know,” he said leaning forward against my ear.

  “I was counting on it,” I huffed out before he pulled my head forward, causing pain to radiate through my skull. Food fell from my face onto the surprisingly strong plate that didn’t break by the force of the hit, and it was also then that I noticed Izzy was gone. I also noticed Andrea with a menacing look on his face, as he stood with a guard pressing a gun to his temple.

  “You mock me bitch?”

  I lifted my hand and swiped the remaining food off my face, before moving my tongue across my lips with a smile. “You started it. I mean what did you think would happen when you never let me finish.”

  He laughed shoving me off his lap. I landed in a heap on the floor.

  “Suddenly you seem to have a very smart mouth.”

  “She did learn from the best,” said Andrea who I could see slightly from my position on the floor. “You know your fucking games are getting old right?”

  I watched Nicolae who was now standing with a sinister smirk on his lips as he glanced between me and his new target. “You shouldn’t be talking.”

  “And why is that? Afraid that everyone would know that your woman preferred my dick compared to yours? Or that I had my head between her legs and made her scream my name harder than the fake moans she gave to you? Is that jealously I smell?” A gun cocked, I heard it through the silence and instantly knew it was the one against Andrea’s head.

  Nicolae hated being mocked and Andrea had done just that, causing Nicolae to close his eyes and take a couple deep breaths before pinning Andrea with a warning glare. “You mock me with a gun against your head.”

  “Unlike you, I don’t fear death.”

  “You should—”

  “Nicolae,” I called pushing onto my feet and steadying myself with a hand against the table. I knew Andrea’s head was about to be splattered against the table if I didn’t step in. I couldn’t watch him die like Nathan did with that girl. “It was a mistake,” I said with conviction trying to draw Nicolae’s attention back to me.

  He glanced at me with a dark glare. “How stupid do you think I am?”

  “Not at all. I just thought you should know that there was never anything there. Yes, I fucked him and he was an okay fuck, but he was nothing like you.” He eyed me curiously for a moment and after a beat of a second it seemed to be working.

  “Bullshit sweetheart. Stop lying to yourself,” said Andrea who looked slightly hurt before his eyes hardened with anger.

  “I’m not. I told you I didn’t what this because I knew what would happen,” I said harsher than intended while watching him, pleading with him to understand what I was doing. “You knew I loved Nicolae but you wouldn’t stop.”

  “You love him so much, but you still fuck me behind his back.” he laughed cynically. “That’s rich. I should have known you were just a spoiled greedy bitch who would do anything just to save her ass.”

  “Really you two say you are nothing to each other but argue like an old married couple,” chuckled Costas who seemed amused by the entire exchange. I kept my gaze on Andrea whose jaw ticked with irritation, but it wasn’t me he was focused on, it was Costas.

  I turned away from Andrea and found Nicolae’s outstretched hand waiting for mine. I took it, walking into his arms that wrapped around my body. He hugged me to him, hands stroking above my ass as we both gazed at each other. Deep down under all this power and anger is a man I believe any woman could easily love. Nicolae was a charming man and when he wasn’t hurting or destroying someone, he was tolerable. He had his moments where he let his guard down and allowed me to see his boyish charm, but now looking into his eyes, none of those things I saw seemed to exist.

  He moved his nose down my neck, cupping my ass before his hand roamed the rest of my body. “Sweet, sweet Justine. As much as I would love to take your word, I simply can’t. You see, you’ve been lying to me from the first day I met you.”

  I paused, heart tripling its beat as I tried to keep a steady hold on my breathing.

  “I was hoping one day you would show me your badge, but I guess only fuck boys get to see it.”

  I pushed out of his hold, but it wasn’t enough. He clamped my hands behind my back in a death grip that had me wincing as every other man around the table rose to their feet. Guns were drawn and in the back of my mind all I could think was that Izzy was one lucky bitch to get away from this disaster.

  Chapte r Twenty-Seven

  Izabella

  This was a fucking disaster, and one I quickly crawled way from as the chaos above the table continued. Thankfully everyone had long forgotten about me on the floor, and the moment that bullet pierced that woman’s head I knew I only had one shot. Quickly I crawled, dodging various legs as I got to the clear end of the large table. Spotting the closed door, my heart thumped with an eagerness that left me breathless. Things were getting heated very quickly and with everyone at that table a target, I was the only one with any chance of helping them.

  With my body as low against the floor as possible, I dragged myself the short distance to door and slowly slid it open, leaving only a small space to fit my body through. Thankfully I was small enough that I didn’t need much, and with the hallway in my eyesight and the grateful distraction of Nathan and his anger, I managed to get myself through, sliding it shut before anyone could notice.

  Time was limited and as much as I wanted to enjoy my new found freedom I had to find a gun. On my feet I removed my shoes leaving them under a small table in the corner before tentatively racing toward the stairs and sprinting onto the second level. I spotted no guards and no other signs of life as I searched the rooms, but found nothing but more emptiness and a misplaced letter opener. I wasn’t stupid, I saw the safe in his office when we were in there and I was very sure there was a gun or two in there, but that room was under lock and key. With no shot of getting inside I took the staircase down, deciding to find Willow instead, hoping she would be able to help in some way.

  The dining room doors were still closed which meant she must still be in the kitchen, so as careful as possible I moved through the sitting room shocked to see none of the other servers or any of the guards. It was strange, this place was crawling with staff when we arrived less than two hours ago. Even down to the front doors had two men keeping watch. My instincts were trying to tell me something, but all I could think about was getting Nath
aniel away from his psychopathic father.

  The minute I pushed through the kitchen door, I knew that my instincts were right.

  Blood.

  Blood everywhere. On the floor on the walls and the counter tops. Willow. Her tiny body lay sitting against the fridge, dead eyes staring straight ahead as a bullet hole pierced the centre of her head. I stooped down in front of her watching with curious eyes. She looked so empty now. So innocent and lost. I had no idea why she was in this house in the first place, and now I was sad I wasn’t able to help her escape it. This poor girl. “Were you like me? Did you do this to yourself?” I mumbled before standing and surveying the rest of the room.

  The guards and other servers were… well… everywhere. At least six or seven bodies all dead at the hands of someone who was still in the house. A panic rose inside me as I searched the guards bodies for a gun, but they were all bare. “Shit,” I cursed as I rose from the last body only to have my head snapped back by my hair being pulled, which caused a pain through my skull before my body landed against another. With a tight grip on my body a hand clamped over my mouth while my eyes popped out of my head.

  “Shh,” he hummed against my ear, breath a heavy mixture of alcohol and mint. “I’ve come for you, baby.”

  As realization hit me like a wrecking ball to a skyscraper, my eyes opened even wider. I struggled against his hold, but all he did was tightened his grip around my waist. “Come on now, I came to rescue you and this is the thanks I get.”

  With a forceful tug he released me as I stumbled forward almost falling head first only to be caught around the elbow. Once I was steady, I faced him with wild eyes. “What. The. Fuck.”

  Christopher, who was covered in blood gazed at me with a gun in his hand and a not too concerned expression on his face.

  “What are you doing here? How did you even know I was here?” I whisper yelled stumbling back trying to keep some distance between us.

  “What, you think only your new rich boyfriend has money and connections? You’d be surprised how easy it is to track someone with a cell phone.”

  “Great, and now you’ve found me. Now what do you want?”

  “I came to take you home, baby.” He stepped forward with a sparkle in his eyes. “Back to the life we had or could have had until you destroyed us.”

  I blinked and then blinked again. I wasn’t sure what to make of this situation. He had clearly lost what little mind he had left, and with him holding a gun, what choice did I have but to prolong this conversation in hopes an opportunity presented itself?

  “How did I destroy what was never there?”

  His eyes darkened and he brought the gun up to scratch the back of his head. “Don’t act stupid, Izzy, it isn't becoming of you. I wasn’t the one that ended our relationship, I fought against it. You were the one that choose to believe him over me,” he sneered jaw clenching so tight I could see the vein in his temples.

  “You’re right, but you were the one that stayed away for five years. If you loved me as much as you say, why didn’t you fight for me?” Now that it was said and now that I was thinking back on it, the moment I said it was over between us, he left without a tear or so much as a text. He just left which made me think what Praxton had said was true.

  “That was because you wouldn’t talk to me. You ditched your phone and I came by to see you over a dozen times, but Praxton was always there.”

  “He never mentioned you.”

  “Why would he? He was the reason for all this. He fucked with us both and I swear to God if I ever see him again I’ll kill him.”

  “Stop.”

  “Why, you still defending him?”

  “Just stop it. This is over. It’s been over and there will never be a you and me ever again.”

  His nostrils flared and he took a couple steps closer to me. I found myself moving back until I hit the counter bringing his body right up against mine. He pushed the gun against my cheek as I glanced sideways at the hot tip.

  “Don’t fucking say that. There will always be a you and me. Don’t you get it, Baby? Everything you’ve done was only a means to an end,” he said with a sinister glint as he moved the gun along my cheek and neck while placing his lips against my ear. “Faith will forever intertwine us, just like it did with my sister marrying your brother. If it wasn’t for her carelessness and your brother’s greed our time together wouldn’t have happened.”

  I swallowed choking back a sob at his new confession. All this time I blamed Reed for me being here when all along it was Christopher. “What do you mean by giving us time together? I never saw you until Brazil.”

  He pushed his erection against me moaning as I stifled the urge to knee him in the balls. The gun still moved against my face while he continued to breath against my neck. “You know what I mean. You opened for me. Let me feel that sweet pussy as I cleaned you. Watched as I turned you on with one flick against your perfect nipples. You loved it and I knew you wanted more.”

  For a moment I had no clue what he was talking about and then it hit me. The familiarity of the man in the hat. “That was you, in the holding cell?”

  “You think I’d let anyone else touch what’s mine, especially since I was the one that put you there?”

  I shoved against his chest not caring about the gun. “Get the fuck off me.”

  He barely budged, eyes finding mine with a broad smile on his lips. “You loved it.”

  “No.”

  “Stop fucking lying to me. I know you, Izzy, or is it Slick now.”

  I shoved again, not wanting to hear any more of his disgusting revelations. He was sick and in denial and I didn’t care if I got caught I just wanted to get away from him. I shoved, but all it did was make him laugh before he grabbed onto the back of my hair spinning me until I was face front against the counter with him hard against my back.

  “Not this time sweetheart. This time there is no escaping me.”

  “Please.”

  “Please what?”

  “Let me go. I don’t love you anymore.”

  “Well learn to, baby, because you’re mine.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Andrea

  Well fuck. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I was willing to take. He was fucking with my woman, the woman I swore to protect. The woman who just had a few choice words for me, but I knew none of it was true. I could see it in her eyes, every bit of fear and need, and now I needed to make this all disappear.

  Nicolae had just outed her secret. He knew she was a cop, and undercover cops in this world were the last to get away. He was holding her by the hair, stretching her neck back against his chest. Her hands remained clasped behind her back, but then he released them only to grab his steak knife off the table. I knew he was going to kill her. And in the worst way possible.

  “That’s not some big secret,” I said grabbing everyone’s attention. “Everyone knew what she was. You were just too stupid to notice,” I said with an evil grin. “Just like you were too stupid to notice another Donatella right under your nose.”

  That grabbed his attention causing his lips to stretch tightly over his teeth. “Bullshit. You’re not a Donatella.”

  “Born and bred. Surprised?” The gun at the side of my head dug into my temple and all it would take was a simple push and this would all be over. Not for me though, because I was very good at games.

  “What’s surprising is if you’re a Donatella, why doesn’t my friend here know who you are?” He glanced over at my cousin with accusatory eyes.

  Costas whose brows drew together, frowned when he looked at me. “It’s because he’s lying, he’s not a Donatella.” Our family knew Costas was working for Nicolae, it was why our fathers had him work with Nathaniel in the first place. He already had an in, but what Nicolae thought was Costas screwing over his own family, was only Costas keeping an eye on the enemy.

  He placed the knife down and watched between us with an icy glare before keeping his gaze on me. “Yo
u’re lying.”

  I shrugged watching him with a curled lip. “Why would I lie? I’d have nothing to gain from that. You on the other hand have everything to lose because of it.” This was over. I forced my elbow into the ribcage of the man behind me, before I quickly spun snatching the gun from his hands and aiming it at his head. I fired before he even had time to blink. He wasn't one of mine, so didn't matter.

  Turning on my heels I aimed the gun at Nicolae who was now laughing with cruel intent. He tightened his grip on Justine and placed the knife against her neck pressing it against her jugular. Her breathing accelerated as my finger pressed against the trigger.

  “You say you have nothing to lose, but let’s say I add a little ring around your lovers neck.”

  “You won’t. Do you think your knife is faster than my bullet?”

  “Andrea, he’s mine. Don’t you dare r fucking shoot him. I deserve to kill him for what he’s done,” cursed Nathan who pushed away from the table, chair falling backward in anger.

  I ignored him because that asshole had Justine. I wasn’t going to let him hurt her just so he could have his revenge.

  “Seems were at an impasse,” said a smug looking Nicolae.

  “Where not.” I cocked the gun.

  “No fuck no,” yelled Nathan.

  I sighed, as I un-cocked the gun dropping my arm. I shook my head.

  “Fool. You should have taken the shot when you had it.” He signalled to the men around the room with a flick of his head. “Get the gun—and kill them all.” Shoving Justine onto the floor she quickly scampered away as Nicolae grinned down at her. When he looked back only to realize that no one had moved at his command, his eyes grew dark and the smile slipped from his face that was turning red with rage. “Did you not hear what I said? Kill. Them. All,” he shouted.

  The men who had their guns aimed at each of us, slowly put their arms down and waited for their next command, from me.