Depraved: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (The Devil's Syndicate Book 5)

by Sarah Bailey

  I almost sighed and looked over at Rory who’d come to stand beside me. Crouching down, I took my knife out and sawed through her bonds.

  “She’s here.”

  “Then where is she? I want to see her.”

  “You can’t.”

  I cut the cable ties holding her legs and stood up, stepping back. Isabella stared at me.

  “Why not?”

  “She’s gone after Frank.”

  The blood drained from her face again.

  “Are the others with her?”

  “No.”

  “You… you let her go after him alone? Are you crazy? Oh my god! He’s going to kill her.”

  Rory and I looked at each other as Xav and Eric appeared from our left.

  “Look what the cat dragged in,” Xav said with a grin before he spied the body on the floor. “Oh shit, is that Gianni?”

  “One and the same,” I replied, shrugging.

  “Well, good. Time to get this one out of here.” He pointed at Isabella. “Did you let Ash know yet?”

  I shook my head. Isabella was glaring at me as Xav stepped forward and helped her up from the chair.

  “Nice to see you again, Mrs Russo. Pity about the circumstances. If you’d like to come with me and Rory here, we’ll make sure you’re safe.”

  She shook his hand off and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “No. You are taking me to Ashleigh right now. She’s in danger. You lot sent her after Frank alone. I cannot believe you. Does Viktor know about your reckless decision?”

  “Yes, he knows everything. You’re going with Xav and Rory, Isabella. Eric and I will handle everything else.”

  She threw up her hands.

  “No! You do not understand. Frank will destroy her. We need to get to her right now.”

  I rolled my eyes, deciding to get in touch with Ash despite the risk.

  “Little girl, can you hear me? We have Isabella, she’s safe.”

  Nothing came down our earpieces. I waited another minute before trying again.

  “Ash, please let us know you’re okay.”

  Our earpieces crackled with the noise of gunfire before a muffled conversation happened which none of us could hear properly.

  “Little girl, please answer me.”

  Then it went completely silent.

  What the fuck happened to her earpiece?

  The boys and I all looked at each other.

  “Do you see now?” Isabella said, glaring at us.

  We all turned and marched towards where Ash had told us the lifts would be. Xav grabbed Isabella’s arm and tugged her along with us.

  “Please tell me we’re going to keep her safe, please.”

  “Oh, trust me, we’re going to get our girl right fucking now,” I ground out.

  Adrenaline shot through me, flooding my veins with fire and fucking brimstone. I was going to kill that sick son of a bitch Ash had once called her father. If he harmed a fucking hair on her head, he would wish he was never fucking born.

  Frank Russo was a dead fucking man walking.

  Chapter 33

  My hands shook as I pressed the button for the top floor in the lift. Now the boys had cut the security, I could get up there without needing to use my handprint. Who knew if Frank had revoked my access or not. Didn’t matter. He probably knew I was coming for him. I had a feeling about it. He’d be waiting for me.

  Hearing from the boys briefly made my heart sing but it also hurt. At least they were okay and had managed to get down to the basement without getting caught. I hoped they’d find my mother and keep her safe like they’d promised. None of them wanted me to go after Frank alone, but it had to be me. So even though I felt as though I might be dying on the inside, I stuffed my emotions in a box and steeled myself. It was time I gave the man who raised me a taste of his own fucking medicine.

  I watched the numbers. Almost at the top floor now, which meant I had to prepare myself. I pulled out the gun from the holster beneath my hooded jumper. Then I pressed myself against the wall by the doors to hide from view. No doubt Frank’s men would be waiting for me. Too bad they had no idea what they’d be letting themselves in for.

  Frank had forced me to learn how to shoot to kill. Down in the basement, I’d spent many hours shooting targets until I could kill a man with a shot to the head with ease. Not that I’d ever needed to until now. My aim was precise, which was why I’d known what I was doing when I’d fired the gun at the tree next to Carlo’s head even though I’d been injured.

  The lift dinged and the doors slid open. There was a long minute of silence. I popped my head out and was immediately assaulted with gunshots going off. But what they didn’t know was that I’d seen where they were now. As soon as the gunfire ceased, I struck. I stepped out and fired off three shots in quick succession, taking down each man with a single shot between the eyes.

  A moment later, I heard a scream and found Frank’s secretary, Adrienne, staring at the men as they collapsed on the floor and blood pooled beneath them. I walked towards her with the gun dangling at my side with slow precise steps.

  “I’m not here to kill you,” I said with a calm voice.

  Right now, I was the daughter Frank had raised me to be. A ruthless and efficient woman who could keep her cool under pressure.

  Adrienne stopped screaming abruptly and stared at me with new eyes.

  “Ash? What… what are you doing here?”

  I came to a standstill a few feet away, just before the hallway opened out into the lobby where her desk sat. I knew for a fact there were more men around the corner by the way Adrienne’s eyes darted to the right. That was the direction of Frank’s office.

  “I’m here to take what’s mine.”

  This empire. It belonged to me. I was born to be queen and when I’d taken Frank’s life, I would destroy his legacy. I would tear this whole fucking place down piece by piece, exposing his corruption and greed. He was going to fucking rue the day I came into his life. Rue the fucking day he tried to raise me up in his image. I was the secret weapon my mother had inadvertently placed within his inner circle. And it was time he realised it.

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Now, I suggest you duck because I’m about to rain down hell on anyone who tries to get in my way.”

  She froze for all of thirty seconds before she dropped to the floor and crawled under her desk. I smiled, probably looking a little manic. Then I slipped the second gun from its holster and walked out into the lobby, twisting around towards Frank’s office and raising my weapons. The hail of gunfire which ensued was almost deafening, but I stood tall, not allowing anything to fucking take me down. I felt the impact of something hitting my chest, forcing me to take a step back, but I didn’t stop shooting.

  When everything went silent and the dust settled, there were six men on the ground and bullet holes everywhere. I looked down at myself. There was a single hole in my jumper. I winced as I felt the pain of the bullet which had embedded itself in the bulletproof vest the boys had all but insisted on me wearing. To be honest, I hadn’t put up any sort of complaint. And now I was grateful.

  “Fuck.”

  It hurt like the devil and would bruise to high hell, but I didn’t have time to focus on it. I checked the number of bullets I had left, finding one clip empty. As I walked towards Frank’s office, I swapped it out for the other clip after holstering one of the guns. I knew what would be waiting for me at the end of this corridor and a feeling of dread sucker-punched me in the gut.

  One of the double doors was open. Beyond there was another lobby where Frank’s last line of defence sat. I didn’t enter the lobby, I stood off to the side and held my gun up.

  “I know you’re there, Berto. It’s Ash… I know you think you have to protect Papa from every threat, but I don’t want to kill you. I don’t want to deprive Fabi of his father. He’s my only friend in this fucked up world I grew up in. No one el
se cared about me the way he did. Everyone tried to use me except Fabi. I don’t want to shoot you, so I’m going to ask you to stand down.”

  I took a breath. The very last thing I ever wanted was to gun down Berto Esposito. Perhaps it made me soft, but I didn’t care. Fabio’s family meant something to me. So I’d use every bit of leverage I had.

  “You know about Isabella and Viktor Bykov… You know the truth, don’t you? You know who I really am. You watched me grow up knowing I couldn’t be Frank’s daughter and yet you didn’t say a word to him. So tell me, are you so loyal to him you’d sacrifice your life for a man who cares about no one but himself? Are you really going to make me do this?”

  I gave it another minute before I stepped away from the wall and came to a standstill in the doorway. Bento stood a few feet away with his hands up. His eyes were soft as he spied me even though I had a gun pointed at him.

  “Are you going to let me past?”

  He took a step towards me and my hand shook.

  “I won’t harm you, Ash. Go ahead.”

  I lowered the gun and stepped into the lobby, trying to keep my nerves in check.

  “You understand why I have to do this.”

  “I do, sweet girl. You have nothing to fear from me.”

  I gave him a nod before walking further in and coming to a halt at the double doors. I turned my head towards him.

  “Will you stand guard for me? Make sure no one else enters this room. My boys will be coming for me… so don’t shoot them, please.”

  He smiled.

  “Frank is not happy with your choice in partners.”

  “Frank doesn’t get a say any longer.”

  Berto nodded.

  “Do what you have to, you can be sure I won’t allow anyone in except your men.”

  I knew Quinn would get mad at me for doing this, but what happened next had to remain between me and Frank. So I pulled my earpiece out and left it on the chair next to the doors. Then I pushed one open, keeping my gun up and stepped into Frank’s office. The office where he would take his last breath.

  The man himself sat his desk with his fingers steepled. I held the gun out, aiming for his chest. I couldn’t help the way my hand shook seeing him in person for the first time in months.

  “Ashleigh.”

  “Hello, Papa.”

  He put a hand out, indicating the gun in mine, “Is that really necessary?”

  I cocked my head to the side. Did he think I was stupid?

  “Very. Did you forget you threatened to end me and the boys?”

  His lip curled up into a sneer at the mention of my men.

  “And where are they? Did they send you here alone and unprotected?”

  I almost scoffed.

  “I don’t need protection. How do you think I got in here? Your men are dead.”

  He merely smiled at me.

  “Here you complained about having to learn how to use a gun.”

  I wanted to smash this fucking gun across his head. His tone was condescending and it irked me. But I had to remain calm and not allow him to get under my skin. I didn’t come here for small talk.

  “Yes, well, your lessons sunk in finally. Pity for you it happened after I abandoned your sick, twisted family.”

  “Are you forgetting this is your family too?”

  I smirked. He had no idea. How could he not have suspected? Too bad. Frank Russo was in for a fucking wake up call.

  “Is it? You know, I began to question that when you all decided to start trying to kill me.”

  I took two steps into the room before tucking my hand into the pocket of my hooded jumper and pulling out a piece of paper. Frank’s eyes fell on it and he frowned.

  “What do you have there?”

  I glanced at the paper, taking another step towards him.

  “This? Oh well, wouldn’t you like to know?”

  “Do not play games with me, Ashleigh.”

  I laughed, unable to help myself.

  “This isn’t a fucking game here… Frank.”

  His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. I knew calling him that would piss him off.

  “Your disrespectful attitude has never done you any favours.”

  Frank looked at the gun pointed at him again as I closed the distance and came to a standstill in front of his desk.

  “You don’t deserve my respect.” I slammed the piece of paper down on his desk. “And this will show you why I will never have any for you ever again.”

  He looked down at it, trying to appear as though he didn’t care but I could see in his eyes he did. I cocked my eyebrow, daring him to turn it over and look at what it said. The words printed on it would shatter everything into tiny little pieces. My life had been built on an illusion and it was high time it be unmasked.

  “Go on… you know you want to.”

  His eyes flicked back up at me, the rage radiating off them battering me. I held strong. I was doing this for me and the boys. Taking down the king. Destroying everything he’d built. And I was doing it so we could be free.

  I kept my eyes and my gun on him as I walked around his desk until I stood beside him. Shoving the gun into his skull, I took the safety off. This wasn’t how I planned to kill him, but he didn’t know that.

  “Turn the page over, Frank.”

  He barely flinched at the cold metal against his temple.

  “What do you want me to see, Ashleigh?”

  I hated him calling me that so much. Irritation flooded my veins, but I kept a leash on my temper. I knew his tricks. If he thought I would lose control, he was mistaken. I’d learnt my lesson. Never again would I allow this man to make me feel small or terrorise me.

  “Turn the page and read it. I won’t tell you again.”

  He let out an audible sigh before reaching out and flipping the page over. With him distracted, I pulled the knife out of my pocket, keeping the gun trained on his head. I leant closer, watching him read the words.

  “Do you see those names? Read them to me.”

  “Ashleigh Vittoria Russo and Viktor Mikhailovich Bykov.”

  “The conclusion, Frank, read it out loud.”

  “The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child.”

  He faltered on the last words and my heart sung with joy. Now he knew the fucking truth about what Isabella had done. And the shaking of his voice told me how much it affected him.

  “I am not your daughter.”

  He didn’t say a word. I wished I could see his face, but right now, I was done. Done with this man. Done with everything he stood for. Just plain fucking done.

  “I wanted you to know the truth before I kill you. I will bathe in your blood and burn your empire to the ground. Goodbye, Frank.”

  He let out a shuddering breath. My sympathy was well and truly gone. I raised my hand clutching the knife and slid it across his throat, digging in deep to cut through the tissue. The fool thought I would shoot him. Too fucking bad I wanted him to feel it.

  His hands came up and he clutched his neck. I stepped back and spun his chair around. Blood ran from his neck, coating his white shirt as he gasped for breath and gurgled. I shouldn’t have watched the life draining out of his eyes nor the gruesome sight of his blood spilling out of his body, but I couldn’t stop myself. I had to see it.

  His eyes pleaded with me until he lost consciousness and after that came his death. His body slumped in the chair as the blood still pumped from the open wound at his neck.

  I took a step back, the gun and the knife dropping from my hands. It was done. I’d killed him. I’d murdered the man who raised me.

  “He’s dead,” I whispered, almost unable to believe the sight of it in front of me. “I did that… I killed him.”

  Feeling relieved over the whole thing sickened me. I shouldn’t be relieved I’d murdered a man in cold blood. Nor that I’d killed those other men without a se
cond thought, but I was. All I could feel was a sense of relief. I was alive and Frank was dead. After fearing for my own life in the lead up to this, I was still here. Still breathing.

  “Holy shit,” I breathed out.

  The door to the office swung open and in came all four of my men with Isabella on their heels. They all came to a standstill when they saw me.

  “Little girl?”

  Then I realised Frank was facing away from them now so they couldn’t see what I’d done. My hands trembled at my sides. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

  “He’s dead… I killed him.”

  Chapter 34

  When we’d got up to the top floor, there’d been dead bodies all over the place and one scared secretary. Isabella had a quick word with her before we’d all walked towards Frank’s office, looking at the bullet hole riddled walls and wondering what the fuck Ash had done. We reached the double doors and walked through finding a man holding a gun just inside. Isabella’s eyes widened when she took him in.

  “Berto?”

  The man’s eyes softened immediately.

  “Bella… are these Ash’s men?” he asked, keeping his gun trained on us.

  “Yes, but what are you doing here? Where’s Ash?”

  He nodded his head towards the doors as he lowered his gun.

  “She didn’t want to kill me out of respect for Fabi.”

  Isabella nodded slowly as the boys and I looked at each other.

  “Okay, someone explain to me what the fuck is happening?” Quinn ground out.

  “This is Berto Esposito, Fabio’s father and Frank’s right-hand man.”

  Berto gave us all a nod but indicated the doors with his hands.

  “She is through there… with him.”

  Quinn made no fucking bones about striding towards the doors with us trailing him. When we got in the room, we found Ash standing at the back with Frank’s chair turned towards her. Her blue eyes were wide and her face drained of all colour.

  “Little girl?”

  Her mouth opened and closed.

  “He’s dead… I killed him.”