by Vi Carter
“Just shoot me. That will be the end result, anyway.”
He was taunting me. This also is what made Fox strong. He knew how this game went. He knew he had the upper hand at withholding the truth. He would die either way. For weeks I had been torturing him, and he wouldn’t break.
“I have a real fondness for pain. Not just pain inflicted on the flesh.” I nod at Blitz and he steps forward and hits Fox in the jaw again. When Fox’s groans of pain die down, I continue. “I like the type of pain that fucks with your mind. That’s the beauty of the world, Fox. There are so many types of pain.”
“What are you talking about? Just kill me already.” Fox’s bloodshot eyes close as he leans against the brick wall.
“You have no value on your life.”
“Yes, I do.” He opens one eye. “I just know how this ends.”
I grin. “That’s where I think you are wrong.”
He sits up, and I see real fear trickle into his system.
“We all have something that becomes more important than we are.”
Fox shuffles his broken body closer to the wall.
“Blitz, what is it for you?”
“My sister.”
I nod at Fox. “And you, Fox?”
“I have no one.”
I waggle my finger at him. “I’m very good at detecting a lie. You’re lying.”
“Rian, I’ve been by your side…”
I cut him off. “You betrayed me.”
“I just wanted a little extra on the side.” He shrugs.
“You stole from me.”
“Take it all back.”
I rise slowly and Fox crawls to my feet. “I already have.” Every part of the Rat Pack was dismantled.
“Please, Rian.”
I kick him off of my shoes.
“You tell Blitz every detail, every member, and your mother will live. Lie once and she dies.”
His sobs tell me it’s a done deal.
“Do you want to really know what’s more important to me?” I pause at the door and turn to Fox. It didn’t matter what he said, he would die today.
Blitz leans against the wall, his fists clenched.
“I would have done anything for you. I was like your fucking shadow.” Fox closes his eyes, and his breathing becomes labored. A slow smile crosses his face. It’s not the kind of smile that’s from joy, it’s the kind from pain. “All I wanted was something like you had, all I wanted was to be like you.” He opens his eyes and I see something deeper there that I didn’t see before.
I kneel down and nod my head, joining the tips of my fingers together I rock my hands. “You had everything. You had my respect, but not anymore. The moment you stole from me, was the moment you died Fox.” I rise slowly.
I give Blitz a nod before leaving the room. Fox’s sobs follow me out the door. Once we have all the information, he will kill him and then Blitz will take his place. It will show Blitz exactly what happens when I’m betrayed.
I smile as the final piece falls into place for me and go shower so I can be with my girl.
EPILOGUE
Seven Months Later
“I need to get dressed.”
Rian’s large hands rest on my swollen abdomen. I’m glancing down at the crown of his head as he talks to our unborn child.
“Catherine and her son are coming.”
“Our baby’s nana and uncle are coming.” I correct.
Rian ignores me. ”Now, they will say some nasty things, so I want you to cover your little tiny, precious ears.”
“Rian,” I warn, but too much humor enters my voice. Every day he talks to my belly. The thoughts of being responsible for a tiny human is terrifying, but when Rian looks at me with so much love in his eyes, I know we will get through anything.
His lips touch my stomach, and my body reacts to him. Rising, he takes my face in his large hands. Moss-green eyes consume me. “If they annoy you, I have bombs strapped to their chairs.”
I pull out of his hands. Goosebumps spread across my skin from standing here in my underwear. “Don’t even mess about that, Rian.”
Ever since the family dinner at my mother’s months ago when Rian found out about my brother trying to kill me, Rian has wanted his revenge. We had a huge fight, and I hadn’t seen my family since. This was a make-up dinner. I wanted them in the baby’s life.
“I’m not messing.”
I drag the black dress over my bump and glance at Rian. His gaze is focused on my stomach.
“I won’t let them hurt my family.” Rian’s words are razor-sharp, and his eyes have a predatory gleam in them.
I pull up the straps and turn away from him. “Can you zip me up?”
His fingers touch my bare skin, and my spine straightens at the contact. “They are my family.”
“That’s the only reason they are alive.” Rian’s voice has me focusing on the wall; he would kill them in a heartbeat.
“All you have to do is give me a nod.”
I spin around, cutting him off. “I love you, Rian.” My hands go to my stomach, and Rian’s gaze falls to my hands. “But for this baby’s sake, we have to make peace.”
He works a muscle in his jaw. “Fine. For you.”
I smile at him and stand on the tips of my toes, planting a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you.” I know how hard this is for him.
“Blitz is coming for dinner too.”
I’m ready to protest, but Blitz is like family to Rian. “Okay, I’ll set the table for one more.”
Rian’s hands tighten around my waist. “I’m doing this for you, Willow. I need you to know that.”
I nod. He had no idea how much I understood that.
The night my brother had tried to run me over, he had been as drunk as me. He was still struggling with the idea that I had killed our father. I couldn’t blame him. I’m surprised he agreed to come tonight.
“I know.”
***
Blitz and Rian sit on either side of Aran, and now I see why Blitz was invited—to terrify my brother. The meal is strained, but I knew it would be. After our last meal, I didn’t expect this to go smoothly.
“It suits you.” My heart flickers at Aran’s words, and a slow, deep-rooted smile grows on my face.
“You think?” I reach down and rub my stomach.
Aran’s smile makes me unbalanced. It’s how a brother should see his sister. Not as a monster, but as a female who is carrying his unborn niece or nephew.
Rian’s large hand touches my knee, and I love that he is there for me.
“I know we’ve had our moments.”
Rian clears his throat and removes his hand. I know what he’s thinking, that “moment” is the wrong word, but I’m so proud of him for staying quiet.
“But I want to try.” Aran’s gaze dances down to my stomach and towards Rian. “For the baby.”
I glance at Rian, who’s staring at Aran with a smile that’s razor-sharp and would have anyone scrambling from the table.
Aran doesn’t move. “I can make things right. I should have done something...”
I shake my head as emotion rushes through me.
“I should have protected you and mother.”
“Yeah, you should have.” Rian’s words are like jagged glass. “Instead, you let a ten-year-old do a man’s job.”
Aran rubs his jaw. “I know…”
“We all have done wrongs, not just you.” My mother’s voice grips everyone’s attention, and it’s like a physical shake. Eventually, she’s going to admit that she did wrong too.
She sips her wine before plastering on what I have come to know as her false smile on her face. “Neither of my children are innocent.”
Her words are like a slap in the face. I don’t want to fight, but she’s rubbing me the wrong way. “What about you?” I grip the table so I don’t move from the spot.
Her brows rise nearly into her hairline. “Me?”
The question has me snorting. Of course she would
be righteous.
“Willow’s right. You had your part to play in all this, just as much as I did.” Aran’s defense has me sitting back in confusion. I’ve wanted this from him, his help, his understanding. I’ve wanted him to be a brother, but I really didn’t think it would happen.
My mother is smiling at Aran, it’s calculated, and it looks like she’s trying out a new smile for the first time. “Very well. We have all done wrongs.” My mother’s gaze swings to me, and she raises her glass. “To new beginnings.”
I pick my own drink up. Aran and Blitz follow suit, but Rian doesn’t move.
“Before we get all pally-pally, I want to say something.” Rian’s chair scraps along the floor, and he stands with his glass in one hand, the other hand rests heavily on my shoulder.
“This girl means everything to me.”
My heart swells at his words, and I reach back and place my hand over his.
“I think you know, Catherine, what I’m capable of.”
Rian’s words have my stomach hollowing out.
My mother’s jaw tightens, and she tries to smile, but it looks almost painful. “I know exactly what you are capable of.”
I look to my brother, and his gaze is fixed on me. I have no idea what he is making of this. Blitz, on the other hand, is nodding at Rian.
“I’ve let a lot slip, and trust me; I don’t let things slip. So if either of you…”
I squeeze his hand, begging him not to go any further. Rian hesitates, and I have a moment of relief. It’s very short-lived.
“Causes her to shed as much as one tear; I’ll be digging your graves.”
I close my eyes and wait for world war three to start. Silence descends around the space, and I open my eyes.
Aran raises his glass. “To treading on eggshells.”
Blitz sneers beside him.
“To Willow,” Rian says.
“To Willow,” echoes around the room, and Rian sits down.
It’s funny how the rest of the night goes. Everyone is careful with their words, but a part of me doesn’t mind that it’s controlled. I spent my whole life filtering every action for my mother, every word. So, having her do it for me isn’t such a bad thing.
“Are you okay?” Rian asks me while the rest talk. I take his outstretched hand. He raises it to his lips and presses a kiss there.
“I’m always okay when I’m with you,” I answer honestly.
Having Rian at my side is like having my own personal army right beside me. His strength radiates and wraps itself around the three of us. I touch my stomach again and smile.
“You get more beautiful each day.”
My cheeks heat at his words. Some days I don’t feel beautiful, but the moment Rian looks at me, all my insecurities vanish.
He leans in. “I love making you blush.”
I try to suppress the smile that threatens to escape. “I know.”
My gaze meets his, and he brushes the softest kiss against my lips. It reaches all the way inside me, and I feel it stitch my damaged soul back together.
Each word, each kiss, heals me.
Love really does heal all.
***
THE END
Have you read Gerald and Cara’s story? Start Dark today!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M5BJW8
JOIN MY NEWSLETTER AND NEVER MISS A NEW RELEASE OR GIVEAWAY
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5f609c6c410e0d3355340e44
She wasn't mine, but that wouldn't stop me from keeping her.
My job is never easy.
They fight, claw and plead for me to let them go.
But I never do.
I'm the collector for Victor, a ruthless Russian mob boss.
I collect every time.
I never fail.
Until Mila.
Mila
I knew this day would come.
He threatened to send his collector.
He warned me that I would return one way or the other.
That time is now.
I go willingly.
I don't fight or scream.
I know its pointless.
But the collector breaks the rules.
He doesn't take me to Victor.
He keeps me for himself.
He has no idea what he has set in motion.
He has no idea who I am.
Now his fate is sealed along with mine.
CHAPTER ONE
NICHOLAI
Strobe lights bounce off every space, the flow of the dancers is broken from one motion to another. Bodies pulse and sweat out their sin. The playground of sin: Gail’s. The club has built up a reputation for just that. I move two women kissing aside, their faces blissfully stare up at me as I move past them. All around me reminds me why I love Gail’s. I come here when I need to forget who I am and what I do. But tonight, I’m not here for pleasure. I’m working. Pavel, he’s my next target, the one I must collect and deliver to the can. I always get twenty-four hours from the moment I receive the message, to have them placed in the can to be collected by someone else. I never wait around; it’s not my job to know what happens after I deliver them.
A woman, who appears possessed, jerks and falls to the ground. The crowd moves back but continues their dance around her. I glance around until I find who I seek. Dimitri. I nod and he moves away from the wall and clears a path towards me.
“A woman has collapsed.” I jut my chin behind me.
“Thank you, Nicholai.” Dimitri vanishes into the crowd. His body is clad in black leather, covering up all his tats that I know are painted onto his body. He once worked within the Bratva, but somehow he found a way out. I had no idea how many lives it cost for him to leave, but I’m sure he gave up someone he shouldn’t have, to get out. He was frowned upon, but he moved close to the circles that I moved in, so making an enemy of a man like Dimitri isn’t wise.
I break through the crowd and climb the five steps that are cushioned with red carpet. The chain that stops the clubbers from crossing, is removed for me before I even have to pause in my stride.
“Pavel?” I ask.
“Third room on your left.”
I nod as the chain is placed back on the hook. I take in a lungful of cleaner air. It’s tinged with a different kind of sin, but one that I’m accustomed to. The heavy hitters take up most of this part of the club. I reach the third door and pause. Taking out my gun, I make sure it’s loaded before stuffing the piece back into the band of my trousers. I glance left and right before knocking three times. The door opens slightly.
A bellboy is ready to dismiss me, but his eyes slowly widen. I place my finger over my lips before beckoning him forward with two fingers. He hesitates and I tilt my head, he wisely steps out of the room and races past me.
“Who’s at the door?” Pavel asks.
I step into the darkened room and gently close the door behind. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the lighting in the room. Pavel is seated with his back to me. A girl dances in a glass box. She’s naked, her head is thrown back as she runs her hand down her body and in-between her legs.
I look away from the blond beauty and walk to Pavel.
“I asked, who is it?” His irritation has him ready to turn in the chair.
I grip the chair, freezing it in place. “Enjoy the show a few more minutes, Pavel.”
He tries to turn, but I grip his shoulders, forcing him to stay in the chair.
“Collector.”
I’m not sure if my title is said with fear or a plea, maybe both, but either way, I hold Pavel still and watch the blond touch herself. Her other hand runs up to her large breasts where she grips her nipples and squeezes.
“I can pay.” Pavel’s lame attempt at trying to bargain, has me dragging his fat ass out of the chair.
“Time to go.” I push him towards the door.
He stumbles before spinning around. His face grows gray as he runs a fat hand through his thinning dyed black hair. “I can pay.”
<
br /> I crack my tattooed knuckles. “You know who I am?”
He nods. “The Collector.”
I’m easy to identify, and I like that. It gives the person around thirty seconds to come to terms with the knowledge that I’m here to collect and I always collect. My hair is tied up, both sides shaved; a black cross is tattooed into the side of my head. It's one of my markings, my identifier for who I am. Pavel’s gaze tightens.
“Have you ever heard of anyone not being collected?” I ask while taking a step towards him.
He shakes his head.
“Let’s go.”
He turns towards the door and opens it, knowing his fate is sealed. The chain is removed for us as I keep my gun pressed into Pavel’s back. Within the crowd, I didn’t want him to get brave and try something stupid. He weaves through the crowd and I nod at Dimitri as I leave.
The moment we are outside, Pavel starts to plead again.
“Name your price.”
I remove the gun from his back and tuck it into the band of my trousers. Pavel glances at me over his shoulder with hope in his eyes, like I might have changed my mind. I reach out and grip the back of his neck, directing him to my car that’s parked down the next alleyway.
“Please, I can give you anything you desire.”
“I don't desire anything,” I answer him, as I keep a check around us, making sure no one is watching at this hour of the night. The streets are devoid of much life. In the next thirty minutes they will bustle with the clubbers, as the doors to Gail’s will close.
My car bleeps, the orange lights flash in the dark alleyway. I wave my hand close to the trunk and it opens. Pavel tries to talk, but I push him in and slam the trunk down on him. His thumps start, but the moment I get in and the engine purrs to life, the music drowns out the beating of his fists.
I drive through the city and out into a more barren landscape. Out here in the wilderness is an outhouse, or what we call the can. It’s where I leave each person I collect, and from there, at some point, they are picked up by someone and brought to Victor. I have no idea what happens to the people. All I know is that each time I deliver someone new, the can is empty, its previous occupant gone.