But as I walked toward the door, I heard him whisper, “Goodbye, dorogaya… Alice.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Andrei
I CALLED PHOENIX first thing.
He didn’t answer.
So, I sent him a text.
Me: I’m going to need a new social for Alice, new last name, a job, maybe something in retail. She likes clothes. Have her dye her hair blond so she’s unrecognizable, talk to her about the risks of wiping her prints from her skin. I’ll have her ready in an hour.
Phoenix replied back quickly.
Phoenix: I’m confused, I gave her twenty-four hours. She has yet to contact me. Did she tell you she wanted this?
I frowned down at my phone.
Me: What are you talking about?
Phoenix: I offered her, her freedom last night. She said no.
Hands shaking, I read the response over and over again. He had to be wrong. Mistaken. Confused.
Because it was often that Phoenix Nicolasi was confused?
He was in his twenties, not his eighties.
Me: Whatever. I made the choice for her. It’s not worth it. I thought I could control it, thought it would be different.
Phoenix: So, what you’re saying is, you’re a coward?
Me: Take that back or I’m burning down your house with you in it.
Phoenix: Promises… whoops, I just added everyone in on this conversation. Guys Andrei’s scared.
I almost broke my phone in half.
Barely stopped myself from throwing it against the wall as texts came in.
Nixon: He does realize that he’s the monster he sees in the mirror… right?
Me: Speak for yourself psycho.
Nixon: I love it when you compliment me.
Chase: I was scared of the dark too when I was a kid, but then I put on my big boy pants realized I have a dick not a pussy and got the hell over it!
Me: We sure you have a dick?
Dante: Don’t make him show us.
Tex: Like the camera can really capture things that small.
Sergio: Why are we talking about dicks again? It’s seven a.m.!
Phoenix: Trouble in paradise. Andrei’s scared of his wife.
Me: I was interested, now I’m not. Because I don’t do attachments. She’ll be fine. She has my name.
Nixon: Did you pass her a note to break up with her? Or are you waiting until recess? Shit man, you can’t just marry someone one day and break up with them the next.
Me: Setting your house on fire too, guess I’ll be busy tonight.
I hated that he was both wrong and right. She’d be safe because she’d have my name, they didn’t know it wasn’t real. It didn’t matter. My name was all that mattered.
Nixon: Could you start the fire in the kitchen? Trace wants to do a remodel, would save me a shit ton of time.
Chase: I love setting things on fire.
Tex: People. You love setting people on fire, oh wait that’s Andrei.
I rolled my eyes.
Me: It was necessary at the time.
Sergio: Setting a human on fire when you could just shoot them? Mmmm, okay. Sure.
Phoenix: We’re getting off track. He wants to send her away.
Chase: Hell no. I’m enjoying this. Let’s lock him in his apartment and spike everything with Viagra.
Nixon: We don’t want to kill him, can you imagine the erection?
Dante: Erection, erection, erection. I love our texts, they make me feel so mature.
Chase: Small fry, the adults are talking, shhhh.
Tex: Rock a bye baby on the tree top…
Me: The day Tex sings me a lullaby is the day I give up on life, or maybe it’s the day life has given up on us?
Sergio: Deep, Drei, so deep.
Chase: Word.
Nixon: Look, we took blood oaths to protect you. That means from yourself when necessary, I mean look at Chase! He was miserable!
Chase: Thanks man, really.
Tex: Nixon’s right. Don’t send her away because you’re scared of a bit of nakedness.
Me: I’m not scared of her.
Phoenix: Take it from someone who refused to eat certain colors because I didn’t think I deserved them… you’re not good enough for her. You’ll never be good enough for her, but you try, every day, that’s the difference maker.
Tex: He’s right. He’s not who I would have picked for my baby sister. Anyone, I would have literally chosen anyone but him.
Phoenix: Thanks man.
Tex: It’s true.
Phoenix: She screams when she—
Me: STOP
Dante: Voice of reason here, arch enemy, person who almost shot you in the face and took great joy in sitting on your throne at Eagle Elite.
Me: You’re not missed.
Dante: Don’t do it. You’ll regret it.
Me: I already regret this entire conversation.
Phoenix: My answer, as you’ve already guessed, is hell no. If she reaches out to me and wants it, that’s on her, but I’m not doing this favor for you, because it’s not in your best interest.
Tex: Dad put his foot down, nice.
Me: You swore fealty to me and my family.
Phoenix: I’m protecting you from losing your soul. You’re welcome.
Nixon: Sex does solve a lot.
Tex: He’s not wrong.
Dante: Besides… you’re a whore, shouldn’t be hard.
They didn’t know.
In their eyes I was double dipping.
Running the club and screwing anything with legs and a healthy appetite for life.
Fantastic.
Phoenix: Guys…
Me: Phoenix say one word…
Phoenix: I hate to be the one to do this.
Me: Phoenix I will MURDER YOU.
Phoenix: Andrei’s…
Nixon: Dying?
Tex: Secretly Italian?
Dante: Been married for a year?
Sergio: Russian, he’s Russian. I win.
Chase: He’s a virgin.
Phoenix: You knew?
Nixon: I’m sorry, what?
Tex: WTF?
Dante: You justify setting people on fire and sex is what? Too adventurous for you?
Nixon: What?
Tex: I’m confused.
Phoenix: How did you know?
Chase: Last night, so much sexual tension, not the kind where you know they’re boning, but the kind where you know they’re not, put two and two together, noticed he acted a lot like he flinched when women did touch him, it was always brief… Oh, and I overheard Phoenix talking to Bee about it.
I exhaled in relief. At least I was a better actor than that.
Me: I’m running myself over with my car now. See you in Hell.
Tex: Wear a condom!
Nixon: Don’t go too fast.
Chase: It will be over in five seconds. Maybe two.
Dante: I can come over and—
Me: Finish that sentence and I strangle you.
Tex: That’s what she said.
Phoenix: You aren’t your father.
I stared at the screen.
The guys stopped texting.
Maybe they knew I needed a minute.
Maybe they didn’t know what to say.
Me: I have work to do. I’m going to break Elena. I’m not going to have sex. It’s all I have, all I have.
I hated being vulnerable.
I hated admitting that.
And then Nixon replied.
Nixon: I respect that.
Tex: Same.
Dante: She wouldn’t be taking it, Drei, you’d be giving it.
Sergio: We’re here if you need us.
Phoenix: I get that more than you will ever know.
Me: Then try to understand why I want her to leave.
Phoenix: No, I think I like the idea of you being tortured and finally facing your demons, they’ll come knocking a different way, and there are worse ways to conquer your fear
s.
Nixon: He’s right.
Me: I’m leaving this chat group now.
I tossed my phone on the bed and ran my shaky hands through my hair, then stood, grabbed my phone, and stomped out of my room.
Alice was waiting in the kitchen. She’d made bacon.
I stared at it.
Then at her. “You packed?
“No.” She swallowed a piece and reached for another. “I’m not.”
“Why?” I leaned against the granite; it cut into my hip as I waited for her response.
She eyed me up and down. “You need me.”
“No.” Rage filled me, how dare she! “I really don’t.”
“We’ll see.”
“Yup, guess we will.”
Was everyone going to drive me insane today?
I slammed my hands on the countertop and tried to breathe in and out, in and out. “I’m off to torture my stepmother. Don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“Wait!” She reached for my arm, touched it.
I flinched. “What? What more could you possibly want from me?”
“Can I come?” Her eyes searched mine.
I had to have heard her wrong. “I’m sorry, what?”
Was she drunk?
“Can I come with you?”
“You,” I said slowly, “want to come with me and watch while I torture a woman for information and bring her as close to death as physically possible?”
She shivered and then paled. “Is she bad?”
“Does it matter?”
She nodded.
I bit back a curse. “She used to hit on me when I was a kid and tried touching me in the shower multiple times, would tell my dad I was the one hitting on her and made it so that I had to kill my own puppy when I was a child. Does that answer your fucking question?”
Alice’s eyes lit up with rage. “I’m coming.”
“Just make sure you puke in the corner and remember she’s the enemy.”
“If I’m staying, I need to learn how this works.”
Exhausted already, I sighed. “You’re not staying, six thirty-two.”
“Back to that, are we?”
“Alice.” I said her name with warning when my heart sped up that she would even fight to stay. “Don’t.”
“Do I need to bring like a weapon or something?”
I smirked. “Wow, you’re actually serious, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I mean you cut out my brother’s tongue. I’m assuming I need a knife or—”
“I’m keeping you far away from all sharp objects. With my luck you’d actually injure yourself and distract me. Besides, do you really think I would be so boring as to use a knife when I want information?”
Was it my imagination or did her eyes light up? “No. I would think for a man who has a tarantula at the bar, you’d be far more… adventurous.”
I barked out a laugh. “You have no fucking idea.”
At least one good thing would happen from today.
Alice would watch what I did.
And because she was a good person.
Because she was more than good.
She’d realize just how much she didn’t belong in my world.
I was the prince of darkness.
She may as well be an angel of light.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Alice
THE ROOM WAS purple.
I imagined more of a jail cell or dungeon sort of situation, something cold and dirty. Instead, the room seemed almost flirty, nice.
Though I did notice that the door was thick enough the room had to be completely sound proof.
There were multiple curtains covering something in the very back.
And tied to a chair was the woman who should have protected Andrei from the devil but instead tried to seduce him.
She was part of the reason he’d become the man he was.
And I hated her.
I hated how pretty she was.
How her hair was thick, luscious.
How even after staying up all night writhing in pain, her face held a ghost of a smile for her stepson.
Rage filled my soul as she eyed him up and down like she owned him.
Bull. Shit.
I clenched my hands into fists.
Andrei turned to me and looked down. “Feeling a bit… aggressive?”
“Very.”
He looked puzzled. “Is there a reason for that?”
Elena sighed loudly. “I’m right here!”
“I’m not speaking to you.” Andrei said in a bored tone.
I almost stuck my tongue out at her.
Instead, I wrapped my arms around Andrei and whispered in his ear. “She hurt you, so I want to hurt her.”
When I pulled back, his eyes flashed. “I should be completely disgusted with how erotic that actually sounds.”
I felt myself blush.
“And that—” He tapped a gloved finger to my cheek. “—is just another reason you need to go. Today.”
“We’ll see.”
He just shook his head like he didn’t want to argue, and then he turned to Elena. “How’s the ant bite?”
“How’s the limp dick?”
He burst out laughing. “Only when you’re in the room. God, I can’t even imagine how many poor souls got the syph because of you.”
She clenched her teeth and tried lunging for him, but the metal chair must have either been heavy or anchored to the floor.
I watched as he circled her, his smile amused, calm. He was in his element, it felt like I was watching something personal, vulnerable, he was hunting.
She was his prey.
I crossed my arms and shivered as his muscles flexed beneath his tight, long, black shirt.
He was wearing jeans that looked expensive, and his nose piercing seemed to make him look more predatory as he smiled at her with perfect white teeth.
He was mocking her without even opening his mouth.
“Who’s supplying the women?” he asked stopping behind her.
“Offer me protection.
He sighed in annoyance and then winked at me like he was enjoying himself. “Alice, tell me, do you like fish?”
“Um… yes?”
He grinned and crooked his finger.
I followed him to the far side of the room. He pressed a button, and the curtain spread revealing several tanks of different sizes.
I noticed the jellyfish right away.
Rats of different sizes.
A few smaller spiders that looked exotic.
A snail that looked completely harmless.
A puffer fish that was cute but, I knew, deadly.
And then a sleek looking fish that had a sharp fin.
“That one,” I pointed to the sleek fish. “What’s that?”
“Surgeon fish.” He grabbed a pair of metal tongs and a net. As he dipped the net into the water and scooped up the fish, he grabbed the tongs and clasped the fish as it flopped around. “Some say that its fins are as sharp as a scalpel.”
“Are they?”
“No.” He grinned. “Sharper.”
“So, you’re saying don’t touch it.”
“Exactly.”
He turned to Elena. “You like fishing, right Elena?”
She glared. “Protection for the names.”
“No,” he barked and then looked to me. “You see that bucket in the far corner? Can you fill it in the sink and bring it over?”
I located the yellow bucket, filled it in the sink next to the bathroom, and walked toward Elena.
“You his assistant or his whore?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Both.”
“Enjoy it while it lasts, sweetheart. Soon you’ll be in this chair.”
“No. I won’t. He promised he’d kill me and make it quick if it ever came to that, so no, Elena, I won’t ever be in that chair.”
Her face turned a bright red as I dropped the bucket in front of her, water sloshed all over her jean-
clad legs.
Andrei had a remote in his hand. The floor below the chair suddenly lowered, he slid the bucket under her dangling feet and dropped the fish in.
I watched in fascination as he pressed another button, bringing the bucket closer and closer to her feet while the fish swam around in agitated circles.
“Now.” Andrei cleared his throat. “I either leave you in here for an hour with this fish while he cuts your feet to tiny ribbons and bone, or you can tell me who’s sending the girls.”
“Your father’s son,” Elena spat. “You’ll have to do more than torture me with your freaky zoo.”
“This…” Andrei grinned. “I do for fun. I do for free. Because killing you is too easy, because slitting your throat is pretty painless, because I want to see how much blood of yours, I can spill. You’ll tell me because you value your life. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it while I can.”
“You’re sick!” she yelled. “Just like him!”
“You’re right about one thing.” He pressed the button until her feet dipped in the water, she let out a scream. “I am sick, but sorry to disappoint you, I’m nothing like him, I would never have fucked you.”
He pressed the button all the way.
The bucket went all the way up to her knees.
The water went from clear to crimson in seconds.
I couldn’t look away.
Andrei, however, yawned. “Names?”
“P-protection!” She shook in her seat as she tried to jerk her body free and kick over the bucket.
It seemed to just piss off the fish more.
Andrei reached for something on a shelf and then walked over to the bucket. “Good enough.” He reached the tongs in, put the fish away and then dumped what looked like an entire box of salt into the bucket.
I cringed.
She screamed so loud my ears rang.
I covered them briefly and then lowered them as tears ran down her cheeks. She looked ready to pass out.
“No?” Andrei sighed. “That’s too bad.”
He grabbed a bottle with a fine-tipped nozzle and squirted it down one arm in a circular motions as though writing something, and then did the same on the wooden plank floor.
“Last chance before you pass out,” Andrei said in a cold, detached voice.
Debase Page 17