Page 112 of Falling for the Enemy

“One finger. Just let me cut off one finger.”

“Nyet,” Casper replies to Nikolai, his annoyance unmistakable. “He belongs to Ari. Not—”

“She won’t miss one finger, svoloch. There are nine more, plus ten toes.”

Casper sighs but doesn’t respond.

“What about an ear?” I’ve never heard my enforcer beg before. “Blyad’! I’ll settle for a tooth at this point, as long as it’s a big one.”

Alejandro’s silent laugh rumbles against my side. “I thought Benito and Christian were loco, but this shit takes the cake.”

Near the end of the dark hall, he stops and stands me on my feet, his hands remaining on my hips until I’m able to steady myself.

“You ready, Hermosa?”

“Da.”

With a wink, I take his hand in mine and lead him down the hall, making sure to breathe deeply with each step. My heels, ones Anna packed for me since she didn’t trust Alejandro to choose correctly, click against the concrete, alerting my men, as well as Stefano, to my approach.

I step from the darkness into the light.

“Hello, boys.”

At the sight of me, Casper smiles. It’s the first time I’ve seen him since the shooting. Nikolai, however, scowls after looking me over from head to toe.

“You’ve lost weight while in the hospital, and I don’t like it.” I quirk a brow as he fists his hands and looks over my shoulder to Alejandro. “You need to feed her more so she regains her strength.”

Knowing full well that my enforcer just waded into a mess I have no time to help him clean up, I hold up my hand, halting the argument set to ensue.

No one dares speak.

When silence descends, I turn my focus to the task at hand, or rather the man whose heart I'll soon shred. “Dobryy den, Stefano.” Good afternoon, I say mockingly. “This meeting has been a long time coming.”

The sight of the durak sets my skin on fire.

Reaching behind me, I cup Alejandro’s cheek. “Krasavchik, do you mind doing the heavy lifting?” The floor beneath my heels shifts the slightest bit. As much as I’d like to work Stefano over alone, doing so isn’t possible.

Besides, my kingpin has a debt of his own to collect.

Pulling my hand from his face, he kisses my knuckles. His lingering lips awaken the butterflies that live behind my belly button.

“Anything for you, Manzana.”

Aware of how quickly I tire thanks to the information Carmen passed along, Casper places a chair before me. I take a seat, the position I’m now in perfect for watching the masterpiece soon to unfold.

Alejandro moves in front of me and removes his cufflinks, then rolls up his dress shirt’s sleeves, revealing his delicious forearms.

I nearly bite my lip at the sight.

I’ve missed sleeping in his arms. Badly.

His wide eyes filling with fear, Stefano yells from behind the rag that’s pulled tight between his parched lips; the very one that’s stained with his son’s blood.

“Nyet.” Wagging my finger from side to side, I cluck my tongue against the roof of my mouth. “There will be none of that.”

Face reddening, he jerks against his bindings, more indecipherable vitriol flying into the makeshift gag.

Alejandro has heard enough.

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