Page 20 of Heirs of Havoc

“Want to find out?”

Balancing the key under my tongue, my eyes narrow. “You want me to sneak this in and just ... hand him a key?”

“No, you’ll know when.”

“This is—”

“Cut the shit, Mia.” Feliks turns around before something cold comes to my skull. My eyes shut. I don’t have to see it to know what it is. “Don’t do it and see what happens. This is your mess to clean up.”

“Woah, Feliks.” Lev sounds like he’s trying to steady a horse. A wild one. When I open my eyes, Feliks’ golden glare locks on mine. “Now’s not the time to flash that shit around. Don’t overreact.”

“What she did was overreact,” Feliks’ calm voice doesn’t match the gun to my head. “I’m just being a good friend. So, you going to do it or not, Bunny?” He says that nickname like I’m prey and he’s the hunter in charge of whether I live, or I’m dinner. “You have five seconds or I’ll put this bullet through your skull and dump you off in the ravine.”

See? “Woah, wait—”

“Three.” He pushes the gun harder in my head and his deadpan face doesn’t make him any less scary. “Two."

“Feliks.” I try to level with him but he doesn’t look like he gives a fuck. He’s in that dark place and I’m not sure what triggered it, but I know what happens to those on the other end.

He cocks the gun, his hand shaking against my head like he’s afraid to do it, but he will. “For fuck’s sake, Mia. One.”

“Fine! Fine.” On those words, Vlad pushes me out of the car, my legs wobbling in my new heels. Before I can say anything else, the car reverses, Vlad pushing the purse out the window. Chuckles come from the car as they drive away, leaving me to walk down the long path in these shoes on my own.

* * *

My heart thuds with every step of my heel as my eyes scan my surroundings. An old structure with modern features. Stone corridors with metal automatic doors that buzz. And high ceilings holding dusty retro globes of light.

“Next!”

The cop with the metal detector directs me to put the purse into a clear bin. I didn't even check to see if the guys put anything in there. Part of me doesn’t believe they expect me to deliver this task. Part of me believes that they’re trying to do the same thing I did to their friend, or torture me for it all. Despite that, while officers stand scattered around the entrance, my worst fear isn’t getting caught. It’s coming face-to-face with him.

Buzz!

“Ma’am?” My thoughts disappear as the muffled sounds of the penitentiary come roaring back. The officer cocks his brow, his metal detector in front of my mouth.

Shit.

My body freezes, but my heart doesn’t.

Does he know?

Can he tell?

“It’s my, uh, my tongue ring.” My cheeks heat as he gives my lips a weird look. He sticks his tongue out of his rosy, plump face, giving it a flick that makes my nose twist. Looking away, I maneuver the key under my tongue before pushing my piercing through my lips so the long barbell sticks out. He chuckles, shoving my bag at my chest. “Move along.”

Another officer leads me down a narrow hall with a checkered floor. It opens to a room with small round tables and blue plastic chairs. A television hangs from one corner, portraits of the ocean decorating the walls as if that’ll make the inmates calm. The men here are far from serene. Chatter fills the air along with the smell of flowery perfume and stewed beef. I’m dressed for a club, but I’m not the only one. Other women wear similar dresses to what Feliks had on the bed. Some more revealing. Some flashier.

“Miss Federov.” The officer gets my attention with more than his voice. What the hell did he call me? “Mister Federov will be here in a few. Make yourself comfortable.” I’m far from comfortable. I’m so uncomfortable I’m about to throw up. This isn’t what I expected. No glass between us. No top security. Guests sit right across from the inmates. “Go ahead,” the officer urges, pointing to a seat at a table on the far end.

You can do this.

Can I?

My knees wobble as I make my way towards the table, my throat closing in. Another buzz stops me. Somehow, it’s louder than the others. Somehow, I can already feel his eyes on me.

Turning around, the man from my nightmares faces me. My monster. My mistake.

Dominik Fedrerov.

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