Page 50 of KAI Tortured

Guilt laces Christopher’s voice. “I didn’t believe Rosey when she showed me the video as it was grainy, but then she told me she has the gun as evidence, and I was left with no choice.”

“What are you talking about?” I struggle to breathe, suddenly overwhelmed by nausea, and start to retch. But nothing comes up. There’s just the sound of me heaving. Surely Kai can hear me?

Christopher glances at the closest man in uniform, who takes a step toward me.

“Maisy Roy Slavinovich, I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Natasha Wilson. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?”

His voice becomes a distant murmur as he snaps the handcuffs onto my wrists, and my world crumbles around me. Once again, I am alone and helpless, with no hope of return.

“Natasha… who? M-Murder? I haven’t killed any…” I retch again as I realize who they are talking about. Milan must have had cameras in and around the house. Rosey must have found the tapes. Rosey. Of all people, she was the one to betray me.

I peer toward the exit, searching for Orion, Logan, or Kai, but they’re not there. “Save me,” I whisper, “please…” They can hear me, I know they can.

Tears sting my eyes. I hope to God the police are mistaken but then again, they mentioned Natasha’s name. I can’t deny it. Even though she deserved it. I actually killed someone, and stupidly left the gun next to the body. Now I’m about to spend a lifetime in prison.

Christopher leaps up onto his feet and they lead me out of the restaurant through the back exit. A black limousine with blackout windows is parked across the road, and the back window slides down for a brief moment to reveal Rosey’s face, twisted with satisfaction, before the window winds up again. How could she have done this? Does she hate me that much? Stupid Maisy. Being involved with the mafia, where else would I have ended up? Either dead in a ditch, being a hooker paid in heroin, or in jail. Stupid, stupid Maisy!

Orion, Logan, and Kai can hear me for sure, but they’re nowhere to be seen. The cold truth sinks in; I’m completely alone, left to endure this harrowing reality by myself. There is no one to turn to, no one to guide me through the relentless darkness that now defines my existence.

ORION

Kai parked his bike and joined us in the car, utterly unaware of what transpired in the last ten minutes. We quickly got him up to speed.

Emilio is fidgeting in the driver’s seat while the three of us sit in the back, hypnotized. These are the moments when the blackout windows of my car serve a purpose; we have a clear view of everyone, every face. And through Maisy’s mike, we also hear every word people are saying. And still we cannot believe this has happened.

Did we not see it? We did. But I thought it would be her sister, not Christopher.

“Fucking bitch,” Logan says under his breath, and I turn to follow his eyeline.

Directly opposite the back exit of the restaurant is a blacked-out limo, and just as the back window is winding up, we see her. Eyeballing Maisy directly, and laughing cruelly. She knew we’d never let her have Maisy, no matter what, so she delivered her straight to the cops.

Just like that, the window closes, and the car takes off.

Amid all the chaos of the cops and other people talking in the background, all that’s repeating in my head is Maisy’s quiet plea for salvation. Save me. Like a dagger stabbed straight in the heart, those words tear me apart.

They said ‘the murder of Natasha Wilson.’ I’m not worried about the video, with it being grainy, it won’t hold in court, but if Rosey really has the gun, Maisy’s fucked. We’re fucked.

As her lawyer, I will defend her with my life. I’ve done that already, many times; that’s not in question. What I’m most worried about is them getting to her and offering her a new life, away from here, from us, under witness protection. The same way we hoped to clear the Slavs from New York. And she may choose to take up that new life. I know she’ll consider it because it would give her everything she’s always desired for herself and her sister. Now that Rosey’s out of the picture, I know Maisy will have to think of herself. That’s why her Save me just killed me. It felt like that was the moment when she decided what to do about us.

She knows too much, way too much, and we never planned for her to ever be in this position. Can we trust her? The one question we never truly got an answer to.

“Fuck, she knows too much about everything!” My thoughts are spoken out loud before I realize I’m talking. I glance over at Kai. His fists are clenched with the promise of vengeance. Rosey and Christopher will pay for this.

Logan promptly reminds me of my duty as a lawyer. “Go get her.”

I need no reminding when it comes to Maisy. “They’re fucking idiots if they think it’s gonna be this easy,” I growl. “This is the woman of not one, but three mafia heads, and no one’s gonna fuck with her.”

We all watch as Maisy’s fragile form enters the backseat of the police vehicle, her head being gently pushed down as she goes. She looks defeated, her shoulders slumped and her eyes dropped low. There’s a blend of resignation and despair on her face.

I leave the car and stride over, reaching them just as most of the cops get in their cars. Christopher left already. Some of them eye me as I get near. I bet they recognize me. They should.

I keep my eyes locked on the car holding Maisy. Its engine revs, ready to pull away. I sprint and reach the vehicle just as it’s about to drive off. I tap sharply on the window, my urgency clear.

The cop inside looks over. After sizing me up through the glass, he finally lets the window down. “Yeah?”

I go into full lawyer mode. “May I ask on what grounds you are detaining my client? Probable cause for arrest must be based on concrete evidence, not mere suspicion or circumstantial evidence.”

“Your client? And you are?”

---