Page 30 of Darkest Deeds

Ava

Quantico, Virginia

Present Day

Chief Dunning risesto his feet, his voice a little unsteady. “So let me get this straight; a member of the Cavalieri Della Morte all but tells you he’s going to torture and kidnap you, and you’re shocked when he breaks into your apartment and does it.”

“He didn’t actually shoot me in the head, but thanks for your concern,” I snap.

“You look fine to me.”

I inhale, curling my fingers around the armrest. “I wasn’t shocked. I didn’t think—”

“And to make matters worse, Agent Schaeffer confronted you hours earlier, rightfully suspicious you were hiding something, and you didn’t feel the need to inform him you’d been threatened by a known assassin.”

His palms are flat on his desk, his fingers spread wide as if he’s holding onto his last shred of composure. I guess I’m supposed to be intimidated, but instead, I endure his rapid-fire accusations without an ounce of emotion.

“Niko and I have a long history,” I admit, sitting back in my chair, my fluid movements a stark contrast to his taut, rattled ones. “As I was saying, I didn’t think he’d actually hurt me.”

“Hurt you?” Pushing off the desk, he lets out a tired laugh. “Forgive me for being apathetic, but the man almost choked you to death. What constitutes hurting a person to you? A bullet to the brain? Disembowelment? Beheading? Because if you think he isn’t capable of all of those, you’re very wrong. The pictures we’ve seen—”

“Enough!” I yell, jumping out of my chair and fisting my hands by my side. “I grew up in a house that had a basement lined with removeable plastic. You think you’re telling me something I don’t know?” My breathing becomes erratic as images flash like still frames through my mind. “You sit here in your big executive office passing judgment behind the safety of your computer screen while I spent my childhood hiding in corners and watching men being carried out in pieces. So, don’t sit there and tell me about the pictures you’ve seen when I’ve fought my entire life not to end up in one of them.”

A long silence hangs in the air. He stares. I stare. His palms press into the desk, and mine curl tighter by my side. Finally, he lets out a long sigh before sinking back into his chair. “You didn’t answer my question, Miss Chernova.”

I slowly take my seat, resisting the urge to punch him in the face. “You didn’t really ask one, Carl.”

“From the moment you found that flower in your car, you had a feeling Niko Gaheris had returned to Miami. Even though he wasn’t Agent Schaeffer’s target, why didn’t you inform him? Especially after the confrontation at Seven.”

He’ll never understand. None of them will. It's not easy taking a step forward when you don’t know where your foot will fall. It could land on safe ground or just as easily plunge me to my death.

“We’re on the same page here, right? I mean, you do remember Agent Schaeffer was blackmailing me into helping him.” I attempt to keep my voice even.

“He wasn’t blackmailing you, Miss Chernova. Believe it or not, he was trying to help you. I believe you were the one who broke the law.”

I narrow my eyes. “That was entrapment.”

“Irrelevant. Agent Schaeffer offered you a choice and you took it.”

“A choice? He offered me a prison block or the chopping block. How was that a choice?”

“One, you’re free, and the other, you’re not.” He keeps talking, but I’ve already stopped listening. All I hear is noise coming from his lips with nothing of value.

Free.

I almost choke on the word.

“Chief Dunning, you need to understand something; you can lock me up or hide me away on top of a mountain surrounded by all seven seas, but I’ll never be free. Ethan refused to see that and look where that got him.”

He crosses his arms over his chest and flashes a cold smile. “Well, he’s not here to speak for himself, is he?”

“No, he isn’t. But I am, and you can either listen to what I have to say or continue to berate me. Regardless of which one you choose, my story will be told.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means there are a lot of secret doors to open here, Carl.” I tuck a stray hair behind my ear, so he’s sure to see every inch of my face. “Pick whichever one you want, but I don’t think you’ll like what you’ll find behind any of them.”

“Why don’t you start with the one that will make me understand how you went from being Gaheris’s hostage to being his whore?”

There’s that word.

“Let’s get something straight, sir. You can sit there in your fancy suit and accuse me all you want.” I lean in close and hold his eye, making sure not one word is missed. “But call me a whore again, and I’ll show you what’s behind the biggest door of all.”

“And what’s that, Miss Chernova?”

“The reason why four men walked into this nightmare, but only one woman found her way out.”

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