Page 54 of My Merciless Don

They all stared back at me with varying levels of spite in their eyes. These people really did not like me, and nobody knew where I was.

Excellent work Audry.

Yegorov smirked maliciously at me. “It doesn’t matter how many failsafes you have. Nobody will find you unless I want them to.”

I cocked an eyebrow, trying to look haughty. “And do you? Want them to find me?’

“Maybe…” he shrugged, “I would like them to find your mangled body.” He threw back his head and laughed. “I can just imagine Cassio’s face when he finds a second girlfriend with the same face as the first, killed in an even more gruesome manner. Oh, to be a fly on the wall…” He grinned at me, malice glittering in his black eyes.

I inclined my head to the side. “Why do you hate him so much? Is it because you’re jealous that he’s handsome and attractive while you’re ugly and repulsive?” I kept my tone strictly curious.

He snarled, leaping at me, his hand raised to slap me again but then he froze, and the rage bled out of his eyes. He shook his head. “I won’t let you rile me, bitch. Whatever you’re trying to do, it won’t work.”

Since I had absolutely no idea what I was trying to do aside from stay alive, it was a source of comfort to me that he thought I might have a plan. At least someone believed in me.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “You were telling me what you wanted from me.”

He straightened up and went to lean on his desk, my words giving him focus in spite of himself. “Yes. You are going to give me back my money and show me exactly how you penetrated the Cosa Nostra systems.

I frowned in feigned puzzlement. “I don’t know what you mean.”

He gave me a very mean smile, his small eyes piercing. “Yes, you do.”

How could he have heard of that?

I was pretty sure the organization was not announcing that they’d managed to get conned by a girl. So he must have had an inside man. I tapped my foot softly, wondering how I could use this information to my advantage.

“How do you know?”

He barked with laughter. “The audacity. You think I would tell you?”

“Why not? You’re going to kill me, right? So, who will find out?”

“I never said that.”

I leaned forward, looking him fearlessly in the eye. “You don’t have to, Alex. I can see it in your eyes. You’re mad that I managed to get one over you and you’re going to make me pay.”

“You’ll try to seduce me out of my plans?” he asked lazily.

I shuddered delicately.

“You had no problem seducing me before.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, and you never wondered how we never quite ended up fucking? You’re a lot slower than you look – and you look slow.”

The bitch slap came so fast I didn’t even see him lift his hand. I just found myself on the floor, having flown out of my chair. Now I am not a masochist, but I figured that as long as he was slapping me, he wouldn’t be killing me. Or asking inconvenient questions. Hopefully, someone, maybe my step dad, maybe Marco, might come for me in the meantime. I regretted not leaving Marco a note. It was unfair of me to just slink off like a one-night stand when what we had shared had been so special. I bitterly regretted getting out of his bed that morning. I could have been cuddling with him or making love again.

Who the fuck cared if he just saw me as a substitute for my dead sister?

Why had I even cared about it so much? There were so many other important things to worry about. Now I might die in this filthy den of traffickers, or worse, get trafficked again, and for what?

You really are stupid Audry. Why couldn’t you just try and work it out?

One of Yegorov’s goons lifted me off the floor and deposited me back in the chair. Another put a laptop in front of me. He pointed imperiously at it. “Get me my money now. And those codes. I want everything you have or I’ll take your life.”

I stared up at him, defiantly. There was nothing that could persuade me to give him what he wanted. To do so would be hastening my death or disposal. I had to stall somehow.

I cleared my throat. “I’ll need internet access.”

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