Page 45 of Kaid's Empire

I step back and drop the locking pliers on the ground. My chest is heaving as the adrenaline courses through my body. “Blow torch,” I demand to Mikhail.

“Yes, boss.” Mikhail smiles and hands me the blow torch.

“Listen, Vitali, I am nothing but hygienic, I know it’s always good to burn and seal things off. Helps stop infection,” I state. Holding the blow torch in my hand, I bend down and burn his foot, and then where I cut his fingers.

“Arghh, fuck!” Vitali screams.

I step back and look at him, and I notice his tattoos. “Why the fuck do you have Bratva tattoos?” I hiss.

“He got them when he went to prison––protection,” Mikhail informs me.

“I don’t fucking think so,” I seethe, and with my blow torch, I burn them.

I spend the next hour cutting, burning and torturing the fuck out of him. By the time I'm done, he's barely alive.

“Make sure you keep him alive; I want him to live in that pain, I want him suffering before I end his life,” I order the soldiers as I leave.

“Boss.” One of them nods.

I grab my suit jacket before turning to Vitali. “The biggest mistake you ever made was crossing me. I warned you that I would make you suffer, and this is only the fucking start.”

Thirty-Two

Kaid

I don’t take Theia back to the yacht, I take her back to the hotel, in my suite. She can’t sleep in the dark, a light always has to be on. She keeps having reoccurring nightmares, waking up, sweating and screaming. I hold her every night in my arms, soothing her, and each time she wakes from these nightmares, my heart breaks. My life, my world caused this. Vitali is still alive, barely, but he is alive. I have him held up, waiting for me to finish him. If it wasn’t for Theia, I would have killed him by now, but I don’t want to leave her.

It's afternoon and she's curled up on the sofa, watching a movie. I lean over and kiss her head. “I'm going out for a while. Mikhail will be here, but if you need me, call me,” I tell her.

She sits up. “Are you going to kill him today?” she asks. Her face is pale, her tired eyes searching mine.

I kiss her head. “You don’t need to worry about that,” I soothe.

She pulls away and stands. “I want to come,” she blurts unexpectedly.

“That’s not a good idea. I won’t let you see me like that. You’ve witnessed enough bloodshed,” I state.

She shakes her head. “I want to see him suffer, I want to see him die, it’s the only way I am going to get closure.”

I sigh. “Kroschka––”

“No,” she snaps firmly. “This isn’t a situation where you can tell me what to do, this is a situation where you need to listen and be there for me.”

I relent. She's a strong woman, she knows her own mind. I nod and she smiles a relieved smile. I take her hand in mine and we make our way down to the car. Mikhail nods, guessing the situation. He climbs into the front passenger seat, and I sit in the back, my arm protectively around Theia.

We drive out to my villa, and once there, Theia looks around. “This is nice.” She smiles. I take her hand in mine, leading her into the house. She may not feel it’s so nice once inside. I stop at the door to the basement and look at her.

“Are you sure?” I ask. She nods, her grip on my hand tightening.

“I'm not scared, I am fine, it’s just the basement.” She breathes. I kiss the back of her hand and lead her down the stairs. I feel her body tense as she sees Vitali. It’s not a pretty sight. He is chained up against the wall, cuts across his body, and his tattoos from serving inside as part of the Bratva have been removed. When he dies, there will be no mark of the Bratva, he will die a traitor.

“Vitali, wake up!” I yell, throwing water over him. He gasps, drawing a breath. “Today is your lucky day. Today, it finally ends.”

Vitali opens his eyes and sees Theia. “Good to see you again.” He laughs, coughing.

“Don’t you talk to her; you keep your fucking mouth shut,” I seethe.

I let go of Theia’s hand. “Step back, Kroschka.” She does as I've asked.

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