Page 53 of Cruel Knots

Something close to disbelief flickers in his eyes. “You three...”

“We’re alive, yes,” says Mikhail. I can’t see his face but can hear rage in his voice.

“How?” Callum seems to forget about me as he stares wide-eyed at the three men before him. “How are you all alive? I destroyed you three!”

“A man like you can never destroy us,” Damien says in a calm voice. “You broke our bodies and threw us in a garbage dump. That’s not enough to get rid of a Volkov.”

“Give me back my sister!” Callum screams, his black eyes nearly popping out of his face as he sneers maniacally at the men before him. “I will kill you again if I need to. How dare you touch her? She’s mine!”

“She was always ours,” says Leon. “We’d have taken her far away sooner if we knew what kind of a monster you are.”

My heart throbs with a painful emotion at those words. It’s them, my mind whispers to me.

There’s no doubt left in my mind anymore. They may not look like the three boys I’d fallen in love with all those years ago but they’re still my Damien, Leon, and Mikhail. Callum’s reaction to them confirms it.

Rage and hatred course through my veins as I stare up at Damien. My eyes take in every thick line that mars his face. He used to be the most handsome among his brothers. Callum destroyed his beauty before sentencing him to die. How could my brother do such a cruel thing?

It’s all because of me, I realize with a start. Callum did this to him because he saw me kissing Damien that night.

All the things they said to me since they kidnapped me run through my head. This is the reason they felt so familiar when they called me “Princess.”

A painful sob chokes my throat. Whatever happened to me over the past few days is Callum’s fault too. He’s responsible for raising monsters out of the boys I loved so much.

“Give her back or I’ll fucking blow your heads,” Callum’s shout breaks me out of my thoughts. “It’ll be me who pumps your brains with bullets. I’ll make sure you remain dead this time.” He holds a pistol in his hand, pointing it directly at Mikhail who’s closest to him.

To my astonishment, Mikhail laughs. “Look around you, asshole.”

Instinctively, I glance around as well.

Several men have appeared all around us, each holding rifles that are pointed at Callum and his minions.

“Go ahead. Shoot,” says Leon. “You’ll end up dead before any of us.”

Callum’s face reddens with rage. His gaze swings toward me. “Get over here, Lucia!” he shouts. “Throw him off and come to me, darling. I’ll protect you.”

“N—”

Before I can say a word, a different voice speaks up.

“What’s all this shouting about?” says an annoyed female voice. “Is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet while I do my morning yoga?”

A young woman appears before us. Her long ebony hair is adorned with streaks of bright pink. She looks a couple of years younger than me and is wearing cute blue shorts with little red hearts on them.

Callum is quick to stomp toward her and grab her by the hair. “Let go of my sister or I’ll kill her,” he bellows, thrusting the gun’s muzzle against her forehead.

“Oww! That hurts!” the girl cries out as he tightens his grip on her hair.

“Let her go, Callum!” I shout. “There’s no point in hurting her. They won’t let you take me without killing us. You should go home and wait for them to let me go.”

“Who’s the broad?” the girl asks with a curious look.

“Mind your own business,” Mikhail hisses. “Who asked you to butt into our conversation?”

“This is my house too!” the girl hisses back.

The pretty, young woman doesn’t seem afraid even though she’s being held at gunpoint. Ignoring my brother, she continues arguing with Mikhail.

Utter respect bubbles inside me. I wish I could be as fearless as her in front of these dangerous men.

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