Page 45 of A Monster Is Coming

“Yes, I do have your son. He’s in a rather uncomfortable position at the moment.” Ivan let out a little chuckle.

I didn’t see a third member, but The Butcher had left, only to come back seconds later with a man whose arm looked to be in the wrong position. There was also blood oozing out of his nose, and it looked like a couple of teeth were missing.

“I had a little fun,” The Beast said.

“Dad,” Finn the son said.

“Finn!”

“There are a lot of Finns right now, I’m getting confused,” Ivan said. “Maybe it’s time to cull the Finn population.”

I watched as The Beast walked over to Finn the son and wrapped his fingers around his throat.

“Do you love this son?” Ivan asked. “I mean, he is your oldest son, and you do plan to … what is it, allow him to take over?”

“Let him go,” Finn Byrne Sr. said.

“Let him go? Do you seriously think I am just going to hand over your son? No, I want something in return,” Ivan said.

“What?”

“Quite simple really, I want Niamh. You know, brown hair, brown eyes, you’re her shit father, but I kind of like her,” Ivan said. “You will get your son, and I will get Niamh, and I’m not negotiating.”

Ivan hung up the phone, and I was ready to fucking scream.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m waiting to see what we’re dealing with.”

“My dad won’t call back. He doesn’t do deals with the likes of you,” Finn the son said.

I was already sick of thinking about the name Finn.

I didn’t know for sure how much time had passed, but then Ivan’s cell phone rang.

We needed to make a deal.

I had to get to Niamh.

“We have a deal,” Finn Byrne said.

****

Niamh

Present Day

This was a trap.

My father was not going to let any man from the Volkov Bratva get the better of him. It had been hard to hear the full conversation, as it was vague. The Volkov Bratva had my half-brother, Finn—the son and child my father did want—his eldest, who he wanted to guide and build the empire with.

I didn’t know exactly where we were. I’ve been forced onto my knees on the cold and dirty floor. The stench was making my head spin.

I had a horrible feeling I’d lost the baby I was carrying. I hadn’t taken a test, but I had done the math, and I understood basic biology. I was pregnant with Peter’s baby.

We were going to have a baby, or we might have been. I didn’t think … after the beating I’ve just been given, I didn’t know if I still carried his child. There was a lot of blood between my thighs. The bottom of my white dress was now stained with blood.

My father had stopped when he saw it, and I think he might have known what he’d done. He seemed happy about it.

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