Page 51 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

“What the fuck?” Scar Guard mutters. “Go see what that’s about.”

The three other men hurry back up the stairs, leaving the two of us alone.

He sets his foot on top of my chest. “I could easily squish your heart under my boot, you bitch. You deserve it.”

I spit up at him. It comes out bloody. “Then do it.”

He lifts his foot, and I close my eyes, ready for death. I fought, and that’s something I can be proud of.

The gunshot is loud in the small room, making my ears ring. I gasp and open my eyes.

Scar Guard wavers on his feet before falling to the side, crumping on the ground. A bullet hole is in his head. He’s dead.

Slowly, I turn my head towards the basement entrance and see …

Aleksander.

He slowly lowers his gun before rushing to my side. “Viktoriya?”

“What are you doing here?” It’s getting harder to speak. Scar Guard hit me hard on the jaw.

“Not happy to see me?”

“No. I hate you.”

“Well, I’m here to save you. So, you should be grateful.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” I snap.

“Stop bickering,” another man says. Mikhail. “Aleksander, pick her up and carry her to the car. I’ll deal with the bodies.” He pulls out his phone and starts making calls.

I don’t put up a fight as Aleksander slips his arms under me and lifts me. Everything hurts. My beaten face. My cracked rib.

My bruised ego.

No one should see me this way, especially not Aleksander. What will he think? I’m supposed to always look beautiful.

I doubt I look beautiful now.

“I’m sure this makes you happy,” I groan as he walks upstairs. We pass dead body after dead body on the way out the door. It’s all the guards. Mikhail and Aleksander must have killed them all.

“Why would this make me happy?” he asks, sounding angrier than I expected.

“Because I was put in my place. You wanted me to learn my lesson.”

He lays me down on the backseat of his car, but before he shuts the door, he gives me a look I hate.

One full of pity.

“I never wanted this for you.” He shuts the door. All I can do is stare up at the ceiling and keep myself from crying.

Aleksander drives me back to Mikhail’s house while Mikhail remains at Akim’s house to ensure everything is taken care of.

Neither of us says a word.

Not until he parks outside the apartment building and turns around in his seat. “Viktoriya, you’re covered in blood.”

“Not my blood. I killed the man who bought me.”

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