Page 54 of Tainted Essence

A chorus of yeses sound out around the room. Ian looks irritated at this but he is smart enough to know that the Murdochs don’t make a play until they have a power move in place and right now, they hold half the power. With Knox and Wave being related there is no worry about those two going against each other but the one to watch now is Ian, he is the only solo member at this table and his face shows he is thinking the same thing.

“Is that all?” Bishop asks as he prepares to stand, but I speak for the first time garnering everyone’s attention but my focus is solely on the new Pakhan of the Bratva as I speak.

“I want Koda Novikov handed over to the Da Luca Crime Family where he will receive the same punishment as Karl for what he did to…” I clamp my mouth closed and choose a different way to word it. Anya’s eyes study me and I can feel Gage’s glare boring into the side of my head but ignore him. “I want him to suffer for years, torture isn’t enough. I want him begging for death and suffering for years to come for what he did.” The hatred in my tone is clear.

Anya looks to her husband who stands from his chair and moves to join his wife. Andreas shifts so he can fit beside his wife. Not wanting to be seen as weak, I push back from the table and stand, placing both my hands flat against the wooden surface. I took a leaf out of their book and made a power move, the tension in the room growing thicker by the second as everyone waits with bated breath to see what will happen between me, Gage and Anya.

“You act like you know something we don't know about… that situation.” He can word it however he likes but everyone in this fucking room knows we are talking about Destiny.

“I do know.” I make sure to announce each word slowly so there is no chance of him misunderstanding my meaning. “Believe me, when I tell you this is the best option for that situation,” I tack on just to be an asshole.

His upper lip twitches but he keeps his composure. “You don't have a say in what happens with Koda, that problem has been resolved by the Russians as is their right since what happened transpired on their turf.” He sounds like a cocky fucker and my anger seizes control of me.

I slam my fist into the table. “Fuck the rules!” I roar and tear my gaze from him to look at Anya. Knox rises and places a hand on my shoulder trying to get me under control but I shrug him off. “She is dying inside, you asked for my help and this is me giving it to you, Anya.” Understanding flares in her eyes.

“What the fuck is he talking about?” Gage asks his wife but she ignores him and keeps focusing on me.

“He hurt her, didn’t he?” She may have spoken softly but the weight of those words slammed into me as if she shouted them. I take a shuddering breath and drop my gaze to the table. “Answer me!” she screams.

I slowly lift my head and look between both of them, Gage looks like he’s on the verge of having a panic attack, Anya looks like a pale ghost. “Give him to me, let me take him to Ireland where Wave will make sure he suffers for… what he did.” Anya gasps and stumbles back a step, Gage begins shaking his head.

“No, no, no fucking way, not my little girl,” he yells, hoping that if he denies it out loud it will make it true. I may not have told them directly but they can read between the lines. I cut a glance to the rest of her family to see them all sitting with mixed looks of shock, anger, guilt and wrath etched into each of their features.

“You have my word that he will suffer daily, he will have a guest every hour to make sure he is serviced. He will get medical treatment so he doesn’t die, we’ll keep him alive for as long as you want but make no mistake, he will be treated like all the other traffickers we capture.” Wave says as she stands, Xan and Trey following her lead and flanking her on either side.

“Why?” Anya asks her.

“He hurt one of mine and for that he will meet the worst of punishments.” Anya nods and looks around the table until her gaze finally lands on me.

“He is to suffer, and I want access to him whenever I want.” I nod my agreement knowing Wave will agree to the terms as long as she can take him home so Kimber can get her pound of flesh. “He’s being kept at the Murdoch compound?—”

“You and I are transporting that low-life piece of shit,” Gage snarls at me before storming out of the room. I nod my agreement.

“You can transport him immediately,” Anya says in a flat tone.

“I’ll fly back to the States with you all, then take him to Ireland.” Once she nods her agreement, everyone starts to file out of the room. I turn to Knox to find his hard unyielding gaze focused on me already.

“All of this for a girl you claim not to be able to care for.”

I glare at my best friend. “Stay out of it,” I grit out.

Knox snaps his arm out, grips the back of my neck and pulls me forward so our foreheads touch. “Listen to me, you little shit. The past doesn’t define who we can become. If it did, I wouldn’t be with my wife and wouldn’t have two amazing fucking sons. Let. Go. Taylan.” My breathing grows loud. “Let it all go, brother. Jump head first into whatever it is you have with her and try because if you don’t, you won’t just be hurting yourself.”

“I can’t.”

He presses his head harder against mine. “You can! Stop being a pussy. You aren’t that bitch and never will be, Xan and I won’t let you become her.”

“Promise me you will save me if I do?” I beg, his eyes soften.

“On my life, Taylan, I will never let you lose yourself.” I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

“I’m scared,” I admit.

He smiles and nods. “This will be the scariest thing you will ever do in your life but if you don’t try you will regret it.”

“Okay.” He smiles victoriously and pulls me in for a hug before slapping me on the back twice and shoving me toward the exit so I can catch up with the Murdochs. I wave to Xan, Trey and Wave as I run after the others.

Picture the most awkward situation you have ever been in and then times that by ten, that’s me right now. I am sitting between Rook and Knight with Bishop, King and Gage in front of me with Vincent standing in the aisle with his arms crossed over his chest. I thought Royal and the others would be on this flight, but turns out he and the others have their own plane and so does London and Artemis, which left me alone with the Murdochs.

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