Page 157 of Koroleva

"Is this for me?" I asked, in case there had been a mistake.

"Yes. It's a gift." Now I knew for sure whose it was. "Would you like me to uncork it?"

It was so considerate of him to anticipate my needs. I felt like having a glass while bathing, and he knew me so well it was almost scary.

"Please." I extended my hand to encourage the waitress.

She closed the door and, with great professionalism, served me the glass. She was pretty, slender, with very curly hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Thank you." As any efficient employee would, she waited for me to taste the delight. I took a sip and smiled at her. "Excellent." She barely let out a small sigh of relief.

I finished the glass quickly; I was thirsty. She kindly refilled it for me.

"Should I place it somewhere?" she asked helpfully.

"In the bathroom, on the edge of the tub; I was just about to get in," I admitted.

"Of course." I read from her badge that her name was Elena.

She pushed the cart into a corner of the living room and took the ice bucket to the place I had indicated.

I followed her steps closely, and as I saw her bend over, I noticed she was carrying a gun strapped to her thigh.

I immediately went on alert; a waitress wouldn't be carrying a semi-automatic for no reason. I broke the glass I was holding against the frame to fashion a weapon. The element of surprise was crucial when facing an enemy.

She turned at the sound.

"Who the hell are you?" I spat without reservation.

"Calm down," she murmured, putting her hands in front of her in a pacifying gesture. As if that would stop me.

"Why are you carrying a gun on your thigh?" I insisted. I approached with the glass shard in hand, ready to slice her throat. She looked from side to side.

"You have to come with me and ask no questions." I let out a laugh.

"Does that work with anyone? Because with me, you're out of luck, darling. Who sent you? Was it Cheng? Massimo? Who?" She backed up a few steps, right where the bathtub was.

I needed to disarm her and then find out who the hell she was.

I lunged, aiming to incapacitate her hand with a deep cut; it wasn't a good idea to go for the neck without getting information. The problem was that the seemingly harmless girl turned into a queen bee and threw a flying kick that made me lose the glass.

"Listen!" she repeated under my astonishment. That had hurt, and I wasn't going to let it slide.

I rewarded her with a dangerous smile and lowered my gaze to her thigh.

"Explanations later, darling, or did you think we were going to chat about our lives after you kicked me?"

She reached for the weapon, but I destabilized her with a sweep that pushed her backward.

Her slender body tried to recover, which she might have managed if the soap mixed with water hadn't turned into a trap for her feet. She slipped and got wedged on the edge of the marble bathtub ledge. I didn't waste time and pounced, using my body weight to pin her down. I twisted that curly ponytail around my left wrist and dunked her face into the water.

"I've got you."

The flailing, caused by lack of air and excess water, came quickly. She tried to break free and breathe. No fucking way. She moved so much it was hard to reach her thigh.

I lifted her face slightly to prolong her agony and immediately submerged her again.

"Confess, you curly piece of shit. Were yours the ones who tried to kidnap my sister? Because if they were your friends or coworkers, you should know they're dead, and you won't have a better future if you don't tell me who the fuck you work for!"

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