Page 14 of Seeds of Sorrow

Hadina cleared her throat and looked at him pointedly, sure to show him nothing but her gruesome intentions. “I don’t think you should be telling me what to do right now, Henrik. You’re atmymercy. Not the other way around.”

She picked up her own gun from where it lay discarded on the desk, motioning for her target to take a seat. He looked over his shoulders at his bodyguards, but both men shrugged. “Time’s up, boss.”

Henrik fumed, his cheeks turning a furious shade of pink. Balling his fists, he made his way to the chair and lowered himself down with athud. “What the fuck is this? You have my men under your spell now?”

Hadina couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips as she took in Henrik’s anger. What a pathetic waste of life, of power. Henrik Smith had the kind of money and sway to change the world, but instead, he chose to use and abuse people far more vulnerable than most. He was everything that was wrong with the world, and Hadina couldn’t wait to destroy him.

“Oh, Henners, you poor, brainless man,” she cooed, never once dropping her perfect smile. “Your men aren’t under my spell. They’re just under the illusion that I’ll be giving them a million dollars each if they stand down. But don’t worry, they won’t be making it out alive either.”

Right on cue, Harris shot both bodyguards between the eyes—a single, clean bullet to end them immediately. Blood sprayed across the doorframe, chunks of brain matter and scalp flying across the floor. Henrik watched on in shock as his men fell backward, collapsing in a heap at the door. Their bodies lay in a crumpled mess of crimson puddles that were a stark contrast to the white tiles beneath them.

“Now that they’ve been dealt with, we should discuss why you’re here.”

Ignoring her completely, Henrik continued to stare at the bodies of his men, their blood soaking into the suits that Henrik made them wear. Such a waste to see them ruined, but necessary nonetheless.

Snapping her fingers, Hadina commanded the attention of her audience. “Eyes on me, Henrik. You’re not here for a show.”

“Clearly,” he said, finally sitting back in his seat. “I’m here to die.”

Hadina smiled, picking up her gun and tapping it against the palm of her hand. “Technically, you’re here to give me information. Anything that happens afterwards, such as your death, will just be a bonus.”

“I don’t have anything to tell you. I’m just an art dealer.”

“And I’m just a lawyer.”

Henrik huffed and shifted in his chair. Hadina stayed silent, waiting for his resignation a moment later. “Fine. What the fuck do you want?”

She knew her smile would have been absolutely feral but she didn’t wipe it away. Instead, she bared her teeth, a lioness ready to tear apart her prey. “I want to know where you’re keeping the girls you kidnapped. You know, the ones you and your bastard friends have been raping and then selling to the highest bidders. I want a location, then I want a list of everyone you’ve been working with. If you give me all of that, maybe I’ll make your death a fraction less painful than the sheer torture you’ve been inflicting on those poor girls.”

* * *

An hourof bodily harm and thorough questioning provided Hadina with all the information she needed. While she knew Henrik was a weak man, she hadn’t expected him to break quite so easily. Powerful men were fragile things when confronted by the wrath of a woman.

“Please just kill me,” he begged, his swollen, bloodied eyes searching through the haze of red for her. Hadina did the man a favor and moved to stand directly in his line of sight before crouching to his level.

“You didn’t think I’d make it that easy for you, did you?” she questioned, shaking her head. Reaching down into her boot, she removed her blade, flicking her wrist to open it. The metal shone under the fluorescent lights, gleaming as it awaited the bloodshed to follow.

Slowly running the sharpened edge across his cheek, Hadina watched as Henrik stopped wriggling where he sat, choosing to sit perfectly still as though it would help him avoid what was about to happen.

“Pieces of shit like you, the absolutescumof the earth, always think they can do and take what they want. You steal young girls—fuckingchildren!—and ruin their lives. You inflict your cruelty on them, and once you’re bored, you throw them at the feet of the highest bidder.”

Hadina pressed down on her switchblade, cutting into the skin just under Henrik’s jaw. She reveled in the sound of his sharp intake of breath, noting how he gritted his teeth to stop from screaming. Her blood boiled at the thought of what those young girls endured at the hands of men like him, and yet he could barely handle being roughed up. She would try to cause him every bit of pain she possibly could, and when it would threaten to break her, she would let Harris step in and take his fill. Henrik Smith wouldn’t get a quick death at her hands—that was for sure.

Her voice was icy as she brought her knife down to his right hand where it was bound to the chair. She scored the blade across his fingertips, back and forth, sawing lightly to cause a slow, burning pain. “Have you ever even considered what you do to them, or does it really not cross your mind?”

He remained silent. The only noise in the room was that of his blood hitting the floor in little crimson droplets.

She heaved a sigh. “I suppose it’s the latter, because you would have to care on some level to think about how you treat them. Can you imagine being stolen and abused, men triple your age treating you like their own personal fuck-doll? How wouldyoufeel, Henrik, to have someone like you tear you apart from the inside out?”

Much to Hadina’s dismay, Henrik was mute. His jaw tensed every time she allowed the knife to bite into his skin, but he kept his words locked away.

“You touch and violate these children and get off on their pain. And then you reap the rewards, spending your money on priceless art and meaningless objects. I know you won’t be making it out of here alive, but I can’t resist the urge to show you what life would be like without your grubby little hands.”

Slamming the knife down in one swift motion, Hadina used all her strength to sever Henrik’s fingers. She brought the blade down again and again until, one by one, the mutilated digits dropped to the floor and rolled to a stop at her feet. She barely registered his screams as they tore through the small office space, her focus entirely on the horror displayed across his disgusting face.

“You fucking whore!” he roared, thrusting himself back in his chair to try to free himself. But Hadina was confident in Harris’s specialized skills and knew there was no escaping those binds.

Hadina cackled, throwing her head back like a madwoman. “I’m most definitely not. But even if I were, there is no shame in that. People like you belittle women to make yourselves feel better about the fact that the only way you can get your dick wet is by paying for it or taking it from someone against their will.” She slowly ran her hand down his torso, stopping at the outline of his pants. With a wink aimed at Harris, she grabbed Henrik’s flaccid dick through the material of his pants, digging in her nails and twisting. “So, let me return the favor. I’m going to take your mostprizedpossession from you without your consent. And while you bleed out as Harris and I watch, I want you to think about how this isyourdoing. You never should have touched anyone without their consent, and now you’ll die from the consequences.”

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