Page 15 of His Revenge

“I might not feel fit to be your queen but I am not so cowardly that I would run away while you are working. You have given me no reason to fear you. How am I going to leave the house without you when someone clearly wants me dead?” I respond tothe question he was afraid to ask. The look in his eyes sends my heart skittering to the altar, ready to be his.

“I know it hasn’t been long but this house feels like a home with you in it. Our journey has just started and even though I’m scared, I am trusting that you will be here when I get back. You are my queen even without marriage. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn’t give to you.” The conviction in his tone sends gooseflesh across my body. Leaning down, he cups my chin bringing our lips together. I lean into the kiss deepening it which causes us both to groan.

The sound of a message coming through on his normal phone interrupts the trajectory of where that kiss was leading. Even if he does have to rush off for the job, there is no reason we couldn’t have made great use of a short amount of time. He reaches for his phone on the dresser and smiles.

“Today I have a surprise for you. Rome is taking you and my sister wedding dress shopping. Maybe he can live up to his romanticized predecessor while keeping you both safe,” His words are almost wistful, matching the mischievous smirk on his face.

“How long do I have to be ready and do I get to carry anything to defend myself considering I have been shot at recently?” I inquire with more bravado than I am feeling. I force my shoulders to keep from swaying. Breathe. In. One. Out. One. His hands find mine, snapping my focus.

“Rome is on his way and will be here in around 30 minutes,” He addresses my first question before crossing the room to his side of the bed. Shuffling the items in the end table, he pulls out a black velvet box. I don’t understand what jewelry he could have that would answer my second question. Wordlessly, he strides back to my side and sits down. Setting the box in my open hands, he watches expectantly. Nothing to lose, I apply resistance to thehinge to open the box. Inside is a stunning blue butterfly knife with Ella inscribed on the side.

“Wow,” is the only phrase my mind can conjure looking at this incredible custom weapon. Tears pricking the corners of my eyes, I remove the knife to see the black material behind it. Unfolding in front of my eyes was a gorgeous knife sheath. Absolutely stunned, every muscle in my body becomes tense unsure how to channel the way this makes me feel. This is not a normal emotion that I have dealt with throughout my life.

“It’s a butterfly for my Butterfly,” he chuckles, wrapping me in his arms. “I had this piece custom ordered for you after our first date. I knew with your smart mouth that you would need a way to defend yourself when I wasn’t there. Rome is going to take you to the range while I am gone. We are sharing a space, and you need to know how to use every weapon that I keep on hand in case you need to. While I will defend you to my dying breath, it is important to me that you can handle your own if the circumstance requires it.”

“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” I squeak, losing my conviction.

“Don’t leave me while I am gone,” He speaks softly, his vulnerability shining through.

Chapter Nineteen

LEO

“Spilling blood once brought joy into my life, but now I have the other half of my soul and no intention of dragging this out.”

Walking away from her was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do in my life. I needed to trust that she would be there when I come home. My mind needs to be focused and agile to take out my next target. Pulling up to Rome’s house, he is waiting for me with a large envelope. Stopping, he slides the folder in the open window before nodding and walking inside. We never talk in person on the way to the kill; the goal is efficiency. I open the folder and examine the detailed report in front of me. Once I have read the folder cover to cover I prepare for the short trip.

Today’s target is a man currently at a cabin in the woods trying to hide. What he doesn’t understand is that even with the remote location, death is coming for him. The sun has risen over the mountains by the time I near the destination. My destination was only a few hours away by car, especially when I like to pretend that the speed limits are mere suggestions. My target is just one campsite over when I pull off towards the hiking trail.I am close enough not to be questioned but far enough away to stay unrecognizable and away from others.

This target knows that someone is after him and unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what he did to end up on my kill list. Before her there was just my revenge on the line. I knew that my father wouldn’t punish Claire directly for my actions but that he would make it hard for me to keep my promise to her, but now my entire future is on the line if I do not play this correctly. Grabbing my kill bag and locking the car, I head off in the direction of my target with a singular idea in mind. End this assignment and return to her in one piece so she doesn’t give up on us.

Each crunch of the ground below my feet leads me one step closer to finishing this and going home. Cresting the ridge, I can see the valley and a hint of the roof of the cabin where my mission lies. There is less than a mile of downhill terrain to get to him. As the cabin shifts fully into view, I enter my true hunter mode. The setting sun gives me the best cover to hide in the moving shadows. The shutters are open and there is a man inside at the table. He doesn’t see me while he drinks an amber liquid which only makes this easier.

I wait near the door perfectly still, testing the knob looking for resistance but not finding any. With my butterfly knife out I open the door, walk inside, and quietly shut it behind me. The man is still sitting at the table when I creep up behind him, placing the knife at the crest of his neck and grabbing his hair to keep him still. He has been drinking more than he should have in hiding because the alcohol has made him easy prey. I have someone waiting at home for me and I no longer want to extend the kill.

“While you may not know who I am, I am very aware of who you are, Mr. Elrod. Your personal work with children got you prizes and praise from your peers but what you did behindclosed doors got you on my list. Don’t worry though, because I always cross everything off of my list,” I smile at my reflection in the mirror, adding to my ominous words. The color leaves his face when he feels my blade and the fear rolls off of him in waves when he realizes that I know about his past.

Grabbing the zip ties from my front pocket, I begin the process of securing each of his limbs. I am careful to preserve the blood flow to his hands and feet so that he can feel each wound inflicted on them until he releases the information. The priority for this target is to locate information about skin movement and what ties my soon to be father-in-law had to the trade. My father may be leading the charge of the hunt for information but I was the one gathering and interpreting the information in real time. Pulling the final tie snug against his leg, I begin the search of his pockets for any answers or ways to escape. Grasping the wallet from his back pocket and pulling it free of his weight, his eyes close for the first time since he became aware of my presence in his hiding space.

“The pictures of your children in your wallet do not portray who you really are. Did you think you were fooling anyone?” I ask, my tone devoid of emotion. His eyes flash with determination; how cute. All the determination that this man has will not save him. Searching the cupboards in the kitchen, I stumble upon the utility closet with a tool kit inside. When I move the bag to open it, I find a staple gun behind where it was set and smile. Opening the bag, I find just what I was looking for: pliers. Walking back over to my captive, I set the tools on the table in front of him. His eyes dilate as the tools land in their temporary home.

“There is information that I need, and I will not be leaving this cabin without it. I will be provided with information about the trafficking operation and its local connections. You can make this harder for yourself if you want. You make the decision onhow you want to look in your casket,” I informed him. He opens his mouth to speak as I land a blow to his stomach. The air leaves his mouth, causing a gasp to pass his lips as he struggles for air again.

“I have money,” he wheezes, “More than you could believe. One bank transfer can change your life.”

“I have no want for your blood money. The way that you have collected that by selling people makes it of no use for me. My intel says that you are not only facilitating but participating in the abuse and transport of minors. I wonder what your wife and children would think of your preference for underage boys,” I answer him, letting the venom flow into my voice. Picking up the pliers, I position them into the bed of his pinky nail. His jaw tightens and I can see the pain written on his face.

“You know how to end this pain,” I inform him and yank. You would think that nails are easy to pull out but the bed tries to hang on so it can heal and the pain radiates from the damaged and exposed skin. The grunt from the man in the chair gives me an indication as to how tough he thinks he is. Moving to the next finger, I continue my conquest for information.

“Just kill me,” He sobbed as the last nail on his left hand came free. He should know better. This will continue until he gives me the information that I need.

“Clearly, the nails are not enough to motivate you. We shall move onto the smile and hope that it is enough to make a difference.” My voice sounds cold and detached as I open his mouth and hold his molar with the pliers. It isn't going to come out easily but it gets the message across. What I need to do is rotate the pain so that he is radiating pain all over his body. My hand sets down the pliers and I see the momentary relief in his shoulders before I reach for the staple gun.

“One last chance to tell me what you know before I start removing your body parts one by one while you are alive.” Hesees the wicked glint in my eyes as I see the fear and surrender start to settle into his bones. I line the staple gun to his patella and pull the trigger. The scream that he involuntarily lets out is enough for me to know that he is done.

“The- the Bratva runs the skin trade out of Colorado. Every piece of merchandise flown from here to LA to be sent out of their port. The girls are already tagged and sent to various purchasers all over the world. The money funnels to the Bratva and then everyone in the pipeline gets their wire to their offshore account,” He spills out, hoping it will save him from more pain.

“What is their connection to Fabbri?” I ask, lining the staple gun up with his other patella.

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