Page 86 of Ruthless Lullaby

"I… I’m sorry, Boss. I know it was foolish," the man in the chair cries.

"Sorry isn’t going to bring my cargo back,mudak," Maron snaps. "But if you tell us exactly what happened, you just might survive. Now, start talking!"

I feel like I’m going to be sick. I continue to listen, barely believing what I’m witnessing. It’s like I’m in a bad dream. I even pinch my arm to wake myself up. Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t work.

"Alyosha had a son born," Oleg mumbles, his split lip dribbling blood down his chin. "My deputy captain. He… he opened a bottle of vodka, and we celebrated. You know how it is, boss… more of the crew members joined, and… we had a few too many."

Maron's eyes narrow, his jaw clenching with barely contained rage. I can see the fury simmering beneath the surface.

"And?" He urges Oleg.

"There were some girls working on the ship," Oleg continues, "and… well, you know. We were drunk, and… by the time I woke up, it was too late. I… I tried to steer us away from the iceberg, but…Mne ochen' zhal' Pakhan.Please forgive me.”

Maron scoffs and says something to Pavel in Russian. All I see is that the man named Oleg drops his head, and his shoulders slump in defeat. The room falls silent, and the weight of the last spoken words hangs heavy in the air. For a long moment, no one speaks, no one moves. And then, like a coiled snake unleashing its venom, Maron strikes.

He's across the room in an instant, his hand wrapping around Oleg's throat. His face is a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.

"You stupid, selfish, pathetic piece of shit," he roars. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What it's going to cost me?" He kicks him, and Oleg hisses in pain. “Of course, you fucking don't!"

Oleg doesn’t say a word. Not that he could with Maron’s hand around his throat. He gasps and sputters, his eyes bulging as he tries to claw at Maron's iron grip. But there's no mercy in those cold, ruthless eyes, no hint of compassion or forgiveness.

"I trusted you," Maron snarls, his fingers tightening around Oleg's windpipe. "I gave you one fucking job. Get the ship from A to B. Paid you more money than you deserve. And you decided that having drunken sex with a whore was more important than doing your fucking job." He leans in closer, his lips nearly brushing against Oleg's ear. He shakes his shoulders. "You've ruined everything, you asshole. And now you're going to pay the price."

With a final, brutal squeeze, Maron tightens his hold around Oleg’s throat. It all happens quicker than my mind can comprehend. All I hear is a noise that sounds like a crack, and Oleg stops moving. Then, Maron releases his grip, letting Oleg’s body slump to the ground. He then turns to Pavel, his expressionas cold and hard as granite. "Get rid of the body," he orders, his voice flat and emotionless.

Oh, dear God!

This can’t be real!

I can’t believe what I just witnessed. My stomach lurches violently, and I clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp. My whole body is shaking, and cold sweat is breaking out across my skin. The world around me feels unsteady, and I have to brace myself against the wall to not faint.

Pavel nods to Maron, his expression impassive. "Consider it done, boss." He reaches for Oleg's broken body, and he starts to drag him towards the door.

I should run while I can, but I can’t get my legs to move. So, I lean against the wall and sink down to sit on the floor. I’m at a point where I don't even care if Maron sees me. He can come and break my neck too for all I care. Maybe everything would be much simpler that way.

Betty was right!

How could you have been so stupid, Mindy?

Are you really so blind and naive?

He even told you that he’s the head of the Bratva!

What the hell did you expect, goddamnit?

The bottom line is, Maron showed his true colors tonight. The man who swept me off my feet with his power and magnetic presence is a cruel monster. A notorious criminal. A ruthless, calculating mob boss who will stop at nothing to protect hisempire and his profits. Even if he has to torture and kill people. He wasn't just born into the Bratva. Heisthe Bratva.

I guess Betty’s gossips are true, after all. Global Media is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide the brutal reality of Maron's real business, whatever that is. Drugs, weapons, maybe even human lives traded like cattle. And what about that launch he was talking about? Tramoxine? Is that a part of his illegal activities too?

I still feel sick. It’s like the ground is shifting beneath my feet and the walls are closing in around me.

How?

How could you allow yourself to be involved in this, Mindy?

The signs were all there, the red flags waving in the wind. The mysterious disappearances, the hushed conversations, the air of danger and secrecy, all of those things cling to Maron like a second skin.

I should have seen it coming. I should have trusted my instincts, listened to the warnings in my head screaming at me. But I didn't. Why? Because my body, my heart, and my stupid libido betrayed me. All I saw was the sexy, powerful man, pulling me in like a magnet…

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