Page 116 of Kings of Violence

“Two men were talking about dosing ‘everybody in the room,’ including someone who wasn’t invited, someone big,” I tell him. I wipe at my tears with the hand holding my heels, finding it awkward and making more of a mess. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But please, I don’t…” A wave of fresh tears spills down my cheeks, hot and frustrating. “I don’t want him to get hurt. I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”

Yuri runs a hand through his hair, which has come loose from itshalf ponytail. He lets out a curse in Russian, then grips my wrist tighter again. “You’d better not be lying,” he says.

“I had the chance to get out of here,” I say, and while I think I’ll sound bitter, I just sound pathetic instead. “I could be halfway out of Benton by now. Instead, I’m here. If I’m wrong, take it out of my ass, I don’t know. But I don’t think I am. I know what I heard.”

Yuri curses again, then tugs on my wrist. “This way. Nikolai is in the waiting room for the guards.”

“Then he’s probably in danger too,” I whisper. I shove the drive into his hand. “Put this in your pocket. Don’t lose it. There’s too much…” I hiccup. “Too much on it.”

Yuri takes it and leads me to a room just around the corner. There are two big burly men in front of it.

“I found entertainment for us,” Yuri says, pointing at me.

The guards look me over. Normally, I’d have some clever or biting remark, but right now, I’m just too wrung-out. I have to see this through, then I can collapse… and deal with the aftermath of my would-be betrayal.

“She’s crying,” one of the guards says.

Yuri shrugs. “Not my problem. She’d be crying after we get through with her anyway.”

The guards laugh and open the door for Yuri.

Of course, once we’re inside, I hear the door lock behind us.

My breath catches, and I wonder if he really believes me after all. But no. He wasn’t the one who locked the door. The door had been locked from the outside.

We’re trapped.

TWENTY-SEVEN

Sierra

“Now do you believe me?”I mutter to Yuri, but there’s no heat to the words.

I’d sort of wanted to be wrong, even though I know that would’ve made the upcoming punishment I’m going to face that much worse.

Nikolai, who’d been pacing across the room like a caged tiger, spins around to face us. When he sees me, his expression turns ugly, but he and Yuri exchange a look that has him pausing in his steps instead of coming right for me.

My wrist is already going to be bruised after how roughly Yuri handled me, but I have a feeling that’s not going to be the worst of it.

Later, though. I can’t worry about that right now, or I’ll wish I’d just let them all die.

It’s a harsh thought, but I’ve always been practical — which means I have no idea why I took this route instead of taking care of myself and my mother.

“What the fuck is this?” Nikolai demands. “I thought—” He glances at the other man in the room, and whatever he was going to say dies abruptly.

“Later,” Yuri says brusquely.

The man looks between us, arching a brow. “Just so you know, I was joking about the orgy. If you’re going to fuck her, I’ll watch but I won’t touch.”

I pull the cardigan more closely around myself, more protectively, despite his words. I think I recognize the voice, but I’ve been introduced to so many people tonight that I can’t place it. I try for firm, forconfident, as I say, “You need to get in there. Right now.” I point at the adjacent door. “Stop them from eating and drinking anything.”

Fuck, I hope this man isn’t one of Marino’s.

Yuri says something to Nikolai in Russian, then he looks over at the third man. “Corvi is in the room too. If Kotya—Konstantin—is in danger, then your boss is too.”

I realize where I’ve heard this man’s voice before. He was Victor Corvi’s attendant. Angelo, he’d said.

Angelo’s stance remains casual, but his brows furrow. “Danger? What’s actually going on? You—Sierra, right? Explain it properly.”

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