Page 40 of Carved in Ruin

“Fuck this,” I mutter under my breath. Grabbing the seatbelt, I loop it tightly around her wrists, securing her hands in place against her lap.

“Are you serious?” she snaps, struggling against the restraint.

“Very.”

She groans in frustration, thrashing as I shut the door, round the car, and climb into the driver’s seat. The engine roars to life, and I speed off.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she screams.

“I’m just fine,” I mumble, eyes fixed on the road.

“No,” she spits, shaking her head wildly, “you’refuckedin the head.”

I don’t respond. I already know.

“Okay, we get it,” she continues, her voice rising. “I’m in love with you, you’re not. I’ve gotten over it. So just… move on already. Like a normal person.”

“There’s no getting over me,Kroshka,” I growl. The very thought feels like a noose tightening around my neck.

“Go to hell.”

But I’m already in it,Kroshka, and so are you.

“Not in love with you?” I repeat her words, turning to face her. “You don’t get it, do you? I loved you in a way that destroyed me. And you—” I jab a finger toward her. “You took that and burned it all down. Literally. You’re your father’s daughter, through and through.”

Her face pales. I want to take the words back, but I can’t.

I hear her voice crack, her frustration spilling out. “Yes, okay, I get it. I’m a horrible person. I have blood on my hands. I ruined you. I took away everything you hold dear.” She pauses, her breath shaky. “It doesn’t matter that I was nine—I did it. And I’m so fucking sorry.”

Her hands ball into fists in her lap. “But what more do you want from me? From us? You’re going to marry my sister. I’m going to spend the rest of my life watching another woman in the place I wanted so desperately. Mysister, nonetheless.” Her laugh is hollow, humorless.

“You destroyed my father, Rafael. We’re going to be broke in a few months. You got everything you wanted. You got us back.” Her eyes flash with a mix of anger and defeat as they meet mine. “What more do you fucking want? Please, just leave me alone. Let me figure out how to live through this nightmare you created. ”

“Is this Elliot part of the new life you’re so desperate for?” I bark.

“Yes. Yes, he is. And it’s none of your damn business.”

I see red. My grip on the wheel tightens, my knuckles whitening as I swerve sharply. The engine growls as I push the car faster. “What do you want with that fucker? Whatever it is, I can give it to you ten times better.” My voice is low, a hiss of barely contained fury. I feel murderous, my thoughts spiraling into darkness.

“I don’t want anything from you, Rafael,” she snaps, her head turning toward the window like she can block me out. “This is for me. You’re not taking it away.”

“Already so attached to him, are we?” I press harder on the gas, the speedometer creeping up as images burn in my mind—her with him, her kissing him, her laughing at his stupid fucking jokes, her loving him,her fucking him. Hell no. Not in this lifetime. And not in any other.

“What do you want from me?” she suddenly yells. “What the hell is it you want? You want me to beg for your scraps? I’m no beggar, Rafael. He gave me an excellent offer—”

“You’re not working for him,” I roar, cutting her off, the sound of my voice ricocheting inside the car. Reaching into mypocket, I grab my wallet and pull out my card, throwing it onto her lap. “You need money? Fine. The pin is 3902. Use it, drain it, burn it, I don’t give a shit. But you’re not taking a single cent from him.”

She doesn’t reach for the card. That only makes the rage in my chest boil hotter. “Say it,” I growl. “Say you’ll leave him out of this.”

“I’m not taking your money. I’m not taking anything from you anymore!”

My jaw aches from clenching it. “Look at it from another angle,” I say quietly, like I’m explaining something simple to a child. “You value his lifeKroshka?”

Her glare could cut through steel. Her mouth falls open, her chest rising and falling like she’s struggling to breathe. “What are you planning to do?” she whispers.

I shrug, the motion lazy, even as my blood simmers. “Oh, nothing too dramatic. Maybe hang him by his intestines. Or chop his dick off and stuff it in his mouth before he bleeds out. So many options.”

“You’re one sick bastard.”

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