Page 117 of Emperor of Havoc

And I’m the main attraction.

Nina sits in the corner, her expression blank, a stillness in her posture that suggests she’s perfectly fine letting this happen.

“You don’t want to do this,” I mutter, my voice hoarse but steady.

Kolya tilts his head, considering. Then he steps closer, the glowing iron hissing as it cuts through the air. “Until I know where my daughter is,” he says evenly, “and what you’ve done to her, and if she’s been harmed, there isnolimitto what I want to do to you, Mr. Mori.”

I keep my expression neutral even as my muscles tighten against the inevitable. “I didn’t take her. In fact, I need you to let me the fuck out of here so I can gofind her,” I snarl viciously.

Kolya doesn’t respond. He just lifts the poker higher, its glow reflected in his cold, calculating eyes. “Now might be a good time to tell you,” he murmurs, “that I have ears all over my house. I heard your conversation last night with your sister.”

He’s bluffing. He has to be.

Kolya leans closer, the iron red-hot between us. His lips curl into something that isn’t quite a smile. “The plan was always the same, was it, Takeshi? Use Katarina to get inside the Ishida-kai?”

My own words hit me like a punch to the face.

So much for my theory he was bluffing.

“You heard that?” I growl.

Kolya doesn’t flinch. “I did.”

“Then youalsoheard me say I’m in love with your daughter.”

“I’ve heard you say all kinds of bullshit since you wormed your way into this house,” he replies coldly. “Attempting to sway my men’s loyalty, trying to insert yourself into my affairs. Now,” he murmurs darkly, easing the poker closer to my bare chest. “Where. Is. She.”

“If I knew were Katarina was right now,” I seethe, “there would be nothing on this Earth stopping me from breaking out of this chair and?—”

The iron jabs into my side, instantly searing my skin and sending pain flooding through my body. I bite back a scream, my jaw tightening, eyes blazing as I glare at him.

“WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?” Kolya roars.

“I love her!” I snarl back at him, the words torn from me.

Kolya touches the iron to my side again, the scent of burning flesh filling the room. My vision swims, but I don’t look away. “I’m love with her!” I bellow, my voice raw. “I’m fucking in love with her, you motherfucker!”

Another jab of the iron, this time to my shoulder. The pain is indescribable, but I don’t break. I refuse.

Kolya’s rage is barely contained. “Why did you worm your way into my home? And do not lie to me,” he warns, his voice deathly calm. He sets the poker down and reaches for a katana resting on a nearby table, its razor-sharp blade glinting in the dim light as he unsheathes it.

I meet his gaze, chest heaving, body trembling in pain. “Answers,” I rasp. “I wanted answers. And vengeance. Not against Katarina. Againstyou.”

For a moment, the room feels even colder. “Why would you seek vengeance against me?” he demands, his grip tightening on the sword’s hilt.

“Because you killed Akira Ohno,” I say, my voice steady despite the pain.

The name hangs heavily in the air. Kolya’s brow furrows, his expression shifting from rage to confusion. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Bullshit!” I snap. “You knew before, at the hospital. I could tell.”

Kolya shakes his head slowly, his frown deepening. “No. The name made me think of someone else, that’s all.”

My frustration bubbles over. “Akira was my friend and mentor. He taught me everything. He made me the man I am. He was likefamily,” I seethe. “And then, when he came back to visit Japan, he crossed you, and youkilledhim.”

Kolya shakes his head. “Your information is incorrect. You’ve wasted your time, and probably your life, trying to infiltrate my home and my family,” he growls.

“This can stop right now,” Nina spits, standing and storming over to me, dark fury clouding her face. “Please, Takeshi. Kolya’s telling you to your face that your information on this Akira person is wrong. So there’s no reason for you to keep us from Kat?—”

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