Page 28 of Embracing the Dark Side

“You sent someone to her apartment.”

Santiago’s attitude fell apart, and he struggled to find an excuse. It was pitiful but humorous to watch as Vincent stood in front of him, blowing smoke in his face.

“Your father gave that order.”

Vincent didn’t know if it was a lie. But it was convenient. He couldn’t discipline Santi over something his father had done. It still unnerved him how it had been done without him knowing. What else were they talking to each other about?

“She’s been with the Morozovs all this time. She’s a fucking rat, Vinny. Get your revenge.”

Vincent watched Jolie sit at the breakfast bar, and the servant got her something to eat. There was something nostalgic about her and the memories she dug up that he had forced himself to stop thinking about years ago.“You think too small, cousin. It’s not your fault. It’s just who you are. But I got bigger plans.”Vincent walked away, bypassing Jolie without looking at her as he went out to the pool. Jolie was slowly becoming the focal point of Vincent’s future. If what he knew was correct, and Adrikwasfucking her, he could very well set himself up for life, and that was too tempting to pass up for something as petty as revenge.

Chapter fourteen

Doubt

Jolie remained in the kitchen, eating a small plate. The servants had come out of hiding as soon as Mally left. Food was constantly being cooked. Even as she ate breakfast, they were working on lunch. To feed and care for thirty people, there was an endless amount of work. All the servants Adrik had used were now working for Vincent like they were part of the furniture, having no say in what happens. But they must have been threatened because many of them had new bruises or worked with a limp. They wouldn’t even glance in her direction. All except for Esfir, who currently was directing the servants. She had been Helina’s caretaker, but she had also taken on the role of head of staff. Jolie didn’t question where the other head had gone. More than likely, they had been one of the many killed last night in Vincent’s takeover.

In the far-left corner of this grand kitchen, two maids were on their knees with buckets, cleaning red splatter off the wall. If Mally had made it in a few more feet, she would have been able to take this house down. Or she would have been killed.

What did Vincent do with all the bodies?The thought made it difficult to swallow, and Jolie pushed away her plate, having barely eaten.

Esfir walked by, touching her shoulder quickly, whispering, “Wait. Mr. Morozov come.”

The words bolted her. “When? Now?”

A hand was put up in warning, and Esfir looked out through the open doors to the pool area, searching for eyes. She adjusted the belt on her waist, her uniform pressed and pristine. Then she said, offhand, acting distracted while she struggled to find the correct English words. “Family. We family.”

Jolie deflated. Adrik wasn’t coming, not yet, anyway. But Esfir was giving her hope, and she latched onto it. She was part of the Morozov Mafia. She would not be forgotten. It filled her with pride, and her back straightened.

“No, mami.” Santiago, hidden by the shadow of the doorway, now came toward her with heavy footsteps. “No one’s coming for you.”

Jolie dived out of the chair when he reached for her, but he snatched her wrist, pulling her to him so his other hand could curl into her hair. She gripped his arm, screeching and struggling against him. His fingers was iron and painful. She stumbled on her feet as he dragged her, bending her over so her face was directed toward the ground, and all she could see were feet. Part of her wanted to cry, but her anger was stronger, and she ground her teeth, cursing him. She thought about how to hurt him. She could trip him, break his knee, have him cry in pain. But she was too afraid to try.

Santiago brought her to the pool deck, and people zoomed out of his way. The laughter and the conversation died away as all their attention went to the spectacle before them. Santiago stopped and lifted her up, her eyes wide as they landed on Vincent, who sat in a chairwith his legs spread and a cigarette between his lips. His darkened eyes were on Santiago, but he said nothing, waiting for the reason.

“What’s your plans for the snitch?” He spoke in English so Jolie would know what this was about. She’d know justice would be coming. “This bitch sent you to prison for five years. And we all want to see her suffer.” Santiago gestured to the group around them, getting the consensus. They all nodded and added their own insults, calling her a two-faced slut.

Jolie’s brows knitted as the fear escalated, drowning any other thoughts. What would Vincent do? He’d want revenge; of course he would. She turned him in and took a plea deal, so she never once spent one day in jail. She had been the one person he trusted. But she wasn’t a teenage girl anymore. She wasn’t going to let that hurt get to her. Vincent had betrayed her first. In her eyes, they were even.

Santiago kicked her leg, and she fell to her knees with a cry. Her hands caught her, her hair falling around her. She blew a shaky breath of relief, but then a barrel pressed against the side of her head, and her whole world froze. She didn’t look up to Vincent; she stared down at the ground. No one in this crowd would help her. She wasn’t in Adrik’s family here. There was no one to protect her. She had fallen into a well full of snakes. Anyone of them willing to strike her. Jolie trembled. It was the first time she was completely and utterly exposed. She was on her own here, and something broke inside her. All the safety that Adrik had built around her, making her feel invincible, was shattered. She was falling with no parachute.

“What do you say, cousin?” Santiago pushed. “Do we punish her? Or are you going to let her live?”

Vincent blew out smoke before pressing the butt into an ashtray, slowly putting it out. Ten seconds, twenty seconds. The quiet continued as they stared at him. Santiago just fucked him, and he knew it. The devilish glint in his eye told Vincent he knew exactly what he was doing. He took the power out of Vincent’s hands. He was manipulating him to make a move. Forcing him to respond in a manner fitting for his people. As their leader, they needed to know betrayal would not be tolerated. That anyone that fucked them would be dealt with.

Vincent clenched his teeth. The more he waited, the more they would question him. He had only recently been released from prison. They didn’t know yet what he could do to someone if he wanted. They heard rumors of his cruelty, but that’s all it was to them. Nothing proven. Even with Yakov’s blood still on the carpet and ten of his men being stacked in an ice truck and sent to the family butcher, they still didn’t know if he was as dangerous as they were made to believe.

Vincent dropped his attention to Jolie. She didn’t attempt to beg. She wouldn’t. She would think him to be heartless. She would think she would deserve it. Her guilt about their situation wasn’t unknown. He believed her when she said she loved him, and having turned him in had made her distant. It’s why she hadn’t dated since he went to prison. But her internal suffering didn’t matter to his family. It wasn’t something they could see. It needed to be visible, like broken bones and blood.

Vincent stood and approached. He stopped in front of Santiago. He held out his hand, and Santi smirked as he placed the gun in his palm. But before he could step back,Vincent slapped the barrel across his face. The whole crowd flinched as Santi held his cheek, leaning over to spit blood on the concrete. Vincent hit him again on the back, and he fell hard on the floor.

Vincent dropped the gun on his fat gut. “She’s my fucking prisoner, and I get to decide what I do with her. That means not one of you fucking touch her. Or that kid.” Vincent slammed his foot into Santiago’s gut, this time more for the fact that he sent a man to her house. Santiago groaned and curled into a ball.“Try me again, Santi, and I don’t give a fuck if you are my cousin. I will put a bullet through your fucking head.”

Vincent snatched Jolie’s biceps and yanked her to her feet. She was terrified and whimpered but didn’t put up a fight as he brought her back to her room and shoved her in. He closed the door behind him, staring at her as she stumbled away, putting as much space between them as possible.

It took her a minute to understand that he just saved her. The confusion swept over her, and then relief and grief hit her as she paced and gripped her hair. He despised it. It made him feel powerless, and he was tired of such feelings. Too many years locked in a cell nearly drained him, but the only thing that kept him sane was getting out and getting everything that was owed to him.

“I can’t.” She tried to reason and voice all the thoughts that were a jumbled mess in her head. “I can’t do this.” She collapsed in a chair and held herself.

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