Page 51 of The Prizes We Win
Maxim huffs an unamused laugh as he shakes out his hand. “I don’t think you want to see all I’ve got.”
“Again,” Andrei’s voice repeats darkly. Maxim does as he says before drilling his fist into my gut. Immediately I fold over as much as I can. More blood spews from my mouth as I gasp for breath.
They’ve had me tied to this chair for what feels like hours, and Maxim has been beating me to a pulp just as long. Not once havethey asked me a question or told me exactly what they want from me. Actually, neither of them has said much of anything.
Andrei has just been standing in the corner telling Maxim what to do.
Maxim grabs a handful of my hair and holds up my head. I look right at Andrei as I spit more blood out onto the floor. “Have to have your son do the dirty work for you? Getting a little long in the tooth for this are ya?”
Andrei pushes off of the wall. Laughing he makes his way across the empty room. Once he reaches me, he leans over so his empty eyes are level with mine. “Where is she?”
“If you think I’m telling you where Joe is, you’re even crazier than him,” I say, referring to Maxim.
“I don’t care about yourwhore.” The rage I’ve been so good at hiding rears its ugly head, and they both see it. “Where is Anya?”
“Ha. Yeah, I’m not telling you where she is either.” Andrei looks at Maxim, and another punch lands on my temple. My vision goes blurry, and my head instantly feels like it’s going to explode. I couldn’t tell you the last time I was in this much pain. But I can’t let it show. They can’t know I’m on the edge of falling apart. “She’s with people who will keep her safe. People who will keep herfaraway from the two of you.”
Andrei’s booming laugh echoes off the cement walls. “You think anyone is going to want her? She’s used goods. Goods I paid good money for.”
“She isn’t your fucking property.”
Maxim’s eyes narrow. “Oh, but she is.”
“What’s wrong? You sad you lost your little plaything?” I spot the muscles in Maxim’s jaw clench. “Oh, that’s right. She wasn’t even supposed to be yours. None of this was. Right, Maxy? Just getting your brother’s hand-me-downs?” I slide my dazed gaze back over to Andrei. “I guess you have us to thank for that too, don’t you? It’s a shame we didn’t kill this one first, isn’t it?”
Andrei exhales heavily and stands up straight. He looks at his son. “Keep going until he talks.”
“My pleasure.”
As Andrei walks out, I shout after him, “Guess we’re going to be here a while then. Good thing I’ve got no place to be!”
The door slams closed, and I look back at the dumb-fuck in front of me. “Alright, Maxy. Do your worst.”
33
Josephine
“This is it?” I ask as I put the G-Wagon in park outside of Katya’s house.
Dante chuckles softly. “This is Brighton Beach, Mama. People have actual houses here remember?”
I reach across the center console and backhand him in the chest. “I know people have actual houses smart-ass.” The corners of his lips turn up. “It just looks so… so normal.”
It’s a classic bungalow-style home with light gray siding, rich oak shaker siding at the peaks, and a matching front door. The white front porch is decorated with hanging ferns and a beautiful flowerbed at its base. And the entire front yard has the most immaculate green grass I’ve seen in a long time.
If I’m being honest… the house is adorable.
But then I remember that the woman inside probably knows where my Enzo is, and, despite how cute this house is, I’d gladly burn it to the ground with her inside to find him.
“You’d be surprised at how manynormalpeople work for the mafia, Love,” Sebastian says as he hands each of us our earpieces.
“You’re telling me,” Ronan mumbles in my ear.
“I’m assuming you can hear us then?” Luca asks.
“Loud and clear, brother.” Despite his eye roll, I watch the corners of Luca’s lips curl.
Unbuckling my seatbelt I announce, “Alright. I’m going in.”
