Page 38 of Darkest Game
The door was left unlocked when Elaine escaped out of it. Pushing it open reveals a long stairwell leading up to somewhere. Liam goes forward, gun in hand, and opens the door at the top of the stairs. My heart is pounding fast.
Natalya and Sasha both know how to fire a gun. My mom taught them when our dad was still alive. But she never got the chance to teach me because of Denis’s control. I really wish I knew how to use one now. I could help instead of feeling like dead weight that Liam has to carry around out of obligation.
The other side of the door opens up to a kitchen. A little outdated with rustic counter doors and messy, filled with thebrim of trash, it’s an otherwise normal kitchen. I can’t imagine Elaine living in a place like this.
No. The further we move into the house, it’s clear that this place is used to torture people. To hold people. It’s not used to live. The entire place reeks of mold and rotten food and mouse droppings. There aren’t any guards around. Probably because Liam killed them all downstairs but there could be more soon if Elaine called for help.
We leave the house without any problems. Except for the fact that we don’t have a car and judging from the woods around us, we’re not anywhere near the city.
“We’ll have to walk until I can call for help,” Liam explains. “We’ll stick close to the road so we can hide in case anybody shows up, looking for us.”
“Once you find a phone you can use, can we call Mikhail and Nico? They’ll help.”
He scoffs. “Those two hate me. They won’t help.”
“They’ll help me.”
“Yes. They’ll help you. But they’ll kill me on sight. They’ll assume I’m the one who kidnapped you.”
“I’ll tell them you saved my life.”
“Sorry, baby. It’s not happening. You’re staying with me until I can get word to Mikhail and Nico that I wasn’t responsible for this. I survived just now. I’m not in the mood to invite even more danger into my life. We’ll head back to my place as soon as we can get a ride there.”
I plant my feet into the ground. “I want to return to my family.”
“That’s just not possible right now. Word will get out about what happened. There’s a good chance Mikhail and Nico already think I’m behind this. I did capture your two older sisters about a year ago now. It’s not out of the realm for them to believe I could do this to you.”
“But I’ll tell them you didn’t.”
“And they’ll believe you?”
When I hesitate, he nods. “Exactly. So for now, we’ll get somewhere safe. Regroup and figure out what to do next. Now, we have to start walking. More of Jack’s men will come here once Elaine spreads the word. She’s probably bad mouthing me to anybody who will listen. Come on.”
With no other options, I follow Liam down the road and prepare myself for the uncertain future.
Nico
Word spreads fast about the wedding between Liam O’Connor and Irina.
Me and Mikhail are driving to the house where Irina was once spotted. An Irish mobster hangout.
“This is a fucking disaster,” Mikhail groans into his hands. “I haven’t even told Natalya yet about this. It’s going to break her heart.”
“That’s why I haven’t told Sasha. She’ll spill the fucking beans the second she gets. We just find Irina, kill that fucker Liam, and call it a day.”
We arrive at the house, which is in some bumfuck part of New York. Dog kennels are off to the side with some very sad looking dogs in them.
I keep my gun out and Mikhail does the same as we approach the house. “Is anybody home?”
No answer.
Mikhail and I share a nod and kick the door down. There’s a scream from inside.
A woman stands up from the couch and cowers. She’s middle aged but nothing else about her is distinguishable.
“Who are you?” Mikhail growls. “Where’s Irina and Liam? She was spotted around here buy one of my men.”
“Please. I don’t know much,” she sobs. “I only know that… that Liam forced the girl to marry him. And that he killed my Jack.”
