Page 78 of Twisted Secrets
It took entirely too little time to make it to the yellow house and walk up the steps. She knocked before fear could paralyze her. There were heavy footsteps on the other side and she barely had time to brace herself before the door was flung open and she was face-to-face with Sergei. His blue eyes went wide. “You.”
Everything that she’d been trying so hard to control came rushing to the fore. “Me.” Olivia shoved past him and into the house. “Where is she?”
She barely made it three steps when he grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. “How did you know about this place?”
“Dmitri. How else?” She laughed, the sound high and nearly hysterical. “You didn’t really think you could hide anything from him, did you? If anyone should know better, it’s you.”
He tightened his grip. “Who else is with you?” He moved to the window, dragging her behind him, and peered outside. “Where is that boyfriend of yours?”
Hopefully sneaking up to the back door right about now.
She ignored the question and looked around. Despite the floor plan, the décor was bright and downright cheery. This place was obviously well loved. “Where is Hadley?” She wanted to call out for her daughter, but if she wasn’t here, she wasn’t in the line of fire of what was about to go down. “What have you done with her?”
“You really think I’d hurt a child?”
That wasn’t a damn answer. She shoved at him, but he only gripped her tighter.I’ll be wearing those bruises tomorrow if I survive this. “You forget. Iknowyou. Do you really want me to answer that?”
He shook her hard enough to snap her head back. “Don’tbe a bitch, Olivia.”
“You first, Sergei.”
He started to turn a mottled red color, a sure sign of violence to come. “You always had a smart mouth on you. Maybe it’s time to teach you a lesson once and for all.” He glanced at a hallway—if it could be called that. It was barely three feet deep, ending in two closed doors.
Hadley.
He was talking about hurting Hadley.
No.“You’re right. I did.” Somehow she managed to keep talking despite the pain radiating from where he held her.Keep focused on me, you piece of shit. You leave my baby girl out of this.“You know, I always suspected sex was so boring with you because you had to hurt a woman to get it up. Looks like I was right.”
He yanked her closer and gripped her throat with his free hand, her death in his eyes. “You always were a bitch.”
“No argument there.” Each word was fire inside her, his hand tightening until black spots started dancing across her vision.This is so very, very bad. She kicked at him, but he dodged easily, something like arousal on his face. So she went for his eyes.
She barely had a chance to rake her nails across his face when he slammed her into the wall hard enough to stun her. “This will be easier if you don’t fight me, Olivia.”
No telling what exactly he was threatening, but she didn’t really want to know, so she fought harder, almost thankful for his hand around her neck because it made screaming impossible.Stay where you are, Hadley. Please, God, whoever’s listening, let her stay where she is. She kicked and clawed, nothing seeming to have any effect on Sergei, even though she could see the blood runningdown his arms.
He shook her again. “Enough.”
“You’re right.” The voice came from behind him.
Sergei was ripped away from her, and Olivia fell to the floor. She shoved to her knees in time to see Cillian land a punch that sent her ex staggering several steps back. He pistol-whipped him, knocking him to the ground. She froze. She’d never seen Cillian look like that, almost…soulless. He kicked Sergei in the face, flipping him onto his back. “You will never put your hands on her again.”
“You can’t stop me.” Sergei drew a gun from his ankle holster, pointing it at her.
Cillian didn’t hesitate. He pulled the trigger of his pistol twice in quick succession.
Olivia crawled over to Sergei in time to see the life leak out of his pale blue eyes. She touched his chest, part of her disbelieving that it was over as easy as that, but it didn’t draw breath.No pulse, no breath, eyes staring at nothing. Can’t fake that.
It didn’t stop her from wanting to empty a clip into his chest to make sure.
“Olivia.” Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her to her feet. It was harder than it should have been to stay standing, so she clung to Cillian, her gaze never leaving Sergei. “He’s dead.”
“He damn well better be. He might have been a tough son of a bitch, but no one can survive two bullets to the heart.” He turned her slowly away from her ex, and framed her face with his hands. “Are you okay, sweetheart? When I came through the door and saw his hands around your neck…”
A full-body shudder worked through her. “I’m fine.” Her voice was so raspy, the words were damn near indistinguishable. It hurt to talk. Hell,it hurt to breathe.
But she wasn’t done yet. She turned toward the closed doors. “Hadley.”
