Page 92 of Debt to the Mafia King
Straightening, I sent a desperate glance towards the front of the shop. I could see Viktor’s back. But he wasn’t looking at me.
“Don’t scream. If you do, I’ll kill you. Do you know who I am?”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as quietly as I could. “Yeah, Manda.”
“Then you know I’m not joking. Head towards the fire escape and get into the waiting car.”
She nudged me forward with the knife, forcing me to move.
My mind whirled. This was bad. I might not be from their world, but I knew being taken from one place to another by a kidnapper was never going to end well.
So what could I do? Call out. Viktor wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her, but where were the others? His men were meant to be outside.
The door in front of me swung open so suddenly that I shot backwards and almost stabbed myself in the back. I had a split second to look at the body of Stephen lying by the door, bleeding from a gunshot in his chest, and not moving, before a fist came out and landed a punch in my temple.
Arms grabbed me before I hit the floor, and the door slammed behind us all.
There was something over my face when I woke up. Not my eyes. It wasn’t a blindfold. It sucked into my mouth when I inhaled.
Panic gripped me as the memories of Manda pressing a sharp little knife into my back assaulted me, but that panic was nothing compared to the fear that assaulted me as the hood was ripped from my head.
Whimpering, I looked around. Manda was in the limo oppositeme, looking perfectly composed and beautiful, if you ignored the crazy glazed look in her eyes.
I didn’t know whether it was drugs or a mental illness that put that look in her eyes, but I was guessing both. It made me wonder what Viktor had seen in her to begin with. Maybe she had hidden the crazy from him. More than likely, he had just used her for her body.
“Where am I?”
Next to me, someone cleared their throat, and I turned in shock to see a stranger staring at me. Only he wasn’t a stranger because I was sure I had seen him before.
He had dark hair, kind of floppy, that fell into his eyes, and my eyes raked down his scarred cheek. Acne scars, bad ones.
It hit me all in a rush. Of course, I had seen him before. I had danced with him at Boris’s Christmas party. “Piotre,” I said out loud, and he nodded his head.
“I’m glad you remember, Leah. I have to say it’s a pleasure to see you again.” His eyes darted towards Manda in disgust. “Even if it is under such horrible circumstances.” Steepling his hand under his chin, he studied me. “I hope you won’t hold that against me.”
Hold that against him? I huffed. “And why would I hold you punching me and kidnapping me against you?”
His eyes flashed angrily, and I made a mental note to rein in the anger. I was in a really dangerous position, and I had to be careful.
“I don’t think it’s me you have to worry about,” I said because it seemed like my mouth couldn’t shut up. “My husband is going to kill you.”
From her seat, Manda cackled. “Viktor doesn’t give two shits about you. Trailer trash scum.”
I glared at her. “Never lived in a trailer, you crazy bitch.”
Whoa, even in my own head, I was being stupid, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
“He doesn’t want you, Manda,” I spat. “He has never wanted you. Viktor chose me.”
She leaned forward, the knife flashingin her hand. “We will see who he chooses when I cut that brat out of your belly,” she slashed forward and would have sliced me open if Piotre hadn’t caught her wrists and squeezed so hard the knife fell to the floor. He picked it up easily, and with it still in his hand, backhanded the woman across the face so hard that blood poured from her nose.
Ok, I sucked in a breath, leaning back against the seat. Manda wasn’t the one I needed to be afraid of. It was him.
“I told you to behave, Manda.” He went back to sounding bored. “I need Leah in one piece.” His eyes appraised me, and a cruel smile spread across his face when he saw the fear. “At least, for now.”
I swallowed hard and wrapped my arms around myself.
This was bad, really bad.
