Page 244 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
My teeth grit the material in my mouth when he squats down in front of me to glide his hand down my face. If my feet and hands weren’t bound, I would kick and fight with all my might to get away from one of the most ruthless men I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. But since I'm tied to a chair, I angrily snarl at him instead before cranking my head to the side, denying his touch.
“Such a spark of feistiness,” he remarks with a broad grin carved on his abhorrent face. “Just like your mother.”
My breathing stills as my eyes snap back to his. I’m unaware he knew my mother.His grin grows conceited when he notices my confused expression. He grips my chin painfully before lifting my head into the air. His beastly eyes roam over me like he's studying the clarity of a rare black diamond instead of a tear-stained face.
Once his skin-crawling assessment is over, he releases my chin and stares at me. “I knew you were Felicia’s daughter from the moment I saw you outside of Isaac’s club, 57. You're the spitting image of your mother in every way. Same hair coloring, skin tone, beautiful angelic face.” His eyes narrow into thin slits. “Except for your eyes. They’re as rotten as the man who gifted them to you. I’d always wondered what happened to you the past twenty years, but your father didn’t. Do you know what he said when I told him I’d found you?”
I remain quiet, refusing to react to his taunts.
“I’m not interested,that’s what he said. He didn’t show any emotions at all.” He grips my hair and yanks my head back before drifting his eyes down my body. “Even with his hideous eyes, you're an angel, a gift from heaven. Perhaps I should have shown him a photo so he could see how much you look like your mother. I bet he would’ve been interested then.”
My nostrils flare as I inhale deeply. All this time, Isaac thought he was protecting me from Col because of his vendetta against him, but Col wasn’t after me because of what happened to Ophelia. He wants me because of who my father is.
I can’t fathom why? If he thinks he can use me as a bargaining chip against my father, he's more senseless than I originally thought. Vladimir Popov doesn’t negotiate with people’s lives unless he's the one selling them.
“Your mother was a breathtaking woman, Isabelle. It was such a pity she had to die.” Col’s callous tone doesn’t match his statement. “If only Vladimir were more willing to share his toys, then maybe she’d still be alive.”
My eyes widen before shooting to Col’s to seek any truth to his statement.
He chuckles a menacing laugh. “Oh, you didn’t know? Although your mother was addicted to meth, she didn’t die of a drug overdose as reported. She died because of your father’s inability to share his whore.”
I grit my teeth and shake my head, causing tears to spill down my face. My Uncle Tobias was a truthful man. He told me my mother died of a drug overdose. He wouldn’t have lied to me.
“You're lucky no one from Vladimir’s crew has heard of your false allegations,” sneers my kidnapper.
Col’s dark gaze shifts from me to him. “That’s where you're wrong, Rick. Not only were Vladimir’s closest family members aware of the treachery over Felicia’s death, they helped conceal her murder.”
Apfftwhizzes from Rick’s mouth. “Why hide her death? Felicia’s life was a disaster. She was nothing but a low-grade whore who was paid for services rendered with drugs and money stained with blood.”
My nostrils flare as I glare at my assailant. Even though my memories of my mom are vague and full of unpleasantness, at the end of the day, she's still my mother. Without her, I wouldn’t exist.
Col stands from his crouched position to move to stand next to Rick. Even though he’s several years older than Rick and more notorious, Rick isn’t the slightest bit intimidated by him. He stands tall with his feet planted the width of his shoulders and a snickering expression etched on his face.
“Those were my sentiments exactly, but she was a whore who refused to open her legs for anyone but Vladimir.”
Rick rolls his eyes. “She obviously needed to be taught a lesson that Vladimir wasn’t the only King she was required to service.”
My stomach rolls, sickened at the thought of my mom being treated like nothing more than a commodity. From the photos I found of her in my uncle’s personal records, she was so young and full of life before she met my father. She only agreed to become his mistress because he promised her a life of luxury and happiness. All she got were broken promises and shattered dreams.
Col’s chest puffs high, smugly basking in the glory of Rick’s praise. “Ah, you're a man after my own heart. There's nothing I love more than teaching someone a valuable lesson. Except perhaps watching the light being extinguished from their eyes… the fear, the silent pleading, the scent of death. Nothing comes close to that thrill. It’s the most addictive drug of them all. Although Felicia’s death was many years ago, it’s one of my most treasured memories.”
“Then why hide your glorious victory? You snuck in under Vladimir’s nose and killed his most prized mistress. That’s not a feat a mere man would accomplish. You should be shouting it from the rooftops.”
Col chuckles with arrogance. “Felicia’s death was during a moment of lust-fueled rage, urged on by the wrong head on my body. It was only once she stopped withering under my hands did I realize my business dealings with Vladimir were worth more than claiming the death of a whore. Luckily for me, she was a drug addict, so her murder was easy to conceal.”
My throat burns when I heave against the gag. Add that to the dizziness inflicted from being chloroformed twice and the virulence of Col’s words, the urge to be sick is overwhelming. I suck in a big breath as my eyes shift to the wall, vainly trying to keep my stomach from recoiling again. If I can’t fight the urge to be sick while gagged, I'll most likely asphyxiate myself.
When I close my eyes, my mind drifts to a happier time, a more settled place. The first image that enters my thoughts is Isaac and me dancing at the gala, then it changes to our time together on his yacht. The swell of my stomach eases as the memories of our months together filter through my mind.
I’m brought back to reality when my head is yanked roughly. The swishing of my stomach returns when I glance into Col’s soulless eyes. “Watching the life vanish from Isabelle’s eyes will be worth any damage my business will sustain. Although, seeing her up close does make me reconsider my original plan.” He licks his lips in a sickening way. “Maybe I should keep her alive a little while longer… see if she is as feisty as her mother. With her beneath me, it will be like the past twenty years never happened. I'll once again be in my prime.”
When Rick takes a step closer to me, I breathe in the smell of his bottled cologne, hoping its spicy scent will quell my stomach. He's standing so close, his jean-covered calf scratches my wobbling knees. “Why go to all the effort of dragging Isabelle here if you just plan to kill her? I could have given you the opportunity at the gala two weeks ago.”
My heart stops beating when Col smirks an evil, stomach-churning smile. “Because this is different. Here, I get to kill two birds with one stone in a place that holds great sentimental value to me.” His heavy-lidded eyes roam over my face before they glide down my body. “This is, after all, where it all began. This is where my business started, and the same place an angel gained her wings.” He treks his index finger across my tear-stained cheek. “Furthermore, I want Isaac to watch her die, to see firsthand the light in her eyes doused, knowing he’s responsible for the death of the woman he loves.”
My heart clenches. How was I so blind that I couldn’t see Isaac loved me when even a man like Col could? Weeks I wasted with Isaac by choosing to listen to the callous words of a spiteful bitch instead of ensuring her claims were legitimate. I should have fought harder. I should have demanded proof instead of believing speculation. I shouldn’t have given him up without a fight.
Rick shrugs. “Sounds like a story of a bitter, revenge-seeking old man.” My pulse quickens when he takes a step closer to Col. “The story circulating through my crew is that you’ve become so blinded by revenge, you’re taking uncalculated risks that are putting your crew in jeopardy.”
