Page 99 of Disgraced (Russian Sinners 3)

“Pass me the whip, asshole,” I repeated. “Next time, it will go straight through your sick brain.”

It must have finally sunk in, because he threw me the whip. Fear flashed in his eyes and I relished in it. I caught it with my other hand and put my gun away. Instead, I unsheathed my knife. A quick death would be too good for this bastard.

“Kneel down,” I ordered him. Now, it was his turn. I could see the objection in his eyes but I knew the fear in his body was overriding everything. Because it had been the same fear I’d felt as a child each time he came for me. He did as ordered, his legs visibly shaking. Not so tough anymore, motherfucker.

I walked over to him and grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling his head upwards. I lifted my knife and stabbed him in the eye. Warm, crimson blood spurted from the socket and the madness inside of me roared in excitement at the sight. I didn’t let him move and watched with rage burning inside me as blood pooled and trickled down his face. He squealed like the coward he was, begging for mercy.

He would get none from me. Instead, I jabbed my knife into his other eye careful not to push it in too far and hit his mush of a brain and end his torture too soon. Another stream of blood releasing from the other eye. His screams tore through the house and I savored the sound as it rented the silence and echoed around us. It made me want to laugh and dance, even though I’d never been one for dancing. But then, I was just a bit crazy.

I watched his body writhe in pain and part of me wanted to slowly slice and dice him but keep him alive so he’d endure it for hours. To anyone watching it would have been a sickening sight at how much I was enjoying his pained whimpers. Euphoria washed through me with each scream, each groan. Years of dreaming about delivering my revenge and it was better than I hoped for. There must have been something wrong with me. Of course there was; I was the mad one, the psychopath of the group. It didn’t matter though, because this man deserved it.

If I ever hurt an innocent person, then I’d ask my brothers to kill me. They wouldn’t let me sink into the madness. I knew they’d kill me first.

I went against my need to slowly torture him and listen to his agonized screams all night. I had spent enough time letting him consume my life in one way or another. Instead, I stabbed the knife straight into his heart, slicing through the skin and cracking bone. His body dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I stood over his body, watching the light extinguish in his eyes and peace came over me.

My phone rang, pulling me out of the ugly past. I immediately answered it, expecting Nikolai or Dimitry to check in.

“Da?”

“Hey Sergei.” It was Anja’s voice that greeted me.

“Is everything okay?” I asked her in alarm. I immediately cursed myself because Scarlett’s head snapped to me in worry.

“Yes, yes,” Anja quickly assured me. “I’m just going out of my mind and was hoping I could talk to Scarlett. I miss her and just needed to talk.”

Inwardly, I cursed myself. I haven't given Scarlett a phone. I needed to be a better boyfriend, husband, future husband… whatever I was.

“Is this a good number to call you back on?” I asked her instead.

“Yes.”

“Give me two minutes and I’ll have Scarlett call you from another line,” I told her. “I want to keep this line open in case Dimitry or Nikolai need something.”

“Okay. Yes, that makes sense. I should have thought of it.”

I chuckled because it wasn’t really a standard way of thinking for someone of her background.

“Two minutes,” I repeated and hung up.

I took Scarlett’s hand and headed for my room. “Where are we going? Who was that?”

“It was Anja.” Scarlett’s gasp followed but before she could say another thing, I continued. “I have been a terrible boyfriend.”

Scarlett actually chuckled. “I think you are a bit more than a boyfriend. Don’t you?”

I grinned, happy at my promotion. “I hoped. Either way, I kept you away from your friends and family. It is unforgivable.”

We arrived in my room and I scrambled through my drawer in search of her phone. The moment I found it, I quickly put it on the charger. While it was powering on, I turned around to find Scarlett smiling.

“I think you are right, Sergei.” Her eyes were shining mischievously. “You have been a horrible almost husband. I deserve a kiss and maybe I’ll forgive you.”

I bent my head and took her mouth into a kiss. Her hands came around my waist, her small body melding into mine. I would give her all the kisses she wanted and needed.

“Please forgive me… for everything,” I murmured against her lips. She opened her eyes and kissed me, while her lips curved into a smile.

“How could I not when you kiss me like that,” she spoke softly against my mouth.

I have never been a happier man than at this moment, even with the Vlad and Malcome threat looming around. This woman and our big family was what life was about… our child, my brothers, her friends that would become my sisters.

“Call Anja so she doesn’t worry,” I urged her to her phone. She sat herself on the bed and criss crossed her legs, grabbing her phone still hooked on the charger off the nightstand. Like this, she looked barely legal.

She caught me staring at her and a smile spread over her face again.

“Want to stay here with me?” she offered, reaching her hand towards me. I took it and placed a kiss on her palm.

“No, I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be in my office, in case my brothers call the landline.”

She nodded. “Will you let me know the moment you hear something please?”

“I will. Don’t worry about anything.”

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