Page 59 of Caught By the Bratva Boss

“He’s still having dinner, but we’ve got eyes on him. He doesn’t seem to be aware of anything that’s happened. Either that or he’s one hell of an actor.”

“We’re about to find out.”

I race down the stairs, my body on high alert for the slightest sound from Charlie, but all I can hear coming from the tiny earpiece is the rhythmic sounds of the helicopter’s blades, letting me know they’re still in the air. Using the very last of my restraint, I walk into the crowded dining room and straight up to the mayor’s table. His eyes widen in disbelief when he sees me storming towards him.

When I’m close enough, I lean down so only he can hear me. “Get up and follow me, or I swear I will fucking cut your balls off right here at the table.”

His face pales, but like a true politician, he plasters on a sickly sweet smile and says, “If you’ll excuse me, there’s something important I need to see to.”

The other guests look startled by the interruption, but it’s not like they can do anything about it, so they stay sitting and then start gossiping the second we walk away.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” the mayor whispers as I lead him back out the door.

I ignore him and haul his ass roughly back up the stairs to his office where my men are waiting. Jinx already gave me an update, letting me know that it worked and we now have access to his laptop, and that there’s more than enough information to tie him to the Rossi family. I have the mayor by the balls, and he’s about to find out what that fucking means.

Shoving him into his office chair, he shoots me an angry look and tries to get all high-and-mighty on me. “You better watch yourself, Mikhail. I’m about two seconds away from calling the fucking cops on you!”

I can’t even muster up a laugh. I just point to his laptop. “I’ve got you, Mayor. Who the fuck is stupid enough to leave all that evidence on their laptop?”

Artyom positions himself behind the chair, and when Stephens looks back and sees the deadly glint in Artyom’s eyes and sees the vicious scar running across his neck, he starts to look a little nervous. He’s wrong, though. It’s not Death he needs to worry about tonight. It’s me.

“I know you’re working with the Rossi family. You chose the wrong side, but I’m willing to forgive that blunder.”

He lets out a relieved sigh, but it’s very short lived.

“I will not forgive the fact that you allowed them to take my fiancée and one of my men.”

“What? I don’t know what in the fuck you’re talking about,” he yells. I watch his face go from sickly pale to bright red as his anger and blood pressure spike up.

“John Stone and Charlie, you met them earlier tonight. That was my fiancée and one of my men. She snuck up here to get me access to your laptop, and the Rossi family found her and took them both. They’re in a helicopter right now, and you’re going to tell me where they’re going and what they’re planning.”

“How the fuck should I know?”

The mayor darts his eyes around to the roomful of men who are going to be absolutely no help to him. I nod at Artyom who immediately steps closer and removes the mayor’s tie so he can use it as a gag. He tightens it hard enough to hurt and then wraps an arm around the man’s upper chest so he can’t move. The mayor’s eyes bug comically in disbelief, but I’m in no mood to laugh.

His eyes follow me as I roll up my sleeves and grab one of the sharp knives I have on me. He starts to scream and mumble something, but I’m long past caring. It’s time to send a message now so we can cut through all this bravado that we both know he doesn’t really have.

Squatting down by him, I roll up his sleeve, exposing more of his wrist to me. “I don’t have time to play games with you. You took my fiancée, and you’re going to pay for that. You have disrespected me since the moment I met you, but I let it slide because I knew one day I’d own your ass. Taking Charlie, though, allowing her to be hurt by those assholes, that I will never forgive.”

I press the tip of the blade against the skin of his wrist hard enough to draw blood and make him give a muffled yell.

“I’m going to skin you slowly.”

He screams at that and tries to buck away, but Artyom and I have done this enough times to ensure he can’t move. We’ve seen it all, and we’re ready for anything.

“You’ll be amazed at what you can live through. I’m going to slice around your wrist, just like this,” I say, dragging the blade around his skin, cutting a nice bracelet into him. “And then I’m going to pull your skin off like a fucking glove. I’m going to take you piece by piece until you tell me every fucking thing I want to know.”

The mayor screams and shakes his head no, pleading with me to let him go, but all I can think about is how scared Charlie must be and the sound she’d made when one of those bastards hit her. The only thing that stops me from skinning this piece of shit is knowing I don’t have time right now to do it. After I’ve cut around his wrist deep enough to ensure he’ll bear the scar for the rest of his life, I nod to Artyom who loosens the tie so the mayor can talk.

“Tell me what you know. You have one fucking chance.” I point the bloody knife at him to make sure he fully understands.

He’s crying and gasping for air, and it’s safe to say he’s lost the respect of every man in this room, not that he really had it to begin with.

“I don’t know anything,” he finally manages to sputter out.

“Wrong fucking answer,” I say, bringing the knife back to his wrist.

“No, wait, wait!” he begs. “I can find out!”

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