Page 96 of Mafie Trials

I mostly text with Dr. K, letting her know when I have bad dreams or when things start to get overwhelming. She’s always so kind and patient when responding. She gets back to me within fifteen minutes, even when I send a message in the middle of the night.

She’s given me so many coping mechanisms to use as I sit here and breathe, tapping my two fingers together and counting. I can already feel the tension over the event melting away. It’s amazing when you’re given the power to decide the things that keep a hold of your mind and the things you want to let go. Not push it to the back of your mind and forget it’s there, but actually help it disappear.

I’ve been working on facing my feelings. I know that one of the ways Alexi does that, no matter how annoying it might seem, is by pacing. So, I leave him to do his grounding exercises while I do mine.

This is the second man to get the upper hand on us. This island is supposed to be on lockdown. The only way he could have gotten in was if he was left over from the attack just before we went to Russia.

“Wait,” I say, stopping Alexi dead in his tracks and Doc in his explanation of the drug in my system. “He isn’t new to the island. We’ve been trying to figure out who this other player is, maybe he knows. He has to still be here from the attack in the arena.”

Alexi’s eyes widen and Lev grabs my hand. “Let’s go find out,” Lev says as he pulls me to stand up. I’m surprised when I don’t falter in my steps, already feeling back to normal.

“As I was saying,” Doc says with a smirk, knowing I stopped listening after less than a minute. “The drugs they gave you are similar to ones you’re used to having in your system. It’s likely you won’t need a recovery period because your body already knows how to metabolize it.”

“Are you sure she shouldn’t stay in bed for a day or so, even a few hours?” Alexi questions. It’s my turn to glare daggers at him.

“Try to tell me what to do, Batman. I dare you. I’ll lay your ass flat on this floor before marching down there by myself.”

Alexi’s brows lift in a challenge, but he relents after a moment, likely because of a look Lev gives him from behind me. However, I choose to believe it’s my badassery that made him accept reality.

“Let’s go then,” he gestures towards the door. When I move to take the lead, I realize I have no idea where we are going.

“Hey,” I say to both of them, “why the fuck do I not know where the dungeons are?”

Lev chuckles. “We only just found out about their location. It’s usually kept secret, but after the events today, the great dean decided to share their locations with us.

“So rude,” I say, shaking my head. Lev threads his fingers through mine. We approach the ‘dungeons’ way more quickly than I expected.

“The gym, the fucking gym?” I ask.

I should have known. Of course, the place I practically used as a safe haven for the first half of the year would be just above the torture chamber for the island.

Actually, yeah, that checks out.

We make our way down a corridor behind the squat rack that I never realized existed and descend the stairs. Concrete walls surround us, and the temperature drops significantly once we hit the sub level. Pushing through the large door, white lights illuminate everything. In the center of the room, a man hangs from two chains. His arms are strung up behind his back, and he hangs at an awkward angle that I know has to be pulling his shoulders out of the socket ever so slowly. Damien stands in front of him, his fists and chest already bloody. He looks like he’s in a trance until his eyes land on mine.

“Hey there, Little Shadow. Come to play?”

It should definitely not be a turn-on seeing my man disheveled and covered in blood, heading toward me with the dominance of a monster who knows he’s at the top of the food chain. My smile stretches easily from ear to ear as I let him pull me up to kiss me like his life depends on it.

I take in his hard muscles, the way his chest is heaving, and how his breaths are still labored. Maybe his life does depend on it because this feels like a man no longer tethered to this plane of existence.

“It was rude to get started without me,” I whisper when he breaks the kiss.

He grins, and the blood on his face only makes him look even sexier as he says, “Hey, we all know the moment you lay your hands on him he’s a goner. I needed a little justice to be served by these hands. Boris didn’t have nearly enough men for me to punish over break, I need to keep these fingers in shape so they don’t break under pressure when fucking you.”

Alexi clears his throat, and I step back. Even though my posture stays playful and light-hearted, I can still feel the dread my dark knight brings with him. Damien may be someone who punishes, but Alexi is one who commands. And it’s so fucking hot to watch.

No ma’am, not here. Get your vagina under control right the fuck now.

“Did you get anything from him?” Alexi asks as the man starts to wake up, a scream coming from his gagged mouth.

I watch as an evil grin contorts Damien's face, and I swear this man has never looked sexier.

“He has the Bratva tattoo. He’s a mole.”

Alexi’s fists clench, and Lev growls as he lets out a venomous, “Fucking traitor.”

Lev turns his attention to me. “May I?” he asks, gesturing towards the man screaming as his shoulder fully dislocates.

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