Page 74 of High Stakes
When I finally manage to look up, my blood runs cold.
Mikhail.
He stands in front of me, a cruel smile on his face as he looks me over. His presence radiates power and danger, and I know I’m in more trouble than I ever could have imagined.
“Welcome to my home, Fallon,” Mikhail says, his voice smooth and mocking as he grips my chin, forcing me to peer up at him.
His grasp is icy, his fingers gripping my chin with a strength that borders on pain. I resist the urge to flinch, keeping my gaze steady as I meet his eyes.
Mikhail’s eyes glint with a sadistic pleasure as he watches the fear flicker across my face. He knows he has me exactly where he wants me—helpless, vulnerable, and far from anyone who could save me. His grip on my chin softens, but only enough to let his thumb trace a slow, deliberate path across my lips, a mocking parody of tenderness.
“You know, Fallon,” he begins, his voice dropping to a low murmur that sends a shiver of dread down my spine, “Leone made a grave mistake. He thought he could defy me, thought he could reject the deal I so graciously offered him. I was willing to leave the past in the past, start fresh. All he had to do was step back, let me handle the Mexicans, and keep his precious little territory intact. But no… your dear husband thinks he’s invincible.”
I swallow hard, forcing myself to maintain eye contact despite the terror clawing at my insides. “You think taking me will make him give you whatever it is you want?”
Mikhail’s smile widens, his teeth flashing in the harsh sunlight. “Oh, I don’t just think it, Fallon. I know it.” His fingers slide down my throat, lingering at the pulse point where my heartbeat races beneath the skin. “Leone cares more about you than he’d ever admit, even to himself. He’s desperate to hold on to what’s his—his territory, his power, and most of all, you.”
He releases my throat, only to step closer, his face inches from mine as he leans in, his breath hot against my ear. “But he made a mistake. He underestimated just how far I’m willing togo to bring him to his knees. And you, my dear, are the key to that.”
Mikhail pulls back slightly, his gaze boring into mine with a malevolent intensity. “You see, when Leone realizes you’re gone, and he starts to piece together who has you… he’ll break. And then, when I’m done with you, I’ll send him what’s left of you, piece by piece, until he’s nothing but a shattered shell of the man he once was.”
My breath catches in my throat, horror washing over me in waves. The full extent of Mikhail’s cruelty, his meticulously crafted plan, becomes terrifyingly clear. This isn’t just about power or territory; it’s about destroying Leone from the inside out, using me as the weapon to do it.
“You’re sick,” I spit, my voice shaking with a mixture of anger and fear. “Leone will never give in to you. He’ll hunt you down, no matter how long it takes. He’ll?—”
Mikhail’s cruel smile doesn’t waver as he looms over me. His gaze is sharp as a blade. My head throbs, but I force myself to stare up at him, my mind reeling. I need to know why he’s doing this. I need to understand what kind of sick game he’s playing.
“Why?” I croak out; my voice is weak but defiant. “Why are you doing this?”
For a moment, Mikhail just stares at me, his eyes narrowing as if considering whether or not to indulge my question. Then, he chuckles—a dark, bitter sound.
“Why?” he repeats, his voice dripping with mockery. “Why not? Leone has a bad habit of taking from me, Fallon. And now, I’m simply returning the favor.”
I blink up at him, confusion clouding my thoughts. “Taking from you? I don’t understand…”
Mikhail’s expression hardens, his smile fading as his eyes grow colder. He leans down, his face inches from mine, his breath hot against my skin. “Of course, you don’t understand.How could you? Leone never told you, did he? He never told you about Lydia.”
The name falls from his lips like a curse, and I feel a jolt of fear shoot through me. “Lydia?” I echo, my mind scrambling to make sense of his words. “His ex-wife?” I ask him.
Mikhail’s smile returns, but this time, it’s tinged with something darker, something far more dangerous. “Lydia was my sister. My baby sister. She was everything to me, and Leone took her from me.”
My breath catches in my throat. Lydia. Leone’s first wife.
“What? What do you mean?” I stammer, my voice trembling. “Leone loved Lydia. He?—”
“Loved her?” Mikhail interrupts, his voice rising with anger. “Loved her? He didn’t love her, Fallon. He destroyed her. He got her hooked on his drugs, made her dependent on him, and then when she was no longer of use to him, he killed her.”
“No,” I whisper, shaking my head in disbelief. “She betrayed him. Leone wouldn’t kill her for no?—”
Mikhail’s laughter cuts me off, sharp and cruel. “You really are naive, aren’t you? Leone didn’t care about Lydia. She was just another piece in his game, another pawn to be used and discarded when she no longer served a purpose.”
Tears sting my eyes as I struggle to process what he’s telling me. Lydia. Leone’s first wife. She was Mikhail’s sister? No, it can’t be true. But the look in Mikhail’s eyes, the sheer hatred that burns there, tells me he believes every word he’s saying.
“He promised me,” Mikhail continues, his voice low and venomous. “He promised he would love her, that he would treat her right. But instead, he took her from me. He took my baby sister, my blood, and now… now I’m going to take everything from him.”
My heart pounds in my chest as his words sink in. This isn’t just about power or territory; this is personal. Mikhail wants revenge, and he’s using me as the weapon to get it.
“No!” I cry out, trying to pull away from him, but his grip is unyielding.
