Page 56 of Black Ledger

That was the worst part. I couldn’t just pretend nothing happened, because everyone looked at me with a horrible mask of sympathy etched into their expressions.

I wanted to punch it off their faces.

It was horrible enough that it happened. It was worse that everyone else knew. It made me look weak and foolish. Two deadly things in the mafia. Who would take me seriously after that?

I threw myself into physical training, beating up the Bratva guys any chance I could. They were taller and stronger, but I was faster and far more strategic. Most fights were evenly matched—except with Severin. I never beat Severin. I never even got close.

I also started a yoga class with Abigail, Nika, and Katya. Katya complained the whole time. But that was good. It made life feel normal. And normal was good. Over the course of a month, I slowly started to feel like myself again, but that’s when I got the gift…

A beautiful, sparkling red box wrapped in a large white lace bow. It was placed in the middle of my made bed when I got home from a sorority meeting. I approached it with caution.

There was no card. No note. No explanation.

My skin prickled. I knew that whatever was inside the box was dangerous. I could feel it in my bones. When I discovered the box, Abigail, Nika, and Katya were with me. I didn’t particularly want to open it with a non-mafia member there, so I made sure that when I opened it, the lid covered the contents.

Thank god I did.

With one finger, I slowly tipped the lid open, and my insides twisted.

A severed human head stared back at me.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Xeniya Morozova

Age 19

My heart jumped into my throat, and I melted onto my bed.

“What is it?” Abigail asked.

“It’s a gift from Severin.” My eyes darted to my sister, and we shared a silent, secret conversation that amounted to: Get her the fuck out of this room.

In a moment, Nika had made up a brilliant excuse and ushered Abigail out of my room. I didn’t hear the actual words. My eyes were fixed on Chad’s lifeless head, now nestled in my lap.

And the first thought I had was, I wonder what they did with his penis.

Yeah, not normal. My second thought was pure, stomach-twisting revulsion, not from the violent and disgusting nature of the gift but from the reminder of why I needed the gift.

Then the rage hit. Deep, guttural fury. Because why the actual fuck would Severin send me a severed head in a box?

Slowly, as if not wanting to spook a feral cat, Katya tiptoed up to me and sat by my side, her gaze also landing on the no-longer-attached head.

“Well, I’d like to say I’m surprised, but this is the least surprising thing I’ve seen all day.” Katya nudged my shoulder and let out a giggle. “I can guarantee my brother helped him do this.”

“I have no doubt.” I stared at Katya for a long moment. I sucked in a slow breath and set the box back down on my bed.

As I stood to change into sneakers instead of heels, Nika walked back in and, without permission, opened the box. “Well, fuck.”

“Yeah,” Katya pulled out the word like an elastic band.

Nika’s head snapped to me. “What are you going to do?”

I kicked off my heels and slipped on my socks and sneakers before lifting my chin up to answer. “I’m going to return it to sender.”

I swung my purse over my shoulder and grabbed the box out of my sister’s hands.

“Do you want help with that?” Nika asked.