Page 144 of His to Own

“I don’t even have his number.”

“Doesn’t matter. I can’t risk it. Give me the exact address. Now.”

After a moment, George tells me where Elena is. I check the address on my map app and find that it’s at least an hour away from here. In the woods from the looks of it.

“There,” George gasps. “I helped you. You don’t have to kill me. Please. I won’t tell anyone about this.”

“You seem like a sincere man, George. But you also helped kidnap my wife and I’m not the sort of man who easily forgives.” I wrap my hands around George’s throat and strangle him until all the life leaves his eyes.

Once he’s dead, I leave his body on the floor and head back to my car. I call Nikolai. “I have another body for you to handle. I’ll be at this address.” I give him the same address George gave me. “I’m going to find Elena.” I hang up before he can reply and drive away from George’s shitty little house and all the memories that come with the neighborhood.

Elena

“Kill your daughter yourself.” Aleksander’s words echo through my head. The pit inside my stomach grows and grows. All I feel is numb. I tried fighting so hard before and now… now this is the outcome. My father’s betrayal.

Father looks startled for just a second. A part of me thinks I’m imagining it.

“You can kill her, can’t you? You need to prove to me, Gregory, that you’ll be loyal to me and how can I trust you if you can’t do what I ask? It’s clear you want to live. What price are you willing to pay to get there?”

“I…” Father inhales deeply. “I thought you could kill her.”

“No. If you want this deal so badly, then you need to be the one. Fight for your life, Gregory.”

Fight. An idea hits me.

“What if I killed my father instead?” I ask.

Father whips his head around to stare at me. Aleksander’s expression doesn’t change. It remains chilly and cold but I remember his face when he cut that man’s head right off. The pure anger in his eyes.

“You would kill your father?” he asks. “To what end?”

“Make a deal with Maxim and Nikolai instead,” I say. “Instead of fighting with them. You could gain more power and money that way.”

“You don’t seem to understand, Elena, that I want your husband dead. I don’t want him and Nikolai ruling this city. So while your idea is an interesting one – and a surprising one at that –it’s all pointless. It’s not you I need to make a deal with. It’s either your father lives or you both die.” He turns his eyes back onto my father. “So what will it be, Gregory? Make a deal with me by killing your daughter or die. You can watch as I cut her head off.”

I shiver. “Wouldn’t being aligned with Maxim and Nikolai be the better deal?” I can’t give up the fight. I just can’t.

“Gregory.”

With a sigh, my father drops his chin to his chest and nods his head. “All right. I’ll do it. I’ll kill her.”

“Father,” I gasp. “Don’t do this. You can’t kill me.”

His head snaps up and his eyes are furious. “You just offered to kill me yourself. You have no love for me. You’re not even my daughter.” He turns to Aleksander. “I’ll kill her. I’ll do it now.”

“Good idea.” Aleksander walks over to us and cuts the rope around my father’s wrists. I remain tied, unable to move. Unable to escape. Unable to fight.

Tears hit the edges of my eyes but I hold it back. I can’t cry right now. I will not give my father or Aleksander the satisfaction of seeing me afraid.

Father gets to his feet and Aleksander hands him the knife. After a beat, he takes it and turns to face me. The look in his eyes is unreadable. I stare right back. Let him look me in the eye as he kills me.

Slowly, he kneels down before me. Aleksander stands behind him like a gargoyle. Tall and intimidating.

“Elena,” Father says. “I’ll give you what you wanted to hear. I am sorry.”

I suck in a quick breath right before he stabs me in the stomach. The pain makes me scream. It’s an ugly, primal sound I have never made before.

He keeps the knife in my stomach. His hand shakes like he can’t get himself to pull it out.