Page 266 of Hate to Love You
My shaking and disheveled ex-accounting manager sits beside me in the car, outside the warehouse where we had originally come to meet Cillian.
“Fuck you,” she says, her voice trembling. “I’m not telling you shit, Roman. And I don’t give a shit about what happens to your little bitch of a girlfriend either.”
I smile.
“You know, I thought you’d say that,” I say, licking my bottom lip.
Cal hands me a tablet from the front seat.
“But I suggest you rethink that statement, one more time.”
Pressing play, a video pops on to the screen, of a man, woman, and an elderly woman, all blindfolded and tied to their kitchen chairs.
…With one of my men standing behind them with a gun.
“Oh my God,” Heather gasps, snatching it from me. “That’s…that’s my parents house!”
“Bravo. And yes, if you’re wondering,” I sneer. “That is a live feed. See that man there? That’s Giorgi, he doesn’t say much. Say hi, Giorgi!”
The man with the gun waves briefly at the camera before resuming his rigid stance.
“Mama! Papa!” Heather gasps, tears welling in her eyes. “Nona!”
“Oh, sorry, I should’ve specified,” I smile darkly. “They can’t hear you. Only Giorgi can hear you. Which, admittedly, has made Nona’s participation in this entire thing a bit of a gamble. You know, given that she was dragged out of her bed and tied to the chair at one in the afternoon. Probably not very good for that heart condition of hers.”
“You fucking monster!” She wails, trying to hit me.
However, I’m too quick for her, and given my restraint has teetered on the edge of my rage all fucking morning, I finally snap.
Blocking her with one hand, I grab her throat with my other, and smash her head against the glass window of my Cadillac so hard that the entire car shakes.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” I growl lethally. “I am a fucking monster, Heather. And if anything happens to Abigail, while I’m sitting in this motherfucking car wasting time with your trashy ass, I will make you watch as I slowly and mercilessly dismember your parents limb from fucking limb. And then, if she survives watching it happen, I will skin your sweet grandma alive. Do you understand?!”
Heather frantically scratches at my hand, crushing her windpipe.
“I’m giving you one opportunity, just one, to rethink your answer. And if it’s the wrong one, I promise I will make you listen to their screams until your ears bleed.”
When her face starts turning a dark shade of crimson, I finally release her, hearing her sharp intake of breath as she slumps against the window.
She coughs loudly, before breaking into a soft sob.
“So, tell me, Miss Jenson,” I ask, folding my hands politely across my lap. “What’s it going to be?”
Chapter Forty-Four
ABBY
I always thought that I was immortal.
I’d convinced myself that the steps I took to cover my tracks would make it too hard for anyone to piece together who I’ve killed.
But Polina did.
“Tell me, Abigail,” she says, brushing my hair from my face. “How much has Roman told you about our family business?”
“Not much,” I hiss, pulling back from her.
“Liar,” she chuckles darkly, stepping away from me, her heels clicking loudly against the concrete. “Each member of our family has a role. A purpose. But I was never given a role.”