Daniil cleared his throat, and he stated softly, “Valentina, it would be wise to have my niece leave the room.” He looked at the girl who was around twenty and more Goth than Ember and Grigori combined. “Inna, please leave.”
I felt for her. I really did. But I could also tell that her father, the man who had taken me abused her. She wore white make-up over her naturally tan skin, her eyes done in black, enough to make Marilyn Manson proud. It still wasn’t enough to cover the bruising on one side of her face. It was healing, but it was too purple to not be noticeable. And then there was the way she flinched from the man. That was enough.
Inna glanced at the guards surrounding her parents. She wasn’t stupid. The girl turned her attention to me, and she said softly, “I believe I’d like to stay for this.” Damn. She was so timid. Not to mention tiny. She was even smaller than I was—when I wasn’t pregnant, that is. She had an iron will. I could see that now in her eyes.
“What’s going on?” my mom asked quietly into the silence.
Daniil glanced down at me, raising his eyebrows, giving me the opportunity to explain.
“Mom. Dad. You might want to take our family out of here.” I jerked my head at the two who were surrounded. “They’re the fucks who kidnapped me.” I stared my dad right in the eye. “And I’m going to take care of it tonight, so please leave.”
Dad stared right back.
Not the preacher.
Not the man.
But my dad stared right back into my eyes.
A fury was buried deep within his gaze I had never seen before as he turned his attention to them…but he glanced at my mom and quickly stood, jerking her to her feet before she lunged out of the chair at the couple. Yep. I knew I had been right on that score. Having a hard time keeping my mom contained, dad muttered, “We’ll be outside.” He jerked his head at the door to my aunts and cousins. “Help me with her.” He really was having one hell of a time. I had never seen my mom react like that. Never.
My aunts Susan, Rebecca, and Ella all tore their equally furious gazes from the surrounded couple and jumped to help dad. My uncles even muscled into action to help. Katie left the room swiftly, looking decidedly ill.
But Mary…
I raised my eyebrows at her, and she shook her head, turning her attention back to what was going on with the fuckers. Ah. This was one of those times Mary was older than her age. She knew this was an execution, and she wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, she patted the seat next to her, ignoring how Roman didn’t move a damn muscle from where he was beside her as she beckoned Daniil’s niece to come and sit by her.
That was an odd duo. Colorful Mary sitting next to Goth Inna.
The early stages of a tiny uproar were beginning with Daniil’s family from Russia. I couldn’t understand them completely, but I got the gist of it. They were asking if Daniil was positive about this. Apparently, they didn’t believe Valentina was capable of such an act. They all knew her and loved her. Although they did point their finger at her husband, Bogdan.
They all thought he was capable of it.
Daniil raised his hand again, shushing them and shaking his head. “Oh, no. Valentina played a part in it.” He glanced down at me. “You recognized her, did you not?”
I nodded. “Her eyes and her voice.” I jerked my head at Bogdan. “And his nose is crooked because I smashed it with the trunk.” I grinned. Fucker.
Valentina started to argue very prettily, but Daniil made a gesture with his hand, and one of the bodyguards moved. He gagged her for lack of a better word. And her pretty words stopped. I grinned again. Fuckerette.
Daniil stated to the room at large, “Beth was singing this song that was repeatedly played while she was in captivity. You tell me if you do not believe it was Valentina after you hear this.” He placed me aside and sat down at the piano and started playing that fucking song.
I couldn’t take more than a few chords of it, and I lunged, grabbing his hands. “Stop. Please.”
He nodded, swiftly standing and holding me tight again. “Now. Does anyone have any arguments?”
Valentina’s parents stood. Daniil’s previous in-laws.
They literally spit in the direction of their daughter and her husband. They said a few harsh words in Russian, which I understood for ‘stupid girl’ before they turned and left the room.
Shocked. I was shocked. I didn’t think they would have just left their daughter. I glanced up at Daniil. He must be one scary motherfucker in Russia. Quietly, still a little stunned, I asked, “What song is that, anyway?”
Daniil shook his head, saying quietly, “She plays music as well. That song is one that she created herself. Only a few CDs were ever made. And only given to those who she was friends with.”
Oh, yeah. Stupid fuckerette.
I took a deep breath in and released him, holding out my hand. His gun. I wanted his gun before all of the damn memories bombarded me, and I wasn’t able to walk over there. That fucking song had almost pushed them up and out. I needed the damn gun. And fast.
He reached behind his back and pulled his gun out slowly, whispering, “Beth, my sweet. I can do this for you.” No one was paying us much mind, although a few of the women were leaving the room, and one or two men were also leaving, not wanting to watch, but doing nothing to stop it.
