Santiago grins finally tipping his hand at how powerful an Alpha he is too. He holds Victor’s stunned stare effortlessly,waves of dominance from my Alpha, slamming into Victor as Santiago starts to clears up any confusion. “No comemos en la mesa de nuestros enemigos. Pero aun así sentiste que debías sentarte con nosotros. Te servimos el culo y quemamos tus drogas. Medellín no es un lugar para visitar a menos que estés protegido por tu familia.”
I look at Kade, and he’s watching realisation dawn on Victor’s face. Kade laughs under his breath, and the more the Ambassador shrinks in fear, the louder Kade laughs.
Aleksei clears his throat, and curls an eyebrow up impatiently at me.
I translate for him. “We don't eat at the table of our enemies. But you still felt you should sit with us. We served you your ass, and burnt your drugs. Medellín is not a place to visit unless you are protected by your family.”
Aleksei throws a hand up, and firmly inserts himself into the drama. “Fine then.V Rossii nikto ne vspomnit tvoyego imeni. I pover' mne, yesli ty dumayesh', chto budesh' presledovat' moyu zhenu iz mogily, chto ona iz-za etogo isportitsya, ty oshibayesh'sya. Ona vyigrala etu igru v tot zhe mig, kak vyshla iz tvoyego kabineta, i my budem prazdnovat' yeye pobedu kazhdyy chertov den'. Raz v god, v godovshchinu tvoyey smerti, ya budu vozvrashchat'sya na tvoye mesto zakhoroneniya i podzhigat' yego. Ty — merzost'.” He finishes with his usual flair for the dramatics by spitting at Victor’s feet.
And then I’m the one returning his gesture from moments ago where he curled an eyebrow impatiently, waiting for a translation. Aleksei stalks closer, before he leans closer and dips down for a wicked kiss before spinning on his feet. “Not one person will remember your name in Russia. And trust me, if you think you will haunt my wife from your grave, that she will be screwed up because of this, you are mistaken. She won this game the second she walked out of your office and we will celebrateher victory every fucking day. Once a year, on the anniversary of your death, I will revisit your place of burial and set fire to it. You're filth.”
I half expected Aleksei to spit again, but instead Santiago moves fast like a whip. His father, Alejandro, insisted on first blood being spilled by the Cabal family, for Deena / Isabella, I agreed. I mean, I’d been poisoning Victor since the Italian’s delivered him to us so technically the first strike was mine, regardless I watch as Santiago takes the honor of avenging what was done by Victor on behalf of the Cabal family.
Victor staggers, his mouth gaping, as he stares in horror at the large knife, buried hilt deep in his guts. Santiago follows Victor as he flails backwards. My Alpha exudes an eerie calmness that is as threatening, and impossible to ignore as Aleksei’s version of being an Alpha. Both my Alpha’s are consuming, and mesmerising. Both of them fry my brain. For all the right reasons.
Santiago dances forward to pull the Cabal knife free. He does an impressive flick of his wrist and the knife windmills in the air until he grabs it and stabs Victor again. This time in the top of the shoulder.
Victor’s screams of pain bounces around the room like an avalanche rolling through snow peaked mountains, and I wonder if I was being too hasty when I flicked my earplugs at Victor before. But then again, I’ve dreamed of hearing his agony for a long time.
Kade pulls me back against the wall, as Aleksei and Santiago swap places. My focus is split. Aleksei moves away as he slides his hands into his suit pockets then stares Victor down as he slides on a pair of knuckle dusters. Santiago comes closer, until his hands are on my hips and he’s dipping in and kissing me sweetly, gently, even, blocking me from watching Aleksei pound hit after hit into where Santiago had first struck the blade. Butit’s distracting me, it’s reminding me Victor’s pain and agony was unavoidable, and that it’s not as important as us.
“Do you still want to?” Santiago asks, in between kissing me sweetly.
The ‘to’ relates to me being the one to end Victor’s life. If I had the means to keep him alive for eternity to extend his suffering, I probably would. At least for a while. But I want his death too. I want the end of this and I want us to focus on tomorrow and every day that follows.
“Yes,” I eventually answer, and Santiago winks at me before he spins away, and swaps out with Aleksei.
They take turns inflicting wounds with numerous weapons and implements before they switch to inflicting as much pain and suffering on Victor as possible. It’s not nice to watch but every scream or desperate plea he makes is cathartic, and soothes my pain.
Santiago leaves Aleksei doing something with a screwdriver and comes to stand next to me. He doesn’t touch me because of the blood and muck on him, but I grab a hold of his shirt and pull him close. After I wipe off his mouth with my white coat, I kiss him hoping to convey my thanks without using words.
Before we’ve even finished, Aleksei is next to us. He grabs me away from Santiago. He’s already scrubbed his mouth clean. His hands wrap around my waist and I get lifted off my feet. His lips are on mine, his tongue in my mouth, his eyes are open and they are sparkling with relief, and joy. Impatience too.
“Come,maya, let’s go get naked and fuck in the shower. Santiago and Kade can watch, and then after, we will get some burgers to go, and take the dogs to the park.”
Santiago clears his throat, “Kade and I will be in the shower first with our wife, Aleksei. You know this. You even agreed to it before we entered.”
Aleksei scoffs, waving Santiago away, and I take the opportunity to wiggle out of his hold. Reaching over I take Kade’s spare revolver and I walk until I am standing at the messy, bloody lump on the floor. Using my toe to push Victor’s head free from his arms, he’s unconscious and seriously fucked up but still I need to look at him.
He doesn’t make a sound, or register in my presence anyway, when I move him. I fire once hitting him right in the forehead. And now he will never move again.
Flicking the safety on, I swing my arm back for someone to take the weapon while I watch Victor bleed out.
Kade takes my outstretched hand, and binds our hands together. He twists our hands until he’s standing behind me, his arms around my waist, our fingers interlaced. He watches with me, his scent heavy in the air I breathe. Aleksei and Santiago press closer, one on either side. Both of them anchor me even more with their touches, and their presence.
I lean on the three men I love completely, figuratively and spiritually, as this god-awful chapter in my life comes to a brutal, bloody and necessary end.
Chapter Sixty-Two
Weeks later
SANTIAGO
From my vantage point, standing at the window in the hotel’s boardroom, I can see her. The restaurant we booked for her was for this very reason, and at Quinn’s suggestion because she knew both Aleksei and I would struggle with the distance being forced upon us.
At least Roshka is with them. I still want her next to me, though. I need her there.
Initially, the restaurant refused our request to allow dogs that size into their establishment, but like everywhere, money talks.
