Now that X has made contact and I know for a fact that Blair is alive, I can’t stop thinking about her. I don’t even want to imagine what they’re putting her through, knowing the ways they took her childhood away from her. The mere thought makes me want to start burning this city, piece by piece, land by land, until the pests reveal themselves and the flames burn them to the ground.
Because all of this is my fault. I couldn’t protect my peace. She’s my peace. The reason I’m alive. And they took her away from me. They took the most precious thing I’ve ever had, the only semblance of Heaven in this dark, twisted world.
I’m not stopping until all of them are dead by her hand. They aren’t my prey to hunt. They’re hers. And I’ll deliver them on a silver platter, and she can pick the way she wants to end them.
That’s the least she deserves.
“He’s ready,’’ Kaya says the moment I enter the room, standing up from the chair. She tosses the magazine to the side, her heels clicking on the marble floors as she approaches me. “Tied up, gagged, ready for interrogation.’’
I nod, then start walking toward the basement. Kaya’s hand wraps around my elbow, and I immediately pull it back, the touch of someone who isn’t Blair or my family making me physically sick.
“What?” I snap.
“Let me do it,” she says — no, she demands.
“Excuse me?”
“I have experience with terrible fathers,’’ Kaya explains, and sympathy pangs inside my chest. Her father was a fucking monster.He had her chained to the wall, in an actual tower, without so much as sunlight for months. “Let me try to get it out of him. Your anger will slip; mine won’t, because I have no personal attachment to either Alexander or Blair.’’
I ponder on the thought for a minute or two, her daring eyes boring into mine. With a deep breath, I nod, and a triumphant smile tugs on the corner of her lips. She pulls out a couple of knives, then brushes past me, going down to the basement.
The interrogation room is small, with a one-way window taking up one entire wall. I’m outside, sitting on a chair, looking carefully as Kaya enters the room, softly closing the door behind her.
She removes Alexander’s gag, throwing it to the furthest corner of the room. Instead of laying into him immediately, she starts circling him. Her movements are slow, deliberate, and with a purpose. The sound of her heels is the only thing that could be heard, and the silence is starting to get to him.
Alexander tries to keep up with her, but it fails quickly. It’s my first time seeing Ekaterina Kalashnikova be who she is — the fucking Rapscallion. The air thickens, the dominating feeling peeling off her. He swallows nervously, and Kaya merely squints her eyes. She takes a step forward, coming to stand right in front of him.
He tilts his chin upward to be able to meet her eye, trying desperately to keep up the emotionless, cold demeanor. However, his hands tremble on his lap for just a split second, and that split second is enough for her.
“Alexander Hawke,” her voice is lower than usual, the words laced with venom. “Do you know why you’re here?”
The question is as simple as it could possibly get. Yet, the man is too quiet. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, he shakes his head. Kaya lifts an amused brow, that sinister, dark look flickering through her blue eyes. She’s enjoying every second ofthis.
In the next second, she takes one of the knives that she brought with her and pierces it through his thigh. My eyes widen almost comically, the sound of his scream reaching my ears. He thrashes against the restraints, the chair moving slightly from the force of his attempt to free himself.
“Let me ask you again,” Kaya draws out, as calm and collected as always. “Do you know why you’re here?’’
“This bitch is crazy.” I breathe out, unable to look away. Alexander trembles, glancing down at the knife lodged into his thigh. Blood pools from the wound, his teeth clattering together. Whether it’s from pain, anger, or fear, I do not know, but the fact is, she managed to impact him.
“I don’t know,” Alexander responds, his words weak. They lack resolution, they lack honesty. Kaya sighs in mock disappointment before pulling out a second knife. His expression mirrors mine, pure shock on his face.
Though, I can’t hide my excitement. A low, lazy grin pulls on the corners of my mouth, the blood in my veins boiling. I didn’t expect she’d take such an approach, but I’m not disappointed. In fact, not only will she be able to break his spirit within ten minutes, but she’ll also be able to pull everything out of him. He just doesn’t know it yet.
“Would you like to try again?” Kaya asks. “I don’t repeat myself a third time. I’ll just cut you into pieces, sneak into your house, and scatters your body parts in your child’s and wife’s rooms.’’
I can’t tell if she’s bluffing, but knowing her personality, there has to be some truth to her threat. Alexander’s face flashes in sorrow at the mention of his family, and the irony isn’t lost on me. He acts like he loves his wife and child, but here he is, with two other children, by two different women. One of which was conceived while he was married to his current wife.
“Fine,’’ he splutters, and Kaya lowers the knife. She crouches down in front of him, looking at him intently with that twisted smirk of hers. “I’m here because of my involvement with Simmons.’’
Kaya makes a tsk sound. “That’s not all, is it?”
His lip quivers under Kaya’s intense gaze, and even though he’s looking down at her, there’s no doubt about who’s holding all the power. This is just a reminder never to piss her off enough for her to treat me like this.
“No,’’ he admits. “I’m here because of one of my… children.’’
The way he says the word children doesn’t go unnoticed by Kaya or me. It’s filled with venom, almost as if he didn’t want to admit it out loud. Kaya’s brow twitches, and I knew I never should’ve listened to her. Bad fathers still do trigger her, but I have to applaud the way she remains calm and collected.
I’m tapping my foot against the floor impatiently. The way he looks is pissing me off, and I’m struggling to hold back from going in there and murdering the motherfucker. I take deep breaths, trying to steel myself, and allow Kaya to finish the interrogation successfully.
