Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 528(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
His fucking name on her lips.
My hands clenched into fists. “Careful, Serafina.”
“Or what?” she challenged, her eyes flashing with defiance. “You’ll release your dogs on me again? Make me run through the woods? I’m not afraid of you anymore, Adrian. And unfortunately, I’m stuck with you, bound to you until death do us part, right?”
The words stung more than I cared to admit. I leaned forward, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Careful, Serafina. Think about your words before you speak them.”
“Why should I?” She sat up straighter, her chin lifting. “You’ve shown me nothing but cruelty since the day we met. You married me to hurt your brother. You’ve treated me like property, like a pawn in your twisted game of revenge.”
“You should be afraid,” I countered, rising from the chair. “You don’t know what I’m capable of, Princess.”
She laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. “You’ve already taken everything from me. What more could you possibly do? There’s darkness in you, and I’ve found mine.”
“You have no idea what darkness truly is,” I growled. She jumped out of bed, coming to her feet as I strode over, closing the distance between us. “You think poisoning me with strawberries makes you dangerous? That’s child’s play in our world.”
“Are you challenging me?” Serafina asked, her voice hardening.
No... I wasn’t challenging her.
I was fucking pissed.
My wife was loyal to him.
To my fucking brother.
I reached out before she could react, gripping her arms, shaking her slightly. “Do you know what I do with disloyal people?”
“Tell me,” She hissed, a fierce look in her eyes.
“How about I show you?”
Her lips parted with a shocked gasp, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
My lips twitched.
My sweet, sweet Serafina.
Defiant, yet innocent.
Impulsive, yet naive.
Fierce, yet harmless.
Without another word, I dragged her from the room, down the stairs, ignoring her protests.
She didn’t struggle as much as I expected, her newfound courage making her curious rather than fearful.
So gullible.
She had no idea what was waiting for her and maybe, it was time she saw, she knew.
The house was dark and quiet as we descended into the basement, where not many people were allowed in. And a place Serafina didn’t even know existed, right beneath her as she slept peacefully in her bedroom.
The air grew colder, damper as we descended the concrete steps. The basement door loomed before us, a thick, reinforced steel that led to my private domain.
It creaked as I pushed it open.
The fluorescent lights flickered on, illuminating the sterile space that served as my interrogation room.
The air was heavy with the scent of bleach and metallic blood. The concrete floor was stained dark in places, and the walls were lined with tools—knives, pliers, saws, things that had served their purpose many times before.
Serafina gasped, her chest shuddering, her body releasing a quiver as she took in the scene in front of her.
In the center of the room, a man was strapped to a chair, a black bag over his head. His breathing was ragged, his body trembling with fear or cold… it could be both.
I did keep the temperature of this room extremely cold. My captives tended to talk faster when they felt their blood turning frigid, their body weakening under the bitter chill.
I pushed Serafina into a chair opposite our captive. “Don’t move,” I warned her. “Don’t speak. Just watch.”
She sat perfectly still, her face pale in the harsh light but surprisingly composed.
For now…
I approached the bound man, removing the bag to reveal a young face. Lucca was twenty-five. Tech smart, but cunning in his ways. I liked him, I truly did.
That was until I found out he’d been skimming from our operations.
“Lucca,” I said, testing the name on my tongue, my voice calm, conversational. “You’ve been stealing from us.”
He shook his head frantically. “No, I swear I didn’t do it.”
I backhanded him, the sound of hand hitting flesh echoing in the concrete room. Blood trickled from his split lip.
“Don’t lie to me,” I said, selecting a knife from the metal table beside us. The sharp, shiny blade gleamed under the light as I approached him. “We have evidence. Your accounts, your transactions. All of it.”
I worked methodically, systematically, explaining each step to Serafina without looking at her. I wanted her to understand the world she had married into, the monster she had challenged.
“Disloyalty has consequences,” I told Serafina, finally meeting her gaze. Her eyes were wide, her face a mask of horror, her lips were pressing into a thin line, her skin pale.
But she didn’t look away. She didn’t beg me to stop.
Such a good girl.
She watched as I pressed the knife to Lucca’s throat.
“Please,” Lucca sobbed, his voice raw. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Please, don’t kill me. Please.”
I dug the knife into his flesh, just enough to make a small cut.
Blood trickled down his chest, staining his shirt. His screams echoed off the concrete walls, but Serafina remained silent.