Havok: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance - Riley Rollins Page 0,50

I thought this part through, too. "I'll be looking over my shoulder all my life if I don't do it. They fucking know I lied. That's why we have to go big."

"What exactly are you saying?" Valentin says slowly in Russian. He normally speaks excellent English. But when the heat is on, he sometimes lapses into the tongue we all spoke back in the motherland, in the prisons and on the streets.

"We smash the trafficking operation," I say. "Then, we execute Igor, Grigory, and the rest of their henchmen. We clean up West Ark. Take this entire business for ourselves. For my part, I'm dead if I don't."

Luka and Valentin share nervous looks. I don't fucking blame them, considering what I'm proposing. "Think of the payoff," I say.

"Shit," says Valentin, trailing off.

"You sure, brother?" asks Luka. "You sure you ain't gone crazy over a piece of pussy?"

"You ever seen me go crazy over pussy?" I growl.

Valentin nods. "Vlady says she's family, then she's family," he says. "It's decided."

"Spasiba," I say, thanking him in Russian. The bond of brotherhood is stronger than blood.

I look back and forth at the two of them. The wind blows cold, penetrating the thin coat I wear. It won't be long until the trees shed their leaves and flirt with death.

"It's decided," I echo. "And we got no time to waste. Tonight, we take care of Grigory. Tomorrow, the girls."

My heart is like a pit of molten metal, overheating and shooting sparks everywhere.

I had that girl. In my house, and in my bed. And I was so afraid of hurting her, that I let her slip right out of my grasp.

I won't lose her again. I won't.

39

Penny

After Igor tells me what he plans to do with me, I spend the rest of the afternoon cowering next to Mackenzie, trying to ignore the acidic feeling in my stomach. In the background, a constant drip-drip-drip sounds out, perhaps a leak against a hollow drainpipe. The light that reaches this room is dim, as if it's lost its will to illuminate. Barely any light comes in through the grates near the ceiling.

But, Igor doesn't come back. And finally, we fall asleep together, sitting on the ground leaning back-to-back.

When I wake up the next morning, I find that Mackenzie is already awake, but she's remained sitting with me so I wouldn't topple over in my sleep. I thank her, and we both stretch our arms.

One of the other girls, a young blonde who can't be more than college-aged, scoots over to us. Dried blood coats her ears, and when she gets closer I see what's happened. Her earlobes are torn through. Someone must have ripped her earrings right out.

"Hey," she says, "You hurt?"

"No," I answer.

"You're one of the lucky ones, then."

A lump forms in my throat. "What do you mean?"

"They've been raping us. Telling us it's paradise compared to what'll happen in Europe."

The lump in my throat grows, and it's hard to swallow.

"The girls that resist, they torture us. Beatings. Electrocution."

I feel like throwing up. "How long have you been down here?"

She shrugs. "Three weeks, maybe four. I lost track of time."

Mackenzie looks terrified. "It's only three or four days for me."

"They'll send you away soon enough," says the girl. "I'm only still here because I play along with their sick fantasies."

Mackenzie and I sit there, still huddling, not speaking. There's nothing to do but wait, to see when Igor comes back.

The burning feeling in my stomach increases, but as the hours pass, I feel like there's something weird about it. And sitting here in this dungeon, a slow realization dawns on me.

In the commotion of the last few days, I was supposed to get my period.

But I didn't.

The realization scares the holy hell out of me. I bat it around in my mind, wondering if it's all just due to stress. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like there is a baby growing inside me.

Havok's baby.

I'd run out and get a pregnancy test if I could. But I can't. All I've got to go on is my gut feeling. Maternal instinct.

So I whisper it to Mackenzie, as we sit there, awaiting our fates. I whisper it as quietly as I can. The other girls show no interest in eavesdropping, but something inside me tells me to keep this secret. Because any attention this gets me would be bad attention.

Mackenzie's big, blue eyes widen as I finish my confession and sit back to observe her