Mafia's Devil part 36

Long chapter!

KARINE

Obeying traffic laws feels like committing a crime, because Luciano is probably in pain. I want to floor it and drive as fast as possible to his location, but I don’t want to cause an accident.

My heart is beating out of my chest, my eyes flicker from the GPS to the open road, and a headache pulses in my skull. I took a slightly longer route and pushed the speed limit, knowing that Maksim will send his men after me.

Although I’m half-way there, it feels like there’s a planet between Luciano and I.

When I stop at a red light, I tear open the glove compartment and toss out papers in search of anything useful. There’s a small utility knife at the bottom. I take it, fully intending on using it if anyone tries to keep me from Luciano. I barely have any strength in me, but the only way I’ll go down is if I’m stabbed with another needle full of drugs.

This game that Maksim and Luciano are playing is ridiculous. It must come to an end. I don’t care if Maksim is the head of my family, because I’m the one who went through the trauma of kidnapping and decided to let the anger go. He needs to forgive Luciano, just like I did.

I pull up to the location. It’s an abandoned storage house that anyone would drive past and not think anything of it. I’m groggy as I push the door open and stumble toward the graffiti-stained entrance. A single man steps out, probably convinced that taking me down would be an easy job.

He lifts his shoulders as he approaches me, ready to take me down. The idiot. I’ve learned my lesson by now. I have no value when it comes to physical strength, but I'm very valuable to powerful men— namely Maksim and Luciano.

I lift the knife and point it at my face. “Take another step forward and I’ll slash myself.”

His cold eyes widen. He wasn’t prepared for this.

I walk past him, knife still at my face. Seven more men cross me, all at a loss for what to do. They can’t touch me, because if I so as much scratch my face, then one of the two mafia bosses in the building will obliterate them.

“Fuck you, Russian scum,” I hear Luciano spit from deep in the building.

Well, I him. That was easy.

I follow the sounds of grunts, Italian and Russian curses. I’m led into a cafeteria full of old newspapers, cardboard, and tossed tables and chairs lining the corners.

There are only two men in the room. I’m so shocked by Luciano’s condition that I can’t even produce a sound of shock. He’s suspended in the air, hanging by his wrists with thick chains hold him up. His arms must be numb by now. I can’t imagine how long he’s been in the position.

He only wears boxer briefs, and his normally taunt skin is slashed, bruised, and bleeding. Maksim wears slacks, and his chest is bare and red with blood that isn’t his.

Luciano sneers at him, showing blood-caked teeth. He’s wild and angry, although his body is in tatters.

“Stop!” I scream when I see Maksim step forward to strike again.

Both men snap their attention to me.

“What are you doing here!” Maksim yells.

“You should be resting!” Luciano says right after him.

Maksim turns to him. “Let me take care of this. She is my responsibility.”

“Then stop your dick-measuring contest and go check on her, you fucking waste of air.”

The two bicker over who gets to scold me. It’s astonishing how even when they have the same goal in mind, they fight.

I’m so overwhelmed with emotions that my grogginess multiples and I slouch against the doorframe. The adrenaline is wearing off and I’m exhausted, but my grip on the knife remains strong.

“Karine!” they both yell, but only Maksim can run to me.

I have my back facing the wall, so no man can sneak up and grab me. When Maksim approaches, I scream “Stay back!” and press the knife against my skin. I flinch when I prick myself, and both men cringe as if they’re the one who got stabbed.

“Put him down. Now, Maksim. I’m so furious at you I could torture you myself. You can’t do this.”

He straightens his back. “He knew what would happen if he turned himself in. He disrespected the family. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Don’t patronize me with your bullshit masculinity-codes! I don’t care if he ‘disrespected’ you by kidnapping me. I’m my own person. I don’t belong to either of you, you two knuckleheads! I don’t care how much money either of you have, how many men you have under your control, or how many years you have in your positions. I get to do whatever I want. Put that idiot down from there, and Luciano, you prick, I need you to stop your games and just be a normal boyfriend or whatever you’re supposed to be!”

I’m asking for the impossible. Luciano will never be normal.

He looks outraged. “Why are you still holding that knife? Put it down!” he scolds and tugs at the chains. He looks so pissed that I wouldn’t be surprised if he tore through them.

Ugh, it’s as if he heard nothing I said.

"Yes,” Maksim agrees. “Put it down. I see you’ve been spending too much time with my wife and she’s influencing you,” Maksim scowls. “You women think that just because you’re the only people we refuse to hurt, that you can control us.”

“We can. Because you two are simple beasts. It’s us women that have control. It’s time to put an end to this. Go home to your boys.”

Maksim looks at the knife at my cheek, and then at my determined eyes. With the speed I’ve only seen Luciano use, my cousin charges. I scream in fright and quickly lose control of the situation.

“NO!” The yell comes from Luciano.

Maksim knocks the knife out of my hand. I land awkwardly atop of him. His bare, bloody chest is pressed against my own. His tackle was almost perfect, except that my forehead missed his shoulder by a few inches. I hit the pavement and cry out in pain. The pain is quick. It won’t kill me, but it makes my eyes tear.

Although I know it’s terrible, I force myself into waterworks to guilt-trip Maksim.

“You son of a bitch!” Luciano roars behind us, rattling his chains like a mad beast.

“Karine? Shit. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Let me see.” Maksim sits up and pushes my hair from my forehead. He looks defeated. I’ve never seen him like this. It’s almost as shocking as when I pulled similar emotions from Luciano.

I force myself into theatrics and flinch away from him. The pain is already fading, but I act like he knocked my head off my shoulders.

I push at his shoulders. “I— I want Luciano!”

“Okay. Alright. Don’t stand.”

I watch him dig into his pockets. Luciano is only suspended inches into the air, so Maksim doesn’t need to stand on anything to reach his wrists. He slides the key into the lock and turns it. Luciano fumbles with the chains so fast that I fear he’ll dislocate a wrist.

He falls and lands on his knees with a teeth-jarring boom, but then he’s on his feet, charging his marred body at me.

“Let me see your head.” He cups my cheeks and tries to tip my head up.

“No,” I refuse. “That’s not how this works. You’re the injured one.”

“Stop being stubborn,” he and Maksim simultaneously say.

I rise to my feet and point fingers at them. “Be nice to each other. Hug it out.”

They look at me in disbelief.

“You must a concussion. Sit down. I’m calling a doctor.” Maksim reaches into his pocket.

“Call the mortuary, too, because I’m going to slaughter you,” Luciano spits at him. “You hurt her!”

“This is not how you hug it out!” I rub my temples. “Maksim, I don’t need a doctor. I was acting to get you to let Luciano go. This cat-and-mouse game has to end. I’m moving on with my life, and Luciano will be a part of it.”

Maksim shakes his head. “He doesn’t deserve you. This piece of shit is nine years older and has nothing good to offer you other than dirty money.”

“Yeah? How do you justify being with Raelynn? You hypocrite.” Luciano interjects.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your filthy mouth,” Maksim snaps.

“Then keep mine out of yours.”

“You’re not married to Karine!”

“Not yet, but she’ll be mine whether you like it or not.”

They’re tumbling in the ground now in a flash of fists, tattoos, and anger.

I groan in frustration and approach them. They break when I get too close, not wanting to hurt me.

“I’m leaving now, Maksim. Go home to your family. I’ll be fine, so stop worrying about me.”

I wrap an arm around Luciano’s waist and try my best to help him up. I’m unable to help much, so he has to carry most of his weight. Although he’s battered, he stands tall, unable to present weakness in front of the other apex predator.

“It’s over.” I tell both of them.

Maksim only keeps scowling at Luciano, his hands clenching and unclenching.

“It’s over.” I repeat. “I’m going to call my dad to let him know I’m fine. I’m going to stay with Luciano until he heals, and then I’m going to have sex with him.”

Maksim cringes, and Luciano shakes his head.

“I’m doing it right. I’m marrying you first.”

Maksim’s eyes flicker back to his enemy, his frown loosening a fragment.

“I’m done with you two buffoons saying what I can’t and can’t do. I’m having pre-marital sex, and that’s it! Case closed. Luciano, let’s go.”