Page 13 of Darkest Game (The Dark Mafia #3)

Chapter Seven

Irina

“ I propose an idea,” Elaine says, walking back and forth between me and Liam. It’s dark and dingy in the basement. No windows to let any light in. Since we were blindfolded here, I have no idea where I even am. The longer I’m away from my family, the more I feel like I’ll never see them again.

“We don’t want to hear it,” Liam growls.

Elaine stops. “Why not?”

“Because whatever you’re going to say is not a good idea.”

“Listen to what she has to say,” one of Jack’s men speaks.

“Shut up, Richie,” Liam mutters.

Richie balks and looks to the other men like ‘can you believe this guy?’ “I’m just trying to save your life here. You killed Jack and now you have to pay for it but if there’s a way to do so you come out alive, then that’s a good thing.”

Liam sighs, dropping his head back. “Un-fucking-believable.”

“I want to hear what she has to say,” I speak, shocking everyone in the room. “I want to hear your idea.”

Elaine gives me a dark smile as she stands towering over me. “The Russian slut thinking she gets to tell me what to do? I don’t think so.”

“She wasn’t telling you what to do,” Liam grumbles. “She was just saying she wants to hear your idea. Preferably an idea that gets us out of here alive.”

“You both can live. But she’ll be given to the other men behind me.”

The hope in my stomach is dashed. “What?”

Liam tries pulling against his ties and gets nowhere. “You can’t be serious. I killed Jack to save Irina from being raped and now you suggest I just give her over to be raped by multiple men? You’re fucking insane, Elaine.”

“Language,” she snaps.

“Says the woman talking about letting another woman be raped.”

I look right at Elaine and hope she can see me for who I am: an innocent woman who doesn’t want any part of this. “Just let me go. You hated me anyway. Just let me go back home.”

She scoffs. “Why in the world would I do that? You would just get your brothers-in-law to come and kill me. It’s not happening.”

“I promise. I won’t. Jack was the one who tried to hurt me. You were against it. I’ll tell them that. You can make a deal with Mikhail and Nico. But you need me to help. Please.”

My pleading falls on deaf ears as she turns to the men behind her. “Who wants a piece of the girl first?”

“Please,” I sob, dropping my head to my chest. Knowing Jack was going to rape me was bad enough but now multiple men?

“You fucking bitch,” Liam shouts. “Just let Irina go. I’m the one who killed Jack. Punish me.”

“I never knew you were a selfless man, Liam. You shouldn’t have killed my husband. If you had just killed the girl, I would have helped protect you.”

“Bullshit. You would have let Jack kill me. Either way, I was dead the second I killed Jack. But let Irina go. She never asked for any of this. She’s just an innocent.”

“She tempted my husband!” A vein on the side of Elaine’s head throbs as she screams. “That cannot stand. She deserves to be raped for it.”

My breath hitches. How can another woman do this to me? It’s a betrayal that cuts deeper than if Elaine were a man.

“That is your way out of here, Liam. The girl will be taken by Jack’s men and you’ll be free to go. Of course, you’ll have to watch and then you’ll be free to go. I’m going to be taking over for Jack now.”

“You’re not a man.”

Elaine sneers at him. “I am the wife to a powerful man.”

“A powerful man who’s dead.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m still his wife. His men will respect me.

Follow me. Now, I can choose for these men not to rape the girl.

But to do that, you’ll both die. If you want to live, Liam, then you’re going to have to let the girl be taken by these men.

It’s your choice. Death for both of you or life for you and rape for the girl. ”

I look between Elaine and Liam. The reality is, while Liam may have saved me, I barely know him still. He could choose to let me be raped while he walks away scot-free. I know he partially killed Jack because Jack was belittling him. He didn’t only kill Jack just for me.

Liam has even admitted to me that he tends to do things only for himself. I have no hope that I’ll be saved. My options are either rape or death.

“What happens after I’m… taken?” I ask.

Elaine glares down at me. “What?”

“Once I’m taken by… these men.” I nod at them standing behind Elaine, looking way too relaxed given the situation. “What happens to me then? Do I die? Or am I free to go?”

“Irina,” Liam warns.

“What? I have to know.”

Elaine taps her chin. “You know what. I’ll be kind to you.

I’ll let you live after you’ve been taken by the three men behind me.

You can return to your family but you’ll have to tell Mikhail and Nico that I helped save your life.

Otherwise, I’ll come find you and kill you myself personally. You know I’m capable of it.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

She presses her hands on top of mine and squeezes hard. I bite my tongue to keep from screaming. “Guess you’re just going to have to trust me.” The moment she releases my fingers, I let out a sob.

I do not want to be raped and to live with that trauma for the rest of my life but… I also don’t want to die. This could be my chance to go home. My life will be changed forever but that doesn’t mean it has to be over.

“What’s it going to be?” Elaine asks.

“You can’t be serious?” Liam scoffs. “Irina is raped or killed?”

“If you let her be taken by these men, she’ll be released. Free like you can be. You can even be with her if you want. But make the choice, Liam.”

“Why don’t I get a choice?” I ask.

“Because I don’t like you,” she snaps. “Liam chooses. Death for both of you or the girl is raped and you can walk free. And then she’ll be free too. I’m not completely mean.”

“You’re just a bitch,” he hisses.

“Slow down with the language there. I’m a lady. You’ll speak with respect when I’m around. Now, make your choice Liam. Choose to be selfless or selfish.”

“Choosing to end both of our lives seems pretty selfish,” he says.

“Not when you have the option to walk away without a scratch on you. Death is the selfless option. The one where you leave and the girl is raped? That’s the selfish one. Now. Which one will it be? My patience is wearing thin. Choose.”

Liam glances at me but I don’t know him well enough to understand his expression. But I do see a flash of guilt in his face. My stomach drops. I know which option he’s choosing before he even says it.

“I’ll choose to walk away free,” he finally says. “But untie me first.”

“No. You’re going to watch as she’s raped.”

The moment my wrists are untied, I scratch out the guard who untied me. My nails rake down his face. His scream of pain is satisfying.

Another guard grabs my arms and drags me past Liam.

“Irina,” Liam hisses. “My coat pocket.”

I frown before it takes me a second to realize what he’s saying. He left the knife he killed Jack with in his coat pocket.

I lunge forward and grab the knife out of his jacket but I don’t know how to use it on another person.

“My hands,” Liam whispers.

I wrap my hands around the small knife so the guards and Elaine and Jack’s men can’t see it.

“Get her on the ground,” Elaine orders.

I kick the guard closest to me right between the legs, sending him to his knees. I use that chance to run behind Liam and set the knife in his hands right before another guard throws me to the ground.

My wedding dress is covered in dirt and grime and blood. There’s no saving it now.

It’s just like my innocence. Ruined. Taken from me.

I scream and kick and flail around with all my might until one of the guards holds my hands above my head and the other one holds my legs down.

Elaine stares down at me with a satisfied smile.

I’ve never thought anyone deserved to burn in hell until my uncle Denis entered my life.

Now I’ve known two people who deserve to burn down below.

The guard holding my legs spreads them wide and motions at Richie. “Up first.”

Richie hesitates. “You know, it’s not exactly easy for me to have sex in front of others.”

“If you won’t do it, I will,” another one of Jack’s men says, rushing towards me. He’s a lanky man with sunken eyes who looks more like death than a real person.

He unzips his pants and I catch a sight of his penis.

I want the chance to live but I’m not sure I can live through this. I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Open them,” Elaine barks at me. “You’re going to look at their faces as they take you.” When I don’t do as she says, she grabs my face and digs her nails into my skin until I open my eyes. “There. Don, get to it.”

The sunken eyed man nods. “I’m looking forward to it.” He kneels before me and opens my legs wider. “Did Jack get to fuck you first?”

“It’s your lucky day, Don,” Elaine says. “You get to have her virginity.”

Don’s eyes light up at the thought. I’m going to ask Mikhail and Nico to make every single person in this room suffer once I make it out of here. It’s the only thing that’s going to keep me going.

I stare straight back at Don as he hovers over me.

And then a knife goes straight through his throat, sending blood spattering onto my face. Liam yanks the knife out and throws it at the closest guard, landing the knife in his throat. He grabs the gun from the guard and quickly shoots down the other remaining guards.

Elaine screams and runs out the door before she’s shot.

Liam quickly makes work of Richie and the other man who worked for Jack before kicking Don off me.

Then everything is quiet.

The only one who escaped was Elaine. The rest are all dead.

Liam lowers his gun, breathing heavy, and offers me his hand. He saved my life. He could have let me be raped or killed but instead, he put himself in harm’s way to save me.

Why?

Slowly, I take his hand and let him pull me to my feet.

We stare at each other for a moment, his hand around mine, while his other hand grabs my arm. Both of us breathe heavy. Did we just make it out of this intense situation?

And now what?