Page 25

TWENTY-FOUR

Dante

A nervous energy that I never feel flows through me. It could be because I know how Father truly is, and opening Inaya’s eyes to the truth places her in danger the longer she’s with him, or if my suspicions are high because I’ve gotten to the cabin entirely too easily. I’ve considered all angles for a set up and they haven’t been present. The woods surrounding the cabin are free of his disciples or any traps.

A few men hang around the front of the cabin, with a few more in the back. Sneaking up on the first, I wrap my hand around his mouth. I stab him in the lungs before he can do anything, and the pained gurgles ensure he can’t speak to warn anyone as he dies. He should blame Father; I wouldn’t be so precise if it weren’t for his training.

Most of the men outside meet their demise in similar ways. Knives are bloody but quiet, and I still need the element of surprise on my side. Even if Inaya isn’t in danger, Father will die. I don’t know how it’ll make her feel, but it’s been my goal, and no one is stopping it. Once inside, I move slowly, checking everything for a trigger or some sign of rigging. Still nothing. I pause for a moment. I’m perplexed. This isn’t like him. Although I’m better at it, I got my attention to detail from him. As a person trained under him, the lack of security is weird for such a paranoid person. Either I’m not seeing the big picture, or he finally snapped.

My forward movement remains slow and as I scope everything out. I must remain diligent, just in case he’s banking on me dropping my guard. If he’s using Inaya as bait, he’ll be somewhere where I’d have to choose me or her. That would also be a gamble. He’d have to depend on me caring enough for his ultimatum work. He should know all about human variables. Sometimes we’ll work as expected and other times we’ll do the unexpected. It’s always a draw. Even though I knew I had the upper hand, I never allowed myself to underestimate Inaya when I had her.

Her scream prompts me to move faster. I know how cruel he can be; his actions will be a shock to her system. Two guys are near the door where I heard the scream, muffled voices argue on the other side. Hearing Inaya in distress makes my heart beat faster.

I sneak up behind the first guy and lodge my knife into the side of his neck. Reaching for my other knife, I throw it and hit the next one in the throat before he can do anything. He vomits blood and clutches at his throat before he falls. It reminds me how the news reported that the so-called serial killer “The Reaper” must have disappeared, or was caught for something else. I haven’t stopped killing yet.

Taking a moment, I look in the crack of the door. Father is in the room with my other tormentor, his personal doctor. If Father is at the top of my list, he’d be a close second. The old bastard is tying Inaya’s legs to the bed while Father holds her down. I know that room and that feeling all too well, but I don’t have time to visit the chill going down my spine or the sick feeling in my stomach. It’s not about my trauma right now. It’s about getting her out of here. Why in the fuck is he treating her like one of us?

“Please don’t do this,” she begs in Polish.

Maybe she thinks speaking to him in his mother tongue will get through to the psycho. Nothing but death will.

“Shut the fuck up before you die like your mother. I’m killing that child, even if you die with it. Dante’s bloodline ends with him.”

It takes all my training to be quiet, but the pain associated with this scene scalds every one of my molecules. He said we were sterile. Since I was fourteen, I believed I couldn’t reproduce. He’d hit me in the balls one way or another on different occasions. He caused testicular torsion once, and I had to get surgery. After I came off the anesthesia, he told me I’d never reproduce. I was a little sad to have my options taken away, but didn’t give him the satisfaction he sought.

How could I bring a child into the hell I knew? Why would I create another future puppet for Father? No, it was better that way. Or so I thought.

“It’s my baby,” she cries, bringing me back to the task at hand.

I need to save her now and worry about how I feel about the baby later. Father’s back is to me as he leans over her head, holding her arms down on the table. All the hatred I feel toward him is magnified at the sight. He’s restraining my woman while trying to get my child aborted. If I were older, I’d swear I did something to deserve this kind of hate.

Fuck the plan. He doesn’t hear me approach until it’s too late. I wrap my arm around his neck and stab him three times in the side like we’re in the prison yard. His pain and seeing his blood spill are beyond satisfying, but I don’t want to kill him so quickly. Easing my grip, I put my knife against his neck and look the doctor in the eyes. I never bothered to learn his name. I didn’t want it. I already knew what I needed to know about him. He bleeds red like everyone else. His gray snake size eyes stare at me. I can see the recognition, although I’m soaked in blood.

“Looks like both father and daughter will die tonight, Dante,” the doctor threatens. “If you kill him, I’ll-”

His words stop as the color drains from his face. I hate threats and speeches. He should have known that since he dared to use my name. Just hearing it on his lips grated on my nerves, making me realize that I still don’t like hearing my name. I’m just okay with Inaya saying it.

The knife I threw at him is lodged in his gut as he stumbles backwards. He should have been all action and no words. Father gags as I choke him out. This moment has always been a bigger deal in my head, but I don’t give a damn about my vengeance right now. Only Inaya.

Inaya sits up and starts untying her ankles. I hear her sobs as she works, and it hurts my heart that he couldn’t hold his shit together to be a good dad for her. No, he had to poison her like the rest of us unwilling children. He starts to fall, but I bend to follow him down. Grabbing my other knife, I slowly drag it across his throat, since slitting someone’s throat is harder than it looks in the movies, but I’m willing to put in the effort.

Inaya’s scream stops me. The doctor is pulling on her leg, trying to use a syringe on her. I drop Father and jump up to assist her, but she manages to grab the scalpel he was planning to use on her. I saw the moment her anger got the best of her, the softness in her eyes changed to one of pure fury when she stabbed downward and lodged the scalpel into the top of his shoulder. He yelps and falls back again, but she doesn’t have to worry about him anymore. I'm on him in seconds and I release a growl as everything he’s ever done to me at Father’s request swirls through my mind. Only Inaya yelling my name brings me out of the dark place I’d gone when I started to bash his head over and over again. His skull is cracked open and his blood pools all around the floor. He’s been dead for a while now.

I shake off the anger and stand like I just didn’t beat someone to death. Father is still lying on the ground, and I kick him a few times before Inaya pulls me out of the room.

“Are you okay?” I ask when I’m finally outside breathing fresh air.

“No,” she says, an edge to her voice that I can’t quite decipher.

Every attempt to touch her just puts more blood on her. My frustrated growl pulls a slight laugh out of her before her tears hit again.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

I just nod. I still don’t know what to do with the knowledge of her pregnancy. All I know is I’m just relieved that she’s okay.

“Sorry for the blood,” I warn her before I pull her into the hug we both need. I didn’t think I had any knowledge of when people are in need of hugs, but she pulls it out of me. I let her cry for a bit until I'm pulling her through the woods. “Let’s go get cleaned up.”