Page 71 of Villainous Kingpin

“That’s impossible,” Alexei grumbled into a phone and my eyes left Sasha to stare at Alexei, trying to read his impossibly passive expression.

“Jesus, you’re bleeding all over,” Sasha hissed, then brought a handkerchief to my face, the movement reminding me of Bas.

My ears started to ring, my lungs closed up and my breaths came out ragged. I couldn’t breathe. I gripped the hem of his jacket and my body started to tremble. Tears stung my cuts, streaming down my cheeks.

“Fuck,” Alexei muttered from the front seat. “I’ll talk to you later, Nico. Keep trying. Sasha and I want that name.”

Sasha pulled me into a bear hug and I shook against him. The knowledge I’d never have Bas cut through my chest, splitting my heart wide open. My throat tightened and I squeezed my eyes shut.

I never had him, my heart whispered. It was all a lie.

“What did Nico say?” I could hear fury in Sasha’s voice and it burned further fear through my veins. If DiLustro's name came out, they’d go hunting for Bas, his father… every DiLustro. If they didn’t, Uncle Liam would for sure. No wonder Mom didn’t want to come to New York.

“City surveillance was already erased,” Alexei remarked, putting the car into drive. A tiny relief washed over me. “He’ll check the private ones.”

I had no idea what it meant. My body shook uncontrollably and now that adrenaline wore off, the pain grew with each second.

“We have to take her to the hospital,” Alexei grumbled. “Brennan will find out and burn down this fucking city. You know that, Sasha. We have to call him.”

My teeth clattered as I desperately shook my head. “N-no. P-ple-ase.”

“Wynter, the hospital will call him and you need medical care. Especially if you were r-”Raped.

He cut himself off. But I wasn’t raped. It came pretty close but I got away.

“N-no h-hospital,” I said coarsely, my whole body shaking uncontrollably “P-paper. They’ll recognize me.”

Sasha gave me a blank look, then turned to meet Alexei’s eyes. “She’s an Olympic figure skater,” Alexei explained. If I wasn’t in such a horrible state, I’d be surprised someone of his caliber even knew that.

Sasha must have thought the same because he muttered, “I didn’t take you for a figure skating fanatic.”

“Fuck off, Sasha,” Alexei told him. “Aurora likes it.”

He scrolled through his phone and dialed someone else as my whole body shook and a haze swelled in my brain.

“Cassio, we need to bring someone to your penthouse.” Alexei's monotone voice filled the fog in my head. An invisible hand wrapped around my throat, cutting off my oxygen.

I tried to hold on to my consciousness, but the ringing in my ears grew and grew. I moved my head, at least I tried. “Sasha, I think-”

And the world went black.

CHAPTER27

Basilio

Ishould have known villains didn’t get a happy ending.

Too much blood on my hands. Too many wrongs. But I realized over the last few hours that I’d tear this world apart. Piece by fucking piece, until I found her or some godforsaken place where I could put my pain.

This ache inside my chest clawed at my heart and soul. The pressure had been a constant companion, from the moment I walked into my home to find blood all over my hallway and living room. Finding my father there. But no Wynter.

I wished they could have traded places. I wished the Russians would have taken my father, not my woman. Though there was a feeling I couldn’t shake off. My fathernevercame to visit me. Fucking never. He preferred to summon me to his place. When I checked my surveillance, I found it to be wiped clean. Technically, the Russians could have done that too.

I had Angelo run the surrounding street surveillance in my presence, but we found most of it wiped out too. With one little exception. A glimpse of the golden curly hair stained with blood being put into a black Mercedes G-Benz three streets over. It was unmistakably Wynter, the exact shade of her golden blonde curly hair. Barely two seconds captured, but it was enough to see how battered she was. And all we could get of the man that nudged her into the car was his large back and a glimpse of a tattoo on his finger.

The tag number led us fucking nowhere. Trying to find a different angle was fruitless too.

I’d never felt this helpless. I couldn’t even allow myself to consider what happened to Wynter, wondering if she was still alive. Fear and fury simmered under my skin. I couldn’t think with a clear head.