Crown of Hate (Soulless Empire)

Chapter 13

13

MIKHAIL

The first rays of sunlight pierce through the drapes, assaulting my eyes. I squint, fighting against the unwelcome intrusion of morning. My head throbs with a stark reminder of last night’s indulgences.

Slowly, the room swims into focus, bathed in a golden glow that does nothing to soothe my racing thoughts. Beside me, Alya is peacefully asleep—a vision of beauty carved from porcelain and flame. Her red hair spills across the pillow. Even in slumber, she emanates a raw sensuality that makes my throat tighten.

Her lips are slightly parted, so plump and inviting, practically begging me to kiss them. For a moment I consider it, to lose myself in her warmth again and forget the grim reality that defines my world.

Suddenly, the serenity is shattered by the persistent buzzing of my phone on the nightstand. I reach for it, careful not to disturb the slumbering beauty beside me.

My fingers fumble, still clumsy with sleep. But finally, I manage to snatch up the phone.

“What?” I mutter, my voice still thick with sleep.

“It’s me, chief,” Semyon’s urgent tone cuts through the fog in my brain. “I got something you need to see. Now.”

Blinking away the remnants of sleep, I squint at the screen. 5:07 AM. Fuck me.

I usually don’t sleep in, but after drowning myself in alcohol last night and losing control with Alya, my body had other plans. The memory of her gasps, her moans, the way she met my darkness head-on, the miraculous way I just barely managed to hold back from the worst of my urges, it all floods back. Christ, that woman. I warned her I was in a dangerous mood, but still she challenged me. The fire in her eyes… it awakened something primal in me. And for a few hours, she made me forget all my worries.

But unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop turning just because I’ve found a moment of peace. Reality always comes crashing back.

“What is it?” I demand, struggling to keep my voice low. The last thing I want to do is wake up Alya now and drag her into the ugliness of my life. Not after what we shared. She deserves a few more moments of peace.

“We caught someone snooping around your wing this morning,” he answers. “You won’t believe who it is.”

My heart rate spikes. Sleep evaporates in an instant. “Who’s the bastard?”

“Nikolai Varkov.”

The name jolts me. Nikolai Varkov—one of my most trusted bodyguards. If he was snooping around, then there’s a good chance he’s the rat who tipped off the Italians on my new shipment.

“Where is he?” I snarl, already out of bed, ignoring the protest of my hungover body.

“In the basement. He hasn’t said a word yet, but I’ll make him talk.”

“No.” The chill air bites at my skin, but I barely notice. Rage courses through me, hot and potent. “Don’t touch him. He’s mine. I’ll be down in five minutes.”

I end the call and toss the phone aside. How dare he… How fucking dare he! If that fucker is really one of the traitors, then he’d better have something useful for me, or I’ll make him beg for death.

As I throw on a sweatpants and shirt, my gaze drifts back to Alya, who is thankfully still asleep. Part of me aches to crawl back in beside her. But duty calls, and it’s screaming for blood. I brush a gentle kiss against her cheek, allowing myself this one moment of tenderness. Then I straighten, hardening my resolve, and go down to the basement.

The basement is a chamber of nightmares, and Nikolai is living one. He’s strapped to a chair, face a canvas of bruises and blood. Semyon and Alexei flank him, their faces like stone, waiting for my command. From the state of Nikolai, I can tell they roughed him up a little before calling me.

Good. It’s just the beginning of what he deserves.

Fear bleeds into Nikolai’s eyes when he sees me. He’s trembling so much I half expect him to piss himself. The sight only fuels my rage even more. This sniveling coward dared to betray me?

I want to punch him in the face until his skull cracks. But I’ll go the easy way first. “Well, well… What do we have here?” I drawl, circling him slowly. Each step is deliberate, predatory.

“Chief, it’s not what you think,” he stutters.

“Really?” I come to a stop in front of him and squat to meet his gaze. “You have two minutes. To explain why I shouldn’t flay the skin from your worthless hide.”

His jaw trembles, but he doesn’t say a word. I stare at him, drinking in every detail of his fear. The sweat beading on his brow. The tremor in his hands. The way his chest heaves with each panicked breath. I can almost hear the gears turning in his head as he weighs his options. But still, the silence stretches on.

One-minute passes. Then another. It’s clear—whoever he’s working for terrifies him more than I do, which really isn’t a good thing. I’ve put a lot of effort into creating the reputation I have. It would be a shame if my own man underestimates me.

“So you won’t speak?” I chuckle sardonically. “Brave. I hope you’re prepared for what comes next, because you’re about to experience pain beyond your wildest nightmares.”

I stalk to the small table at the other end of the room, my eyes roving over the array of tools laid out there. Knives are an old favorite, but tonight calls for something more… special.

“Eeenie, meenie, miney, mo,” I sing-song, fingers dancing over the tools. They come to rest on a pair of dental forceps. I hold them up, savoring how Nikolai’s eyes widen to saucers as I stalk back towards him.

“Please, Chief,” he wails.

The sound grates on my nerves. He’s Russian and a member of the Bratva, for fuck’s sake. Show some spine. Begging for one’s life is a sign of weakness I find absolutely disgusting.

“They have my mother,” he blurts out when I stop in front of him. “They said they’d kill her if I didn’t help them. I had no choice!”

Semyon sighs behind me. “You had a choice; you could have told us.”

“And then what? She would be dead before you could track her down,” Nikolai argues, desperation clear in every word. “I would never betray you if I didn’t have to.”

His pleas wash over me, leaving me cold. These are excuses, nothing more. If he can betray me for his mother’s life, he’s capable of far worse. I’d be a fool to let him live—not in one peace at least.

“If you’d come clean, we could have worked out a plan to make it look like you betrayed me.” I press the forceps under his jaw and push his face up. “But you chose to betray me. Now, how I choose to punish you is my choice.”

I nod to Semyon and Alexei. They both hurry up to me and pry Nikolai’s mouth open. He struggles, writhing and clenching his jaw, but it’s futile against their strength.

Forcing my forceps in his mouth, I aim for one of his front teeth and rip it out. The tooth falls to the ground. A mixture of saliva and blood drip from his lips, staining his shirt crimson.

It’s disgusting.

Nikolai whimpers from the pain.

“How many teeth you lose depends on how much information you withhold from me, Niko.” I wipe the forceps on the sleeve of his shirt. “Tell me everything you know. Who are you working for?”

He glares up at me, defiant even now. “What will I get in return? Will you keep me alive? I know you won’t let me leave here.”

“Smart boy.” I have no intention of letting him leave here… or live. But depending on how delicious the information he gives me is, I may reconsider. “But how brutal and painful your death will be depends on how good of a snitch you are.”

He spits a glob of blood at my feet. “Fuck you.”

“Wrong answer.” I don’t bother with the forceps this time. Instead, I snatch Alexei’s gun from his holster, aim for Nikolai’s left ear, and pull the trigger.

The gunshot echoes through the basement, then follows with Nikolai’s agonized scream. The realization that he’s going to die—painfully and piece by piece—finally sinks in.

“Mikhail,” Alexei says. When I look at him, his eyes are wide with shock. But he doesn’t say another word. He’s not stupid enough to interrupt my torture session.

I grab Nikolai’s jaw with my free hand and force him to meet my eyes. “Twelve men died because of you. Twelve men who were your friends and brothers. You don’t deserve to live.”

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice only a broken whisper.

“Save it for them when you meet them in hell.” I toss his jaw away as if it’s a disgusting pot of hot, dirty water. “I’m not completely heartless. I’ll make sure your mother is taken care of after I kill you.”

I cock the gun and point it to one of his toes this time.

“It’s Akim Petrov,” he yells out. “He has a bounty on your head. Whoever kills you and brings your head to Russia will earn ten million dollars.”

“Ten million dollars?” A laugh rumbles in my throat. I should feel flattered, but all I feel is insulted. If Akim wanted a bounty on my head, he could’ve at least made it two hundred million. “How did the Italians get involved?”

Nikolai’s breath comes in ragged gasps. He’s losing a lot of blood. His time is running out. “He made a deal with Lucas. I don’t know the details, but I think it has to do with territories.”

I exchange glances with Alexei and Semyon. The pieces fall into place. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know what the deal is about. That fucker probably offered them The Chicago Bratva’s territories if they help bring me down.

“Is there anything else I should know?”

Nikolai shakes his head weakly. “That’s everything I know. I swear on my life.”

“Your life isn’t worth much right now.” I point the gun to his forehead now, positioning it for a clean kill. He has given me the information I needed. The least I can do for him is make his passing quick. “Any last word?”

“Take care of my mother.”

“I will.” My finger tightens on the trigger. The shot rings out, and Nikolai’s body goes limp. His eyes, still wide and tear-filled, stare vacantly at nothing. A trail of blood trickles from the hole between his eyes, a final crimson tear.

I hand the gun back to Alexei. “Get rid of him and send some money to his mother. She shouldn’t suffer for her son’s stupidity.”

As I climb the stairs, my mind races. Akim Petrov thinks he can take me down? Carve up my territory? He’s about to learn a hard lesson.

And I’ll write that lesson in blood.