LV1. Wolf's Wife

16. Romero - Let me out!

Oh, my fucking head! How much did I drink yesterday? This headache was horrible beyond imagination. My whole head - no, let's delete the previous one - my whole body was throbbing with pain. And the smells! Blood, fear, and something else terrible that I couldn't place. Burnt car tire perhaps?

Every time I could smell things this strongly, it meant I was about to have a seizure. Now, judging by the headache, I was right in the middle of one. I still didn't dare to open my eyes. That was never a good idea with a hangover.

That was when I realized that I was in a sitting position, a very uncomfortable sitting position, because my head was hanging down to my chest. When I tried to get up, I also had to realize that my hands were tied behind my back. Tied to a metal chair? What the hell?

"Wakey, wakey!" I heard the shout from very close and the next moment the pain in my stomach exploded.

My eyes widened and I looked into the eyes of a guy not much older than me in a suit. Before I could even prepare for it, his fist slammed into my stomach again. At that moment, I was transported back to the days when my father came home drunk and wanted to take his anger out on us because of his losses at card table. By the time I was about twelve, I had learned exactly how to let him have a drink or two, and then how to screw it up so that the alcohol and the fall combined would knock him out for the night. I remember how proud I always was that I almost always managed to keep Giulietta out of sight when he came home like that.

That was the same time the voices started in my head. I learned to deal with them, too. The wolf - for lack of a better name -, was snarling louder and louder in my head. He was always at its wildest in these situations. No punch from Lorenzo had ever hurt as much as this and my wolf had never been so mad.

"Wake up, you bastard!" Another punch to my stomach. Anyway, I thought, this will be over soon. No beating lasts forever.

The guy grabbed my hair and pulled my head back to force me to look at him.

"You've had enough sleep!" This time his fist hit my nose. I heard the bone crack.

"We don't want you to miss the main attraction!" Another blow to my face, and I felt the blood collect in my mouth.

The man stepped back and shook his bloody hand a few times. I noticed with slight satisfaction that small red spots had appeared on his white shirt and his tie. It will be crap to wash it out, I've had experience with it. I collected the blood in my mouth and spat on his shirt. Anyway. How the fuck wears tie and suit to beat up someone?

"You will regret this." He looked at me, but to my surprise he didn't hit me again.

A knife appeared in his hand and at this point I was like, I'd rather make him angrier. Then maybe he'll stab me, and it'll be over once and for all. When he walked away from me, I involuntarily followed his movements and screamed.

"Don't!" The voice sounded weak even to my own ears and drops of blood flew from my mouth when I tried to form the words.

Alexandra was sitting on the other chair and the man was pulling her up by her hair, holding the knife to her throat. Until now, I completely thought that I got into this shitty situation because of some old stupidity or one of Lorenzo's debts, I never thought that she was here too.

I frantically tried to jump up and do something, but I was tied so tightly that I couldn't even move.

"Only a bitch like you can be so stupid as to come to my territory and shout out aloud that you are a Russian mafia princess." He spat out into her face.

Her gaze desperately searched for mine and I swear at that moment I thought I would be able to save her. I didn't care at all what happened to me, as long as she got out of here alive.

"Lopez will pay you any amount. I tried to speak in my most determined voice. It was weak and pathetic, more pleading than anything.

The man didn't seem to hear what I was saying.

"Alexandra Lisitsyna." He pulled the girl's head back even more and spat the words in her face. "Wasn't our offer good enough for your fucking old man? Well, now you will find out what a real Russian dick is like."

I watched helplessly as he slid his knife into the neckline of Alexandra's elegant dress and cut the fabric in one motion. She never took her eyes off me, as if I were her refuge. Like I could do anything.

My wolf was now howling in my head:

"Let me out! Let me out!"

This was the end for me, I couldn't hold myself any longer. If I was going mad, then be it.

The rope that tied me to the chair seemed to loosen. I was already flying in the air and bit into the man's knife-holding hand. He screamed and the momentum pushed Alexandra back and he fell straight on top of her. I was still holding his hand with pure force with my teeth and out of the corner of my eye I saw the knife scatter away. I jerked my head, and he jerked back with me. At least he wasn't lying on Alexandra anymore. The girl just watched me, her gaze never leaving mine. In her eyes I no longer saw terror, but amazement. The guy tried to get up.

I shook my head to tell him to stay down, but realized I still had our assailant's hand clenched between my teeth. I quickly let go and threw myself on him with my whole body. I wanted to bite his throat. Before I could, he screamed.

"Shoot it!" He roared. "Shoot it you idiots!"

From this I immediately understood that there was a much greater danger lurking for us besides the knife, so without thinking, I instinctively jumped on Alexandra to cover her with my body. As the bullets pierced my body, my last thought was that I couldn't let her get hurt. The darkness dragged me down.