Page 107 of Volatile Waters

“We don’t vacation, understood?” He was not very sneaky, nor did he mean to be with his underlined warning.

I was days away from taking any more orders from him, so I said, “Kirill wanted to fuck his whore elsewhere for a couple of days. What is the big deal?”

The big deal would be revealed soon enough.

I flew back to Russia, but not to my home city. It was time for me to bring justice to Seafoam, hoping it would inspire her spirit to help me save her daughter. I went to hunt down Whitney’s father. I meant what I said to Mr. Jones. All ties to her would be severed. I was leaving no trail for anyone to find and harm her ever again.

Years ago, after I had learned my true name, I became curious about what else my father was hiding. That’s why I searched his office one day for information on his competitor. I didn’t use it, but I found the phone number. I also had come across a debt ledger. I saw “paid by Seafoam.” I jotted down the name of the man who had paid his debt with a woman, and I never forgot it. Deep down, I must have known this day would come.

Seafoam’s husband was still in the little town in Russia where he ventured too far and got into trouble with gambling. To this day, I am not sure how exactly Father inherited the unpaid debt, but I assume it was in trade for another. Either way, the drunk sitting on the barstool had no idea he was in danger. I sat in the corner of the rundown tavern, drinking a pint—since the establishment had none of my usual poison, vodka—and waited for my opportunity to arise.

As Whitney’s father stood and said goodbye to locals, I knew my chance had come, and I left before he did. Knowing the direction of his home, I stood in an alley and waited for him to pass. It was dark with very few streetlamps on, making it easy to hide in the many shadows. I could practically smell his consumption as he stumbled by. Intoxication had him not registering my presence behind him until we were walking past a hog farm.

Alone on the deserted dirt road, he leaned against a post of the handmade fencing. “Do I know you?” he asked in Russian.

Hogs gathered nearby, inspecting us through the railing made of well-used fallen branches nailed together. I grinned because this man was clueless his last moments had arrived. “Your wife knew me. Does that count?”

Even in the dark night, I think I witnessed him pale. Hogs snorted their noses in the dirt as he replied, “I do not have one.”

“No, you do not. Not anymore.” I took a step closer to him. “Did you know she was pregnant when you gave her to us?”

As soon as his jaw locked, my suspicions were concreted. He knew. And he still gave up his wife to pay a senseless debt. This was exactly why I was here. He knew there was a possibility he had a child. What if he grew a conscience and searched for her?

The man sneered, “She was not.”

The smile that crossed my face was most likely menacing, but it felt good to share. “Oh, I assure you, she was, as you already know.” I pulled a knife from my back pocket. “Your wife suffered throughout the whole pregnancy, then had an untimely and unmerciful death. Your daughter has led a tough life that has only gotten worse as of late, but she is strong, beautiful, and witty.” I chuckled at my hint of her name. “Her life will improve soon.” I tightened my hold on the handle. “And, there are to be no interruptions to the peace I am offering her.”

Before he could register my movement, I slammed the knife into his chest, the blade slipping between bones. The man gasped and started to fall back, but I grabbed his shoulder and told him, “That is how your wife died while giving birth to the daughter you will never know, not even after death, because she will rise into the sky and you will descend below.”

He was still alive as I pulled the blade from his bleeding chest then tossed him over the fence. He even screamed as the hogs began to eat him.

I had never purposely killed anyone before. I always had it done for me. I wish I could say it felt criminal to murder this man, but that would be a lie. I stood there for a few moments, enjoying his misery, before getting lost in the night’s shadows once more.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

My next stop was to observe a certain officer and the company he kept. It didn’t take long to find my dead cousin’s wife, who was bedding the law. I wasn’t an idiot, so I let him live. The same would not be true for his girlfriend. After some torture and threats, she finally handed over the birth certificate she had held over my father’s head for far too long. Her throat was sliced without a trace to be followed—for her or Whitney.

Upon my return home, I was faced with a new slave in the driveway. Stepping out of my car, I wanted to go check on Whitney and Wolf but had to deal with an unscheduled delivery. She was young and crying. I asked the recruiter, “Why is she here and not at Uncle’s?”

He shrugged. “I got a call from your father and was redirected here.”

A ping went off in my stomach, but I ignored it and took the girl inside. She was a mess because she had pissed on herself, most likely due to fear. With the way she cowered, it was clear the recruiter had not been gentle with her.

Since she needed a shower, I stopped by Wolf’s room to take him, too. I simply couldn’t wait to see him. After unlocking his door, I took the new slave into his room with me and shut the door.

Wolf jumped up from the floor where he was doing push-ups. He was more than surprised to see me with a slave. “What is she doing in here? Is this… this Fire?”

The girl backed away from him. “Why are you naked?”

I pointed at her in the corner. “If you go near that door, I will kill you.”

“No, he won’t!” demanded Wolf.

“Yes, I will,” I assured her then turned to my slave I adored. Stepping in his line of sight so he could only see me, I whispered, “This is not Fire. This girl is not even supposed to be here, but she needs a shower.” I stepped as close as I could without knocking him over. In his ear, I said, “I missed you.”

“She looks terrified.”

I kissed his ear. “Did you hear me?”