What She Asked of Him

What She Asked of Him

“Believe me, Wolfe. I didn’t mean it like that at all. Fuck! Where has she gone? Have you tried to look for her?” Silvano spoke in a single breath.

Damien shook his head once and sighed heavily. “I don’t know, sir. But I’ll find her. That I’m sure about,” he said with determination.

Silvano’s expression softened with remorse. “I’ll help you look for her, Damien. I’m so sorry.”

Damien just nodded and sat straight. “Have you gotten Makiam’s location?” he asked, and Silvano snapped to attention.

“Yeah, he’s still around. I don’t think he is aware you’re awake yet. Otherwise he would have flown out of the country by now.”

“If you want, I can come with you,” Silvano offered, but Damien shook his head in disagreement.

“You don’t have to, sir. But I need another favor. I need your help meeting Giovanni. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, Damien. When do you want to meet him? Now, evening, or tomorrow?”

Damien smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I need to deal with Makiam today, so I’ll meet him tomorrow.”

Silvano remained quiet for a moment before he spoke again. “Please, Wolfe. I don’t want you causing any trouble with Giovanni again. I’ve talked to him before, and I’ll do it again.”

“I don’t plan to, sir. I just want to talk to him,” Damien responded warmly, though anyone could see the storm brewing behind his eyes.

At the other side of the city at Yelena’s casino, Yelena and Makiam’s voices carried across the walls as they yelled at each other.

“I can’t believe you could do this to me, Uncle. This is clearly not our agreement. You said you would give me the casino in Texas if I brought Damien to you and I did, and now you’re going back on your word?” Yelena barked, trying to sound firm even though she was breaking inside.

Makiam smiled as he rounded the owner’s chair and came to stand in front of a burning Yelena.

“I thought you had been in this game for a while now, Yelena. I can’t believe you actually thought I would give that to you. You trust me that much?”

Yelena seethed, her jaw clenching as tears welled in her eyes.

“Come on, I’m paying you back with your own coin, dear niece. You betrayed me for Damien and now I’m doing the same. The equation between us is balanced. No enmity,” Makiam said with a mocking smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

Yelena’s hands balled into fists as her whole body shook with anger. “I won’t let you get away with this. I’ll make sure Damien deals with you and takes his revenge on you,” she gritted out, and Makiam burst into an evil laughter, tilting his head back as he laughed.

“I knew that would be your next move, Yelena. Running to your love,” Makiam said, letting his laughter taper off into a slow, taunting chuckle.

“But do you think I would let you leave this place alive? I mean after we just had this conversation?” he asked, his brows lifting high.

Fear dashed across Yelena’s face, but she forced herself to hide it.

“You won’t dare, Uncle.” Yelena said in a shaking voice as she began walking back slowly. Makiam pulled out the gun from behind him and pointed it at her.

“I used you, Yelena. I used you to get my stuff back from Wolfe and now that I have it, there is no point in keeping you alive. I promised to kill you with my own hands from the moment you betrayed me,” Makiam said tightly, all playfulness gone from his face.

Yelena gulped, beads of sweat forming on her skin.

“So you are really going to kill me, Uncle?” she asked in a sharp voice, trying not to show her fear even though it was already visible.

“Stop calling me that. Let us be honest with each other. We are not even family at all. My father and yours were just best friends before my dad stole a deal from a powerful mafia heir, then framed your dad for it,” Makiam said with a silly grin while Yelena’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“So my f-father did not die from an accident?” she stuttered in shock.

Makiam scoffed. “That was all my father’s doing. Now time is up. Greet my late father for me when you see him. Tell him I miss him so much.”

Yelena turned and tried to run, but Makiam pulled the trigger three times. She collapsed to the floor without another sound.

Makiam laughed wickedly, tucked his gun away, and called for one of his men outside. The moment the door opened, his laughter died. Damien was standing there instead.

Damien clapped his hands slowly as his eyes moved from Yelena’s lifeless body to Makiam, who stood frozen in shock.

“You just made my job easier, Makiam. I was wondering how to give you both a satisfying death at the same time. But thank you for lessening my work,” Damien said in a natural tone as he walked fully into the office and stopped in front of the desk.

Makiam quickly pulled out his gun and pointed it at Damien. “What are you doing here? Did you come to take the deal back?” he asked in a slightly shaking voice as he glanced toward the door and called out the names of his men.

“They will not be answering you,” Damien told him. “You know, I did not plan to kill them. But they tried to stop me from coming in.”

Makiam’s lips slowly parted as he stared at Damien in disbelief. There had been nearly thirty men standing outside. Had he really killed all of them?

He opened his mouth again, then shut it, unable to form a single word.

Damien smiled and walked closer to the desk. Makiam backed away quickly in fear, still aiming the gun with trembling hands.

“If you know what is good for you, you will put the gun away,” Damien said. He did not even look at Makiam as he reached for a pen lying on the desk.

Slowly, Makiam lowered the gun and Damien stepped closer, wrapped an arm around him, and guided him toward the settee. He made Makiam sit beside him before casually removing his arm and crossing one leg over the other.

“You see,” Damien began in a calm voice, “I might not have even thought of doing this if I had seen her when I regained consciousness.”

Makiam’s breath stuttered when Damien lifted the pen to his eyes, letting the cold tip linger there for a second. Then Damien slowly dragged it down to his shoulder, smiling as he did.

“But I did not see her,” he continued. The pen drifted along Makiam’s neck, then down to the center of his chest. “All I found was the note she left behind.”

“She begged you, Makiam. She cried and pleaded with you to stop the beatings, but what did you do?” Damien asked. His calm stare never left Makiam, who gulped hard and stayed silent.

“Answer me!” Damien barked.

“I did not answer her,” Makiam blurted and Damien nodded slowly, almost thoughtfully.

“And guess what she said in the letter?” Damien asked. Makiam said nothing as his chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths.

“She told me to live a normal life. But before that…” Damien leaned in, bringing his mouth close to Makiam’s ear. “She asked me to take my revenge on you. And that is exactly what I am going to do.”

Before Makiam could form a word, Damien drove the pen into the side of his neck. Makiam choked once, blood bubbling at the corner of his lips. His hand lifted halfway, reaching for the pen, but the strength left his body. He sagged forward and collapsed, surrendering completely to death.