Chapter 21

**Alexi pov**

I didn’t expect her request, If I’m honest, I don’t think she has it in her to actually go through with it, but I will allow her to see him bound and broken. Maybe it’ll spark some anger in her and she will tell me exactly what he did to her. Then I can take revenge for her, and all the other girls who went through the same in his care.

I smile down at her, slowly pulling her onto my lap, “If you think you can handle it, you are welcome to torture him in whatever ways that you see fit.” I tell her, “and I will be there to take over when you have had enough.”

She looks up at me with bright eyes, as though she never imagined ever actually having this chance, she thought she was trapped under his thumb, but I have freed her from that life, and she is never going back. He will pay for what he has done. One way or another. If she doesn’t do it, I will.

“I dreamt my whole life of making him pay for the things he did to me.” She says, her eyes glossing over with tears, “but what if I’m not strong enough?”

I place two fingers under her chin and push her head back, her eyes locking with my own, “You are strong enough, Malyshka, I see your strength, even if you do not.”

She smiles a little and leans closer to me, pressing her lips against mine as tears slide down her cheeks, and when she pulls back, I see the way that she has softened towards me in such a short time. But I don’t want her to like me because I am giving her what she wants, I want her to want me the way that I want her. And I know that will take some time, but I willing to wait for her.

Stephanie is mine now, and I know she hasn’t accepted that fact, she is still trying to escape me, I’m not stupid. But eventually she will learn that there is no escape for her, not from me.

My phone rings, pulling me away from her captivating eyes, I pull it out of my pocket, answering just before it clicks off, “yes?” I snap, annoyed that someone would be so bold to interrupt me.

Misha is on the other end, “sir, I’ve found the sister.” He says.

Stephanie’s eyes widen, and she stares at me with such fear that I can smell it in the air.

“Take her to the safe place we agreed on.” I say, watching my malyshka very closely, “and what of jack?”

“He got away sir, but we are still tracking.” He says, an edge to his voice.

“I do not tolerate failure Misha.” I say, ending the call.

I turn back to Stephanie, worry in her eyes, “what are you going to do to jack?” She asks, “please don’t hurt him, Alexi, he is the same as me, he was just doing what he was told to.”

“He is going to pay for his crimes against my organisation, you cannot stop that with tears and pleas for mercy.” I tell her, a sharp edge to my voice.

She doesn’t control me, just because she doesn’t want me to hurt him doesn’t I will listen. He has to pay for he has done, betrayal is not something I take lightly.

If I started letting everyone go who betrays me then this whole fucking city would revolt and I can’t have that, no, he needs to be punished, and I will make sure that he is.

“Please Alexi.” She pleads, “he is like a brother to me.”

I stare at her, anger clouding the softened parts of my mind, “You really expect me to spare him after what he has done?” I ask her, wrapping my hand around her throat.

I don’t squeeze, I want to hear her excuses. I want to know why she thinks that he is worth saving.

“I did the exact same thing!” She shouts, fighting against my hold on her, “And you are going to spare me!”

I hold her a little tighter, “You are different Stephanie.” I tell her, leaning close to her face, “I don’t want to bend jack over and fuck him bloody, but I want to do that to you, and if you continue to push me, I will, with or without your consent.”

Tears slide down her cheeks, her eyes wide with fear, “I hate you.” She whispers.

“You do now.” I agree, “but you’ll forgive me eventually.”

She tries to shake her head, but I hold her still. “I will never forgive you if you kill my brother.”

I smile, her voice is full of so much venom that I can practically feel her anger radiating from her skin, she is angry with me, and that is fine. I will let her be angry, but I will not show jack any mercy. He doesn’t need her to save him, and even if he did, he would never accept the cost of her help.

I suppose I can admire that, the fact that they care so much about each other, even after the way that they were raised. You’d think that coming from an environment like that at least one of them would have a drug problem. But neither do. They are both clean.

Strange really, the only thing they do is work, though I’ve been told that Jack slept around a lot. He brought random girls back to their home and then kicked them out the next day. A clear sigh of commitment issues.

I don’t have such issues, I have just never met anyone I wanted a true relationship with, until now.

My mother once told me that love comes with sacrifices, ones that neither will want to make, should I sacrifice the loyalty of my men to save her brother from his fate?

I’m not sure it’s the correct thing to do, but then again, when have I ever followed the rules?

“I will spare his life.” I eventually say, releasing her neck, “but he has to be punished, and I will not be lenient.”

“Why don’t you put him to work?” She asks, hope lighting up her eyes, “he’s good at a lot of things, he could work for you.”

I laugh, “I doubt there is anything he could do for me.”

“You’d be surprised.” She says softly, “why did you change your mind? Why are you going to spare him?”

I look away, trying to control the urge to flip her over and take her roughly, “I don’t want to upset you anymore than I have to.” I say, my voice calm, too calm. “But you have to understand that he must be punished, I cannot let him go without any consequences. It would make me look weak, it would make people more likely to betray me.”

She leans against my chest, “I understand, but please, try and go easy on him.”

I tense under her soft touch, “I will do what I can.” I promise her.

And I feel like it is a promise that I may regret making.

When the people I work with sense weakness, they attack, and she, my malyshka is my weakness.

She is my kryptonite.