Face to Face with a Monster

Face to Face with a Monster
Tatiana 

Fear and anger consume me as I turn to look at the face of the guy who murdered my parents. Twice.

Oleg’s icy blue eyes pierce through my soul and keep me rooted to the floor. He’s not making a single move, the grin on his face widening into an evil smile as he sizes me up and down.

“You’d make a hell of a wife to my son if you weren’t so stupid,” he carries on, still not moving. My mind is working a million miles per hour to figure out what to do. Running is not an option. But attacking Oleg while one of his goons is watching me like a guard dog would be a reckless move, and I don’t have the luxury of making another one. 

My gun is aimed at him anyway, just in case he decides to pull something cute. I wouldn’t be able to fight the two of them, but I’d bring at least one down with me. It’s not an option to leave Oleg off the hook, so I change my target and aim my pistol at his chest.

“I’d rather be buried alive than marry him,” I snarl through gritted teeth. I hold his gaze, hoping the intensity in my eyes is enough to distract him from my shaky hands. I’m not shaking because I’m scared; I’m shaking because I’m enraged. Staring at this man makes all the feelings and emotions I have been trying to control boil to the surface. He took everything from me. From Angelo. And God knows how many more. And yet, here he is, standing in front of me as if the entire world bends to his will. He carries himself as if nothing and no one can touch him here.

Oleg thinks he’s invincible, and I’m willing to risk my life to prove him wrong. 

“This is over, Oleg,” I challenge, my defensive posture never wavering. 

“Is that right?” he chuckles, tilting his head. “Does it look like this is over to you, Rocco?”

“Certainly not. Not for us anyway.” The bastard laughs behind me, but I don’t dare look. I keep my eyes on Oleg the entire time, barely even breathing, prepared for whatever he throws my way.

My heart is beating frantically against my rib cage, and my mouth is dry as if I have swallowed a mouthful of sand, but I force myself to be strong, to keep going. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, and even though these are different, unfair, and unexpected circumstances, I still have a chance to kill him.

“The Saints will end you. You and your fucking empire. It will all turn to dust before your eyes.” I have no idea where this courage is coming from, but I’m sure the anger I’m feeling is helping fuel it. “You’ll see your precious legacy crumble to the ground.” Oleg’s expression doesn’t change, but I see his left eye twitch, and that is enough for me to know I hit a nerve.

“You’ve got fire, I’ll give you that much,” he says. It should sound like a compliment, and he probably thinks it is, but I don’t give a damn about what he thinks of me.  He seems too amused for my taste, but I’m still at a disadvantage here. I need to consider my next move very carefully, or I’ll get a bullet in my head before I have the chance to take a breath.

“Why don’t we talk somewhere more…private?” he suggests, nodding at Rocco over my shoulder.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” I yell when I feel Rocco’s fingers digging into my arms like iron clamps, forcing them down. I don’t drop my gun, but there’s no way I can shoot anyone now without risking hurting myself in the process. Rocco’s pistol isn’t visible, so I can only assume he put it away at some point after Oleg showed up. He probably thinks he has it all handled now that the boss has arrived.

Well, I won’t make it this easy for him.

I struggle to fight Rocco, but he is strong. Oleg watches everything with amusement, just moving to the side when Rocco drags me inside the office. I kick and scream, trying to escape from his grasp, but he’s holding my wrists tightly. I slam my heel into his shin, but he only grunts, not loosening his grip on me.

“Stop moving, bitch,” he hisses against my ear, causing shivers to run up my skin.

“Let me fucking…go.” I slam my head backward, hard and fast. The cracking sound of my skull hitting his nose is sickeningly satisfying. Rocco curses and stumbles back, and I take the opportunity to finally release myself. I spin to see his bloodied face, his eyes widening as I lift my arm and pull the trigger, not hesitating at the slightest. It was him or me.

His body falls, lifeless, hitting the wall behind him. I’m not sure if he is dead or just unconscious, but it doesn’t really matter now. 

Oleg’s applause pulls my attention back to him. He’s leaning against his desk, watching the scene as if it’s simply a fucking movie scene. There’s not even a glimpse of emotion in his eyes as he glances at the body of his man on the floor.

This guy is really the devil. He smirks at me, moving away from the desk and starting to circle me like a predator.

“That was a nice act, but seriously, girl… Do you really think this will end well for you?” he asks, his voice calm and firm, as if this is nothing but a game for him. His eyes are deadpan on me, and I can’t pretend he doesn’t give me the creeps. Especially when I remember my parents being murdered in cold blood before my eyes. Oleg didn’t even flinch back then, as if they were a simple nuisance to him instead of two innocent human beings.

“You are a monster,” I murmur, feeling the taste of blood in my mouth. Tears threaten to pool in my eyes, but I shove them away with a shake of my head. “I might not be the one to end you, but the Saints certainly will. And this will end tonight.” I smile at him, hoping I can convey confidence in my tone and expression. 

Oleg chuckles, his shoulders moving slightly. That’s when I notice the knife in his hand. I frown, wondering what he is planning on doing with a knife, considering I’m holding a gun. I could shoot him before he even got near me. In fact, I don’t even know why I’m fucking waiting.

I should just shoot him and end this, once and for all. 

I pull the trigger but there is no bullet. I hear a faint pop that makes my heart stop beating in my chest. Oleg laughs loudly this time, his head falling backward before he looks back at me, his eyes now darkened and narrowed.

He is no longer amused. He is fucking pissed that I didn’t even hesitate at trying to kill him. Luckily for him, it didn’t work. But now he’ll aim his fury at me.

“You fucking fool.” With two strides, he crosses the space between us and punches me in the face. My jaw cracks at the impact, and I fall to the floor, holding my chin. Pain shoots through my head, but I can only stare at him in shock. Of all the things I expected him to do to me, this was not on my list.

“That was for daring to try to kill me,” he says as if I need an explanation as to why he hit me. “And this,” he adds through clenched teeth, squatting in front of me and holding the sharp knife against my throat. The cold blade touches my skin, and I go rigid, unwilling to make a single move, afraid that he will cut my neck. “Is for betraying your fucking family and colluding with the enemy.”

He doesn’t need to say it for me to know he is referring to the Saints. Fear washes over me as I stare into his evil eyes, I still force myself to remain strong. I might die now, but I won’t die as a coward. If I have to leave this world, I’ll do it proudly, just like my family. Just like Petr, Natya, Lev, and Ilya. I will keep my head high until the end. For them. For all they did for me, so I could live a happy life. So I could stand a chance of even having one.

“I’d do it a thousand times more if it meant I got to see you go down and pay for everything you did for my family,” I spit out, ignoring the blade pressing against my skin. There’s a sharp sting as he forces his hand on my throat, and a hot liquid starts pouring down my neck. But still, I don’t back away. “The Romina Empire will die with you today. And no one will remember you or your legacy. This is all you ever cared about, isn’t it?”

Oleg’s hand retreats, only to come crashing back with full force against my face. My head snaps sideways, my vision blurs for a moment, pain blooming across my cheek. I stare up at him, showing him my best smile.

“Petr and Lev are probably laughing at you right now,” I carry on, boldness taking control of me. My chest fills with pride and a strange sense of peace as I remind myself I would die for them. Everything else fades, but the weight of knowing that I’ll be leaving Angelo behind tugs at my heart. And that’s the only regret I have as I spit blood on his face and add, “You’ll never be as great as they were. Never.”