Calmer now, Amy helped me climb the flights of stairs leading to her small apartment. It wasn’t big, but Amy cared for everything with such tenderness, and every detail reflected her sweet and dreamy personality. From the little soft green plants to the pastel-colored cushions and throws draped across the sofa and armchairs.I didn’t have the courage to enter. I stopped in front of the door, hesitant, afraid that my presence in that place might taint it. I felt dirty, unworthy of invading Amy’s space. As if reading my mind, Amy hugged me tightly by the waist and guided me inside her home.I swallowed the new wave of tears rising in my throat and let her lead me in.During the next hour, Amy didn’t ask a single question. She served me tea with milk and a slice of strawberry chocolate cake, her
"No… NO!" The man screamed as he was dragged out, his face contorted in pain and despair. I was dizzy, my body weak. The gun felt so heavy in my fingers that I just let it slip from them. The sound of the cold metal hitting the floor echoed through the silent hall, the trail of blood already dry and dark. There were no screams this time, no sound of a knife cutting into anything. Everything was quiet, cold, and bleak.Cassian’s arms wrapped around me, but I couldn’t react. His lips on my neck, warm and soft, made my heart tighten. "Good job, little squirrel."In that instant, those words became the final dagger in my heart. I heard the doors opening and the room being emptied. Quick footsteps, whispers, and vague comments that I couldn’t fully understand
I didn’t know what to answer, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do with someone as filthy as the Pied Piper of Hamelin. My hesitation seemed to make everyone in the room even more agitated, and that only left me more nervous and confused about the decision I had to make."He doesn’t deserve to live." a voice rose from the darkness. "Death is too merciful for someone like him." another chimed in.With a gentle touch on my face, Cassian made me look at him. My hand was still on his, the warmth of his skin seemed to bring a bit of peace to the storm that continued to torment my heart. His spicy scent made my heart flutter lightly, and for a moment, it felt as if all this were nothing more than a horrible nightmare.
"If you want to know so badly, I’ll tell you." I lifted my face, looking at Cassian. His eyes were cold as he directed his attention to the man. "Do you remember the cases of disappearances in rural areas? Children between five and eleven years old were taken from public places and never seen again."I blinked several times, trying to piece together memories, separate situations, until I finally recalled some news reports and conversations at work. Several employees at the club had families in those areas and commented on how worried they were about neighbors and acquaintances. I also remembered hearing the news while passing by an electronics store, where journalists showed the efforts of several police departments to find the children and the suspects under investigation.It shook me deeply, because these were children disappearing. I could never imagine the pain those families endured, and the images of mothers, fathers, and relatives crying remained etched in my mind.After months
I held his face between my hands, which seemed to surprise him. His eyes closed slightly, as if, at that moment, only the two of us existed under the faint light hanging from the chandelier above us."Wasn’t this what you wanted?" I asked. Cassian slowly opened his eyes, his hand covering mine. He let out a long sigh before pushing it away."Yes, this is exactly what I wanted," he replied with a cold, cutting voice. He gave a faint smile, pushing me aside and turning toward the last man sitting alone in the center of the hall.His eyes were fierce, cruel, and cold. It was clear that whatever his crime had been, he felt no remorse and feared nothing of the fate awaiting him. He wasn’t a strong-looking man, his appearance rather ordinary, nothing remarkable—but his eyes made it clear what he was capable of."At last, we’ve come to the grand finale," Cassian said, passing by me and heading toward the man, who didn’t seem at all affected by standing before the Boss of London. "This is one
The chair where the second man was sitting was shoved, making him fall face-first to the floor. The man groaned and complained loudly as he tried to turn over. Unlike the previous man, his eyes didn’t seek mercy or help. He looked at me as if he were evaluating me. I clutched the coat tighter, pulling it up to my neck as an icy shiver ran through my body.It was as if slimy tentacles crawled up my legs, groping my skin, exploring, while I trembled in fear of what might happen to me if I were completely enveloped by them.Cassian’s hands pressed on my shoulders, startling me and pulling me out of those terrible thoughts."For the man who sold innocent girls and abused them, your options are…" Cassian extended his hand before us, raising one finger at a time with each option. "The tongue he used to lie and deceive those girls, the legs that led them down twisted paths, or the cock that brutally violated them.""I think… I think I can’t do this.""Well, it’s your debt, your choice," Cass