“Don’t pretend you don’t know. He hired you and didn’t tell you who I am? What I am?” I start to advance but she fires a bullet in the floor in front of my foot.
“One more step and I shoot off that appendage you love and I will now hate.” I stop and hold up my hands.
“Kotenok, explain.”
“Don’t you know my name? It’s not kotenok! Don’t ever call me that again.”
“Anatonia Lupo.” I say her name and the bitter laugh that comes from her hurts my heart.
“Oh, Vitaly, you’ve been played.” She chuckles and moves to the foot of the bed, the gun steady in her hand. She reaches toward the dresser and pulls out the drawer. I watch as a garrote dangles from her hand. “I’m Anatonia Valentina Bocharov Lupo. I’m the niece to Pakhan Bocharov, head of the Bocharov Bratva. I’m the daughter of Printsessa NadyaBocharov and Valentino Lupo, the underboss of the Morello family. My uncle affectionately calls me ubiytsa suka.” She throws the chain garrote at my feet. The killer bitch. I know who she is. Grigori said something about her once. I remember hearing stories about her.
She has killed many people. Just as I have. But she killed Bratva.
“Anatonia, I don’t want to kill you.” I hold my hands out showing her I’m not going to hurt her. “I want to protect you. I want to be with you.” I try to convince her.
“Get out,” she says quietly.
“Anatonia, others will come for you once he figures out I’m not going to do the kill. He will send others. Please let me protect you.”
She shakes her head. Her eyes tortured.
“Why? Why don’t you end me? Why did you take a contract to kill a woman if you are against it? Was the money too good, Vitaly? Is that all I am? Money and a good fuck? So you can go back and tell my uncle how weak I’ve become. That I fell for you.” Her words are bitter and hateful. I advance on her, needing to get to her. She fell for me too. The bullet hits the floor between my strides.
“Get out,” she screams, her body trembling from anger. Another bullet hits the wall. She’s shooting all around me, unloading the magazine in the walls and floor. I could wait until she runs out, but she reaches into the same drawer as before and pulls out another magazine. She holds it there challenging me. Wanting me to rush her.
“This isn’t done, Anatonia. You are mine. I will protect you.”
“I don’t need you. I’ve survived so far. I’m a ghost. Prizrak. I died a long time ago when he took everything from me. My soul. My future. My life. When he watched as his men took my virginity. I became nothing but a suka,” she yells, and the magazine drops from the gun as she slams the other into place. “I will kill you. I don’t have a heart and I will kill you. Then maybe I’ll be able to sleep at night finally.” The words are ripped from her soul and I see the pain in her eyes. I back up and she advances on me. She follows me out naked. I reach for my pants in the hall and slip them on. Then I step into my boots and grab my bag to leave. She starts to follow but I stop.
“You’re naked, Anatonia.” It hurts me to say her name. I can’t let her go. But I won’t allow anyone else to see her beautiful body.
She smirks and grabs a long jacket from the hook. She slips it over her body and holds it closed with her free hand. I make my way down the stairs into her garage.
“This isn’t over. You are mine,” I say before I step out the door.
“I’m no one’s. In order to be someone’s, you have to have a heart and soul. I have neither,” she spits.
I make my way to my car where I sit and wait for another chance to fix this. I’ll follow her. I’ll even storm the gates of the capo’s estate if I have to. I will make her listen to me. She just needs time to calm down.