I run my tongue along my teeth while my grip tightens on the black rubber grip. So many bodies have been sliced with this knife. It seems never-ending. I cut off the head of one snake only for another to reappear.
It never bothered me. I’d been expected to kill since the day I was born. Da taught me from a young age. Now, at forty, that hasn’t changed. In fact, my hands have only grown steadier with each kill.
″Tell me why the Popov family want war with us.”
″Fuck. You.”
I glance up at Scotty. “Keep him still.”
Scotty’s hands wrap around the fucker’s arms, holding him upright and giving me a full display of his chest. I press the tip of the blade above his nipple, slicing down to make the letter T.
″You’ll have to dig deeper if you want it to hurt.”
″I only need it deep enough to rub the salt in.” I carve the next letter. “Can you guess what I’m spelling?” He doesn’t answer while I start on the A. “Traitor.”
″I’m no traitor.”
″When your pakhan finds your body, he’ll think you’ve given him up.” I finish carving the rest of the letters, then stand. “Maybe I will let you live. Let the letters heal into scars, and you can walk around with the word on your chest. If you pahkan lets you live, he will always be reminded of the weakling you are.”
This is useless. All I’m doing is delaying the inevitable. Giving the Bratva more time to find him alive. We need to get him to talk so I can end his life and toss his body at their doorstep.
″Give him some water.” I stand, rubbing the back of my hand against my nose as I sniffle. “And don’t let him bleed out.”
″Sure, boss.”
″I’m going to find his family. Maybe then he will talk.”
″My family is in Moscow.”
″Well, then your whore.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Good luck.”
″I’m Irish. I don’t need luck.”
The next three hours go by slowly. Torture, torment, more torture. Nothing. The fucker doesn’t break until we bring in the prostitute. Sean figured out who he’s been paying a weekly stipend to. Still, he doesn’t break. Even as she screams and cries.
″I’ll carve her with the same words on her chest. I’ll let her live too. When you’re dead, who will pay her rent? She won’t be able to whore herself out. No one will want her damaged skin.”
″Pakhan will take care of her.”
″I wouldn’t be so sure. Pakhan will see a traitorous whore. I wonder if he will fuck her until she’s useless before he kills her.”
″You’ll kill her anyway. If I talk, she’s dead.”
″I’ll let her live.” I shouldn’t, but I probably will. I haven’t decided yet. I don’t want her to run and tell them I know of their plans.
For all I know, she could speak English and understand just fine what I’m saying.
″GaelicLord hacked into our system. He took something precious that belonged to the Bratva.”
Fucking Sean. He is hacking into systems when he shouldn’t, just for shites. “What did he take?”
″Bitcoin.”
″How much?”
″Millions worth in American dollars. One coin is worth over thirty grand.”