“When did you escape?”
“It’s been two months since Gabriel brought me here.”
She closes her eyes, then asks, “He saved you?”
“Yes.” A smile tugs at my mouth. “Emre is his brother.”
Not wanting her to live in fear any longer, I say, “They’re good men. I love Gabriel, and he loves me. We’re safe here.”
Her eyes search over my face again. “You look healthy.”
My lips curve up. “I am. Nisa’s cooking is delicious. You’ll pick up weight in no time.”
“Are you hungry?” Nisa asks, a hopeful expression on her face.
Mom hesitates before she nods, slightly cowering behind me.
“I’ll prepare food.” With relief, Nisa hurries away.
I pull Mom to me, keeping an arm around her. I have many questions, but I want her to settle in before asking them.
When our eyes meet, I give her a smile which she tentatively returns.
I have my mother back. I can’t believe it.
Chapter 46
Gabriel
I kick Mazur’s leg. “Wake up, fucker.”
I have him tied to a chair and men guarding the freezers, while others clean up the mess outside.
Emre comes in. “Grabowski is in the other freezer. What do you want to do with him?”
“Is he conscious?” I ask.
“Evet.”
“Watch Mazur while I question the other fucker.”
On my way to Grabowski, Luca stops me. “You need us for anything else?”
“Like helping with torture,” Viktor offers, giving me a hopeful look.
“Sure, why not. Just don’t kill the fucker until I have all my answers,” I warn him.
As we walk to the freezer, I glance at Viktor. “Thanks for tonight.”
“I always pay my debt.”
“You didn’t owe me shit,” I mutter as we stop outside the door. “The fight against the Sicilians was for Nikolas.”
Viktor shrugs. “I guess you owe me.”
“Just give me six months before you collect,” I joke.
He nods toward the door. “Let’s do this.”
We step inside, and I look at Grabowski with disgust. “I’m sure you know how this works. I ask a question. You answer. Don’t, and my friend’s going to make you suffer.”
I pull a chair closer and take a seat, my body protesting against the movement.
Viktor goes to stand behind the man. “Please be stubborn and refuse to answer the questions. I have a lot of pent-up frustration to take out on you.”
I chuckle, assuming he’s referring to Rosalie, the granddaughter of the Sicilian we helped Nikolas kill a couple of months back.
Leveling Grabowski with a bored look, I ask, “What business ties do you have with Mazur?”
He lets out a heavy breath, the cold air making it visible. “Sex trafficking.”
I raise an eyebrow, giving Viktor an apologetic look. “Seems he’s a talker.”
“A fucking pity,” Viktor mutters as he crosses his arms.
I lean forward, resting my forearms on my thighs. “I’m guessing you had Agnieska?”
“The whore was a gift from Mazur,” he spits out.
“Why separate mother and daughter?”
“Mazur used the daughter as a tool to keep the whore from trying to escape.” He lets out a sigh. “I know you’re going to kill me.”
“Why answer my questions?”
“Promise me a quick death of my choosing.”
“How would you like me to kill you?”
“A shot to the head.”
I nod. “Tell me everything about the role you played in keeping Agnieska and Lara apart.” I want every single fucking answer so I can give them to Lara.
“Like I said, the whore was a gift.” He tries to shrug, but with his hands tied behind his back, he can’t. “She served a purpose, and as long as I showed her photos of her daughter, she did anything I wanted.” He lets out a humorless chuckle. “It’s surprising what a woman will do for her child.”
“You used Agnieska as a sex slave?”
He nods. “The best one I ever had.”
It doesn’t take much for me to figure out the rest. “But you wore her out, and Lara was going to replace her?”
“Yes.”
“Why them?”
He gives me a wry smile. “I know they’re not beauties, but they have an innocence that can’t be ruined. It’s exquisite. Like sampling a rare dish. It melts on your tongue.”
My eyes flick up to Viktor, and I nod. Without any hesitation, he pulls his gun from behind his back, trains the barrel on Grabowski’s head, and pulls the trigger.
He fires another shot. “I fucking despise sex traffickers.”
“That makes two of us.”
Standing up, I walk out of the freezer, telling the guards, “Clean up the mess.”
Luca’s leaning against the wall, but there’s no sign of Nikolas. “Did Nikolas leave?”
He shakes his head. “He went to find a drink and call his wife.”
I nod. “You don’t have to stay. It’s over.”
“I know, but that would ruin the fun for Viktor, and I’d have to listen to him complain all the way home. Besides, I booked a room at a hotel.”
I chuckle, admiring the brotherly bond the two men have.
I walk to Mazur’s freezer, and seeing he’s still out cold, I glance at Emre. “I’m going to head home and shower. I won’t be long.”
“Yes, you will,” my cousin says as he shoves Mazur’s head. “He better wake up.”
“Call me the moment he does. Want me to bring you something from home?”
“Food.”
I nod, then ask Luca, “Need a ride?”
“I thought you’d never offer,” he chuckles. “No, I have a car waiting.” He turns his attention to Viktor. “You coming or staying?”
“Staying. I want to be here when the fucker wakes up. Rough him up a little.”
“The plane leaves at six am. With or without you,” Luca warns.
I shake Luca’s hand. “Thank you for tonight.”
“No problem. That’s what the Priesthood is for.”
Our eyes lock for a moment. After tonight, I’ll drop everything to help them.
When Luca heads down the hallway, I turn to Viktor. “Don’t kill Mazur, and don’t drive my cousin insane.”
He glances into the freezer. “Emre loves me.”
Shaking my head, I walk away. “You want me to bring you food, as well?”
“Yes. A lot. All the excitement is making me hungry.”
I gesture that I heard him before stopping at Elif’s office. “Mirac, we’re heading home.”
He kisses his wife, murmuring. “You go home. I’ll be there…” He glances at me, and I hold up two fingers. “I’ll be home in two hours.”
As we leave the building and I climb into the back of the SUV, I worry about the difficult time lying ahead for Lara and her mother.
I’ll have to get psychological help for Agnieska.
Fuck, I’m not sure whether sex slavery is something you can heal from.
Just give the woman a safe place and leave the rest to God.