Page 138 of Twisted Temptation

But that man has been dead for the past two hours, and what is left in his place is the monster. The dark thing that sleeps in the basement.

My wife is gone, and now the dark thing in the basement is awake, and it is hungry for blood and vengeance and Anton Grazalov’s head.

The room we are in is below Fortune. It’s a windowless concrete vault lined with monitors and comms equipment.

I’m leaning over the long table with a massive map of the city and outer counties.

"Four properties on the waterfront in Grazalov's name," John Marco says, pointing to each location on the map. "Two warehouses, a commercial building north of the city, and a residential building near the county line. All quiet. He's not using anything traceable."

"Shell companies."

"Already running them."

I pound my fist into the table. “Where the fuck did he take her?”

My blood roars in my ears.

My phone rings. Unknown number.

I answer it knowing full well who it is. "You have ten seconds to prove she's alive."

My voice doesn’t sound human, even for me.

"She's alive," Anton says.

"You wanted my attention," I say through gritted teeth. "You have it. And I want you to understand what that means, because I don't think you do. If you hurt her, let me tell you what's going to happen. I'm going to find you, Anton. And when I do, I'm going to take your hands first. Those hands that touched her. I'm going to remove them slowly enough that you feel every nerve ending separate. And then I'm going to show them to you. I want you to see them. I want you to understand that the things you used to hurt her with no longer belong to you."

"You're not going to⁠—"

"Then I'm going to take your tongue."

“You will not get⁠—"

"After that," I say, "I'm going to take your heart out of your chest with my bare hands. I’ll rip you open from flank to flank and crack your ribcage one rib at a fucking time. And you will watch as I do it, for every agonizing second that you have left alive. Every breath you take will be mine, every breath you suck through the bloody tidal surge in your lungs will be in a pain like you have never known—now, where the fuck is my wife?"

The room behind me is still. No one breathes.

“Sign over Fortune to me, or she dies. I’m going to send you a location. Bring the necessary documents. We sign, and we’ll put this nasty situation behind us. But I warn you, if I don’t walk out alive, she dies.” His voice has no emotion. “It’s up to you, Dante Di Zaro.”

He ends the call, and I grip my phone so hard my knuckles ache.

John Marco steps forward, his eyes locked on mine. "Whatever you’re about to do, you’re not doing it alone.”

"I am."

"Think about this.”

My phone pings with a location from Anton.

I move without hesitation.

I’m going to bring my wife home.

Because the darkness has completely taken over me.

Tonight, Anton Grazalov is going to find out what happens when you steal the only light that keeps it at bay.

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