The Dictator

by Penelope Sky

  “Stop.”

  He smacked me. “Nothing you say is going to make me stop.”

  “You said you were never going to hurt me.”

  “Baby, you’re tougher than this.” He slapped the belt across my ass, the bite terrible.

  He kept me pinned down by the neck. “Last one. I’m gonna make it hurt more than all the others. You want to know why?”

  I didn’t answer.

  “Pull a stunt like that again, and I’ll do something worse than whip you. Don’t question me in front of my staff. Don’t disrespect me in my home. I have every right to be an asshole to you, but you have no right to be a bitch to me.” He brought the belt down harder than all the other strikes.

  And I screamed again.

  12

  Cato

  Siena didn’t step out of her room for four days.

  She was still pissed at me.

  I didn’t feel bad for punishing her. Even if I was being an asshole, she had no right to speak to me that way. She thought she could ask me whatever she wanted like she had the right. She seemed to forget she didn’t have any rights.

  I treated her too well. That was the problem.

  She could shut me out as long as she wanted, and I wouldn’t cave. She deserved that punishment, and I wouldn’t apologize for it.

  It was the first time Bates returned to my estate after he cut Siena with that knife. He greeted me like nothing happened, and we stepped inside the conference room.

  “Can I still not smoke in here?” He pulled a cigar out of his pocket.

  I slugged him so hard in the face, he dropped the cigar and fell to the ground. “What the fuck? Don’t tell me you’re still mad.”

  “I’m furious.” I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to his feet. “Even look at Siena the wrong way, and I’ll slit your throat.”

  He pushed me off him then grabbed the fallen cigar. “Fine.”

  “No, not fine,” I hissed. “You threatened to rape her.”

  “Did I do it?” He threw his arms in the air. “No. It was just a threat.”

  “Whatever, Bates. It’s still wrong, either way. Don’t treat my woman like that, or I’ll fucking—”

  “What. Did. You. Just. Say?” His eyes narrowed, and he slowly lowered his arms to his sides. “Your woman? Did you just call her your damn woman?” He stepped closer to me, getting in my face.

  I never meant to say that. The words just flew out.

  His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine. Rage was billowing in his gaze like an approaching storm. Slowly, it grew near, spots of lightning scattering in random places. “You’re fucking her again?”

  “It’s none of your business what I’m doing with her.”

  “Yes, it is, asshole. When you call her your woman, it is my damn business. That bitch lied to you and betrayed you. She can’t be trusted. How stupid are you?”

  “I never said I trusted her.”

  “Your cock did.”

  I pushed him back. “Touch her, speak to her, or look at her the wrong way, and I’ll rip your head off. That’s the point I’m trying to make. Whether she means something to me or not, she’s carrying my baby.”

  “I didn’t touch your baby, Cato.”

  “But you put her in distress, and that affects the baby. You could have accidentally hurt her.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I wish she’d never come into our lives…”

  “I wish you would stop being a whiny bitch.”

  “What is it with you and this woman? I don’t fucking get it. You can see straight when it comes to everyone else, but with her, it’s like you’re clueless. If you knocked up some other girl, I know you would have put that bullet in her brain. You can say it’s because of the baby, but I think it’s because of the woman.”

  “It’s because of the baby, Bates. I’m not our father.”

  “It’s not the same situation, and you know it.”

  “I’m done with this conversation.” I slammed my fist down onto the table. “Leave her alone, Bates. I mean it.”

  He nodded slightly, his eyes incredulous after what I’d just asked him. He sighed with flared nostrils then turned back to me. “Fine. But I want you to promise that you’ll kill her when the time comes.”

  The room turned silent. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears. I never made promises I couldn’t keep, and being pressured to do it now made my head spin. I always intended to do it, but now I felt like the gun was in my hand—fully loaded. “My word is good enough, Bates.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “You won’t make the promise.”

  I wouldn’t make a promise I couldn’t keep. “I’ll do it.”

  “Then promise me, Cato.” He stepped toward me.

  “No.”

  His nostrils flared again. “Don’t let that bitch manipulate you. She will make an idiot out of you all over again. When you’re deep inside that pussy, don’t forget how you got there. Don’t forget the lies and the deceit.”

  “She turned around.”

  Bates cocked his head, unable to follow my thoughts. “What?”

  “When she drove me to the cemetery, she changed her mind at the last minute and turned around.”

  “So?” He raised his hands again. “She could have turned around for any reason.”

  “I think she did it to save me. I think she knew it was wrong and tried to get me out of there.”

  “That’s what you want to believe.”

  “That’s what I saw, Bates.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to protect you. You piss me off most of the time, but I always have your back. I’m telling you that my instinct deep in my gut…” He slammed his fist into his stomach. “Says this woman will betray you again. Don’t fall for it.”

  “Trust me, I won’t.”

  “Then promise me.”

  “I can’t. Just because I can’t doesn’t mean I won’t kill her. And just because I can’t doesn’t mean I trust her. She burned that bridge, and it can never be rebuilt.”

  He bowed his head and sighed. “Whatever. I did my best. I could argue about this forever, but we’ve got more important shit to do. I just got word from our security team that someone is gonna hit us tonight.”

  Siena quickly moved to the back burner. “Which facility?”

  “Our main headquarters. The Beck brothers are delivering half our cash tonight, and I guess these guys found out about it. They’re gonna hit us hard, too. They’ve got a militia under their belts.”

  “Who the fuck are these guys?”

  “I don’t know much. I hear they’re from Siberia.”

  “And they’re just gonna drive tanks and shit into another country without notice?”

  “I’m sure they have allies here. They probably cut a deal.”

  Well, there would be no deal when they were all dead. “We need all our men on the ground.”

  “I agree—for the first time in this conversation.”

  Those idiots thought they were gonna take two hundred and sixty million dollars from me—like it would be a walk in the park. “Everyone dies. No exceptions. But I want whoever is in charge brought here. I want to kill those motherfuckers myself.”

  “Me too.”

  “When is this happening?”

  “When the money arrives. Midnight.”

  “Then we have no time to lose.”

  My office was right next door to Siena’s bedroom, but I wasn’t concerned about her bothering me.

  I stared at the monitors on my desk, which all had different feeds from the cameras my men were carrying.

  Bates smoked a cigar beside me, taking deep breaths and letting the rings rise to the ceiling.

  I drank scotch right out of the bottle.

  Our men were hidden throughout the alleyways of the city, a hundred strong and all heavily armed. We had tanks, ammunition, and even rockets if it became necessary. If they managed to escape with my money, I would rather blow it up than watch them
drive away with it.

  Connor’s men pulled up to the bank in a completely invulnerable car. Security stood around as they made the transfer.

  That’s when the Siberians made their move.

  Then it turned into a war.

  Shots were fired, men were killed, explosions rang into the night, and the sound of police sirens filled the distant streets. It was too chaotic to understand what was happening, but it seemed to be going in our favor.

  It went on for thirty minutes. One of the cameras belonging to my men fell to the ground, obviously because he’d been hit. The other cameras continued to operate, and we watched the bloodbath.

  I would have made an appearance myself, but a true leader didn’t fight in battle—he controlled it.

  Bates didn’t say a word as he studied the monitors, smoking his cigar like it was a casual night.

  There were screams. There were explosions. And there was death.

  Finally, the war died down.

  My phone rang, and I answered it immediately. “Cato.”

  “The money is secure, and we got the main players. What are your instructions?”

  “Transfer the money as planned. Then bring those assholes to me. How many are there?”

  “Five. Four men and one woman.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “A woman?”

  “Yes,” he answered. “She waited in the rear with a few other men. They weren’t part of the fight. I think they’re reporting directly to the head honcho. I’ve questioned them, but they aren’t talking. I think they were supposed to follow the money back out of the city.”

  Man or woman, I didn’t care. If they were responsible, they would be executed. “Dispose of the bodies and bring me those five. I want to kill them myself.”

  “Of course, sir.” The line went dead.

  “Depending on what she looks like, maybe we’ll have some fun.” Bates waggled his eyebrows.

  “I’m a murderer, not a rapist.”

  “Speak for yourself.”

  “And neither are you,” I said coldly. “We’ll question them, then shoot them.”

  Bates took a long puff of his cigar. “You’re no fun.”

  “That’s why we’re still in business.”

  The door opened, and Siena stepped inside, dressed in her shorts and tank top. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest and hid her tits from Bates’s view. “What’s going on in here? I heard shooting.”

  “We’re playing a video game.” Bates tilted his head back and released smoke rings toward the ceiling.

  Siena turned her gaze on me and ignored my brother. She didn’t trust anything he said. “Cato?”

  “Bates and I are taking care of business.” I rose from my chair then straightened out my jacket. “Stay in your room until morning. And shut your windows—you may hear loud sounds pretty soon.”

  Siena grew more uncomfortable by the second. “Should I be worried? Is something going to happen?”

  “Everything is fine. We’ll talk about it later. Now, go.”

  Siena opened her mouth to defy me but abruptly changed her mind. She shut her mouth and walked out.

  Bates kept enjoying his cigar. “She’s got beautiful legs.”

  I turned around and gave him a deathly stare. “You want to be the sixth person I execute tonight?”

  He grinned before he blew smoke out of his mouth. “Sorry. I won’t disrespect your woman again.”

  13

  Siena

  I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew some serious shit was going on.

  Lots of guns. Lots of explosions. Lots of death.

  And it was coming to our doorstep.

  I listened to Cato and Bates pass my bedroom on their way to the entryway before I changed my clothes and poked my head out the door. The double front doors were wide open, and a ton of his men were stationed outside.

  I moved to the center of the balcony so I had a clear view of the roundabout and the fountain. Both men stood there in their suits, their hands in their pockets as they waited for something.

  Or someone.

  All the men stationed on the property carried assault rifles and wore bulletproof vests. I knew Cato would never allow anyone on the property unless they were under his control, but seeing that many men carrying weapons made me uneasy. It reminded me of the afternoon I was yanked from the car and thrown on the ground. The men prepared for my execution in the same way.

  Someone was about to die.

  Then a caravan of black SUVs made its way through the gate. One by one, they pulled up to the roundabout and the door was opened. They yanked one man out of each back seat and put him on his knees in front of Cato and Bates.

  When the fifth car arrived, they yanked a young woman from the back, about my age, and she was placed on her knees like the rest.

  I watched in horror as Cato wordlessly stuck out his hand to one of the men and a pistol was placed in his palm.

  He was going to execute each one of them.

  I didn’t know if I could watch.

  Cato went to the first man and kneeled in front of him. It was impossible to hear what was being said because they were too far away. He was probably questioning them, looking for answers about whatever pissed him off. When he didn’t get what he wanted, he stepped back and pointed the gun at the man’s skull.

  Then he pulled the trigger.

  The sound of the bullet was so loud it echoed off the walls in the house. It was loud enough to make me jump and scream because it seemed like it happened right beside my ear.

  Cato moved on to each one, kneeling in front of them for the conversation, and then rising before he shot them in the head.

  I didn’t know why Cato thought they would talk—if they were just going to die anyway.

  He moved to the young woman at the end, and she got the exact same treatment. He spoke to her for a few minutes before he stood upright and pointed the gun at her head.

  She sobbed. Her words couldn’t be discerned, but it was obvious she was pleading for her life. Tears fell down her cheeks, and she lowered her head because she couldn’t look at the barrel of the gun.

  I knew I shouldn’t sympathize with her more just because she was a woman, but I couldn’t help it. She wept and begged, and I couldn’t imagine she did something so horrible to deserve that fate. I didn’t want Cato to do it.

  But he did.

  He pulled the trigger, the gun went off, and then she was dead on the ground.

  The blood from all five corpses ran back to the fountain, streaks of bright red that were visible even in the darkness.

  I should have stayed in my room like Cato ordered. It was the only time I wished I’d actually listened to him. Now those images would forever be burned into my brain. I would think about that woman constantly, how she hadn’t been spared of her crime. She could have been a mother. She could have been a daughter. But Cato pulled the trigger anyway.

  It made me wonder if he would pull the trigger on me.

  I didn’t sleep all night, not after what I witnessed. I was too scared. If I closed my eyes, my dreams would bring me images of torture. I would see that woman in my mind, blood spraying from her skull.

  When the sun rose the next morning, I skipped breakfast and stayed on the couch, contemplating what I should do. I’d never been seriously afraid of Cato, but I obviously didn’t understand what he was capable of.

  I was pissed at him for whipping me, but I’d gotten off easy.

  It was better than being shot in the head.

  Sometimes, my nights with him made me want to stay there forever. It made me think raising a family with him would be a wonderful experience. But when I was exposed to his world, I was given a painful reminder of my true situation.

  We would never be safe here.

  Even if he let me live.

  This wasn’t a life I wanted to be a part of. I didn’t want people executed in my driveway. I didn’t want to put headphones over my child’s ears so they
wouldn’t have to hear the gunshots. Staying here would only force me back into the life I ran away from.

  I couldn’t stay here.

  I hadn’t expected Cato to visit after what happened last night. I assumed he was too busy dealing with whatever problems he was having in his business to think about me. But he walked inside and joined me on the couch. He was in his suit and tie, so he probably had been to the office that morning. It wasn’t the suit he’d been wearing last night, so he hadn’t stayed up all night like I had.

  He rested against the back of the couch and watched me, his blue eyes somber. He didn’t seem angry, sad, or anything else. He seemed indifferent. His hands rested together on his lap, his corded veins webbed from his knuckles to his wrist. “I warned you to stay in your room.”

  “What makes you think I didn’t?”

  “Your face is the color of snow.”

  I rested my arms across my stomach, still feeling the remnants of the nausea I had in the morning. I thought it was morning sickness, but maybe it was just disgust in this case. “What happened?” I didn’t think he would answer, but I wanted to ask anyway.

  He faced forward. “There’s a group in Siberia that found out about a transfer happening last night.”

  “A transfer?”

  “One of my clients paid back his debt. The truck delivered the cash to my main bank. Somehow, the Siberians found out about it and tried to intercept it. I knew about the heist before it happened, so I was able to catch them.”

  “Why didn’t you just call the transfer off?”

  “Because I needed to exterminate them. The only way to make sure a cockroach doesn’t survive is to cut off its head.”

  My arms tightened over my stomach.

  “So my men took out theirs. The transfer went through. And they located the people in charge and brought them here for their execution. I like to do my own dirty work. People know I mean business.”

  “So those five people…were in charge?”

  “They were working directly for their boss. I asked for information, but they wouldn’t give it.”