Page 187 of Wicked Villain

It’s my turn to laugh, but then I get up in his face. “Innocents? So were Allegra and Gabrielle and everyone else you hurt.”

Petr shakes harder. “Please don’t hurt them.”

I sigh and tap the top of his head. “I won’t touch a hair on their heads if you tell me what I need. Tell me, and they’ll never know how despicable you are.”

Petr nods vigorously. “Moretti is in Portugal. He’s arranged a weapons shipment with a cartel based in Venezuela. The shipment will be collected at the Devlin Port in Morocco.”

I glance at Aleksandr and Kieran. This must be the shipment tied to the secret talks we intercepted. We never learned when it would move.

“Which ship?” Kieran demands.

“The Santa Isidora. She’s scheduled to leave Puerto Cabello tomorrow night. I don’t know anything more right now. Moretti only spoon-feeds information.”

“I’ll seize the shipment when it reaches Morocco.” Kieran glances at me.

My smile broadens. “No. The ship never reaches port. We intercept the containers before they’re loaded in Venezuela.”

Kieran’s face brightens. “I like that idea more.”

“Moretti will know something is wrong if he doesn’t hear from me,” Petr says, his eyes drifting to the phone in Aleksandr’s hand.

I grin. “That’s okay. I plan to let him know you’re retired right after I seize the weapons.”

Petr looks shocked. Maybe he thought I didn’t want to lure out Moretti. He was wrong.

And it’s time. Time to end him.

I look at Aleksandr. “Get Allegra. She wants to see this part.”

Aleksandr nods and walks out. Minutes later, he returns with my wife. Although she looks weak, there’s a strength in her eyes I haven’t seen before.

She gazes at Petr, and he looks at her, too. I’m glad when he doesn’t try to apologize. I know he’s not sorry for what he did, not in the least.

I remember what Allegra told me about how her sister died. So, I move over to the rack of knives on the wall and pick up the medium-sized one. I’ve always liked it because of the curve in the blade. I hold it up and walk back to Petr.

The moment he sees the knife, he seems to understand exactly what I’m doing. And why. The monster grins.

“It seems fair,” he says, and his gaze flicks to Allegra. “I⁠—”

I don’t let him finish. I slash his throat, then I pull my gun and shoot him in the head. His body slumps forward, and blood pours from it.

I look at Allegra. She stares at me, too.

I told her I’d fight her monsters. I just slew the biggest one.

Chapter

Forty-Seven

Allegra

Lev slips an arm around me as we walk down the hospital hallway. In front of us, Mama sits in a wheelchair, pushed by the nurse who’ll be traveling with us. I lean into him, grateful for his support and that he’s here. He came to escort Mama and me back to the house, but I also know he’s here for protection. Aside from that, he is my rock.

I’m still overwhelmed from setting eyes my monster, Petr.

It was completely unexpected, and my mind is still trying to process that it happened. But at least I feel like justice has been served. I never thought I’d be the kind of person to take comfort in watching another die. I couldn’t imagine being that way, but I did as I watched Lev kill him.

At that moment, I felt Gabrielle’s presence. It was as if she were right next to me, witnessing the moment of retribution. And I know she’d be just as disgusted with Papa as I am.