Their Rivalry

48

I already know who's fake and who's real, I just play along.

Cambridge, England ~ Ava's POV

When Vladimir asked to handle Maddison the same way he'd done with Jeremy, I gave him the go ahead. If he failed to get through to her we could always resort to torture. Back at the safehouse, we got her tied up in the basement and waited for the effects of the drug to wear off.

Fortunately, it didn't take that long. Her eyelids fluttered open and I realised it took a moment for her to take in the sudden change in surroundings. An hour ago she was this close to locking lips with a hot stranger, now she's tied up in the middle of a dark room with no idea where she was or if she'd make it out alive.

We had decided not to turn on the lights yet, so the room was pitch black. Vlad stood at the entrance of cell, directly opposite Maddison, while Isabella and I stood at opposite corners facing her.

We watched her try to break free for a while until she finally gave up and tossed her head back in frustration. I rested my head back against the wall and shut my eyes, knowing that Vlad would put the lights on soon. My one job till Vlad was done, was to listen. Once I felt the cell get illuminated, I wondered how Vlad was going to get her trust now after he'd messed with her feelings so she could be captured.

"Great." The sarcasm in Maddison's tone was pretty heavy, "I got played by a hot guy with a sob story."

"You've called me hot twice already, I know I am, but could you keep that fact on the low." Vlad replied.

Cocky here, was an understatement. I heard hitches in her breathing, and I didn't need to open my eyes to ascertain that Vlad had invaded her personal pace. Was he going to finish what she started? Why did I even care? He could do what he wanted.

"Let's just get this over with because I won't tell you shit." She finally spat.

"Honestly, I had expected you to ask who I was, then we'd get down to a negotiation concerning your life." Vlad replied.

"Skip the introductions then, and get to the negotiation part." I would've put a dagger in her heart by now if I was in Vlad's shoes.

"I represent a mafia yours has decided to mess with, the Russian mafia." Vlad begun.

"Let me guess, your 'sisters' represent two of the others." I chuckled quietly at the tone with which she mentioned, 'sisters'. If she hadn't been tied up, she might as well have put air quotes around it.

Vladimir ignored her and continued, "Since the chaos at the last ball, Bratva has been short on competent members."

"And..."

"The Boss asked me to give an offer to anyone of you I manage to get hold off. If you'll provide us with the information we need to kill your Boss, he'll grant you a spot in Bratva as the second-in-command."

The cell was silent after that, Maddison didn't reply immediately.

"Can you guarantee that my Boss will be dead before he finds out about my betrayal?" She finally replied.

"Well that will depend on the information you're willing to share." Vlad said.

I could hear the smugness in his tone. He'd won over another one, but why did I have the nagging feeling that he wouldn't hold up his side of the deal with any of them.

"The second-in-command, Kenneth Davis is supposed to arrive at Canterbury today and kill an innocent by tomorrow night." She informed.

Jeremy had already sent us details on Kenneth, we didn't really need Maddison for that bit. I opened my eyes for a split second to see Vlad untie one of her wrists. She hadn't proven herself, what was he doing? I shut my eyes again, deciding to just leave that decision to him.