Fair Trade

Sei swallowed back the swear words on the edge of her tongue and raised her eyes towards the man.

“「Who are you? Do you want to die?」” 

“「Well, my name is Michael Dylan. The thing is… I have good connections with this ship. When I checked the CCTV, the bitch who stole my money entered your room. Oh, to be precise, that bitch went in, and then you came out. If you just tell me where she is, I will be nice to you. So, will you cooperate?」”

Shit! He can speak Russian?

While detained by the big-built American, she felt his pitying look briefly directed towards her. Michael Dylan was somehow convinced she was Diana Olsen’s assistant.

His confused eyes intertwined with hatred and lust raked over her whole body.

Thinking of the taser she kept in her clutch, Sei pulled her arm out of his grasp and swept her fingers through her tangled hair.

“「I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you have lost your money, you should call the police. If you don’t let go of my hand right now, I’ll scream.」”

“「Aah, really? Well, you’re right. We should call the police.」”

“「Do you also want me to give you their phone number? Let me go.」”

“「Follow me.」”

Her wrist grasped by him made a crackling sound. He gripped it so tightly that it felt like her wrist was about to fall off.

She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t make a big fuss in the current situation. If she did, the two mafia forces would clash in the midst of the turmoil.

All the two sides needed was an excuse, and there were too many potential bombs in the casino.

Ah, dammit…

First, she had to lure this vermin out.

After that, she had to dispose of him.

Sei moved smoothly to gain an advantageous position. Guided by her, Michael dragged her to the deck and continued to walk past the lido deck and away from the hull.

They arrived at the north side, where an emergency speed boat and a lifeboat were hung. The cold sea breeze raised goosebumps all over her body.

Michael Dylan showed his true colors only when they reached a place where no one was around. Grinding his teeth, he shoved Sei against the wall and punched her in the face.

Her eyes closed tightly at the bang sound.

“Where’s my money? I know both of you bitches are on the same team!”

“Let go of me, you bastard.”

The corners of his lips twitched up at Sei’s profanity that flowed out of her lips as if spitting out poison.

“I see… So, you’re not on the same side? Good, good. Okay.”

He bowed his head like a generous and magnanimous man.

Then he pushed down both of her shoulders, crushing them.

Under the twilight sky where the dusk rushed to meet the sea, the eyes of the man glistened with lust.

“Who are you? Are you maybe a spy planted by Vice President Douglas? Or was it my ex-wife who sent you to get the alimony? If not that, did you do it only to get me interested in you… If you’ve taken my money, you should at least do something worth that much for me. That’s a fair deal. Don’t you think so?”

Michael grabbed Sei’s arms and shook them wildly. As if that wasn’t enough, he pushed her body against the wall over and over again.

Every time she banged the back of her head against the wall, her desire to kill him soared.

Should I kill him?

She closed her eyes tightly and opened her clutch. The moment she was about to take out the taser from her clutch, her hands were roughly gripped and a sturdy leg dug between her thighs.

“Mr. Dylan, you better stop… if you don’t want to die.”

Paying no regard to her cold warning, he leaned closer and grabbed the hem of her dress. He tore open a long slit, which revealed her pale legs. The eyes of the man turned red with lust at the sight of her glossy long legs.

“I was thinking of taking you to the room and taking care of you there. But a bitch like you doesn’t deserve that mercy.”

“Let me go!”

“Stay still!”

Michael tried to tie Sei’s wrist with his tie. But she wasn’t someone to be so easily subdued.

She kicked hard behind his knee with her high heels, breaking his balance. She thought this would loosen his grip on her hands, but Michael grabbed her slender neck instead, his eyes flashing with malice.  

Thud!

“Ugh, let me go!”

She was suffocating. As she was pressed down the wall, the DE:A logo came into her view, and she bit her lips tightly.

To some, it might be a paradise on earth, but to her, it was hell.

“Even if I kill you here, no one would find you. Fuck, are you screwing with me?”

Her face turned blue because she couldn’t breathe.

Sei looked around with frightened eyes. It was the first time something like this had happened. Being followed by someone and being dragged to such an absurd place.

Because of the difference in their size, all she could do was scratch the man’s forearms with her fingernails.

Her vision blurred from the unbearable pain.

“I’m asking this last time. My $500,000, where is it?”

I’m really going to die.

Whispering the warning in her ear, the man bit her earlobe.

Goddamn it!

The sound of the trigger being pulled brushed against her ear. Surprised to hear the sound coming from both sides at the same time, Sei instinctively stuck close to the wall.

No way…

Then she closed her eyes tightly.

Time seemed to pass slowly. Like the slow-motion scenes in a movie, she could feel the wind brushing against her skin.

Bang!

At the loud gunshot, something warm and damp splashed on her face.

Sei closed her eyes and chewed on the soft flesh inside her lips. She trembled and held her breath, lest she inhaled the fishy smell.

The man who gripped her neck no longer moved.

The sound of slow footsteps drew nearer, and the hand that was holding her neck fell off. The lifeless body of the man fell to the floor.

“「Damn cracker.」” 

Giulio’s raspy voice eventually made her legs limp. He lightly supported her body, took off his jacket, and covered her pale shoulders.  Then, after wiping the blood from her cheeks with his shirt, he gave instructions to his subordinates who were following behind him.

“「Get rid of the dead body. Also… A bullet flew from the other side. Catch the guy who shot it. Find out who it is.」”

As Giulio said, two bullets pierced Michael Dylan’s head. The other one was shot from the other side.

Sei closed her eyes tightly. When she smelled the viscous blood, her stomach twisted.

Running to the railing, she vomited everything inside of her. But she didn’t feel any better.

She wanted to spit out some swear words.

Towards the two bullets that penetrated that trash’s head, this disgusting situation, and her fate.