SUNSHINE [Frank Castle]

CHAPTER THIRTY - HOME

Her head lulled. Her eyes flew open. Immediately she realized she was restrained, and instinct kicked in. She struggled.

A low chuckle distracted her. Her eyes darted up, where Billy Russo stood. "Nice to see you again, Ms. Romanoff."

"You bastard," she hissed.

"Be nice now, Charlotte." His eyes looked beside her, and hers followed his gaze. Frank was there, still unconscious, tied to a chair just like her. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

Her hands fiddled with the rope binding her, inspecting the knots he'd used to tie her up. Deciding how long it would take her to undo them. Rope. Must've run out of zip ties.

Frank stirred beside her and took her attention from the rope. His eyes opened and saw her first, softening, then hardened a moment later when he saw Russo.

"Welcome back," Russo said, his smooth voice coming from perfect lips on a perfect face. Charlotte wanted to ruin it. To ruin him. "Nice place you've got here."

"It looks better since we decorated it with your guys," Frank replied.

"Well, there are always more guys." Russo's eyes looked at Frank, not even with respect, but like Frank was less. Like he was a bug to be crushed. A mild annoyance. "Somebody always wants to get paid."

"I guess you'd be the expert on that, wouldn't you, Bill?"

"I'd watch your tone if I were you, Frankie. Don't forget I've got your little girlfriend tied up here, too."

Frank growled from deep in his throat, but Charlotte was calm. "If you're going to threaten me, Russo, don't do it as if I'm not even in the room. Though, the cowardice is perfectly becoming of you."

Russo turned his attention to her, smirking. "Alright, Princess," he mocked, "If Frankie here does anything, you're gonna die. Slowly, painfully, right in front of him. And, vice versa."

"I'm gonna kill you, Bill," Frank threatened, interrupting Russo, his voice dangerously low. "I'm gonna watch you die."

"Oh, man," Russo continued, "you are a trip. You really think that, huh? You still think that you get to kill us? That you get to win? You don't get to win, Frank. It's over. You have one choice left, and that's how to die. That's all I can give you, man."

Charlotte began her work on her bindings. He wouldn't hurt Frank. She wouldn't— couldn't— let him.

"Now, I kept my end of the deal. Lieberman's wife and kid are free."

"Where is he?" Frank asked.

"Tell me how to get into those computers, Frank."

"Ask Lieberman."

"Unfortunately your geek friend is no longer with us."

Charlotte froze. A sob caught in her throat. David is dead. They killed him.