by Ivy Clyde
“River...”
He shook his head. “I was sold to the highest bidder that very day and raped before evening.”
“Shit, River.” My grip on his hand hardened. “I’m so, so sorry.”
He came to a sudden halt and stared at me with a strange emotion in his eyes. “You’re sorry?”
Tears pricked my eyes as I nodded.
“No one’s ever said that to me.”
“Victor?”
“Not even Victor,” he said. “I don’t think he even thought about how I ended up in Boris’s hand. He thinks of me as a trophy he managed to snatch from the bastard. Nothing else.”
A tug on his hand made him look toward Ginger. Even though she was still well-behaved, she wanted to explore the park. The trees around us were bare but the sky above was a deep blue.
“Let’s keep walking,” I said.
He agreed, loosening his grip on Ginger’s leash.
“What else did you do for Boris?” I asked after a while.
“The usual,” he said. “He gave me away as a reward, sold me, sent me to entertain, and made a pornstar out of me.”
“He never let you have any freedom?”
“No,” said River. “Boris made sure to groom me in such a way that I’d be lost without him. He kept me caged in his world. As much as I hate being controlled by people like him and Victor, I know I won’t be able to survive on my own in the real world. Even if Victor allows me to walk the city freely, I’ll be lost.”
“I’ll help you, River,” I said, giving his hand another squeeze. “If you ever want to do something else, I can help you hunt for an apartment and a job.”
“Other than sex work, I don’t qualify for any job,” he said in a grave voice. The light in his beautiful eyes dimmed as he kicked at the dry grass under his feet.
“That’s not true.”
He suddenly pulled me against him. “You don’t see me as a whore, do you?”
“Of course, not,” I said, looking deep in his eyes. “Life never gave you a choice to be anything else. I don’t know about the future but I promise to help you.”
“You’re different from anyone I’ve ever met,” he said. Pressing his mouth to mine, he swiped his tongue along my bottom lip. “I’m so glad Victor chose you. I feel like we can be friends.”
“We are friends, River,” I said with a grin. “Actually, we’re closer than friends.”
“You’re really strange and different, Danica,” he said. “Does the world have more people like you in it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You think having sex makes us close,” he said with an amused look on his face. “In my world, sex is currency. It is exchanged for money, favors, and power.”
We soon came across some benches lined up under a row of bare ash trees. There were no other people in this section of the park, so we sat down there. Ginger sat our feet and stared all around her, taking in her surroundings with a glowing look in her large eyes.
“What do you think of Victor?” I asked after a while.
He took a moment before replying. “He pampers me and I like it, but sometimes, I wish for more.”
“More?”
“I want him to be like you.”
I gave him a confused look. “Like me? I’m broke and awkward, River.”
“You’re sweet and beautiful,” he said, gazing into my eyes. “You make me feel like my feelings and emotions are worth considering. I told you about feeling stifled and you brought me out here. And you still haven’t asked any sexual favors from me yet.”
“Geez, River,” I gasped. “I don’t want any sexual favors from you for this.” I chuckled and kissed his cheek. “Just hanging out with you is enough. It’s been a welcome change for me since I got into the gang.”
Leaning against the bench, I raised my arms over my head and breathed in a lungful of the fresh, cold air. Jumping to my feet, I faced River. “Let me take you out for a treat.”
“I like the fillet mignon served at The Continent,” said River.
I snorted. “We’re not going for fillet mignon, Master River,” I said, sticking my tongue out at him. “Remember I’m broke?”
A confused look descended on his face.
“Come on!” I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. “I’m going to treat you to the tastiest thing this city has to offer.”
River glanced down at me as I led him out of the park. In the meantime, I booked another cab to take us to my favorite restaurant that sold the best meatball subs.
“Where are we going?” asked River as the car drove through the streets of Brooklyn.
This area was different from the posh high streets of Middletown Manhattan that he was used to. Cool graffiti art marked most of the walls and sidewalks here. The crowd was hip and the roads spilling with tourists and regular folk.
“Be patient,” I said. “It won’t be long now.”
River looked nervous as he hugged Ginger close to him. Even though he claimed to like surprises, I doubted he was that keen on being taken to a strange place.
“Relax, River,” I said, rubbing his arm. “You can trust me. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Victor would gut me if I did. You know that, right?”
He glanced at me, looking slightly relieved.
At least, Victor had been able to make River trust him on that point. He wouldn’t spare anyone who hurt his people.
Soon, the cab stopped at an intersection of three busy streets.
“We’re going there,” I said, pointing toward a red-brick building in the distance. “It’s my favorite place to eat.”
River got out of the car and looked all around him. For a moment, I was scared whether the crowd and noise would be too much for his senses, but then, he smiled and began walking toward the restaurant with Ginger.
Exhaling a long breath, I ran after them.
“They sell the best sandwiches here,” I said, pushing open the door to the restaurant. “We’re lucky there’s no queue right now. It’s crazy at lunchtime.”
“Is it okay for Ginger to be here?” he whispered.
“Yep,” I said. “The owner allows dogs when it’s not rush hour. Besides, Ginger’s such a good girl, he’d love her.”
Ginger gave a short bark, once again displaying the uncanny ability to understand when I spoke of her.
“I’ll be right back,” I said after patting Ginger’s furry head.
Heading over to the counter, I gave orders for meatball subs, mozzarella sticks, and chilly cheese fries. While I waited for the food to arrive, I glanced at River. He was talking to Ginger in a low voice but otherwise, looked comfortable.
I couldn’t even imagine the kind of life he led under Boris. He probably didn’t even remember his parents’ names or home address. Most children forgot their names when faced with trauma.
The cop inside me was itching to go back to the department to see if I could find out about his family, but before that, I had to rescue him from Victor.
“Here’s your order,” said a young man as he pushed a large tray of food toward me.
“Thanks,” I said and paid him.
I took the tray back to the table and set it down before River. Ginger rose on her hind legs to sniff enthusiastically but was scolded immediately.
“Don’t scold her,” I said. “She just wants a taste.”
“I have spoiled her,” River said with an indulgent smile.
I chuckled and placed a massive meatball sandwich before him. “Give it a try.”
I watched him as he carefully peeled away the wrapper to expose the sandwich. He sniffed at it first and then took a massive bite.
“Mmm,” he moaned, nodding his head at me.
“Good?”
He couldn’t speak through the mouthful of meat, sauce, and cheese but his enthusiastic nod told me he was loving it.
I picked up my own sandwich and got started on it.
I savored the familiar taste of the
greasy, meaty sandwich. It’d been a while since I got to taste it. This was as much of a treat to me as River.
“Do they do deliveries?” asked River when he was through three-quarter of the sandwich.
I giggled. “They don’t.”
“Fuck! I’m going to want this every day now.”
“Hey, can I take a pic of you guys?” a strange female voice spoke up from beside me.
Glancing up, I saw two young women looking at us hopefully.
“It’s just...you guys look so cute together with your monster dog,” said the second woman.
I looked over at River. “Do you mind?”
“No,” he said with his familiar flirtatious grin. “You know I do this for a living. Well, more of a hobby now, but still.”
I scooted nearer to him with my chair and leaned into him.
“Gosh! You two are so handsome!” the woman squealed, snapping away at us enthusiastically.
“Makes me wish I was gay too,” her friend gushed.
I met River’s twinkling eyes and grinned. They had no idea how straight the two of us could be.
The two women left after a while and I was about to start on my mozzarella sticks when my phone buzzed. Taking it out, I glanced at the screen.
I have acquired Tommy Regio. Come back to the apartment so we can get back to business- Victor.
I read the text and lost my appetite for the mozzarella sticks. Victor didn’t have to mention what business we’d be having with the cheating drug dealer.
“River.” My grim tone alerted him immediately. “Victor wants us to go back now.”
The light vanished from his beautiful eyes. He gave a nod and dropped the fries he’d been eating.
“I’m ready to go back,” he said, pushing the chair back and getting to his feet.
“We’ll come back here again,” I promised him.
He smiled at that. “I believe you, Danica.”
28
Danica
Victor gazed down at his watch the moment we entered through the door. Ginger gave a short bark and wagged her tail hard at the sight of him and loped forward to reach him.
Victor scratched her head and behind the ears but kept his gaze on us.
“What took you so long to get back?”
“We were in Brooklyn and the traffic was horrible,” said River, walking into the suite. Shirking off his jacket, he dumped himself on the couch next to Victor. “We were having a great time. I wish you’d let Danny have the day off.”
“It’s fine,” I said at once. “I don’t mind.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Danny,” Victor said in a grim tone. There was a familiar gleam in his silvery eyes. “You’ll have much more fun with me.”
“I doubt that,” muttered River wryly.
I agreed with River on this. Victor’s hands were encased in those horrible leather gloves and another pair sat on his lap. It was still early afternoon but the world around me dimmed.
The food I’d enjoyed only a short while ago churned in my stomach. Bile rose in my throat as reality dawned on me. No matter how much affection Victor showed me, I was still his executioner. My foremost role was still “rat exterminator”.
“I need to get you a blade of your own,” Victor said in a thoughtful voice. “Any special requests?”
“No.” Taking deep breaths, I calmed the hard beatings of my heart. “Do we leave for the job now?”
Victor’s eyebrows rose high on his forehead. “You’re not seriously thinking I’ll let you come wearing that.” His gaze was fixed on the overlarge pink hoodie I was still wearing.
“I’ll go change.”
“You should,” he said in a grim tone. “I don’t want my men looking at you like you’re an easy piece of ass.”
“They won’t, not when they know what I do for you.”
The corner of his lips rose in a devilish grin.
“I’ll come back in ten minutes,” I said. Turning around, I walked out of the suite.
Once I was out in the hallway, I sprinted forward, heading for my own apartment. Wrenching the door open, I ran into the bathroom to empty the contents of my stomach.
I coughed and gasped as my stomach heaved again and again, until nothing came out anymore. My fingers swiped at the sweat-soaked strands of hair away from my eyes as I pulled myself back on my feet.
The thought of committing my second murder in less than a week left a bitter, sickening taste in my mouth. Stumbling toward the sink, I turned on the faucet and rinsed my mouth thoroughly, then proceeded to wash my face.
But no matter what I did, my face still looked pale and sweaty.
Pull yourself together, Danica, I told myself. Victor won’t like it if you’re this freaked out.
The thought of displeasing Victor sent a shiver down my back. It also helped cleared my mind. I was Danny Owens right now, not Danica Taylor, the cop.
Even if Victor and River started calling me ‘Danica’ in the confines of their bedroom, I was still Danny, Victor’s Sokolov’s official rat catcher and exterminator.
Stripping out of the soft, comfortable hoodie that still smelled like River, I donned a new set of suits. The quality was as good as the stuff Victor himself wore.
A look in the mirror showed me the change the suit made to my appearance. The paleness of my face was in sharp contrast to the black of the fabric. The color darkened my eyes. I bit into my lips to bring some color into them.
I look like a fucking vampire, I thought, taking in my all-black attire, dark eyes, and pale face. With a shake of my head, I stepped out of the bathroom just in time to hear the sound of the main door opening.
Victor walked into the suite, his gaze sweeping across the space until they fell on me.
“You’re ready,” he said, giving me a smile. “Good. We won’t be late.”
“I was just about to come to you.”
He moved closer to me and wrapped his arms around my slim waist. He jerked me forward, pushing my body against his. The intensity in his silvery-gray eyes made my heart beat harder in my chest.
“What did the two of you do when you were out?” he asked me in a low, growly voice.
“We walked Ginger in Cedar Hill and then I took them for some meatball subs,” I said with a dry throat. “We didn’t do anything else.”
“It all sounds mundane but I’ve never seen River look so happy. Not even when I bought him Ginger and his special collar.”
“Collar?”
A soft chuckle escaped him. Leaning in, he captured my lips in a possessive, demanding kiss. I opened up to him willingly, letting him taste me thoroughly.
“River has a collar,” he said after parting from me. “I’ll let you collar me too.”
I felt my eyes widen at that. Victor Sokolov wanted me to dom over him? The image of him tied up and helpless rose in my mind. A lick of heat spread through my belly. I was about to fucking murder a stranger but Victor somehow managed to get me aroused.
I’m so, so fucked, I thought desperately. For a moment, I wondered how Nolan would react if he knew what was happening to his favorite soldier. He’ll tell you to keep going, a cold, logical voice told me.
“Put these on,” said Victor, bringing my attention back on him. He held a pair of leather gloves for me.
Taking them, I slid them on. Unlike last time, these fit me well.
“I bought new ones for you,” he said. “I didn’t have the time to look through the weapon catalogs or I’d have gotten you a new knife for the job.” There was a tiny hint of apology in his tone.
“It’s fine,” I said. “Your knife does a great job too.” It fucking cuts through a dick like it’s nothing but a piece of aged beef steak.
His pale eyes lit up with excitement.
And soon, we were walking out of the suite.
The elevator took us down to the security desk where I collected my gun and accompanied Victor to the sleek silver car waiting for us outside the foyer.
; I made sure to take deep breaths as the car streaked through the afternoon traffic to head toward the docks. It looked like we were heading toward the same place as last time.
I was able to get more details of the warehouses and the streets leading up to it this time. My mind collected the information to be sent to Nolan later. The team might just find some evidence linking the deaths to Victor and the thugs who worked for him.
The car stopped beside the nondescript building which housed the old slaughterhouse. Climbing out, I took several deep breaths before entering the place. The stench of dried blood and iron-soaked air still seemed to linger in my nostrils.
Victor strode forward and pulled up the shutter.
He waited for me to walk in and then slammed it shut with an ear-shattering noise.
It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dim interiors of the building. I noted the outlines of the six bulky men in the far corner of the room, grouped around a guy who’d been tied to a chair.
Moving forward, I took in the state of the captive.
Tommy Regio was a tall, thin man. The long strands of his dark hair curtained his face from view. His chest rose and fell in a quick rhythm as he sobbed uncontrollably.
Victor’s footsteps sounded loud in the still, silent space.
Tommy raised his head and stared at Victor. His eyes widened at the sight before him.
“M-master Sokolov,” he gasped. “What is the meaning of this?”
“How long have you worked for my father?” Victor asked instead.
“Since I was twenty-five,” he said, looking confused.
“And how old are you now?”
“Forty-five, sir.”
“Twenty years in the gang is long enough to teach you about what happens to traitors.”
Tommy shook his head. “I have never betrayed anyone.”
“Really?” Victor’s voice was deceptively soft.
“I’d never betray you, Master Sokolov!”
Victor grinned but it turned Tommy paler. Locked in Victor’s piercing gaze, he couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. His body shook with tremors.
“You’re selling my drugs to someone else, aren’t you?” said Victor. “You’re using my equipment and materials to produce them, but you’re selling to someone else and you’re not sharing the profits.” Moving closer, Victor leaned in to look into Tommy’s eyes. “Is that all though? Have you shared the formula with your new master?”