by Ivy Clyde
“We will, River,” he said with an indulgent smile. “You have no idea how amazing she was today. I am going to have to keep a tab on her rewards if she keeps this up.”
“Did you fuck her today?”
“Yeah,” he said with a boyish grin spreading on his lips. “It was one of the best fucks of my life. I fucked her right there, River. Just after the men cleaned up the blood and crap left by Tommy Regio. I’ve never felt this excited about work. She makes everything interesting.”
“Great,” I muttered as we entered into the suite.
“I’ll catch up with you later tonight,” he said and pressed his lips to mine. Squeezing my ass, he walked ahead to reach his workstation.
“Come on, girl!” I said, kneeling before Ginger. “Sit with Daddy!” My dog perked up at once and followed me to the couch.
Jumping up beside me, she rested her massive head on my knee and whined for me to pet her. Ginger relaxed me at once. I turned on the TV but didn’t hear what Marie Kondo was advising a married couple who couldn’t keep their home clean.
All my thoughts were focused on Danica. She wasn’t a whore like me but was forced to endure everything Victor inflicted on her.
The tortures, the murders, the spontaneous sex on the scene of those bloodbaths...I could only hope Victor wouldn’t break her before she could heal my scars.
31
Danica
A cold, gray morning greeted me when my eyes blinked open.
My nightmares kept me trapped in a fitful sleep the whole night, leaving me to wake up feeling even more exhausted.
Running fingers through my disheveled hair, I climbed off the bed and dragged my tired body to the kitchen to make some coffee. Part of me craved for a break from being Victor Sokolov’s rat-exterminator but there’d be no rest for me until the operation was over or I was dead.
“Happy thoughts,” I muttered to myself as I moodily waited for the coffee to drip into my mug.
The heady scent of coffee was like a balm to my tired mind. Leaning into the cup, I inhaled the steam wafting from the surface of the hot, dark brew.
I loaded the coffee with sugar and cream, then proceeded to bring out a packet of chocolate chip cookies from one of the cabinets. It was a very unhealthy breakfast, but I needed the dose of sugar and caffeine to be ready for whatever Victor had planned for me today.
I got dressed in one of the new suits hanging in the wardrobe. It was black like the rest of them, creating a stark contrast with my pale skin. At least, it won’t get dirty easily, I thought as I combed through the strands of my blond hair.
It was eight A.M. when I stepped out of the suite. Going over Victor’s door, I knocked.
“Come in,” his voice called out from the other side of the door.
Turning the knob, I pushed open the door. Victor was standing in the living room area, fixing the cuff of his shirt. He glanced at me and gestured toward the couch.
Gazing around the vast penthouse, I caught sight of River sleeping in the master bedroom. His ash-blond hair fell over his eyes and nose, obscuring most of his face. Ginger was on the floor, playing with what looked like a stuffed elephant.
“You’ll be hanging around Alexei today,” said Victor, drawing my attention toward him. He sat down on the couch opposite me. “He’ll be visiting The Dancing Peacock in Bronx today and will be striking a new deal with the pimps who run the show there. I need you to observe the men at the table and take note of their attitudes. You’ll be figuring out if their current sales and profits match up with our accounts. Notify me if you find a rat among them.”
I gave a nod. “Sure.”
“You’ll visit an area in Northern Brooklyn as well,” Victor continued in a grim tone. “Only a few people know of this location. It’s my personal cocaine production factory. Tommy was running the business but we need a new man to replace him.”
“What happened to Tommy?” I asked. The man was badly maimed yesterday but wasn’t dead. “Is he still alive?”
“He’s alive,” said Victor with a cold gleam in his eyes. “My men are looking after him for now. He’ll be set free when he’s better.”
“You’re going to let him live?”
Victor let out an amused chuckle. “Without a tongue and fingers, who will he talk to?” he asked in a soft voice. “He can’t even use sign language to divulge my secrets. Tommy poses no threat to me or my business. I don’t kill people on a whim, Danica. Only those who deserve it.”
Getting up from his place, he came to sit next to me.
Pulling me against him, he traced the outline of my jaw and gently turned my head to face him. “Don’t do anything to make me kill you,” he said in a low, barely audible voice.
“I won’t,” I whispered through a dry throat. “I’ll always protect you.”
“Good,” he said, pressing his lips to mine. Raising his head, he looked me dead in the eyes. “If you ever betray me, I’ll gut you. You’ll watch while I tear out your organs. Do you understand, Danica?”
Held captive in his cold, intense gaze, all I could do was nod.
Victor wasn’t threatening me. He was making me a promise.
He kissed the side of my neck. Each press of his warm lips against my sensitive skin made shivers of pleasure run through me. I should be terrified of him after that warning, instead, I was madly aroused by him.
God, I’m so fucked...
“Did you eat breakfast?” Victor asked as his hand ran along my inner thigh.
“Yeah.”
“What did you eat?” he asked, nibbling the skin at the base of my neck.
“C-coffee and cookies.”
“That’s all?”
“Yeah...” I moaned.
An amused chuckle escaped him as he raised his head to look at me. “You’re as hopeless as River when it comes to food. I need to take care of you too.”
Warmth spread through me. The man was deranged in so many ways but he could be so damn sweet too.
“I’ll make it up to you soon,” he said, gently brushing away the strands falling into my eyes.
“It’s okay,” I said. “You already pay me a generous salary.”
“But I want to reward you, Danica.”
Heat pooled into my cheeks. He caressed them with the back of his hands. My eyes fluttered closed at the feel of his cool fingers against my heated skin.
Someone nearby cleared their throat loudly.
Startled, I jumped away from Victor and twisted my head toward the sound.
Alexei Sokolov stood by the couch, gazing at me with cold amber eyes.
“You have such bad timing,” Victor drawled as he frowned at his cousin.
“Did you want me to wait until you were done eating his face?” retorted Alexei with a sneer.
“Yes,” said Victor with a wink which made Alexei grind his jaws together.
Alexei threw a cutting glance at me. “Are you ready to go, Danny?”
“Yeah,” I replied, straightening my jacket.
“Then, follow me.”
“Enjoy having him, Cuz, but remember he belongs to me,” said Victor in a cold, grim tone.
Alexei scoffed and grabbed my wrist hard. “What can you do if I do forget it?”
A dangerous look descended into Victor’s icy gray eyes. Most men would wet their pants to be on the other side of that glare but Alexei was nonchalant. He grinned at his cousin and pulled me along with him as he strode toward the door.
I was dragged all the way to the elevator and then roughly shoved inside.
“Did I do something to get you mad at me?” I asked.
“I’m mad at you for not doing anything,” he said as the elevator started on its downward journey.
“What do you mean?”
“I told you I could help you, but you’ve dug yourself deeper in Victor’s mess,” he said through clenched teeth. “Your stunt at the mayor’s party and the torture fest on Tommy Regio has spread your name through the gang. Even my uncle kn
ows of you now.”
“Ivan Sokolov?” I breathed.
“Yes.” Turning toward me, he grabbed my shoulders and gave me a small shake. “You can’t get out now. Do you understand what you’ve done to yourself?”
“I don’t want to get out,” I said, meeting his angry gaze. “I want to protect Victor.”
“He has you wrapped around his pinkie,” he grated through clenched teeth. His hold on my shoulders became so painful, I couldn’t stop my features from twisting.
“You’re hurting me,” I bit out.
His widened eyes told me he hadn’t meant to hurt me. His grip loosened and after a moment, he stepped away from me.
Alexei stayed quiet as we stepped out of the elevator. He strode past the security desk without a glance at me.
“I need my gun,” I told one of the familiar-looking guys stationed there. “Hurry up.”
Alexei was gone by the time I was handed my pistol. Storing it safely in an inside pocket of my jacket, I stepped out through the glass-fronted doors.
A blast of cold air slapped my face. Digging my hands into the pockets of my trousers, I jogged toward the gleaming silver car parked a few feet away.
“What were you doing?” Alexei asked as soon as I climbed in beside him.
“I was getting my gun,” I said. “They don’t let me take it upstairs. At least, I’m allowed my shoes now.”
“You won’t need a gun when you’re with me,” he said. “We’re going to be having discussions and negotiations. Strong arming and bullying are my cousin’s area of expertise, not mine.”
“Doesn’t hurt to be careful,” I said.
It seemed to anger him. He ground his teeth and looked away, stubbornly staring out of the window.
Releasing a long breath, I sat back against the seat. I’d thought things were good between me and Alexei but my closeness to Victor was dampening our relationship. I still liked Alexei but it was hard to get through to him when he had his hackles up like this.
Sighing internally, I decided to focus on the job at hand. If I could catch another rat for Victor, I could cement my position in the gang even better.
Alexei spent most of the morning doing visits. He dragged me to a politician’s office, a candy factory, and a shady gambling house. He left me sitting in visitor rooms everywhere we went, telling me I couldn’t be a witness to those discussions. Apparently, I could only attend the meetings Victor mentioned.
I had a feeling Alexei was purposely delaying those meetings. Being powerless, I suppressed my irritation and followed Alexei Sokolov like an obedient, faithful dog.
It wasn’t until late afternoon that we eventually made it to The Dancing Peacock.
The smell of cheap booze and cigarette smoke assaulted my senses as soon as I entered The Dancing Peacock. At first glance, the place looked like a popular strip club with dark interiors and flashing lights. Lithe, young women were coiled around tall poles, but a closer look showed me the place dealt in gambling too.
I looked all around the place and noticed how the walls enclosing the space were covered in thick black curtains. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think there were doors leading to more secret corners of the establishment.
My guess was confirmed when a young man approached us and led the way through one of the curtains. Alexei and I were taken into a surprisingly clean, bright room with a long rectangular table occupying most of the space.
“Please wait here, Master Sokolov,” said the young man who didn’t seem much older than me. “I’ll go and call everyone. They’ve all been waiting to see you.”
Alexei gave a nod and seated himself at the head of the table.
Grabbing a chair, I dragged it to a spot behind Alexei’s. I wasn’t going to be part of the discussions but would only be observing. He didn’t comment on my choice of seating, so I settled down and waited for the others to show up.
Echoes of loud music filled the empty office space, making it impossible to forget where I was sitting. The curtain separating the door from the rest of the club was shifted back. Next moment, three young women in sexy bunny outfits walked in with trays of drinks and bottled water.
They sashayed forward, giving me saucy looks and placed the bottles and packets of snacks and cigarettes on the table. One of the girls boldly wrapped an arm around Alexei’s shoulder while another perched herself on my lap.
“You don’t have to do this,” I muttered as her heady perfume wrapped around my senses. She wore heavy makeup but it didn’t mask how young she really was. There was no way she was older than sixteen.
“Why not, pretty boy?” she asked, licking the shell of my ear.
“Stop!” I said, cringing away. “That tickles.”
She laughed and kissed my cheek.
The girl who’d come on to Alexei had already vanished from the room. The young man who’d led the way here smirked at me.
“You can enjoy her after the meeting,” he said with a wide grin. “On the house!”
Alexei turned around in his seat to glare at me.
“I don’t want her!” I blurted. Glancing at the young girl, I added, “No offense. I’m just not into girls.”
She laughed and kissed my cheek again. I wiped the wetness from my face as she stood up. “You’re such a cute guy,” she said with an easy laugh.
“C’mon, Charlene,” the young man called out to her. “Get back to work.”
Charlene waved at me and strutted away in ridiculously tall stilettos.
Five minutes later, eight men walked into the room. They all varied in age. The youngest was Charlene’s pimp while the oldest seemed to be in his early sixties.
The meeting seemed to be about reviewing and revising old policies. Since Boris was no longer the one controlling and managing the club, the Sokolovs were taking advantage of setting up new rates on the profits.
I observed each of the men sitting around the table. Most of them seemed rather pleased about the new changes but a few appeared subdued. I made a note of their names to check on them later.
An hour passed by as the men took turns to talk to Alexei. The meeting was similar to the one I’d attended on my first day in the gang. The only difference was that no one was going to be murdered today.
The sound of a shriek cutting through the low murmur of male voices suddenly made me rethink. I sat up straighter in my chair as the men stared at each other.
The bass of the music thudding around us had stopped as well. A woman screamed somewhere on the other side of the curtain.
“Kyle,” Alexei spoke up in a deep, commanding voice. “Go and check what’s happening.”
The young pimp stood up and disappeared from the room. Dull sounds of people speaking came in through the curtain. I glanced at Alexei. He looked calm but his eyes were alert.
Kyle burst back into the room. “Someone’s taken a girl hostage,” he announced breathlessly. “He’s threatening to kill her if we don’t let them leave now.”
“What the fuck’s that about?” asked an older man. “What are the bouncers doing?”
“They tried to help her but he’s holding a broken beer bottle against her neck,” replied Kyle, looking anxious. “He’s already stabbed her in the chest. She won’t last long if he stabs her a few more times.”
“Shoot the guy,” said Alexei. “What are they waiting for?”
“It’s not easy when he’s holding her against him like a shield,” replied Kyle. “Fuck! The girl’s really young.”
“I’m going to take a look and see what this is all about,” grumbled another man. People around the table agreed and one by one, they walked out of the room.
“We should see what’s happening out there,” I said when only Alexei and I were left in the room.
“Let them handle it,” he said. “We aren’t responsible for what happens to one of their assets.”
“What if we could help?”
Alexei raised his eyebrows at me. “There are a dozen bouncers in thi
s place. If they can’t do anything, I doubt you can.”
I frowned at him, hating the way he was just sitting in his seat while one of the exotic dancers working for him could be dying. Taking a deep breath, I got to my feet.
“Where are you going?” he demanded as I hurried toward the exit doorway.
“I’m going to take a look at the situation. There might be a way to help that woman,” I said and walked out through the curtained barrier.
At once, I was presented with a grim scene. A man in his fifties was holding a familiar-looking young woman against him. His left hand clutched onto a blood-stained broken beer bottle as Kyle mentioned.
Inching closer, I recognized the girl. It was Charlene, the young woman who was teasing me earlier. Her sheer costume was torn to shreds so that her boobs were hanging out completely. She was bleeding profusely from her left side where the man had stabbed her.
“Let me get out of here,” the man bellowed at the dozen men in black tees. They were holding guns before them but no one dared to shoot him because he had Charlene pressed against him like a shield. “She is mine. I won’t let her grind her ass against another man’s cock.” He held the broken end of the bottle against her neck and licked her face. “Will you do that again, baby?”
“N-no,” she sobbed. “P-p-please let me go.”
For a moment, my mind wandered off to think about River. Did he ever go through something like this? Rage boiled inside me as I imagined him being younger and in a similar situation with a gun at his head. His trauma left him with a fear of guns for the rest of his life.
I looked back at Charlene. The sobbing, trembling young woman was someone like him. She probably had no choice but to smile and dance for low-lives like the man threatening to kill and steal her.
I was about to move forward when a heavy hand clamped down on my shoulder. Reacting instantly, I caught hold of the wrist and twisted in the man’s hold. I was about to sucker punch him when I realized it was Alexei.
“Shit!” I cursed, pushing him away from me. “Why did you have to sneak up on me?”
“I can’t believe you were going to hit me,” he said with an amused look in his face.