by Eva K. More
Even though Lina had mentioned his interest in her, Beast hadn’t expressed any sort of lewd behavior her way. If anything, he appeared composed and aloof. Much like her at the moment, because she felt numb.
“Too dangerous,” he grunted.
“But nobody knows who I am,” Kat turned her body in his direction and tried to make him see the sense in her words. “Please drive me home. I won’t tell my gra- I won’t tell anybody what happened, I swear it. I’m thankful for what you did, but please, just let me out at a metro station, and I’ll be gone forever. Please… I swear I won’t say anything.”
The man lounged in the car seat, clearly mulling over Kat’s words while he kept his hands on the top of the steering wheel. His broad chest expanded with a deep sigh. Without looking at her this time, he repeated his previous answer, “no.”
She felt defeated, and after going through what happened at the brothel, she didn’t have the energy to get into an argument. Still, she wanted to have even a dime of knowledge about her fate. “Then what are you planning to do with me? Where are we going?”
Beast didn’t react. He kept calm, driving the car, bypassing a gas station, and the exit to the city center. Another few minutes passed by in which Kat tried to clear the chaos in her head.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” she finally said. “Why would it be too dangerous? Ivo doesn’t know anything about me, not even my full name.”
“He has his resources. If he’s looking for you, he’ll find you and your family. Also, your bag is still missing. It might just turn up on the streets, Ivo has already instructed his informants to notify him if it’s found somewhere. Besides, he has good connections to the police, and once a missing person’s report is filed, he’ll know immediately.”
She shivered at the possibility of her grandparents being held captive by Ivo. But even more so as she thought about the way Ivo had assaulted her yesterday.
“Why do you even care?” That was the most pressing question inside her mind. Why would this man care about her wellbeing?
Queasiness settled in the pit of her stomach while she stared at his profile, waiting for an answer. He had heard the underlying fear in her voice and turned to stare at her for a moment.
“What are you thinking? Why do you think I care?” The rumble of his voice sounded softer somehow.
“Do you want me for yourself then? Is that it?” Her tiredness wasn’t helping her at all, and against her better judgment, her brain-to-mouth filter stopped working. “You want to… to… you cannot take advantage of me! Please, I-”
They were lucky it was already very late into the night when he suddenly swerved to the side and stopped the car on the emergency lane.
His right hand gripped her backrest as he turned his body to her and pierced her with a hard look. The light of the streetlamps made his eyes sparkle like a wolf’s. “To make it clear, I have no interest in fucking you, if that’s what you’re rambling about,” Beast said.
Her first reaction was to protest his accurate assumption because of his vulgar wording, but her relief was stronger than her embarrassment.
“Then why are you helping me? If you are actually helping me, that is,” Kat said while she heard him sigh beneath the mask.
“I am. And I don’t like it any more than you do.” That sounded promising. Not. “But… you might not believe that something like this is possible in my line of occupation, but I’ve sworn an oath. I will harm no innocent woman. The girls that come to our house do it voluntarily, or at least that’s what they claim. I’d never force somebody into prostitution.”
His words had made her speechless. How could somebody ruthlessly kill a man in an alley and yet have qualms about letting a mere woman be taken advantage of?
He had said the last part with a poignancy that could not have been a lie. Obviously, he hadn’t cared much about her comfort yesterday, but in insisting she stay off drugs and helping her today, he had shown that he at least cared a little bit. He didn’t want her to be harmed irreparably.
Any objection she might have thought of died on her lips. Could it be so simple? Could a criminal like Beast still have some kind of honor? She remembered Lina telling her how Beast was different.
Maybe his appearance with the massive body and scary mask portrayed a stricter version of a man who actually had a heart. And even if he were still lying, Kat concluded, her best option at the moment was to believe him. She had no other choice.
She nodded her head as if she granted him absolution, as if she gave him the divine power of her trust. Understanding her gesture, he started driving again.
“What will happen now, then?” she asked gloomily.
“I’m going to find a place for you to stay until I’ve dealt with Ivo. Besides, you’ve angered Anton now. It will take a while to take him off your track.”
Kat leaned into her seat. Anton. The monster had a name.
“You mean, the man … you found me with?” Kat asked, fighting against a sudden panic attack. The assault was still much too fresh in her mind, and recalling it left much more than a bitter taste in her mouth.
However, she needed to know. Kat felt the need to clear the cobwebs in her head, to know the world she had fallen in, and find a way out of it.
She felt the atmosphere change with sudden anger radiating of Beast. His nod was almost imperceptible. “Anton shouldn’t even have been there,” he growled and drew his eyebrows together, not daring to withdraw his eyes from the road again.
Kat then remembered Lina hinting at something similar. It was strange how Lina had said the same thing about the girls at the mansion being there on their own accord, and yet Ivo acted with her like the opposite was the truth. “Why?”
A loaded silence followed her question.
After what felt like an hour but was only a couple of minutes, Beast’s voice filled the car. “You are awfully interested in this business, little bird.” There was a reprimanding factor in Beast’s voice as if she somehow overstepped her boundaries. “You shouldn’t concern yourself with this information.” Beast blinked and passed the car in front of them at a blinding speed.
Kat felt oddly chastised. Sure, some could say it was none of her business, but after everything she had been through, she felt entitled to get the bigger picture of her short, but probably life-changing encounter with the mafia. The logical part of her brain wanted to analyze the situation until she could draw a conclusion, one she was able to understand.
She balled her hands into little fists. “I get that this is insider information only, but one hour ago, Ivo basically threw me like a rag doll to this vile man, as if I was a piece of fresh meat. He even bit me,” the relived memory made her voice crack. “He bit me,” she repeated dejectedly. “I want to know what I’m up against. What is that danger I am running away from now?”
“Our big boss is not a fan of Anton. That’s what I can tell you.”
“You mean Kapov?”
If Beast was somehow surprised that she knew his boss’ name, he didn’t show it. “Yes, him,” he grunted.
“Lina said that Kapov isn’t into human trafficking. Why didn’t you do something about me yesterday?” In fact, Kat now remembered, Beast had been the one to suggest she should become a prostitute. Surely, if Kapov were the big boss, he wouldn’t have been happy with Ivo for this. Reprehensively, she inched closer to the vehicle’s door.
Beast’s chuckle was dry. Her question definitely amused him. “He is not. But he isn’t into loose ends, either. Would you rather Ivo had killed you? This way, we gained a bit of time.”
“And if your plan hadn’t worked and you came too late today?”
Beast swerved the car to the left calmly. “Tough luck.”
Kat gulped at his dry tone. So, he had relied on luck to save her? Well, why would she matter to him?
Suddenly she had the urge to laugh hysterically. She should have known not to ask a question whose answer she couldn’t stomach. Tough luck. That was
a direct hit in her chest area. What had she expected from someone working for the mafia? Probably she should be grateful if she survived that evening. But really, why not go all out?
Swallowing deeply, she looked straight ahead. “What exactly would that tough luck have included?" And here comes her damaged mind-to-mouth filter. Again.
Beast’s hands clutched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles became white. “You want to know?” His question sounded like an accusation, but her silence affirmed it. “Ivo would have let some people play with you- like today. Sold your services for good cash, after all, a lot of powerful men tend to crush beautiful, innocent girls like you as if it is a sport. That scumbag Anton is one of them.”
She didn’t flinch when he talked so crudely. Somehow, she knew that his vicious tone wasn’t directed at her.
“Ivo might have even used you for his sick pleasures, nothing pretty for a little bird like you,” Beast said.
Kat winced. “I saw one of the girls’ throat.” The memory of Star’s state still ingrained in her mind.
“Yeah, Ivo is his own brand of fucked-up.” Malice poured from every syllable of his eerie sounding words.
Kat wanted to ask what kind of man Beast himself was, but she was not ready yet for his answer.
“He might have killed you someday, by accident or on purpose – it doesn’t matter. And now that you are gone, he will want you dead for sure. But first, I’m certain that he would torture you. That’s the kind of man he is. He hates when someone defies him, so he will do anything to remedy that.” Beast shifted the gear and took the next exit. “And the mafia has an unlimited bag of resources. That’s why we need to hide you for the time being.”
“And what about you?” Kat asked.
“Officially, I wasn’t at the mansion today; I’m on an errand. Anton didn’t see me – he never got the chance to turn around. And your little stunt helped to distract him while I entered –” at this, he shot her a sideways glance and Kat could have sworn he sounded amused, and even a bit surprised. “It means nobody saw me, and Ivo wouldn’t think of me. Besides, Anton might blame Ivo for what happened today, so now, he will have trouble with him too. Anton might believe that Ivo tricked him.”
“And what about-”
“Enough,” Beast said with a calm dominance. “The rest is none of your concern.”
Kat would have argued if she hadn’t felt the wariness creep into her bones. She tested her good luck too many times for one day, and somewhere between jumping out the window and talking about the mafia, her adrenaline had slowly subsided. She couldn’t fight with her tiredness anymore.
They drove down a narrow, slightly illuminated road. Kat would have been afraid if it weren’t for the few lonesome houses they passed. Obviously, they were still on a way where civilization existed and not in some utterly deserted area.
She was momentarily surprised when he brought the car to a stop. This time, they were on a mostly empty parking lot in front of a two-story motel. The light of one of the lamp posts flickered next to the unspectacular entrance, and the ‘T’ had lost its light completely. The dull concrete structure didn’t look very inviting, but it certainly wasn’t too shabby looking.
“Stay here! Don’t even think about running away, or you will probably be dead in the morning,” Beast ordered before getting out of the car and locking it. He hadn’t given Kat a chance to protest anyway.
She was left sitting in the silent car and watched him walk through the front door. Without overthinking it, she pulled the neckline of the sweatshirt up to her nose. The faint smell of aftershave and something distinctively earthy comforted her.
Only a few minutes later, Beast emerged back from the building. He pulled open the passenger door and stood back, motioning for Kat to get out. She followed him up the outer stone staircase to a room on the second level. The silence continued until he opened the door and turned on the light. At first, the brightness momentarily blinded her, but when her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw her reflection on the full-length mirror.
Stunned, she stopped. “I look horrible!”
The big sweater covered her upper body entirely and stopped at mid-thigh, but it was still longer than her dress, making it look like she had nothing on beneath it. Her long, blonde hair was disheveled, and her makeup much too heavy; the ruby red lipstick smeared around her lips like a token of her distressing ordeal. When Beast didn’t say anything, she shot him a curious look.
He had closed the door and was looking at her from behind his shoulder. She watched his gaze roam over her body, starting at her scandalous high heels and moving up her naked legs. The air shifted suddenly when his eyes reached hers. For the first time since she had met him, she saw a flicker of something carnal in them. A moment later, any trace of intimacy left his face, but it was a moment too late because it managed to take away Kat’s breath.
While stepping ahead, he opened the door to his left. “Go take a shower, or at least wash your face,” he said brusquely.
She stood rooted to the ground as he came closer. Even with the heels, he was still much taller, and she had to crane her neck to look at his face, or at least to what she could see of his face.
For the first time, she noticed his peculiar eyes. They were gunmetal grey with a dark ring around the iris, a perfect contrast to his black hair.
“And lose the shoes before you break your neck,” he said.
She nodded and watched him sit down on the only bed, “Uhm… are we going to stay in the same room?”
His answer was a scoffing snort. “As if I’m going to let you out of my sight now.”
“What?” She could very well picture a sneer beneath his mask and shot him a skeptical look.
He had taken out his phone; his brows were drawn together in a serious expression. “For one, I don’t trust that you are aware of the severity of the situation, and you might want to try to run back home.” Kat opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off with a scolding narrowing of his eyes. “Also, I shouldn’t pay for two rooms if I want people to believe I’m on my own.”
Kat sighed in exasperation. There was nothing easy in her life right now.
“But how are we supposed to sleep here?” Kat might have lost some of her strength, and her voice held only a hint of annoyance, but she could notice that his reasoning sounded rational enough, though, so she accepted it with caution.
This time Beast did not look up from his phone, but she saw him tense at her words. “Don’t worry.” His voice sounded like a velvety caress. “I won’t share the bed with you; I won’t touch you.”
Meanwhile, Kat had managed to pull off the strappy shoes. Gathering what little courage she had left, she padded cautiously towards the bed. Although he was sitting, he was so much bigger than most men she had ever seen, and in comparison, she felt as tall as a prepubescent girl.
At that moment, she was fully aware of her inferiority and absolute vulnerability. If he wanted to hurt her, he could do so easily with just a snap of his wrist.
“Sir,” Kat whispered, too afraid to touch his shoulder. He lifted his head, his eyes drinking in the sight of her biting her lip nervously. “Please… you really won’t touch me, right? After everything that happened today, I… I couldn’t bear it.” Those damned tears were burning behind her eyes again. She hadn’t known she had strength left to cry anymore.
Beast didn’t move, but his expression changed, the mesmerizing orbs filled with something akin to warmth. “I promise I won’t force you into anything, little bird, and call me Beast,” he rasped.
For just a second, she wanted the world to stop so she could experience the support of another human being. But Beast was still himself, the big tattooed man with the silver skull on his face. He was still dangerous and a criminal.
It was astonishing how her defenses had crumbled with his simple, soft-spoken words.
***
The older man picked up the phone on the second ring. The younger one
didn’t wait for his greeting.
“Maryan, she’s gone from the mansion.”
“Good.” He sounded relieved. “Good,” he repeated, less rushed. “So, she’s safe then?”
The younger man paused and twisted his face into a grimace. Truthfully, he didn’t know how to answer that loaded question.
“Gabriel…” The man on the other side of the phone warned.
He cleared his throat. “She’s safe at the moment.”
He closed his eyes, and an image of her appeared behind his lids. With her long blonde hair and beautiful features, she reminded him of an angel he once saw in a book, but dressed like she had been back at the mansion, she had reminded him of something else entirely. Something dirty and wild and forbidden.
Ever since the club incident where he had almost kissed her, his feelings were all over the place. It had been like a punch in the gut to discover that there was a big difference between watching someone from a distance and meeting them up close. One could see the finer details, find the attractive sparkle in their eyes, and smell their flowery essence.
“Everything else going according to plan?” the older man asked.
Thankful for the change of topic, Gabriel cleared his throat. “Ivo’s becoming increasingly careless. He invited Anton to the party.”
The silence that followed after his statement did not surprise him, so he continued. “He’s alive, Maryan. I couldn’t follow him, but according to Lina, we are close to our goal anyway.” He said their goal, but really, he had one crucial goal on his own.
Jesus! What a mess it had suddenly become!
He brushed his hair with his fingers and sighed. It felt like the tension in his shoulders had become a permanent fixture in his body.
Longing for revenge and hunger of a different kind warred within him.
he late hour didn’t matter to Kat when she decided to take a shower and rinse off any visible - and invisible - traces of her horrible ordeal. She hadn’t expected the sight that greeted her once she took off all her clothes and couldn’t contain her shocked outcry.