SNUFF

by Bonny Capps

  I run my hands over my eyes, wiping away the tears. When I thought that he wasn’t sane earlier, that was an understatement. He’s fucking delusional to boot.

  “I want you, Sofia. Tonight. In my bed.”

  I shake my head. “I can’t … please.”

  He frowns and pouts mockingly. “No? I was wrong about you? This is such a disappointment, Sofia!”

  I flinch as he throws his hands up. “First, I save you from the torture that would have occurred below. Then, I take it easy on you when you destroyed my family’s things!” He places his hand over his heart as he plays up his exasperated state. “I’ll go and fetch Vadim, I’m sure Vlad is ready for you.”

  I step toward him and grasp his arm gently. Looking up at him through bleary eyes, I’m realizing that he won’t budge on this matter. If it was only him here, it would be one thing. But it’s not. These men won’t hesitate to kill me. Dimitri is the only one that’s safe so long as I can keep him happy.

  Licking my lips, I try and force the words past them. I’m caving in. I’m trading my pride for survival, and I’m afraid that’s the most sickening feeling of all. If I were home, there would be search parties looking for me. I’d probably be rescued by now. But that isn’t the case. I’m so far away from refuge. I must survive, and the only way that I can do that is by surrendering my heart, my body, and my soul.

  “I’ll stay with you,” I whisper, my tone wavering as I surrender my dignity.

  He smiles knowingly as he wraps his arms around my shoulders before kissing the top of my head. I rest my cheek on his chest and listen to his steady heartbeat as he runs his hands down my back to the curve of my ass.

  “A man like me must have what he wants, Sofia,” he murmurs as he reaches in front of me and pulls at the belt of my robe. I have nothing underneath and my body begins shaking as he slowly opens the robe to display my naked form beneath.

  “Relax,” he breathes out, and I listen.

  I sigh as he cups my breasts in his hands before gently squeezing. His mouth crashes into mine, and he doesn’t hesitate to slip his tongue past my lips as his fingers tangle in my hair. It almost seems like we’re floating across the floor as he leads me to the bed.

  When the back of my legs hit the bed, he pushes the robe over my shoulders before lifting me up and placing me onto the soft bedding. His hard chest presses into mine as he puts the majority of his weight on his elbows. His abstruse eyes lock onto mine, seemingly seeing into my very soul. He tells me with a look alone everything that I need to know. Freedom is nonexistent for me. I’ve garnered his attention, and he doesn’t plan on giving me up anytime soon.

  “Open up for me, little mouse,” he whispers, his tone gravelly and full of need.

  A single tear rolls over my cheek as I open my shaking legs. My muscles scream in resistance as he rests his hips between my thighs. I know nothing about this man, yet he is taking something so precious to me. Something that I never intended on giving to anyone until I was absolutely sure.

  The realization bubbles beneath the surface as I try to keep my mind. He’s going to rape me. This is rape. I was given an ultimatum. I either let him have me, or I would die. There wasn’t an option.

  My breath hitches as I reach up and place my hands on each side of his face. “If I do this … will you hurt me? Will you … will you let them hurt me?”

  He smiles deviously as he places his hands over each of my cheeks, circling my skin with his thumbs. “Little mouse, I won’t let anyone hurt you. I can’t say the same for myself, because I’m sure ….” He pauses as he slides a hand down my stomach to my opening.

  I gasp as he runs a finger through my folds. I’m embarrassed by the evident desire between my thighs as he continues. “I’m sure you will require punishment from time to time.”

  He slams a finger into my opening and I cry out as I grasp his shoulders.

  “And when you do require punishment, Sofia, you must remember that it’s for your own good. I chose you. Only you,” he rasps as his finger continues to move in and out.

  He pulls out of me and holds his bloody finger in front of him, a wicked smile covering his face. “And it looks like you chose me, too.”

  My body seizes up when he reaches down once more, this time lining himself up at my entrance. I hold my breath as he enters me, stretching me more and more. White hot pain travels throughout my body as my head rolls to the side. Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to go to a happy place, but he doesn’t allow that.

  He grasps my jaw and pulls my face forward. “Open your eyes, little mouse. Show me your admiration. Show me those beautiful eyes that beg so well. Show me.”

  My eyes spring open, allowing the tears that have collected to escape.

  “There,” he whispers as he slowly begins moving in and out. “You’re so beautiful … and you are mine.”

  I take a swig from the bottle of vodka as I run my hand over the tacky wallpaper in the hall. Stopping at my father’s portrait, I sneer.

  “Chertovski mudak,” I murmur before taking another gulp of the bottle’s contents. Soon, that will be me in his place. Soon, I will turn this place upside-down with remodeling. Soon couldn’t be soon enough. I fucking hate being under his tyrannical rule.

  “Dimitri, you must be a role model.”

  “Dimitri, you must stop drinking and snorting coke up your nose.”

  “Dimitri, sometimes I think that you are no son of mine.”

  No, he’s a bastard and I can’t stand him. I can’t stand that little weasel, Vadim, either. How am I expected to rule this Bratva when my own father cannot trust me as his council? He put Vadim in the position that was rightfully mine. And to think, I am to listen to Vadim until I am old enough to “make wise choices.” I will never, ever allow him to rule me. Once my father dies, the throne will be mine, and I have every intention of leading this Bratva with an iron fist.

  I snicker as I continue down the hall, running my hand over each portrait causing them to tilt. It will amuse me when Vadim frantically straightens each one.

  I cannot wait for the day when I sit in the same chair that my ancestors sat in as an artist paints my features. My father is old, pushing his mid-seventies, so it’s not much longer until that time comes.

  The Vavilov Bratva has been in operation for decades. The government was vulnerable after the fall of the Soviet Union, so we took that as our chance to grow. We deal in human trafficking, drug trafficking, organ trade, and pornography—though, we only began producing and distributing snuff films about twenty years ago. That is our moneymaker. That’s what sets us apart from the other bratvas.

  I am the only son of Albert Vavilov. My sister, Alina, has nothing to do with the bratva. Women are not allowed, though she doesn’t hide her love for the extravagant life that she lives as a result of our profitable business. She’s a successful model. Beautiful, yes, but incapable of love, so she isn’t much different than the rest of us. The Vavilov’s are a cold, heartless breed.

  I stop outside of the door as I listen intently to the others as they drink.

  The door is opened enough for me to hear their antics before I kick it open the rest of the way. They all look up at me eagerly. The fear in their eyes always makes me smile.

  “Brat’ya!” I say, spreading my arms out.

  I place a hand over my heart. “I am in love!” I say with the most saccharine tone.

  They laugh as I enter the room. Placing my finger beneath my nose, I inhale her sweet scent that still lingers. I can see the blood from her innocence beneath my fingernails as I circle around, placing my finger under each of their noses so they can smell my victory.

  Vlad huffs as I plop down in my arm chair.

  “I had only two kills tonight, and I had no fun killing off the boy,” he says before taking a gulp of his beer. “The American would have eased me into a deep sleep tonight.”

  My face falls into a frown as I eyeball him. “Well, that is too bad then, isn’t it?”

>   He sneers at me before averting his eyes.

  “And where is Vadim?” I ask before taking another swig of the vodka.

  Vlad’s eyes travel over my shoulder. I look behind me and smirk when I see Vadim standing there watching me. I stand and whip around to face him, holding the bottle in front of me. “Cousin! So nice of you to join us!”

  He sneers at me before snatching the bottle from my hand and taking a swig. Shoving it back towards me, he falls back onto the leather couch. “Did you kill her yet?”

  I laugh. “Kill her? Of course not. I am in love.”

  He scoffs at my declaration as I take a seat on my arm chair once more.

  “You know nothing of love, cousin.” He snorts.

  My jaw tightens. The need to break this bottle and saw his fucking head off makes my fingers tighten around the glass. “And you do, cousin?” I retort, fully aware that I’m pushing the only button that he has.

  I watch as his jaw tenses and it makes me smile. He would kill me if he could. The feeling is mutual.

  He reaches into his pocket, retrieving a folded piece of paper before sliding it across the coffee table.

  I reach over and snatch it up before my gaze snaps to his. “What is this?”

  He shrugs before running his hands down his face.

  Smiling, I open the letter hastily, nearly ripping it in half. My eyes scan over the words. It’s a letter from Sofia’s mama, but that’s not what shocks me. It’s her mama’s name that immediately catches my interest.

  “It can’t be,” I murmur as my eyes flit to Vadim’s and then back to the letter.

  He reaches back and massages his neck as he slumps further into the chair. “I’m afraid so. She had it in her pocket when I took her. I only found it when I had her shower.”

  I leap up from my chair, causing the vodka to slosh from the opening of the bottle. “Do you know what this means?” I ask as my eyes grow wide.

  He shakes his head slowly. “It means nothing until your father returns. Do not say a word to the girl.”

  I smirk as I turn, tucking the letter into my pocket.

  “Dimitri!” he growls from behind me, and I stop in the doorway.

  “Don’t worry, cousin. I will not say a word,” I say sardonically as I make my way back down the hallway.

  My mind is racing as I watch the brunette shlyukha circle the pole. Her movements are slow and mesmerizing as she works the stage. It’s calming, even with the cocaine coursing through my veins.

  If Dimitri utters a word to Sofia, so help me I will kill him myself. She should have stayed below, awaiting her time to go, but the fucking idiot had to decide to keep her. Though, this could play in our favor. Only time will tell. Dyadya Albert’s reaction could either be good or bad. But how was I to know who the girl was? When I saw the letter, I knew that I had fucked up in taking her. I don’t know half the people who live in that shithole village. I’ve never cared to know any of them.

  “Drugoy napitok?” The waitress asks. She’s pretty until she smiles.

  I nod, slipping her 400 rubles. “Vodka.”

  Sinking further into the chair, I finish off my drink before lighting a cigarette. Perhaps it’s a good thing that she’s still alive.

  We finally might get the leverage that we needed against our biggest rival.

  I stumble out the door and wipe my arm over my mouth. My vision is blurry and my heart beats rapidly. I overdid it tonight. I need to have a clear mind, and the cocaine does that for me. However, mixing it with vodka never plays in my favor.

  When I begin walking to my car, I spot a familiar face. I squint in her direction as I watch her bend down and talk to a potential customer.

  “Fuck,” I growl as I immediately march over to her and grasp her arm. The man at the wheel immediately takes off when he sees me.

  “Galina!” I sneer as I back her into the wall outside of the strip club. “I thought you were done. You said after I gave you money the last time that you would get a job! You swore that you would stop this!”

  She laughs as I look into her eyes. Her pupils are so dilated it hides the beautiful amber color.

  Yanking her arm away, she turns and lights a cigarette.

  “Galina, this has to stop,” I rasp as the defeated feeling creeps up my spine. She just looks out into the congested street without acknowledging me.

  “I demand that you stop this!” I exclaim as I narrow my eyes at her. She inhales another puff of smoke as she looks on.

  “Galina!”

  She whips around to face me and the light outside of the club shines down over her hardened features. She’s changed so much. The drug abuse is evident as I look over every line in her face. Her lips have thinned and her eyes look sunken in. She’s a mere shell of what she once was.

  “You do not own me, Vadim,” she snaps before throwing her cigarette down and snuffing it out with her high heel. “Not anymore.”

  I watch as she saunters away, her eyes scanning each vehicle carefully as she searches for her next client.

  “Hey man, can I get one of those?” an American says as he gestures to the pack of cigarettes that peek out from my pocket. I roll my eyes before retrieving the pack and offering him a smoke. I light my own before lighting his as I continue to watch her walk away.

  “Girlfriend problems? That’s a tough break,” the American says, attempting to make conversation. I turn and shove past him before murmuring, “She isn’t my girlfriend. She is my wife.”

  I want nothing more than to reverse the hands of time.

  I would have saved my mother by not rushing her before Nationals. I just kept pushing and pushing her that night. The texts and the voicemails … tormenting her with guilt as she hurried to get to the ice arena to see me perform.

  I would take back the accomplishment of winning first place and executing that triple jump effortlessly. I would take it all back if it meant that I could bring her back to life … to go home and see her burning something once more. She couldn’t cook and she was rarely home on time, but that didn’t matter. She was a remarkable mother and person. She would give her last penny to see me succeed and she would give anyone the shirt off her back.

  When she died, my home was no longer. The vacancy was overwhelming, even with Mirna there. That alone was enough for me to reaffirm my reasons to come to Russia. Without mom, I was alone. Without mom, I had no home.

  Now, I’m caught up in this mess, wrapped in the arms of a dangerous man … afraid to budge because of what he might do when he wakes.

  It’s not a good idea to wake a sleeping beast.

  I didn’t sleep at all last night, and I barely welcomed sleep when I was in the cage. My body and soul are spent. My mind is scattered as I watch the sun peek over the Caucasus Mountains in the distance. Now that it’s light out, I can see the vast wilderness below, causing my heart to sink further into the pit of my stomach.

  Dimitri must have partied hard last night after he left me naked, in a fetal position with the side of my face in a puddle of tears.

  He wasn’t gentle, leaving bite marks on my breasts and neck. My neck is sore from where he held me down against the bed, nearly making me lose consciousness several times. The most sickening part is the throbbing reminder between my thighs where he pumped into me feverishly, ignoring my cries for him to stop.

  My eyes snap shut when I feel him stir behind me. He buries his nose in the crook of my neck as his arm tightens around my waist. I feel his length growing against my back as he rocks against me.

  “Wake up, beautiful,” he whispers against my neck, sending a chill down my spine.

  I continue to pretend that I’m asleep until his hand slips between my thighs.

  “Sofia,” he breathes out as he begins to slowly circle my sore mound.

  My eyes flutter open when he rolls me onto my back and stares down at me. “Did you sleep well, little mouse?”

  I nod slightly without saying a word as he circles his index finger on my cheek
. “I didn’t think you could get any more beautiful, but this … it seems that I’ve woken to an angel in my bed.”

  I force a smile as he continues to play with me, causing the heat to build in my core. It makes me want to slap myself. He shouldn’t be able to manipulate me this way.

  He leans down before pressing his lips to mine. When he pulls away, a gasp escapes my lips as my core tightens.

  “Come shower with me,” he murmurs, his breath blanketing my lips.

  “Okay,” I whisper, willing myself not to cry. Though, I don’t think I can anymore after seven days in hell.

  I stand nude in the bathroom as he starts the water. Steam quickly rises, covering us below our waists as he turns to face me. I cross my arms over my bruised bare chest as he takes several steps towards me. He grasps my forearms and pulls my arms away before he allows his hungry eyes to travel over my body.

  His face turns dark as he narrows his eyes at me and releases my arms abruptly. “Don’t hide your body from me again,” he growls, causing me to flinch.

  Grasping my arm tightly, he pulls me into the shower. His hard chest presses against my back as he wraps his arms around me and walks us toward the water. I welcome the warmth as the water pelts down over my head. My eyes flutter as he pulls my wet hair over my shoulder before planting light kisses along the crook of my neck. I feel a soft fabric run from my stomach to the valley of my breasts before he whispers for me to clean myself.

  Grasping the washcloth from him, I begin to run it over my skin, feeling the burn from his hungry eyes. When I bend down to wash my legs, he runs a finger down my spine, leaving tingles in its path. He gives me subtle touches, reminding me that he’ll keep to his promise that I belong to him.

  Once I finish, I allow the washcloth to fall to my feet as he ravages me. He kisses me along my side until he is kneeling behind me. He grasps my ass cheek in his strong hand before he sinks his teeth into the sensitive flesh, causing me to cry out. Grabbing my hips, he turns me swiftly. My back hits the black tiled wall as he lifts my legs, resting them over his shoulders before he buries his face between my thighs.