by T. L Smith
Turning to face Viktor, he seems calm which makes me even angrier. I can’t remove this stupid headpiece out of my hair and he’s here making fun of it, asking if I need help like I’m some sort of weak female. As if that wasn’t obvious. I want to smack him in the back of the head, or throat punch him, I’m not sure which one yet. His hands are up in surrender as he takes a step back.
“You now have thirty minutes,” he says dropping his hands and sitting on the bed. He lays back on it and takes a deep breath. I watch as his chest goes in and out, his toned body looks very good underneath that suit. I’ve never seen him in one, and it makes my mind go to what is underneath it—I definitely want to see what’s under there.
“Stop thinking, dirty woman.” His voice makes me jump, and I look to his eyes to see that he was watching me, and that makes me even more enraged. Prick.
“I wasn’t thinking dirty, you dick.” Giving up on the headband I sit down on the nearest chair, huffing as I do so.
“You were. Your chest was heaving and you were picking at your nails. You do that when you’re nervous. Well, I guess horny as well?”
Looking down at my hands I see that he’s right. I try to not roll my eyes at him, I really do because it’s so immature, but I can’t help it when it comes.
“You didn’t deny it,” he says making me look at him again.
“This day needs to be over already,” I say dropping my head to my hands. I hear his chuckle and try to ignore it. It’s my new thing to do with him—to try and ignore it all. Viktor isn’t a man of many words he’s the watcher, he watches people. He’s good at it, he knows people’s flaws, their dislikes and what they like. I’ve picked that up from him by watching him.
“You don’t want me to bed you?” He laughs and I lock up as my body freezes. Shit. “Well fuck, that’s the reaction I want from my wife. Fucking great!” He shakes his head as he sits up.
I can’t blame him for being a bit cross, he wasn’t meant to be part of this deal. Heck, I don’t even know if he even wanted to get married.
“Did you ever want to get married?”
He rubs at his hair, messing it up. It was bald once, it’s amazing how fast hair can grow.
“No,” he says without hesitation. I can feel my body droop just a bit. “I’m not Kazier. Fuck! I was more like Death, until he met Pollie that is. Now he’s just a broody asshole with a purpose. I’m just an asshole that likes my space… so no, I did not.”
“No one has asked me if I actually wanted to get married either.”
“Well, did you?” he asks.
“No. I wanted to be a normal girl, meet a normal guy, fall in love and have children.”
He laughs at me and I scrunch my nose up at him. “I don’t find any of that funny,” I snap at him.
“It is, though. In your world you wanted to be normal? I hate to tell you this, but you were born into the wrong family.”
“I know that, you smart ass. I like it when you don’t talk much.”
He checks his flashy watch on his wrist and stands up. “Time to show everyone how fucking happy we are.”
“Yeah, fucking right!” I respond standing, kicking off my heels and finding my flats near the bed where I got changed today. He watches me as I slip them on and offers me his elbow. I don’t want to take it, but do so knowing we’re walking to where my father will be watching and listening. One day I will stop wanting to please him—maybe, one day.
Viktor’s muscles feel strong when my hand comes down on his forearm. I always thought he looked too good, and now that I can feel him I know it’s true. All the boys in the Smirnov family are good looking, I guess I’m lucky to have that part of him. I could have been lumped with someone I didn’t find attractive. And I do find him attractive, very much so.
Kazier has fun, but he’s very dangerous. Let’s face it he could laugh while slicing your neck.
Death is just scary. Full stop. From his eyes to his posture. I never would want to be left in a room with him by myself.
Anton is the joke cracker, and to him everything is a joke. Even down to killing someone is a joke to him.
Viktor? Well, Viktor is the more serious one. He thinks before he speaks and everything is planned in his head before he takes action. So, this wedding would have fucked him right up.
Growing up with evil people, even if they weren’t bad to me, I realized they were bad by a certain age. Friends weren’t allowed to come to my house, at all. Mothers ushered their kids away from me like I had a disease. My father didn’t put me in any situations where I thought they were killers. I didn’t learn exactly what it was they did until in my teens.
I was the mafia princess. The men treated me as if I was a princess. My own cousins were my guards, and when I moved to the States they came with me. Being taught to defend myself at an early age as well. I guess it was like some sports that normal kids went through, but mine was to teach my body to be a weapon so I could defend myself. And I have never had to until I came to meet Kazier.
Life back home is a lot different to life here. I was, I guess you could call it, sheltered. And when I moved here to finish my schooling, no one knew who I was for a long time. Until I met Kazier that is.
I remember the first time I saw Viktor, I liked the way he looked at me. I didn’t try to take much notice, because I was to wed his cousin, the leader, Kazier. That was until Kazier fell in love, and everything slowly revolved around that.
My father wasn’t happy about the resulting situation with Kazier. Kazier has power and that was part of the deal, to combine the two families and all the authority and strength that came with that. They wanted what we could offer, my father wanted more allies. So instead of me coming home, Kazier made a deal to marry me to Viktor—he is, after all, the next in charge. The second highest ranking.
So, that was the deal. And here I am today, walking out of our honeymoon suite, getting ready to greet our family like we’re excited about this arrangement, which I highly doubt either of us are.
Leaving our room we move through the hall and down the elevator to the reception room. The doors open and people start clapping and cheering, I squeeze harder on Viktor’s arm hoping to hurt him, but he doesn’t say a word which I didn’t think he would. He just pats my hand with his free one and gives me a side smirk as he pulls me to the wedding table.
Sitting near our table I notice my father, his eyes on Elina. Kazier is watching him stare as well. He should be watching him, especially when it comes to his enemy. My father is a decent man, to me, I don’t know about others. I wasn’t going to invite her. Hell, I didn’t even want her in my wedding party. Kazier asked that she be in it, though. Mainly because he couldn’t protect her if she was seated with anyone else here. They are, after all, her enemies. Well, her family enemies anyway.
Actually I’ve grown a liking for Elina. Ever since that night she got me drunk, she let me complain, she helped me forget for just a bit. She even helped me get ready for today, and was nice and polite the whole time.
Pollie, on the other hand, I absolutely adore. Death and Pollie are the perfect couple. Never thought I would say that but they are. The way she smiles when she talks of him, gives me hope that not all men are dicks.
This wedding has more security than a politician’s day out. Men with guns line the doors, behind where I’m meant to sit. Everyone in this room is wearing a gun. Except maybe Viktor and me.
Stopping just before we reach our seat, I turn to him. “Do you have a gun on you?”
His side lip twitches. “No.” He pulls my seat out and that answer makes me slightly happier, but just as I sit down I feel his breath on my neck. “I do, however, have my knife.”
I shake my head.
Why did I think he wouldn’t have anything on him?
Hoping for a good day? Yeah, right.
Glasses are clinked and my father stands holding his glass while the room goes dead silent.
“Viktor Smirnov, I want to tell you on
e thing. Hurt my girl and I’ll kill you! Congratulations…” He lifts his glass and people clap, laugh, and cheer him on. I turn to see Viktor’s reaction and his hands are balled into fists on top of the table. He isn’t looking at my father though, his eyes are firmly on Kazier who’s sitting next to him. Kazier leans in and whispers into his ear causing Viktor to tense up. Someone touches my arm and I turn to notice Pollie smiling.
“I… um… well. Please don’t hate me, but Dmitry and I need to leave.” She never calls Death by his nickname, she always uses his birth name. It takes me a second to realize what she’s talking about.
“Why?”
She leans back and calls his name softly and he hears straight away. Death stands and walks to her placing a hand on her back.
“It’s time,” she says.
I’ve never, not once, seen Death’s face pale. He’s never nervous in any way, shape or kind. Except now, he’s fumbling his words, he’s moving his hands, and his face is white as a sheet as he tries to help Pollie stand. It takes a moment to click as to what she’s just said.
“You’re having the baby?” I ask a little too loudly.
Elina stands to help Pollie followed by Kazier who walks over. Viktor stays in his seat speaking to Anton in hushed tones. I don’t even care what they’re saying as I grab hold of Pollie’s hand and she squeezes as she closes her eyes and breathes heavily.
“I’m coming,” I tell Death. He doesn’t say no, so I help him by holding her hand as he ushers her up and starts walking toward the door. People stare, I can feel their eyes on me. We don’t stop, and soon we spot Elina out front pulling the keys of her car out from her purse. Death helps Pollie into the back seat, and I sit at the front with Elina as she starts the drive.
“Drive faster.” His voice is scary like he wants to kill us.
“Don’t! Be nice,” Pollie says between staggered breaths.
“I was nice,” is all he says, in a calmer manner than when he yelled at Elina.
“You just left your own wedding,” Elina says laughing.
“Oh my God, you did,” Pollie says then screams.
“It’s fine, I don’t care,” I tell her honestly.
The legal part is over, I don’t see why I have to stay for the rest.
“Answer your phone,” Death snaps. I look back to his eyes on me in a deadly stare.
“I don’t have my phone… wedding dress, derrr.” I want to take that back as soon as I say it. He wants to kill me, I’m sure of it. Death hands me his phone after he takes it away from his ear and turns his back to us as he kisses Pollie’s head.
“Yellow,” I say having no idea who’s on the phone.
“You. Fucking. Left!” I scrunch my lips up, as Viktor’s voice booms through the phone.
“Yeah, well, you were too interested in your husband than me. How long did it take you to notice I was gone?”
“Husband? Woman… are you high?”
“Yes, Anton… your husband.”
“I’ll spank that ass, woman. Don’t you leave that hospital,” he says hanging up.
I pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it. I like the sound of that. The way he said he would spank me. First, though, I actually need to do the deed.
Chapter 3
Viktor
It’s gone quiet. How the fuck has everything gone quiet, it’s a wedding not a funeral. I turn to see half our table missing. Even my now wife.
Kazier is on his phone and Anton is looking around just as lost as I am.
“Where the fuck is everyone?” I ask Kazier, but he keeps on talking. So I try calling her phone, it rings and rings and there’s no fucking answer. I try Death’s phone, he answers in a clipped and fast manner—he doesn’t want to talk to me. Then her voice comes through, and she sounds happy, happier than she was sitting at this table that’s for sure.
I stand when I find out they’re on their way to the hospital. Walking past our families and straight to the front door, I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see a man dressed in all black with a red tie. He even has sunglasses covering his eyes inside. His hair is a dirty blond but styled professionally—no man puts that much effort into their fucking hair. He walks up and blocks my way. Should I stab him? I wonder.
“Do you know who I am?” His accent is strong, I know he’s Russian straight away.
“Should I?”
“I would hope so. You did just marry my baby sister after all.”
Kazier walks out and nods his head to the man who says he’s Freya’s brother. Anton just stares and walks straight past him. I don’t stay to chat but his eyes watch me as I step out.
“Who the fuck was that?”
“He didn’t tell you?” Kazier asks standing at the car.
Anton looks between us waiting for an answer so I shake my head.
“He’s the new kingpin, baby, and news is spreading he ain’t as nice as his papa.”
“I thought Freya’s father was in charge?”
“He is, and he will be for a bit longer. He’s been grooming his son since he was born, though. Patrick knows everything, so at the moment he just goes with the flow and sometimes does his own deals.” He looks over where Patrick just left then grabs his keys from his pocket. “Let’s go and see how Death’s gonna be with a baby. I gotta see this shit. Can you imagine? Him with a baby?” Anton starts laughing walking past us out the door.
“Don’t start on him,” Kazier says to Anton as they climb in the car. He sits in the back opening his phone and swearing as he does. “I gotta delete some photos, man, so I can record this shit.”
He won’t let it go, and Death may just have him on his table when he’s done.
“Did you talk to her after?” Kazier asks while driving.
“Yes.”
“And… she didn’t try to cut you. So I take that as a good sign?” He looks me over to make sure I have no blood on me, then looks back to the road.
“She’s a virgin, isn’t she?”
“I think so, yeah.”
“Fuck!” I shake my head banging it on the headrest.
“You couldn’t have paired me up with someone who likes to fuck?”
“Oh, she’ll like to fuck. I think she’s going to be a firecracker in the sack. Just break that bitch in,” Anton chimes in while looking down at his phone as he clears some storage.
“She isn’t a bitch,” I seethe at him. He just laughs in return.
“Do you plan to deflower her tonight? Her father expects you too, he expects a baby very soon.”
My hand slides down to my knife, I’m thinking about cutting him and the urge is powerfully strong. I didn’t agree to kids—kids don’t belong in my world.
Fuck, I didn’t even agree to this marriage.
“No fucking way. He got the marriage, that’s it!”
“Don’t test him, Viktor. He isn’t someone you want to piss off.”
I shake my head and release my fingers slowly from my knife as we come to a stop at the front of the hospital. We all get out, and as soon as we walk in people stare. It’s not just the way we all appear, it’s that we have suits on with tattoos peeking out the top and up our necks—all three of us.
We follow Kazier straight to the maternity wing and we spot Elina and Freya immediately. Freya is pacing in her dress, back and forth in front of the doors. Elina spots us and walks very seductively to Kazier, and when she reaches him her arms wrap around his neck and her lips touch his mouth. I turn my head away to see Freya still pacing, not even noticing we’re here yet.
“Yo wifey… come and sit on Anton’s lap, baby.” Anton pats his lap to a pacing Freya. She turns to him and gives Anton the finger then continues to pace, not even looking at me as she does so. “Aww… come on, you do know Viktor and I share our things.”
That comment makes her stop dead in her track, her eyes go wide and she turns to face me. Her mouth opens but before she can speak the door opens and Death walks out looking white as a ghost. He close
s the door and leans his back on it. Anton stands up and snaps a photo of him. Death doesn’t even notice, his eyes are closed and he’s breathing heavy. Freya walks over to him and stands directly in front of him, he opens his eyes and looks at her.
“Has she had the baby?”
He shakes his head. “I need ice.”
Elina is actually the first to move, she disappears off somewhere and Death just stays where he is at the door.
“Fuck! How the fuck am I meant to do this?” He isn’t asking anyone, more himself.
“Well, once you see that baby of yours come out of your misses’ vagina, I’m thinking you won’t want to touch that part for a long, long time,” Anton says ending his last word on a whistle.
“Want me to kill you? If you speak of her pussy again...” he trails off and his color is now back in his face as he speaks to Anton.
Anton holds his hands up in the air. “Just speaking the truth, brother.”
Death takes a step toward Anton and I stop him by putting myself in-between the both of them.
“How much longer?” I ask so he thinks of what is happening instead of Anton smarting off to him.
“They say she’s some shit like seven centimeters… I don’t know what the fuck that even means.”
“Oh, that means slow. How’s she coping?” Freya steps up next to me and I can smell her. She smells like vanilla, it’s a delicious scent and immediately I think about eating her like an ice-cream in a cone.
“You can go on in,” Death tells Freya making her smile. She practically bounces off into the room shutting the door on a scream that comes from Pollie’s mouth.
“Why are you bleeding?” Kazier asks Death.
Looking down to his hands I notice they’re covered in blood.
“Pollie’s nails…” He shrugs like it’s nothing.
I’ve heard he likes pain inflicted on him. We have no confirmation of that, but the stories have been told.