9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Viktor
N atasha’s face is the picture of innocence when I meet her in the foyer. “Natasha. Good to see you again.”
“And you too.”
I know I should invite her in but all I can think about is the taste of Inessa’s pussy on my lips. How badly I want to take her. How badly I want to make her mine.
“Can I come in?” Natasha asks pointedly.
“Right. Of course.” I motion her into the living room and silently tell myself to get my fucking act together. I can’t lose it around her. Inessa is not mine. She cannot be mine. I made a promise that I would not marry for love. Love and emotions make things too messy.
Case in point: how I feel about Inessa right now and how I feel about Natasha. Inessa is the one I dream about, not Natasha. The sight of Natasha makes me feel ill, like the thought of spending the rest of my life with her would be miserable.
“Aren’t you going to call for some drinks?”
“Right.” Feeling like a robot, I go into the kitchen to ask Mrs. Green to make us some gin and tonics. But instead, I find Inessa in there, scrubbing away at the counter.
“It’s your day off,” I tell her.
She immediately stops. “Sorry. Mrs. Green told me to do this.”
“Well, Mrs. Green was wrong to do that. It’s your day off. Go enjoy it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Wait. Can you tell me where Mrs. Green is?”
“Uh… in her room, I believe.”
I nod. “Thank you. And go enjoy your day, Inessa.”
She hurries out of the room like I’m going to bite her.
In some way, I just might.
I find Mrs. Green kneeling by her bed, praying. “I didn’t know you were religious.”
She shoots to her feet. “I apologize, Mr. Smirnov. I just needed a moment.”
“Why? I’ve never known you to need a moment before.”
“Well… because I found you and Inessa in your office. Looking compromised ,” she whispers the last word.
“You didn’t see anything.” My voice is hard. I need Mrs. Green to understand that I’m a man you do not question.
“Of course, sir. I must have… misunderstood what I saw.”
“Yes, you did. Now, Natasha wants a drink. Go make her one.” My tone is a lot harsher than I mean for it to be but Mrs. Green is butting into my business when she shouldn’t be. She’s my housekeeper, not my mother.
I head back to Natasha and force a smile to my face. “Drinks are on their way.”
“Delightful.” Her red lips make her smile seem menacing.
Mrs. Green brings the drinks on a tray. Her hands clatter as she sets it down.
“Mrs. Green?” I ask.
Her eyes are wide when she looks between me and Natasha before she nods and hurries away.
“What was that about?” Natasha takes a sip of her drink. “I’ve never seen her look so worried before.”
“I’m not sure,” I lie.
Natasha pats the spot beside her. “Come sit by me. You’re so far away.”
“I’m good over here.”
“Viktor, you’re not pulling away from me… are you?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because you’re standing there, stiff and tense. The Viktor I know used to smile and flirt with me. He used to sit closer to me.”
Well, that Viktor didn’t have his troublesome little maid in his life yet. Now, all I can think about is Inessa. Her taste and eyes and cute little smile. Her innocence.
She was the last person I wanted. With Inessa comes too much responsibility and emotion that I don’t want. That’s why I pursued Natasha. She’s a widow and has money. She can take care of herself. I knew with Natasha I wouldn’t feel the need to protect her like I did with Nadia and Elena before I was betrayed.
But with Inessa, all I want to do is protect her and at the same time have my filthy fucking way with her.
“Viktor,” Natasha says sharply, bringing me back to the moment. “Sit with me.”
“You don’t get to order me around.”
Her shoulders deflate a little. “I apologize. I know you’re a powerful man. You don’t take orders well. But I’m a powerful woman. Together, we would make a powerful couple. So, please. Sit.”
After a moment, I take my place beside her. Natasha begins to rub my shoulders.
“You’re so tense.”
Because I’m thinking of another woman other than you .
“Yes,” I murmur. “I have a lot going on with work and this war with Erik.”
“He’s going to wish he never upset you. I heard of what happened with you and your two previous fiancées. You should know: you’ll never have to go through that with me. I will never choose another man over you.”
“Thank you. I know that.” And it’s true. I get the sense that Natasha is a fiercely loyal woman when she wants to be. Too bad she doesn’t like my maid.
Yet, if I marry Natasha, there is no way I can have an affair with Inessa. It would be wrong to both women. I have prided myself on being a man with honor and I will not lose that.
“What did you do today?” she asks.
“Went to the botanical gardens.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Natasha stops rubbing my shoulders. “Why would you go there?”
“Because you didn’t want to go the other day so I thought I could go myself.”
“Right. By yourself?”
I look at her. “Why do you ask?”
“I just want to make sure you were by yourself when you went.”
I sigh deeply. She might as well know. “I took Inessa with me.”
Her eyes practically bulge out of her head. “Why? She’s your maid.”
“Because she had never gone and I thought she would appreciate it. I thought you would appreciate it too until you made it clear you didn’t.”
“Excuse me for not wanting to look at flowers. I don’t care about those things.”
“Which is valid,” I say. “But I planned a whole day for us and you shitted on it.”
“I shouldn’t have to do things I don’t want to do.”
“It’s also about being considerate. And grateful.”
Natasha huffs. “Well, it seems we’re at a standstill.”
“Seems we are.”
She’s quiet for a long moment before… “You really took your maid on a date? How do you think that makes me feel?”
“It wasn’t a date.”
“Wasn’t it? Sounds like a date to me.”
“It wasn’t a date,” I reiterate.
Natasha jumps to her feet. “I feel like you’re not hearing me. I’m worried you have feelings for your maid.”
I don’t say a word in response to that.
“If you do, you need to fire her.”
It’s my turn to get to my feet. “I’m not going to fire her.”
“Why not? Clearly something inappropriate is going on. Is that why your housekeeper was acting strange? Is something going on, Viktor?”
“Nothing is going on between me and Inessa.”
She scoffs. “I don’t believe you. You always take her side on everything. She ruined that cake for your party and you think I did it. She dropped your expensive china on purpose and you think it was an accident because I startled her. How is any of that fair?”
“Because I don’t believe you,” I admit.
“What?”
“I don’t believe you, Natasha. I think you’ve been trying to hurt Inessa’s chances here. I have no proof so this isn’t fair of me to say but -,”
“No, it’s not fair.”
“But,” I continue, “I have this sense that you’re trying to sabotage her work here. Why?”
“I have done nothing.”
“Are you jealous of her?”
She crosses her arms and refuses to look me in the eye. “Of course I’m not jealous of some pathetic little maid.”
“Ok then. So what’s the problem?”
“There is no problem!”
“Then why do you keep harping on Inessa? Why does she bother you? If you’re not jealous, then what?”
“Because I think you like her! I think you want to be with her and yet you know you can’t. No Bratva man actually marries his maid. It would be uncouth.”
“We kill people for a living, Natasha. I think we’re past uncouth.”
“You know what I mean. The Bratva has an honor. A code. You don’t go around having feelings for your maid. Sure, you can fuck your maid, but you don’t have feelings for her. So answer me this, Viktor. Do you have feelings for her?”
It’s a question I will not allow myself to answer. So I say nothing.
She makes a disappointed sound in the back of her throat. “I’m going to the bathroom. I need a moment.”
“Natasha.” I reach out for her but she steps out of my way. Why am I clinging so hard to her when I know I don’t love her? When the sight of her fills me with a deep emptiness?
I don’t follow after her, even though I should, because the reality is: I just don’t care about her enough to go after her and tell her she’s wrong.
Inessa
I’m busy cleaning one of the bathrooms – even though it’s my day off and I don’t have to do this but I need to do something to help clear my mind from what Viktor and I did – when Natasha barges in.
She stops when she sees me. “You,” she practically growls.
I let out a small squeak. “Do you need to use the bathroom? I can go.” I try walking past her but she doesn’t let me.
“You’re a thorn in my side,” she hisses. “You’re trying to steal my chance with Viktor.”
“I’m not trying to steal anything.”
“Liar.” She shoves me against the counter. Pain reverberates down my back. “You want him for yourself. Viktor told me about your date today at the botanical gardens. You think you can swoop in and steal him from me?”
“Not at all. He’s yours. Not mine. I don’t want him.” The lies roll right off my lips but none of them feel right.
Natasha narrows her eyes. “I don’t believe you. You need to get fired.” She shoves me away from the counter and wrenches open the top drawer and digs around for a moment before finding a pair of scissors. “Perfect.”
“What are you going to do with those?”
“This.” She opens the scissors and places it against her arm and right before my eyes, slices her skin. She winces, so I know she has the ability to feel pain. Blood drips down her arm onto the pristine white tile floor.
She grabs my hands as I stand there in shock and forces me to grab the scissors.
Then she screams. It’s a bloodcurdling, haunting scream. The fact that she can do it on command makes it all the more frightening.
Viktor comes running right away and barges into the bathroom. “What the hell is going on in here?”
“She cut me,” Natasha whimpers.
“What?” Frantically, he looks between me and Natasha. “Are you hurt?” he asks me.
“I’m the one who’s been hurt!” Natasha thrusts her bleeding arm into Viktor’s face. “Look. Look at what she did to me.”
It’s then that Viktor seems to notice the cut on Natasha’s arm and the scissors in my hand. I immediately drop them to the floor. Now that the shock of what Natasha just did is wearing off, I can move again.
“She cut me!” Natasha wails.
Slowly, Viktor picks up the scissors. “I see that.”
“So, you believe me.”
“I see that you have a cut on your arm and that Inessa was holding the scissors. It does look like she cut you.” Viktor sets his intense eyes onto me. “I’m going to ask you this once, Inessa. Did you cut Natasha?”
Natasha’s glare tells me to stay silent. She’ll hurt me otherwise and that’s something I can’t risk. But if I say I cut her, then Viktor may fire me.
My life is more important than a job.
No words escape me.
“Inessa?” Viktor asks. “Did you cut her?”
“Don’t you believe me?” Natasha asks. “I’m hurt and she was holding the scissors. I need a bandage.”
“You’re right.” Viktor quickly gets the first aid kit out and helps bandage up Natasha’s arm. “That should stop the bleeding but you might need stitches.”
“Couldn’t you stitch it up for me?”
“I’m not a doctor. I can’t do it all for you, Natasha.”
She rips her arm away from him. “You have to believe me. I wouldn’t cut myself. That would be crazy.”
“True. That would be. But I just can’t believe that Inessa would cut you without provocation.”
“You think I made her cut me? What do you think I did, Viktor? Threatened the girl? What excuse does she have for cutting me?”
Viktor sighs. “Inessa, I need you to speak. I need you to tell me what happened. Because whatever is happening between you two is getting old. Whenever you’re together, something happens. And I’m not sure what to believe.”
“Believe me,” Natasha snaps. “Not her.”
“If you have to fire me,” I finally say, “then fire me.”
Viktor’s eyes tighten. “Why would I fire you? Did you cut her?”
I still can’t get myself to say I did when it’s a complete and utter lie. But if I rat Natasha out, who knows what she’ll do?
Viktor did say he’d keep me safe though. Maybe this is a test if he really means it.
“Inessa. Tell me what happened.”
“I told you what happened,” Natasha cuts in. “She cut me. Unprovoked. She just attacked me. Your maid is crazy, Viktor. You have to believe me.”
“If you don’t say anything, Inessa, then…”
“Then what?” I ask.
“Then I’ll have no choice but to fire you. You can’t hurt people. I won’t allow it.”
That’s rich considering he’s a Bratva man who’s hurt countless people. He tried to kill my dad. Yes, my dad asked for it when he tried to kill Viktor but that still doesn’t make Viktor blameless. I’m sure he’s actually committed murder. Bratva men usually have.
“Then fire me,” I whisper. If this is the only way to keep myself safe then I have to take it. Natasha will not stop coming after me. I have over seven grand saved. I can use it to rent an apartment and get a new job somewhere else. There’s still the problem of my dad I have to consider. Without a steady income, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to support him too but I can figure that out later.
“She’s telling you to fire her, Viktor. So do it.”
“Natasha,” he says tightly. “Are you ok? Your arm, I mean.”
She clutches her arm to her chest. “I mean, it stings. That bitch cut me. I’m not ok.”
“But you’re not dying, yes?”
“No, I’m not dying.”
“Ok then. Go home. Leave my house. I have things to deal with.”
Her mouth gapes open. “You can’t ask me to go.”
“I can. This is my house. Do you want to get on my bad side?” He towers over her, making his point.
Natasha steps back. “All right. I’ll go. But you better fire her or you can think again about marrying me.”
Viktor’s face is a stern, cold mask as Natasha leaves.
Mrs. Green rushes into the bathroom. “What happened? I heard screaming and Miss Morozov just stormed out of the house.” Her eyes land on the bloody scissors on the counter and she blanches. “What happened?”
“Apparently, Inessa cut Natasha. Unprovoked.”
“What? Child, what were you thinking?”
“But,” Viktor continues, “I’m not sure how much of that I believe. Inessa, why would you risk your job here to cut Natasha? It doesn’t make sense to me.”
“But why would Miss Morozov lie?”
“Inessa.”
Finally, I speak. “I can’t win. If I tell the truth, then I’ll get hurt. And if I stay silent, you’ll fire me. I can’t win. So, it will just be easier to fire me.”
“Bullshit. Tell me what happened.”
I look at Mrs. Green’s judgmental eyes. She thinks I’m just as bad as Natasha makes me out to be.
“Mrs. Green, leave me and Inessa alone.” When Mrs. Green hesitates, Viktor snaps, “Now!”
She hurries from the room.
“Inessa. Look at me.” He cups my face. “What happened?”
Tears roll down my face before I can stop them. “I’m really trying.”
“Tell me.”
“She grabbed the scissors and cut herself. It was just like with the boiling water. She poured it on herself to make it look like I had done it. And she grabbed your fine china and threw it to the ground.”
His brow furrows. “Why would she do any of that?”
“I’m not sure. She doesn’t like me, Viktor. I think I know why.” I look at his hands, touching my face. “She doesn’t like that you like me and I can’t blame her for that. You said you were going to marry her and yet, you’re paying attention to me. She wants me out of the way. She cut herself then forced the scissors into my hand. I was frozen in surprise so when you came in, you saw what she had done. She was trying to make it seem like I had done it.”
“Fuck,” he mutters, pressing his forehead to mine. “I believe you. I always knew Natasha was up to something.”
“I’m scared,” I admit. “You should fire me.”
“No. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
I’ve done a lot of wrong things that Viktor can never find out. I’m in too deep now to ever tell him the truth of who my dad is.
“You still have to fire me.”
“Why the fuck would you ask me that?”
His voice sends chills over me. Never have I heard him sound so angry with me.
“I’m worried Natasha is going to hurt me.”
“I won’t let her hurt you. She won’t come over anymore. I’ll make sure of it.”
I grip his forearms, even though the last thing I should do is touch him. “But you have to marry her.”
“I made no such promise. I never proposed. It was just something we talked about. I can back out. I don’t want to marry her. I can’t. Just the sight of her now revolts me.”
“No. Viktor. You have to fire me. I’m worried she’ll hurt me somehow. I’m sure she’ll find a way. And if you fire me, she’ll leave me alone.”
“No. She won’t. If I fire you now, you won’t have my protection and you’re free game for her to hurt you. But I don’t think she would do that. She may be a little unhinged but I can’t imagine she would ever truly hurt you.”
“How do you know that?”
“I’ll talk to her. I’ll make sure she knows to leave you alone or there will be consequences.”
I lean in closer to him. “We should just give her what she wants.”
“Fuck that. I’m not going to give her what she wants when she wants me and I don’t want her. It’s that simple.”
“Viktor-,”
“End of discussion. You’re staying here. You’re not going to be fired. You’re under my protection now.”
He kisses me before I can really think about it. The kiss is deep and passionate and perfect.
And then it’s over too soon.
“I’m going to talk to her and let her know that what she has done will not be allowed any longer.”
“Viktor…”
“No arguments.”
A man like Viktor is used to getting what he wants. There’s no point in telling him just how afraid of Natasha I actually am. Viktor doesn’t seem to understand how a woman could be dangerous. He just sees a woman and knows he’s stronger than her.
But as a woman, I know that Natasha has the power to hurt me.
I just hope Viktor can stay true to his promise and keep me safe.
Viktor
Natasha has taken things too far. Hurting herself to blame Inessa for it is just unhinged behavior. That is the last thing I want in a wife.
Her dead husband’s brownstone is worth at least five million dollars. She can be happy to reside in it for the rest of her life since I’m not marrying her. Her money and connections would have been great help to me in my war against Erik but I can’t go through with it. I can’t marry someone I despise.
I pound on the front door. Natasha is the one to answer.
“Viktor. Realized your mistake and come crawling back to me?”
“No. I’ve realized just how fucked up you are, Natasha.”
Her eyes widen before fury enters them. “What are you saying? You believe that little bitch over me?”
“You’re a beautiful woman. You’re young. You’re rich. You have so much at your disposal. Why be angry?”
“I don’t know. I could ask you the same thing. Why are you so fucking angry with the world when you’re handsome and rich and young yourself?”
“Because I was fucked over by Erik Koslov and that cannot stand.”
She shrugs. “And I was fucked over by your maid. You may think she’s innocent but I don’t think so. No one is that innocent.”
“You’re wrong about Inessa. She’s a good woman. And you will leave her alone from now on.”
“What did she tell you?”
“That she’s afraid you’ll hurt her.”
She barks a laugh. “That’s rich. I would never hurt her. She’s just saying that for sympathy points. She wants you to pity her so you’ll be with her.”
“I’m not a na?ve man, Natasha. I can tell when someone is playing me.”
“Then you’re a fool because that girl is playing you. And she’s playing you hard and you can’t even fucking see it. You’re going to regret choosing her over me.”
I take a step closer until I’m towering over her. She has no choice but to crane her neck back. “What do you mean by that?”
“I just mean, you’re going to learn that she’s not all she’s cracked up to be. I doubt she’s even that innocent. She screams virgin but what woman is a virgin as an adult? It’s all a lie.”
“You were a virgin as an adult. It’s common amongst Bratva woman.”
“But she’s not a Bratva woman. Isn’t that strange?”
“You’re not going to make me doubt her,” I growl. “Inessa is good. She came to me in need of a job. She would not risk that. I know you’ve been fucking her over and it’s going to stop. You’re not allowed over at my house ever again.”
“Fine. But you’re going to regret not touching me. Never getting a taste of me. A lot of men want to marry me. You just made me your enemy, Viktor. I’ll marry another Bratva man and give him my money and connections and make him powerful enough to take you down. If you don’t want any of that to happen, then you’ll marry me.”
“You will not threaten me into a marriage, Natasha. I do not bargain with psychotic people. Now, leave Inessa and me alone. And we won’t have any problems.” I walk down her front stoop.
“Oh, Viktor. You know you’re going to have problems. A Bratva man like you always has problems. There’s no escaping it.”
I ignore her as I walk away. Natasha means nothing to me anymore.