8. Dimitri
8
DIMITRI
THE PAST
“ B oss, he’s entering the club,” Pavel, my second-in-command, informs me through the Bluetooth earpiece.
“Good, keep an eye on his movement,” I say, taking a swig of my whiskey.
It’s been a long fucking day. I’m not in the mood to fuck around right now. Each day that passes reminds me that I’ve failed yet again to complete my one mission.
I failed to find my brother.
How can I be happy when my little brother is suffering?
I left everything behind—my homeland, my businesses, my life. I left Russia and came to America six weeks ago. The only thing driving me is my quest for vengeance. I won’t rest until I have my enemy’s blood on my hands.
I squeeze my fists, wishing more than everthat I canhave my knife in my hands. But they thoroughlycheckus for weapons before letting us enter the club.
“He’s heading toward the show,” Pavel says.
“Good,” I say. “Let him come.”
A few moments later, a new face appears in the crowd. This is Sebastian Montgomery, the Italian American motherfucker whose family is responsible for my brother’s predicament.
I look away before he can feel my stare.
He heads toward one of the empty booths and takes a seat. A cocktail waitress brings his drink for him and sets a liquor bottle down on the table in front of him.
I’m supposed to be watching the target, but Ifind myself staringat the girl instead. There’s something about her.
And I haven’t even seen her face yet.
She turns around.
Her eyes lock with mine.
My entire world screeches to a halt.
I’ve never seen such beauty in my entire life. A part of me wants to walk up to her just to touch her and see if she’s real. I glance down at the pink gemstone pendant she’s wearing. Virgin .
She hasa body menwould go to war for, but it’s those eyes I keep being drawn to.
There’s a hollowness to them. Like she’s seen too much, been through too much. I want to know everything about her.
She blinks a few times, like she’s realizing that she’s in the middle of a shift.
I’m supposed to be watching Sebastian, but I can’t take my eyes off her. I follow her until she disappears out of view. My heart thuds against mychestlike it’s awakening out of a slumber.
All I know is that life will never be the same again.
I swirl the rest of the drink in my glass before gulping it all down. I savor the burn of it in my throat.
This isn’t what I had planned for the night. I was going to take Sebastian and torture him until he gave me information about my brother’s whereabouts. It’s an extreme measure, one I haven’t really thought through.
Sebastian Montgomery is part of the infamous’ Ndrangheta . They’re one of the most powerful mafia families in existence. I would never have considered crossing them if they hadn't taken my brother. But they did.
And now I’m backed against the wall.
But taking Sebastian is a risky move. If I remain patient for a few more days, I can come up with something else.
So I head after the girl instead.
I’ve been briefed on the rules of this club. I can’t approach the girl directly. I need to speak with her boss first, so I find Victoria by the bar.
“How may I help you, Mr. Drakonov?” Victoria asks, sipping her vodka martini.
I get straight to the point.
“I want the girl,” I say. “The blonde.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific. We have a lot of blondes.”
“The one with the eyes that look like the cosmos,” I say. “The virgin.”
Victoria takes another sip of her drink. She knows exactly who I’m talking about. The girl has eyes that could make a man lose his mind and spend the rest of his life writing poetry.
I want her.
I want to be the only one to have her.
Obsession makes a home inside me. It replaces the liquor in my veins. It becomes everything I feel.
This girl. She’ll make me forget about the hell I’ve been living in. I know that being with her will give me a slice of paradise.
“You’re not the only one to ask about her,” Victoria says.
“I’ll outbid them all,” I say.
“I never said that she’s on the market,” she says. “Tonight, she’s only a waitress. If she changes her mind about what she wants to participate in, I’ll be sure to let you know. And you know how things work around here. I’m sure you can be a gentleman about it.”
“Ask her,” I say.
“Pardon?”
“Ask the girl if she’s open to spending the night with me,” I say.
“Dimitri, I’m going to let this slide because you’re new here,” Victoria says, speaking to me like I’m a small child being naughty. “However, I’ll be happy to set you up with any of the other girls.”
I take a deep breath. I’ve been granted entry into the club because of a mutual friend. Ihave toforce myself to remember that this isn’t one of my clubs.
“I’m not interested in any of the other girls,” I say, trying to remain polite.
“This happens a lot.” She sighs. “Men always want what they can’t have.”
She doesn’t understand.
Every nerve inside me feels like a live wire. Everything’s on edge again, and something tells me that I’ll only find solace with the girl.
I would die just to look at her eyes one more time.
I’m not allowed to ask the girl directly, but nobody said anything about looking.
“Have a good evening, Victoria,” I say, walking toward the emergency exit. I need to get some fresh air.
“Enjoy your night, Mr. Drakonov,” she replies from her barstool.
I plan to.