Chapter 4 – Artur
I sat reclined in my chair, puffing on a cigar as Konstantin and four other men stood in front of my desk. One had a bandage stained with traces of fresh blood over his left eye. Another’s face bore the unmistakable slash marks of fingernails.
If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he escaped a wild animal. Those claw marks almost made it impossible to believe they were done by a fragile human being.
“You’re saying that she did this to you two?” I asked, shifting my gaze between the two injured foot soldiers.
Embarrassed, they lowered their heads in shame and locked their jaws. I wasn’t sure whether to be intrigued or disturbed by this.
“She put up a fight, Boss,” Konstantin answered on their behalf, his tone laced with a hint of awe. “For someone her size, she’s stronger than she looks.”
I let out a puff of smoke but maintained my usual blank expression. “Where is she now?”
“In the basement,” he replied.
I paused and thought for a second before meeting his gaze. “You said she put up a fight.”
“Yes, she did.”
“How are her combat skills?” I asked, curious.
“Not combat skills, Boss,” he answered. “Survival skills. She’s a fighter. But not a trained one. This is everything there is to know about her.” He gave the file in his hand a slight wave, then walked over and set it on my table.
I flipped it open, taking a moment to skim through the pages.
Celine Hart. American. Business student.
“Fetch her for me.”
He nodded once and stepped out of the dimly lit study with others behind him.
A few minutes later, I heard a noise in the hallway—a struggle that hinted that my little prisoner was resisting.
“Where are you taking me—let me go!”
The door burst open, and Konstantin walked in with her slung over his left shoulder.
“Put me down!” She squirmed against his grip, slamming her fists into his back.
He met my gaze and locked his jaw, as if suppressing the rage coiling in his chest. The look in those cold eyes was a clear indication that this girl was already a pain in his ass. One he couldn’t wait to get rid of.
Konstantin bent over and loosened his grip around the back of her legs. She hopped off his shoulder but, unfortunately, couldn’t land on her feet. She fell on her ass.
I found the whole drama rather entertaining. And for the first time in a long time, I almost laughed.
Almost.
“She’s all yours,” he growled, fury flashing in his eyes. His gaze shifted back to her, and his brows knitted together, accentuating the scowl on his face.
Without another word, he walked out of the study and shut the door behind him.
Quietly, she rose to her feet, her eyes flickering across the room. She avoided my gaze but displayed a brave facade. Yet, behind that mask of courage was a scared little girl hoping she hadn’t just been thrown into a lion’s den.
Before I could birth my next thought, she asked a question that caught me off guard.
“Who are you?”
My brows nearly rose in surprise, but didn’t.
“What do you want from me?” She managed to hold my gaze.
She had balls.
I liked it.
“I’ll be asking the questions, young lady.” I got out of my chair, releasing a puff of smoke that curled up around my face.
She swallowed hard and clenched her jaw, as if bracing herself for whatever would come next.
I withdrew the ledger from my drawer and walked around my desk. “Do you know what this is?” I raised it in the air, leaning my ass against the edge of my table.
Her breath caught in her throat, but she tried her best to maintain a neutral expression. “It’s a book.”
“Have you seen this book before?” I set it on the table, my gaze pinned on her. “Think before you answer.”
Again, she swallowed hard; this time, her forehead was already damp with sweat.
I refused to take my eyes off her because I wanted to catch even the slightest change in her expression. Her fear was hidden, buried deep. Controlled. And it fascinated me.
While she thought carefully about her response, I took a good look at her. She was everything I saw in the footage of her, only more realistic.
The girl stood at about five-foot-plus with soft curves and warm, honey skin that glistened under the dim light. Her dark curls were even darker in real life, and they cascaded down her back, framing her heart-shaped face.
Her amber eyes were wide with a mix of fear and defiance, the kind that was both alluring and innocent at the same time. She was wearing a white silk top and a plain black skirt. Like in the footage, she had some jewelry on her wrist and around her neck.
“Yes,” she finally answered. “I have. I’ve seen the book.”
I hesitated for a second, watching her more closely. “Where?”
“In my school library,” she responded swiftly.
“What do you know about it?”
“Nothing.”
I drew my brows together, but didn’t take my eyes off her. “You dare lie to me?”
“I’m not lying.” Her throat wobbled. “Look, I’m just a librarian, okay? It’s my job to catalogue books, nothing more.” She exhaled sharply and then continued, a lot calmer this time. “So whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it.”
Librarian?
She had no idea that I already knew who she was and that all her information was stored in the back of my mind.
I walked forward with slow, calculated steps. “I’m not interested in what you did.” My eyes locked with hers. “I’m interested in what you know.”
She bit on the inside of her mouth when I halted in front of her. “I don’t know anything.”
Lies.
As a business student who was good with numbers and had read my ledger, she knew enough.
“Do you expect me to believe that…” I towered over her, “…Celine?”
Color drained from her face, and her chest began heaving subtly. The fact that I knew her name told her that I must’ve done my homework on her.
She realized now that I already knew who she was. A business student. Not a librarian.
Her lips trembled, and a bead of sweat trickled down her temple. She couldn’t say another word, couldn’t move from her spot either.
The fear in her eyes was satisfying, and that alone made me smirk. “You’ll remain here until I decide what to do with you.”
Silence.
“Konstantin,” I called out, my voice low but audible.
The door opened, and he walked in.
“Take her away.”
He grabbed her by the arm, but to our surprise, she didn’t resist; she followed him quietly.
As he took her away, her silence did something to me that I couldn’t explain. When I recalled the look in her eyes, I realized that beneath her fear was something else. Something I’d yet to name.
I’d dealt with killers, traitors, and liars before. But none of them had ever looked at me like that. And this had nothing to do with her being a beautiful girl.