Chapter 6 – Zanae
6
ZANAE
L et’s just say that it had been two days since my meeting with the Zennites, and Elijah’s message remained unanswered.
I didn’t know how to respond to a text from a stranger who had my number and seemed to know me when I knew nothing about him. I didn’t expect to hear from him again, and the prospect of speaking with that man was oddly intimidating. Intriguing but still scary, even though I was way too curious about him.
He’s the other Venom Reaper, the Russian Pakhan.
Was it scary? Of course, impressive even. It’s simply weird to finally put a face on his reputation.
But I try to find other activities and stop thinking about these two. Today, I have things to do. After submitting a report to my father about his associates from the previous week, I hopped into the car with a simple goal in mind: the library.
The daughter of the Emir casually strolling into bookstores might sound absurd, but it was the only healthy thing in my life. Of course, leave it to me to turn even that into a twisted unhealthy addiction again.
My room was filled with stacks and stacks of them. Books have always been my refuge. I lost myself countless times within their pages, their words, their stories, I’ve never wanted to find my way back to the real world.
I love reading; I could be anyone and feel everything in books—sadness, happiness, love, anger. I feel more alive in those pages than in our world.
Books make life feel more human.
I settled into the car, and my phone rang abruptly.
“Hello, Miss Dellé, I hope you’re feeling better,” came the deep voice on the other end.
Nikolai…
“Mister Moretti. Much better, thank you. It was just a minor accident. Happens to the best of us you know,” I replied, my voice filled with sarcasm.
Laughter echoed through the screen, “I agree, it happens to the best of us.”
“What’s the occasion for this call Nikolai?”
“I need an answer, Zanae.”
Considering my options, I decided to agree.
What did I have to lose?
My father was long gone, and now, it was all about personal gain, about what I wanted to achieve by myself.
“I’m in.”
I could hear the smile in his voice as he responded.
“Ah, love to hear that. Can I be honest? I’ve heard whispers about the young Dellé and her knack for knives. So, if that’s true, I need you for a mission.”
Blades, my favorite companions.
If he knew why I love blades and knives so much, would he still be excited?
“Why me? You’ve got a horde of men at your disposal. They could do a lot with their guns.”
“Let’s just say I need a woman’s touch, and you happen to be the only one privy to our little project,” he replied cryptically.
“Why are you being so mysterious about something I have to do?”
“Share your current location, and I’ll swing by to tell you all about it.”
“I can’t do it right now, Moretti, I’ve got things on my plate. Important kind of things to do,” I replied, keeping my gaze on the road.
Yes, important things, like buying books, Z.
“Okay, then when you finish up what you’re doing, send me the location?”
I nodded. Zanae, he can’t fucking see you. “Hmm, yeah. That works for me; let’s do that.”
“Perfect, and once again, my apologies for Elijah; he’s not exactly the life of the party.”
How surprising. This puzzle of a man wrapped in an enigma lived rent free in my mind. I couldn’t read a single emotion in him, and the challenge of unraveling him both frustrated and fascinated me. “No problem. I’ll let you know where to find me. Bye.”
Arriving at the bookstore, I stepped out, grabbing my bag and headphones. Today is the day—the best day of the month.
I strode into the bookstore, basket in hand, the scent of ink and paper filling my senses. I walked through the shelves touching the spines and appreciating the peace it brought me. The music playing in my headphones added to the whole experience, transporting me in a world of clarity and serenity I craved so much.
Calm . I loved everything about it.
I concluded my purchases and sent my location to Nikolai before heading back outside. That’s when I noticed a motorcycle parked next to my car. It was odd, considering the parking lot was eerily empty. I removed my headphones and approached slowly.
A tall man with broad shoulders and a familiar dark and deadly aura came into view. The closer I got, the more his scent triggered recognition.
Fuck.
What the hell? Elijah?
“What brings you to grace my car with your presence?” My voice was laced with irritation and sarcasm.
He turned, stowing away his phone, and eyed the hefty bag of books in my hands. “You had important things to do, right? Where is your father’s security?”
“Home. Why would they be here?”
“He’s reckless; I knew it,” he muttered to himself.
“I’m just a few minutes away from my place, in a bookstore; I don’t need the cavalry to buy books. And where’s your security? I thought the Pakhan couldn’t go out without thousands of men. Heard he was nothing without his bodyguards,” I said, with a sneer, provoking him and pushing him to the edge of disrespect while aggravating his ego.
A dark chuckle echoed between us, his eyes soaring with amusement. Long fingers traced my cheek slowly and paused at my jaw.
Cold and deliberate.
He then dragged his fingertips across my throat, mimicking the motion of a blade. Line by line, his smile grew wider. “Careful with what comes out of that pretty mouth.” He then shook his head and added with the same condescension, “Get in your car, Zanae; I’ll take you to see Nikolai.”
“I didn’t know you were his personal driver?”
He opened the car door and said, “I’m his associate; I’m nobody’s chauffeur, Milaya . Get in now.”
With a smirk, he grabbed my heavy bag, tossed it in the back, and shut the Jeep’s door. I slid into the driver’s seat, in disbelief, “BE CAREFUL, THOSE ARE BOOKS NOT YOUR FREAKING HEART! THEY’RE FRAGILE!”
“Just follow my motorcycle and stop yelling; your voice is giving me a headache.”
“Oh, poor boy,” I drawled, leaning back in my seat. “Want me to kiss the pain away, Volkov?”
“Watch yourself, I wouldn’t want to hurt that pretty face, I have a tendency for breaking beautiful little things,” he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a strange honesty.
I raised an eyebrow, my irritation at its apogee. “You think I have a pretty face? I thought you wanted me dead.”
He chuckled and leaned closer, closing the door with a smirk. “Your pretty face makes the thought of possessing you before destroying you even more exciting,” he whispered, his breath grazing my cheek, before casually walking away.
“Beauty and destruction then,” I teased, still looking at him as he put on his helmet.
“More like beauty and annoyance,” he answered.
Ouch, rude.
I prepared to drive, when suddenly, the roar of his motorcycle pierced the air as he sped out of the parking lot, leaving me no choice but to follow.
This fucking asshole didn’t even bother to give me a warning. Don’t even get me started on the journey. He drove his bike as if expecting me to match his speed, but my car couldn’t weave through traffic like his. He just didn’t care a bit, and it was driving me crazy. We reconvened at a red light, and this time, he continued at a more measured pace.
He parked beneath a casino, removed his helmet, and patiently waited for me as I joined him.
We made our way to the elevator, and I couldn’t stop thinking.
Curiosity, excitement, and fear intertwined, overwhelming me.
Of course, I was eager for vengeance, and if this mission could help me achieve that, then all was well.
I wanted to be selfish for once. I wanted to get rid of my suffering and feel revenge running through my veins. It can’t be worse than what I feel now, right?
Every ounce of pain, grief, sadness, and loneliness I had ever felt, the perpetual knot in my stomach with every forced smile, could fucking disappear.
In the elevator, I caught the psycho’s cold gaze on me.
“It’s hardly polite to ogle a woman in an elevator, especially when she catches you red-handed, Elijah.”
His finger pressed a button, suddenly halting the elevator before reaching its intended floor.
His voice was raspy and low, cold and threatening just like him. “Do you realize I was warned about you? The beautiful future Emira, but with a whispered caution to watch out for this dangerous associate to her father. The woman that reads the eyes. But, when I look at you, I don’t see it. How dangerous are you? Is it just because the men the Emir meets are weak, or what is it?”
Don’t answer Z. Do not answer.
This little game of provocation he was playing didn’t work, and it was frustrating not knowing why he was so mean.
“Danger doesn’t emanate through a stare, Volkov. If you want to acquaint yourself with that facet of me, keep staring, and you’ll catch on pretty fast.”
He straightened, a smirk forming on his full mouth, stretching the little scar on his upper lip as he moved closer, the mirror reflecting the scene, making it seem as though I was a sheep and the big bad wolf had finally caught me. “Is that a threat? You remain oblivious to who I am, don’t you, Zanae? I’m a man of many things, but I don’t play games or make threats. However I do murders, so don’t provoke me.”
He was too close, too imposing.
I felt the heat radiating from his body, even without physical contact. I wasn’t scared of him; he could indeed end my life easily, but I didn’t care enough to just shut up, obey him and give him that fear he craves to see in my eyes.
I learned a lesson long ago, one that’s always been engraved in my mind: Never show vulnerability as a woman, particularly in front of a man. Because those bastards tend to take a woman’s logical way of thinking as a weakness, when in fact, it was the contrary.
We analyze before barking loudly.
I turned, meeting his gaze head-on. I’d forgotten how dead his green eyes were—icy, but so magnetic, like a forest. Deep, attractive, despite the concealed dangers. I wanted to dive in and just see by myself how dangerous it was inside his head.
I wanted to dissect this man’s expressions and body language. I needed to figure him out completely to break through his exterior. That’s how I operate as a woman who has faced these types of men before.
But he isn’t like the others.
“Let me be clear, Elijah. I believe we’ve misunderstood each other,” I replied, my voice calm, although adrenaline coursed through my veins like burning lava. “I may not know who you are, but you’re entirely ignorant of who I am or what I’m capable of. Now, unlock this fucking elevator and spare me the insinuations you might have heard about me.”
His jaw tightened, and suddenly, he wrapped his gloved hand around my throat, the leather from his motorcycle gear was harsh and cold.
The scent of tobacco enveloped me, igniting an explosion of heat throughout my whole fucking body.
I felt it pulsating in every fiber of my being.
“Oh Zanae, I’ve changed my mind. Perhaps I’d like to have some fun with you,” he spitted, his grip on my neck tightening, cutting off my breath. “My hand suits you perfectly as a necklace,” he murmured deeply, his fingers slowly moving around my throat as if he were talking to himself, admiring a piece of art he had created.
Fuck him.
I pull out a knife from my pocket, pressing it against his throat. Fine, if he wanted to play this game, then we’d play it together.
“And blood would make a great necklace on you.” I was struggling to breathe but couldn’t let him win. “You’re making a mistake here, Elijah, I don’t play. I’m aware you can’t stand me by the way you’re acting. I didn’t request your presence every time I have to see Nikolai, yet you persistently come to me, always here to remind me that my life is a problem you want to solve. But remember that,” I continued, placing my hand on his chest to push him away, “I don’t care about your opinions, but never lay your hands on me, thinking I’ll shut up. NOW, UNLOCK THE FREAKING ELEVATOR!”
He tightened his grip as I pressed the blade, a bead of blood surfacing on his skin. Red . And just as he understood that I had cut him, he smiled.
Drip,
Drip,
Drip,
The blood dripped to the ground, staining it, his eyes remained darker than ever, no longer green but black. It was as if they were sucking the light out of the room, devastating me.
He wasn’t in pain.
Or maybe he was, but he seemed to love it.
He was insane, completely unhinged.
But then again, so was I.
He didn’t know how fucked up my mind was, how destroyed my sanity was from abuse, or how feverish my soul was from sickness. He didn’t know that I had nothing to lose, nothing to miss, nothing that kept me mentally stable to stay away from him.
“You have no idea what you’ve set in motion.” He forcefully took my hand, redirecting it away from his neck. “You might be strong, Milaya , but understand that if I intended to end you, it would have been done easily, long ago. Don’t tempt fate, and don’t you dare yell at me again or I’m going to cut this pretty, filthy mouth of yours and feast on it,” he threatened, releasing the knife to the ground with ease.
Unlocking the elevator, he placed his thumb on the wound at his neck with a smile and cold eyes. “You’re wrong, Zanae. I do know you. And I can’t wait for this mission to conclude because, at least then, I can finish you off.”
“You’re the fucking Devil, Volkov.”
He smiled, the lines around his eyes forming the first honest smile he ever offered me. “Be careful, Little Nightmare . The devil is drawn to the flames in your pretty eyes,” he murmured, his voice low as a dangerous threat. “And I might want to burn in them . ”
Our eyes locked in a silent war. Neither of us dared to breathe. The symphony of his heart was so loud in my ears. And the voices stopped, they were as hypnotized as I was. He made them stop screaming—something no one else could ever do.
Little Nightmare he called me.
Why was it so fitting for me?
The sound of the elevator doors opening shattered the air between us like glass breaking.
“There you are! I am aware the elevator doesn’t take that long to reach my office,” Nikolai’s voice came through, breaking the spell.
The setting of the Don’s place is grandiose—centered desk, a beige sofa to the left, beautiful paintings adorning the walls, and a bar in the rear.
Nikolai sat on the sofa, holding a glass of wine in his hand, smiling at us as if he was amused to see us interact.
“He choked me,” I said, taking a seat on the plush sofa and shooting Elijah a sidelong murderous glance.
Nikolai broke the silence with a bemused smile and a soft tone. “Choked, you say? That’s not typical of Elijah. He’s usually more… mmmh… disciplined.”
Elijah smirked, and I shot him a pointed look.
“Disciplined? That’s a stretch.”
“In our world some boundaries are meant to be tested. It keeps things interesting; don’t you agree, Miss Dellé?”
I kept my gaze fixed on Elijah. “Interesting? More like infuriating.”
Nikolai began briefing me on the mission he had mentioned last time. The psycho leaned against the wall, his gaze never leaving mine, silently defying me. If I stared at him long enough, I might have forgotten we were in a room with Nikolai.
“So, what’s your mysterious plan? What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Sit down, Zanae,” Nikolai proposed or more like ordered. “In a few days, there’s an event—a gathering to celebrate the new Polish leader. Our target, the man we’ve been chasing for the last 15 days or more, will be there. We suspect he’s the son of one of the key figures in the organization we’re after. We’re going to need you to infiltrate, get close to him without arousing suspicion from anyone. Observe, extract information about his father. That’s the plan in broad terms.”
“That’s it? Sounds like a typical day dealing with my father.”
Nikolai stretched his arm along the back of the sofa, checking if Elijah was paying attention, but he seemed preoccupied with wiping the blood from his throat. Asshole. I should’ve cut his jugular.
“It’s more complicated and can turn out to be dangerous. You’ll be alone with him, and you’ll have to be perfect—nothing more than the role you’ll have to play. You’ll need training too. If things happen to be more complicated than just some flirtation, you’ll have to be ready to defend yourself without us. That’s why you’re here, to discuss the details during our little impromptu meeting.”
“There won’t be any more impromptu meetings if I have to deal with your psychotic friend like that again. I can drive; I don’t need a babysitter.”
He nodded, smiling proudly. “Does your father suspect anything?”
“No, he’s too busy. He just thinks I’m browsing the bookstore.”
“Good. For this mission, you’ll have to be on high alert. If someone knows who you are, we don’t know what they’re capable of, especially given your status as the heiress of the city’s Lebanese mafia. Fortunately, you keep a low profile, and they don’t know exactly what you look like up close. They just know you from your reputation, and they’ll never suspect you to be with the Zennites. So that’s a plus for now on.”
Elijah interjected with a fake smile. “Smart move, considering the enemies you might have thanks to your sweet father.”
What the fuck is wrong with that man? “I can handle myself against his enemies.”
I don’t need anyone to save me.
Hell, I don’t even want to be saved sometimes.
You just don’t have anyone to do so now that you’ve killed your best friend.
Not the voices again. Please shut up.
Focus Z.
Nikolai chuckled, glancing back and forth between his friend and me as if we were some kind of spectacle. “Well, Zanae, you’ll have the pleasure of Elijah’s company during your training sessions. He’ll teach you boxing, maybe a thing or two about guns. Basic things to make sure you’re ready if anything happens.”
“You might enjoy it, if you can keep up, of course,” the psycho added.
“I don’t need a lesson in violence, I think I’m already good at this. Plus, I’m not planning to join your ranks.”
His cold grin widened, freezing the air around him. “We’ll see about that later, Miss Dellé.”
Nikolai let out a small laugh again, amused by all of this. “I think it’s going to be surprisingly amusing to see you two, with weapons, fighting each other.”
Elijah stepped forward, his presence commanding the room. So much confidence and power radiating from him. “You’re going to need more than just your little attitude if you want to survive in this world without your father, Zanae, especially on this mission.”
I hate him more than I thought I did.
“I don’t need a survival guide from someone like you. I’m not even sure you want me to survive.”
Nikolai, not even bothering to hide his amusement, spoke again, “You’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other during the training sessions. It could be a good thing for you two to get rid of this tension.”
Elijah ignored his friend completely and leaned in, way too close to me, with a dangerous glint in his green eyes. “I’m going to enjoy breaking your insolence into pieces and see how far you can go without it.”
He’s an idiot, a scary idiot, but still an idiot.
I had a feeling that this alliance might be either the best or the worst decision of my life. And judging by the look in his eyes, he’s going to try to make it the worst.
“I’ve dealt with worse than you.”
“No, you haven’t. I’ve killed all the ones you’ve dealt with before.”
What did he just say?
His grin was so sinister that I didn’t even think he was joking.
But he hadn’t.
The worst of them are still here, outside, in my head, on my body, everywhere I am.
Nikolai’s laugh echoed in the air, “This is promising. Elijah, lay out the training plan for Zanae.”
Elijah’s hand played with the knife again, the same one as the other day. His fingers were long, full of veins, and adorned with ink. Even his palm was covered in tattoos, intriguing and beautiful, it’s a shame they’re on this demon.
“We’ll start with self-defense tricks and boxing,” he began, his voice carrying authority. “It’s not just about throwing punches; a lot of the training revolves around strategy and precision. You’ll need it.”
I responded with a smile of my own. “I can handle myself in a fight.”
His eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation, “We’ll see about that, Milaya .” Crossing his arms, his biceps flexed involuntarily. Everything with him feels like a play for power. “We’ll move on to firearm training. It’s necessary in our line of work, knowing how to handle a gun, maybe you’ll surprise us all and find a new talent. Who knows?”
I resisted the urge to show him just how well I could handle a gun, to prove my point. Instead, I maintained a facade of indifference. “Just make sure to put a picture of your face on the target, and you’ll see for yourself,” I replied with a sly smile.
I could already sense how long it would take to survive him. But if I had managed to survive my own demons, then he would be an amusing kind of challenge.
“Tomorrow at 8, be at your friend’s coffee shop, where Elijah picked you up.”
“Do I need to bring anything, Nikolai?”
Before Nikolai could answer, Elijah chimed in, “Bring something with sugar. No need for you to collapse in my arms again.”