Chapter 4 – Eduard
My grin went as quickly as it came, but the deed had been done. The surprise on Leonid and Viktor’s faces was nothing compared to that on the girl’s face.
The girl who surprised me with a bold question instead of the plea of mercy I had expected. But my surprise wasn’t the reason for my grin. It was the fact that, despite her hard skin, I was in charge of her fate, especially that of her husband.
Speaking of her hard skin, it was the first thing I noticed about her.
I had heard sounds of combat, but it was her angry yell that drew me to the hallway. I didn’t expect her to be out of the room or to be the one eliciting those shouts and groans from my men.
I had found her struggling to get up before her hand weakly slid down again.
Despite her face decorated with bruises, hair like a bird’s nest, and her whole body trembling like that of a little rogue, not even a blind man could deny how beautiful she was.
Her bright, brown eyes shone with anger, and her busted lip shivered lightly.
It was annoying that I noticed something as trivial as her beauty.
I stared down at her, and she still had her eyes on me, reminding me of her fearless gaze back at the art show.
She was no little damsel. This girl was fearless.
She was fierce. Which was the direct opposite of what I had expected of Lucien’s trophy wife.
When men like Lucien kept their wives from the public eye, it only meant one thing: She was a delicate princess he wanted to protect.
That was the type of woman I had expected his wife to be. Not a hot-headed, defiant spitfire.
“Leave us,” I told my men.
“What exactly did you have in mind? That you’ll just keep me here as you wish?” she questioned, her voice breaking.
A few seconds passed before I crouched in front of her.
“You were with Navarro. That’s why you’re here,” I revealed, my eyes level with hers.
“What the hell does that even mean? I was invited to the art showcase the same way every other person was. Why am I here when everyone else has probably forgotten about the event?”
“I don’t expect it to be this hard for you to understand,” I remarked. “Did he ever tell you about the Bratva?”
“The what? Why do you think he told me anything that has anything to do with you, whoever you are?”
The bastard really sheltered her from the crime world.
“I’ll explain it to you. A few years ago, Navarro messed with our business.
As the Bratva, we taught him a lesson, and, good for him, he learned.
But, as Eduard Yezhov, I vowed to get even.
You know why? I was in charge of the shipments he tampered with.
It was my integrity he toyed with. But I decided it wasn’t going to be instant.
You must have heard the saying that revenge is best served cold, I assume. ”
She half-rolled her eyes. It almost distracted me.
“When I found out that he had a wife that he kept tucked away in his private residence, I knew that was exactly where I would strike. It was only a matter of time. So, you’re here because—”
“Wait, did you just say Lucien has a wife?” she asked, cutting me off.
“Are you asking me that? Do I look like the kind of man you can fool with some acting skills? I’ll tell you not to bother because the plan is set in stone already.
He’s already in a panic, losing his mind, looking for you.
It won’t be long before he connects the dots and realizes that I have you.
That call from him is exactly what I’m waiting for.
That’s when I’ll make the demand that’ll ruin him to an extent he’ll never forget as long as he breathes. ”
“Lucien isn’t married. Can’t you hear me?!” she yelled.
A wry chuckle left my lips. “Who are you to him, then?”
She scoffed.
“Lucien isn’t even my boyfriend. We just met and went out together a few times,” she answered, then her eyes dilated again. “You said he’s married?”
I paused, studying her face instead of answering her. Then my eyes locked on her again; she didn’t look away like someone who was hiding something. I could sense her anger and read the tinge of fear in her eyes, but there was no lie or deceit.
How is this even possible?
She’s not his wife, not even his lover?
“The Bratva, or what the hell did you say is the name of your stupid society? Are you guys so dumb that you don’t carry out sufficient research before kidnapping innocent people?” she lashed out.
“Don’t you say such nonsense about the Bratva. What do you know? The ideals of the Russian Mafia are far more than what your tiny brain can possibly comprehend.”
“Oh, I think not,” she retorted, a small chuckle leaving her lips.
“When Lucien mentioned that he worked with Mafia groups and all, I was impressed. I mean, from how ruthless and powerful the movies show them to be, I thought they had to be a big deal. But then, if this is actually how sloppy you guys are, those movies were clearly exaggerated. Even a layman would check for a wedding band when kidnapping someone who’s supposed to be someone’s wife.
But you guys aren’t even skilled enough to be that thorough, are you? ”
“Stop talking, or you’ll regret it,” I cautioned, my voice louder than I intended.
“Why? Your pride hurt?” she taunted.
“I don’t know what Navarro told you, but he clearly told you that we kill without blinking.”
“Hm, we didn’t get to that part before you mistakenly kidnapped me,” she answered casually.
“And what does that make you?”
That seemed to deflate her a little.
“Well, people go out with admirers every now and then.”
“Right. Admirers that are happily married to other people,” I countered.
“Do you have a hearing problem? He never told me he was married. For all I know, you might be lying about it.”
“Whether or not he was married, what did you think you were doing getting involved with an older man?”
Why did I go there?
“And who are you to tell me who and who not to mingle with? My dad?”
I stood.
“Well, I’m glad you’re glad about your choices because they got you here.”
She rose, flinching subtly.
“Forgot the part where you made the mistake of thinking I was someone else?” she taunted, looking up at me.
“Viktor!”
My gaze held hers even as Viktor and Leonid emerged.
“Take her. Make sure she doesn’t leave the floor,” I instructed.
My eyes didn’t miss the way her shoulder slumped a bit. She had given up on putting up another fight.
Good for her.
“Make sure she’s well fed,” I added as they held her arms, taking her back to the room she had escaped from.
She twisted her neck, her eyes sending her rage and confusion across to me.
I didn’t stop watching until she was out of sight.
I felt the need to shoot something. I hated the way she seemed to get a rise out of me. I prided myself on my ability to subdue anger or any other emotion, for that matter.
It was my first time hearing her voice, and she was already threatening to get under my skin.
***
“Whoa! You just made the mistake of your life!” Ivan laughed at Leonid.
The few other men standing around the opponents laughed.
“Your boasting might just be your downfall,” Leonid answered, contemplating which chess piece to move.
Playing chess was one of the exercises my men engaged in; I had taught them the game myself. It was a game of mental alertness and extreme vigilance—skills I wouldn’t hear that any of my men lacked.
Although I watched them from behind my desk, my mind wasn’t fully on the game.
It had been a few hours since my first and only interaction with the girl, and I kept replaying it in my head.
“Boss, you’re up!” Ivan informed me, grinning.
“Today was your lucky day. You know that,” Leonid uttered, giving Ivan a slap on the back.
It was the usual practice for the winner of the highest level round to play against me. There were just a few times when the winner didn’t become the runner-up after the ultimate round with me.
“Not today. I forfeit.”
The large room erupted in loud cheers.
“Ivan! Ivan!”
“I want to be alone,” I declared amidst the noise.
“Yes, Boss!” they chorused, making their way out of the room.
Almost immediately, I was left alone.
Leonid came back. “Boss?”
“What is it?” I inquired, rising to fetch a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the mini bar beside my desk.
“Is everything okay?”
His eyes were wary.
“What doesn’t look okay to you?” I asked coolly before taking a gulp of my drink.
“Um, I mean, you rarely ever refuse to play chess.”
Being one of my long-standing men, his observation was right.
“Did anything go wrong with an operation?”
I chuckled, my face unmoving.
“That girl isn’t Navarro’s wife,” I revealed, leaning back.
“What?! She…then, who is she? A mistress?” he rushed. “If she’s his mistress, she might still serve your purpose, as long as he cares about her.”
“She’s not his mistress. Not even his girlfriend.”
“Wow,” he commented. “We can’t just let her go; she’s already in too deep. We can’t trust that she won’t become a loose end, especially if she gets back in contact with Navarro. What do we do?”
“We tighten her cage. Letting her go isn’t an option; it’s too late. She’s here now. I have her, and it’ll remain that way until I decide otherwise,” I declared.
I didn’t know what it was, but there was something about my words that excited me in a way.
“So, we wait for him to reach out to us?”
“If he does reach out,” I pointed out.
“If he doesn’t in a few days, we could sell her off to any of the traffickers around. Or breeders. Thank goodness, she’s young. The options are endless.”
“Who put you in the position to make that call?”
“Sorry, Boss,” he uttered.
“I have her. And nobody decides anything concerning her but me.”
“Got it, Boss.”