Chapter 7
Viktor
I strode into the cramped, dim room.
The air was thick and foul. Clothes and shattered glass littered the floor. And in the center of this dump, a man had Hazel pinned beneath him.
His knee jammed between her legs. One hand clawing at her clothes.
Her neckline was torn open, exposing pale skin and the edge of her bra. She fought like hell, scratching at his face, screaming.
Tyler Vance. Also known as Hazel Brooks's boyfriend.
I'd seen his name and face a hundred times in surveillance reports.
Tyler whipped around at the sound of the door crashing open. Before he could even register my face, Jack was on him.
Jack grabbed Tyler by the collar and ripped him off Hazel. Before Tyler could spit out whatever curse was forming, Jack slammed him into the coffee table.
The glass table exploded.
Tyler hit the floor hard, landing in a bed of glass shards. He screamed like a stuck pig.
Two guards moved in. One boot on his shoulder, another on his arm. Pinning him down.
All I had to do was press my gun to the back of his skull.
Less than three minutes. The whole situation flipped. The room went silent.
"Mr. Gromov, I didn't know you knew her—" Tyler's voice cracked with terror. He didn't care about the glass digging into his skin. He squirmed across the floor, trying to crawl toward me.
I just stared at this pathetic piece of shit.
"Please, please let me go." Tyler started slamming his forehead against the floor. "I'm Anya's friend too. My father had dealings with you. Just this once, please—"
This animal actually thought he could use Anya's name to save himself. Too bad for him—if Anya saw this, she'd be even crueler than me.
I tilted my head slightly toward Jack.
"Since old Vance is already bankrupt, just break one leg."
Jack didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and planted his boot on Tyler's back, pinning him flat. Tyler let out a desperate shriek, twisting violently.
"No, no—" Tyler screamed.
Jack didn't pause. He was good at this. He lifted his heavy combat boot and brought it down hard on Tyler's right knee.
The crack of bone echoed through the small room.
Tyler's scream tore through the air. His body convulsed like a fish out of water, then his eyes rolled back. He passed out from the pain.
A sharp smell of urine filled the room. The bastard pissed himself.
Finally done with this little problem, I turned to Hazel.
She'd watched the whole thing. Now she was curled in the corner, shaking violently. The way she looked at me—like I'd crawled out of hell.
Exactly the effect I wanted.
Fear works better than any negotiation tactic.
I looked down at her. Her tangled hair. Her red-rimmed eyes. Then my gaze dropped to her hands clutching her flat stomach.
There. My child.
Truth was, I'd had people tailing this woman for weeks.
Nothing personal. Just routine. Plenty of women got excited after a night with me, ready to sell their "glorious conquest" to tabloids.
But the reports on Hazel told a completely different story.
The alcoholic mother and gambling-addicted brother who threw her out. The cramped apartment she rented that couldn't even provide hot water. The shitty café job she'd picked up.
I'd been waiting for the usual script to play out.
In my experience, women from the gutter who got a taste of power never let go easily.
They'd do anything to squeeze out every advantage. I figured she'd show up at the manor gates crying, or sell her story to the gossip rags. I'd even prepared hush money to throw in her face when she came crawling.
But the script never came.
Instead, I got news I didn't expect—she was pregnant.
The Gromov family was in a delicate position right now.
Anya had graduated, but she hated the mafia world. She only wanted to chase her own dreams. She'd announced at a family meeting that she'd never touch the gray business, never become the next Pakhan.
She wanted a normal life. A life in the sun.
I couldn't force her to pick up a gun and kill. She was the daughter I treasured most in this world.
But a vast mafia empire needed an heir.
The old bosses who'd bled with me were already getting restless.
They showed me respect to my face, but behind my back they tested my limits constantly. They tried to push their daughters, nieces, even mistresses into my bed, hoping to steal the Gromov throne through bloodline. I had to stay vigilant. Keep those old foxes in check.
And now, the child in Hazel's belly solved all my problems.
This child carried my blood. He'd be my legitimate heir. Most importantly, Hazel had no background. She wasn't a plant from another mafia family. No complicated interests. She was alone. Powerless.
If I controlled her, I controlled the child.
I walked over and crouched in front of her.
As I got closer, I caught that warm scent that belonged only to Hazel.
Her neckline was half-torn. Even as she tried to cover herself, the curve of one breast was clearly visible. I could almost feel them in my hands again—soft, bouncy, the way they moved during sex. Impossible to look away.
Just the memory made my pants tighten.
She still had that effect on me. Even in this broken-down place, she could get me hard instantly.
But now wasn't the time.
I let my gaze linger on her chest for one second, then met her terrified amber eyes.
"I know you're pregnant." I cut straight to it. No time to waste.
Hazel stared at me in disbelief. Her lips trembled. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Don't try to hide it." I stared back coldly. "I had surveillance on you when you bought the pregnancy test. And before you climbed into my bed, you were a virgin."
Hazel's face went ghost-white. She opened her mouth. A broken whimper escaped, like someone had their hands around her throat.
"What... what are you going to do?" she finally managed, her voice nearly shattered.
In just over a month, she'd been through so much. This girl looked completely broken.
"The child in your belly belongs to me," I stated it plainly. "He'll carry the Gromov name. He'll be my legitimate heir."
Hazel shook her head sharply, instinctively clutching her stomach.
"No!" She pressed herself against the wall. "This is my child—"
Her resistance meant nothing to me. I continued.
"In exchange, I'll bring you back to Gromov Manor. You'll get the best medical care. The safest environment." I paused. "During the contract period, you'll stay by my side. One year. After the baby's born and weaned, you can leave. With enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life."
Hazel's eyes went wide. A flash of humiliation crossed her face.
"Stay by your side?" She repeated the words slowly. "You mean..."
"You know exactly what I mean." I didn't look away.
"This is insane." Her voice shook, but there was a stubborn edge to it. "I won't agree. I'll have the baby myself. I won't bother you. I won't use this to ask for money. You don't need to—"
"You don't seem to understand your situation." I cut her off, lowering my voice. "This child will only bring you death."
Hazel's head snapped up.
"You really think you can have this baby in some slum?" I gave a cold laugh. "The Gromov family has a lot of enemies in this city. The Morettis. Mexican cartels. Assassins hiding in the shadows. They're looking for my weaknesses every single day."
I reached out and lightly touched her belly.
"Once they know you're carrying my child—" I looked into her eyes, each word deliberate—"they'll kick down this door in the middle of the night.
They'll torture you in the most brutal ways to get information about me.
Then they'll cut open your stomach, dig out that half-formed embryo, put it in a box, and mail it to my desk. "
Hazel's face turned even paler. Her lips trembled violently.
Her reaction told me she wasn't stupid. She understood how serious this was.
"You think you can protect this child?" I pressed harder, crushing every illusion. "You can't even handle a street thug. How are you going to fight trained killers? If you refuse this deal, you and the baby won't last a week."
"But—" Desperation filled her voice. "Leave my baby. I can't. I can't—"
She couldn't finish. Tears streamed down her face.
I watched her break down. Something I couldn't quite name stirred in my chest.
Whatever my first impression of her had been, the maternal love she showed now moved me. Slightly.
But reality was reality. Not even the greatest mother could change that.
"Do you have a better option?" I asked calmly. "Your mother threw you out. Your brother will bleed you dry. No friends. No job. No place to go. You're alone, carrying a child that could get you killed any second."
I paused, softening my tone just a fraction.
"I won't force you to do anything you don't want. But you need to understand—this child is mine. That's not changing. Instead of letting him be born into danger and poverty, give him a safe environment. As for you—"
I looked into her swollen red eyes.
"Think it over. It's a good deal, isn't it? After a year, you take the money and go anywhere you want. Start over. No one will know your past. No one will hurt you again. This is the best I can offer. While I'm still patient."
Hazel's head stayed down. Her shoulders shook hard.
She was struggling. Hesitating. Making her last stand.
The room fell into a long silence.
Finally, she took a deep breath. Closed her eyes. Then slowly, painfully, nodded.
"I... accept."