Chapter 6 - Riley
I can't believe I'm doing this. I must be insane. I buckle myself in and I stare straight ahead of me. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm confused. But his logic makes sense. Viktor pulls into the nighttime traffic and I have forgotten how busy Las Vegas is, even at night. It's such a tourist destination. Unlike my dream, I can see the scenery as it passes by, but suddenly, I get that sense of feeling trapped, and my heart races. My palms become sweaty and I fidget with my tracksuit bottoms. If Viktor notices, he doesn't say anything.
“So we're going to see one of your cousins?” I ask, wanting to know more about the plan.
“Yes, he's a lawyer. He has the right connections to sort this type of thing out. He'll get us to sign everything and get it signed off by a Justice of the Peace that he knows. I won't lie. Money exchanged palms to put this in place.”
“So we're going to be married by tomorrow?” I ask.
“Yes, you'll be staying at my manor with me. I've got a room sorted out for you,” he says, keeping his focus on traffic. He seems on edge.
“Do you think we're being followed?” I ask, glancing back. “You're really tense.”
“I just have my guard up,” he says. “I promised to make sure nothing would happen to you, and I intend to keep that promise.”
I stare at him for a moment before I sit back and watch the lights of Las Vegas pass me by. I can see people queueing to go into clubs and casinos. Their lives seem so simple. We stop at a traffic light and I see some younger-looking girls talking excitedly outside a club. They probably have fake IDs like Gwen and me. They don't know how much trouble they can get into.
We pull up to a high-rise building and Viktor flashes some sort of ID to the parking guard. The roller door opens, and he drives in. “We own this building,” he explains. “My cousin is on the fifth floor in his office.”
This all seems so rushed but efficient. I have to give Viktor credit. He knows how to put a plan in place on short notice. I check the time. It's still the early hours of the morning. I'm starting to get hungry because I skipped dinner. I try to suppress my stomach growls, but Viktor glances at me. “We can eat at the manor once we arrive.”
I blush and nod as he pulls into a parking. I get out and walk with him to an elevator, which we take to the fifth floor. We step out of it and I look around at the neat offices. There's a hallway with offices coming off each side. The hallway light is on, but all the offices are dark except one. It's right at the end, a corner office, and looks larger than the others.
“Is it your cousin's law firm?” I ask curiously.
“In name,” Viktor says. “But everything belongs to Kervyn or Rigor.”
“That's your cousin and brother?” I ask quietly as we move along the hallway.
“Yes, you'll probably meet Rigor sooner or later,” Viktor explains before he stops outside the office. He knocks on the door and leads her in. “Hello Manny,” he says. “This is Riley.”
“What took you so long?” Manny says angrily. “I've been waiting forever. I have a family too, Viktor.”
“Sorry, we had some traffic delays,” Viktor lies smoothly.
I know the delay was because of me, so I feel bad. They start to discuss the paperwork and I simply sit down in a chair and fidget, picking at my cuticles. Manny starts shuffling through papers and I don't know what to think. My mind is all a jumble. A huge part of me thinks this is a dream, but I know it's reality. I've had enough nightmares to tell the difference, and although I don't think Viktor would hurt me per se, he's forcing me into a commitment that feels like another form of captivity. I don't even pay attention to what they're saying. I simply sit there fidgeting. I don't know what to say or do. I wish Gwen was here to help me decide. She would know what to do.
I do trust that Viktor is telling the truth, though. There's a sincerity about him that I can't help but trust. He seems to honestly care that I'm safe and now that I think about it, he's checked up on me a few times since I was rescued. Those weren't just random coincidences. He was making sure I was okay. That's sweet in a weird mobster kind of way.
What other choice do I have, though? Viktor is right. If I marry him, I'll be aligning myself with a powerful family that strikes fear into the hearts of their enemies. It may just be enough to get the kidnappers off my back. I can't be vulnerable again to the Vultures and their gang. I'd rather die than be kidnapped by them again.
The night I was taken was terrifying. I had no idea what was happening. One minute, I was with Gwen and Roman, and the next, I found myself in the back of a van. It didn't unfold exactly as my nightmare portrays. I was thrown into the van, yes, but they didn't cover my head with a bag. They also didn't tape my mouth shut. I was so scared, pleading with them to let me go as they restrained my wrists and legs. Then they started asking about my connection to the Milov family. I insisted I didn't know them and had nothing to do with any family by that name, but they didn't believe me. They mocked and threatened me, and when we arrived at their house, they locked me in the basement with nothing but a guard for company.
That guard had said I would never go free. That I would be their prisoner until my last breath. It had terrified me so much. I had begged him to let me go, that there was a mistake. I begged him to call Gwen and arrange a ransom. I didn't know where Gwen would get the money from, but I knew she wouldn't let me die. She's my best friend. I knew she would be looking for me.
I assumed she'd called the police. It wasn't until after we were rescued that she admitted she let Roman handle everything, so no police were involved. It was probably better that way because I have a feeling if the police had been involved, I wouldn't have made it out there alive.
“Riley?” Viktor says, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“Yes?” I ask. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
“I see so, I need you to come over here and sign this,” Manny says.
I get up and go to the desk, leaning over it. I take the pen and sign the paperwork where he points.
“Congratulations. You are now Riley Milov.”
“Okay,” I say quietly. Not sure what else to say. I hug myself and my hair falls into my eyes. Manny glances at me and hesitates.
“Are you sure you want me to file this paperwork?” he asks quietly.
I look at Viktor, who nods, then I nod at Manny. “Yes, this is the best solution that we have.”
Manny nods and puts the paperwork in his briefcase. “You're free to go. By morning, you'll be officially married and I'll send your marriage license over.”
We leave his office, and Viktor hits the button on the elevator. “See, no fuss, no harm.”
“Did I have to change my name?”
“The name is what has the power,” Viktor explains. He lets me step onto the elevator first. I shake slightly.
“Are you cold?” he asks. “You can take my jacket in the car.”
“I'm okay,” I say quietly. But I'm not. I'm not okay. I just got married to a mobster who has gang ties. I got married with no one present, no wedding dress, no cake and no reception. Not even a priest. I had to do this to keep myself safe and it feels surreal.
We walk to the car, and Viktor opens the door for me. “Put the jacket on, anyway. You will get cold.”
I pick the jacket up from the back seat and slide it on before I get into the car and buckle up. I wait for Viktor with bated breath. I feel like we can be attacked at any minute, as though someone is following us right now.
We join traffic again and Viktor turns on the radio. He raises the volume on the news and drums his fingers against the steering wheel while we wait for the traffic light to change to green. I want to ask him a million questions, but I feel like I'm going to cry if I do. This isn't fair. None of this is fair. I shouldn't have been at that casino with Gwen. I should have been home studying, and just because Roman took an interest in my best friend, I got kidnapped and held. Now, I'm in a forced marriage, on my way to a new house with nothing but the clothes on my back and the phone in my pocket.
I didn't even bring a charger. I'm exhausted and hungry, and all I want to do is climb into bed. At least Viktor isn't expecting anything physical from me. He's handsome and rugged, but I don't think I can bring myself to have a physical relationship after everything that happened. I wanted to see someone, but how do I explain what I'm going through without bringing the Milov family into it? I feel trapped again and I start to breathe hard.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Viktor says, putting a hand on my leg. I flinch and he removes it. “It's okay. What's wrong? What's going on?”
“I just feel like I can't breathe.”
“Here,” he opens the window for me and fresh air rolls over me. I gulp in the fresh air and sniff, wiping at my eyes.
“We're here,” he says as he pulls into an estate. The guards open the gate for him and he pulls up in front of the mansion. He gets out and comes to open the door for me. I slide out of the car and look up at the tall building. There are three levels, including the ground floor. It's brick, which is pretty and the windows are huge. I like that it looks so open. Viktor puts a hand on the small of my back and guides me to and through the front door. There's a grand entrance hall, and he takes the coat I'm wearing off of me and hangs it up on a coat rack near the door. He looks around and sighs. “Well, this is home.”
I look around. There are doors leading off the entrance hall, and Viktor points them out. “That's the main living room. There's a gym through there, and a dining room through there that connects to the kitchen. Are you hungry?”
His question catches me off guard, and I nod numbly.
“There should be dinner in the fridge. I called ahead and asked the cook to keep two plates.” He walks ahead of me as we head to the kitchen. He rummages through the large fridge before pulling out two covered plates. He removes the tinfoil and pops one in the microwave. While it heats, he takes out a bottle of wine, opens it, and pours two generous glasses. I sit at the kitchen island, take a glass, and drink a big sip. The wine burns my throat like it does in my dreams, and I choke slightly.
“Slow down,” he says as the microwave dings. He puts the plate of food in front of me and heats up his own. “Eat.”
I take the fork he's holding out to me and I start to eat the rich food. It's delicious. I barely chew as I shovel the food into my mouth. Roast potatoes, roast meat, gravy, and vegetables. It's all so delicious. And warm.
My stomach quickly fills, and I feel slightly sick from rushing through my food. I see serviettes in the middle of the island and take one, wiping my mouth. “You said you had a room for me?” I ask quietly.
Viktor pushes his own food away and wipes his mouth. “Yes, this way.”
He gets up and drains his wine glass before he leads me out of the kitchen. We go upstairs and pass several doors before we reach one where he stops. “I'm right opposite you, so if you have any problems, just knock on my door.”
“Okay,” I say quietly.
“There are some clothes for you. There should be something that fits you,” he says awkwardly.
Something that fits me? What does that mean?
I simply nod. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” he says as I close the door behind me. I look around. It's an enormous room, bigger than my room at Roman's house. It's decorated tastefully in purple and blue. The bedding looks so soft. I see the walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom and I head in that direction. The closet is full of designer women's clothing in a range of sizes. I go through them slowly. This must be for his one-night stands. The man's probably a womanizer. Not that I can blame him. He is attractive, but it's kind of gross that he has all these clothes here.
I change into a pair of pajamas that are slightly too big, and I climb into bed. What was I thinking marrying him? He's clearly a playboy. I don't get what his angle is. I lay back down, trying to work it out, but the excitement from the night and my full belly quickly lull me into a deep sleep.