Chapter 17 - Viktor
I can see she's glancing at me. It happens less as the morning goes on and she begins to focus on her work. I can't help it. I want her so badly, but I want to play with her first.
I shrug off my suit jacket and drape it over the back of the chair. As she glances at me, I stretch my arms above my head. I notice her lick her lips, and I smirk softly. I attempt to focus on work, but I stand and lean over my desk to grab a pen, even though one is right in front of me. My hair falls into my eyes.
I lean back in my chair and watch Riley for a moment. She's deep in concentration, scratching behind her ear while she reads. I study her face. She's so intense. It's such a turn-on. I go back to work, and when my phone rings, I notice it disturbs her, so I answer it and walk out. I have the conversation down the hallway, and then I come back.
“You don't have to leave to answer your phone,” she says casually. “You're not disturbing me.”
“Okay,” I say, kissing her head. She looks up at me and uses her index finger to tap her lips.
I smile and lean down, kissing her deeply. She slips her tongue into my mouth and I suck on it lightly. She groans softly and I'm about to pull her into my arms when there's a knock at the door and Rachel clears her voice.
I break the kiss, and I see Riley blush. She's so beautiful when she blushes. I love her innocence. I look at Rachel as she brings in a tray with fresh coffee and some cookies.
“You asked me to refresh Mrs. Milov's coffee regularly,” she comments. She isn't embarrassed but is merely offering an explanation for the interruption.
“It's fine. I'm sure that she would like some fresh coffee and cookies.”
“Thank you, Rachel,” Riley says without looking at her.
Rachel sets the tray on the end of my table since it's bigger and she bows and leaves.
Riley gets up and gets herself a cup of coffee and two cookies before she sits down again. She starts typing on her computer, and I glance over her shoulder. It's an essay, and she's writing fast. She clearly knows what she wants to say. I realize I don't even know exactly what she's studying. I want to ask her, but I don't want to interrupt her as she's working.
I turn back to my reports and I start sending the emails to the politicians I need to contact for our supply runs. Everything is coded carefully so nothing can be translated or implied in court. I glance at Riley and lean back. She meets my gaze and I smile. She smiles back and I stretch again. She shakes her head and goes back to her essay.
Over dinner, she tells me about upcoming exams that are really important because she failed the last ones. I resolve not to distract her, but we do share a bed. I don't initiate anything. I simply hold her at night, and I'm happy to notice she's sleeping through the night without any nightmares. I'm glad she feels safe.
As the week progresses, I have to restrain myself. Everything she does is incredibly tempting to me, but I want her to pass her exams, so I keep my hands to myself except for the occasional chaste kisses we share every now and then. But I'm already imagining how I’ll seduce her once her exams are over. I could take her out for dinner, and then we can enjoy a romantic walk. Or I could follow Roman’s lead and whisk her away to an island, where we could have fun on the beach and in the hotel room. Or maybe tropical weather isn't the solution, and we should go somewhere chilly where we have to stay inside, naked in bed all day.
I daydream about it all day.
By Wednesday, I'm finding it hard to resist her. She must have noticed because she keeps chatting with me throughout the day. She tells me how hot she is, and how she might need to go cool off in the pool. She tells me how she enjoys being wet, so the pool seems like the best answer. At first, I don't really notice, but soon enough I realize she's trying to turn me on.
I find it hard to concentrate on work every time she looks up and says something about being wet, or hot, or wanting a shower, or wanting to be naked. I breathe deeply every time and when she doesn't get a reaction, she smiles and goes back to her work. I can't tell her how she's affecting me. I can't give her that satisfaction.
That's until Friday when she walks in wearing a very short dress and she's barefoot. I look up from my computer and raise an eyebrow. “What happened to your comfortable clothes?”
“I wanted to change things up today,” she says with a small smile.
She sits on her chair and fixes her dress, but it rides pretty high up. Rachel comes in with coffee and sets it down. When she leaves, she shuts the door. Riley glances at me and I smile softly, looking at her out of the corner of my eye.
“Do you like my dress?” she asks quietly.
“I love it,” I say, looking at her now and sitting back in my chair.
Riley faces me and opens her legs slightly. “It's all I'm wearing.”
“You need to study,” I comment, my eyes traveling up her legs.
“I need a break,” she says with a grin. “Don't you want to give me one?”
“Maybe,” I tease. “Maybe I should punish you later in bed for being such a naughty girl.”
“Oh, I like it when you're dominant with me,” she purrs and I cross my legs.
“Maybe we could take a little break,” I say quietly. “The bedroom isn't far from here.”
Riley smiles and stands up. She's about to walk toward me when my phone rings and I glance at the screen. It's my brother Rigor.
I hold a hand up. “Sorry.” I pick up the phone. “Rigor.”
My brother immediately launches into speaking to me. “We have a huge problem. Anton's been taken by a gang and we can't find him. We traced his phone's last location to the club and the CCTV footage shows he was dragged off by some guys.”
“Fuck,” I say, standing up, my arousal quickly forgotten. Riley looks at me with wide eyes and I quickly say. “I'll be at your house as quick as I can. I'll leave Riley there with Fiona”
“Roman and Gwen are also on their way. Be fast,” Rigor says.
I hang up and look at Riley. “You need to come with me.” I take her hand and lead her toward the door. “I'll explain in the car. Just throw on any shoes. It's an emergency.”
She hurries to the bedroom and comes back a few seconds later in sandals. I go to a painting in the hallway and flip it open. It reveals a safe. I enter the code and use my fingerprint to unlock it. I take out two holsters with guns and strap them to my sides. I pull my suit jacket over them and look at Riley. “Come.”
She takes my hand and I rush her down the stairs. We leave out the front, and I bark at Martin. “Follow us.”
Martin goes to his car, and I help Riley into my Mustang. I get into the driver's seat and start the car. I pull off quickly, and Riley buckles herself in quickly. “Drive carefully. We're no good to anyone dead.”
“I know, I can drive.” I glance at her. “Anton's been kidnapped. I'm going to go with Rigor, Roman, and some of my men to go find him. I need you to stay at Rigor's house with his wife and Gwen while we do this.”
“What if something happens to you?”
“Nothing is going to happen to me,” I say. “I've done this a thousand times. I know how to find him. I can rescue him. I rescued you, didn't I?”
She nods and sits back. I glance at her and see her face is pale. “I promise I'll be back before you know it. I need to find him and save him. If anything happens to him, I don't know what I would do.”
“I understand, Babe,” she says quietly.
It's the first time she's called me something other than Viktor. I want to treasure it, but the circumstances don't allow for it. I'm worried about Anton. I need to find him and rescue him. He needs to hold on. I say a silent prayer that they don't kill him before I get to him.
I pull into Rigor's driveway and get out of the car. Riley climbs out quickly and follows me inside. “To the right, Gwen and Fiona will be in the living room.” She veers off and goes there. I hear her speaking to Gwen.
I hurry to Rigor's home office and find him and Roman leaning over a computer screen, watching something. I go over and stand on Rigor's other side. The video footage shows Anton being dragged into a van. The men aren't wearing masks. They're cocky. “Do you know any of them?”
“Let me pause it here,” Rigor says, rewinding the video and pausing it on one frame. I lean down and swear.
“Definitely a gang member. Look at the tattoo on his arm.”
“It's the Vultures sign. We need to find where they're holing up.”
I go to the door. “Martin, come in.”
Martin walks in and gives a slight bow to Rigor.
“Do you know where the Vultures are holing up?” I ask. “Have you found anything out while you've been protecting Riley?”
“I know they have some warehouses across the city and a yacht at the Lake Mead marina.” Martin steps forward. “I can take some men and start hitting the warehouses.”
“I'll take the Marina,” I say. “Roman, you take one of the warehouses.”
Rigor stands up. “I'll take another. Martin, give me all the addresses.” He throws a notepad onto the edge of his desk. Martin pulls out a pen and starts writing down addresses from his phone. I glance at the time. “How long has he been gone?”
“A few hours,” Rigor says. “He was taken around four.”
“When did you find out?”
“About half an hour ago, when he didn't show up for a meeting with one of our suppliers. They called me to ask where he was.” Rigor looks at Martin as he stops writing. “Martin, form two teams and hit the first two warehouses. Viktor, take two of my men and go to the Marina.”
“What's the name of the yacht?” I ask Martin.
“It's called the S.S. Buzzard.”
“How original,” I say with snark. “I'm going.”
I go to the front of the house where the security room is and stick my head inside. “Call two of your best shooters and tell them to meet me outside with a vehicle.”
The security guard nods, and I go to the living room. The girls are standing around, and Riley comes straight to me. “What's going to happen?”
“I'm going to go look for him. We all are. Stay here, you'll be safe. Martin is going with us, but there are plenty of guards staying that can protect you three.”
“Please be careful,” she says softly.
I want to kiss her, but I need to go. I stroke her face, turn around, and leave. I walk outside to find two guards with a sedan waiting for me. I climb in. “Get us to Lake Mead Marina.”
They pull off and we join traffic. I look out the window at the passing traffic and I say another silent prayer that I find Anton and kill every motherfucker that is involved. If it's the Vultures, they're being bold. They haven't just taken someone we love, they've taken one of our blood relatives. They will pay if anything happens to him.
“Hurry up,” I bark at the guard, driving.
He pulls into the wrong side of the road and starts speeding down, weaving around the cars. I sit back and start to check my guns, making sure they're loaded and that the safety is off.
“What are we expecting, Boss?” the guard who's not driving asks.
“We're going in guns hot, we're looking for Anton Milov. You can't miss him. He looks like me.” I put my guns back in their holsters. “Kill everyone who is not him.”
“Yes, Sir,” he says, checking his own gun.