Chapter 3
Chapter three
Alisa
“Ready to show me your claws, kotenok?” Dmitri said as I hesitantly approached the mat.
My shoulders stiffened as laughter echoed around me. Everyone in this room spoke Russian, so they knew that he was calling me a kitten.
I looked up and down Dmitri’s powerful physique, wishing I could snap back with my fists and show him I did have claws.
With each step forward, the outline of his tightly packed muscles became more visible. As my eyes skimmed reluctantly down his powerful body, I was reminded that those corded arms could easily snap me in half.
Andrei’s takedown hadn’t seemed to quell any of Dmitri’s dark violence. When he tracked my steps like a panther about to pounce, I knew there was no avoiding my fate.
If it was inevitable, I refused to meet it submissively.
So I tilted my chin up, and channeled all the repressed pain, anger, and frustration I’d felt since my brother died into two words.
“Fuck you.”
Gasps echoed nearby me. Someone mumbled something in Russian about me having a death wish.
Instead of anger, I was met with dark laughter.
“Oh kotenok, I’m going to enjoy watching you break.”
A shiver ran up my back, but I refused to lower my gaze and beg for mercy. Instead, I dashed across the mat and swung a right hook at his face. I knew I couldn’t win this, but if I could just bruise that perfect face….
Before I could get anywhere near his face, his hand flashed out and caught my wrist.
“Now what happened here?” Dmitri said. He brought my trapped arm close enough to see the small needle marks and accompanying bruise on my wrist. “Hmm, an appointment with Dr. Poison?”
I froze for a moment, and forgot to thrash against his grasp. It was an open secret within the Bratva that I killed my marks with poisons. But not everyone was aware that I microdosed myself with said poisons and was weaker during those periods.
I swallowed. I couldn’t afford for this entire room to know that I was more vulnerable than usual.
My competitors might not be able to use that information to outright kill me since there was a strictly enforced no kill rule between the candidates in the competition.
But there were worse fates than death.
I jerked my arm back, and surprisingly Dmitri released me.
“If that were the case, and I happened to have a new arsenal of poisons, do you think it's wise to be messing with me?” I hissed quietly enough so only he could hear.
Within my pockets was a new vial Dr. Poison had designed for me. And it was a strong one; in his office I’d passed out moments after I’d injected myself with it.
Unfortunately, before I could weaponize it against anyone else, I needed to gain some sort of immunity. My overall process worked, but it sometimes felt like the new drugs I needed to accustom myself to were unending.
I hated to give my father credit for anything, but I couldn’t take credit for the initial idea. When I was sixteen, my father dragged me into Dr. Poison’s office where they forcibly began administering the drugs to me.
Dmitri’s hand wrapped around my throat before I could even register the movement. It was firm, but wasn’t constricting my breathing… yet.
“I’d hate to snap that pretty little neck of yours, Alisa,” he said, his voice quiet.
The use of my actual name alarmed me more than the hand gripping my throat. His long fingers tightened momentarily around the columns of my neck, but it felt more like a warning than an attack.
Once again, he released me, and I took an immediate step backwards.
He smirked at my involuntary response.
What was he playing at? Dmitri could’ve just lifted me off the ground, and strangled me until I was unconscious. My eyebrows knitted together as I glanced over his muscular body.
As much as I hated to admit it, he could’ve knocked me unconscious in any number of painful ways.
So why hadn’t he?
Dmitri’s smirk deepened as he took in my expression.
“Did you have fun at The Parlor?” he asked.
My body froze. That was the bar where I’d ignored his warning to leave.
This wasn’t mercy.
Dmitri was about to punish me.
My mind screamed to run, but my feet stayed rooted to the mat.
“I don’t enjoy cleaning up your messes,” he tsked.
“What are you talking about?” I said on the off chance I could talk my way out of this.
“Don’t play stupid with me. You’re too smart for that.”
“Aidan died of a heart attack. It’s not my fault the bar looks the other way when it comes to cocaine.”
Maybe, I’d assisted in said heart attack. After I’d noticed my mark’s dilated pupils and the sprinkling of white powder on his nose, I’d offered him a sip of my drink… with contents that sped up his heart rate.
He couldn’t prove it anyway; all of my poisons were untraceable.
Dmitri’s steel eyes bored into mine. “I warned you, kotenok.”
I took a step back. At least he couldn’t kill me. The Pakhan had made that clear when he stopped him from murdering Mikhail on the mat. But he could still break one of my bones or worse.
I’d made the mistake of openly defying Dmitri. There were a lot of mangled bodies that testified to what happened when people did that.
“Come here, and take your punishment. Unless you’d rather… submit.”
I swallowed unsteadily. If I yielded, then I’d appear weak in front of the Pakhan and all my other competitors. Plus, the Pakhan had warned us that if we yielded on the mat then we’d lose a ton of points.
The only correct options were to give pain or receive it. No in between.
I rolled my shoulders. I could handle some pain.
Unlike my father, Dmitri’s punches were definitely strong enough to knock me out in one swing. We’d see if he’d be that merciful.
I stared into his darkening eyes.
Doubtful.
Well, here goes nothing. Even if I got one hit off on him before he pulverized me, I’d be happy.
As I launched towards him, he watched me with an unreadable expression. This time I jabbed my elbow at his throat. Before it could connect, Dmitri grabbed my arm and swung me around. My back crashed into his hard abs.
“Such a bloodthirsty little kitten,” he tsked in my ear.
I threw my head backwards, but he was so tall that I only hit his pecs. He didn’t even grunt. It was like there was a damn wall behind me.
“Since you’re so… weak, I’ll give you another chance,” Dmitri loudly announced before shoving me forward.
I caught myself before I faceplanted onto the mat. My cheeks burned as laughter echoed around us. That asshole was planting a seed in everyone’s head that I was weak. The very thing the Pakhan was upset about.
This was far more damaging than just breaking one of my bones.
I spun around and kicked my foot at his crotch. He might be muscular everywhere on his body, but I doubted he was there.
Dmitri caught my leg and surged forward. Air rushed from my lungs as I slammed onto the blue mat. He landed on top of me, his massive body pinning me down.
“Finally ready to submit?” he said casually as if he wasn’t straddling me in front of everyone.
I bucked my hips and tried to twist to the side. His powerful legs wrapped around me, trapping me in their embrace.
I tried to buck again and break it, but it just looked like I was thrusting against his hips.
“Kitten, are you trying to seduce me?” Dmitri said with a feral smile. His hand twitched, but he kept it by his side.
“Never,” I growled.
Dmitri tsked, and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. “All you have to do is ask, and I can make this uptight body come undone in ways you’ve never imagined.”
The molten heat in his eyes stole my breath. They held a promise to make me come harder than I ever had in my entire life.
I wanted to slap myself when I felt my lower body tightening. And from the satisfied look in his eyes, he’d felt my response too.
Was I absolutely insane? The man had literally murdered my brother, and my body was telling me to let him fuck me in front of a bloodthirsty crowd.
I tried to punch Dmitri in the throat, so I could shut him up before my hormones overpowered my sense.
He caught my wrist and slammed it down above my head.
“You have two minutes to finish this,” the Pakhan said, his patience wearing thin. “Or I’m deducting an extra hundred points from both of you.”
Dmitri’s smile grew, and with alarm I realized he wanted that. This was how he punished me for disobeying him.
Dmitri’s score was exponentially higher than anyone else’s. Losing points wouldn’t even affect him.
But I’d been scratching and clawing for every single point, slowly destroying my body with every new vial I drank. And I’d finally gotten into the top twenty.
I wasn’t going to let him do this.
A shiver ran down my spine as I imagined the fallout from my father.
No, I wouldn't let that happen. I gritted my teeth as I tried to concoct a plan. There was no chance I’d knock Dmitri out. I hadn’t even been able to land a single blow.
And despite all the opportunities he was only restraining me, not hurting me. He was in no hurry to end this.
I stared up at Dmitri, desperate to salvage this. I twisted my body slightly to see if I had any room to work with. He pushed his hips down harder, pressing me further into the mat.
The vial in my pants pocket dug into my hip.
Suddenly I knew how to get out of this.
If the Pakhan found out, a points deduction would be the least of my worries.
But I had to try. I couldn't let him win.
Dmitri raised an eyebrow as he assessed me underneath him.
I ignored him and shifted my hips again. I was so close to rubbing the cap off. Just a little more…
The miniscule needle of the vial pierced through my thin pants and into my flesh. From what Dr. Poison had told me, I likely only had a few seconds before I conked out.
I reached for Dmitri’s throat. He knocked my hand away like I was a kitten pawing at a panther. Relief flooded me when he threaded his own fingers around my neck.
“Submit,” he said, lightly squeezing my throat.
Blackness danced around my vision even though he hadn’t applied any pressure.
“Never,” I said before the vial stole my consciousness.