Brutal Hunters (1-3): Dark Mafia Romance

Chapter 1

Nikolai

Going home should make me feel good but, instead, I’m filled with dread. Snowflakes pelt my windshield as I speed down the slick roads, but I don”t care. It”s impossible to see in these conditions, but itdoesn”t matter tome. All I can see in front of me is the red haze of my anger.

I careen through the open gates of my sprawling estate on the outskirts of Moscow and slam the brakes of my car. As the tires screech and skid, I grimace and throw open the door. Stepping outside, the snow crunches beneath my boots as I storm toward my house. Every step causes my blood to pulsate faster throughout my body. I can”t ignore the ache in my heart, but I have something more important to focus on right now.

Destruction.

Throwing open the door to my home, I catch the scent of her perfume lingering in the air which proves to be the fuel that stokes the fire of my rage. I tear off my coat and gloves, ripping them from my body in the same way I would love to rip her life away. In the process, I manage to tear a huge hole in my Armani shirt; it means nothing to me. I can’t contain myself.

With tunnel vision, I slam my fist into a priceless piece of art that hangs on the wall. It clatters to the ground with a thunderous crash, and I revel in the destruction. Money means nothing in comparison to the ferocity of my fury. Every sinew in my body is flooded with white-hot wrath. Stepping over the painting, I head to the room where I’m sure I will find her.

I only pause for a moment when I reach my bedroom. Peering through the crack in the door, I freeze at the sight of her. She”s inside, just as I suspected. The room is a mess, with clothing and makeup strewn across the bed and the floor. The drapes blow against the open double doors leading to the balcony. It”s unusually light and airy for a house that ordinarily feels dark.

Rushing around like a bee trapped in a jar, she’s frantically stuffing clothes into a large suitcase on the bed. God, I almost forgot how insanely beautiful she is. Her long dark hair cascades around her shoulders, tumbling in gentle curls around her face. Her petite frame is stiff with tension as she runs from the closet to the bed, depositing all her belongings into the small case.

Gulping, I study her slender curves for a moment, allowing myself to soak in her image for one final time.

I can’t wait any longer. I need to act. I kick open the door fully and march through the doorway in a fit of pique. A gasp escapes her lips as she sees me, her eyes widening in fear.

She still looks every inch the high-maintenance bitch she always has been. She looks sophisticated in her deep purple designer dress, but she”s not; on the inside, she”s rotten, and I have to remember that.

“Nikolai,” she rasps. My name tumbles from her lips in a deluge of terror. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Narrowing my eyes, I scowl. “I’ll bet,” I hum frostily.

As I take another step, she grabs a gun from the bed and levels it at me. “Don’t come any closer,” she warns me. “I mean it.”

Completely ignoring the gun and her warning, I saunter forward. Her threats make me laugh. The worst she can do is shoot me, which I don”t mind if she does. A bullet to the heart will not be as painful as what I”ve been through over the past few days.

I glide forward, glowering coldly at her, getting close enough to snatch the trembling weapon from her unsteady fingers. When she startles, I smirk; she clearly didn”t expect my bravado. I suppose she never really knew me.

She’s shaking so vigorously she wouldn’t have been able to fire straight even if she’d kept the gun. With a growl, I toss the gun across the room, laughing as it hits the far wall with a satisfying crack.

“There’s nowhere to run now,” I snap, my words dripping with vitriol. “All your lifelines are gone.”

Her entire body stiffens with tension, giving me a sense of satisfaction. That is all she deserves.

Fucking bitch.

My pulse thrumsat my temples as I study her, my gaze caressing every curve. I want to remember her so that when she”s gone, I can warm myself with memories of what we used to have.

I don’t need to proclaim my reasonfor being there. I can tell she”s aware of it even without saying anything. Her awareness is conveyed by the abject fear that lurks behind her dark eyes and the almost imperceptible tremble in her hands.

“Nikolai,” she gasps again, cowering under my harsh stare as I prowl toward her. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Chuckling darkly, I shake my head. “I highly doubt it,” I hiss coldly. “But why don’t you enlighten me?”

Her throat bobs and I can almost smell the fear radiating off of her body. “You believe this is all my fault. You’re wrong though. I didn’t want to do it. But he deserved it, Nikolai,” she babbles, her hysteria reaching a crescendo. “But you need to know that I never meant to hurt you.”

“Was that just an unfortunate consequence?” I demand with a scowl.

She licks her lips and turns to face me fully, but doesn’t answer my question. Instead, a single tear trickles down her cheek. No doubt it’s a ploy to evoke sympathy, but my heart turned cold the moment I realized the truth about her. The power she once wielded over me has long since evaporated, and all that’s left are the ashes of what we used to share.

She reaches out a hand, but I instantly bat it away, coiling my fingers around her wrist. I stare at her with disgust, squeezing her so tightly that Ihear her squeal.

“You used me,” I accuse her harshly. “You took your chances and you used me.”

Her eyes widen. “No,” she protests heatedly, wincing as my grip tightens. “I didn’t use you. What we had was real.”

Scoffing, I shake my head. Just another lie. I wonder how many lies she’s spewed since the first time she crawled into my bed like a viper. All that time she was just waiting for the right moment to strike, and I was so blinded by her charms I didn’t notice. But the veil has lifted now, and I see the stark reality of her true nature.

Tugging her flush against me, I breathe in her tantalizing scent. Even now, she’s still so tempting, but I wouldn’t fuck her with a ten-foot pole after what the bitch did.

She’s achingly beautiful, her stunning features belying her cold rotten heart. It hurts me to even look at her as I recall all the times that she fooled me with those effortless charms. I tumbled into the silken web she weaved, and I hate her for it. All she deserves now is to endure the same suffering that she’s put me through. A thrill rushes through me at the thought of her warmth dissipating, just as she”s ripped everything from me.

It would be so easy to end her right now. I could simply wrap my hands around the pale, slender column of her throat and squeeze every drop of life from her. I have never killed a woman before, and I don’t know if I could; but after what she’s done, I would surely be justified.

For several seconds, I luxuriate in the feel of her body, remembering how her curves feel. Then, without warning, I toss her against the wall like the piece of trash that she is. Landing awkwardly on the ground with a thud, she gazes up at me, silently imploring me to let her go, but we both know how this story is going to end.

“Seven months,” I rasp, towering over her prone form. “You conned me for seven fucking months, and you laughed during every moment of it.”

She manages to right herself after scrambling around on the ground. As I approach, her chest heaves and her back is against the wall.

“No, you don’t understand,” she says, terror lacing her words. “It’s not like you think. I had to do it.”

“Oh?” I sneer, chuckling humorlessly. “You had to do it.”

She nods, a tremble coursing through her. “He deserved it. I know that you can’t see it but it’s true.”

My jaw clenches. “All I see is your betrayal, you little bitch.”

Her eyes darken and swirl with a maelstrom of emotions. Most of all, I see pure fear and it’s like a drug to me. I crave that gratification.

“It’s not my fault,” she splutters. “Griffith made me.”

Her denials boil my blood, sending my ire up another notch. I’m almost shaking with the intensity of my rage now.

“You made your choices,” I remind her. “No one else did, only you. I trusted you. I took you into my bed and I gave you everything you wanted. I dressed you in the finest clothes, took you to the most exotic places. We were going to be married, I showed you parts of me that I never showed to anybody else, and you stabbed me in the back like a beautiful Brutus.”

“No, no, that’s not the way it was,” she pants.

My pain bubbles to the surface and I swallow hard, my throat dry and rough. “That’s exactly the way it was,” I counter, shaking with anger. “I trusted you, gave you everything!”

My pain threatens to choke me for a moment, before I contain myself. Rage is the only emotion that will suit me here.

“You exploited it, exploited me.”

“Please, Nikolai, just listen to me!” she begs, turning those glistening dark eyes to me. They used to make me melt, now, they elicit nothing but a scowl.

Tears start to flow freely down her cheeks, reddening her pale skin. She’s never looked more pathetic than she does right now. Steeling myself against her attempts to soften me, I allow my fury to unleash itself.

“I don’t want to hear it,” I snap, narrowing my eyes. “Nobody made you do it.”

Shaking her head wildly, she howls, “No! If it weren’t for Griffith, I would never have done it. He’s to blame! You need to believe me, Nikolai.”

“I don’t need to do shit!” I exclaim icily. “You’re a worthless, traitorous little bitch and I don’t want to hear another damn word come out of your rotten mouth.”

Standing over her, I plant my arms on either side of her body. She’s backed up against the wall as far as she can. She seems to shrink as I tower over her. The powerful, confident woman I knew has been replaced with a shuddering girl who knows her end is approaching.

Once, I would have kissed her cherry lips, now, I want to give her the kiss of death. I don’t know whether I could do it, not after everything we shared. Already, I’m mourning the thought of her demise in my heart, even as my head celebrates it. But my doubts do not suppress my craving for blood. I want to unshackle all my rage, and she is my target.

A sharp breath passes between her lips. “Please, Nikolai,” she begs me one more time. “If you have any mercy, try to understand.”

“You really don’t know me at all, do you? Do you think that I’m a merciful man? Have I ever shown mercy?” As she shakes her head, I cup her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Then why would I show mercy to you?”

“We had something special,” she says, licking her dry lips. “If you ever felt anything for me, please, just let me go.”

For a moment, I tilt my head and stare into her eyes. She”s always had expressive eyes and a vibrant face. Even the Dutch masters” finest paintings couldn”t do that face justice. Perhaps that”s why she managed to blind me so easily. Every man falls for a pretty face. But I”m no longer her fool, and I can”t let her go. I lower my lashes and lean down to brush my lips against hers. Her sweet taste, which I used to relish, has turned acrid and bitter. I smile coldly as I pull back.

“There will be no mercy,” I assure her.

My words seem to seep through her mind, eliciting a new wave of fear. With an abrupt show of courage, she suddenly shoves me back. I didn’t expect it and stumble slightly. Oh, she doesn’t know it only incites me more. She’s playing with fire as if she wants to get burned. Eyes flashing with terror, she darts away from me and rushes toward the other side of the room, just out of my reach.

Like the predator I am, I prowl toward her, matching every step she takes away from me. Her hands are raised in surrender, but I refuse to accept her white flag. Grasping one of the drapes, she backs onto the balcony, and I know I have her cornered now.

We both know I’m playing with her, before I take my final blow. Still, she doesn’t seem resigned to her fate, I’m glad that she has enough courage to resist me. It makes it that little bit sweeter.

We stare at each other in silence as she creeps backward onto the balcony; the loudest silence I”ve ever experienced, rich with unsaid words. She abruptly takes another step back and collides with the railing behind her. My eyes widen as I see her stumble, and before I know it, she”s tumbling over the railing. Her piercing scream splits the air, and I rush forward just in time to see her thud to the ground below. Blood pools around her head, and I know that she’s gone.

For several moments, I stare at her twisted body on the distant ground below. Karma. The universe has delivered the ultimate punishment for her sins. Her final expression is one of pain, but I can’t deny that she deserves everything she’s gotten. Betrayal is something I don’t take lightly. There’s a tiny part of me that laments the loss, but I swiftly suppress it, reminding myself of the horror she committed against me. There’s a melancholy irony to her fate, as she truly makes the most beautiful corpse I have ever seen.

Suddenly, I recall the name she uttered before her death. Griffith. It’s not a name that I’m familiar with, but I was so engorged by rage that I didn’t pause to consider it when it left her lips. Now, in my silent solitude, I have the time and space to really mull it over. So, it wasn’t her alone that came up with the plan? Well, this is not over then.

Numb to every emotion but fury, I growl quietly. “I suppose there is one more person I need to exact my revenge upon,” I mutter as I turn to leave the bedroom.

There is nothing left for me in Moscow, and I know it”s time to leave. I will go to any length to eliminate those who plotted against me. My wrath will know no bounds. I”ve already left a trail of bloodshed in my wake, and it won”t end until I”ve crushed those who deserve it. The world should be cautious forI am not a merciful man.

All that matters now is vengeance.

And I will not pause until I have my fill.