Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Victor & Evelyn
Victor
I used to think sympathy didn't exist in my vocabulary. In Manhattan's power jungle, sympathy does nothing but speed up your death.
If crying worked, cemeteries wouldn't be packed with self-righteous idiots.
But I had to admit, in that moment, my perception shifted.
When Evelyn begged me through tears to kill her, I felt something close to pity for her.
Though breaking this stubborn girl down until she spilled the truth was exactly my goal, maybe I'd pushed too hard.
She was clearly terrified by the string of recent events.
Her father Richard, that smooth-talking political fox with his dirty tricks, had taken the opposite extreme when it came to his only daughter—overprotection to a fault.
Which made Evelyn completely different from other girls in this circle. She was painfully naive in the face of this dark world—blind and reckless. She actually thought a few sleeping pills and some clumsy seduction could extract secrets from me about this black world. Oh, sweet Miss Gray.
But I couldn't help being fascinated by her. So fragile and naive, trembling with fear, pushed to her breaking point by me—yet she still showed this mesmerizing resilience. That combination of innocence and stubbornness made her adorable, even sparked this urge in me to hide her away.
"Kill me then," she sobbed.
Her small body shook violently against the black leather seat.
"You murderer. Just kill me now," she screamed.
Evelyn cried and thrashed. She fumbled against my solid chest, landing two weak punches. Given her severely depleted strength, the attack was completely harmless.
Finally spent, Evelyn collapsed in my arms, her pale skin covered in a fine sheen of sweat that glistened seductively in the dim car light.
Those pink lips that loved to talk back to me were now swollen from her own biting, looking like overripe cherries. Her inner thighs were still sticky with my fluids—a sight that would drive any man crazy. Including me.
This woman who'd captured my attention from the start, who'd drawn me in, had finally dropped all pretense. Now she could only curl up defenseless in my arms.
Since she'd completely broken down and surrendered all her secrets, I decided to show some mercy and stop tormenting this frightened little fox.
I pulled away from Evelyn, buckled my belt, covering any trace of what just happened. Done with that, I reached out and yanked the blindfold off her face.
Evelyn squinted first—the car light seemed to sting her pupils—then lowered her gaze, staring blankly at the seat. Those beautiful eyes were swollen beyond recognition, tears streaking across her temples and cheeks.
"You've got the wrong man, Evelyn. I didn't take your father."
Evelyn's head snapped up. Those gorgeous green eyes locked on me, filled with disbelief.
I reached out with my thumb, roughly wiping away a hot tear still running down her cheek.
"And according to my sources, your father's still alive. I've been searching for his exact location in secret, too."
Evelyn's mouth opened. For a moment, I saw this expression on her face—caught between crying and laughing. I understood how she felt. All that effort, completely wrong target, even delivered herself straight into the devil's den.
"Your father did vanish mysteriously at my manor's gate." I pressed one hand on her thin shoulder, forcing her to meet my eyes, making sure she heard every word. "That's why all the goddamn clues point to me. But the one who took him wasn't me—it was one of my men."
"You've got to be kidding," Evelyn questioned me loudly in disbelief. "That's impossible. Who else besides you could make a move on your turf? You think I'm some clueless idiot?"
This woman trying to play spy was practically suicidal.
In my world, anyone who dared question me with that tone usually didn't even leave a whole corpse. She should be grateful I'd already set my sights on her. If I hadn't been harboring those filthy desires for her, she would've been a cold body the second she tried extracting intel from me.
I watched her quietly. Getting no answer from me, Evelyn glared at me furiously, while that bloodthirsty beast in my chest didn't even spark.
I had to admit, I'd completely fallen for her. Even with Julian, I couldn't muster a tenth of this patience.
"You're right." I acknowledged her challenge. "That's exactly why I'm so furious. This goddamn bastard was bold as hell. So I need to drag this suicidal rat out of the gutter and teach him the terrible price of pissing me off."
Evelyn
He didn't take my father. My father was still alive.
I'd gone to such lengths to get close to Victor, hoping for leads on my father, and he tells me he's a victim too.
I was a complete joke. In an instant, all that pent-up grievance and terror exploded.
Tears started falling again. I couldn't stop them.
Victor reached out and pulled me into his arms. His broad chest was hot as a furnace. That mature male scent instantly surrounded me.
I leaned against his shoulder, crying my eyes out.
"God, what have I done?" I finally broke down completely, clutching his shirt, shouting desperately.
I felt like a total fool, like an idiot dancing blindfolded on a cliff's edge.
I jerked my head up, glaring at Victor through red eyes.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? You watched me perform like a clown in front of you. Did you think it was funny?"
"Because I'm interested in you." Victor showed no guilt. His palm brazenly stroked my back.
"So your way of expressing interest is stalking me, tying me up, drugging me with that sleazy shit?" I demanded through gritted teeth.
Victor raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to look at me for two seconds.
"I admit my methods are somewhat unconventional." He made a conciliatory gesture, but his tone still dripped with arrogance.
"Disgusting." I cursed, trying to break free from his embrace.
Victor chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through my chest. He gripped my chin, forcing me to look into those deep eyes that could suck in your soul.
"Did you really not enjoy it just now, Evelyn?" He asked in that magnetic voice. His tone full of mischievous satisfaction.
My face instantly flushed crimson. Of course I wanted to argue. I wanted to call him a pervert, wanted to spit in his face. But my still-trembling body betrayed me like a traitor, honestly reliving the pleasure of being under him. I couldn't deny his skills were absurdly good.
I couldn't squeeze out a single word of protest.
I sniffled, deciding to go for broke. Since he wasn't the killer and was even secretly searching for my father, he was my only lifeline now. Alexander, that stubborn old man, was busy selling me off to some powerful family to patch up his holes. Besides relying on Victor, I had nowhere to go.
"My father vanished at your manor's gate. You have to take responsibility for finding him." I forced back the tears in my eyes, lifting my chin righteously. "And you have to protect me, protect my family. Otherwise, Alexander will marry me off to some random man."
Victor raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased with what I'd just said.
"I'll provide protection. But you need to understand the price." He leaned down close to my ear. Hot breath sprayed on my skin, sending tingles through me. "You stay by my side. Ready to satisfy my sexual needs anytime, be my exclusive possession. Evelyn, that's my only condition."
My throat tightened. I couldn't speak. I wasn't stupid—of course I could see Victor maintained enormous interest in fucking me. His price didn't surprise me at all.
Even so, I still fell into brief shame and conflict. Looking at that handsome yet dangerous face, my heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
If I was honest enough with myself. Stripped away all that posturing, I knew deep down I wasn't as resistant to him as I acted. Hell, half of that crazy loss of control earlier was because the person touching me was him.
Just sleep with a handsome, powerful man with absurdly good sexual abilities, and all my troubles would disappear. He'd be like a smart vacuum cleaner, cleaning up all my problems.
It was a good deal.
But I still knew Victor was a dangerous man. Making a deal with him meant putting my life on the gambling table.
"Deal." I lifted my head, meeting those demonic eyes directly.
Victor laughed low, his rough thumb ambiguously brushing over my bitten lip, his massive scorching body once again dominantly pinning me down.
"Good. Smart decision." He lowered his head, nose almost touching mine, his husky voice carrying undisguised danger and desire. "Now that the contract's in effect, time to fulfill your primary obligation, partner."
One hand slid down my waistline, expertly spreading my legs apart again.
"I'm not an easy man to fool," he bit my earlobe, hot breath spraying on my neck, "and I'm not easy to satisfy either."