Beast (Creatures of the Mafia Book 1)

by Eva K. More

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Where are my manners? My name’s Ivo. Pleased to meet you.” The ugly snake snickered and extended his right hand, but Kat wasn’t about to play the charade of shaking hands like they were acquaintances and only looked at him warily.

  Ivo’s nostrils flared when she failed to react. Then he took his hand back and shot her a disapproving look. “I see you’re going to be difficult.” A dramatic sigh followed his remark.

  She tried not to let her fear show when he started rounding her, stalking around the table in slow motion.

  “You see, bitch, we’d like to keep our business clean of loose ends. That you witnessed our little cleaning job today should have never happened. Now, I’d have killed you right away, but Beast had a better idea,” Ivo said.

  Kat’s eyes watered. What were these men going to do with her?

  “Beast’s not very smart, he’s a lot like an animal,” Ivo continued and laughed maniacally. “But sometimes, one good idea comes to his mind. You are pretty and could make me a lot of money.”

  Kat tried not to turn every time he walked behind her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop her body’s tremor from increasing into violent shakes with every new round Ivo made.

  “But first, I need to know who you are. The moment you fainted, we took you back to the car. Your purse was already gone, and I checked…” The dirty grin he shot her rattled her nerves. “… you don’t hide any papers anywhere else on your body.” He said, wetting his lips with his tongue as he lasciviously looked her up and down.

  Kat’s stomach lurched. What had happened to her during the past few hours? How long had she been asleep? And, where had his hands really been?

  Ivo stopped behind Kat; she held her breath and didn’t dare to turn around, her body drawn tight.

  “So, was it an unfortunate event that some little cretin took your belongings or was there somebody else with you? Are you hiding something?” Ivo asked, his condescending tone coming back.

  Barely breathing and rattled to her core, Kat shook her head once. She could not look up at Ivo because her muscles had shut any activity, and her brain did not have the energy to command them.

  In the silence that followed after, Kat concentrated on not hyperventilating. She did not want to dwell on the fact that there were strange cuts on the metal surface right next to her fingers. Small slits that could have only appeared if something had been thrown with a brute force on the table. Like a knife… A knife that was cutting fingers. She flinched.

  From behind her, clammy hands started stroking her head, then moved down her throat and stopped on her shoulders. She felt Ivo’s revolting breath through her tangled hair on her ear, his voice a dark, scratchy whisper. “Are you an angel? Or a slut? Or both?”

  When Kat didn’t answer, he crouched down to be on eye-level with her and pulled her hair back tightly. Tears ran down the corners of her eyes as she quietly sobbed out in pain.

  “Answer me! Who are you?” All the pretenses and false politeness were gone. He was showing himself as the monster that she already knew he was; it was ironic that the other man was the one called Beast.

  She yelped when Ivo shook her head. What did he want? She couldn’t give him her full name.

  When thinking about her grandparents, panic spread like wildfire inside her. If he knew who she was, would he do something to her beloved Baba? Her Dedo was already so sick! If that vile man confirmed her identity, would he contact her friends, abduct Andrea as well? There was only one thing that she was sure of. He would not let her go.

  All the horror stories her grandparents had told her about young girls disappearing cumulated in her brain, and she knew she would not be brought back unharmed.

  “Nobody!” Finally, she yielded. She couldn’t bear the ache anymore, but other than grinning sickeningly, Ivo didn’t change his position.

  “Nobody who?” he asked while grinning, his eyes showing the sickly excitement he felt when watching her crumble.

  “I’m nobody! Nobody! I’m just a simple student.” Her loud cry resonated in the cold room.

  Seemingly satisfied at the moment, Ivo let go of Kat’s hair, and her scalp burned. “Now we’re getting somewhere. And what was a little bitch like you doing at this time of the night on the streets?”

  “Kat!” she cried suddenly, the pressure and desperation were making her act unhinged.

  “What was that?” Asked Ivo.

  “My name’s Kat. I’m not a bitch.” She was sobbing openly now, but she would never submit without a fight. Who was this man? Did he think that he could get away with mistreating her? Kat didn’t want to hurt anymore, but Ivo was disgusting, making her cry, making her angry.

  However, she realized her mistake the moment the words tumbled out of her mouth, her survival instinct kicking in again. Ivo was back, ripping her hair and pulling her head back violently.

  “What’s that? You’re a feisty little bitch. You think you’re someone better than any other slut out there, huh? I’ll call you whatever the fuck I want to. Got it?” He wasn’t shouting, but his quiet, forced voice was scarier than any scream.

  Once again, she didn’t say a word but shot him a disgusted side look through her swollen eyes.

  “Got it?” Ivo repeated between his teeth.

  She felt his hand tense and waited for him to slam her head down the table.

  “That’s enough.” A loud, hard voice boomed. It sounded distant and dark, robotic even as the mask muffled the words. Beast hadn’t changed from his previous position with his arms crossed, but this time, his unyielding gaze focused on Ivo instead of her.

  “If I want to smash that bitch’s face on the fucking table, I’m fucking going to!” Said Ivo, losing his calm façade once again.

  “You won’t be able to sell her if you do.” Beast’s voice was calm, whereas Ivo’s demeanor appeared exaggerated.

  Like he was descending into madness.

  “Maybe I changed my mind; maybe I want to fuck her pretty little mouth and then strangle her till she drops like trash. You shouldn’t undermine me like that. You might not survive the consequences,” Ivo spat forcefully.

  Seemingly unfazed, Beast continued watching Ivo with a disapproving look. Clearly, Ivo was no match for him with his solid build and muscular frame.

  Kat had become more and more frightened by the minute, so she held her breath as she waited for the situation to diffuse. She didn’t want her head smashed on the cold surface of the table or the other gruesome things done to her. Also, she was glad that the focus of Beast’s laser-beam gaze had shifted to Ivo. Humiliation and shame made a bad armor against the big man. He could knock her out with one solid punch while she stood there and trembled for her life.

  “And maybe,” Beast said darkly, “You’ll remember why we killed Montoya today, and the missing money. We already clarified that this is a God-given opportunity. Kapov won’t be happy with you.”

  The instant he said that name, Ivo let go of her. “I know what to do. It’s not your job to remind me of mine.” He said, trying to hide the sudden insecurity that the mentioned name brought him.

  “I beg to differ.” Beast’s emotionless voice managed to rile up Ivo even more. Still, after mentioning that strange name, Ivo seemed a bit more brittle and less aggressive, as if that single name was able to diffuse the bomb that had appeared to be ticking inside him just a few moments ago.

  But in Kat’s mind, the explosion was still simmering inside, just below the surface.

  “You can see she’s telling the truth. She’s nobody,” Beast said harshly. “Just a pretty airhead in the wrong place at the wrong time. Look at her, sobbing like a fucking baby. She’s not smart enough to be anything else. Bad for her, good for us.”

  Both men appraised each other in distrust, and the tension in the room was palpable. Kat held her breath and didn’t dare to move an inch, not wanting to bring the ill attention back to her. It was apparent in Beast’s stance that he would not back down.

>   “You underestimate me, Beast,” Ivo finally said, and the sleazy grin was back on his face. “I just wanted to rattle her a little. I already talked to Lina. As it is, she is preparing a bed for our newcomer at the moment. You can bring her there. I have more important matters to attend to.” And without a single glance in her direction, Ivo left the room, closing the door with a hard sound that echoed inside the hard walls.

  Kat stared at the tabletop, still barely breathing, and unwilling to acknowledge the situation she found herself in, afraid of what would follow next.

  “Come on.” Surprisingly, Beast’s grip on her arm while guiding her up wasn’t as tight and hurtful as she had imagined. “Let’s get going, I don’t care to be here much longer, and you better not make any fuss. If you know what’s good, you will keep your spoiled little mouth shut. I can hurt you much worse than Ivo.”

  Kat thought about protesting and thrashing her whole body, distancing herself from him, but Beast was bigger and in much better shape. Her mind was becoming foggy; for her, the world had moved off its axis.

  The throbbing pain in her head was making her dizzy.

  Beast kept a firm hold on her arm as she followed him out of the room; they walked down a long corridor and up a narrow staircase. Because her feet felt like they were weighted down with lead, she stumbled on the first step, Beast gripping Kat’s arm to prevent her from falling on her face. However, she couldn’t hold the painful whimper from escaping her dry lips. Stumbling, she had hurt her shin, and now, without a doubt, her arm would bruise due to his hold.

  Beast did not apologize for hurting her or even acknowledge her whine – not that she expected that. They went through a massive metal door, right into what appeared to be the ground floor of a house. As they continued walking, she marveled at the hardwood floors and wooden doorposts; she was in a mansion and not a little house.

  She could see it was dark outside the windows, except for a few low lights illuminating the trees aligned in front of them.

  Queasiness settled over her stomach. Where was she? What was this place? Torture room in the cellar, ballroom upstairs - this couldn’t be real. She felt another tug on her lifeless arm and looked at the beast of a man beside her.

  Kat was disturbingly aware of the warmth of his hand seeping through the thin material of her jacket. He took the floor in long strides, and she had to rush to keep up. Next to him, she felt like a puppet, one which he had complete control of its strings. It wasn’t only the grip on her arm; it was his whole being that was suffocating her with every step he took next to her.

  Therefore, with rough power oozing out of every single one of his pores, she decided it was best not to tempt him with disobedience. Not that she had any strength left to fight this moving wall of muscle.

  Reaching the second floor without another accident, Beast knocked on another massive wooden door, and after a while, a woman opened it.

  “Oh, Beast! Is that the new girl?” Her voice was nasal but not unkind.

  “Lina,” he stated in a husky voice and didn’t say anything else as he stepped into the room, displaying his authority with his self-assured stride.

  He was a man used to getting his way. If Kat had heard correctly, Ivo was Beast’s boss, but Beast hadn’t cared one bit about that as he had stated his opinion.

  “Hm, she looks a little shaken, but I see how she can bring a lot of money,” Lina said, and Kat flinched when the woman touched her hair.

  Lina was undoubtedly a few years older than her, but her face was painted with heavy makeup, and her dyed blonde hair was messy, making it difficult to guess her exact age. The clothes she wore were very revealing and skin tight. Kat had never seen a hooker in her life, but she could bet that this woman was dressed just like one. And her clothes looked nothing like the dresses Andrea had given her.

  At the same time, the woman didn’t appear to be mean. Lina’s expression was a bit unfocused, but it was soft and made Kat want to hug her for being the first kind person in this godforsaken place.

  “Where is her room?” Beast asked brusquely, waking Kat from her daydream of hugging the kind hooker.

  “Well, I’m not a housemaid, and it’s been a long night. The girls are tired, so that means she will bunk with me tonight.” The woman, Lina, motioned to the right with her head.

  With a push from Beast, Kat put one foot in front of the other in a trance-like motion. She listened in on their conversation without feeling part of this world anymore. Her brain was slowly working up to a state devoid of any conflicting emotions, and she welcomed the growing numbness.

  “Let her shower,” was one of the few things that she could understand.

  “Of course, sir.” There was a teasing tone in Lina’s voice, and Kat was shocked at her audacity. Who would ever make fun of the large man in the gruesome mask?

  Kat was ushered into a room with a big bed and a mattress on the floor. It was barren of any personal belongings, but the sheets looked comfortable, and the air smelled fresh and sweet. Suddenly she was tired, and Beast had let go of her; his broad back was facing her now.

  She felt herself being lightly pushed by gentle hands onto the mattress on the floor, then, Lina and Beast exited the room but didn’t close the door entirely so she could still see them. Either they didn’t care that she was in hearing range or they thought that she was so shell-shocked that she couldn’t understand them.

  “And, Lina, keep her clean.” He said quietly, but it was clear that it was an order.

  “Whatever you say, Beast,” Lina replied, still with a teasing tone.

  He emitted a deep, almost feral growl. “I mean it.” His broad shoulders were blocking Lina from Kat’s view, but she heard the woman’s startled intake of breath. “Keep. Her. Fucking. Clean. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on her.”

  “But Ivo-”

  “I don’t care. You will also keep him off her when I’m not here until he decides to change his mind about using her,” Beast said in a much harder tone.

  Lina’s dry laugh sounded almost frightened. “Impossible!”

  “You’ll manage. I’ll reward your services – that’s just in advance.” He said as he moved to take something out of his pant pocket.

  Through a haze, she watched Lina put a wad of cash in her bra after Beast extended his arm in her direction. Without turning around, he left, and Kat took her first deep breath since waking up in the room downstairs. Ivo was ugly and scary, but Beast upped all those attributes. He was terrifying. Both men had mistreated her, but she knew that it was Beast that would kill her without a sliver of remorse if she were to disobey him.

  Then, how was she supposed to escape this place?

  or the first hour after she had woken up, Kat had given in to her fear and had cried silently, her body crumbled sideways in a fetal position on the mattress. Would she die? Would Beast return to kill her as mercilessly as he had that man in the alley? If not, what was the purpose of her being alive?

  With a revolting shudder, Kat tried to push the memory of Ivo’s vile words to the back of her mind.

  She cursed not having listened to her grandparents and wished she would have taken a cab home like she had told Andrea. The thought of her family and friends made the ache in her chest unbearable, but it also gave her strength. If she ever wanted to see them again, she should find a way out of that awful predicament.

  Maybe she could escape today, and her Baba and Dedo would never find out she had been missing, would never have to worry. And if they did, surely, they would call the police. Maybe then she would have a chance! But no. Kat was sure that before being found, her grandfather, with his already delicate health, would die of sorrow.

  “Hey you, time for your shower,” Lina said from behind her. Even if it seemed weird due to her personality, she was doing everything that Beast had told her to do.

  Kat didn’t move from the mattress. “I don’t want to.” Frankly, she didn’t care about her appearance, the lousier she looked, the less lik
ely that she would be touched.

  Lina snorted. “You have to do it; you don’t have a choice.” She said with a dangerous tone. Passive-aggressive, that was the right way of describing her attitude.

  Kat remained motionless for a little while, before deciding that she probably should let the water rinse off her fear and disgust so that she could concentrate on her escape plan. Also, she needed information from Lina and should be cooperative.

  Once in the bathroom, she relapsed and cried for another ten minutes.

  Suddenly, a girl entered; she could see her reflected in the mirror. The girl had messy blonde hair atop a dirty face; the makeup on her cheeks was a disaster, and there was a small amount of dried blood in the left corner of her mouth. The cheek on the same side was slightly swollen. She was a wreck.

  The drumming of the shower reminded her of her sore head, the warm water washing away the dirt of her tangled hair. Ivo had done a real number on her scalp by pulling on it so harshly.

  She wanted to stay in the shower forever, shielded by the moist warmth. But eventually, she pulled on the clothes Lina had given her – leggings and a t-shirt – and went back into the room.

  “I’ve brought you breakfast.” Lina put a plate on the bed. “Some of the other girls are still asleep, so there are things to choose from. Come here, sit down.” She said while signaling her to the bed.

  Without all the paint on Lina’s face, Kat could clearly see the lines on her forehead and the crinkles in the corners of her eyes, displaying her age. If she had to guess, Lina must have been somewhere in her late forties.

  Kat sat down on the bed and watched the plate with a shimmer of suspicion. At the same time, she knew that she had to keep her strength up and that she needed to squelch her hunger soon. Kat could go on and starve herself on any given day, but whenever she had to think or work a lot, sustenance for her body was needed.

  And she had yet to devise a plan of survival and escape.

  Reverting to her earlier thoughts, she could not let her grandparents suffer on her behalf.