Both men were about the same height and body mass, but Viktor seemed to move with inhuman speed. Pavel couldn’t seem to dodge his blows. Every muscle in Ava’s body froze in place. She thought Viktor would deliver one blow and walk away. Pavel and he would laugh off the incident after Pavel apologized to Ava. Viktor’s punches were relentless. Brutal. Her stomach heaved. Ava could throw up. She’d only seen violence in movies. Real life was ugly. Incomprehensible.
Pavel spat out blood and tried to fend off Viktor’s blows.
“Stop it,” she whispered. Ava glanced at Katya. The other woman was witnessing this shit show unfold but Katya only stared blankly at her computer screen. Ava wouldn’t be getting any help from the other woman. She seemed interested in staying out of the fight. If Ava was smart, she’d mimic Katya too, but surely, this wasn’t normal.
Ava dragged herself out of her seat. Fear dogged her every step, but like hell she’d allow Viktor to kill Pavel right in front of her eyes. Viktor wasn’t stopping. Even as Pavel slumped against the wall, his eyes glazed, and with his blood pouring from his broken nose, Viktor seemed far from done. Gathering courage, she ran up to Viktor. She grabbed his arm.
“Stop. What do you think you’re doing? He’s your brother. Isn’t he the only blood you have left?” she yelled at Viktor.
Viktor froze.
She could see the muscles in his neck bunching up. His closed fist looked bruised, covered in blood. Pavel’s blood. The sight made her sick to the stomach. Who was she kidding?
Deep down, she must’ve known something was wrong with this job. Some of the numbers on the reports Peck left behind didn’t make any sense. When she questioned Katya about some of those unaccounted-for assets, Katya told her to keep the information to herself. To do what Viktor hired her for. The money had been too good. The salary allowed her to keep her apartment. Ava was able to continue supporting her mom.
“Viktor don’t do this, please. It’s all a misunderstanding. We were just joking around. He didn’t mean me any harm. It’s just something we do,” she whispered. Right now, Viktor terrified her. She’d just witness him nearly beat his own brother to death, and for what? Because he thought Pavel was threatening her? Mine. That was what he called her. This wasn’t right. He had no right acting all possessive and psychotic because Viktor had no claim to her. Wasn’t he the one who made it clear that there was nothing between them?
“Something you do?” he repeated, looking from Pavel’s broken face and back to her. Viktor’s face became unreadable. Bloodless. “Does he flirt with you often?”
“No, it’s not like that at all. We’re just … friends.” That word sounded a little odd on her lips, but she desperately needed Viktor to believe there was nothing going on between Pavel and her. “So, Viktor, please. Release him. I don’t really understand what brought this on, but he’s your brother. Doesn’t that count for something?”
Viktor released Pavel, much to her relief. She looked at the other man, expecting to see nothing but hatred burning in Pavel’s eyes. He flashed her a grateful look. Ava took a hesitant step backward as Viktor turned his full attention to her. He didn’t say anything.
“He needs medical attention,” she said.
“I’ll make sure he gets it,” Katya said, suddenly standing beside her. “It’s okay now, Ava.”
Katya took her arm and led her back to her desk. The other woman gave her a susceptible nod. “You continue your job. This will all be fixed.”
Viktor slammed his office door shut, making them both jump.
“I can’t go with you to the hospital?” she asked Katya.
“No hospitals. We have our own on-call doctor.”
Katya’s words puzzled her. Katya phoned someone. Ava recognized the big, tattooed, and golden-haired man who appeared in the hallway. Motya. Another one of Viktor’s associates. Motya took one look at Pavel, then swore. He didn’t ask Katya any questions. The two of them hefted Pavel and started for the stairs, leaving Ava alone in the office space. Alone with Viktor.
What the hell was going on? Nothing made any sense in this place. This couldn’t be normal. Her hands shook on the keyboard. She tried to go back to work, like Katya suggested, but her brain refused to work. How could she pretend everything was normal after what she just witnessed? She stared at the spot on the wall where Viktor had pummeled his own bother into a pulp. The flecks of drying blood there turned her stomach.
Should she call the cops? And tell them what? That she suspected her boss was a criminal and oh, that he nearly killed his own brother? God. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into? She should’ve known Viktor’s job offer had been too good to be true.
Ava thought back to his numerous visitors. She always thought they wore ill-fitting suits. No doubt those tailored suits cost thousands. To Ava, their clothes didn’t quite fit them because it felt like they were trying too hard to pass for normal but weren’t succeeding at all. She thought it had all been in her head, but maybe it wasn’t.
She looked furtively at Viktor’s door. Just who was Viktor, and what kind of business did he run?
Chapter Ten
Viktor didn’t bother with a glass. He chugged down the vodka, savoring the fiery liquid as it burned his throat. He studied Ava through his computer screen. Viktor had cameras outside his office and had one installed directly facing her desk. That way, he could see whatever she was doing on her computer. So far, she’d been a good girl. Ava was a robot. She didn’t even check her social media pages or watch cute animal videos on her computer. It was spreadsheets on her screen all day long.
Then she had to witness his horrifying display earlier. Viktor had gone off the rails, which hadn’t happened since his father’s funeral. Pavel had been the hothead. Viktor might not be afraid to get his hands dirty, but he always thought two, three steps ahead. Seeing his brother touching what rightfully belonged to him didn’t seem right. It didn’t help that Viktor also just escaped a shoot-out with his skin intact. He drank more vodka to dull the headache pounding at the back of his skull.
A Mogilevich hitman assaulted him right outside the street, just as Viktor exited the doors of Violetta, the Italian restaurant the Castello Family operated. The Castellos had been their long-time allies, since the time of his great-grandfather. He didn’t think the Castellos betrayed him. They had been as surprised as he was when the Mogilevich assassin tried to take him out in broad light and in a neighborhood that was considered Castello Family territory.
Viktor didn’t know how long he stayed in his office. He knew he should get up, get a change of clothes. The hitman had ruined one of his favorite suits. The bulletproof vest he wore underneath his clothes started to feel uncomfortable. The bullets the vest caught were evidence. Viktor would have Motya send the vest to the city’s crime lab. They were easy to bribe and never refused any one of his requests.
Someone knocked on his door. Viktor wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone in particular. He looked at the cameras again. His gaze went to Ava first. His busy little bee was back to doing her reports. Motya and Katya were standing out his door. Might as well get this over and done with.
“Come in,” he said with a sigh.
The two entered his office. Motya shut the door behind him.
“Pavel?” he asked. If it weren’t for Ava, Viktor might be missing a brother right now.
Somehow, hearing her voice had helped him come to his senses. To return to reality. Viktor deeply regretted his actions, but he couldn’t undo the past. What was done was done. Besides, Pavel should’ve known better than to lay a finger on what rightfully belonged to Viktor.
“Is in the infirmary. He’s stable,” Katya said.
She gave him a disapproving look, which he ignored. Katya had been a runaway when Viktor’s father had found her, the daughter of a fallen Bratva Family. She was family, a kind of foster sister to Viktor. Her loyalty was one of the things Viktor could count on. She hadn’t been too happy when Viktor asked her to keep a close e
ye on Ava, but he could tell Ava had started working her magic on her. Viktor noticed the two women frequently chatted and ate lunch together.
“Then there’s nothing else to discuss,” he said.
“Boss, what about what happened earlier?” Motya asked him.
Katya crossed her arms, frowning. She looked at him now with a mixture of disdain and concern. “Let me guess. Someone tried to kill you again?” she asked drily.
“Not important for now. Once Pavel regains consciousness, we’ll gather the other lieutenants and discuss our next move against the Mogilevich Bratva.” His words were a dismissal.
“What about Ava?” Katya finally asked.
“What about her?”
“She witnessed everything. Wouldn’t she talk?” Motya asked. “Would it be better to buy her silence?”
Katya pursed her lips but said nothing. Clearly, Ava was no longer just a babysitting job to her. Should Viktor be concerned? It wasn’t easy, winning Katya over. Then again, he didn’t know what he wanted to do with Ava either.
“I’ll handle her. Leave her to me.” Both of them nodded, then left his office. Through his cameras, he saw Motya leaving the office. Katya went back to her seat. She and Ava exchanged a few words, but they were too soft for Viktor’s cameras to pick up. Damn Katya, she probably knew he was listening in.
It didn’t matter. Viktor checked the time on his computer. Almost 5:00. Katya always went home early to pick up her daughter from daycare. Ava often worked overtime, despite being told she didn’t have a deadline. Viktor waited for the right moment until Katya left. He had time to consider what he’d tell Ava. He finally called her.
“What can I do for you, Viktor?” she asked.
Her voice sounded a little shaky and unsure. He was surprised she hadn’t run out of the office the moment Katya and Motya left with Pavel. No. Instead, she stayed where she was and did her job. Her actions pleased him greatly. Cowards seldom lived long in his line of work. Ava stood her ground. She had the qualities Viktor was looking for in a wife.
Not that Viktor was thinking of making her his bride. His outburst earlier clearly revealed he still had some lingering feelings for her, but he was still pretty sure marrying her would be a grave mistake. For one, she would bring nothing to the table. If Viktor did decide to take a wife, it would be the daughter from another Crime Family to secure an alliance. Too bad Viktor wasn’t the marrying type.
“Come inside my office. Please.” He added the last word to make it seem like everything was fine.
“Okay.”
She knocked on his door, then stepped inside. Viktor studied her. She ran her fingers through her curls, then nervously chewed on her bottom lip.
“Take a seat,” he said, nodding to the chair in front of his desk. She sat, fidgeting with her hands. Ava couldn’t seem to sit still. She reminded him of a rat caught in a trap.
“Is Pavel okay?” she asked.
He stared at her, unsure of what to think. Her question threw him slightly off. Any other woman in Ava’s shoes would be more worried about herself than someone else. Pavel was a complete stranger to her, but he didn’t mishear the concern in her voice.
“He’ll recover.”
“Viktor, why did—” She hesitated, as if choosing her next words with care. “He’s your brother,” she finally finished.
“And he made a mistake. So, I taught him a lesson he wouldn’t forget.”
“A lesson? What kind of world are you living in?” She rose to her feet. “Sure, Pavel was being a jerk, but that doesn’t mean—”
“So, he tried something with you?” he interrupted. Viktor really should have finished the job.
“No, I don’t know.” Ava slumped back in her chair. “You really could have killed him.”
“Pavel has a thick skull.”
“How can you be so nonchalant about this?” she demanded. “Why can’t you seem to understand that it’s not fine to treat your brother that way?”
“Violence has been part of my family history since the beginning.” He shrugged. She looked at him, understanding and pity filling her big blue eyes. Pity was one emotion he couldn’t stand. Besides, they were getting way off track. “Do you know why I called you in here, Ava?”
“I have a feeling, yeah.”
“You are not to speak to anyone about what you’ve seen today,” he said.
“Or what?”
“Do I really have to answer that question?” he asked with a tired sigh. Viktor let the threat hang in the air. Ava was a smart girl. She’d figure it out. She also probably understood that she couldn’t get out of this easily either. Not after everything she saw. Katya also told him Ava had asked about some of the assets in his accounts. Ava hadn’t lied to him. She really was a good accountant, but was she smart enough to keep her mouth shut?
Ava tightly gripped the armrests of her seat. “Viktor, can you answer me honestly for once?”
“Depends if you ask the right question.”
Ava took a deep breath. “Okay. You don’t just operate strip clubs, don’t you?”
“No,” he simply answered. “Is that all you want to know? Do I have your silence on the matter or not?”
Viktor could tell her he knew exactly where her mother and best friend lived. Ava didn’t have many connections. Viktor could easily ruin her life if he chose. A part of him wanted her to know he wasn’t the monster she thought him to be, so he chose not to elaborate further.
She swallowed. “Yes, I’ll keep your secrets. What good would going to the authorities do for me anyway? I’ll be out of a job and I’ll make an enemy out of someone dangerous.”
“That’s a wise decision, Ava. Those who cross me always regret it afterward.”
“What happened to you, anyway? You don’t look so good. Maybe you should see a doctor, too?” Ava stood up, about to approach him, but he raised a hand. She halted.
“I’m fine. Just a little dusty. Go home early tonight, Ava. Work will be waiting for you the next morning.”
“No, I’d like to finish one report first.”
“Very well, then I’ll stay here as well. I’ll drive you home.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she blurted.
“The streets are no longer safe at night, and I insist.” Viktor hoped she understood he wasn’t offering her a voice.
He’d given her a command. With the Mogileviches becoming more and more persistent about eliminating him, he needed to keep those he cared about close to him. Viktor did care for Ava greatly, even though she only started working for him. Even if he knew next to nothing about her except the fact she was good in bed.
“Okay then. My car’s at the shop and I don’t like taking the subway late at night. Thanks for the offer.” Ava flashed him an uncertain smile, then returned to her desk.
“What am I going to do with you, Ava?” he murmured. Viktor continued watching her through his camera.
Chapter Eleven
Ava yawned and stretched as she turned off her computer.
“Ready to leave?” Viktor asked.
She froze. Ava must be more tired than she thought because she didn’t hear him leave his office. Viktor had finally changed out of his clothes earlier and was now wearing jeans and a plain black shirt that showed off his well-defined arms and the black ink there.
“What?” he asked when he noticed her staring.
“Oh. Um. Nothing. I just have trouble imagining you in casual clothes.” Ava picked up her purse. “I’m ready.”
Could she pass for normal? Or maybe she wasn’t fooling Viktor at all. She still couldn’t get over what happened earlier. How Viktor flew in a rage simply because he saw Pavel flirting with her?
God. That made Viktor a monster, didn’t it? Who knew what else he was capable of? Except as much as she’d been terrified of him hours ago, an illogical part of her knew Viktor would never hurt her. It made zero sense.
“Good.” Viktor placed a hand on her back and nudged her down
the stairs. The strip club was crowded at this time of the night. Ava waded past a throng of drunk office workers. One handsy guy gave her a smirk, about to squeeze her breast, but Viktor caught his hand. He howled when Viktor twisted his arm savagely. A bouncer arrived before the guy’s friends could make sense of what had happened.
“Keep walking,” Viktor said, his breath warm against her ear.
A little shaken, Ava walked toward the exit. She was starting to sweat. The music and the jostling crowd didn’t help. She was beginning to feel a little lightheaded as Viktor escorted her out of the club. She swayed a little on her feet. If Viktor hadn’t pulled her close to him, she would’ve stumbled.
His big body felt warm and solid against her. Then she remembered how easily he hurt that guy in the club. She swallowed. Today, she’d caught glimpses of a monster living under his skin. Viktor told her violence was a part and parcel of his life, that he lived and breathed in it. Could she continue working for a man like that?
“What’s wrong?” Viktor asked, frowning at her. Was that concern in his dark gaze? God. This man confused her on so many levels. He could be manipulative and controlling one moment and caring and protective the next. Just who was the real Viktor?
“Nothing. Just got a little dizzy.”
“You’ve been working too hard.” Viktor led her to his black Mercedes. He unlocked the door and gently guided her inside the seat. Ava leaned against the cool leather seat. Viktor got behind the wheel.
“This is nothing. I’ve pulled all-nighters at my old firm before,” she said.
Viktor started the engine. “The firm that treated you like shit.”
“You don’t have to remind me,” she said with a scoff. Did she miss working at her old company? Not really. Despite the oddities she noticed in her new job, every day felt like an adventure. Ava didn’t know what to expect.
“Viktor, that guy in the club,” she began.
“Don’t start. The fucker was lucky I didn’t break anything.”
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