Synful Reading,
Crimson Syn
Glossary of Terms
Gde devushka? Where is the girl?
Pochemu ona ne umerla? Why didn’t she die?
Chertovsky nekompetentyy ublyudok. Damn incompetent bastard.
Ty neblagodarnyy, kusok der’ma! You, ungrateful piece of shit!
Razgovarivat’! Talk!
Prologue
ROSE
Of course, I'd forgotten my charger, the phone probably sat at the edge of my desk, hidden between contracts and files. I was halfway home when I realized I'd left my lifeline back at the office. Everything I needed to survive was on that phone. My Kindle, my music, my contact list, my whole schedule. There was no way I could leave my phone; my boss would kill me if I didn't have the information he needed on hand. I always had it with me, but my mind was a jumbled mess today. I'd been like this all day. Forgetting things, having to go back twice for items and paperwork.
The casting company had recently acquired a new model, and she was the talk of the agency. Stunning, talented, and the sweetest thing you’d ever meet. She was young, and I could tell she wasn’t used to the fuss people created around her.
Oliver Hayes, our star photographer, had been ecstatic when we signed her on, and he hadn't left her side the entire day. As his assistant, I had to run around beside him making sure everything went smoothly. Even during the photo shoot, I was there with him fixing the lighting and posing the models. Our problem wasn't really that things could go wrong, it was keeping the innocent April away from the claws of Vadik Baranov. Son of Alexander Baranov, one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in Russia. He also had very heavy ties to the Russian Mafia, better known as the Bratva.
Vadik was born with a golden spoon in his mouth and not one thing could be denied to him. He was immature and ruthless in his management. He didn't care for his employees, to him they were a means to money and women. Oliver Hayes had been acquired with just that, a hefty sum to keep him at Vadik's mercy. Baranov Elite Modeling Agency was created just to fit the needs of Vadik's perversions. His father gifted him the company on his twenty-first birthday, and the only reason it thrived was that his father allowed it to.
The problem with Vadik being around was that he tended to get a little too up close and personal with the models. He was a profound sex addict with a taste for young females. The younger the better, and April fit that description to the T. Vadik had no scruples, if he could whip out his dick and fuck her right there on the shoot he would. I knew of one incident where he told everyone to get out and the girl was raped while everyone heard her screaming in the next room. No one moved a finger in fear of their own lives, because that's how it was in any Baranov Industry. You do not touch or speak ill of the Baranovs, and any illegal activity was paid off with a ridiculous amount of money. Lyksander had no limits, especially when it came to protecting Vadik.
I was used to it all. Learned the hard way. When I first started, I thought I could rise quickly. I had a degree in Business and Marketing. I was supposed to be someone. That was until Vadik lay his sights on me. He was lewd and cruel, forcing me to bend to his will whenever he got the chance. Until one day, he succeeded. He locked me in his office and lunged at me. I was one of the lucky few who escaped with only a few bruises, but I paid dearly for it. I was immediately demoted, and I was put under contract to never say a word, yet I could not leave the company. If I did, I'd lose everything I had, and although I didn't have much, my life was a worthy down payment for them.
Finding myself in a place where I couldn’t save myself, I turned it around and used my position to help any girl who might find herself in trouble. It was all I could do.
Running down the hallway I stopped short at the muffled sounds coming from one of the dark offices in the back. Ignoring it, I quickly made my way to my cubicle and grabbed my phone, tucking it into my backpack. As I turned to leave, I heard it again, only this time the sound of banging preceded it. It was a steady hammering and curious, I slowly made my way down the vacant hallway. The offices were all empty, and it was an eerie sensation to be there alone, or at least, what I thought was alone.
I slowly approached that back office, and as I turned the corner, what I saw caught me off guard. There she was, her head pressed against the photocopier, the light from the scanner illuminated her face as it swept across it. The sound of copies being made was deafening as tears filled her eyes. Those eyes that were now trained on me.
“You want to say no to me, you fucking slut! I know you wanted my dick!” He had shoved her skirt up over her waist, and he was fucking her, each thrust lifted the photocopier off the floor, only for it to bang back down in a consistent disturbing rhythm.
I wanted to help her, but just as I went to call out, something glimmered in his hand. He looked wild, his face deformed. His mouth was open, tongue hanging out as he licked his lips and as I stood there terrified, unable to move, I watched him grip her hair, yanking her head up. The words that came out of his mouth were slurred and wretched.
“You are one ugly bitch. You would be nothing without me, and I don’t even know why I hired you.”
With that said, he lifted the sharp object, pressing to her neck, and in one swift move, he sliced right through the skin. I covered my mouth in shock, horror running up my spine. Her head fell back down as the scanner continued to light up her now dead brown eyes. Tears flew down across my cheeks as I pressed back against the hallway wall, the only light was that of the exit door.
“Ugh, this fucking pussy is tight as fuck.” He continued to defile her, ramming himself into her dead body.
I took another step back and tripped along a wire that was plugged into the wall. My misstep caused me to bang against the light switch, lighting the hallway up. When I looked up, his eyes were on me. I was frozen still, my eyes darting from him to the blood that dripped down the side of the copier. It drained into the garbage can below, hitting the plastic bag and filling the silence with an ominous sound.
Drip. Rustle. Drip. Rustle.
I screamed as he bounded toward me and I headed right toward the exit door. The corridor seemed eternal as I ran towards it. He slid across the blood on the floor and slammed into the wall behind me. I screamed again as I tried desperately to get away from him. Slamming the door open, I jumped down the metal fire escape. He was right behind me, screaming out my name.
“Rose! Rose, come!”
I couldn’t register what he was saying as I ran down the steps. I screamed as my feet slid in my haste, sending me down a few steps and I dangled dangerously from the railing. Gathering my footing, I kept descending the fourteen flights.
“You fucking, bitch! I said get the fuck over here!”
I finally reached the last step, out of breath, my heart racing. I looked up and he was only a few steps away. Looking down, I took my chances and jumped. It was only a couple feet off the ground and in my urgency, I landed wrong, twisting my ankle. I got up and limped as fast as I could down the alley. There was nowhere to hide, and I didn't dare look back as I turned right into another dark street.
“I’m going to tear you apart!” He screamed, the sound echoing against the buildings.
I was out of breath and the pain was slowing me down. I turned a corner and suddenly, there was my salvation. A homeless man lay on the floor covered in newspapers, another one lay next to him. As I walked down the street, the sound of the train rumbled above us. I was surrounded by these strangers and I quickly did what I could to survive. Taking out my wallet, I rushed over to a woman who was sitting near a tent.
“I need your help.”
“Take a number, Sweetheart.”
“Look, I have money. All I need is that jacket and for you hide me.”
She eyed me for a second, narrowing her eyes on something behind me. When I turned, I saw his shadow inching its way over to us.
“Please. I beg you,” my voice cracked as I realized this was my only chance. If she didn’t h
elp me he’d find me, and there would be no mercy.
Seeing the anguish in my eyes, she took pity on me. Grabbing my hand she shoved me behind a shopping cart, putting newspapers and garbage bags over me. Pressing a finger to her lips, she shushed me, the dirt on her face making her barely visible in the night. I watched through an opening in the cart. I couldn’t see much, but I could hear his footsteps getting closer. He approached my hiding spot and I could make out his expensive black, Armani shoes. He took a few steps towards the woman and paused.
“Did you see anyone come through here?”
“I see a lot of people every day.”
“A girl!” He seethed.
“No girls. Only lonely men,” she laughed sharply, a sound that felt like nails dragging across a chalkboard.
I shifted a little and when I did, a few items topped over onto the floor. I clenched my eyes closed, trembling in fear.
“What’s back there?” He took a few steps, but the lady acted quick, and I’d never been so grateful to someone in my life.
“Hey! You can’t touch my stuff! Thief! He’s a thief!”
I stayed quietly hidden as she began a commotion, several other people coming over to him. I could see his face and the look of disgust impregnated on it. He kept swiping at their hands as he began to get farther and farther away. After a little while, the lady came back to me. Grabbing my hand, she helped me out from beneath the garbage, her eyes traced with empathy.
“I don’t know what you did, child, but that man won’t stop looking until he finds you. I know. I’ve lived that before.”
“Thank you so much,” I clutched her hands and she closed her eyes.
"Just go. Runaway as fast as you can. He didn't look like a very nice man."
I nodded, handing her another wad of cash before I slowly made my way out of those streets and caught a cab. I couldn’t go back home, that would be the first place he’d look. Instead, I went to the closest ATM and took out as much money as I could, the rest I put in my mother’s account.
I made my way into a clothing store and bought a larger backpack, some necessities, a hoodie, some jeans, and a few other items. Stuffing them into the backpack I quickly made my way out. Before leaving, I stopped a stranger and asked them to borrow their phone, telling them it was an emergency. The guy was nice enough to give it to me and I quickly dialed my mother.
“Mom?”
“Baby, where are you?”
“Mom I need you to do me a favor.”
“What’s that, Sweetheart?”
“I need you to pack up your stuff and I need you to go to Aunt Susan’s.”
“Aunt Susan lives clear cross country.”
"Mom listen to me," my words sharp, even though I was trying my very best not to let the frustration through. "Just do what I tell you for once. Something bad has happened. I can't explain what right now, but I need you to go. I put some money into your account. Take it and leave."
“Are you okay?” Her tone of concern brought a lump to my throat and I tried not to show her my fear.
“I-I don’t know, Mom, I just need you safe okay. You’ll be safe with Aunt Susan.”
My Uncle, Carl, was a sniper in the war. If there was anyone who could keep my mother safe, it was him.
“I’ll call you when I get a chance, okay?”
“Honey, please, you can’t just…”
“Just do what I tell you. I’ll explain everything later.”
It broke my heart to hang the phone up on my mother, but I needed to go. The longer I waited, the faster these people would come looking for me. And when they did, I needed to be as far away as possible.
1
JAKE
I watched quietly from my perch on the balcony. I’d been out here for about an hour, waiting for any movement. Two months had passed already, two months of watching, of measuring every step she took, of knowing what made her smile, what made her cry, what made her hide.
Two months of wanting a woman made any man dangerous.
The light was good this evening, the sun staying up long enough for me to make out her perfect body. I observed her silhouette reflected against the shower curtain while I sipped on my drink. The light struck just right, enough so I could make out the soft curve of her ass, her hair wet as it hung below her waistline, the way she lifted a leg and dipped a hand between her legs. I imagined her plush breasts dripping wet as she ran her hands through her hair. Those same pink tips arching as I entered her.
My cock twitched and I set the thought aside for now. There was no room in this business for those types of thoughts. Those were the types of things that got you abused, maimed, or murdered. I'd been hired to find her, and then simply watch her. See what she would do, but lately, she'd been a bad girl. I'd found her wandering near the police station just this morning, simply staring at the large brick building, contemplating whether or not it could be her salvation. But she had a life she needed to protect. One which she tried to hide, but I'd found it tucked away in the Virginia woods. An attractive woman, just like her daughter. And she was clueless to the dealings that were going on behind her back.
Rose Blackthorne was a key witness to the recent brutalities that my boss’s son inflicted on others. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. My sole duty was to report every move she made. But last night, all that had changed. I was a hired gun, someone who could get rid of her as quietly, and as discreetly as possible. Problem was, I wanted to fuck her more than I wanted to dispose of that beautiful body. My task had become an unwanted burden. She had to be destroyed, that was my job. Ten million. Ten million and my freedom for doing this one thing. So why the fuck wasn’t I budging.
Getting away from Lyksander Baranov was my sole mission in this fucking life. Trusting him was what destroyed me in the first place. After I got back from the war, I'd tried getting a job, but the economy had gone to shit. I'd been contacted by a guy I knew in my unit, told him what was going on, and he told me he may have a job for me. I never expected for it to be at the Baranov Industries, let alone doing Security for them. It all looked great on paper. Great benefits, great money, great perks, but it was the small print I should have paid attention to. The one that stated I would take all security measures necessary to keep Mr. Baranov and his family in a good light. The one that stated I would eventually be the hired gunman of his whole fucked up establishment. The one where I sold my soul to the devil.
In the last eight years, I'd learned that my life wasn't worth much to these bastards. They used me as they saw fit, and I was contracted to protect the biggest piece of shit that existed in this whole damned place.
Vadik Baranov.
I had never met anyone so disgustingly conniving and evil, and because of him, I lost who I was and became the monster that I am today. I'd become a contracted gunman overnight, and I couldn't say I was proud of it. Cleaning up after this motherfucker's mess became my only duty, and believe me, it was more than anyone could handle. Any wrong he committed, I was there to make sure not one word came of it. No one found out of any of Vadik Baranov's sins, not even his father. And using my connections, I was able to steer him clear of the spotlight. But this time, this time he'd gone too far. Not only had he beaten and raped a young seventeen-year-old girl, but he'd also locked her up in a studio to use her whenever he saw fit. Manipulated her, hid her from her parents, and taken her life.
The bloody mess I'd walked into had been heinous. I had to make sure the body was removed quietly, and then pay off anyone who spoke of the girl. She was no longer to exist to anyone, and if her parents asked, she'd just left, and no one had any knowledge of where she'd gone. That was the hardest part. Convincing her naive mother and father that she wasn't lying in a hole somewhere, a hole I had dug up and buried her in, a hole where no one would ever visit her, or leave her flowers.
It was bad enough I had to deal with that shit, I also had to handle Oliver Hayes. The pompous photographer who couldn’t live without his assistant
. I had to make sure he remained calm in the presence of Vadik as he explained that he had to let Rose go because she was stealing the company’s ideas and selling them to a rival. All lies that had to be concocted to cover up his murderous streak. The fucker didn’t even show one ounce of remorse as he sat there, unblinking while quietly reassuring Hayes.
Oliver had fought for her tooth and nail and didn't believe one lie that came out of Vadik's mouth. But he was also well trained to keep his mouth shut and accept whatever lies the Baranovs threw at him. He settled for a new assistant and all expenses paid trip to Europe to photograph any model of his choosing. I sensed he was wary when accepting, but the next day he was on a plane, on his way to forgetting Rose Blackthorne.
And what of my Rose?
My Rose had seen the entire thing go down. You could see her in the video footage I’d gotten of the incident, just how terrified she’d been. Glued to the spot as he slit the girl’s throat.
To an untrained eye, they'd ask, why did she just stand there. But if you notice closely, how her lips part, how she longed to say a word. If she would have just said something, one word. But the action happened so fast, she didn't even have a chance. In a way, I felt bad for my beautiful Rose. She was the type of woman to blame herself and she continued to do so.
She’d run out the fire exit door, only to be pursued by a man who’d just run out of luck. She’d been smart, and just barely managed to escape his grasp, only to be hunted by me. She’d been the sole witness to a crime committed by a Baranov, and that would not go unscathed.
Leave Me Breathless: The Black Rose Collection Page 22
