by S F Draven
“Ah, of course. You’re on the eighteenth floor. Would you like me to have someone take your bags upstairs for you?” asked the pleasant receptionist, handing me my room key.
“No, that is quite alright. Thank you.”
I took the room key between my fingers, taking a quick glance over my shoulders before making my way to the elevator. I swiped the key to allow the buttons to work, pressing it in and waiting patiently for it to take me to my floor. I walked down the long winding hallway, lit perfectly by expensive chandeliers and lovely gold-leafed wallpaper. Once I arrived at my door, I sauntered inside, throwing my nearly empty luggage aside and taking a sigh of relief. It wasn’t very often that I ever had a moment to myself, and with a rarity like this one, I planned on reaping all of the benefits before I’d have to sell myself out to some stranger that Edik was going to try to intercept midway. The man loved to bask in his wealth, but he never gave much thought to the fact that it could all be gone in the blink of an eye if he ever pissed off the wrong man.
Edik was smart, but he was also incredibly cocky, and he never liked to be told what to do. He acted quite childish whenever things didn’t go his way, and I used to ignore all of those red flags in the beginning, but as time drew on, he became more dangerous. Every moment of every day was spent with me wondering whether he was going to tire of me, leaving me for dead somewhere whenever he took me along on these little missions of his. I was just hoping that everything could go down without a hitch, so I could go back to living the life of a pretend housewife in Edik’s mansion, trying to figure out how I was going to one day plan my escape. There had been a lot of people in my life who warned me about staying, but I never listened because at the time I just loved Edik with all of my heart. I never thought that he would have it in him to betray me, nor did I ever think I’d be caught in an abusive situation that made me afraid to leave.
He had my entire life in his hands, my finances, and everything I needed to stay afloat. He never ceased to hold that over my head whenever it was convenient, but I felt it in my heart that the day would come where I’d have had enough. It was in times like this that I really allowed myself to dream of what a better life really would be like. I wondered who I’d be once I made it out of Edik’s grasp for good, if I’d ever manage to fall in love again, or if I was even capable of standing on my own two feet. My fantasies started to spill over into reality as I thought about the man I’d just spent an incredible night with, the man I was supposedly going to be seeing a lot more of. The spark between Aleksandr and I made me realize how much time I’d wasted worrying about whether I’d ever feel like myself again.
Those moments with him made me see that I hadn’t lost myself entirely, that there was still the semblance of a young, carefree girl looking for adventure. Now, things were certainly more complicated, but that didn’t mean I was going to give up hope. In my downtime, I found myself daydreaming about that night, about how he felt on top of me as he led me into a wave of pleasure I’d never be able to forget. I wanted to feel that way again, I wanted to experience that kind of passion in a way that didn’t come with strings, but I had a feeling that his loyalty was going to lie with Edik. There was one thing about the men in the crime world, they never dared to touch the women that belonged to their allies, but they didn’t care how they treated them behind the scenes. Edik was a great example of that, because what we had together was absolutely laughable. To think that there was a time where all I wanted from him was his last name, to share the rest of our lives together in holy matrimony.
I could see much clearer now after my night with Aleksandr because he opened my eyes up to a whole new world of possibilities. I felt invincible when I was around him, like I was the one calling the shots for a change. He hung off of every word I said, and he didn’t talk down to me the way Edik did all the time. It was a lovely change of pace, one I’d hope to find again someday if Aleksandr truly didn’t want to overstep where his friend was concerned. I could only hope that I made it long enough to see that day because the more powerful Edik grew to be, the more he began to see that he didn’t really need me anymore. The minute he deems me to be useless, I know he’s going to kill me. I could feel it, and I had for a while. My days were numbered, but that was one of the reasons I allowed myself to get involved with Aleksandr in the first place. I wanted to feel alive again, even if it was going to be for the very last time.
I had a few hours to kill before I’d have to meet this stranger down at the bar, hoping to capture his attention long enough for him to join me back up in my room. The entire situation gave me a headache, because I was starting to wonder what I was going to do if Edik didn’t get to me in time. I had a way to protect myself now, even if Edik wanted me to swindle this man out of his money, not caring what he did to me afterward. I was tired of following every one of Edik’s rules even if it meant that I had to put my life and my self-worth on the line. I glanced around the hotel room, opening up the bedside drawers to find that there was a letter opener in one of them. I took it out, placing it on the notepad next to me, just in case I’d have to reach for it if things were to get ugly.
I laid on the bed fully dressed for hours, waiting for the call from Edik to tell me that it was time to work my magic. I watched the sunset from my room, drifting off to sleep every few minutes until the time finally came around. I heard the hotel room phone ring, and I reluctantly answered it.
“Hello?”
“It’s time, my dear. Make me proud,” said Edik, and I didn’t say anything in return. I took a deep breath, slipping back into my heels, shutting the room door behind me hoping that everything was going to be okay. I made it down to the bar a few minutes later, noticing all the men in their expensive suits sipping on their drinks as they talked up beautiful women. It was quite lively for a hotel bar, but I couldn’t get too caught up in the scenery because I had a job to do. Edik had given me twenty minutes to get him up to the room, where he promised to barge in and take over the dirty work. I wasn’t going to wait any longer than that for him to save me, and I was trying to convince myself that I was capable of doing it on my own.
I sat down at the bar and the attractive bartender came over and asked me what I’d like to have.
“Surprise me,” I said, and he nodded.
I glanced to my left, noticing that the target was in sight. He smiled at me, and I shot him a coy smirk in return. I knew it was only going to be a matter of time before he came over to talk to me, hoping to get something more than just a lovely conversation. The bartender handed me a glistening purple cocktail moments later, and I sipped on the potent beverage lightly, afraid that it was going to make me too tipsy too fast. I set the glass down on its napkin, just as I felt a man tap me lightly on the shoulder.
“Good evening,” said Frederick, as I reminded myself to not let him know that I was aware of his first name.
“Hello,” I said, softly.
“What’s a beautiful woman like you doing here alone?”
“I suppose I just needed a break. Some time to think, let off a little steam, you know?” I replied, baiting him as I was told.
“Oh, trust me, I completely understand,” he said with an expectant grin on his face. That was enough to hook him, and I knew we’d be moving to a place a bit quieter very soon. Looks like I’m going to have things done before the time limit. It will be up to me to see how I can prolong it to the twenty-minute mark, and not a moment too soon.
We spoke about his job, about how much money he spent renovating his new mansion, but nowhere in that conversation did he offer up any sign of a financial struggle. It boggled my mind how men like him could be so greedy that they just couldn’t pay back what they owed the people they borrowed from. It would certainly keep me out of the equation, and I found myself starting to tune him out entirely, as my mind drifted off elsewhere. I had to ground myself before I lost sight of the target, because if he caught wind of me being even the slightest bit disinterested, he might leave. I
couldn’t afford to let that happen, because I knew I’d be paying the consequences by Edik’s hand at the end of the night.
The conversation kept moving along, until I suggested that our surroundings were getting to be a little loud, and I’d rather have a more intimate conversation up in my room. He looked at me the way most men would in his situation, hungry, and absolutely ready to pounce.
“Here’s a key. I’ll see you up there in a few minutes,” I said, and he smirked at me.
I felt my stomach turn at what was going to come next, but I shook it off, making my way back to the elevator, with the only sound being the clacking of my heels on the marble floor. Everyone was heading to bed now, and my night was just beginning. I had five minutes left at this point before Edik would hopefully come barging in to collect what he was owed, and I could have the rest of the evening to myself.
I sat on the chaise lounge at the far end of the room, and I heard a knock on my door moments later. He knocked, and he has a key. How polite, I thought, watching the door open as I inched closer to him. His eyes traveled down my body and he pulled me in close. I lifted his chin by my fingernail, pressing my lips into his, while his hands started to move to the small of my back. I tried to keep a straight face, tried to appear like I was genuinely interested, but it was far more difficult than it usually was. We started to move to the bedroom, and I opened my eyes, glancing over at the clock on the wall to see that the time for Edik to arrive had passed. He’s late, again. My body erupted with anger, and I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands before things went any further.
He laid down on the bed, and I got on top of him, stretching my tight dress as it hiked up near my panties. I reached over to the bedside to grab the letter holder, running my fingers along it to make sure that it was just sharp enough to do the job. I kissed him lightly, holding it to his neck so he’d have a surprise once his eyelids fluttered open again.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he asked, startled.
“I’m doing what Edik Ostrovsky should’ve done had he arrived on time. I heard you owed him some money, and I’m going to do my part to collect it for him. Get your hands off me, and tell me where the money is before I drive this letter opener into your neck,” I warned, annoyed that it had to come to this. My hand was shaking but I hoped Frederick didn’t notice. I needed to come off like I meant business if I wanted him to take me seriously.
“You fucking bitch,” he said, trying to throw me off of him but I made a small incision in his neck, and he winced.
“Tell me where the money is and I can let you walk out of here before Edik arrives with his cavalry,” I said, and this resonated with him. He thought about it for a moment before he decided to fess up that he had just enough in his hotel room in cash to cover what he owed.
“Why not just give it back?” I asked, sounding rather naïve, but it was a question that had been on my mind for some time.
“It doesn’t matter if I managed to pay my dues, darling. He’s going to kill me anyway,” he said, and it was in that moment that I realized I still had a lot to learn about this life.
I always assumed that the men Edik took down really did cross him, but now I was starting to see that it was possible he just used that as an excuse to take out the competition. He always wanted to make it to the top, reign supreme over all of the other men who wanted to be him. Now, I was an accomplice to his crime, and in an effort to save myself, I may have just won myself a bargaining chip.
Chapter Five: Aleksandr
I can’t get her out of my mind. Every minute of every day I find myself thinking about how incredible she felt under me, the warmth of her skin pressing into mine. She’s such a vision, so different from any other woman I’ve ever met. No wonder Edik fell for her. She’s exactly the kind of woman that would drive any of us mad, and I don’t know how to face him after what I did. There has to be a reason behind why she allowed things to get as far as they did, and I’m starting to think that maybe there’s a part of her that’s unhappy in her current relationship. They looked like a married couple when I saw them up there that night, and I was surprised to learn that hadn’t even crossed Edik’s mind.
I was sipping lightly on a strong shot of espresso as I planned my day, knowing that I had to meet with Edik later that week if I decided to go through with completing the job.
It was going to be an easy kill, something that wouldn’t usually make me think twice, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Edik had an ulterior motive. He was the kind of guy I wanted to do business with because he had much more experience in the field than I did, but I was also afraid of letting him call too many of the shots. I wanted to be in charge of my own game, running things the way I saw fit, but I was beginning to feel like this was my opportunity to do just that when the time was right. Edik and I had a strong friendship, even if we didn’t always agree on everything. However, there was still the problem with me sleeping with his woman, moreover that I wanted to do it again. That kind of thing was forbidden in the unwritten honor code of the Bratva community, but I found it hard to ignore the urges that surfaced within me.
I decided that the only way I was ever going to sleep at night again would be for me to have another conversation with Irina, ask her why things went down the way they did that night, because if she could give me a valid reason, I’d feel better if it were to happen again. I wasn’t sure if getting involved financially with Edik would be a good idea if I planned on seeing his woman behind his back, but I had to do what was best for business, and I had to do what felt right. Irina felt right, and there was no ignoring that. It was the first time in a long time that I felt anything other than just satisfying an urge. She made me feel things I didn’t even know I was capable of, and I didn’t want to lose that. I supposed I would make a hard decision when the time came, but for now I had to fulfill this contract to prove to Edik that I was serious about doing business with him.
I took a deep breath, trying to decide how I was going to get to this target of his. His name was Frederick Preobrazhensky, and he was staying at a hotel not too far from my location. I was told that he would be preoccupied with a woman who would get him all buttered up and ready to talk. I sighed, knowing that doing this job may seal my fate as I knew it, but there was no better time than the present. I reloaded my guns, made sure to slip a pocket knife into my boot, before taking off to the hotel. It was well into the morning, and I had a feeling that Edik would’ve wanted me to make a decision much earlier than I did, but I could only hope that the target was still in there, ready to be intercepted.
Edik was the kind of man that wanted everyone else around him to do his dirty work, and I wondered then where he got the woman who would be willing to spend enough time with Frederick until someone came to collect the money that was owed. It was thoroughly explained that I was to spare her, not to lay a finger on her. It was at that moment I realized Edik probably had women like this lined up to make things a bit easier on him, getting all of his targets in vulnerable positions before taking care of things himself. Though this time he wouldn’t be arriving to make the kill, I was.
I got to the hotel, parking a few blocks away as I entered. No one seemed to mind that I wasn’t so much as carrying a suitcase, or anything that indicated that I’d be staying for long. I was given the room number that I was supposed to enter, and I headed up to the floor, ignoring the tourists and travelers who joined me in the elevator. I was always afraid of them making small talk, because I didn’t want anyone to place me at the scene of a crime, especially when it was going to occur in broad daylight. I got to the room, using the master key that was left in the file for me, and when I got inside, what I saw before me left me in utter shock.
“You?” I asked, looking down at the bloodied and bruised girl standing before me, and the mess of a man who laid dead behind her.
“You’re not Edik,” said Irina, and I couldn’t believe that she was even there, much less involved in something like this
.
“He gave me this contract the night of the party, telling me that he was going to have a woman here to entertain Frederick for long enough so he’d be able to collect his money without worry. Why would you be the one he chose?” I asked her, wondering how Edik could’ve allowed something like this to happen.
“The relationship or lack thereof that Edik and I have is a complicated one. This isn’t the first time that he’s asked me to do this, and this also isn’t the first time that he didn’t show up when he said he would,” she said, looking down at the ground before her.
“He parades you around to do his dirty work then? The woman he’s supposed to be in love with?”
“He hasn’t been in love with me for a very long time, Aleksandr. He keeps me around because I’m useful at the moment, but if I ever tried to leave, he’d surely kill me. I’m a pawn in his game, and I know there’s a sick part of him that enjoys watching me suffer. I decided to take matters into my own hands this time, because I wasn’t going to let another man take advantage of me ever again,” she said, as tears began to well up in her eyes.
“He orchestrated this entire thing, but why?” I asked.
“He doesn’t care that you’d find me here, because to him, this is all business. He only cares about the money he’s going to receive once this is all over, and you decide to start a partnership with him,” she said.
“To hell with that.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I’m not going to let him do this to you, Irina. You don’t deserve to live out the rest of your days like this. No one does,” I said, as my mind started to run wild with all of the possibilities of how I was going to get her out of here for good.
“If you do this, Aleksandr, he’s going to come after you. He may not care who takes advantage of me when he’s the one calling the shots, but he doesn’t like people to snatch his toys away from him,” she said.
