The Mafia and His Obsession, Part 2 by Lylah James

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

Viktor

 

A sense of fear paralyzed me and panic clawed at me. I went from feeling warmth to cold, my stomach sinking deep into my guts.

Valerie’s fingers clenched at my shoulders. She tried to anchor herself to me. Her body moved closer, as if she wanted to hide in me, my body her sanctuary from whoever was behind that door.

But I couldn’t hide her.

Not now. Not like this.

Our eyes met, and her lips wobbled. She understood my silence. Her hands slipped from my shoulders and she let go.

As much as I wanted to steal my beautiful Valerie away, I had to play the cards right. I still had a game to master. And I couldn’t put her into the path of danger.

I forced my arms from around her too; I forced myself to let her go. For now.

She stepped out of my embrace, and I did a quick run toward the large windows. The curtains were heavy and dark enough to hide me. Slipping behind the curtains, I waited. My blood roared, my heart pumped and accelerated.

My fingers twitched. I wasn’t a man who feared others. Never. It wasn’t in my vocabulary. On the contrary, I was always the one to be feared. People cowered for me. My shadows made them tremble, knowing their impending death was waiting. I was the bastard sending them to the door of hell.

For the first time, I felt fear. Real terror.

I heard voices and my body tensed, waiting as I listened to the one-sided conversation. My fists clenched and my fingers dug into my palm. The slight sting of pain kept me grounded as I pushed the edge of insanity away.

When I finally recognized the voice, I felt my muscles unlocking and relaxing.

“I have brought your breakfast,” Sarah said. She was the new maid I had acquired a few weeks ago after Igor’s death. She was an ally, Yegor’s mother, and someone I knew would take care of Valerie if I couldn’t.

But for now, even she couldn’t know the truth of my relationship with Valerie. Nobody could. This bloody life taught me that a secret was no longer a secret if more than one person knew it. “How are you doing today?” Sarah asked. There was only silence from Valerie. Being the real bastard I was, I smiled at the realization. Only I had her voice. It belonged to me, as much as it belonged to my myshka.

The seconds dragged, and when Valerie continued to stay silent, Sarah sighed and I heard her feet shuffling away. The door closed and I released a long exhale. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath in.

Before I could move away from the window, the curtains were pulled away and a smiling Valerie greeted me. “Hi.”

She was always so beautiful and sexy. But sometimes, she was just so fucking cute. Never thought I would admit that, but damn, she was the cutest thing I had ever laid my eyes on.

The panic and fear that had been weighing heavily on my heart melted away, replaced by the warmth Valerie’s smile brought. She took a step forward, bringing our bodies closer into each other.

“I need to go, baby. It’s already so late into the morning. This is dangerous,” I explained. Her shoulders slumped, and her pretty smile disappeared.

I fucking hated it.

My arms found their way around her waist, and I placed a kiss on her forehead. My lips lingered there, not wanting to move away yet. I had to force myself to leave her embrace. Valerie sighed in contentment at my kiss. She soaked it up and I let her. I inhaled her scent and she breathed me in at the same time.

When we pulled away, she nodded. “I have to let you go.”

I observed the way her shoulders were now straight, strength shining in her posture. She was perfection in every single fucking way.

“I will come back tonight,” I said. She looked satisfied with my promise. With another kiss on her lips, I walked out of her bedroom.

As I walked away, a sudden realization dawned on me. I hadn’t been scared for myself when I thought someone was coming into the room. I had been scared for her. I was only worried for Valerie.

I told her I was a selfish man. I took what I wanted; I took what wasn’t mine. Too late, I’ve realized how this could hurt my Valerie. She was innocent, yet she was trapped in the game between two monsters.

Valentin wanted to own her.

I thought I wanted her body at first. I had wanted something forbidden, a taste of something that wasn’t mine. I wanted to own her, maybe to prove I could have whatever I wanted.

It was my rule. I see it. I claim it. It is mine.

I couldn’t claim Ayla, so I wanted to own Valerie in a way no one else could.

But in return, she owned me. And now, I simply just needed her. Like I needed my next breath of air. I inhaled her and exhaled her. She was the air that fueled my survival.

I guessed I was just as weak as Alessio. My lips curled and my fists clenched at the thoughts. I never thought a woman would become my weakness, but I fell down the rabbit hole. I wanted to lie and say I hadn’t been willing—a victim. I wanted to believe that it was Valerie who tempted me, but who the fuck was I kidding?

I seduced her, tempted and played…until we both had fallen down the rabbit hole.

Halfway down the hall, Yegor appeared in front of me. He looked behind my shoulders, toward Valerie’s room. His gaze hardened, and I groaned at his serious-as-fuck expression. “Don’t give me a lecture. I don’t want to hear it.”

His lips were set in a straight line, and I knew it was killing him not to say anything. I saw the frustration in his eyes. Yegor made a strangled sound at the back of his throat, but he wisely stayed quiet on the topic.

Yegor might have been Solonik’s man for years, but he was one of us—an Ivanshov. He was fucking tired of Valentin Solonik, had been for a long time. When he realized what a real asshole Solonik was, he had pledged his loyalty to us when Alessio had taken over as the Pakhan. He had been our eyes for many years.

And now he was my second in command. For every mission, there was an Alpha and a Beta. That was me and Yegor.

“Valentin wants to meet you in his office,” Yegor finally said.

Well, fuck. “He is back?” I growled. I sounded like I was strangling on every word.

Yegor nodded. “He came back about an hour ago. You would have known if you hadn’t been spending your time in Valerie’s room,” he grunted under his breath.

I leveled him with a look. “Watch it, Yegor. There is a line—don’t cross it.”

I started forward, not waiting for his answer. But his words stopped me in my tracks. “You haven’t been careful enough. Do you understand that you are not just putting yourself in danger, but also Valerie? The poor girl won’t even know what hit her when Valentin finally unleashes his anger at your betrayal.”

“One more word and I will fucking knock you out,” I warned in a low voice. A murderous rage boiled inside me at the mention of Valentin hurting Valerie. Turning to face Yegor, I let him see my eyes, the darkness—the evil rage that was hidden perfectly underneath and just waiting for the right moment to attack.

He swallowed, his throat working nervously. His dark eyes slid to the side and then his focus was on me again. “I’m just worried, okay? It’s dangerous for all of us. You have to know that.”

Yegor was a good man, loyal and fierce. I trusted him, that was for sure. Over the last year, he had become a close confidant and a friend. There were very few men like him in our life. I knew his heart and thoughts were all in a good place.

We were on a mission, and he didn’t want anything to mess it up.

I nodded firmly. “I won’t fuck this up. Trust me.”

“Why does it feel like I am basically babysitting you so you don’t really fuck this up?” he immediately responded, with one of his single dark eyebrows raised. The look on his face was now relaxed, so I knew this conversation was behind us now.

I grinned at Yegor with unholy glee and shrugged. “Because that’s basically your job description.”

His lips curled and he huffed before pushing past me and walking away. Yeah, I was an asshole, for sure. Chuckling, I followed behind him to Valentin’s office.

We walked inside to find the bastard sitting behind his desk with a huge smile on his face. He was happy, and that was dangerous. The look on his face said he won a fucking lottery and I didn’t like it. Not at all. Not. One. Fucking. Bit.

“What’s up, old man?” I asked nonchalantly. Dropping on the seat in front of his desk, I lounged back, crossed my right ankle over my opposite knee, and waited for his story. Deep inside me, the boiling rage was subdued.

His face reminded me of my sweet Valerie’s torturous days. Every tear, every pain…every moment of terror. I had great restraint. If not, I would have already leaped off the chair and tore his fucking tongue out through his throat and then shoved it in again before wringing his neck with his own damn intestines.

I would have left him out to rot and the crows to feed on his carcass, a well and bloody reminder to anyone who dared touch my woman.

“I have a gift for you,” he started, snapping me out of my murderous thoughts.

I crossed my arms over my chest. “A gift? What exactly can you give me that I don’t already have?”

He grinned wider, wickedly, and then let out a small laugh. “This one is special.”

I cracked my knuckles as I watched him, waiting. I fingered the gun holstered at my hips, still waiting. The blood sang a song in my veins, itching for a fight.

Valentin pushed something forward on his desk. I leaned in and saw ten pictures. Each was of a different woman. They all looked young, maybe anywhere around eighteen to twenty. Two of them looked almost underage.

“What is this?” I asked, feeling my nostrils flaring, and for a moment I thought I would lose my shit. I didn’t like where this was going.

This was bad…very bad.

“Your future bride. You can to choose one, son. I have cut down the selection to make it easy for you. All ten of these are my favorites. They are beautiful, young, and fertile. I can assure you, they are the best candidates. Just choose one of your liking,” he explained, as if this were an everyday business.

Yegor hissed under his breath as we finally understood Valentin’s plan. My jaw clenched and cracked underneath the pressure as I ground my teeth. “Bride? What the fuck do you mean?”

Valentin tsked, suddenly looking very impatient. “Wife. Marriage. It is time, Konstantin. It is time for you to produce an heir. And you will need one of those women to help you with that.”

My breath was suddenly stuck in my throat. “No,” I said abruptly before I could stop myself.

Valentin’s expression changed, and now he looked unhappy, frustrated at my lack of cooperation. “They are all virgins, if that’s what you are worried about,” he responded easily. Leaning back into his chair, he regarded me with a raised eyebrow.

Konstantin made his appearance, bye bye Viktor. “Oh really? Untouched, you say. They better be. I don’t play with used holes. If one of them is to be my wife, I want someone untouched. Pure, so I can defile them my way.”

It was all a dark web of lies, and now there was no getting out. The words made me sick, and I forced back my urge to throw up.

Valentin smirked and then laughed. He looked satisfied again. “You might not be my real son by blood, but never for one second have I doubted you are my real heir.”

“I would have been offended if you doubted me,” I shot back, calmly.

He waved a hand up and then smiled. “Never, son. Now pick a bride. We don’t have all day. The sooner you choose one, the faster you will have a virgin in your bed. She will be all yours.”

There was only one woman I wanted as mine.

And she was locked in her tower.

A forbidden, dangerous choice she was, but I chose her nonetheless.

I looked at the pictures. The women were truly beautiful. They could have been best described as the daughters of Eve. Tempting seductresses. But none of them did it for me. Not at all.

Randomly selecting one, I pushed it back toward Valentin. He looked down at the photo and grinned widely. Such a sinister smile.

“Perfect choice, Konstantin,” he drawled. “How about you meet her now? Get acquainted?”

My brows furrowed in confusion. My heart thudded. “Now? You have all of them here?”

He nodded. “Of course. I thought you would want to sample your choice before the decision is final. If you don’t like her, then you can choose another.”

Were these women here willingly?

You are a bastard, an asshole, but you are also so stupid. The devil on my shoulder appeared, taunting me yet again. Fuck.

None of these women were willing…of course they weren’t. They were commodities. A virgin pussy and a fertile womb. Their job was to produce me an heir.

I suddenly found it hard to breathe when the door of the office opened. From the corner of my eye, I saw a young girl walking in. She was dressed in a white robe, practically transparent. As she walked deeper into the room and closer to me, I noticed she was completely naked underneath and I could see everything.

Ah, fuck my life.

I looked back at Valentin and saw him devouring her with his eyes. Disgusting pig. He stared at me and then leaned back into his chair comfortably, looking quite happy with his decision.

The girl stopped beside me and then sank to her knees at my feet. My lungs collapsed and my stomach cramped. My fingers flexed, and then I clenched my fists. Anger. Disappointment. Helplessness. I was filled with so many overwhelming emotions.

“She is very obedient. They all are. She is trained to be the perfect wife,” Valentin began. He glanced at the girl for a brief moment and then back at me before continuing. “The perfect whore for you, son. She will listen to you without causing any drama. Even if she does, she is yours to punish and discipline as you would like.”

My throat was dry, and I had to swallow several times. I couldn’t speak, so instead I nodded my head.

She stayed silent, her head down, avoiding any eye contact. The girl was a frozen statue in time. She waited for my command.

“You should test her obedience. I promised someone good, but check for yourself.” His words were spoken low and he looked too eager. The enthusiasm couldn’t be missed from his voice.

His meaning was clear, and I fought the urge to shudder, to kill, to maim. My lips parted, I tried to say no—I wanted to—but Valentin spoke over me before I could refuse, before I could save the girl’s dignity, and before I had a chance to stop my oncoming betrayal to my sweet myshka.

“Suck his cock, Holly. Show him what a good wife you can be.”