Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Then from the shadows a voice like whiplash, calls out, “Ivan.”
To my amazement the devil in front of me freezes. As I watch in disbelief his eyes narrow before he slowly turns to face an imposingly tall man who has stepped out of the shadows.
8
VIKTOR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDcaYbeXeUI
-in the heat of the night-
“Let go of the girl,” I command in Russian.
There is a flash of confusion in his eyes, then he recovers, and lets go of the girl as one would something hot. “It’s nothing, boss. She’s just a dumb broad in a dive bar.”
I frown, unexpectedly furious with him. She’s no broad. She’s just a kid. Hell, she looks like she just turned sixteen. Not that it is any of my business, but what the hell are her parents thinking letting her work in a shithole like this? I keep my tone pleasant so anyone listening would think we were just having a polite conversation in Russian. “Fuck off.”
Ivan’s eyes show frustration and impotent rage, but wordlessly he nods, and moves towards the front door, the two goons who came with him follow closely behind. There is fear in their eyes, but their faces are deliberately impassive.
I walk up to the girl.
Something about her caught my eye as soon as I walked into the dive, but I couldn’t see her properly before. Now that I’m closer I clearly see she is not only too young to be working in this place, with its stink of stale beer, where she’s probably groped at every opportunity, but that she is also very, very, very beautiful. With a heart-shaped face and one of those swollen mouths that look like she has just given some lucky guy an unforgettable blowjob. Her hair runs down her back in a thick golden plait. It’s so long, it goes all the way to her ass. And what an ass it is. Rounded and full. The perfect ass to grab onto while fucking.
I shake my head. Annoyed.
What the fuck is wrong with me? She’s obviously way too young for me. As a rule I don’t like them young. When they are this young, they are too clingy and desperate for ever-lasting love. I like girls who’ve been around the block and understand the nature of the game.
Her sparkling baby-blue eyes jerk towards mine.
She is completely horrified, but as soon as she locks onto my scrutiny, her eyes widen with confusion and some emotion I cannot pinpoint. For a few seconds she simply stares at me, her entire body frozen, as if the world around her has stopped revolving, and there is only me and her. Then, as if remembering herself, she suddenly tears her gaze away, dropping it down to the ground. Her long, luscious lashes make blue shadows on her silky cheeks. My gaze drifts lower.
Her top is open too low.
Showing off her pert, little breasts and I can’t fucking help myself. The image of me sucking those breasts slams into my head. I shake the stray thought away, disgusted with myself. I hate predators like Epstein.
She’s just a kid. A fragile thing that needs protecting, not hitting on.
How in heaven’s name did I get here?
This is not me. Part of me silently fumes that through no fault of my own I’m now the owner of a loan shark outfit. In an ideal world, I’d never ever set foot in a place like this, but my cousin, Alexei, unable to meet all his financial obligations, ran away and left me with his mess.
So… I now own his business and I’m not sure I like being the owner of thugs like Ivan bullying small-time business owners like Larry, or being in the position of saving under-aged damsels in distress that I am disgustingly attracted to. It all leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
“Are you ok?” I ask her.
She shakes her head slowly, not speaking, and the tears that were shining in her beautiful eyes spill over. I should push a few thousand dollars into her hand, apologize for Ivan’s brutishness and leave, but something about her holds me in place. I don’t know what it is, but every instinct in me is telling me I need to protect her. Stupidly, I reach out to her.
She flinches back from me.
I raise both my hands, to show her I’m not going to touch her if she doesn’t want me to.
“It’s ok,” I say in a reassuring voice. “I’m just going to take you outside for five minutes to get you some fresh air and let you calm down, ok?”
“I’ll get fired,” she whispers.
Larry is standing behind the bar, watching the scene with an open mouth.
“Are you in the habit of firing your staff if I ask them to step outside with me for a moment and they do it?” I ask.
“N-no, of course not,” he stutters. Then he forces a smile to his white face. “Take all the time you want, Amelia.”