“Yes. All thanks to Viktor for making it easy.” They laughed. My head spun in circles, my heart beat drummed, and I felt the sweat gather on my forehead before I finally passed out.
***********
“Don't worry about it, my love. You're safe with me.” Viktor's voice blocked out the blare in the background. He held me in his hands, and I gazed at his charming eyes. He leaned in close until the air tightened between us.
“Let's go home.” He said.
I traced out his face with my index finger. His eyes flared into mine, and I fell into the moment.
“You didn't think I was going to let them take you, right?”
“I didn't think I would survive without you, Vik.”
His lips came close and pressed on mine. We detached for a second, and I loved that he kissed me. His lips were softer than anything I'd felt, and I wanted more. His lips tasted of mint. His skin felt smoother than leather, and then he began to wobble.
“What's wrong?” He didn't respond. Instead, his face rippled, and I stood at the centre of the hall. It was empty. The silence echoed in a stunning frequency, and I walked towards the exit door.
“Viktor?” I yelled in a hopeful scream. “Viktor!”
I turned the door handle and walked out of the hall. This was when I noticed that my mouth didn’t move whene I called Viktor's name.
I had a glazed view of where I was when I first opened my eyes. I closed them again, trying to get a hold of myself before I opened them back up. The air was dusty, and my hands were bound behind a chair alongside my legs.
Fuck! I hissed as soon as I realised that it was all a dream.
“She's alive!” The same voice I heard in the hall echoed around the large warehouse. Brown carton boxes were stacked upon themselves to a high tower, two forklifts stayed static by my right side, and the man with the silver canine tooth and a tattoo of fire on his neck stood.
“Who are you?”
“Wrong question, honey.” He smiled along with the rest of his men, who were around the car area to my left. “But, I'll give you a clue. I'm Viktor's worst nightmare.”
Something about the way he introduced himself made him sound like a joke. The first time I met with Viktor was in a mansion filled with innumerable guards. This bald-headed man brought me to a warehouse, thinking he was Viktor's only nightmare? What a joke.
“What do you want with me?”
“Everything. We want everything with you. You see, we thought that maybe if we abducted your father, he'd give us the leverage we needed to get what we want. But with you, we could have so much more.”
“So you're the one who took my dad?” The man smiled at me as though what I said sounded funny. “Is he alive?”
“Yes. He's very much alive, although he's no fun. We tried to break him into pieces. We tortured him and made him bleed.But your dad is pretty useless. Turns out everyone wants your daddy dead. There's no use for a dead man in a lively world.”
“So, why did you capture me?”
“Because you're our golden ticket to your husband's fortunes, honey. Viktor Lobanov, the king of New York. The great Pakhan of the Bratva. We really hit the jackpot with you, but not to worry, when we're done, you'll thank us.”
I sat in silence and tried to digest the information I received from this man while he paced to and fro. I didn't find him threatening. I was amused that he had the guts to do what he did, knowing very well that the consequences of his stupidity would be death.
“Where is he?”
“Where's who?”
“My father. Where did you keep him?”
“We dumped him in the gala as bait. He knows we have you, and hopefully, that's all we need in order for the message to get passed to your husband. The only thing I fear is the reaction on Viktor's face when your daddy tells him that we abducted you. It would be priceless to watch him get furious. But none of that will matter if he doesn't comply.”
What he said sounded funny to me, but I sighed, giving him a quick glance. The man had broad shoulders and a cleft chin. Nothing about him amused me, nor did I find him attractive. He kept pacing as though in search of something on the floor, and I stifled a laugh.
“What's funny?” He asked. I didn't answer, so he came close and raised my chin. “You think this is funny?”
