LOGINVIKTORMy hands remained behind me even if I’d broken free from the chains already. You know, sealing the act and all.I sat back against the wall, trying to ignore the body pains, as Marco and his men discussed in front of me. They sent looks my way, their eyes filled with hate.“I want to waste him like he’s wasted my friend. I’m not having any compassion, and I don’t give a fuck about who he is. He can be in the mafia all he wants, he’s still under our territory here. Stop being a fucking pussy.” He grabbed the gun off Marco’s hand and pushed him back, stepping up to me. I didn’t move an inch where I sat.His eyes were full of pain. If I had a heart, one that didn’t just fucking respond to Lottie alone, maybe I would have imagined how he was feeling right now, feel sorry for him somehow.But I sat there without a trace of emotion on my face, siding up the man. He was short, lean, easy to handle. My throat bobbed with anticipation when I thought about how satisfying it would be to t
LOTTIE“You have to let me go. You know what would happen if Igor finds out about this nonsense. You know what happens if you harm a family member, especially me. You lose every right to be a Morozov. You lose everything.”That earned me a hard smack across the face. I kept my face to the side, clenching my teeth. Leo grabbed my neck and made me look at him.“Never thought of my brother as such a pussy. I have no idea what you’ve turned him to. He’s not even picking up my calls. Viktor, for once in his life, dipped on a challenge. You, made that happen.”He stared into my eyes like he was daring me to say something. The taste of metal on my tongue had my lips sealed shut. My eyes watered with unshed tears. After I’d been threatened to keep quiet with a gun pointed right at me from the front and behind, I didn’t relent.I waited for the armed men to leave, and then I dialed Viktor’s number again. I called him over and over, I left different voicemails. I left messages that were read.
VIKTOR The referee dropped his hand. “Go!” The big guy came at me with a slow left jab. I stepped inside the punch, slipped my right arm around his head, and hit him hard in the ribs. He grunted and backed up. I did not let him breathe. I pressed forward, threw a left hook to his jaw, and followed it with a straight right to his nose. Bone cracked. Blood hit the canvas floor. The crowd yelled, but the noise sounded far away, like I was underwater. All I could see was Peppe’s face. All I could hear was Lottie telling me to leave. The big guy stumbled back against the ropes. “Hey, hold on—” he spit out. I stepped in and hit him again. A hard right to his cheek. His head snapped back. His legs went soft, and he hit the wooden floor hard on his back. The referee jumped between us, holding his hands up. “That is it! Fight is over! Step back!” I pushed the referee out of the way. I got on top of the big guy on the floor. I grabbed his shirt collar with my left han
VIKTOR ME: Stay calm. He won’t hurt you. I won’t let any of them hurt you. Then I pulled out my phone and started to dial Peppe’s number. He picked up on the first ring. “Hello brother!” He hooted, and my anger rose inside me even more. “What the fuck did you tell my girl?” I barked, rising off the touch like he was in front of me and I could punch his face right here. Peppe let out a long sigh. “I knew she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.” He muttered. “What the fuck did you think you were doing, Peppe?” “Your time is almost up!” Peppe yelled at me. “So?” I yelled back. He laughed. “So? So? You know Leo’s going to kill her, right? I know your brain is all lodged in her pussy, but I hope you at least know this fact for sure.” My fists clenched at the disrespect. “The moment I see you, prepare to lose a few teeth. You know I don’t just say words for the sake of it, I’m sure.” He hissed. “I don’t give a fuck. I can defend myself against you, brother. Everybody is wa
LOTTIE I lay on the bed for a long time, my whole body shaking. The skin on my neck burned where his fingers had squeezed me. The small broken pieces of glass from the lamp lay scattered across the floor and the bedsheets. I was going to die. If I did not do something, I was going to die in this house in less than a week. I sat up slowly, my legs trembling as my feet touched the floor. I wiped the tears from my cheeks with my hands, trying to stop the shaking in my chest. I knew I had said I was done with Viktor. I knew I had blocked his number and told him to stay away from me. But he was the only man in this city who could stop Leo and Peppe. He was the only man who could save me. I walked over to the small table near the closet where my phone sat. My fingers shook so hard I almost dropped the phone on the floor as I tapped the screen. I unblocked his number first. My hands were wet with sweat as I clicked on his name and hit the call button. I brought the phone up
LOTTIE I slammed the door in his face and spent the night crying like a baby. The next day, my eyes were swollen shut as I dried myself from the shower. Suddenly, my door slammed open. Panic gripped me by the throat. “Hey! Why didn’t you knock!” I slapped my towel over my naked body, while Peppe materialized through my front door, his expression cold as ice. He didn’t even swipe a glance at my exposed body. “Can you get the fuck out, please?” I gritted out again. “Or I’m going to scream.” He laughed. “Do you threaten Vik with that nonsense, too?” My mouth went dry, my jaw tightening. “At least turn around so I can tie this up.” He didn’t budge. My shoulders slumped. “Please. Please, I’m begging you.” We stared down at each other for a stretch of time, then he finally whipped around. “ “You see, Vik has an ultimatum with you. And that ultimatum… ends in less than a week. I know what Leo is capable of doing, so in my mercy, I’ve decided to take things in







