Three

PETROV

Against her ghostly skin, the girl’s marks were grotesque. Petrov didn’t want to believe that one of his men had touched her, but someone clearly had. She had large, red fingerprints on her neck. He knew they would turn purple by tomorrow and deepen over the coming week before leaving ugly, yellow blotches.

The girl’s hand went to her neck. Maybe she was surprised he had said something. She stayed still, not bothering to reply to him. She was defiant in her own little way, but he didn’t want to play right now. He needed answers.

“I will say this only once. I Capo’t like repeating myself. The next time you Capo’t answer me, I will put you down.” Her eyes widened. “Who choked you?” he asked calmly.

The girl’s eyes nervously darted toward one of his men. His gaze followed the direction before landing on Tev who held a napkin to his cheek.

Of course.

His eyebrows furrowed at Tev. He was the only one who could have possibly touched her. He was aware that Tev was frisky with women. That meant he acted without an order.

“Tev?” Petrov questioned, returning his attention to the girl.

The girl bit down on her lip before she replied, “Yes.”

He tried not to sigh. He tried to cover up his wrath before beckoning Tev with a finger to stand across from him. The girl moved away and stood to the side.

“You touched her?” he asked with an edge to his voice.

“She cussed at me!” Tev said, his eyes throwing daggers at the girl.

Petrov arched an eyebrow at him. “And she said what?”

“She said, ‘fuck you’ to me.”

Petrov blinked slowly and glanced at the girl.

Fuck you?

That didn’t seem like the nervous girl he met at the ball.

Then, he turned his gaze to Tev, looking at his bleeding cheek.

“What happened to your face?”

Tev glared at the girl. “She clawed me.”

Petrov hid a smile. “Did you touch her anywhere else?”

“He tried to feel me up and grabbed my arm tightly,” the girl answered instead.

Petrov didn’t miss the revengeful look Tev threw at the girl. She was clutching her arms and fiddling with her fingers nervously. He focused on her words again. Her voice still unsettled him. She was like a little beauty, someone who looked like an angel, yet her voice was anything but that. No softness was behind it. Her voice was less timid and more confident now. There was power in her voice… like an authoritative figure.

He would deal with Tev, but something else piqued up his curiosity now.

“What is your name?” Petrov asked her, suspiciously.

Her amber eyes met his. “Esther.”

Esther. “Full name,” he demanded.

She exhaled slowly before she replied, “Esther Griffith.”

He gazed at her again. “I’m Petrov,” he mocked her.

He knew he didn’t need to introduce himself. She knew who he was. He could tell, but he still felt the need to introduce himself. She looked at him bewildered and baffled, as if scoffing at him. He tried to hide a smile at her being uncomfortable.

“Where do you work?” he asked.

“I’m a waitress.”

He was surprised now. “At?”

“In Queens. Hank’s Diner.”

He arched an eyebrow. That was a long way from the Hamptons.

“And how did a waitress get invited to a high society masquerade ball?”

He wasn’t high society, although his family legacy was loaded with money. There was nothing classy and high society about having his hands covered in blood.

She looked at him, confused. “I had a date. He invited me.”

“Matteo Constantino,” he added.

“He came to the restaurant where I was working. He came to meet someone there.”

Petrov only nodded. Constantino was one of the richest men in the city. It didn’t surprise him that he’d seen Esther and invited her as his date. She was stunning.

So fucking stunning.

“Check her background Alessandro,” he said loudly to one of his men.

Alessandro only nodded.

Petrov just wanted to be sure.

He had too many rivals already.

He glanced up at Esther again.

“You mentioned people would give money for you?”

He didn’t care about the money though.

She opened her mouth to speak before clamping it shut. A tendril of hair hung loose around her face and seemed to be irritating her eye. She reached up and quickly shoved it back. “I have $6,000 in my bank account.”

Petrov only looked at her amused. Was that supposed to impress him? That amount was a lot to others, but little compared to his lifestyle.

“I liked your other offer better.”

Take me.

Her doe-like eyes widened at him.

“You said you have family?” he asked, changing the topic now. “Who do you live with? Is there anyone who would look for you?”

She bit her lip nervously and shook her head. “I live by myself.”

Did she lie just then? Of course, she would have said anything then to get out. He didn’t mind too much though.

“You have a boyfriend? A husband?” he asked.

She shook her head again. “No.”

That surprised him. How was she single?

“A girlfriend?” he asked instead.

Her answer would disappoint him if she said, yes.

She wouldn’t sway his way then.

She shook her head again.

“I asked you a question. When I do, you answer me, and not just nod,” Petrov said in a stern, annoyed voice.

Her eyes narrowed at him. “I Capo’t.”

“You have parents who would look for you? Siblings?”

She was about to shake her hand again, but then thought better of it. “No. I was raised in foster homes.”

An orphan? That was strange. She had nobody. He was suspicious again. Too good to be true. Was she lying to him and protecting someone? He set his jaw and scowled at her, keeping his stare icy. Alessandro would do a thorough background check.

Then, he returned to the original issue.

“Show me your arms.”

Esther almost jumped hearing his loud command. She looked stunned before chewing on that full lip of hers. Hunger churned in his stomach. She needed to stop doing that. He wanted to bite her lip instead.

“Your bruises,” Petrov said, bored now.

Then, she lifted the sleeve of her velvet black dress and pulled it back.

“Come closer,” he ordered.

She walked with hesitant footsteps toward him, as if afraid of him. She placed her arm before him. There were angry fresh marks on her creamy, pale flesh.

He stood up, and Esther stepped backward, caught off guard.

All of the men tensed up.

Petrov clasped his hands behind his back as he stared at Tev. He was a good head taller than Tev. Tev stared at him with fear in his eyes. He looked shit scared.

“Did he say something to you?” he asked, still looking at Tev but directing the question at Esther. When she hesitated too long, he jerked his head in her direction, annoyed again.

She had already broken his rule multiple times. Her replies were too slow. The girl licked her lips, and his eyes followed that movement. She exhaled slowly before she spoke, “He said, ‘Maybe Capo will share.’”

Petrov dropped his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose, angrily. His eyes hardened and his jaw ticked. Then, his furious eyes shot to Tev who recoiled in response.

“I Capo’t know whether to cut off your tongue for what you said or your hand for what you did,” Petrov said.

Tev’s eyes widened, almost bugging out of their sockets.

Esther stilled.

“Maybe both?” Petrov offered smoothly.

Something built up inside him, a need to hunt and kill. He couldn’t kill his right hand though, Tev was the best fighter he had, and he knew Tev would lay down his life for him when the time came. But that didn’t excuse his actions.

Petrov’s fiery eyes met Tev’s.

“On your knees,” he ordered.

Tev glanced nervously between Petrov and the rest of the men, who stayed still, watching the show. They knew better than to interfere.

Tev nodded and dropped slowly to the ground.

“Which hand did he touch you with?” Petrov asked Esther.

Esther was silent. Then, he threw a heated gaze at her, and her eyes widened.

He hoped she remembered the earlier threat he had made.

He didn’t like repeating himself.

“B-both,” she stammered.

Idiot. Petrov wanted to shake his head.

Before Petrov even had to ask, Tev had already prepared himself for his punishment. He placed his hand on the ground next to Petrov’s shoe.

Petrov looked Esther in the eye before lifting his foot and stamping down hard onto Tev’s hand. He didn’t even blink, not even once. Tev’s bones cracked and crunched under his foot, but he made himself immune to his right-hand’s pain. Pain worked like a charm in his world. Those who didn’t listen had to be punished.

He never took his gaze off her, relishing her reaction. He could smell her fear even from a distance. She knew now exactly who she was dealing with.

A choked scream left her mouth. Then, she quickly covered it with her hand. She looked at him with disbelief, as if she couldn’t really believe he was hurting one of his own men. Did she think he was doing it for her? He wasn’t. She had offered herself to Petrov, not Tev. And by laying a hand on her, Tev had overstepped the mark, he’d wanted to appear beyond the rules, and he couldn’t let that pass unpunished.

Beside him, Tev didn’t scream, although he did let out an agonized grunt.

He was tough, one of the reasons Petrov kept him around.

Tev’s hand was undoubtedly broken now.

Then, he repeated the same action with Tev’s other hand.

This time the girl, Esther, didn’t scream. She only gasped in surprise.

Tev was below him bruised with broken hands. No one could overrule him. Ever. He would destroy anyone who would try. He had killed before for less.

“Your hands will heal. Capo’t disobey my order again. Next time I’ll cut your tongue out.”

He knew the message was clear.

You obey me, and Capo’t touch what’s mine.

Then, he dismissed Tev and the rest of his men.

Tev struggled to rise. It was hard for him since his hands were battered, and he couldn’t use them to support himself. Petrov stood there, forcing himself to stay still.

Tev nodded with his gaze lowered and walked away with a backward glance. The rest of the men followed him leaving Petrov alone with a scared Esther.

Petrov took two strides toward her and stood in front of her now. He loosely shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared down at her.

She was tall, taller than the women he’d been with before. She still reached his shoulders though. He was six feet-two. She lowered her hand from her face as her glimmering almond-shaped eyes stared up at him. She seemed lost at what had just happened to her in the space of a few hours.

Abducted, held hostage, witness to a murder, and then she’d seen a man’s hands being crushed.

Up close, her beauty was even more alarming.

Every part of his senses was alert. He’d seen her face when she pulled off her masquerade mask and dropped it on the parking lot cement. That was a confident, ballsy move, revealing her identity. She hadn’t been afraid that he could have denied her and killed her instead.

He’d seen many pretty women before, but this one was beautiful. That was the word to describe her. It had been forever since he’d found a woman beautiful. She had offered herself as a willing hostage in exchange to spare her life.

He studied her features. She had freckles on her nose. His eyes were drawn to her full, pink colored rosebud lips. Then, his eyes took in the rest of her face. He was openly checking her out. She had a long, graceful neck. She was beautiful. Exotic.

Her eyes collided with his, and he was sure the lust was clear in his eyes. Her eyes didn’t have desire for him nor there was any flirting air about her.

There was just smoldering hate.

“You crushed his hands,” she said, maybe trying to deflect from the situation.

“I did,” he simply confirmed. “And I would do it again.”

There was no hesitation in his voice as he spoke.

Then, Esther did something.

She clasped her arms behind her, as if offering herself all over again.

The sight of her made his mouth water and primal instinct hit him, to take what she was offering.

Did she even know what she was doing?

It was strange. Tev had tried to touch her, and she had attacked him. She wasn’t in battle mode anymore though. Maybe she feared him more than Tev.

He arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to speak.

“Are you going to do it here?” she asked, quietly.

“Do what?” he questioned.

He knew what she was insinuating, still he felt the need to ask.

“What I offered,” she replied, casting her gaze to the ground. “Because you clearly Capo’t want the money.”

She looked defeated.

The hate and defiance he’d seen momentarily was gone.

He wanted it back.

He liked that little fire, the spirit she had shown.

Petrov’s gaze dropped down to her swollen neck. He wanted to reach out and trace her delicate, soft skin with his fingers. Her pulse jumped in her throat as she swallowed hard. His eyes followed the direction of the little movement. Her was aware she was afraid, and she should be. A part of him liked her fear and relished it.

“I haven’t decided what I want from you,” he lied.

He knew exactly what he wanted.

Esther’s head jerked up, confused before staring at him cautiously. “I’m not a hostage then?” she questioned.

“No,” he replied.

You never were. I just let you assume that.

“I’ll send the maid to you with clothes and dinner. She’ll show you to your room where you will sleep.”

Petrov turned around to leave.

“Sleep?” Esther asked, with doubt in her voice.

He paused, and his eyes met her confused ones.

“Yes. You will sleep.”

It wasn’t a request but an order.

Then, he left her standing there.