Page 65 of Koroleva

Mid-week, I went out on a job. The damn Chinese guy was screwing us over in one of our most profitable areas; I had to send a loud and clear message. It was night and I slipped into a dark alley, where I knew I’d find the guy lurking in the shadows.

I returned home bloodied and exhausted. I went straight to the bathroom. I didn’t like the stench of blood. My knuckles hurt and I could still hear the snaps of broken bones in my auditory nerves. What I didn’t expect was that when I opened the door, he was inside.

The transparent shower screen didn’t hide an inch of his body covered in soap. His right hand was stroking his erect member while the left leaned against the marble covering the front wall.

I would have swallowed if my mouth hadn't gone dry. Our eyes met at the moment his climax splashed against the wall with a muted yell.

I felt the urge to kneel and receive it, for him to grab my hair carrying away the images of that bastard torn to shreds.

I uttered an "I’m sorry," that died in his pupils, as I left the room to go downstairs to dissipate the blood and the heat.

I had to explain my state.

"Is it about Wednesday?" he repeated.

"Maybe. Cheng thinks he can trample on us."

"And why doesn’t your boss just order us to finish him off directly?" he asked coldly. I gestured for a couple more glasses to be filled.

"Massimo isn’t quite sold on the idea. He thinks Cheng will feel pressured because of our alliance and will decide to leave with his tail between his legs. I’m not so sure, neither is R, but for now, it's his father who’s in charge, so..."

"Guys, wait for me in the office, I’ll come as soon as I can, as you see how things are here, there you can talk more comfortably." He threw a glance towards a neighboring seat where there was a guy who seemed attentive to our conversation and wasn't one of ours.

"Let’s go."

I took Andrey with me, and as soon as I turned on the office light, he did a visual sweep.

The walls were covered with images of motorcycles. There was a large desk with three chairs. An aged leather sofa, a liquor cabinet, and a shelf where Romeo and Dante stored papers.

"You're going to love this liquor; it's Italian." I sought out the high-proof drink and this time I served it for both of us.

"If I didn't know it was impossible, I’d think you want to get me drunk," he commented like a whip crack. I offered him a smile.

"And what reason could I possibly have to do that?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Why do you want me to drink vodka while they serve you water?" I stopped filling the glasses and looked at him. His eyes gleamed lethally.

"Because I want you to relax, because you don’t talk, and because I need to know who is the guy sleeping in my bed every night." I walked fearlessly up to him and offered him the glass. He downed the contents in one gulp and set it on the table with a dry thud.

"I'm the man who could have killed you in the blink of an eye, the one who knows you go to bed later and get up earlier because I turn you on." This time it was I who swallowed the fiery liquid and set the glass next to his.

I faced him.

"I could kill you too," I responded threateningly.

"You and how many more? Without your gun, you're dead."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Then, let's see it."

He didn’t give me time to brace myself. His movement was so quick that in a flash he had me immobilized on the floor. I had fallen on my back with a thud that drove the air from my lungs. He was on top of me, his muscles pressing against my body.

He was smiling, mere millimeters from my mouth, his hands holding my head.

"A simple twist and you would have stopped breathing."

"And why didn’t you do it? What does your boss want? What do you want?" I goaded him.

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