Page 21 of Viripotent

“I don’t have school. Vlad teaches me things.”

He sighs to himself, and longing fills his voice.

“I wanted to go to school, but it’s not safe. Vlad said it’s stupid anyway because Tali went to school, and he’s still dumb. So he’s going to teach me things, and I won’t be dumb.”

I hug Viktor closer to my side and focus on his show to hide my disdain for the psycho, and what he can possibly teach a child. It’s not one I’ve seen before, and every episode is in a different language. He seems to follow it easily and restarts it from the beginning.

“Do you understand what they’re saying?”

Looking up at my question, he responds, showing my ignorance.

“Falo um pouco de português.”

I’m in awe of a kid as he explains his love of language.

“I haven’t learnt all the words yet, but I got full marks on my test.”

He lowers his voice to a whisper, and his smile is wide, nearly stretching from ear to ear.

“I’ll be better than the other Vory because I’ll know them all, and then people can’t hide.”

Staring back at him with pride, I want to bring him to Steorra so he’s able to make friends with other kids. It’s sad that he’s alone all day and knows multiple languages without anyone to speak to. Even if the reason is disturbing, he’s stillmanaged to learn them.

The playfulness disappears when he looks at something over my shoulder and glares with more heat than he should be able to produce at his young age. Keeping my body in front of Viktor’s, I turn my head to see Vlad silently moving closer with his face set in hard lines. He’s such a fucking heartless prick, he can’t even soften for his own child.

His barked command isn’t at me, it’s worse knowing the innocent ears it’s falling on.

“Get dressed, Dima will be here soon.”

Viktor shuffles off the sofa and he runs past Vlad going down a hallway on the other side of the staircase. I can’t stop my mouth. I don’t give a fuck what he’ll do to me.

“You can speak to everyone like shit, but you don’t treat a child that way. Don’t you have any humanity at all?”

His shoulders twitch and the first thing to move are his eyes as he slowly looks in my direction.

He takes a step forward, and I sit taller, knowing this is a hill I’d be willing to die on. Steorra was originally created to work with orphanages, but it’s gone beyond that. In doing so, I know that the children who are living with their families aren’t always the luckiest. They are with the people who have the power to tear them apart every minute of every day, and I won’t let him try to intimidate me where other people like him have failed.

Strength fills me as I stare up at him, full of righteous morality.

“I deal with people like you every day. Your threats won’t make me shut up. You’ll just be added to the list.”

He pauses in his predatory stalking, his brows come together, and he sounds almost human.

“Who threatened you?”

It’s been four years of dealing with everything from abusive partners to parents trying to gain control over their fragile egos, and I’ve never stepped down. The list is too long to name, and it’s already been dealt with between Verelli’s guards and my own. My charity will remain a neutral zone whether the Vartanovs have an issue with it or not. Each group have their own territory, and I’m not allowing my alliances to change due to marriage when it’s the only thing I’ve worked toward. It’s my only goal in life, and I’ll crumble without it.

I stand, refusing to be in a weaker position, and straighten my dress down. He stares at me, expecting an answer, and I move around him. It’s none of his business what the fuck I do, and I won’t allow anyone to taint the lives of innocent children who need a break from the evil cunts they’ve already been exposed to. He stops me brushing past him and grabs my bicep. It’s not as harsh as his father and his voice is deep and low, pulling me in.

“You will be my wife, and I won’t allow you to weaken my name. The next time they attempt to threaten you, remember that.”

I lean into him without meaning to. His eyes always have this magnetizing power, calling me closer as though they want me to know what’s buried beneath them. We’re so close our noses are nearly touching. My voice lowers without my intention, due to our proximity.

“What makes you think they were able to do it a second time?”

Pride stares back at me. Vlad’s lips curve up, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. The twisted fuck is getting off on the imagined brutality. Stroking my bicep with his thumb has me softening when my brain argues not to. It loses the battle when his nose brushes mine and his whisper has my eyelids drooping.

“Good, hit first and hit harder.”

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