Page 58 of A Pawn in the Game
“This little brat killed one of my best men!” Funny, he’s calling me a brat while sounding like one himself.
One, two, three. I count to calm my nerves before getting up from the chair and turning toward Uncle.
“He disobeyed my explicit orders.”
“And what orders were that? What did he do that was so bad?” His face is red with anger.
“He was told not to touch her. And he did.” My voice turns coarse, the effort of keeping my shit together painful.
“He wasn’t going to hurt her! He just wanted to have some fun.”
My vision blurs as my ears start buzzing. Fuck keeping calm. In a second, I press my forearm to his neck and push him back. His head hits the wall with a thud and his eyes widen as he feels the pressure of my hand on his throat.
His two goons are on me right away, yanking at my shoulders. I shake them off, keeping my eyes on Toma.
“I told him not to touch her. You’re the one who thinks disrespect should be punished by death. I was only following your suggestions.”
Toma brings both of his hands up and I release the pressure.He gasps for air, placing his hand on his throat, to check if it’s still in one piece.
“You shouldn’t have killed him.” His voice breaks.
“He should have known better,” I respond coldly, and turn toward the door. Having no intention of hearing more berating from my brother, I stomp out, lighting a cigarette as soon as my foot steps outside.
I don’t give a fuck about what both of them think. I would gladly kill that motherfucker again, and I wouldn’t mind killing Toma for being the one who sent him, either.
I start the car and back out of the parking space. Stopping at the first stoplight, I contemplate my destination for a second before heading right. I should go home to walk the dogs. But I can’t wipe Sophie’s face from my memory. How upset she was when she realized I had to leave. And I promised her I’d be back.
Ten minutes later, I’m parking in front of the club. There’s a large crowd inside and I have to elbow my way to the back where my office and the stairs to the dungeon are.
How the hell is this place so crowded since I’ve been doing nothing to make it better?
A guy next to me moves, giving me an uninterrupted view of a young girl Uncle hired grinding her ass on some guy’s laps. Mystery solved, I guess.
I make a stop to grab a bottle of rakia and a change of clothes, and head downstairs. My heart pumps in a quick rhythm as I unlock the door, letting myself in. Sophie’s sitting on the bed, her hair in her classic messy bun, her brows scrunched as she studies the book in front of her. Her gaze picks up, her face brightening instantly.
My heart jumps into my throat and I swallow it down.
“You’re back,” she says, and I hear the relief in her voice.
“I am,” I respond and clear my throat. Turning to Ivan, I say, “You can bring dinner and you’re free to go.”
He heads upstairs, closing the door behind him. I drop myclothes on the chair, approaching Sophie. “What are you reading?”
Her cheeks flush. “What you gave me.” She clears her throat. “This is, I guess, is some sort of a guide through the world of sexual dominance and submission. From 1993.”
I wince. “Sorry. These were the only books I could find in the office upstairs.”
“They’re pretty informative.” She shrugs her shoulders, closing the book and placing it on the bed beside her. “You’re already done with your work?”
A chuckle escapes me. “Not even close. But I won’t be doing more today.”
She opens her mouth to say something, before closing it again. Eventually, she says, “Want to play chess?”
A huge weight drops from my shoulders. I can’t really discern the reason for it, but a game of chess seems like the best thing to do right now, by far.
“Sure, I’ll just grab a quick shower. And the food will be here soon. We should eat first.”
“Oh, yeah.” She shoots me a small smile, which hits me straight in the chest. Her smiles are rare, but fucking addictive.
