Page 32 of Sins He Taught Me (Bratva Crime Syndicate 3)

She looks so fragile this close to me. Like I could break her in half with one hand.

“You should watch how you talk to me, Victoria,” I warn her in a low, soft tone. I can sense Daniel staring at me, though my men are keeping him rooted in his seat. Even if they weren’t, the pathetic son of a bitch doesn’t have the balls to intervene. If he did, I’d gut him alive. Everybody in the room knows that.

I keep my attention trained on his daughter. “There are other ways to hurt you than what Faddei threatened, and the Justice Killer won’t be there to help you this time.”

Her confidence seems to falter. Her eyes grow wide with fear. She presses her lips together in a straight line and nods, taking heed.

I linger there for a second longer. Then I release her and step back.

The spell is broken.

“The two of you have put me in a tough spot,” I muse. “Half of me says to just kill you both and hang your bodies from the rafters.” The idea is appealing. A neat solution to a mess that has spiraled out of control. A first step towards taking back the reins of my suddenly chaotic life.

“But,” I continue, waving a hand as I turn back to the table to take another swig of whiskey, “the other half doesn’t want to deal with the cleanup.” I cross my arms and lean back against my desk. “So, Daniel, tell me how we fix this scenario. Tell me how you get yourself out of this besporyadok, this mess.”

Silence reigns for a moment. Daniel stutters. I can practically see the gears in his head working—rusted and broken from years of crippling addictions. It makes me want to put him out of his misery here and now.

He looks like he’s about to suggest something. Something that will only piss me off further, no doubt.

But it’s Victoria that speaks instead.

“Let me work off his debt,” she whispers.

I look her over, my mind racing with possibilities. I could get quite a bit of use out of something like her. I could spend hours making her work off Daniel’s debt on her knees, putting that mouth of hers to better use. I’d make her mine, in every single way possible. The idea of owning her is too good to give up.

But most tempting of all is what she will do for my case with Niko. I think back to what that social worker had said about my so-called probationary status.

You’ve got a week to make some changes in your life and home. Get things in order…

A rich single man with a reputation…

A woman like Victoria—clean-cut, all-American, pleasant, vanilla—could be the exact thing I need to secure my nephew’s custody on a permanent basis.

And the way she laid that jacket over him just now… there’s a tenderness to her that might be just what Niko needs.

“I can work as a servant for you. A cook, a maid. Whatever it is that you need. I’ll stay out of your way and make sure everything is perfect for you when you get home. Anything. Just don’t hurt my dad.”

“Vic, no,” he starts, but when I tighten my fist, he shuts his mouth quickly.

“Such a shame,” I tell him, amused. “You came begging for cash not so long ago, trying to turn yourself into a big winner. And now here you are, letting your little girl clean up your messes for you. If I were you, I’d have put a gun in my mouth months ago.” I turn back to Victoria. “How are you with children?”

“I … I’m okay.”

I think back to how her immediate concern was keeping Nikolas warm. How quickly she put aside the fear and anger of being kidnapped, just to make sure the boy was comfortable. She could be the solution to my problem with him. With her watching over him and making sure he’s taken care of, maybe we could coax that darkness out of him. Help him find balance again.

The kind of balance a little boy deserves.

“Then you’ll stay here and do as I tell you. Until I’ve decided otherwise.”

“No!” Daniel cries, rising from his seat. One of my men behind him grabs him, keeping him from making any sudden moves. “Victoria, please don’t do this! There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” she says grimly, keeping her eyes on me. “We don’t have the money. He’s going to keep sending people after you if I don’t do this.”

“Victoria—”

“Enough,” I growl, turning to face Daniel. “You say another word and I will slit your throat right in front of your daughter. The last memory she’ll have of you is watching you bleed out on the carpet. Do you understand me?”

He nods, sullen like a kicked dog.

I turn back to Victoria. “You’ll live here. Your top priority is making sure that Niko is taken care of. Every little thing he needs. If you act up or step out of line, I promise you, your father will be the one to pay for your mistakes. And the same goes for you, Daniel. You do anything that hinders Victoria’s work here and I’ll make sure she knows that the pain I inflict will be because of you.”

I can see the tears growing in the man’s eyes. As if he couldn’t be any more pathetic.

I nod to the man holding him, and he drags Daniel away. Just before he disappears down the hall, Victoria calls out to him.

“I’ll be okay, Dad. I’ll be okay.”

“Yes,” I murmur. “As long as you do your job, you’ll be okay.”

It’s a promise I’m not sure I intend to keep.

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