Chapter 8

Chapter

Eight

"Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before."

― Mae West

Alexsei

"Did you bring it with you?"

By "it," Igor meant the ten kilos of drugs Mankiev had promised him—ten kilos today and another ten next week, all from Colombia and headed to Igor's warehouses outside Moscow.

Mankiev nodded. "Yeah, it's in my car. Drayi, can you go and get it?"

Drayi, a tall and probably mute guy, got up and went to fetch the drugs, just like he had been doing all evening, communicating only through nods and shakes of his head.

What a weird fucking dude.

Mankiev chuckled and said, "So, how are the blinis? They're Caia's grandmother's recipe, you know. She's crazy about her babushka. Poor thing."

The way he talked about his daughter shouldn't have annoyed me, but it really fucking did.

"You've got a nice daughter, Mankiev," Volk sneered. "Shame you raised her in this messed-up world."

I decided to focus on the blinis and took a bite, savoring their sweet and nutty flavor. They were surprisingly good, so I helped myself to another.

Mankiev leaned in closer to the table, lowering his voice with a sly grin. "Let me tell you something about my daughter, Volk. Caia loves attention. Give her attention, and you can have her all to yourself."

That bastard was getting on my nerves so much I had to clench my fists to keep from getting up and punching him.

"Where's her mama?" Igor asked.

Probably an addict like her lousy husband or maybe even dead.

He might have even killed her.

"Dead," Mankiev said, taking another bite of a blini. "Overdosed when Caia was six."

I couldn't blame the woman. Just looking at his fucking ugly face made me want to vomit.

Getting bored and craving some action, I decided to have a little fun.

I grabbed my pack of cigarettes, lit one up, and left the dining table.

As I walked down the hallway, I listened for any sounds that might lead me to Caia's hiding spot.

Throughout the evening, I'd been watching her—the way her brows furrowed, the distant disgust flickering in her emerald eyes, the tremble of her red lips, and the way her fingers toyed with her hair. She was nervous, clearly plotting something, but uncertain how to execute it or what the consequences might be.

My curiosity grew with each step.

What's she up to?

I heard the faint splash of water in a sink and knocked on the door to the left. The water stopped abruptly, and she opened the door a few seconds later, looking a bit flushed.

"There you are, Caia."

Her eyes flashed with annoyance. "What do you want, Lucifer? To insult me again?"

Her sarcasm almost made me laugh. I wondered if she was always this sharp-tongued. Part of me was fucking turned on by it.

"Oh, worse, baby," I whispered as I closed the gap between us. "I'm going to make you scream."

Yeah, it was a cliché and inappropriate line, but I said it to see her reaction.

I wanted to make her blush, see her green eyes darken, feel the heat between us, and watch her chest heave with anger. Annoying her was way too fucking entertaining.

As if on cue, a single drop of water slid down her neck, landing between her breasts. I couldn't resist tracing its path with my finger, savoring the warmth of her skin as it followed the curve of her chest. I lifted my finger, keeping my eyes locked on hers, and licked it clean.

"You're disgusting," she breathed.

"And you are..." I said, letting my gaze roam over her body. "Too na?ve for your own good."

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "If you think I'm going to have sex with you, wake up. I don't touch annoying, ugly, airheaded, self-absorbed, arrogant men with a ten-foot pole, let alone with my finger."

I tilted my head, brushing my lips with my hand to hide a smile.

I took in the quick rise and fall of her breath, the twitch of her emerald eye, the way she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and the curious arch of her eyebrow.

Up close, I could even spot the freckles peeking out from beneath her makeup.

As she lifted her chin to meet my gaze, her warm breath lightly brushed against my neck.

"Your papa thinks otherwise, Caia."

Her face paled slightly. "What do you mean?"

I hated it when men dangled their women, daughters, or mistresses in front of me like a carrot, hoping I'd take a bite—as if I were that fucking predictable.

Sure, being part of the Silas had its perks—money, status, power, women, and more. So, any bastard would do anything—and I mean anything—to get our attention, desperate to stay in our good graces.

And Kristan Mankiev was no fucking different. But his daughter… there was something about her that drew me in. I couldn't figure out if it was because I wanted to screw over her old man or just show that her sharp tongue was no match for my charms.

I knew exactly how to make a woman beg for my dick, and I was damn well determined to prove it.

Caia Mankiev was going to fall for me. I'd fucking make sure of it.

"What do you think he bought you here?" I leaned closer. "He just wants his little daughter to play the good little whore so he can close his biggest deal ever."

Her emerald eyes blazed with anger, but the fire quickly faded. A sly grin played on her red lips as she patted my shoulder.

"I'd rather have sex with a toothless, disabled, amputated, plague-ridden, fat man than ever have to hear your voice again, let alone have sex with you, Romaniev."

I scoffed, doing my best to push aside the disturbing mental image she'd conjured, or my wandering thoughts about her bouncing tits as she rode that damn fat, toothless, plague-ridden bastard.

"Is that the best you could come up with?"

She clenched her fists. "Don't worry about my comebacks."

"You look rather cute when you're angry," I remarked, playfully pinching her cheek, but she pushed my hand away. "Almost like an innocent child. But having a Papa like yours," I clicked my tongue against my teeth, "guarantees a promiscuous life."

"Well, it takes one to know one, doesn't it?" She shot back.

Did she just call me a whore?

I almost wanted to laugh.

I took a few deliberate steps forward, and she instinctively took a few steps back until her back hit the wall.

I caged her in, placing my hands on either side of her head. "Indeed."

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

I let my finger trace her cheek, letting the touch linger just long enough to make her shiver. "You're just as deceptive as your Papa."

She whispered, "You know nothing about me."

She was probably right, but judging by how her body responded to my words, I wasn't far off.

"I may not know your entire life story, but the scene before me is pretty damn clear, baby. Sometimes, with cases like yours, you can definitely judge a book by its cover."

I let my hands drop and took a step back, savoring the flicker of anger in her eyes.

She crossed her arms. "Is this how you charm your victims?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Victims?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like any woman would willingly put up with you."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I don't need to do shit. Women practically throw themselves at me without me even trying. But you? I've heard you're just good at begging for attention and cash."

I saw the slap coming before she even moved.

I caught her hand effortlessly, feeling the heat of her skin against mine as she tried to wrench it free. Her eyes flashed with a mix of anger and surprise, and I couldn't help but relish the way her body tensed under my grip. She attempted to raise her other hand, but I intercepted that too.

She shifted, trying to kick me, but I anticipated her move, spinning her around swiftly. Her back pressed against my chest, and I pinned her arms behind her, my hands gripping her wrists tightly.

Her breath came in sharp, frustrated gasps, and she hissed, "I hate you."

She wriggled, trying to break free, but her struggles only drew her closer to me, intensifying the charged proximity between us.

I leaned in, my lips close to her ear. "Well, I'm thrilled to inform you that you're my next victim , Caia."

She laughed darkly, still wriggling against my hold. "How delightful. But just so we're clear, Romaniev, you'll never have me."

I smiled.

I thrived on challenges and had always been fiercely competitive. Her words only fueled my determination to win even more.

"Well, then let the game begin, baby."

I let my hands slide away from her, feeling the lingering heat of her skin on my fingertips. As she straightened, I stepped back and made my way back to the ballroom, a wicked grin playing on my lips.

"Dimitri will take it to the warehouse," Igor said, lifting his cigar to his lips. "And Vlad's coming along."

I absentmindedly scratched my chin as I watched our guests head to their car from the window.

Mankiev had his arm around his daughter, guiding her carefully over the rocky entrance in her high heels. He opened the car door for her, and just before she got in, she turned toward the window.

Our eyes met for a moment, and I saw a flash of anger and ennui before she quickly looked away and climbed into the vehicle.

I took a sip from my glass, the strong alcohol burning my throat.

"I'm heading to Saint-Petersburg tomorrow morning," Igor continued. "I've got a meeting with the city's mayor. He wants to sell me a new building in exchange for a VIP+ upgrade at our casino. The guy's appetite for drugs and whores is unmatched."

Volk joined in the laughter. "Money can really buy almost anything these days."

"Alexsei, care to join me?" Igor asked .

I watched as the Mankiev's car sped away from the Manor before turning back and leaning against the window.

" Nyet , I need to check on Dve and the guys in the city. I'll be in Moscow for the next week or so."

I'd done my homework on Caia, or rather, her father had spilled all the details about her tonight, making it easy to know where and when to find her. Her mix of studying photography and working in a retirement home was unusual, to say the least.

My game had officially begun, and I was determined to make my little witch fall into my arms.

Igor may have forbidden me to fuck the girl, but he never said I couldn't toy with her a bit, right?

"But Volk will go with you, boss," I said, nodding toward him. "I'm pretty sure Marina's eager to see him again."

He scoffed. "I'd rather eat my own shit."

"Coming from the guy who fucks her whenever he's bored."

Igor laughed and rose, wishing us a good night.

Volk flipped me off before standing as well, finishing his drink in one go and devouring a blini. "That little Mankiev seems to have magic fingers. I wonder how they'd feel?—"

I shot him a hard look.

"Good luck with that one. She looks like she'd rather catch the plague than fuck you," he said before leaving the room.

What's with everyone and the fucking plague.