Arranged Mafia Daddy

Chapter 2Viktor

2

Viktor

I leave Sage in the limo with my guards as I make a pit stop at one of the seven high-stakes casinos I have scattered around the city. I’ve found that it’s better to keep my operations small and frequent, rather than risk a large bust from the police if they uncover something too big. They don’t care about the small gambling rings, as long as they don’t get out of hand.

Tonight, I’ll try my best not to let that happen, but when the stakes are high, it’s worth it to gambles sometimes.

I enter the building through a hidden side door, passing a few of my guards, who nod at me as I walk briskly past them.

Inside, the ambiance shifts, and it’s like I’ve stepped into another world. The bleakness of the rainy atmosphere outside is replaced with warmth and the thick scent of cigar smoke. As I walk through the casino, I feel the urge to sit down and play.

Roulette is my favorite game, but I try to stay away from the Russian variety. My life is more valuable than anyone else’s here. I’m the puppet master, and without me, everything would collapse.

This is my domain, my empire.

I make my way past the tables, pausing for a moment to watch someone win big on roulette. They’ll lose it all before the night is over, the glossy enthusiasm in their eyes turning to a dull heartache when they realize how quickly they lose everything.

It’s just like Mr. Thompson. He played a lot at my casinos. He was a regular who knew how to throw dice and keep going when he was on a winning streak, but the house always wins in the end. He lost it all and then some, resorting to trading his daughter in order to keep his life.

He’ll never be allowed in one of my casinos again, and that’s only if I don’t decide to kill him to set an example. I doubt Sage would be all that angry, considering that he threw her to the wolves to save himself.

I continue on from the roulette table, crossing through the double doors to the back rooms, where my next unfortunate customer after Mr. Thompson is chained to a chair. I don’t intend to spare Sergei in the same way I did for Mr. Thompson. He owes more, and there’s nothing he has to offer me to pay off his debts.

Ivan is standing just outside the room where Sergei is being held, his hands clasped together in front of him, and a grim look on his face.

“Cheer up,” I tell him, patting his shoulder as I push open the door. “I have good news. Come inside, and let’s deal with Sergei first, though.”

Ivan grunts, following me inside. He’s never been much of a talker, but he’s also my most obedient worker. Anything I want him to do, he does, no questions asked.

The air is warmer inside the room, and slightly humid from Sergei’s sweat. It smells stale and sour, like he’s been here for days, but my men only brought him in this afternoon. I would’ve gotten to him straight away, but I didn’t want to give Mr. Thompson the chance to pack his things and make a run for it.

Sergei is in the middle of the room, sitting in a chair with his arms and legs tied down. A single glaring bulb hangs over his head, just in front of him, making it hard for him to see. He knows it’s me, though, because he’s suddenly very still.

Ivan steps up to him first, taking the gag out of his mouth.

“Viktor,” Sergei stammers, “I can explain.”

I raise a hand to silence him. “You disappoint me, Sergei. You know the rules. Debts must be paid, and you shouldn’t gamble more than you can afford. I thought you were smarter than that.”

Sergei’s eyes dart around the room, looking for an escape that isn’t there. He’s still trying to wiggle his way out of this, just like he did when he was on a losing streak at my casino. I swear these people never learn, but I’m still going to try to teach him a lesson.

“Please, Viktor, I just need a little more time. I can get the money,” he blurts, sweat dripping from the end of his nose.

“You are to call me sir if you expect any pity from me,” I snap.

“Yes sir,” he chirps, hope returning to his distressed expression.

It’s false hope, I’m afraid.

I walk toward him, rubbing my chin as I consider what to do. I know I don’t want to kill him. He’s more useful to me than someone like Mr. Thompson. He’s fit and able to work. He still has a few more good years in him before he’s no longer useful to me.

“Please, sir, I’ll do anything,” he says, breaking my concentration.

“Shut up,” I growl.

Sergei’s pleas become more desperate. “I have a family, Viktor. Think about my wife, my children.”

His children are adults, and his wife no longer loves him. I know this for a fact, so I refuse to take either of those things into consideration.

I lean in closer, my gaze locking onto his. “You will work off your debt, Sergei. Ten years at the casino. You cause trouble, and you’re dead. That’s how this works.”

“Ten years?” he asks, totally stunned.

“Would you prefer a bullet through your head?” I ask, reaching into my suit jacket.

“No,” he yelps, shaking his head so hard that sweat flies in every direction.

I wrinkle my nose, taking a step back. “Ivan, get him out of here. Make sure he’s chipped and tracked. I want him working in the kitchen on a ten year contract.”

Ivan nods, letting out another grunt as he grabs Sergei. He lifts him up, carrying the entire chair out of the room and down the hallway. I chuckle, lighting a cigar and puffing smoke into the room for a moment before leaving. It’s too hot in here.

In the hallway, I lean against the wall, allowing the nicotine to soothe my mind for a moment. Ivan comes back down the hall, dusting his hands and shaking his head.

“Did he give you any trouble?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

I smile. “Good man. Now that that’s out of the way, I’d like to talk to you about another special mission I’m on. It involves a woman by the name of Sage. Mr. Thompson’s daughter.”

Ivan perks up, but he doesn’t say anything. He rarely does.

“I’m going to get married,” I say, waving my cigar in front of me. “A quick wedding, but a nice one. I’d like you to arrange everything for me, and make sure you don’t take too long. This weekend would be ideal.”

“That’s tomorrow,” he replies.

“Is it? Time flies. I’d still like it to be this weekend. We can have it on the river. It’s nice this time of year,” I say, puffing smoke into the air. “Sage might not be the biggest fan of the wedding, but she’s agreed to it, and that’s final, as far as I’m concerned.”

Ivan shrugs.

“That’s the spirit,” I say, patting him on his stiff shoulder. “Just don’t make it too gloomy. Women like sunshine and flowers. Get a bunch of roses. Maybe a thousand of them. Maybe two-thousand, if you can.”

He nods obediently.

“Let me know what you come up with,” I say, looking down at my cigar. It’s only a quarter of the way burned, but I really must get back to the limo. I don’t want to leave Sage very long. She might change her mind and try to run off.

I look up at Ivan and smile, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in a while. “I’ll see you later, my friend. Romance awaits me, it seems.”

He grunts, and I walk back down the hall through the double doors into the casino. This is not about romance, of course, but when a woman like Sage comes into your life, you don’t want to pass her up. I’ve been meaning to have children, a possible heir to the Bratva throne, and it’s best not to wait too long.

Sage is… well, she’s fertile and her body is begging for a baby. What more can I say. She might not know it, but she’s the ideal candidate for my heir. That’s why I’m marrying her. She must be sworn into the family before she’s allowed to carry any of my children.

As I step back into the cool night air, the limo waiting just as I left it. The guards open the door, and I slide in beside Sage, who looks up at me with a mixture of mock anger and curiosity. It’s hard for her to remain furious with me when she barely knows who I am.

“What were you doing?” she asks, her voice steady despite the tension between us.

“Business,” I reply, straightening my tie as the limo pulls onto the slick black road.

“Clearly something illegal,” she mutters, looking out the window as we leave the casino behind.

“Clearly,” I agree, amused by her attitude. I promised Mr. Thompson I wasn’t going to break her, but I lied. She needs to be put in her place, and I know just the way to bend her to my will.

“So, what’s your deal, anyway?” she asks, turning back to me and crossing her arms over her small chest.

“I’m a businessman,” I reply. “As simple as that.”

A dry laugh escapes her mouth. “Sure, you’re a businessman. That’s laughable. Shouldn’t you be a little more specific if you intend on having me as your wife?”

“All in due time,” I assure her, placing my hand on her thigh. She’s wearing small jean shorts, not much to cover her pale skin. I feel goosebumps on her leg as I touch her, but she tries to act disgusted by me.

I can only imagine what’s going on in her pretty head as she wrinkles her nose at me. “Don’t touch me.”

“I can touch my wife,” I reply, rubbing her thigh. “You’re so soft. So delicate. Have you ever been with a man before?”

She jerks her leg away. “No, and that’s not part of the arrangement. You said I was to marry you to save my dad, and that’s all I’m going to be doing.”

“A marriage means nothing without a proper consummation,” I say, holding up a finger. “You’ll do that for me, at least.”

“Not a chance,” she snarls.

I’m surprised by how quick she is to defy me, and how hot her eyes burn when she looks at me. She’s clearly steeping in hatred, but that won’t last long once I show her the delightful things I can do with my tongue.

I settle back down in the seat beside her, opening a cooler that holds a bottle of champagne. “I don’t have an engagement ring for you yet, darling, but I think a bottle will do in a pinch. Ice cold, too.”

“Just like your heart,” she grumbles.

I laugh. “Nice try, Sage, but I have no heart. Do you care for a drink?” I pop the top on the champagne bottle, watching the fizz overflow onto the thick red carpeted floor. It reminds me of something that will be happening right after our wedding.

“I don’t want to drink,” Sage says, shaking her head. “I want to go home and forget this ever happened.”

“Not possible,” I say, taking a sip straight from the bottle. “But you’ll learn to enjoy your new life. Once you start behaving yourself, I’ll show you how exciting this lifestyle can be. Money, cars, clothes… whatever you want, you’re going to have. You won’t want to go back.”

She looks at me for a moment, her eyes guilty of showing a hint of interest in what I’m saying. They say everything. Her words don’t mean anything at this point because I know I have her hooked.

Still, she tries to defy me again. “I doubt I’ll ever like you, or your messed up lifestyle. I don’t care about money. I care about my family, and you’ve ruined it.”

“You barely had a family,” I reply, taking another sip from the bottle. “Your father was a gambling addict who sold you to a Bratva boss. Get over it.”

“So that’s what you do,” she says, leaning in with a smirk on her face. “You’re running some kind of criminal organization.”

“Gambling rings,” I admit. “Seven of them, but I’ll take you to one of the nicer ones tomorrow night. I want to show you a little slice of my life.”

“I don’t like gambling,” she replies, leaning back and crossing her arms again.

“I don’t care,” I reply.

There’s a moment of silence as we move along the ever darkening road, but I feel her eyes on me as I drink. She’s curious more than she is angry. She knows she has nothing to go back to. Her father is a broken man, and I’m her only hope for a good life.

Things certainly could be good for her, if she chooses to submit, but I’m not going to force her to do that. I’m going to give her a choice, and she can decide whether she really wants to dive into this new world headfirst.

“Where are we going now?” she asks, breaking the silence after only a minute. That curiosity is getting better of her again.

I lean back, studying her. “Where do you think?”

She shrugs. “How should I know.”

“Okay, so we’re going to the ocean to feed you to the sharks,” I say sarcastically.

She narrows her eyes. “I’m not afraid of you.”

I chuckle, lowering my voice and leaning in. “You should be.”

I glance down at her legs to see those goosebumps appear again. I love the way they look on her skin. I love the way I’m able to affect her body with just my words. I don’t even have to touch her to get her all worked up.

“I guess we’re going to your house or something,” she says, rubbing her thighs like she’s cold. I know that’s not the case. She’s just trying to hide the way she feels about me.

“Yes, to my estate. It’s a beautiful place, but you won’t see much of it until morning,” I reply, returning to the bottle of champagne.

“I don’t really want to,” she replies.

I sigh, putting the bottle down and looking at her. I know she’s smart because of the glow she has in her eyes. She’s quick with her words, but I feel like she’s not understanding what I’m trying to communicate to her.

“Do you understand what you’ve agreed to, Sage?” I ask, dispensing with the games.

“I understand that my father made a mess, and now I have to clean it up. I’m supposed to marry you, but I still don’t understand why,” she says.

I nod. “You don’t need to understand everything just yet. Your father’s debts are now your responsibility. Fail to uphold your end of the bargain, and the consequences will be severe.”

“I’m not planning on failing,” she replies, her voice steady. “But don’t expect me to make this easy for you.”

I smile at her attitude. Even in the face of my threats, she’s holding steady. It’s an admirable trait, especially in the Bratva. I know I’ve made a good choice by taking her as my wife. “Good,” I say. “I don’t want it to be easy. I want to see how far you’re willing to go, how strong you really are.”