Arranged Mafia Daddy

Chapter 5Viktor

5

Viktor

I bought the biggest diamond they had for her. I wanted to see the look on her face when she realized that she wasn’t just marrying the most powerful man in the city, but also the richest.

But maybe she doesn’t care about money as much as all the other women I’ve met, because she doesn’t react the way I expected her to. She frowns, stepping back and shaking her head.

“Viktor, what are you doing?” she asks, her voice dry and scratchy.

“Asking you to marry me,” I say, keeping my voice steady despite the nerves that are building in my stomach.

“This is… too quick,” she says, her voice dying in her slender throat.

I stand up, blood rushing to my head. “Then I won’t ask, Sage. I will demand that you marry me.”

She swallows hard, looking from me to the ring several times. “I didn’t think you were that serious,” she admits. “Why are you doing this to me?”

She clearly hates me and everything I brought upon her, but I can’t allow myself to get offended by it. She will learn her place, eventually. She can’t reject me for the rest of her life.

“You will understand eventually, I hope,” I say, pulling the ring from the box and taking a step toward her. “For now, I want you to do as we agreed. You will say yes.”

I see tears in her eyes, but I don’t allow them to move me. Maybe I’m a monster, but that’s always been expected of me as a Bratva boss. People want me to be evil, and I have accepted this role as a means of not just surviving, but thriving.

“Hold out your hand,” I demand, thrusting the ring out to Sage.

She lifts her hand slowly, her fingers trembling.

I take her hand firmly, feeling the heat of her soft skin. I’m always amazed by how soft she is, how delicate and perfect her body is. It took everything in me last night not to claim her, but it wouldn’t be right.

Not yet. Not now. I want her to give herself to me and have my babies, and I always get what I want in the end.

I slide the ring onto her slender finger, the diamond catching the light and casting tiny rainbows across her awestruck face. She stares at it, her expression a mixture of disbelief and resignation.

“There,” I say, my voice softer now. “It’s done. You’re mine.”

She looks up at me, her eyes drier now than they were before. “I never had a choice, did I?”

I shake my head. “No, you didn’t. But that doesn’t mean this has to be a prison for you, Sage. I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted. Wealth, power, security. All you have to do is accept it.”

She pulls her hand away, the fingers on her other hand brushing against the large diamond like she still can’t believe it’s real. “Money is one thing, but what about love, Viktor? Is that something you can give me?”

Her question catches me off guard. Love? It’s a concept that feels foreign, almost ridiculous in my world. I’ve built my empire on control, power, and fear, not on fragile emotions like love.

I don’t answer her question. Instead, I turn away, walking towards the window that overlooks the vast backyard. “We’re going out tonight. I want to show you something, and then maybe you’ll understand me a little more.”

She doesn’t respond, but I hear the soft rustle of fabric as she moves toward me.

I stare out at the sprawling gardens, my mind racing. Love. It’s an emotion I can’t afford, even with all the money I’ve amassed. Yet Sage’s words linger, unsettling me in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

After a few moments, she speaks again, her voice hesitant. “Where are we going? To the casino?”

I turn back to face her, my eyes traveling over her perfect body. The dress I bought fits her perfectly, accentuating her beauty in a way that makes something move between my legs. She’s not just beautiful. She’s sexy.

“You’ll see,” I say, diverting my eyes before I’m tempted to sin. “Just trust me.”

She sighs. “I guess I don’t have a choice, just like before. Just like with everything.”

“You may wander the estate as much as you like, but if I catch you trying to escape, there will be consequences,” I say, trying to offer a healthy compromise.

“Thanks,” she mutters. “Is that why you locked me in the bedroom?”

I shrug. “I didn’t lock you in. I left the door unlocked, but my maid, Lidia, decided that you should be locked in because of how you behaved when she came to bring you the food and clothes.”

“I thought she might be able to help me, but apparently nobody wants to do that anymore. Even my own father betrayed me.”

“Life is tough,” I reply, feeling a slight annoyance that she thinks she has the bad end of this deal. If she understood what I’ve been through in life, maybe she wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the world I’ve brought her into. I could’ve just as easily killed her worthless father in front of her and claimed her in his office, but I spared her. That’s far better than what I witnessed the Bratva do to my family when I was a child.

But I don’t do sob stories. I’ve blocked out most of my past, refusing to acknowledge the weakness that comes from accepting trauma. I’m stronger than my experiences. I even think I might be a better man because of them, but most people would just consider me to be messed up beyond help.

Fair enough. I’m not going to argue with people who only have a fraction of my wealth and none of the power. They wouldn’t begin to understand me, even if they could see inside my head.

I expect the same from Sage, which is why I don’t try to convince her of anything. I just leave her in the room without locking the door, going downstairs to read in the lounge and smoke a cigar.

Sage doesn’t come down for several hours, but when she does, I can hear her creeping around the house, scoping the place out like a scared cat trying to understand her new surroundings.

It’s nice knowing she’s around without really having to interact. Just having another person in this giant house makes me feel better. Lidia isn’t here all that often, and she doesn’t stay long when she is.

Sage doesn’t have that choice. She can’t come and go freely, and as my new fiancé, the truth is that she never will. Her previous life is over. Marrying me has put her in danger for the rest of her life, but one day, she’ll get used to it. I know I did.

And plus, she’s young. Much younger than I am, which is why she’s the ideal candidate to carry my heir. She’ll be around much longer than I will, even when our child an adult and able to take over my role as leader.

My retirement is hinged in the fact that I reproduce. Without a child, I’ll be at this until my bones break and the skin on my hands peels off. Too many people are dependent on me to do anything but work myself to death if I don’t pass the role down to my future son.

Assuming that we have a son…

If not, I don’t mind putting as many babies in Sage as it takes. The idea of getting her pregnant over and over awakens something inside of me that’s impossible to tuck back into my gut. I can already imagine her belly swelling over time as she carries our baby, and it does something unexplainable to me.

I find myself staring at the pages of the book in my hand, unable to understand a single word while my eyes go over the same line multiple times. I’m only broken out of my daze when I hear Sage’s soft voice from the archway to the lounge.

“Um, do you have a second?” she asks.

I look up from my book, closing it suddenly with one hand. “I have all the time in the world for you, darling.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m just hungry. You don’t have to be so theatric.”

“Life wouldn’t be fun otherwise,” I reply as I rise from the sofa. “Since you’re already dressed so nicely, I think we should go out early. There’s a pair of heels that will match your dress. You will find them in the closet by the front door. Please put them on, and I will join you shortly.”

Her expression changes for a split second, a half-hearted look of reluctance, but her hunger overrides it. It’s much like the way that my hunger for her overrides her rebellious nature. I’m willing to put up with it if it means claiming her as my treasure.

I wash my face and change my tie before we leave to match her dress. She’s waiting by the front door, her arms nervously pinned to her sides.

The limo is already waiting, its engine purring softly as we step outside. I open the door for her, and she slides in, her movements graceful even though she’s still stiff from the nerves.

As the car pulls away, I lean back in my seat, studying her body. She looks out the window, her expression thoughtful and distant. I wonder what’s going through her mind, what she thinks of this twisted fairy tale she’s been thrust into.

The city lights blur past as we drive, and I reach over, taking her hand in mine. She tenses but doesn’t pull away. “Sage,” I say, my voice low. “This life is different than what you’re used to. Try to keep an open mind this afternoon and evening, even if you see a thing or two that you don’t quite like. If you’re a good girl, we’ll have fun.”

She turns to look at me, frowning but in a different way than she usually does. This time, it appears as though she’s trying to figure me out, like she actually wants to trust me, but she doesn’t know enough about me to do so. “I’ve always been a good girl,” she says softly. “I’m afraid you’re going to make me bad. That’s what worries me the most about all this. I can’t change you, so I’m going to be the one who changes.”

The limo slows as we approach our destination, and I squeeze her hand gently. “You’re going to change, that’s right. But it’s not going to be how you think, Sage. You will gain a new perspective on things, and you will be able to see the world in a clearer way.”

“An evil way,” she mutters, pulling her hand out of mine.

I ignore her resistance because I know I’m starting to get through to her. She will forget about her old life eventually, and then she will truly be mine.

Until then, I have to keep a level head. No spankings until she’s ready. No sex until she’s soaking wet for me.

The limo door opens once we come to a stop, and I step out first, holding my hand out for her to take. Even after pulling away before, she takes my hand, straightening her dress as she steps out in front of the casino with me.

We enter the casino, the buzz of activity and the scent of cigar smoke enveloping us. People turn to look at us, familiar with me but not the new women I have clinging to my elbow. They know I don’t usually bring women in here.

“This is where it all happens,” I say as we drift further back into the casino to a table that’s been reserved for us. “The power, the money, the control. It’s all here. And now, so are you.”

She looks up at me, her expression a mix of awe and slight concern. “And what am I supposed to do?”

“Eat something first,” I say, pulling a chair out for her. “Then watch, learn, and when the time comes, play the game. Because now, Sage, you’re a part of it too.”