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The leather in the chair smells like his cologne, rich and spicy, and I’m drawn to the conclusion that this is his office. There’s a distinct lack of windows, and it’s a bit dark, but it seems like the kind of place a man this serious would want to hang out.
I can’t see Jasha working in this place, though. He seems like more the type to open his laptop on a woman’s back while he’s fucking her from behind. I hate that I can see him so clearly in my head doing that.
“This isn’t going to be like anything you’ve seen before,” Nikolai says, leaning over the chair to turn his computer on. His shoulder brushes against mine, and the warmth of his body is like a glowing orange stove coil. I’d pull away if it wasn’t so wickedly arousing.
The computer screen turns on with a pale glow, and he types in a password too quickly for me to see. Part of me really wants to know what he’s about to show me, as though it’s some kind of important Bratva secret, but it can’t be that secret if he’s showing it to a woman he’s just met.
In all reality, it’s probably something I don’t want to see, but he adjusts my chair and demands that I watch as he opens a video and presses play.
In the video, there’s a naked man lying at the bottom of a pit in the sand. He has a blindfold over his eyes, but he quickly removes it shouting something and trying to climb out of the pit, only to be kicked back in by whoever is holding the camera.
At first, I think it’s someone about to be buried alive, but as the video continues, it becomes much worse than that. The ground beneath him is moving, and I realize he’s been tossed into a pit full of snakes.
“Those are rattlesnakes,” Nikolai says, his voice thick and grim. “The Cartel is cruel but creative.”
I try to look away, but he grabs my head and forces me to continue watching. His fingers dig into my ears and neck, but I barely feel them as my focus is drawn to the video again.
“You see what they’re doing to him?” Nikolai asks. “How many times do you think he’s been bitten already? How long do you think it takes for him to finally die and for his suffering to end?”
The video on the screen keeps getting worse as the man struggles to free himself, quickly losing energy as the snakes wrap around him, striking him over and over as the cameraman records without remorse.
“Why are you showing me this?” I ask, finally able to look at him without him turning my head back to the screen.
“I’m showing you what Jasha and I just saved you from,” he says, pulling a cigar from a box beside me on the desk. He lights it, and his face is lit up by orange light before being obscured by thick smoke. “Actually, they would do worse to you, since you’re a woman. Falling into our hands is the best things that’s happened to you since you decided to save your stupid little cousin from the Cartel.”
I feel a surge of desperation at the mention of Eddy. Even if the drugs are gone and I’m in the hands of the Bratva now, I still need to save him. I’ll do anything to make sure that he doesn’t befall the same fate as the poor soul in the video Nikolai just showed me.
“Please,” I say, grabbing at Nikolai’s shirt. “Eddy might’ve been stupid, but he doesn’t deserve this. He’s not like those Cartel guys. He was just trying to make some quick money, and he screwed up. We all make mistakes.”
Nikolai shakes his head, but I sense a flicker of empathy under his cold expression, some warmth in his deep green eyes. “He’s probably already dead,” he says softly.
“No,” I blurt, jumping up from the chair. “He’s not. I saw a video of him just this morning. He was in a rough condition, but he was alive. You can check my phone.”
“The Cartel lies all the time,” Nikolai says, waving his hand in the air dismissively. “Don’t get your hopes up about him.”
White-hot anger swells in my chest, and I’m emboldened once again to challenge Nikolai. “I’m not giving up on Eddy,” I say, projecting my voice as much as I can with how tight my throat is.
Nikolai studies me for a moment, puffing on his cigar until the room turns cloudy and it’s difficult to breathe. I can’t read him at all, but something about his unwillingness to say anything yet leads me to believe he’s taking me seriously.
Finally, he takes the cigar out of his mouth and sighs. “Let’s go to the lounge and talk about Eddy’s involvement with the Cartel. Perhaps there’s something to be gained from all this.”
“You mean you’ll help me get him back?” I ask, unable to hide the excitement in my voice. It’s gushing out as the dam of my emotion breaks, releasing all my pent-up anxiety on this unsuspecting Bratva boss. He’s probably used to people breaking down in front of him, but probably not like I am, not with this much hopeful desperation.
“Calm down,” he says, taking a step back as I start to cry. “I didn’t say I would help you. I just want to know about Eddy.”
“I’ll tell you everything,” I insist between sobs. “Just please, help me. Helphim. I don’t even care what you do to me.”
He takes a few more puffs of his cigar, probably trying to distract himself from how awkward our juxtaposition of demeanors is. “Stop crying. I don’t want Jasha thinking I’ve hurt you. He’s an asshole, but like myself, he doesn’t approve of hurting innocent women.”
I pull myself together as best as I can, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. My heart is racing, and I can feel a headache starting to throb behind my eyes, but I need to be strong now. I have a story to tell, and making sure I paint myself and Eddy in the best possible light is crucial in obtaining Nikolai’s help.
Or at the very least, his mercy.
“Fine,” I say, my voice hoarse but determined. “Let’s talk about Eddy, but after that, I need you to help me get him back.”
Nikolai raises an eyebrow, and I can see a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You’re in no position to negotiate,” he says, and there’s a softness in his tone that wasn’t there before. “But I am curious to know how your cousin got involved with the Cartel.”
He crushes his cigar in a crystal ashtray, the red embers turning grey, and he motions for me to follow him. As we walk towards the lounge, I feel like I’ve achieved my first small victory in my journey to save Eddy. If the police won’t help me, and the Cartel only wants to use me, then maybe the Bratva is my final option.
