A thick scent of cheap perfume and overtones of hopelessness filled the center. Lila stood still as the proximity of Viktor surrounded her in thick fog. The depth of presence of Mia Boss was too high in the brothel. He was one unlike any other man she had encountered; foreboding and raw power were imprinted on him, making a chill creep down the length of her spine.
Her throat was dry, her voice was dull.
With each step she takes towards Viktor, the power of his presence becomes more and more intense. Now she can distinguish the rugged bluest features: a square jaw with sharp cheekbones and eyes strong enough to cut through any veil; one that testifies to a past filled with conflict and passion. It was not possible to ignore the attraction that lay present, even as all rational senses urged her away.
Lila, with trepidation and awe, asked in a cracking voice, "What are you here for?"
Viktor stood by the wall with his arms crossed as he gazed at her. "I appreciate the finer things in life," he said, his voice relaxed but sinister beneath. "And love, my dear, is one of them."
I have given your parents the best money they could ever have in life because I heard some rumors that this brothel has a girl with beauty that no one could ever imagine.
And I am amazed that they were right!
And took Lila with him to his mansion. As the moment they walked in!
One of Viktor's wives, the absolute focal point of the dark, long-haired beauty that appeared to freeze the room, was Tatiana. Her gaze swept over Lila, and Viktor appeared to have a fondness that lapped like a furnace's flame.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped with a gaze that spoke softly with a tone that was silk.
"Merely taking in the view," Viktor said, not looking away from Lila. Standing over the top of her, Lila, by now, was a mere object of assessment.
A decorated blanket of silence descended over them as nestled among its threads were sharpened pieces awaiting the breath. In the instant, she realized that each emotion worn by Tatiana resonated with jealousy, as if Tatiana and this gaming piece were instant players - competitively aligned on opposite sides in a coldly perilous battle reserved for the strongest.
"You can make the rest of us, including me, do anything you want as long as you don't leave us alone, Tatiana," Viktor began saying before Kolka cut things short with the final words uttered.
Strong and dark-browed, fury burning across her face but with unbreakable determination, she proclaimed, "You positively know how I feel concerning these. Intrusions and changes. Viktor, she is not one of ours."
The last remark flashed through Lila in a bolt of searing white light rather than gloom.
"I have a plan for her," Viktor replied, and would not hear a word about it. "You'll see."
Tatiana's lips curled into a sneer, and she drew back for the moment, but not with a smile. "Just remember, Viktor. You must keep your reputation in mind. Don't let her ruin it."
Leaving Lila reeling beneath the ferocity of Viktor's gaze, Tatiana whirled away and stalked off.
"Don't listen to her," Viktor whispered, his tone serious. She's pushy. But I can see something in you, Lila. You're worth more than this."
With those words, Viktor swaddled Lila in a tender blanket, lighting some faint glimmers of hope in her eyes, but the corrosive reality of Tatiana's jealousy brought back the reminder that the world around her was anything but secure.
"I don't want to be the one who comes between you and your wives," Lila said softly.
Viktor moved forward as he whispered,"You won't. I will guard you. But you must trust me."**
His words were as weights that chained her down. Trust had never been a luxury for her, especially not in the life she lived now. Yet, there was a difference in this man. She sensed the two of them meeting, an unexplainable oneness developing on a plane higher than this so violent existence.
"Alright," she replied after a pause, her thoughts still whirling but speaking more calmly than she had expected. **"I'll trust you."**
Lila felt as if she had crossed a threshold when the apparent light smile on the face of Viktor turned into a real one, welling into his eyes for the first time. She had the feeling that she had entered a realm outside what she had dared dream, and the possibilities had increased more than she could have envisioned. But as Viktor began departing, a sense of sinking began in the pit of her stomach; the bitter reality of what she had done started bearing down on her.
Everything felt awful.