Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21139 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 106(@200wpm)___ 85(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Viktor may be a killer, but he’s also brutally sexy. His massive, muscular body towers over me like a giant, and his voice is pure testosterone.
His eyes are intent, frighteningly so, but there’s something in his gaze that had my heart pounding. And not out of fear.
He’s a man who carved a life for himself using brute force. Just thinking about what he’s done has my head spinning. I’m on auto-pilot as I shower and wrap myself up in a towel.
What are you gonna do, Bella? What?
Just as I’m stepping back into my bedroom, I hear the doors opening. A faint scent of cologne wafts in that I didn’t smell last night from Victor. My heartrate rises.
One of his lackies sent to check on me?
Slowly, I step out of the bathroom and cry out when I see the man standing there.
He’s dressed in a wrinkled suit, his shirt is torn, his hair’s a mess, and he’s staring at me like a rabid dog.
“Well…look at this tasty little snack.” His voice drags, and his words slur. He’s drunk and looking at me like I’m his next meal.
I try to cry out, but my throat is tight, and no sound comes out. He staggers toward me, tongue out, teeth gnashing. I snatch a vase from the bedside table and hurl it at him.
Somehow, he manages to duck out of the way. The vase shatters against the wall, and he cackles maniacally.
“Aren’t you a f–f–feisty one?”
My heart nearly jumps out of my throat as I race for the bathroom. I’m just about to slam the door when the man lunges forward and snatches me by the arm.
Finally, my voice comes back, and I scream bloody murder.
“Help!”
I don’t know how, but in the blink of an eye, Viktor is behind my attacker, his eyes blazing. He grabs the man by the hair with his thick hand and rips him off me.
With a single motion, he lifts the man and slams him to the ground, pinning him down with his knee. My attacker flails like an angry kitten, helpless against the brutal strength of The Ice Man.
“Viktor, wait!” the man chokes out. “I was just—"
“I know what you were doing, Craig,” Viktor growls. “Breaking my one rule, you rapist piece of shit. No one touches her!”
My jaw drops as Viktor stands and lifts the man into the air like he weighs nothing. He drives his fist into Craig’s guts, causing him to deflate like a balloon.
He hands him over to Anton, who now stands at the door. “Cut his throat and drop him in the river.”
Anton simply nods, stone-faced, and drags my attacker from the room.
My knees nearly give out. The sound of my heartbeat in my ears reassures me that I’m still alive. I brace myself against the wall and drink in a deep breath.
And that’s when Viktor turns to me. What I just saw terrifies me, but I’m also tingling all over. I have goosebumps, but they’re not from fear.
This man could kill me.
He owns me. But he just saved me from something terrible. Knowing his reputation, I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them.
Carefully, like he’s doing his best not to scare me, he walks over and looks down at me.
“Are you okay, princess?”
No, I’m not okay. My world is spinning.
“Y–yes,” I stammer, doing my best to nod. But Viktor sees right through me. He knows I’m anything but okay, and he comes right over to me.
My hand looks like a doll’s compared to his as he takes it and strokes it gently. His skin is rough—hard like him. But the care he displays for me, especially after committing such a violent act, has my heart aflutter.
“That was my mistake,” he says. “Craig was one of my enforcers. He got too drunk last night, and I let him stay here to sleep it off. I should have known better now that you’re here. It won’t happen again.”
Is he looking for forgiveness from me?
“I–Thank you,” I stammer. A hint of his scent slips into my nose, igniting something inside of me. And somehow, I’m able to look up at him without my whole-body trembling.
“No.” He shakes his head. “No need to thank me. I promised you that you’d be safe here, and I intend to uphold that promise.”
A thrilling sensation grabs my chest. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to focus. I’m experiencing a sensory overload. Adrenaline is still pumping through me from the attack, but Viktor’s hand on mine is doing all kinds of other things to me.
“Let me make it up to you,” he finally says, shattering the silence.
“W–what do you mean?”
“Breakfast. I’m actually a good chef.” He snaps his fingers, and a man enters, pushing a large rack filled with clothes. “Get dressed and join me in the kitchen. It’s down the hall on the left.”