Viktor(76)

Probably not. Or maybe he’s too scared to do something about it.

Vladim flicks his fingers, and the man pushes the gun into my forehead. “Get up!”

I look up at him, telling him with my eyes that I don’t give a damn if he shoots me right now.

Honestly, it’ll be the swiftest, gentlest death ever. I’d fucking welcome it.

“Get your ass up,” the guy says, and he grabs my collar and pulls me up.

I let him drag me to the middle of the room where he smacks me on the back of the head with the gun. I falter, in pain, dropping to the floor on my hands and knees. When my head lifts, Vladim stands in the doorway, watching me.

“Viktor, Viktor, Viktor …” he murmurs. “You had to go and do that. You just had to take her in. You thought you could get away with it too, didn’t you? Didn’t think I’d go after her sister? Wrong. And now, I have her right where I want her,” he says, balling his fist, and then pointing at me. “You should’ve learned from your mistakes. If you’d given her to me as I told you to, maybe I would’ve been nicer. But I won’t be so patient with you anymore. I’m done dealing with you.”

He flicks his fingers again, and the man grabs my collar, choking me as he throws me backward across the floor, all the way to the window where I bang my head against the wall.

I don’t give a fuck.

I just want it to end quickly.

“You’re not gonna say anything?” Vladim says. “Not gonna explain? Apologize?” He walks closer, holding out his hands as if he’s some kind of merciful god. “You know there’s no way out, so you had better start telling me why you did it.”

I look away, hoping the man will just shoot me.

But Vladim pushes the man aside and stands in front of me, looking down at me from above. “Look at you. Lying on the floor like a fucking dead maggot. You used to be one of my best men. The strongest, even. Now, you’re nothing. Disgusting.” He spits on the floor. “Defend yourself. Don’t just fucking lie there.”

I shrug.

“What’s wrong with you?” He kicks me. “You should be begging me!”

I’m done begging. Done with him. Done with everything. I was done a long time ago. I’ve lived my miserable life.

He goes to his knees and cocks his head, gazing at me with a puzzled look on his face. “What the fuck did you do, boy? Lost your tongue?” He shakes his head but then stops, and his eyes start to shimmer. Then he begins to laugh. Maniacally. “Fuck me, are you kidding? It’s the girl. It’s the fucking girl!”

He glances at the man with the gun, then points at me and laughs some more.

“You’re in love?” he asks playfully, still laughing. “Little Viktor finally lost his heart to a woman?”

He leans in and whispers into my ear, “I bet she had a nice, juicy pussy … didn’t she? Did you enjoy it? Did you fuck her hard?” he growls. “Give her a baby I can sell?”

“No,” I hiss.

This makes him gaze straight into my eyes, a familiar glint haunting his.

“She’s. Mine.” He slaps me hard. “Don’t you fucking think you ever fucking owned her!” He spits on me again. “Fucking pathetic. First, you steal from me, and then you fall in love with one of my girls?”

“She’s not yours,” I say.

“Oh, so she’s yours now? Is that it?” He punches me in the stomach. “She. Fucking. Left. You.”

I shake my head but don’t reply. I won’t give him the satisfaction.

He looks at the man with the gun. “Go stand guard at the door.”

Then he focuses his attention on me again. “You stink of that whore, but her smell is fading fast. That’s why you aren’t fighting, right? Because she doesn’t want you anymore.”

He grabs my hair and pulls my head up. “Look at you. Sad. Pathetic. I didn’t ruin you. Love did that.”

Something about that is so fucking funny, so it’s my turn to laugh. “Love finally made me a better man,” I say. “Love gave me what you never could.”

“Oh yeah, and what’s that?” he says, grabbing me by the collar. “Tell me.”

“Happiness,” I whisper.

He punches me square in the face.

I turn away, absorbing the blow as my eyes close.

“I’ll kill you!” I hear him yell, but I’m no longer there.

I’ve already decided that I’ll be so much happier where I’m going.

Another strike to the shoulder. It doesn’t hurt me anymore.

I’m letting the pain pull me away, and take comfort knowing that it’ll all be over soon. Finally.