Third-person POV.
“Dammit!” Peter let out a curse into the silent room in the unknown destination he was in. He doesn’t know how long he has been here but he can’t stay no longer.
Peter wanted to complete his mission but fuck, these men were standing in his way.
Just some time ago he had landed in the States, reeling with the hope of achieving his goals and gaining his freedom.
But now he was even in more problem. Peter gazed at the door, yearning to move up from his tied position and over to the door. He yearned to tug the door open and flee. Capture his unwanted daughter and hand her over to the mafia brothers.
The thought of Alexei and Anton made bile rise in Peter’s throat. He failed the twins despite their warnings. He fucking messed up.
If Peter had known that David would catch him he wouldn’t have gone to that bar.
But then again, David might have caught him even if he didn’t go there…
Peter scrunched his face as he thought about what happened that night. He was convinced then that David had men watching everywhere. He had men feeding him information about the mafia.
A slight bitter chuckle left Peter’s lips. He didn’t understand why David would go to such an extent to protect Vera.
He was just this possessive with Helen and now Vera.
Now, thinking about it, Peter remembered the glint in David’s eyes whenever he mentioned his affair with Vera.
It was one hundred percent obvious the man…in love with his daughter.
Fuck…
Peter needed to find out more about them and use it against David. A man like him cares so much about his reputation, and spilling such a secret will of course, ruin David’s life.
That night David had visited him here, he just casually taunted him with a non-existent video and Peter such as hell saw the look of dread in David’s eyes.
He was scared. Scared of losing everything he ever worked for because of a mere video.
Damn, if Peter had not been in captivity he would have more advantages over David. Advantages that would make it easier to achieve his aim.
As all these thoughts rumbled through Peter’s mind, his stomach grumbled. He was hungry. Literally, for the past…one week if Peter was counting it rightly, he hadn’t eaten.
Fucking David and his damn ass security had left him without food or water.
It made him weak. Damn, he felt so weak it took all he had to stay alive.
Peter was breathing shallowly, dragging and darting his lidded gaze around.
The dusty dark room was only lit by the half-broken chandelier in the center of the room that looked to have been deserted for years.
Peter needed to eat. To gather strength and think of a way out. He fucking needed it.
Well, by the looks of it, Peter doubted if David nor his security guard would show up here again.
He couldn’t see outside though but he had the feeling it was almost sunset.
“Fuck it.” Peter cursed hoarsely, his throat parched. The yearning for water to wet his throat was high. So high he nearly cried.
While the man wallowed in thoughts and needs in the seemingly dark room, he heard the light thud of a door from the outside.
Perking up his ears, Peter listened more to gain more ideas about who or what was coming. He heard the deep sounds of footfalls approaching.
Peter’s heart jerked, as he died in anticipation.
In no time, the door of the room he was in slammed open.
Gazing up, his heavy-lidded eyes connected with the man’s.
Working up his dry lips in a smile, Peter called out. “Andrei.”
His voice cracked and that made Peter cough.
Andrei’s footsteps grew closer and Peter watched him through his lashes.
Andrei barely looked tired despite standing all day at the modeling company Vera signed into.
Today was her Audition, so Andrei followed David’s orders not to let Vera out of his sight.
Andrei ensured that. He stood close by, watching not just Vera but he also looked out in case he noticed any threats.
Well, as of now, Andrei wasn’t staying in David’s house Brown was. That’s because Vera was already living on her own and Andrei was her chief security guard.
Like he had sought permission from David before, Andrei had asked most of his colleagues back then to investigate if the mafias had any sort of video that would implicate David.
Andrei knew the real truth though. That’s because he was there when everything happened. Because he heard when Helen pled with David to end everything. To end the suffering.
He heard David refusing to do it. But it was clear to both men that Helen was in pain and needed to make it all stop.
Fuck, David shouldn’t take the blame for her death. Peter should. But the corny bastard wanted to twist the scene around to favor him and tarnish David’s image.
“Why the long look, man? Thinking of what?” Peter’s husky voice snapped Andrei out of his thoughts.
As Andrei moved inches closer under the glowing light, Peter saw the brown paper bag Andrei came in.
Peter sought to know what was inside and it made his throat water.
“If that’s food. You shouldn’t delay giving it to me.” Peter spat confidently.
The least Andrei could do for the sly son of a bitch was give him the treat. Watch him eat. And make him feel pain later.
This process would take long. But he was willing to keep the bastard alive until the video was found.
“Don’t be too cocky.” Andrei boomed, dropping the bag on Peter’s thighs.
With the chain bounding his wrists but seemingly comfortable, Peter unwrapped the bag and found the buns and milk.
He made some approving noise and then took a grab of the buns. His teeth tore apart a chunk and he ground on it like a wolf.
In between mouthfuls, Peter ground out. “So, tell me. How long has David been fucking my daughter? I hope he didn’t abuse her as a child?” He mocked.
Andrei manageably held back from punching the pig in his face.
Peter locked his gaze on Andrei’s face and a smirk divorced his lips apart. “It seems to me it was a child abuse…”
This time, Andrei couldn’t hold back. He lunged at Peter and smacked the man hard on the face.
“If anyone abused a woman, it was you, Peter.” Andrei gushed.
Peter chuckled, much to Andrei’s displeasure. He took another chunk from the bun and chewed. “Like I once said. Helen was my wife.”
Bile rose to Andrei’s throat at those sickening words.
“But David sticking himself inside my daughter was a child abuse. I’m quite certain he started it before her age of maturity…”
A blow landed on Peter’s cheek, cutting off his words.
“David Truman no matter what would never force himself on anyone much less Vera, whom he valued, before she turned eighteen.” Andrei boomed.
“Oh, wow.” Peter weakly cackled. “That’s so considerate of him…is it not?” Peter humored, chuckling. “Still he’d forever be a pervert…”
“And you’ll forever be a rapist.” Andrei gushed.
Now serious, Peter dropped the last remaining bun and spat. “I want Vera back…”
“And why do you want her?” Andrei started circling the man, feeling a strong urge to inflict pain on him.
“Why would a father want his daughter? To bond of course, but you’re too blinded to understand.” Peter snapped.
“To bond or to give her to the mafia? Your masters?” Andrei stopped in front of Peter as he said that.
Peter’s eyes glazed over. He hated the fact that Andrei knew his plans. Though he was glad Andrei only knew a chunk of his aims.
“Now, tell me.” Andrei leaned forward, his face over Peter’s, he asked. “Where is the video?”
“I’ll never tell you. Not even when I’m in my grave.” Peter said in a snarky way.
“You’re making this hard, you know.”
“And so are you.”
The look of contempt on Peter’s face made Andrei lose his shit. He reached his fist out and tightened it in Peter’s hair. Dragging it back he growled. “You knew she was sick. Just on the verge of dying…”
Peter barked a laugh. “Oh…you think I’ll admit to it?”
Regardless of the pain of having his hair almost pulled out from his scalp, Peter refused to stop his taunting words.
“You knew she had barely three weeks to live and you chose to make her life miserable. To make her suffer.” Andrei shuddered as he thought back to that moment when Helen was confessing the whole truth.
From every word that fell from her lips, it was obvious to both Andrei and David that Helen had been enduring pains. It was the reason she avoided seeing David for the past months.
During that period she was probably sick, Helen didn’t visit David like she used to. She went away, wanting to recluse until death came. But Peter tracked her down.
Helen had been brewing some coffee that day in the cottage located in a small county in New York when Peter arrived.
Her instincts warned her to call David…
She knew it was time she revealed everything to him and encrusted her daughter in his hands.
Helen saw what was about to happen before it happened.
And just as Peter was banging on the door of the cottage, Helen put David on call. That was the first time she had called him in months.
She pled that David comes to the cottage. She gave him the location.
Those were the last words that dropped from her mouth as Peter broke down the door and stormed into the house, barking, “Where’s Vera!?”
Peter knew. He knew Helen was about to die and that was the reason he put his focus on Vera. Because he knew the mafia wouldn’t leave him if Helen died and Vera was no where to be seen.
He saw her medical report back in the city and he came looking for her.
Wanting to know where Vera was. His only chance to freedom.
That day, Helen refused to talk. Refused to comply. She chose quiet. Chose to be dumb.
Peter got angry at that. He wanted to scare her and make her speak and he released some shots into the air. However, Helen didn’t move.
Still furious, he pointed the gun at Helen threatening her but he heard someone coming in. Peter only wanted to shoot the person and make them stop walking in on them but Helen shoved herself on the way, and the bullet hit her.
Peter had thought she was dead then and ran but Helen wasn’t. She used those last moments to say everything.
To tell David about the bad state of her health.
She begged him to end her pains. To make it all go.
It was a hard decision…one neither David nor Andrei would ever forget.
But it was her easiest ticket to being free from pain.
Andrei clenched his jaw at the thought and backed away.
The words spilled from his lips with anger. “Where is the video?”
To be continued.