His To Break

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

BLAIR ASHFORD

✥

Two years later

I know my target.

Jace has been planning this one for weeks.

Another rich man with secrets. Secrets that can be used against him to give Jace unlimited power and the ability to take what he wants. He's obsessed with money, he wants to be as wealthy as possible.

He might as well have a degree in blackmail, he's a sick twisted man.

He gets a thrill off taking hard earned cash from men who he believes don't deserve it.

Jace doesn't deserve it either. He deserves a slow painful death for everything he has done to me. I've planned his murder multiple times but it's nearly impossible for me to act upon it, especially with his men are constantly loitering around.

Ever since my attempted escape two years ago. I refused to do it again.

It's haunted me ever since and left me with scars that I'll never be able to get rid of.

I tug down my cobalt dress, making sure that it covers my knees. I've been hiding in the club toilets for the last ten minutes. I know what Christopher Russo looks like, Jace gave me all the information I needed before I arrived.

If I don't come home with any dirt on the man, I'm going to be punished.

So I have to play this right. Jace is the last person whose bad side I want to get on and that is based on his mood from this morning. Something pissed him off and I know I have to do as I say otherwise I'll only add to the problem.

I roll my lips together, the gloss shining against the reflection in the mirror. It's now or never.

My heels click against the floor as I exit the bathroom and walk back inside to the Dark Suite, pulling my long red hair over my shoulder. I scan the room as I walk to the VIP section, Jace put me on the guest list somehow and it makes this a thousand times easier.

Christopher will only be in the VIP section, away from the drunk clubbers below.

I suck down a breath and approach the bar and take a glass of champagne from one of the trays that are floating around. I'm desperate for some liquid courage, even though I've been doing this for years. It never gets easier.

When I press the glass to my lips, I take a sip and nod to myself. It's fine, you can do this.

Men glance my way as I float through the room, smiling as I pass but keeping my eyes out for the man I need. He might not be here yet but that gives me a chance to think through how I'm going to approach, what I'm going to say.

Smile and flirt. That's what Jace said. Women are good at seducing men with their eyes and apparently red-headed women are desired, not that I believe him but I suppose it's worked in my favour previously.

As I nurse my drink and wait at the bannister that overlooks the dance floor of the club, people slowly filter inside. Most of them having the time of their lives.

I miss my nights with Natalya. When she's here, it's better but I haven't seen her in a little while. She's the first girl friend I've made since my life's been signed away to Jace. I enjoyed her company when she saved me after a terrible night.

She allowed me to experience a tiny portion of my life I once had.

But she hasn't been here in weeks.

I turn my head towards the bar and my ankle rocks slightly when I catch a glimpse of Christopher. Silver fox. He's tall and in a sharp grey suit that makes him stand out. He's with two other men but I'm not focusing on them, he's my only target.

My eyes remain on his until he glances my way and when we lock gazes, I offer him a sweet smile before sipping on my champagne. I turn my head towards the dance floor again and ignore the way my heart thumps inside my chest.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. I remind myself.

If I get some information, this all can be over. For tonight.

It's not like I've got six years left of this grave shift.

I chew on my lip and peer over at Christopher again. He's already looking at me. My lips curl into a smile and I straighten my spine, placing my foot behind me to showcase the curve of my ass. It's a trick that tends to work.

His eyes dip down to my waist and over my curves effortlessly. He turns back to his company and leans forward to say something before turning and walking in my direction.

My blood storms through my body and I brace myself for my task.

I glance away and feel his presence beside me. "Are you here alone, beautiful?"

His voice is dark and crisp, matching his age. He must be approaching fifty.

My smile remains and I twist my head to look at him again, noticing his height on me. I sigh softly. "I'm meant to be meeting some friends but I'm not entirely sure where they are."

"I see," he nods slowly. "Well would you mind if I kept you company? Wouldn't want a beautiful girl like you standing here all alone."

I rest my glass against my lips. "How very gentlemanly of you, but that's okay, I don't want to keep you from your company."

Christopher shakes his head. "They won't miss me," he beckons to the men behind him. "What's your name?"

"Blair," I breathe slowly.

His eyes soften and I spot the wrinkles around them. "Very fitting for a breathtaking woman. I'm Christopher, it's nice to meet you, Blair."

I nod, letting my hair fall over my face. "Likewise."

Christopher stares at me, his eyes paying particular attention at my lips and then my breasts. Always the f*****g same. I don't think any man has ever just looked at my face without being desperate to see more–do more.

These men always feel so entitled. They're not real men. They're monsters.

"Shall we take a seat?" He gestures to the empty booth behind me.

I nod and he places a hand on my lower back, a little too low for my liking. His little finger runs across the thin strap of my thong and it makes my skin crawl. I never want to be anywhere near these men, let alone entertain them.

As we sit down I cross my knee over the other and watch as he sits down right beside me, his leg brushing mine. I find myself fluttering my lashes through the discomfort that rushes through me.

"So Blair, tell me about yourself," he says, laying his arm on the back of the chair and making his stance as the 'alpha' male.

I clear my throat gently. "Not much to tell, I work in admin and I like to go out and have a good time."

He flashes me a grin, flashing off his pearly white teeth. Most definitely rich with those bank breakers. "What about you?" I ask. "You're probably a lot more interesting than I am."

A laugh falls from his lips. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"What do you do?"

"I own a business."

I hum with intrigue but I already know. "What kind of business?"

"In stocks and shares. I'll probably bore you."

My head shakes. "Not at all. Do you enjoy it?"

Christopher inspects my lips again, remaining silent for a few moments. "I do but it's extremely stressful at times. It's all part of the job."

"I'm guessing your company is very successful," I comment, leaning back into the leather seat, only for him to move even closer.

Goosebumps cover my skin but I continue to smile, even if I want to skin myself alive for being this close to a man I'm not even remotely interested in.

"You could say that," he smirks before placing a hand on my knee. "But talking about business when we should be enjoying ourselves is extremely boring and I don't want to bore you, Blair. In fact, I want to please you."

My eyes widen slightly and I try not to let my horror show on my face. I'm only one step closer to getting information I need, it never takes one night, it can last weeks if not months to get these men to trust me.

Jace doesn't like that one bit but I can't help it if they don't want to open up to me. I understand why they don't, they barely know me and only want to get in my pants. It's physically draining to the point that I constantly wear a permanent smile, even when I'm at home because I'm so used to putting on this stupid front.

"Oh, I–"

Before I know it, he's leant forward and pressed his lips to my neck. I seize up and freeze, feeling his mouth lick and kiss across my skin. "Wait," I heave out and press a hand to his hard shoulder but he doesn't move. "I-I would rather we talked."

He laughs into my neck and grabs my waist, causing my champagne to jump out of my glass and roll down my hand. "Talk? I'd rather get a taste of you, sweet thing. I bet you taste as good as you smell."

My stomach rolls over inside me and I cringe, heat spiking my body in a way that makes me want to be set on fire. He grabs my waist even harder and I whimper at the way his fingers press into my rips. "Stop," I pant pathetically. "Stop."

A shadow casts over my face of a body peering over us, the back of Christopher's neck is grabbed and ripped from the booth within two seconds. I take down a desperate breath and glance up, my face flustered as I brush my hair away from my eyes frantically.

"When she says stop, you stop, you f*****g asshole." A heavy and raspy voice catches me off guard.

I look up to find a tall man clutching Christopher by the collar of his shirt, knuckles turning white. I flick my eyes across the tattoos over his fingers and on his hand. I didn't really notice them before but now, they're all I can see. My heart rattles inside my chest.

Natalya's brother. Nikolai. I met him once before.

I could recognise those dark, mysterious eyes anywhere. He looms over Christopher, at least four inches taller. His shoulders are much broader and the expression on his face looks like he's about to commit multiple crimes and not have an ounce of remorse.

Christopher pushes him off but Nikolai steps forward and squares up to him, levelling their eyes in a death glare. "Trust me, you don't want to cause a scene." Nikolai grunts in his direction. "So I suggest you step away before I get Zane to kick your sorry ass out of here for good."

His nostrils flare at him and he straightens out his suit. Not once does he glance my way but he strolls across the VIP section, away from our eye line. Nikolai watches him stalk back to where he came from before he turns to me, his face still looks like thunder until he softens his eyes when they focus on my own.

My stomach hardens as he glances over my face slowly. "Are you okay?"

I swallow back the lump in my throat. I attempt to nod but it's far from the truth.

I'm not. Christopher will never talk to me again. Now I will have no information to tell Jace and he's going to pull a stunt that will leave me with nightmares for months. I suddenly feel extremely nauseous. Oh s**t, oh s**t.

"Blair?" He breathes a whisper of concern.

For a moment I zone out. My head becoming extremely light.

"You remember me?" I say with a confused tone.

He nods swiftly. "Of course. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I rasp. "I'm okay."

"Did he hurt you?"

I shake my head. "Just a little bit too handsy."

"That asshole is lucky he has any hands at all," he grumbles under a breath.

For a few moments neither of us say anything but he doesn't step away, I'm still trying to calm down my racing heart.

"Would you like another drink?" He asks, gesturing to my empty glass. "I sure need one."

I'm definitely going to need one too. I nod and push myself up from the booth and walk across the room to the bar at the end with Nikolai by my side. I notice that he glances at me out of the corner of his eye but doesn't turn to me completely.

He orders for me and I thank him, taking my drink and downing half of it.

"How is Natalya?" I ask, trying to distract myself with a new conversation. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"She's away with Boric in the Bahamas," he says, raising his own glass to his lips. "They've been there for three days but going to be out there for two weeks, if not more."

I'm glad she's happy. At least one of us is. "Sounds amazing," I flash him a smile. "I'm jealous."

Nikolai's eyes widen subtly as he leans onto the bar. "Me too," he admits. "But I'm left to do business with Zane instead. It's endless fun."

When I don't respond immediately, he takes in my face. Not my lips or my hips but my face and suddenly I feel about two feet tall because he's seeing me–he's really seeing me. I flick my gaze across his features and feel myself settle into my shoes

He's gorgeous. Of course, he is. Natalya is stunning too. Their parents have amazing genes.

Dark tousled hair that is long on the top, pieces resting over his forehead in perfect position. Olive tan skin that looks smooth and silky. I noticed the scar across his eyebrow before but now I'm really seeing it, cut right across the hair but it looks like he got it years ago.

I've always been slightly terrified of men with scars because they remind me of Jace, but when I look at him I don't get the same vibes from him. Men can own scars and not be as nasty as Jace, I certainly own a museum of my own.

"Please don't tell me that man was your date," Nikolai grunts in disapproval as he gestures to the booth I was sitting in before.

I shake my head. "No, I met him tonight. Wouldn't leave me alone."

"Who are you here with?"

My face reddens and I open my mouth slowly. "I was waiting for some friends but I'm not sure where they are." I lie. "Not very reliable."

Nikolai studies me for a long moment and I flash him an unconvincing smile. It's like he can see right through me. That something isn't right but he doesn't press on, instead he nods and takes a sip of his drink.

"You shouldn't be here alone," he comments, voice raspy. "I trust Zane's club but I don't trust the men. In fact, I don't trust any men."

I tilt my head. "Including yourself?"

He breathes out through his nose sharply, cutting a laugh short. "Men in this town aren't here for anything sweet and you being here looking like... that." His eyes flick down my attire but not paying any particular attention to a specific body part. I heat up instantly. "Men are always going to think they're owed something. I know you're here to have a good time but these men are here to manipulate and coerce. Being alone makes them believe one thing."

His jaw tenses and I can see frustration filter through them. It warms me in ways I had no idea I could feel. Why he seems like he's worried about me? I'll never know.

No one has cared about me for years and the feeling is so alien I have no idea what to do with it.

But I shouldn't be focusing on that, I should be focusing on the fact I have no information to give back to Jace.

I know I can't go home with nothing but it's too late. I'm going to get the wrath of him.

And I am terrified.