The Monster's Addiction (Completed)

Chapter 7

VIKTOR

I stood there, awkwardly and watched her fall asleep. As creepy as it sounded, I was in a daze. She bewildered me, trapped me in a spell, like an enchantress. And I stood there, wondering, how effortlessly I was pulled into a trance.

But the very next moment I had to remind myself not to get distracted. The phone vibrated inside my pocket and I pulled it out. Lorenzo’s number flashed on my screen. I threw one last glance at her sleeping form and walked out of the room.

I headed straight to my office. It was about time to concentrate on things that mattered, the things that needed my immediate attention.

Killing Antonio was easy but the mess he created with my finances had driven me nuts. And I had to f*****g clear it up. But how he’d embezzled so much money and transferred to off-shore accounts were beyond frustrating. He was nothing but a bloody prick.

So, one thing was clear. Antonio was just the messenger who’d carried out the dirty works for someone else. But, I was yet to find out that ‘someone else’. Anger coursed through my body like a molten lava.

Had I not gotten lost with that little girl in the corner, I’d have dragged his death a little longer—making him beg, scream and howl in pain.

The bullets plunged into him was a form of mercy. A mercy he didn’t deserve.

I met Dominic on my way to the office, dressed in his usual leather jacket and jeans. “Did you find anything on Antonio?” I asked, hoping he would have any lead, he always did. My brother was excellent in tracing the money trail and got half the job done.

He scowled at me. “I am still digging, give me some time.”

“Well, then dig deeper and faster,” I snapped. I was too irritated already and his failure just irked me more.

“You need to get laid, you know.” The bastard smirked while I leveled him with a glare.

But Dominic didn’t care. He knew how to push my buttons and when to stop. And most importantly, he knew I wouldn’t pull the trigger on him. Cocky ass!

I grew closer to him after I’d lost Stefan. Somewhere...I felt very protective of this i***t.

But in truth, people around him needed protection. Dominic was jovial but when it came to torture and assassination, we’d inherited pretty much the same amount of talent from our father.

We were monsters in our own ways.

I’d left for a short trip for a couple of days and left Dominic in-charge. He was always the underboss, my second-in-command. And if there was anyone I trusted blindly with the business, it was him.

I’d asked Sammy to take care of Mia. The medicines kind-of kept her calm for a few days and Sammy had a positive effect on her. She’d dealt with Mia so delicately that I was in awe.

Like I’d said, sweet talker.

And surprisingly, Mia was extremely comfortable around her. I had half a mind to send her to Sammy’s place but somehow the idea of sending her away made me hysterical. I felt like a half-wit i***t when I’d tried to justify myself and finally gave up.

So far, Mia didn’t do anything while I was away. She’d mostly remained by herself, uttering one or two words as a response and didn’t come out of the room.

One look at her and I could read her like an open book. The girl wore her heart on her sleeves. Depression, anxiety, and denial – I could sense how she was silently fighting everything and how it weakened her. But she was so strong...so brave. I wished I could tell her that.

As far as I was concerned, I never felt so intensely towards anyone. Her strength, her innocence, her void doe-eyes—everything about her made her pure. Maybe that was why my monster was attracted to her.

Only a devil could be tempted to taint the purest.

I was someone who was exposed to the twisted, dark world of mafia since I drew my first breath. Feelings and weakness were not an option available to us. We were taught to encourage the fire and storm inside us, to be fierce and ruthless. And that’s what I was—a monster. That’s what kept me alive.

And then I saw her.

Her innocence scorched my soul. Her vulnerabilities tugged at my heart. And I felt this insane urge to save her, protect her, keep her and devour her. My monster roared within me, unable to fight those damn urges. I was at war with myself every time I looked at those damned doe-eyes.

She brought my heart to heel with one innocent stare.

Such was her power over me.

I returned home after the trip around evening only to find Mia sitting on the floor of my bedroom with Bourbon.

Shit.

She had found my alcohol stash behind the ottoman. The little devil had been snooping around while I was away!

I stormed inside the room, roaring, “Hand me over that bottle, now!”

She giggled, eyes shone with a twinkle, and completely undaunted under the influence of alcohol. When Dominic told me that she didn’t stir any trouble for days, I should have known. I should have realized her behavior was too good to be true.

The moment I tried to snatch the bottle away from her hand, she quickly rolled her little body to the other side.

“You won’t give me the drugs, you won’t let me drink. You won’t let me go. Why?” she slurred with a pout.

“Give me the damn bottle, Mia,” I hissed. My temper was rising by the second.

I was hell-bent on helping her, pulling her out of hell-hole but everything seemed like a joke to her. Forget fear and repentance for almost drinking half the bottle, the sheer defiance in her voice came across as a loud ’f**k you’ to my face.

“You are not going to order me around anymore.” She leveled me with a look that told me I was way too lenient with her till now.

Well, that was about to change. The little kitten was beginning to come out with her claws. Except her claws was no match for my power.

I stomped closer to her, almost seething in fury but managed not to scream. “I am going to order you one last f*****g time. Hand me the bottle, Mia. If I have to grab it out of your little hands, believe me, you’d regret. You think you’ve seen the worst in life?” I sneered. “Well, I am going to show you the worst of the worst if you don’t as you’re told.”

“You didn’t do your worst with me,” she said, almost challenging me.

Was she expecting me to behave like a monster with her?

“Are you trying to goad me, Mia?” I narrowed my eyes.

She bit on her lower lip, studying me and judging her options. She was ready to take her chances against me, I could tell. For once, I wish she didn’t. I had no control over my rage and the last thing I wanted was for her to see what a monster like me was capable of.

“f**k. You. And. Your. Orders.” She spat on my face.

And that very moment, I saw red.

Fury hit me like a hurricane and I stalked towards her—slowly and carefully. She started scrambling back in slight fear but the moment her back hit the wall, she knew she was trapped. The intoxication was slowly ebbing, and the flash of boldness was replaced by nervousness. The trembling hands gripped the bottle tightly while she gaped at me.

In a flash, I gripped her throat, choking the air out of her. The bottle slipped away from her hand and shattered into pieces the moment it hit the floor. Mia gagged and clawed at my hands, struggling to take in a breath.

Fat tears slid down her face and I pulled away, immediately releasing her from my vice-like grip. I took two steps back, giving her space as she took in deep breaths.

“Try speaking to me in that tone again, a little choking would be the least of your concern,” I warned in a low voice.

What happened next fueled the monster in me and brought me to the brink of madness.

And I really wished she wouldn’t have pushed me so far.

She slapped me. She f*****g slapped me! This little girl had caught me by surprise.

I closed my eyes, inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. My fists clenched and unclenched. My glare pinned her. I grabbed her forearm at that instant and dragged her in my wake, hauling her to the basement of the house.

She didn’t see this place. Yet. Well, now she needed to. And she would regret this act for a pretty long time.

I was done handling her with care and kindness. f**k that. She slapped me. And now I was determined to make her pay the price of goading a monster.

I paid no heed to her whimpering, begging or pleading. I was way past controlling my anger and floodgates were wide open.

Dragging her in one of the cells of the basement, I chained her hands above her head with a hook hanging from the roof. The moment she was restrained, Mia started wildly kicking her legs. I circled around her slowly, drinking in her fear.

“Please...please let me go, Viktor.”

“What happened to the fiery, little girl? Whatever happened to the brave and strong girl?” I mocked.

“It was a mistake, I am sorry. Please, I am really, really, sorry.” She was sobbing so hard it was impossible to understand her words.

“What did she do now, brother?” Dominic’s voice came from behind as I looked over my shoulder. He was leaning against the doorway, in a crisp white shirt and jeans.

“She doesn’t know how to behave, Dominic.” My cold stare was fixed on hers as she frantically shook her head, sobbing. “I have to teach the little girl how to behave. I have to teach her not to raise her hand again. And if she does, she’ll lose the hand. Hopefully, she would learn.”

She looked over my shoulder and looked at Dominic. “Please, please...help me.”

I gripped her chin, forcing her eyes on mine. “Do not even look at him. He can’t save you, Mia,” I gritted, our noses almost touching.

I wanted her to remember the punishment. I needed her to remember what would happen if she’d dared to repeat her transgressions.

For once in my damned life, I was trying to help. She was getting a f*****g chance to normalize her life once again and I was not going to let her throw it away. Therapy and counseling were not my solutions. I was good at making people understand in my own dark, twisted way.

And she would, hopefully, understand.

I took off my tie, gagged her and stepped back slightly, only to see her gaping at me with wide eyes. I c****d my head slightly to look at Dominic who stood in the same position, except a cigar on his lips.

“Get me the cane,” I ordered him in a low, husky voice.

Mia panicked. I could smell her fear. And the monster in me was appeased. But I was far from granting her the mercy.

Dominic handed me the cane and stepped back. I slowly walked around and stood behind her, while she frantically twisted and turned. But the moment I gripped the cane tighter in my hand, something jolted within me.

I felt weak. The tighter I gripped the cane, the deeper I inhaled. And for some unknown reason, I could not breathe.

One f*****g single hit on her thigh and I could not do it anymore.

That single f*****g hit felt like a blade to my own heart. The saliva in mouth burned like acid when I swallowed.

What the hell was happening to me?

I found myself crumbling down—bit by bit. The untamed fire within me scorched my own skin, radiating outrage through my eyes. I’d never felt it so strongly in anyone else’s presence.

This little girl would be my undoing, I sighed.

I was always head-strong, very clear about the things I had wanted, and achieved it accordingly. But this...this was a novelty for me. I didn’t know what to do with myself. Hell, I didn’t know what to do with her!

I couldn’t let her go. I couldn’t control her. f**k! I couldn’t even punish her.

While she remained bound and whimpering, I sat on one knee burying my head, holding the cane on the other hand.

I was glad there was no one present other than Dominic. I wouldn’t have let anyone else see my weakness. Even I was in denial—somewhere deep within me—that I had developed a weakness.

Suddenly, I felt Dominic’s hand on my shoulder. He took the cane from my hand, threw it aside as I rose to my feet. Dominic unchained her slowly, helping her to stand on her feet. But she could not balance herself. Instead, he picked her up and handed her over in my arms.

“You had a long day, brother. Get some rest,” Dominic advised. With that, he walked out.

My eyes fell on the little girl coddled in my arms. Her nose was red, eyes were swollen and barely open. Her long braided hair was all loosened up, messed up and tangled. I guess she hadn’t brushed it in the past few days. The last time I'd washed her hair, I did comb out the tangles, I recalled.

I brought her back to the room. Silently, I fed her and she ate it all. It didn’t take much effort to put her to bed and tuck her in. The moment I draped the comforter over her body, she curled up and fell asleep.