agony for days. I worked very hard never to disappoint him. “Yes, Father.”
As he pulled a knife from his pocket, I winced. “Hold out your hand.”
The memory was bittersweet. I flexed the same hand that I’d used to crush the nose of my enemy, turning it over in order to see the scar that had been left from that particular punishment. I’d deserved it by all rights, school as important as anything else he’d taught me.
I’d excelled in school after that, never providing another reason for him to punish me. However, for my loyalty, I’d paid a significant price.
One that had forced me to leave my home.
And what my father had called my rightful kingdom.
Taking my glass with me, I moved toward the hidden compartment, switching on the light overhead. The vast display of weapons and ammunition was at least a small comfort. I took another gulp before placing the glass on one of the bookshelves, selecting my weapon of choice. The Heckler & Koch MP5SD had been with me since the early days, the ones of extreme bloodshed, crimson staining the streets of Moscow.
I selected the ammunition, loading and preparing the gun, holding it in both hands. It had been almost a year since I’d bothered to train, a significant mistake. I’d allowed my guard to fall. That could cost me my livelihood and my life, but also one of an innocent bystander.
I grabbed additional ammunition, shoving it into my pocket and leaving the door open as I walked out, grabbing my drink on the way. I headed for my desk, easing onto my leather chair and staring into the shadowed light. As I placed the weapon onto the desk’s surface, I half expected that my location would be compromised. However, I would be prepared.
Now the question formed in my mind.
Who the fuck would dare mess with me and why?
I took another sip, my thoughts drifting to Chloe, an ache forming in my gut. I’d been attracted to the beautiful, feisty redhead from the first day she’d walked into my class. However, she was forbidden, even though it was an unwritten school rule, any kind of relationship with a student was frowned upon. I was under enough scrutiny even though I was well liked and considered a valuable faculty member by my peers.
The fact I was Russian had always troubled the University’s president and the board of directors. Fuck them. I’d proven myself over the years.
Sighing, I closed my eyes, unable to shove the images of Chloe’s smiling face out of my mind. She was a bright shining star. She was also drop dead gorgeous, my desires bordering on sadistic. I wasn’t a good man. In fact, I was considered one of the most dangerous bastards in Russia. If my American friends had any idea what I was capable of, they would run in fear of what I would do to them.
I flexed my hand, thinking about all the vile and filthy things I’d like to do to my student.
Capturing.
Tasting.
Fucking.
Caging.
That was my way, or at least it had been from the day I’d been taken to a brothel at eighteen, Maxim Federov insisting I learn the ways of handling women. I’d been allowed to explore my sexual needs, my appetite growing every day after that, finally to the point the majority of whores labeled me unstable, my sadistic needs far too extreme. While I’d tempered my desires over the years, the hunger had never left.
I wanted the lovely Chloe. I wanted to strip away her innocence, taking her in all the dark and demented ways that I’d envisioned over the semester. Huffing, I lifted my glass, holding and swirling it in the light. She would make a lovely pet.
What the hell was I thinking? I wasn’t that man any longer.
My lurid thoughts remained, my need for the lovely young woman forcing my cock against my jeans. The ache was almost undeniable. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes as I tried to move into the peaceful state Maxim had tried to teach me all those years ago.
“There will always be a need for revenge; however, until you learn to control your rage, the rush of feelings will consume you, making you weak. Find a place in your mind where you can find solace. Only then will you truly become a warrior. Never forget, you are my son. Whether by blood or acquisition, you’ve become important to me. You always will be.”
Acquisition.
That’s exactly what I’d become over the years.