Chapter 4: Ro-Ro Broken Window

Vic had been hiding in her apartment for almost a full week, since the day she had called the number, the receptionist had given her. Plenty of people had tried contacting her, including Phillip, but the news that came through the phone the moment she heard Volkov’s voice dug a hole in her stomach she was still trying to recover from. He simply told her that either “The Ghost” would work for him, or Phillip would, and she would know when he wanted his answer.

“The Ghost” was the code name Vic’s father had insisted on when she first told him she wanted to help with the family business. At first, he was more than apprehensive about her involvement because, although their family had specialized in using brute force to extract information where others could not for generations, Phillip Bura Senior had others plans for his oldest and only daughter.

When she was about sixteen Vic heard her father having a hushed argument with their mother one night, before she had gotten too sick to speak. While her father wanted to send Vic away to fancy boarding schools to get an education that would help him win favor with some of the more powerful families, her mother argued that it was a recipe for disaster.  Her mother’s pleading words still rang in Vic’s head. “She won't do well as just some boss’s wife Phil. She is a strong girl with a strong mind and if you force this, you will either crush her or kill the empire you are trying to protect. Don't try to force her to be anything other than what she is. Please Phil, give me this one thing.” Vic’s mother, Victoria Bura, had been the only person on the planet who could change her father’s mind once it had been made up. When her mother had announced that Vic would be free to pursue her life to her own liking, Vic had been absolutely delighted. Even after her mother had finally passed, Vic's father remained true to his word and did everything in his power to help her become the deadliest secret weapon in the underworld.

While Vic’s physique hinted at her strength, most people underestimated her ability to wield the predatory weapon that was her own body, and she used it at every advantage to gain the upper hand.

A sudden knocking on Vic’s door brought her out of her memory daydream. With cautious curiosity, she approached the door and looked through the peephole only to find it covered by the tip of a finger. “Boss says you gotta open the door. He also said if you don't open if for me, he will send Rowan up here… guess you two met already?” a masculine but unfamiliar and almost uncharacteristically friendly voice chirped through the closed door. Vic swallowed the small voice in the back of her mind telling her to leave the door shut and sneak down the old fire escape outside the small kitchen window. Instead, she opened the door to find a smiling blond with thin metal rimmed glasses and a smile that made her instantly blush.

The strange man at her door extended his hand with enthusiasm. “I’m Max,” he said expectantly, and Vic smiled back before shaking his outstretched hand. She tried not to let her eyes linger on any specific part of the man in front of her, but it was difficult. He was handsome, even in his powder blue knit sweater and tight fighting blue jeans. “Vic.” she said in an almost whisper. Although he stopped shaking her hand, Max did not release her fingers. Instead, he slowly brought her hand up to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss against the back of her knuckles. “My pleasure Vic.” Max purred with a sweet smile and ran his thumb slowly over the back of her hand before she pulled it away.

The sound of rusty metal bending and glass shattering broke whatever spell Max had been weaving on Vic just as another man grunted and rolled onto the floor of her apartment. 

“What the fuck!?!” she bit out. She turned, only to find Rowan lying flat on his back with blood trickling down his forearm and the window to her kitchen broken with shards of glass peppering the sink and counter. “You live in a deathtrap woman.” Rowan groaned before pulling himself to his feet. Vic scowled and placed her hands on her hips. “You broke my fucking window dickhead.” she shouted, and Max instantly burst into laughter. Rowan grumbled under his breath as he dusted himself off. “You ready?” he barked, and Vic let her top lip curl in displeasure. “What are you, my escort?” she asked. Max snaked his arm with one of hers and pulled Vic around to face him. She swallowed as their chests almost pressed together. “Your chariot awaits my lady.” he said almost breathlessly and Vic bit her bottom lip, attempting to hide a blush but Max pulled her toward the door. “The bags Ro-Ro, chop chop now.” he announced dramatically pulling Vic across the threshold before she turned around to see Rowan giving Max the finger behind his back.