Dangerous man

Chapter 2 Dangerous man

MABEL'S POV

The suite screamed excess. There were crystal chandeliers and velvet walls. A glass table groaned under the weight of enough food to feed a small army. It was a gluttons wet dream.

Everything about Nikolai’s world was designed to impress and to intimidate. Tonight was no exception.

I sat stiffly at the end of the long table knowing fully well I was boxed in by some of the most dangerous men in Europe. They laughed and drank with their table knives slicing into rare steaks like gods feasting on Olympus. At the head of it all sat Nikolai Vadim. His incredibly expensive Rolex winked at me every time he raised his glass.

It didn't take long for me to notice he was more focused on me than anyone else.

“You’ve been quiet all night, Raven,” Nikolai said as he swirled the dark liquor in his glass. His voice was calm but I caught the edge in it. Like he was testing me. “Does our company bore you?”

I met his eyes. They were cold eyes that had room for no emotion except pain and hate. “No, sir. Just taking everything in.”

He smiled. His smile was slow and deliberate. “Careful. A person can drown doing that.”

I shrugged. “I know how to swim.”

That earned a low chuckle from a few men at the table but Nikolai didn’t laugh. He watched me. His eyes stayed locked on me like he was studying every inch of my face. It was like he could peel away the layers of my cover and see Mabel Carter underneath.

I wanted to put a bullet in his head right then and there. My hand itched for the gun holstered beneath my dress but I clenched my fist instead. Patience. One wrong move and I’d be dead before my body hit the floor. The men there were killers from birth and I only just earned that title myself less than 24 hours ago.

He leaned forward. “Tell me, Raven. Where did you learn to handle yourself like you did at the warehouse?”

The memory of Jayn bleeding out flashed before my eyes. I didn't want to think about her so I forced my jaw to unclench. “Survival instinct.”

“Instinct,” he repeated softly as if savoring the word.

I gave him nothing else. I kept my answers clipped and professional. Distant.

But inside I was on fire. Every second I sat at this table was a war; an internal struggle. He was charming in a lethal wayb and every word he said made it harder to maintain the armor I’d built.

The dinner went for hours. His associates exchanged stories about drug shipments and bodies dumped in canals like they were trading stock tips. I sipped water and listened. Every detail was ammunition. Every smile from Nikolai was a taunt. He had no idea I was the pin under the elephant's foot.

Eventually the night advanced and everyone was starting to leave until I was left alone with him. He leaned back and stretched as if he hadn’t just spent hours surrounded by monsters.

I tried to imagine the kind of man he would have been if he hadn't become a criminal but I came out blank. A criminal is all he could be.

Then my burner buzzed.

Sterling. Shit.

I stood up and pretended to adjust my jacket. “Excuse me a moment.”

I slipped into the adjoining lounge and answered in a hushed voice. “Sir, I’m in the middle of—”

“What’s your status?” Sterling’s voice crackled with urgency.

“Now?” I hissed. “Do you have any idea where I am?”

“I don’t care if you’re in his lap. I need an update.”

I swallowed hard as I watched the doorway to make sure he wasn't listening. “I’ve got his attention. He trusts me. Now is not the time—”

The door creaked behind me. I spun around with the phone still pressed to my ear and found Nikolai watching me. He seemed to be amused by my reaction.

I forced my face blank. “I’ll call you back,” I told Sterling then hung up before I could slip up and call him by name.

Nikolai arched a brow. “Trouble?”

“Just business.” I lied smoothly.

He nodded. I could tell he wasn't convinced but he didn't push it. “Come.” He gestured back toward the dining room.

I excused myself to the bathroom a few minutes later, locking the door behind me. My heart pounded in my ears. Sterling had almost blown everything.

I called him back immediately. “You nearly got me killed! This wasn't part of our deal. I remember you said I'd be on my own.”

“You’re overreacting,” he replied.

“No,” I snapped. “You don’t get it. He watches me like a hawk. One mistake and I’m done.”

“Carter—”

“I’m in, alright? He trusts me. Let me do my job.”

Sterling sighed. “Fine. Just… be careful.”

I ended the call without responding. What the fuck did he think he was doing? This wasn't the time to play father figure. One more slip up like that and I'd end up with a bullet between my eyes.

Later that night back in my hotel suite I paced. My mind spun between rage and exhaustion. I needed sleep but my nerves were shredded. I couldn't bring myself to sit for a minute straight. I knew I needed coffee or a good whiskey to take off the edge. Good whiskey it is. There's got to be a bottle somewhere here…

My focus shattered immediately I stepped into the hallway. I’d taken a wrong turn somehow and ended up outside another suite. Nikolai’s suite.

The door was cracked open.

I should’ve walked away. I should’ve turned back. Instead curiosity or most likely stupidity, got the better of me.

I pushed the door open and regretted it. The sight hit me like a freight train.

Nikolai stood at the far end of the room naked. That wasn't even the worse part. He had one hand braced against the wall and the other wrapped around his dick as he stroked violently. His eyes were shut and his jaw tight.

I froze.

Time stopped.

Then his eyes opened and he turned to face me.

“Mabel,” he said. His voice was like gravel. He didn’t even try to cover himself. Instead a wicked smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Enjoying the view?”

Heat rushed to my face immediately. I stumbled back but couldn’t tear my gaze away from him. From his d—

“Don’t let me stop you,” he said lazily. His strokes slowed down as if to taunt me.

My throat went dry. “You— I—”

His laugh was low and dark. He was enjoying this. “Didn’t peg you for the shy type.”

I finally forced my legs to move as I backed out and slammed the door behind me. My pulse raced as I stumbled back to my own room. I locked the door like it would somehow erase what I’d just seen.

I pressed my hands to my face. I was feeling mortified. But worse than the shock was the truth gnawing at me.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Hours passed. The image burned into my mind. The way his muscles tensed and the hunger in his eyes when he saw me.

I tried to fight it. But eventually I gave in. I was desperate and aching from the lust eating at me. I slipped beneath the sheets and let my hand wander low. I hated myself as I chased the ghost of his touch.

My pussy was wet and my fingers came out slippery. I pushed my middle finger past the walls and let out a soft moan. My body trembled with lust as I pushed deeper.

“Fuck." I bit my lower lips, my thumb rolling circles around my clitoris.

The image of Nikolai naked played on repeat in my mind. I couldn't think or breathe. I'd forgotten how to.

My body tensed, my toes curled as I jumped off the cliff into the sweet waters of orgasm. “Oh, shit." I wheezed, trying to breath like a human being once again.

Sleep was impossible after that.

When dawn broke I dragged myself to his suite because I needed to prove to myself that I could still focus. That I was still in control. Nikolai was nothing but a criminal I was close to putting behind bars.

A note taped to the door read:

Gone on urgent business. Back in three days. – N

Perfect. It's just what I needed. Enough time to go through Nikolai's suite and get all the evidence to put him away for a long, long time.

I picked the lock with practiced ease and slipped inside before anyone could see me. The suite was in perfect condition. It smelled of cologne and power. It would be hard searching the area without making a mess but I knew better. Somewhere in here were answers.

I searched for hours. I opened files, flipped drawers, and discovered multiple hidden compartments. Nothing. Still nothing.

My eyes drifted to the painting on the far wall. It was surely a cliche hiding spot but criminals were creatures of habit. Or so I hoped.

I slid it aside and found exactly what I expected. There was a sleek biometric safe embedded in the wall. It wasn't a simple safe.

I crouched with my heart pounding as I worked on the lock. The mechanism was advanced but nothing I hadn’t faced before. A few tense minutes later the lock clicked open. I swung the door wide and reached inside.

I pulled out a thick envelope. It was heavy with files that practically called out to me. I pulled it free and flipped through the documents. Bank statements, photos, lists of transactions mostly bribes, weapons deals, offshore accounts. It was all there. Enough shit to bury him. My breath caught. This was it. Everything we needed.

I could already imagine Sterling’s smug grin. I could imagine Nikolai's eyes burning as they put him in cuffs and throw him into the backseat of a cop car.

Suddenly I heard faint footsteps outside the door. I'd have missed it completely if I was distracted.

Shit. Shit. Fuck. Shit. Fuckkkkk!

I stuffed the files back into the envelope and slammed the safe shut. I moved fast and wept the room resetting every drawer. Every object I had touched went back to their previous position. Nothing was out of place.

The knob turned.

No time.

I dropped to the floor and slid the envelope deep under the bed just as the door creaked open.

Nikolai strode inside as he tossed a suitcase onto the couch like he owned the air in the room. His eyes flicked over the suite before landing squarely on me. I was still crouching by the far wall pretending to inspect a vent cover.

His expression shifted to surprise and then into something darker and more amused.

“Raven,” he said smoothly. His voice was low and dangerous. “Looking for something?”