around and letting the tears shimmer on her eyes.
Men were so easy.
His amber gaze, so like her own studied her with a weariness that only stirred anger within her. He shook his head and sighed, sitting behind the desk.
“What, Elianya? What do you want now? What have you done now?”
She quivered her lip and chin. “I thought I could make us more money, Viktor. I only wanted to make you proud.”
“So you always say.” He tapped his fingers on his desk and watched her.
She picked up the letter open and put it down, picked up his pen and twirled it.
“I don’t mean to cause you trouble, Viktor. Honestly, I don’t. I only want to make you proud of me...” She let the last trail off in a quiver of fresh tears.
39
Again he sighed and put his hand on her knee. “Elianya, I know you don’t mean trouble, but you always cause it. I love you and I’ll always be proud of you.” His mouth tilted down at the corner and his eyes narrowed. “I find I lack pride in many of your schemes.”
The bastard was lying through his teeth. She hopped off his desk and leaned over to kiss his cheek, noting how he stiffened as she leaned close. “I love you too, brother. I am sorry I disappoint you, though.”
She dropped the pen back to the desk and picked up the letter opener. As if not thinking, she fiddled with the object in her hand. Nice and sharp wasn’t it? But then she planned for it to be. She’d have only one chance. Some things one hired out for and others one carried out. This she would do all her own.
Elianya stood looking out at the crowd below, the few straggling up the staircase, those surrounding the small tables talking and laughing of whatever people talked and laughed about. Perhaps that table there was talking about their day, the group of ladies laughing about men? Though really, what was to laugh about men? They were really such sad creatures.
Women, women were the strong ones and always had been. She knew that, hell, she proved it. And there, the group of young boys pointing to the girls at the next table before leaning close to one another and laughing. Another man pinched a woman’s ass.
Here it was almost midnight and the place was still on a good leg. Give it another hour and things would deteriorate. There had been sex under the stairs, she knew, she’d done it with several of Viktor’s guards, heavy petting under a table, drugs passed as if they were candy.
To some it may seem wild and vice ridden. She saw the potential for more. Prague was still such a simple city, its old world charm, friendly attitude, belied by the nightlife fun many could have, that many sought.
A shame she hadn’t moved to Amsterdam years ago. But business was business and though she might better feel at home in the city in Netherlands, she also knew that the need would grow and spread. Why open shop when there were already plenty saturating the market? No, so she waited. Waited here, learned her brother’s contacts and used them when the time came.
She almost smiled.
Turning she saw her brother watched her. “What?”
He tilted his head, his gaze running over her, his hands laced over his middle.
“What happened to you? Where did I go wrong, Elianya?”
She frowned as if confused and cocked her head. “What are you talking about, Viktor?”S
tupid man.
She inched closer to him, and closer.
He shook his head. And she burst into tears.
“You think there is something wrong with me. I know it. I always knew it,” she sobbed.
The look of confusion on his face, the wrinkled brow almost made her smile.
“I should just kill myself and save everyone the trouble,” she muttered, pointing the blade at her wrist.
40
Viktor reached for the knife and when he did, she grabbed hold of his hand and looked into his eyes. “Please, please help me, Viktor.”
His eyes narrowed and she brought the knife up, plunged it into his gut. He gasped. She twisted the blade and shoved him back into his chair. Leaning
Men were so easy.
His amber gaze, so like her own studied her with a weariness that only stirred anger within her. He shook his head and sighed, sitting behind the desk.
“What, Elianya? What do you want now? What have you done now?”
She quivered her lip and chin. “I thought I could make us more money, Viktor. I only wanted to make you proud.”
“So you always say.” He tapped his fingers on his desk and watched her.
She picked up the letter open and put it down, picked up his pen and twirled it.
“I don’t mean to cause you trouble, Viktor. Honestly, I don’t. I only want to make you proud of me...” She let the last trail off in a quiver of fresh tears.
39
Again he sighed and put his hand on her knee. “Elianya, I know you don’t mean trouble, but you always cause it. I love you and I’ll always be proud of you.” His mouth tilted down at the corner and his eyes narrowed. “I find I lack pride in many of your schemes.”
The bastard was lying through his teeth. She hopped off his desk and leaned over to kiss his cheek, noting how he stiffened as she leaned close. “I love you too, brother. I am sorry I disappoint you, though.”
She dropped the pen back to the desk and picked up the letter opener. As if not thinking, she fiddled with the object in her hand. Nice and sharp wasn’t it? But then she planned for it to be. She’d have only one chance. Some things one hired out for and others one carried out. This she would do all her own.
Elianya stood looking out at the crowd below, the few straggling up the staircase, those surrounding the small tables talking and laughing of whatever people talked and laughed about. Perhaps that table there was talking about their day, the group of ladies laughing about men? Though really, what was to laugh about men? They were really such sad creatures.
Women, women were the strong ones and always had been. She knew that, hell, she proved it. And there, the group of young boys pointing to the girls at the next table before leaning close to one another and laughing. Another man pinched a woman’s ass.
Here it was almost midnight and the place was still on a good leg. Give it another hour and things would deteriorate. There had been sex under the stairs, she knew, she’d done it with several of Viktor’s guards, heavy petting under a table, drugs passed as if they were candy.
To some it may seem wild and vice ridden. She saw the potential for more. Prague was still such a simple city, its old world charm, friendly attitude, belied by the nightlife fun many could have, that many sought.
A shame she hadn’t moved to Amsterdam years ago. But business was business and though she might better feel at home in the city in Netherlands, she also knew that the need would grow and spread. Why open shop when there were already plenty saturating the market? No, so she waited. Waited here, learned her brother’s contacts and used them when the time came.
She almost smiled.
Turning she saw her brother watched her. “What?”
He tilted his head, his gaze running over her, his hands laced over his middle.
“What happened to you? Where did I go wrong, Elianya?”
She frowned as if confused and cocked her head. “What are you talking about, Viktor?”S
tupid man.
She inched closer to him, and closer.
He shook his head. And she burst into tears.
“You think there is something wrong with me. I know it. I always knew it,” she sobbed.
The look of confusion on his face, the wrinkled brow almost made her smile.
“I should just kill myself and save everyone the trouble,” she muttered, pointing the blade at her wrist.
40
Viktor reached for the knife and when he did, she grabbed hold of his hand and looked into his eyes. “Please, please help me, Viktor.”
His eyes narrowed and she brought the knife up, plunged it into his gut. He gasped. She twisted the blade and shoved him back into his chair. Leaning
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