P E A C H M C C O Y — T H E H A C K E R

I woke up with the taste stale alcohol on my tongue and the worst headache ever. My head pounded to the beat of my heart and all the aching muscles in my face, back, abdomen and thigh followed in suit. It took a lot of energy to sit up, my muscles pulling in protest. There was also a dead weight on my shoulder. I turned to find a large tattooed arm wrapped around me.

I looked up into Viktor's face. His eyes were closed and the most peaceful expression rested on his face. This close, I could tell there were a few freckles littered on the apex of his cheeks and a few on his forehead that was hidden under that messy mop of blonde hair. He should probably get his hair cut. Maybe he was growing it out?

I gently extracted myself from him. I sat at the edge of the bed and stretched out my bad leg, massaging it a bit. I stood and tried to apply pressure to my foot. That wasn't so bad. I could walk but there was a slight limp to my step. I made sure not to overdo it such that my stitches stayed intact.

Speaking of stitches, the memories of last night rushed back but they were fuzzy, especially after Viktor made me drink the vodka. I remembered the pain though and the crying. A lump of emotion rose to my throat and I couldn't even decipher what it was. Shame, regret... those two and some more. Jesus I couldn't believe I cried.

I opened my bag and got out my last set of clothes. The rest were at Kat's. She was helping me get them cleaned and I sort of burnt the place down. I retreated to the bathroom and stripped out of the old bloody clothes, stuffing them in the bin that was placed under the sink. The bathroom was small, barely any room to move around but all I needed was the mirror above the sink.

I stared at my swollen eye and knew this wouldn't heal for the next two weeks at least. I turned and stared at my back. Ugly was the only way to describe it. My stomach too was a canvas of dark purples and blacks that ached with each movement I made. What's worse, I was eft with a beige long sleeved cropped top and black leggings. The coat I'd taken from Viktor was probably in ashes at Kat's. Maybe he'd give me the one he'd come with this time. I could only hope.

I wiped down, trying to get as clean as possible. I had to clear up all the flakes of blood on my bronze skin and my mind constantly flashed back to that moment when I got shot. I remembered the loud bang of the gun, the angry voice of my shooter and the fear that was so dense in the air, I remembered how it tasted at the back of my throat. At some point I had to stop cleaning up to breathe. My hands shook and my head spun.

Get a grip Peach.

It was easier said than done. It had always taken me a while to push back the stress that came with shocking events in my life. My mother's death... my father's mistake... my brother's leave... I could get through this as well. I had no choice but to. My life has constantly thrown me obstacles that I know I can dodge.

When I was more composed, I got dressed. I tried to bridge the gap between my top and my leggings to hide the silver of skin that was marred by hideous bruises. The bandage was hard to miss though. It made my thigh seem thicker and abnormally shaped. I really wished I had Viktor's coat.

I got back into the room and I noticed Viktor's new coat discarded on the ground. This was was brown and thicker than the black one. I picked it up and run my hand inside, over the smooth fur like material. After a moment's hesitation, I slipped it on. He won't mind. My nose was hit with his smell. Something very masculine and that new clothes smell.

I rounded the bed to his side and hugged myself. To anyone else, I'd seem like I was crossing my arms. Truth was, I didn't know exactly how we were going to act after last night. I bit down on my dark lip and contemplated, looking at his peaceful and relaxed face.

"Viktor?" I called after deciding to wake him up. It was best to get this over with. "Viktor!"

Was it safe for him to be a heavy sleeper? Shouldn't he be light on his feet and always alert. I always presumed that's what his life entailed. I called his name two more times and he refused to wake up. I reached my hand out to shake him awake but pulled it back. My father had never liked being touched in his sleep. He would accidentally hurt us if we woke him up suddenly. He said it was just the paranoia from his job as a guard. I hadn't understood then but I did now. The brain could be a bitch. There, I said it and things weren't necessarily going South.

When I reached my arm out again, just an inch from Viktor's shoulder, my wrist was seized.

"If I hadn't remembered the fact that you were injured, I would've flipped you over and pinned you with a gun on your head," Viktor told me, his soft baby blue eyes staring right at me.

"Next time actually prove you're awake when I call you," I stated rolling my eyes. I expected him to release my hand but he pulled me closer.

"You're in my jacket," he pointed out.

"You're holding my wrist. I'd like to take a step back."

"And if I don't want you to?" he asked me in a teasing tone, bringing me closer. His baby blue eyes sparked with mischief and all the wrong intent. "What then?"

"I won't tell you what I know."

After a moment's hesitation, Viktor let go of me and I took a step back. My heart raced though and my body was lit by something I was unfamiliar with. It made me uncomfortable but wasn't exactly unpleasant. Where Viktor's hand once held tingled with a burning heat. I hid my hand behind the flaps of the coat as it flexed on it own accord, reacting to his touch.

"Right," Viktor sighed. "Someone wants me dead."

"And me to follow," I completed. "Look Viktor, I don't trust you, you might not trust me but the enemy of my enemy is my friend so I'm hoping we can have some common ground."

"You're forgetting this person you're calling a friend is also an enemy," he said as he got up.

Viktor stood before me, towering over my smaller frame. I'd been in a position like this many times before but Viktor's sheer size above me and around me distracted my mind with many emotions, fear included but there was an anticipation in the fright. I stood my ground and let him have this moment once, where he thought he could come above me. Fat chance.

"Get cleaned up and we'll talk," I instructed my eyes dashing down to his blood coated fingers.

"Yes ma'am," Viktor said jokingly, unconsciously shifting his chin to take the hair out of his eyes. He turned from me and walked into the bathroom, the door shutting loud behind him.

I sighed and looked down at the bed with its duvet that had a blood stain from my blood. Jesus. I peeled it back and was glad to notice that the red sticky substance had dried on the surface and the alcohol had long since evaporated. I left the bed with only one dark sheet and balled up the first two, throwing them to the corner of the room to be dealt with later. I then planted myself at the end of the bed, my back to the bathroom door. I crossed one leg and left the injured one stretched out, placing my laptop from my bag into my lap. There was no rest for the wicked.

The first thing I did was erase my call with Viktor and Markov. As I did that, Viktor walked back into the room. His hands were clean and the hair that usually hung on his forehead and in his eyes were damp and pushed back. He looked fresher though almost unnoticeable bags hid under his eyes. I was able to see more of his face though. And his freckles. Who knew Dons could have freckles. I almost snorted to myself. He settled back on the bed into a much relaxed position. His arms supported his head from beneath and his legs were stretched next to me and crossed at the ankles.

"Now, we discuss business," he stated. "What's all this talk about me getting killed? What happened to you?"

I sighed. "I was trying to leave the country so I went to a woman named Kat."

"Katherine?" Viktor asked and I nodded, slightly surprised he knew her but then again he was a Don.

"Yeah and we got attacked just hours after I arrived at her place by two hitmen. They spoke Russian and one asked for you."

Viktor was quiet and I watched him, waiting for his verdict. "How long were you at her place?"

"I arrived early morning around 9am? They attacked at..." I tried to remember. "7pm coming to 8 I think."

"Hitmen need a base. They need to set up. Do you think you can find hotels booked in afternoon hours?"

I did as he asked, looking into hotels in the area. It took a while but I discovered that there were only four. "They aren't many."

"Got any names?"

"Yeah."

"Read them to me."

I pulled up the full list of names I found. "Phoebe Dixon, Daniel Ross Wood, Bruno Wilson, Romane Nee, Vivienne Crow, Richard Battier, Nicoline—"

"Stop. It's Richard Battier."

I gave Viktor an odd look. "And you know that because..."

"Richard Battier, R.B, Russian Bratva," Viktor pointed out for me and then angrily cursed in Russian. I realised then that it was only when he felt angry or irritated that Russian slipped into his speech.

"So your own people tried to kill you. I was right," I mumbled almost to myself.

"No fool would even attempt to take my life. Especially not my own men," Viktor stated, staring up at the ceiling, his dark blonde brows drawn together. "They asked for me specifically or did they stubbly hint?"

"I'm pretty sure 'Have you had contact with Viktor?' and 'Can you find him?' followed by a gunshot to the thigh isn't stubbly hinting," I sassed. Viktor let out a breath.

"Are they alive?" he asked and there was a strain to his tone like he was holding something back.

"No. Kat shot one and so did I then I burnt the place down," I told him, going back to my research on Robert Battier. He rented a hotel on the other side of the town.

"That's good," Viktor said but there was dissatisfaction in his tone. I just let him be. Who knew what went on in that head of his.

We were silent as I found out all I could, pulling up video footage from the hotel, earlier that day, looking for my culprits.

"What's your plan?"

"What?" I asked Viktor, giving him my full attention. I found him already watching me with a passive and closed off expression on his face. I could tell that there were gears turning in his head.

"What's your plan? We find out who shot you and who hired them then what?"

I guess I hadn't thought of that.

"Can we think about how to cross the bridge when we reach there?" I asked him.

"No," He insisted and sat up, leaning forward so he was the only thing in my line of sight and me in his. "Say we catch this threat and... neutralize it. Then what?"

I rubbed my head. I was in too much pain to think but I guess we really should talk about this.

"You know I can't just let you walk," Viktor added.

"I know."

"So?"

"So, ask me what my plan is when this is all over ok? Right now, we have to handle this current crisis," I explained to him. "I'm not getting killed ok and it's on you that I had a bullet in my leg in the first place."

Obviously unsatisfied with my answer, Viktor lay back and stared at the ceiling, ignoring me. I sighed and closed my eyes. I tapped my forehead.

"Viktor," I called for his attention, opening my eyes to watch him. "Hey." I pushed his feet.

He glanced down at me. "I don't know how you work in your Bratva but I'm a bit overwhelmed here. Hours ago, you were my only problem. I'm not handling this well."

I really wasn't. I felt tired, I had the urge to cry and scream until I had nothing left in me. I wanted to drain all my emotions but couldn't because now wasn't the time. I had to show Viktor that I was not quipped to this life like he probably was. Having him out to kill me was bad but having an unknown target out for him and willing to get over my dead body to reach where he stood was terrifying. I knew nothing of what I was facing and I was paranoid about the whole thing. Having him here with me made things easier. I didn't trust him but I trusted his skills. He was a Don after all and from the intel I'd gathered from his current reign, he was a damn good one.

"We'll cross the bridge when we get there," Viktor assured me and I smiled. A real wide smile. Feeling uncomfortable about it all, i took my attention back to my screen but it was a while before my smile faded.

"Viktor?" I called. I looked up at him at the same time he turned to give me his full attention. "Thank you. For last night and after..."

I was mortified about the crying but Viktor really did take care of me. He also had a voice of an angel. I remembered his deep, rumbling voice going soft and whispering a song, a lullaby in my ear. I might have been dazed and in pain but that was something I wouldn't forget. Not now and not in a million years.

"Your welcome Peach," he said softly with small pull at the corner of his lips. A smile but not quite. I would take it.





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Merry Christmas y'all!

2022 will be done soon -_-