V I K T O R M A K A R O V I C H — T H E B U T C H E R

There are three words I can use to describe Peach McCoy. Intelligent, resourceful and... beautiful.

I watched her as she sat cross legged in the middle of the bed in the motel room, her hands bound before her by a zip-tie and the gun in my hand pointed directly at her head. Her eyes were narrowed and her sculpted jaw was clenched in anger. The window on her right was opened, letting the morning sun filter through. It had taken a while to get her tied up and still. She fought tooth and nail and I had a bruise forming on my jaw to prove that.

"I have a few questions, if you will," I said and she scoffed, rolling her light brown eyes that looked like honey.

"I'm willing to play nice," I told her. "You're the one making this difficult."

"Oh excuse me for not liking the fact that I was ambushed in my sleep," she said her voice even toned but dripping with venom. She turned her gaze back to me, letting the light make a shadow over her high cheekbones and bronze skin.

"I just want to know what you've learnt from hacking my network."

She kept her lips together.

"Your silence tells me you know quite a lot," I mused and stood up. I took off the long black coat I was wearing and placed it on the bed by her feet, leaving me in a grayish blue loose tee and dark jeans. I managed to catch Peach's eyes on my coat.

It was a deliberate move. I knew by touching her skin, she was cold to the bone. Even now, a shiver run through her body. Her light blue tank and black sweats were doing nothing to protect her from the cold. Winter was fast approaching and the weather did not favour thin clothing. I tucked my gun in the waistband of my jeans at my lower back and glared down at the young hacker. Her hair was braided neatly and tied at the base of her neck but I wondered what it would look like undone.

"I'm trying to be nice here," I informed her. "You don't look like you would handle even a minute of what I have in store for people who refuse to give me what I want."

"Do you start all your interrogations with intimidation Mr. Makarovich?" she asked and then looked up at me, her head slightly tilted to the side.

"No. I usually just get to it. Be happy. You're special," I said to her, a smirk pulling at my lips.

"Wouldn't every girl love to hear that," she responded. "Especially from a man as influential as you are. You see, Mr. Makarovich, I prefer to take a democratic approach to all my problems. Why don't we strike a deal?"

I laughed and backed up from the bed. "You're in no position to make deals Miss McCoy."

"A girl has to try right?" she sighed and dropped her gaze back to her lap. "What is it you want to know. Be specific."

I watched the woman in front of me curiously, surprised she had given in. From what I'd seen so far from her, I didn't expect it. There had been a lot of fight from her at the beginning. She even surprised me at the beginning of this whole ordeal when I found her apartment long abandoned when I arrived. Getting information out of her little friend Kay Gates hadn't been simple either. I couldn't hurt the woman because she was deeply connected to the Martinelli Familia and I had no intention of angering my own allies. Our tech team had a hard time tracking her as well. In the afternoon yesterday, Peach McCoy ceased to exist on any internet platform. The only reason I found her so quick was because of the information Kay Gates had accidentally given me. That and the sedan she'd rented was found outside a café and an APB had been put on a truck stolen by a black woman in the same area.

Noting my silence, Peach looked up at me. "What?"

I crossed my arms. Her body was still, her gaze fixed and clear. She had no physical evidence of an ulterior motive but I was still suspicious of her. Her eyes run over my muscled inked arms and I could tell then that she was tense, cautious.

"What are you playing at Peach McCoy?" I asked her. "You should know that I'm not one to play games."

"I'm not in the mood for playing games right now," she said and held up her bound arms. "I don't really have room to move the chess pieces."

I still didn't trust her. She'd known the conclusion I'd come to so she sighed. "Look, my bag's over there. If you get me my phone, I can show you exactly what you want to know."

"And put technology in your hands?" I asked her and shook my head. "That's not going to work for me."

"Then what is?!" she asked close to yelling. "I'm willing to give you what you're asking for! I don't want to die ok? If giving you what you need is a way to keep me walking then who am I to refuse? There are some people I'd still love to talk to before I go."

I rubbed my head. "What did you learn from getting into my network?"

"The mafia is real," she stated and stretched her legs in front of her, pushing my coat aside a little.

"That information isn't quite helpful," I told her.

"Fine," she said and huffed. "I know that you're the Don of the Russia Bratva. I know your underboss is Markov Makarovich. I know you mostly run a drug cartel and deal slightly in weapons. I know you also have your nose in human trafficking and that your main headquarters are in Russia."

"What were you planning to do with this information?"

Peach pushed herself to the edge of the bed so she sat next to my coat and then she pulled herself to stand in front of me. I was much taller than her. Larger too. Her frame was small but she had some prominent curves. Her hips dipped and widened and there was a cheap golden locket around her neck that fell to her prominent chest.

"Nothing," she answered once she was close enough. "You see Viktor, people like me aren't evil. I just found myself in an unfortunate situation and stumbling upon your network was nothing but a coincidence. I did not ask to be hunted and have to live the rest of my life running. I also did not ask to be brought to an early grave."

"People don't always get what they want Peach," I told her. I knew this first hand. How? I was the Don of a mafia I never wished to rule. My brother Slavik was supposed to be in my position but with him and my father dead, it was either I take responsibility for the Bratva or my little sister Kira does.

In more ways than one, Kira was too innocent to be subjected to the horrors that came with the Bravta. She was just 15 and didn't know much of it. My father had planned to get her married to the son of the Martinelli Familia, Adriano, who was about 3 years her junior. Having connection with the Martinelli family was a privilege anyone would benefit from but I wasn't subjecting my sister to a loveless marriage. We'd lost our family and as the only untainted pillar left standing, Kira deserved better. She deserved a life of love, not war and I would give it to her.

In more ways than one, Peach reminded me of my sister. There was a fight in her that told me that some day, once upon a time, it was fueled by hope and love for a cause worth suffering for. Now, that fight was fueled by desperation and anger. Two emotions that I was not unfamiliar with which is why when Peach McCoy decided to help me, I did not believe a single word that passed though her plump and dark lips.

"Trust me Viktor, if I always got what I want, I wouldn't be here," Peach said and I noted the way her brows frowned and for the first time, her eyes diverted and looked to her lower left. An emotion stronger than her will had taken over her body. "But... I'd like to think I can control my own future and that starts by leaving this motel."

Peach surprised me with how fast she moved. She took the small pocket knife from my front pocket and cut the zip-tie at her wrists. She then struck the knife into my shoulder causing me to grunt and back up. She pushed me back into the chair I had sat on and lifted her foot, kicking me in the gut. I fell with the chair and it broke under my weight. I held the knife in my shoulder and blood seeped between my fingers. When I looked up, Peach had grabbed my coat and her bag and opened the door, dashing out like a bat out of hell.

"Shit," I cursed and stumbled to my feet. I kept a good hold to the knife in my shoulder as I run after the smart woman. We raced across the floor where her room was located and then down the stairs.

I was slower because of the attention I paid to my shoulder. I didn't need the knife moving and injuring a tendon which would make my task harder. In the parking lot, Peach slowed down and when she turned, she had a gun in hand.

My gun.

I stopped. So did she.

"You're going to let me get in my truck and drive away," Peach told me. Her eyes were focused and by the hold on the gun, she knew how to use it. I couldn't help myself. I laughed.

"You're like a Jack-in-the-box Miss McCoy," I chuckled and shook my head. "I did not expect this at all."

"Well you have to do the unsuspected to survive," she said and by the softness in her voice, I could tell the words carried a weight in her heart.

I pulled out the knife in my shoulder and held at the bleeding wound. "The knife was a bit too much."

"You'll heal," she stated evenly. "Now, I know you probably have some other weapons on you but I don't think it would be wise to pull out a knife in a gun fight."

Peach clicked the gun then and adjusted her stance, keeping her feet slightly apart but firmly planted. Her chin was high and her gaze unwavering. I hadn't had an instant and complete respect for a woman like I did in that moment. Peach McCoy had somehow managed to stun, injure, one-up me and earn my respect in our first meeting. The smile on my face was uncontrolled. I loved a challenge. I really did especially when it came in a curvy package.

"You should smile less. It's unnerving," she stated. "What's it going to be Viktor? Tick-tok I have places to go, people to see..."

"Well..." I said standing up, keeping pressure on my shoulder. "I have to get this wound taken care of first. Wouldn't want to bleed to death."

"That's such an inglorious way to die," Peach mused and then, probably against her will, a smile pulled at her lips as well.

"I'm aware. I'd rather have you shoot me."

"Are you asking?"

"Only if you're ready to have me haunt you."

"Hunting me down to stop my heart from beating is trauma enough Viktor. Why don't you just call it quits?"

"You know I can't do that Peach. Your life would be much less interesting without me. Admit it."

Peach rolled her eyes. "Yours would be much boring without me. In fact, why don't I make both our days much more productive..."

She backed up, keeping her eye and her gun on me as she got closer to the truck she came in.

I was now sure of one thing. Hunting down Peach McCoy was one of the most refreshing things I've done since my father and brother died.

It was nice to have a distraction.