Hell is empty, Drystain is here. Melankholiya, eto schast'ye byt' grustnym.
The lady in front of me is staring at me. Giving me this skeptical look that clearly says, "stay away from me you suspicious mother fucker".
Now how do I tell her I don't want to hurt her but I want to erase her entire existence from this earth, and it's only because she saw me getting the beating of my fucking life, without having her kill me in her house.
No one has ever seen Drystain getting beaten up like that until her. Those ublyudki got lucky I was distracted. Thanks to the news. I don't even want to talk about the fuckery that got me all fucked and beaten up.
"What's your name?" She already knows mine right, fair's fair. She squints, her eyes narrowing deeper.
"You hit my head with a glock. Do you really think I trust you enough to tell you my name."
I must admit she is smart. I was impressed to when she talked about the gun not having bullets in it.
"Then don't. But please do tell me, how the fuck do I get out."
Me coming here was a mistake in the first place, but I don't say it out loud.
"Cute. You're not leaving this place until you're better and until we figure out how the fucker died." She doesn't even look at me. She is dressing her wound. The one I gave her. For some reason, her voice and audacity is giving my pants a little bulge. I have no ounce of shame in me. I agree.
"Does my last name not suggest anything to you. You told me you're a lawyer right?"
Confusion is plastered on her face for a brief moment.
"Stop beating around the bush and just fucking say it already".
I stand up hands in my pants and walk towards her, ignoring the pain that shoots up my spine and everywhere the fuck else. The clothes, I got from the wardrobe. No shit, she leaves clothes in her guest rooms. With new toothbrushes and towels. Or maybe she left them for me. I don't know why but I want it to be the latter. Don't fucking care what anyone else thinks, but I want the latter.
When I reach her, I bend till my face is mere inches away from hers. "Sweetheart, didn't anyone tell you not to play with the devil." I twirl her hair around my fingers. Soft, silky, black and fucking perfect. I can feel her piercing gaze making holes on my face.
"If no one told you then let me." I don't stop playing with her hair. I lift her head so we're facing eye to eye.
"S d'yavolom net sdelok, net vyzovov i net ugroz. tol'ko posledstviya."
She looks at me for a beat second with confusion before whispering. "Meaning?"
"With the devil, there are no deals, no dares, and no threats—only consequences." I see a flash of fear in her eyes and it disappears before I get to feed on it. I let a smirk break free. I am honestly impressed with the level of her composure.
I straighten up until I am towering over her and she has to crane her head completely if she wants to look at me.
"Sweetheart, you not knowing the world's number one mob boss is a huge slap on your face— and you call yourself a lawyer. Zhalkiy."
I step back as I watch so many negative emotions wash through her. Fear, anger, contempt, disgust, but most importantly, fear.
She finally acknowledges the fact that she has the devil in her house.
Drystain Lorenzo. Lorenzo might sound Italian but I am Russian and British. A little explanation would definitely suffice but it sounds like a hassle. Even for me.
I own and control the whole of Russia and Italy. New York might not be mine yet but I own a safe percent of New York. Some might say I am too young to be a mob boss. No kidding. I am not even thirty yet. Whoever that's not impressed should go fuck their dead family member.
The lady is still staring. She looks like she has seen a ghost, it's like all the blood has left her face. Her pupils are dilating. Call me sick but the bulge I mentioned earlier is growing just seeing her face right now. I want to take a picture, frame it and jerk off to it every fucking day.
I bend till her eye level is matching mine. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Do you finally remember me?" She raises her hands to push me away and I let her. She stands and moves away, creating unnecessary space between both of us. I need to fix that.
"Don't get me wrong sweetheart. You look beautiful. I can watch you looking like that all day" I take a step closer.
"Back the fuck up" She yells with so much fear. I can tell the fear because I can see her pupils dilating, the slight shake in her voice when she speaks and her hands are shaking.
"You. You said your name is Drystain Lorenzo—and you said you're the number one's mob boss. That's impossible. You're bluffing. You might have the same name but you are not him." Her voice is surprisingly steady. I'll have to give her a reward for that later.
I let out the most haunting laugh. "Sweetheart you really think so."
"It can't be. The world's number one mob boss has never been seen, I did a little research but neither provided info with your pictures or his pictures. Rumors say that the mob boss is an old man, about the age of sixty. He is definitely not you. Stop fucking playing around."
"Feed your delusional mind all you want. You know it's true. Why do you think I got beaten up by three idiots from The Vorovka. And why do you think one of the idiots is dead. You think my fairy godmother did it?"
This time I mock her. I fucking mock her. Maybe because I want to see her cower. I live on things like that. I am sick.
She reaches for the drawer behind her and brings out an army swiss knife. Cute. She has violence written all over her face.
She wants to fight?
I can knock her out in less than two minutes. Though I might take more than two minutes, maybe five too. I am fucking injured. Everywhere. My body feels sore as fuck. It's like a million pounds sized cow is sitting on me and crushing me. I most definitely want to avoid a fight now.
"Calm the fuck down. Unless you want to commit murder then drop the knife and listen to me." She hesitates for a few seconds studying my face, probably for any signs that says I'm bluffing. Before actually dropping the knife—I feel her raising her guard up to the brim. Yes, murder. I have seen the intense concern she has for my beaten up self and also being a lawyer as rich as she is would mean, she doesn't want to get her hand dirty. I will gladly help her do the direct opposite and let her stab me.
"I came to New York to look for someone, not to ruin this disgusting city. I can help you with whatever you want too if you help me look for her. I'll be here for a few months. We can work together and let pe..."
"Let peace reign? Did you hit your head really hard. I am a lawyer—the best in New York. I stand by my principles and part of it is to never harbour a criminal like you. You are stupidly trying to strike a deal with me in my own fucking villa. What makes you think I won't call the cops on you?"
I no longer see fear in her eyes. It's still there but it's faint. Now it's just anger—and I am angrier. Did she just fucking call me a criminal? Now nothing is stopping me from hurting her. How though?
I take a few steps towards her and stop when the unnecessary space is gotten rid off, trying to calm the fuck down.
"First off, the best lawyer—I highly doubt that, secondly, what makes you think the cops will support you. The FBI might not support you either. I'll strongly advise you accept this deal. Technically, you can't say no because you finally know my identity."
"I refuse and I am the best in New York. India too and some other fucked up countries. Don't look down on Rhea Patel. That'll be the biggest mistake you'll ever make." She has a snarl on her face.
Cocky much. But that's not what I am bothered about. Did she say Rhea Patel. No way in hell. She can't be impersonating her right? That's impossible. Though I never checked her pictures before coming to New York. I just rushed the fuck over like a mad man. Rhea Patel. The person I need now. The person the Zveri needs now. A new lawyer. A strong one at that.
"Rhea Patel? The Rhea Patel. You are Rhea Patel." Yea. I have a creepy smirk on my face.
"Why are you smiling like a maniac." She looks so lost and confused.
"I came to look for you sweetheart. You found me instead. I'm impressed. Say hi to your biggest fan Tayna nochi". Of course I'll tell her straight up. Mostly because that's the only move I can pull so she'll trust me. There's so much doubt written on her face.
We both stay silent for a long time. I tried. If she refuses, then I'll kidnap her. To be fair, it was my initial plan. Come to New York, kidnap her and then take her all the way to Russia. The others gave me the most disapproving look. My right hand begged me on his knees not to kidnap her. I might have taken a picture by the way.
Rhea walks past me as if we didn't just have a whole heated and twisted conversation. What the fuck. Before I get the chance to stop her, she heads straight for the door and she's out.
I place my ears to the door to try listen as she reveals my identity. Will she call me Drystain the great. Drystain the tyrant sounds like something she would say when revealing who I am. Isn't that why she ran away?
Imagine my surprise when, I find myself on the bed, running through series of check ups. So Rhea actually went to call her doctor to come give me a thorough check up. She apparently ran out the other time because the cut on my stomach opened up and had started bleeding—a fucking lot. I didn't notice until my legs started getting wobbling and I had to force stone headed Drystain to sit the fuck down.
So she didn't run away from me.
She isn't scared of me. She has established that. She gets scared sometimes but it lasts for mere seconds. Rhea fucking Patel. My Luna.
I don't feel the needle pierce through my skin, neither do I feel the suture. It's all numb. All my concentration is on no one else other than Rhea. I can't read her, her faced his closed off, come on, give me something baby.
I don't give two fucks about the two unknown uptight guards glaring at me. They are doing their job I give them credit for that but their stupid brains should know I pose no threat to Rhea. Or maybe I do. Do I want to hurt Rhea? Yes. In ways no one else has the right to.
She's different from what I thought. I don't say that to her though. I just look at her. Stare at her. Study and ink her face to my brain. Not that she ever left. She is all grown up though. 25. She's already 25. Her plump deep pink lips, fucking natural.
Her curves that peek out when she folds her arms over her chest. Her hair. Her eyes. Her facial beauty marks.
Her thick figure. Every damn thing.
I keep them permanently safe in my head. Not that I plan on letting anything take them away. But just in case.
I came with the aim of looking for Rhea Patel and then drag her with me out of this disgusting city but seeing the look on her face, I can tell she'll make it hard for me to do just that.
"Pay more attention to your body unless you want to die. Just in case you want to die, don't do it here in my Niece's house"
I ignore his words. My entire focus is on Rhea but she isn't even looking at me. She's looking at the cut I meticulously tore open.
How do i get her to be on my side. Should I threaten her?
No, she's not a dog. She won't listen even if I threaten her.
Fuck, I have a splitting headache and sleepy. Must be whatever shitty thing i was injected with by Rhea's uncle.
"He'll be alright as long as he doesn't move unnecessarily. I'm surprised he has this much energy. There's an emergency in the hospital. I should be here tomorrow". And with that, he walks out after giving Rhea a kiss on her forehead. Not sure why that's a problem but it is.
"We need to talk" my eyes still remain on Rhea. She doesn't reply, doesn't move, doesn't react. It's like she locked herself up in her head.
"Like fuck you will. Who the fuck are you?"
Ah yes, the unnecessarily huge guard that looks like a Hector.
I ignore him and wait for Rhea's response, but she remains quiet.
"Felix, please get me a clean towel and warm water. Mike, I need you to help with a little research on someone." She is good with dishing out orders, I'll give her that too.
"Sure, is it this stranger fucker." I pretend Hector dearest, who is apparently Mike is a lizard and ignore him.
"No Mike. I want you to gather information on the guy that was found dead, Felix will join you soon." Surely, Mike has a confused look but he doesn't push it and leaves to carry out is task but not before glaring at me again.
Felix returns with the towel and a bowl of hot water. He places them beside the bed and steps behind Rhea.
"Take off your shirt"
"Hey attorney, I thought you hated me and wouldn't want to touch me." I think I am desperate for a punch from Rhea, because why in the living fuck did I say something like that.
"What the hell are you yapping about. Also, just call me Rhea".
I completely ignore her demand and continue with the bullshit talking. Today might as well be my death day.
"Attorney, you want me to fuck you, but as you can see, I am severely injured. Not that I mind but I'm sure you wouldn't want my blood on you." She'll kill me now.
No one in the Mafia should see me acting this way. It's like a taboo. No it is a taboo.
"You fucking pervert, I want to clean your blood off your body. But now, I'll have Felix do it." I'm guessing Felix is the guy behind her. The one that brought the towel and water.
Felix walks over to me and proceeds to do what I stupidly stopped Rhea from doing. Am I pissed at myself? Yes, I so fucking am.
Her eyes are on Felix but she's deep in thought. She's contemplating something. She steals quick glances at me but then looks at Felix. She repeats this for about two minutes before speaking.
"Felix, he's from the mafia." Felix stops whatever he's doing. I look at his face but it's blank. I can feel the change of aura around him though.
"He is a mob boss. His name is Drystain Lorenzo." Felix doesn't stop what he is doing and I don't stop staring at them.
"And..." that's the only response Rhea gets.
"He said he came for me. He wants us to strike a deal."
"What deal?"
This time I reply. "She works for me and I give her or help her with whatever she wants."
"You shut your worthless mouth hole unless I speak to you."
He directs his attention back to Rhea. "Does Mike know?"
"No"
"Why?" He looks at her with the same blank look.
She stares back at him, this time with unspoken words swimming in her eyes. She looks, scared. The Rhea I know doesn't get scared. Doesn't show her weakness or emotions. At least not in front of random strangers, and as much as I hate to admit it, that's what I am to her.
I want to wipe that fear off her face. If anything, she should fear only me.
Her eyes are now soft and it's like she's begging Felix through them.
"Because I want to be selfish for once Felix. I want to find him. I want to try again. I want to make him beg and apologise to me for what he did."
Felix looks at her. They both maintain eye contact and it's like they're communicating through their eyes. Who is this him she's talking about. If 'him' is the one making Rhea look and act like this, then I want to carve his heart and other organs out and make him choke on them even after his dead.
"Okay. I'll help then" Felix is done cleaning me up and he walks over and rubs Rhea's head before leaving. She's so small.
Once he's out, it's just Rhea and I. I don't speak first. I give her the room to say whatever she wants to.
"Deal."