The Beast

Chapter 5

   Phone returned into pocket, I begrudgingly secured the SRK into its sheath before putting it inside my pocket. While I'd love to be on the receiving end of the kukolka's horror, it was not the time or place. Yet.

   Whirling around, I soberly eyed a few of my men lingering in the penthouse. Most of them were off getting information for me, but I assigned the rest to stay near me. Viktor, someone I would consider my right-hand man if I actually trusted him, was the only one completely focused and attentive on me.

   "Everyone but Viktor spread out," I stated stiffly in Russian. "We are having a guest, and I would prefer not to scare her off yet."

   Not needing to be told twice, three of the six men strolled to the spare rooms, while the rest drifted toward my bedroom. When I turned to Viktor, he condescendingly raised a brow.

   "Don't give me that attitude unless you want your tongue diced in my hand."

   "I didn't say anything."

   "You're very expressive, Viktor."

   He cocked his head and said nothing. It's clear he believed otherwise.

   Just then, the elevator came to a stop on my floor. Viktor stood near the wall and returned to his stiff composure, right as the doors parted. Instinctively, my toes twitched with anticipation, and for a second, I wondered what her expression would look like when she saw me. A smile? Shock? Fear?

   I wasn't sure what I expected, or what I wanted. Only that my goal for this evening was to play with her until I decided I had enough.

   "Hello?" Her soft voice wavered with nerves, but she didn't step out of the elevator. "It's Input Creative Studios. I'm here to do an assessment of your... apartment."

   The end of her statement sounded more like a question. I tilted my head to the side and said nothing, waiting for her to come into frame. But after a few long seconds, my face twitched, almost in a glare. Patience was a virtue, but I was no saint. If she didn't come out in the next two seconds, I'd drag her out of her little hiding spot.

   The kukolka must have noticed how long she was taking because not a second later, she took a long deep breath and entered the room. The first thing my eyes fell on was her hair.

   Since our meeting at Diego's club, I've seen pictures of her natural hair in the sunlight and I have to say, the sun complimented her. In the dark, it could have been considered a brown. But in this moment, it shined like a dark red, flowing until her breasts.

   After a few, long assessing seconds, my eyes made their way to her face. If I knew how to laugh, I believed I would have done it in this moment.

   I had to give the kukolka credit. She truly tried to appear indifferent. Her posture was straight, shoulders pushed back and head held high. If only it wasn't for her eyes, expressing every single emotion she was currently experiencing.

   Her full lips opened and closed, evidently lost for words.

   "You... hi? I," she cleared her throat and quickly shook her head before throwing her hair over her shoulder, "I mean, hi. You asked Input Creative Studios for help with your home, and they sent me to assess your living space. Today I'll be asking you some general questions about what you hope to see. I'll also start taking measurements of each room. Oh, and my name is—"

   "Hannah Elliot," I drawled, enjoying the taste of her name on my mouth. Seeing how she froze, maybe she felt the same. "Yes, some woman on the phone explained the procedure."