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CHAPTER TWELVE

“What is the status on my shipment?” Viktor asked from his seat behind his desk.

“The others are bringing it in now,” Sasha said as he stood before him.

Viktor was quiet for a moment before he asked. “Where’s Gabriel?”

“Outside. He hasn’t tried to run and the guards are watching him.”

Interesting. Viktor wouldn’t have been surprised if Sasha told him that Gabriel had attempted to escape. But to hear that he hadn’t even tried intrigued him.

“Do you want me to bring him to you?” Sasha asked.

“No,” Viktor said. “I’ll go to him when I’m done.”

Sasha was silent for a moment. “Boss . . .”

Viktor saw the slight furrowing of Sasha’s dark brows, but they resembled concern more than anything else. “What is it?” he asked.

“When you said you were going to keep him, how long did you mean?”

“Does it bother you to have Gabriel here?” Viktor asked.

“No, it’s not that. He’s just... having a hard time adjusting.”

“You care about the boy.”

Sasha was quiet for a moment. “Yes.”

“Enough to let him go.”

“I mean no disrespect, boss.”

Viktor understood where his right-hand man was coming from, but he had no intention of letting Gabriel go. There was something about Gabriel that Viktor was drawn to, and that he didn’t want to let go of. His captive’s warm pink mouth was addicting, but that couldn’t be the only reason why Viktor had turned Gabriel into his toy.

“Don’t worry about Gabriel. I’ll handle him,” Viktor said.

Sasha nodded. “Can I help you with anything else, boss?”

“It’s fine for now,” Viktor said.

“Okay. I’ll be inside if you need me,” Sasha said before leaving the office and gently shutting the door behind him.

He and Sasha had known each other since they were teenagers. They grew up in a town close to Moscow and joined the same mob together. From there, as Viktor rose in rank and notoriety, he moved to America, taking Sasha with him as his most trusted ally and right-hand man. And over the years, it was a decision he had never come to regret. Sasha had stuck by his side for a long time, and Viktor was deeply appreciative of him for that. He was also like a little brother and Viktor could talk about almost anything with him.

His mind wandered to Gabriel again. He was gorgeous, and his submissive nature stirred a strong protectiveness in Viktor. The only other person he’d been protective over was his little sister, but thinking about Katya reminded him of his failure to protect her. The relationship he’d had with his sister was like that of a father and daughter.

But Gabriel was different . The feelings he had for him were primal in nature. He had made Gabriel his toy and now he belonged to him. Viktor didn’t even want to think about the possibility of another man touching him. What he felt for Gabriel was not necessarily protectiveness, it was possessiveness, and Viktor had become obsessed with him. Since the day he’d taken Gabriel, the boy had been at the forefront of his mind the entire time.

He knew Gabriel was afraid of him, but he didn’t understand why he hadn’t tried to run away again, especially when he had every opportunity to do so. The fact that Gabriel wasn’t fighting him also intrigued him. Viktor wasn’t sure if Gabriel’s obedience was due to fear or if it was his natural disposition, but he found his submissiveness to be a real turn on.

Viktor stood from his chair and walked out of the office and through the foyer before opening the front door.

Gabriel was sitting on the porch steps, his back to him, and Viktor stared at his lithe body for a moment, feeling his upper lip twitch with amusement. Considering his toy hadn’t turned around to look, Viktor suspected he was lost in his own mind.

Viktor grew curious. What was going through Gabriel’s head? Why hadn’t he tried to run away? Viktor might not have had all the answers to his little puzzle, but he knew one thing... Gabriel was smart for not attempting it.