Chapter 

It wasn't even 10:30 when the boogeyman stepped into the bar.

The bass rattled our grimy, empty glasses on the table—the pulse of the grungy music reverberating through the sticky floor like a heartbeat. Sweat, smoke, and stale beer thickened the air. A low murmur of conversation filled the space—until it didn't.

My stomach dropped. Hell. We've done it now.

The poker game froze. My cousins, too drunk and stupid to notice the shift, kept running their mouths—laughing, bragging, boasting. Only my cousin Milo and I saw them. A small battalion fanned out behind the man in front.

Levi Fedorov. The third son of one of the most ruthless crime families this side of the Pacific. The kind of man who didn't give warnings—just consequences.

My heart punched against my ribs as recognition sparked. I tried to speak, but my mouth was suddenly too dry to whisper. All I could do was watch him approach, frozen. 

I'd seen him once before, years ago. Back when I was young enough to believe frilly dresses and promises meant something. Levi had been there that night, standing at my father's shoulder while I twirled in lace and tulle. I'd thought he was just another worker in my father's world.

Back then, I thought my father feared nothing. Until my father handed him an envelope stuffed with cash, hands clammy, and lips pressed tight. Now I understood what that meant: he had been afraid of Levi.  

"Oh, shit," Milo muttered.

No shit.

Levi neared, his steps steady, controlled. He wasn't the biggest man in the room, but the way he moved sent a ripple through the crowd. Power clung to him, dark and undeniable. It was as if he walked in slow motion. With each extended second, I counted all the ways I'd messed up tonight.

1. Followed my idiot brother, Sammy.

2. "Borrowed" my father's car.

3. Drank too much, too fast, trying to keep up with my older cousins.

4, 5, and 6. Let Ivok, the dumbest of us all, drag me into this bar.

Now we were in enemy territory, caught red-handed, and Levi had every right to gut us.

The group finally went quiet.

Levi was well-known. He was the 'company's' hardest hitter, the guy you call when you need to send a message. Even on the peripherals of the 'family business', I'd heard whispers of bloodbaths he'd orchestrated. The enforcer made my father, the treasurer, and financial advisor look like a sheep in comparison.

"Don't stop now," Levi's voice was smooth, deliberate. "You were just saying what you'd do to a Fedorov if one were standing in front of you."

Ivok, all hot-headed bravado, spat at the ground. "You think I'm scared of you?"

Levi's second-in-command shifted just enough to clear his coat, revealing the glint of a .45. Ivok paled but didn't back down.

My pulse thrummed. I pressed my thumb into the tender skin of my hangnail, grounding myself. Pain I could handle. Losing control, I could not.

"Leave him alone," Sammy said, stepping up beside me. Levi's men chuckled, and that seemed twice as bad. Not that my brother's brave front mattered, Levi didn't even look at him. His focus stayed on me.

When I finally looked away, needing to see what amused the other men so much, I realized that the rest of my group had taken a large step back so that only Sammy, Ivok, and I stood against the hardened soldiers.

"What are you going to do about it?" Levi tilted his head and cast a slick grin that couldn't be anything other than a threat. As his hair caught the shine, I noticed a light spatter of silver that brushed his temple.

"The Fedorov family has been getting a bit too relaxed lately. You've missed your last installment, and the one before was short."

Oh my God, is Sammy actually trying to shake these guys down? What the hell is he thinking? He's going to get us all killed.

"That's not my department, and I'm pretty sure it's not yours either. If the Vasiliev's have a problem with how my family runs its business, I think it's best you leave it up to the adults to handle, don't you bub?" Levi stepped forward again, and it felt like every inch Levi took, a new weight pressed on my shoulders.

While I might not have seen the fury ignite in my brother's eyes, I felt him crackle in agitation. There might not have been anything Levi could have said that would have hit quite like that. Our father had adamantly refused to assign either of us a position, even as a lowly runner.

For me, it made sense, very few daughters were raised 'in the life'. But for my brother, it was salt in a wound that refused to heal. Levi knew just what button to push. 

Stay calm. Don't do anything stupid. Please don't make this worse. What was once a mantra became a fervent prayer.

"Natalia," Levi said, ignoring my brother effortlessly. My name curled in his mouth like smoke.

Ice slid down my spine. How the hell did he know my name?

Before I could answer, Sammy squared his shoulders. "You don't talk to her, or we'll have to settle this like men."

Levi laughed—a quick, mocking snort.

"Listen up, boy. You don't give me orders. Ever. We'll settle this, however the hell I decide."

I reached for my brother's arm and pulled him back. There had to be a way out of this. I just had to think.

Think, Natalia, think!

My eyes scan the room one more time. The bar had thinned out since Levi had stepped in. Everyone had grown quieter, even the music. The only thing that remained the same was the intensity of the poker table in the back. 

Then it hit me. 

"You could beat us bloody," I said, quiet but steady. "But wouldn't it be better to win without lifting a finger?" I tipped my chin toward the poker table. "We play. I'll wager my father's Escalade. If we win, we walk. No harm, no foul. If we lose, you get a new car. Unless you're scared of losing to a girl?"

Levi's gaze swept over me, slow and deliberate. Oil slicked down my skin, too slimy to wash off.

"I don't want your daddy's car," he said.

My stomach twisted.

"Then what do you want?" Sammy asked.

Levi didn't smile. He just watched me, quiet, unreadable. Then he said, "Guess we'll find out. Clear the table."

The room felt suddenly too small, the walls pressing in, the air too thick. Levi jerked his chin, and his men scattered, claiming spots around the bar. Then, like he had all the time in the world, he sat with his back to the wall.

I need to be grateful he's underestimating me. Take the win. We can still get back without being caught.

"You don't have to do this." Sammy gripped my arm in a bruising hold.

"Sammy. It's fine. I don't plan on losing." I try to soften my brother's useless anger and my anxiety with a smile. It didn't work for either of us.

"So it's a deal then?" Levi pushed.

"Just shuffle the deck." I glare over at him.

Sammy shifted from foot to foot as he waited until Levi and his men were out of earshot before he started in on me. "Don't do this!" Sammy pulled me back. Wincing, I rest my smaller hand over his.

"What other options do we have? You want to call father? Maybe you and Ivok are willing to apologize?"

At his wince, I nod. Exactly.

"Just trust me. I've been playing poker with Uncle Aleksander before I could count."

"What? He never taught me."

No, you were always too busy playing with your bugs. Instead of stating the obvious, I squeeze my brother's hand until he lets me go. "Wish me luck, and watch my back, ok?"

"This is why no one takes me seriously. You're always fighting my battles for me. I'll play."

"People don't take you seriously because you say dumb shit like that. Now wish me luck and keep the band of idiots we call our cousins in check."

He turned with a hard press of his lips, giving me his back without a word. With heavy feet, I step to the table.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Levi muses, voice low, dangerous.

The pot is deep. But the stakes are deeper. I can't afford to mess this up.

"Scared?" I shoot back. Levi's only response is a quick pull of his lips in what might have been a smile.

After two rounds, my knuckles tap the table as my hand tightens around my cards. The worn paper bends easily in my sweaty clutch, but I don't dare wipe my slick palms. Not here. Not in front of Levi.

I peek at my hand as if my two cards might have changed in the last thirty seconds. Across from me, the Federov captain is a rock, revealing nothing. Nothing but that demented smirk that never seems to slip.

The dealer flips the River card—a Jack of Spades.

My breath hitches. That completes my straight.

I flick my gaze to Levi. He doesn't glance at the table before leaning back, slow and easy, like a man who knows he's already won. Why is he so confident? What does he have?

"I'll call," he says, pushing in his last stack.

A shiver crawls up my spine. Something's off. Was he bluffing?

Still, I smirk and flip my hand. Straight. "Not your night, Levi."

His grin is lazy. Too confident. "Damn shame," he murmurs. And then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he turns over his cards.

King of Diamonds. King of Hearts.

With the Jack of Spades, Jack of Clubs, and Jack of Diamonds on the board—

Full house.

My body goes rigid. My heart pounds louder than the chorus of claps. It was impossible.

My gaze flicks to the board. Then to the mucked cards. Then back to Levi's King of Diamonds.

My King of Diamonds.

I folded that exact card a round ago.

No. Freaking. Way.

My pulse thunders in my throat as I stare at the cards. What do I do? How do I handle this? I reach for the pile of cards. His hand shoots toward me, but I'm faster, pulling the stack to me and flipping through discarded cards. My stomach twists when I find it.

The real King of Diamonds.

I shove it in his face. "You son of a—"

Levi grins, staring down at me with his demented smile. "Now, now. Don't be a sore loser."

"Loser?" I flick the card at his chest. "You cheated! You palmed an extra King, you slimy, scamming—"

"What are you going to do about it?"

I froze as a new realization dawned: I could do nothing.

"Well, Natalia. The man asked you a question."

My sweat turned to ice as the familiar rasp caught everyone's attention. As if this night couldn't get any worse. Father's here.

If I thought I was in trouble before, now there was nowhere to hide. Blood rimmed the raw edge of my fingernail. Keep it together.

"Thank you for getting a hold of me, Mr. Federov."

My father's voice sent a shiver down my spine. It was a cold shock of fear. I knew we were in over our heads, but I had hoped to make it home without him being the wiser. Foolish of me.

I schooled my features into a mask of indifference and moved to Sammy's side. No weakness, not here. At least father will get us out of this mess. Maybe he'll be so angry at Sammy that I can sneak off to my room and take my grounding with a modicum of dignity left intact.

"Father, we were just—" Sammy started, then wilted under his glare. "Natalia's the one who stole your car."

Snitch! My gaze snapped to my brother, promising retaliation, but he wouldn't look up. Coward. Not that I was any braver. I wanted to meet my father's eye, to gauge his mood, but I was just grateful for the seconds it gave me to smooth my expression.

The dive bar's floor emptied. Civilians were liabilities. We'd been trained since childhood to mask for the normies. Once the last person cashed out, silence settled over the room like a noose.

"I would have won if he hadn't cheated," I started, my anger still simmering. I turned to my father. He'd make it right. Or else we were all fucked.

He stepped forward, his suit pristine and gaze unreadable. One of my father's strengths was his ability to hold a room. He never moved with big shows or loud displays, but in silence. Viktor always said there was power in making them wait. He did that now, and in that quiet, I felt a wash of calm.

Then, with a slow frown that pulled his thick brows, he said, "Only losers play by the rules. You have no place at the table if you haven't figured that out."

The words landed like a slap. My pulse pounded in my ears. Rage. Humiliation born from the realization that I'd walked into the trap with a goddamn smile on my face.

Levi chuckled. "Guess that's game, then."

My fingers curled into fists, but I said nothing because my father was right. And that? That was the worst part.

Father moved past me with a quiet hiss. "Don't embarrass me again." Then, he turned to Levi with a serene bow and said, "I hope they haven't been a bother."

"They were lambs," Levi mocked.

A muscle in my father's jaw ticked. My stomach twisted. My father's disappointment made me want to hide. The room shrank until there was nowhere to go.

"Though the boy did mention money," Levi added. "You're not going around claiming the Federov family doesn't pay its dues, are you?"

My father flinched. Flinched! I can't count how often I've heard my father say, 'Never show your real emotion'. Was Levi really that scary?

"Of course not," he said quickly, twisting the pinky ring that never left his finger. "I don't know where he got such nonsense."

"Good. Since you've always been a man of your word, the matter will go no further." Levi's tone was light, but his eyes never left me.

Father's mask held, but the tremor in his fingers betrayed him. "Then let me extend my gratitude. You seem interested in my daughter. Take her for the night."

The air left my lungs.

I blinked at my father, but I still couldn't breathe.

Surely he didn't mean it like that!

"Father, no!" Sammy started. 

I knew Viktor Vasiliev was cruel, but now I realized he was heartless.

"Mr. Vasiliev, you honor me. I accept." 

Viktor nodded smoothly, extending his hand. Ready to seal the deal.

My stomach twisted. I turned to my father, desperate for something—anything—that showed hesitation. That showed a father's regret. But his stare was cold, calculated.

He wasn't just letting this happen.

My father was offering me up like a bargaining chip.

This wasn't just a punishment. It was a lesson.

"Stop crying." He frowned when he looked down at me, as if exasperated in his disappointment. "We honor our debts. My god, Natalia, don't be such a child."

"But he cheated!"

"Then you should have cheated better. Whatever it takes." His voice held something I'd never heard before—glee. Enjoyment.

My stomach curdled, and sour acid climbed my throat, but I swallowed it down. Stop crying. Don't throw up. Stay strong. Over and over, I wrangled my fraying self-control.

Levi was a storm, unpredictable and fierce. My father was the immovable mountain. Both were dangerous obstacles I couldn't avoid.

"But what if I can't do it?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"You wanted to prove something tonight, didn't you? Then endure. Whatever it takes." He tilted his head. "Unless you think someone else should pay the price?"

My gaze flicked toward Sammy. I stopped before it landed, but it didn't matter. My father saw. He wanted me to beg, to turn on my brother.

He wanted to prove we weren't strong enough to make it in his world. I wouldn't do it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "No, Father. But... I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

His sigh was exaggerated, dismissive. "Just do as you're told. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

Levi, ever patient, hummed. "To avoid confusion between our families, will you bring her to me?"

Fingers like iron clamped around my arm. My father yanked me forward. I didn't resist. I knew better. But when he shoved me, I stumbled.

My father pushed me until I fell into Levi's lap.

The stranger's arms locked around me, steel traps. My nose filled with the sharp scent of gunpowder and black pepper that clung to his collar. My cheeks burned cold, the blood draining from my face as fear tightened its grip on my lungs. Then Levi's broad chest, strong jaw, and sardonic grin came into focus.

I shivered. Levi grinned.

His fingers locked around my chin, firm and possessive. Next, his lips crashed against mine—deep, wet, and deliberately sloppy.

My stomach lurched. The taste of smoke and whiskey filled my mouth.

I gagged around the thick tongue. My body thrashed as I shoved at Levi's chest, but his grip was unbudging. The longer I struggled, his grip only tightened. Three frantic slaps, a fist in his hair, nothing worked. Desperate, I seized his earlobe and yanked.

He shoved me onto the floor.

"Don't do that again," he hissed, eyes burning.

I hit the floor hard, biting my tongue on impact. My hands pressed against something sticky, and my knees stung as I retched, trying to scrub the taste of him from my mouth.

"Then don't tongue-punch my tonsils," I croaked, wiping my lips.

Silence.

I looked around. Everyone was gone.

A hollow ache bloomed in my chest. A sharp pressure banded around my ribs, squeezing the air from my lungs. I dug my nails into my palms, grounding myself in the bite of pain. But it wasn't enough.

Stupid. Stupid for holding out hope. Everyone always said my father was a family man.

Just not for our family.

My tacky hands ached from clenching too hard, but I barely noticed. The smooth black leather shoes in front of me held my attention.

I looked up. Crisp slacks. Cold stare. Levi.

"I'm not going to hurt you if you cooperate," he said, voice smooth as glass. "You have three choices: take my belt and follow your father's orders and let him whore you out. Walk out of here with no voice, power, or protection. Or…” His pause stretched like a noose tightening.

My fists clenched. "And the third?"

Levi smirked, as if savoring the moment. "Give me what I've craved for so long. What only your family seems to have."

"What's that?"

"Your family's been untouchable for too long," Levi murmured. "That changes tonight."

"I don't understand."

"Marry me."

"What?" The word barely left my lips. "But I'm only sixteen."

He shrugged, unimpressed. "Do you think your father cares? He'd sell your soul to save his name." His shadow loomed over me, dripping like oil against my skin. "But I see what you could be. With me, no one would dare cross you—not your father, not anyone."

"Does that include you?" I edged away.

He chuckled. "I could make you a queen. Give you everything you want."

"What do you know about what I want?" My voice cracked. My mouth was still so dry.

"You want power. Like your father said, you came here to prove something, right?"

I swallowed. "My cousins promised me a party."

"Bullshit, don't act like you didn't know what you were getting into." His smirk deepened. "Promise yourself to me, and we'll make them all kneel."

His words slithered through me, equal parts revolting and intoxicating. My stomach twisted.

"I don't need your help." My voice trembled.

"Is that what you think?" Levi murmured. "Your father handed you to me to settle a minor dispute this time. Next time? Who knows." He stepped closer and knelt beside me, his breath warm against my cheek. "Are you done playing his game, or are you ready to break the rules?"

The realization struck like lightning. "You want to take Sammy's place. You're the third son, but if you marry me, you'll take my brother's place at my father's side."

Levi's smirk turned razor-sharp. "You're quick. It's no secret your father's desperate for anyone who isn't a disappointment to take his place. If your mother can't fix things, well… let's say, she won't be around much longer."

My fingers turned white, nails digging into my palms. The ground beneath me felt unsteady. Was that why everyone has been walking on eggshells around the house?

"The families won't allow it," I forced out. "And my father—he hates me." The truth burned as it left my lips.

Levi shrugged. "Rules bend for those willing to break them."

Tick. Tock. Tick.

I felt the weight of my silence as he watched me, waiting.

Then he took my hand, lifting it to his lips. The kiss was soft. Too soft for someone like him.

My pulse pounded. Was this my way out?

"And you'll keep my mother and brother safe?" I whispered.

"Of course."

"And we wait until I graduate?"

His smirk returned. "Whenever your birthday is."

The moment stretched between us. I exhaled.

"What if I'm not good at it?" I whispered.

"Then we'll keep trying until you are," he said with a cutthroat smile. "Because after this, you'll be mine forever." 

I closed my eyes and swallowed my pride. This wasn't surrender. It was survival.

The moment stretched between us. I exhaled and tried to think of anything other than how small this room suddenly felt. "I accept."

Levi grinned, pulling me into a kiss. It wasn't clumsy or timid like the boys I'd known. It was deliberate. Hungry. I barely noticed when he pulled me onto his lap, his grip firm, claiming.

Something cold coiled in my stomach. I made a deal with the boogeyman to take control of my life. Now there's no turning back.