CHAPTER FOUR

Viktor

The cinema hall is as large as five halls put together, and the chairs are huddled close, a considerable distance away from the gigantic screen. The guests troop in, chattering to their seats as the lights dim in anticipation for the start of the movie. I search for Anna in the sea of heads, but she's no where to be found. Diana and Collins walk past me to their designated seats which are actually next to mine in front.

I groan internally. Where the hell is she?

“Looking for someone, Mr Cirkut?” Hermes asks as he pulls me with him to the front. Diana huffs as I plop down beside her, her eyes all over my body — observing, reading, gauging. I keep my face trained on the screen, and as the opening credits roll in, Anna appears at the center aisle, looking lost.

Worry flees my chest as I watch her try to find a seat with her eyes first, before moving over. As she hovers there, I'm seized with a need, as well as a crazy idea. I stand up, not caring if Hermes, Diana and Collins are watching and match up to her, flashing her a grin. The moment she sees me, the worry clears from her eyes.

“Hi,” she whispers shyly. The entire theatre were watching us, more interested in whatever had going on than the movie on the screen. “I'm sorry. I didn't envision the place would be so full like this.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I'm not...” she shakes her head. “I, um...”

“Come with me.” I grab her hand and pull her gently with me down the aisle, towards my seat.

“What are you doing?” she whispers in a voice full of fright, but didn't pull her hand away. “This is...this is insane.”

“I don't care.”

Ignoring Diana's envious gaze, I plop down on my seat and widen my thighs, patting the left one with a smirk. “Sit here.”

“What?” she gasps, her eyes bugging.

“I want you to sit here.”

Now the crowd were tired of pretending, and were now murmuring excitedly. Anna gulps, and angles her butt down meekly, her entire body shaking. I relax my back properly, and pull her body closer to my chest. “Now, that's more like it.”

She says nothing. Eyes fixed on the screen.

The movie is almost twenty minutes in, but we still understand the dynamics going on. Diana huffs and puffs and adjusts her position in her chair next to us so many times, yet Anna and I pays her no attention. From the corner of my eyes, I catch Collins giving me the stink eye once, and I flip him the bird. Fuck him.

I drift off in my thoughts as one lot after another is rattled off. I came here tonight with a singular purpose. To find a way to purchase the rights on what was slated to become the biggest blockbuster in the country in a few weeks time.

El Diablo Me Quiere.

I'd succeeded in liquidating the company from the inside, thanks to the help of my spies who all had key positions within. And now, tonight, it is rumored that Hermes has reached his breaking point, and might consider selling the company and all the rights of the movies produced by it for a very large sum through an auction. While I initially doubted the possibility of that happening tonight, it doesn't seem improbable. The entire NYC is here tonight. The people that matter, and while I'm the one who laid the foundation for the company to be sold, I have no doubt that there are other pesky leeches waiting to get the company in their hands as well.

But no matter. Belfast Pictures will be mine anyways.

Everything is set in stone.

The movie draws to a close two hours later, and the crowd leap to their feet, clapping thunderously. The plot about a lady chased away by her ex-husband, and went on to strike a deal with a Greek god who helped her get her revenge resonates deeply with everyone. Even I am so impressed, I almost whisk Anna away to kiss her on the corridor. Her mind is so brilliant.

As the closing credits roll in, dignitaries question Anna, while I just stand beside her, proud as fuck. Collins Black has disappeared to God knows where, and his bitch of a fiancee is having a hard time keeping her eyes to herself. She walks up to me now, and says loudly. “Can I have a word with you? In private, I mean.”

My first thought is to decline, but I'm seized by a curiousity to know just what she's got to say. “Sure.”

I follow her outside to a secluded part of the parking lot.

“Look, I don't know if anyone's told you,” she starts off, “but Anna and I have been best friends since we were basically toddlers, and...”

“So why then did you steal her husband?” I fire at her unexpectedly.

Her face blanches. “Is that what she told you? I didn't...”

“He proposed to you back in there, didn't he?” I smirk. “Your best friend's husband. Such a shame.”

“Collins belonged to me first!”

I raise a hand. “I find Miss Whitfield quite charming...”

She rolls her eyes. “It’s an act, Sir. You two have only known each other for a month. Anna and I have been friends for years. I know all her secrets. Including this specific one about her being infertile...”

Anger courses through my veins, and I grab her shoulders roughly. She gasps, fear seeping into her eyes. “Shut up. Shut the hell up. I don't want to listen to your nonsense. What's wrong with you? You call her your friend, but here you are slandering her name.”

“It's not slander, it's the truth. She can’t have children. And she hid it from Collins. They'd been married for over a year, expecting a child, but never got one. He eventually found out, and now I'm telling you so you won't make the same mistake — ”

I'm done listening to her nonsense. Shoving her to the side, I stride back into the venue.

“Hey!” She calls after me, jogging up. “That's not all. Mr. Cirkut!”

“Enough!” I whirl around in fury. “One more word against Anna, and I would make sure I make you and Collins's life miserable. Trust me, you don't want to test me on that. I can be very brutal. Helplessly so too.”

Back inside, the crowd is still very much buzzing, and Hermes and his assistant have their hands full entertaining them. Some of the men steal glances at me, questions full in their cunning gazes, but they don't dare approach me to ask them. Everyone of them fear me, and rightfully so. I am dark as they come. The most feared, insufferable Mafia Don in New York.

I can make each and every one of their lives an utter mess.

My eyes land on a tall, dark-haired lady I'd seen drinking with Anna at the reception bar, and I go over. She turns, surveys me with one look, then says. “If you're looking for Anny, she just stepped away a few minutes ago...”

“Where?” I say hoarsely, like a starved man.

She points to the left. “The bathroom.”

“Thank you.”

I hurry quickly to the bathroom but pause when I hear voices arguing. I listen carefully and make them out to be Anna and Collins's. What the heck? I thought Collins left already...

"You got what you wanted, Collins," Anna was saying fiercely. "You got together with Diana. She claims I stole you, and I have no answer to that. I wish you two happiness."

"I don't care about that," Collins brushes off. "Whatever this sham of an engagement is with Salvatore... I hope he's aware that you're a barren bitch? Because it won't be fair to keep on deceiving him, just like you deceived me."

"I didn't deceive you! And I'm not barren. I just have PCOS, which can be managed. I don't know what Diana's told you, but you shouldn't believe everything she says."

"Why shouldn't I? She's about to be my wife, and..."

"And I don't care about that. Leave me and Salvatore alone. Is that too much to ask?"

"Yes."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because I want you to be miserable. You're such a whore. Didn't even wait a year before you went and got another man! I have cause to believe you started sleeping with him while on those trips. You know it's the truth. You harlot!"

"So you get to cheat with Diana, while I'm meant to stay stupidly faithful? I can't move on, but you can?"

"Is this you admitting you cheated?"

"It's whatever you make it out to be, Collins."

"Don't give me that answer, slut..."

What follows sounds like a scuffle, and I run into the bathroom to see Collins dragging her by her hair. With a roar, I tackle him down with an uppercut, then proceed to kick his stomach and ribs repeatedly, my vision blood red with rage.

Anna screams. "Salvatore, please! Let him alone. Leave him be..."

I don't listen. I'm not done with Collins yet. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, I bang his head against the bathroom wall multiple times, till Hermes and Jeremiah arrive to break us up. Blood pours from Collins's head, nose and his bottom lip is cut. I'm so satisfied, I can't help grinning, even while Hermes rages at me.

"How could you be so irresponsible! Collins is my guest, and he doesn't deserve — "

"I'm your guest too, Hermes!" I growl. "And Collins attacked Anna first. Ask him! Speak up, you motherfucker."

"I was just..." Collins splutters, throwing up more blood onto his shirt. "I was...only... trying...to..."

"Trying to do what?" I glower. "Speak up!"

"Salvatore, control yourself!" Hermes bellows.

"He touched her!" I insist. "Pulled her by her hair!"

Hermes turns to Anna, who is crying now. "Is this true? Did he...did he?"

Anna nods. "Yes, Sir."

With a curse, Hermes pats Jeremiah on the shoulder, and the both of them push Collins out of the bathroom. The small crowd that had gathered part to allow me and Anna pass. She presses my left arm as we pass by Diana, who watches us with as much venom as she can muster.

"I hate my life," Anna sobs. "God, why today? Why is this happening to me?"

"Don't blame yourself," I whisper, leading her back to the theatre, which is empty.

She shakes her head, then sniffle. "You don't understand. Today was supposed to be my big day. El Diablo Me Quiere is my big — "

"I understand. And I want to assure you that it wasn't ruined. Stop crying now." I pinch her chin, making her beam. "I'm so sorry that I didn't come in on time before he touched you."

"It's fine. I pray I don't lose my job, though."

"You won't," I say firmly. "If you lose your job, Hermes loses his company." Not like he wouldn't lose it soon anyways. The auction might not happen tonight, but eventually it will. And I will buy Belfast Pictures and the right to every movie he's ever produced. I will buy the rights to El Diablo Me Quiere, and give it to this angel in front of me.

It's a promise I'm making to myself.

And I'll see to it.

Taking her hand, I pull her towards the door. "Come with me, sweetheart. Let's go have fun."