The Code To A Don's Heart

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P E A C H     M C C O Y — T H E     H A C K E R

There are three words I can use to describe Viktor Makarovich. Cunning, charming and, against my better judgement, devilishly handsome.

I kept my eyes and his gun at him as I slid back into the truck. I put my things in the seat next to me and tried to start the car again, doing my best to keep my eye on Viktor. I must say, he was not what I was expecting. I mean yes I was expecting the tattoos that run up both his arms and the ones on his neck. I was also expecting his tall and large form but instead of burly, Viktor's muscle was evenly distributed on his lean frame.

His hair was more of a dirty blonde, wavy and more on the longer side. I think if he pulled it back from his face, he would make a small ponytail. Instead, he kept it open and wild. When it covered his eyes, all he had to do was tilt his chin to move it to the side. I realised this movement was unconscious because he did it a lot without even thinking twice.

At the beginning of our meeting, I had to admit I was frightened out of my mind and fought to get out of that motel room. Viktor had a bruise on his chin to prove it but the more I sat, calmed down and assessed Viktor, something about him was familiar. Like how you could say you've met a person before just by the way the speak and conduct themselves.

Viktor made me think. He made me use my brain to come up with a plan or solution to a problem, figuring out what to do and how to do it. Viktor was a breath of fresh air. I still feared the Don but there was something utterly refreshing in the way he talked and the way he observed. He assessed a situation and didn't just recklessly jump into it. My brother used to do that, so did my father and it always irked me to no end.

In a nutshell, Viktor was probably going to kill me if given the chance. I could see that blood lust in his eyes. It was like when my brother needed another fix but couldn't find anything until... the white powder was lined on the table before him. The thing was, I'd survived every problem that had come my way and seeing Viktor and how he worked, I knew without a doubt, I was going to survive this too.

Why?

I didn't know yet but my gut feeling had never let me down.

At least I'm hoping...

Fingers crossed.

The car started and I took one more look at Viktor. He still held onto his bleeding shoulder but his smile was sadistically radiant and his soft baby blues held a glint of something both mischievous and frightening. The truth was, killing him would be a mistake on my part. I had the means, I could shoot him but I didn't need the brutal force of the Russian Bratva on my ass. One thing I knew about them, they got their vengeance and I did not want to be on the receiving end of it.

"I'll see you again!" Viktor yelled after me as I pulled the track back and into the road. His voice had startled me before with how deep it was an how the velvety sound was slightly accented but now, the sound run smooth through my ears as water would along my skin.

"I don't doubt it," I told him through the open broken window and I drove off.

I took the truck as fast as it could go. Cloudpass was more of a small town with open roads and not much to look at. At some point, I stopped the truck to slip into Viktor's jacket and assess his gun. It was a beautiful black Springfield XD, with all sixteen rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition. I knew from experience, this gun was about $480. My dad would have loved to have one of these. When he worked as a guard, they only gave then shot guns or rifles with prices between $200 and $300. Money was never enough at home for my dad to go crazy and buy himself one of these.