Chapter 1 - The Translation
Viktor Kovacs slowly lowered his phone and stared at me.
The silence in the restaurant seemed to deepen around our table.
His gray eyes locked onto mine, searching for any sign of comprehension.
"Vodka," I repeated quickly, keeping my voice perfectly steady.
"Neat, right away, sir."
I turned on my heel and took exactly one step toward the bar.
"Wait."
The single word was not loud, but it hit me like a physical blow.
I stopped and slowly turned back to face him.
"You speak Hungarian," Viktor stated, his tone flat and dangerously calm.
"Only a few words, sir," I lied smoothly.
"My grandmother taught me how to say hello and thank you."
Viktor leaned back in his velvet chair, looking completely relaxed.
"If you only know how to say hello and thank you, why did your breathing stop when I mentioned the federal inspection?"
My heart slammed against my ribs.
I had tried to be invisible, but men like Viktor survived by noticing everything.
"I don't know what you are talking about," I whispered.
"Sit down," he commanded.
"I am working, sir."
Viktor reached inside his tailored suit jacket.
He did not pull out a gun, but he pulled out a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills.
He tossed the money onto the empty plate in front of him.
"You are now working exclusively for me," Viktor said softly.
My eyes darted to Daniel, my manager, who was watching from across the room in pure horror.
"I can't sit with a guest," I argued, my palms sweating.
Viktor reached under the table.
I felt the cold, hard barrel of a suppressed pistol press gently against my kneecap.
"You are going to sit down, Mara, or I am going to make a very loud mess in your beautiful restaurant."
I slowly pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.
"Good," Viktor smiled, though his eyes remained entirely dead.
"Now, tell me exactly what my lieutenant said on the phone before I hang you from the ceiling."
I swallowed the lump of terror in my throat.
"He said someone inside your organization betrayed you."
Viktor’s jaw clenched so tightly I thought his teeth might shatter.
"And he said the original authorization document was held up," I continued.
"Pierce will force the vote in forty minutes."
Viktor pocketed his phone and grabbed my wrist with a grip like iron.
"We are leaving," he announced, standing up and pulling me out of my chair.
"Where are we going?" I gasped, struggling against his hold.
May you like
"To find the rat," Viktor whispered, pushing me toward the back exit.
"And if you try to run, my men waiting outside will shoot your general manager in the head."
