The Code To A Don's Heart

t w e n t y - t w o

5 days later

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

Viktor and I had set up base again. The Bratva headquarters was a large office/apartment building with ten floors. The first five were where his men worked and these upper levels had apartments where some of them stayed. I'd explored most of the building on the first day, just to know the ins and outs.

It was a base for sure. Well protected with guards, cameras, motion sensors and a lockdown system. The third floor was where all the Bratva hackers did their work, building and creating firewalls for their network. They arranged heists, drug trades and did background checks on people who wanted to work within the Russian mafia. They were the motherboard.

There was a training room, weapons storage, actual business offices, a large cafeteria and lounge. The place seemed good enough. They had a working system, everyone seemed nice enough but I'd mostly been in my room.

Viktor came to see me once in a while and each time, I asked him to let me help out. They were searching for his doppleganger and as someone who'd been part of the scheme in the beginning, you think he'd let me break a bone for the cause.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

His attitude towards me changed before we even got to this base. When he looked at me, there was a dip to his lip and a slight frown to his brow. I knew that look.

Pity.

But why? Why did he pity me? Why did he handle me like I was a glass ready to fall and break? Why had his whole demeanor changed? I couldn't find answers to these questions and I'd asked him.

"Why are you treating me different?!" I burst two days ago. "Viktor... I can help. You know I can."

"I'm not treating you different Peach—"'

"Bullshit!"

"— I just want to to take a break from all of this."

"Take a break?" I scoffed crossing my arms. "You can't be serious."

Viktor sighed and pushed his hair back. "You're safe here Peach. I swear it. You don't have to burden yourself much. Just sit back and let me handle this."

"This—" I emphasized, "—is a we problem. As in whoever is hunting you, is hunting me. It's the reason why we are working together or have you forgotten."

"I haven't but you don't have to worry as much now," Viktor softened his voice when he talked, something unusual for him.

"Ok Fine. Tell me your grand plan to find this bastard," I stressed.

"I have people looking for who exactly your hitmen were and how they are connected to my family. Who they'd worked with in the past."

"And?"

"And... we've narrowed down our suspicions to seven men. I also have so much work to do running my Bratva. I've been gone for a little too ling so I don't want people thinking they can move in and challenge me."

"What about Summit Holdings," I inquired and he sighed, glancing away from me. "It's the most important part of this whole thing."

"We can't tell people about it yet. I'm discussing with Markov about how to proceed. Nothing for you to worry about."