I hated the number 17.

In my family, anyone who got to that age had something unexpected happen. My dad's father got arrested for rape when he was 17. My mom was disowned by her parents, expelled from school and got pregnant with my brother at 17. She died when my brother was 17. I was 17 when my brother decided to pack it up and leave.

To me, that number brought nothing but misfortune. Everything that happened before that number was sugar, spice and everything nice. As soon as it somehow arrived in my life, I knew nothing good would come.

Viktor had found us a fancier hotel to stay at in Las Pavita. I didn't question the security of it all because he'd picked it and I trusted him enough when it came to life and death situations. I held some form of hope that he wouldn't get me killed.

Our car ride here had been awkward. I didn't talk much and slept or feigned sleep most of the way. Viktor noticed, he didn't talk about it. In a way, he was avoiding me too or I believed so to make me feel better about my actions. Reaching the hotel was the most uplifting experience in the last couple of hours. I was stuck with my sunglasses and I'd added a cap I'd bought from a gas station over my head. I pulled my hair into the space of the back strap to make it neater.

I drowned in Viktor's jacket, having bought him another during my time in the supermarket. I quite liked this one and wasn't willing to let it go. We'd parked the car a few ways down the street from here and once inside the hotel, Viktor was treated like royalty. I'd never seen so many people stumble over themselves to please someone. I wasn't sure they wouldn't talk about how he was here but Viktor didn't seem worried. We'd been escorted to our room and my heart had dropped when I saw the room number.

17

Every action movie had that point of no return when the main character has done something that made the audience think 'Oh shit. Here we go'. This was Viktor and I's point of no return. He didn't think so but wherever I and the number 17 clashed, disaster followed. I wasn't settled.

After settling into the room, mostly, Viktor had taken the master bedroom while I'd insisted on the other smaller room with two twin beds. My reason? I liked alternating where I slept but there was no shut eye for me. I'd showered, changed the bandage on my wound, put my hair in pigtails and even worn some fuzzy socks the hotel provided to keep me warm.

Then, dressed in sweat shorts and a tee, no underwear whatsoever, I lay on top of one of the twin beds and stared at the ceiling. The clock on the nightstand read 3:07a.m. I couldn't sleep. I was too busy worrying because of one thing.

The fucking number 17.

Call me superstitious, call me stupid, laugh if you want but the human mind was a dangerous thing. I knew from past experience nothing good came from this number. I feared it in a way a child would fear a dog if their parent told them it was a dinosaur. I could not get over the fact that we were sleeping in a room where the entrance had this number. This unease had me wrapping a blanket around my shoulders and walking out of the room to the balcony.

I passed the spacious black and gold themed apartment, not paying much attention to detail. I'd seen it when we arrived, the beautiful architecture and the sleek modern look, all dark, regal and daunting. I sat at the balcony and stared at the city below. It honestly never slept. The place was so busy, you'd think the sun had just set.

Looking out reminded me of the nights I would sit at the living room window in our old house and stare outside, waiting for my brother to come home, both before and after he left. It gave me peace then, knowing I'd be the one to greet him at the door and help him to bed whether he was drunk as a skunk or high over his head. I wouldn't complain with him at those times. I'd just help him to bed, wait for him to sleep and then try to find my own rest.

It was my own kind of peace so I stared out at the lively city and waited for something. Anything. It was so darn cold out, I shivered in the blanket that now proved to be a tad bit thinner than I could like. Still, I lingered outside.

"You're going to catch a cold," I heard Viktor say from behind me before a large blanket settled on my shoulders. I took it gratefully and folded in it like a baby would.Viktor settled down next to me, dressed in seats and a hoodie. His feet were covered by dark socks and there was a healthy pink tint to his cheeks and ears.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked him.

"Yeah because you couldn't either," he answered. "I heard you walking through the apartment. Why are you here? It's too cold out for someone who hates sub zero temperatures."

"I admit the cold is an inconvenience but I just wanted to get some fresh air," I sighed, my breath visibly fogging in front of me now.

Viktor and I just sat in silence, my body slowly warming under the blanket.

"Do you want to go inside?" Viktor asked after a long while. It had gotten colder and my teeth chattered softly despite how warm I was. I shook my head because no, I did not feel like returning to my room where the number 17 was surely going to haunt me.

"Do you want something to eat?" Viktor changed his line of questions. I shook my head again. I wasn't hungry.

"Coffee?"

I turned to Viktor with surprise. It wasn't even 6a.m. "Coffee?"

"Coffee."

I thought about it. "Sure. Coffee sounds nice."

Viktor nodded and got up, going back inside the house. I sat in the cold alone, waiting for him to come back. The lights behind me shone brightly, over the balcony, stretching to the rail. My form caused a large shadow to form and I wondered how such a minuscule person like myself could form something so big and imposing.

"Here," Viktor whispered to me when he came back. He'd gotten a blanket for himself and a beanie to put over his messy hair so I could see his face much clearer. I took the cup of coffee from his hands and cradled it. "It's a latte."

"Thanks. What do you have?" I asked him as he settled back down.

"An Irish coffee," he answered and then turned to me, putting a beanie over my head, making sure to cover my ears. I tried not to be overly bothered by it.

"Thank you and doesn't your drink have whiskey?"

Viktor chuckled. "Yes. Want a taste?"

"Isn't it too early to be drinking?"

"There is never a wrong or right time to drink," Viktor dictated.

"Yeah right," I scoffed and took a sip of my latte. Flavour burst in my mouth and I couldn't help but lick my lips and take another sip. "This is good."

"Thank the coffee machine," Viktor stated, taking a sip of his own, relaxing back into the couch. My hands warmed under the mug and I felt a tad bit better.

That was until something landed in my cup. It quickly dissolved but another white substance landed on my hand. I looked up to see small soft snow falling over the city of Las Pavita. Autumn had finally ended. It was time for winter.

"The first snow," I stated with disgust lacing my tone. Viktor smiled and shook his head.

"You know, most people would be saying that with a little more awe and joy."

"I'm not most people," I reminded him. "This is just a sign that for the next few months, it's going to be colder than a freezer and the sun is going to stay behind dense clouds for days on end. I'll also have to wear think uncomfortable clothing."

"Winter can be fun," Viktor tried to convince me.

"How?"

"Christmas. The New Year."

"I hate Christmas and the New Year just reminds me of all the things I promised myself I'd do but haven't. Resolutions are a lie," I claimed.

"You hate Christmas? You can't be any anti festive can you?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Ok... what holiday do you love?"

"Labour day," I stated happily.

"Labour day?"

"Yeah. It gives you a three day weekend. I always found super cute," I confessed.

"You're odd Peach McCoy," Viktor decided.

"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't," I said and a small smile slipped on my face as I drunk my latte but as the warm liquid went down my throat, it dipped. "Don't mean to change the mood but... Viktor?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you maybe think we are in over our heads with this whole thing?" I inquired.

Viktor sighed and leaned forward, hands on his knees as he clutched his Irish coffee. I watched his hunched form, cuddled under a blanket and waited for him to speak.

"In over our heads means that we are too deeply involved in this... situation and it has more difficulties than we can manage," Viktor begun. "I don't come across anything I can't handle Peach. However this plays out, I know I'm coming out on the top. If I don't have confidence in that, I'm practically dead already. You should pick a leaf."

"I have been picking leaves since we met Viktor," I told him. "You haven't seen me lose my shit yet, have you? Things have been going South for me for a long time. What's a little further down the rabbit hole, right? I'm just not sure I'm going to like when I find out when I land."

"You will find hard ground," Viktor said and then turned to look at me, his eyes softer than I'd seen them. Snow settled on his lashes and beanie, making him look all the more ethereal. "You must decide whether you will stick the landing or get injured."

"It's not that simple," I mumbled. "After all this, you get to continue running your Bratva. I on the other hand, still have running to do." Especially from you.

"I can help you with that," Viktor said to me. "I can make all your problems linger in your past. You know I have the power to."

"Yeah but... at what cost Viktor? I don't have much to give."

"I beg to differ," Viktor looked at me intensely, watching my every move. I watched him too and he rubbed a hand down his jaw, his tongue wetting his bottom lip. "Work for me Peach."

It took a while for me to fully comprehend what he said. My brows drew together as I did. "What?"

Viktor was quick to move closer to me and get into my line of sight. "Your an amazing hacker and a brilliantly resourceful woman. My mafia could use someone as skilled as you are."

I really studied the man before me, a million thoughts in my head.

"When did you think of recruiting me? Policy."

"As soon as I met you," Viktor answered easily, not withholding anything.

I looked down at my drink, willing it to take me down its throat instead. "I don't have the best past or present with mafias Viktor. I'd rather stay away."

"I know it's a lot but Peach... if you're worried about security, I will provide it. As part of my Bratva, most of my work will be laying my life down to protect you and everything those before me have built."

"I'm... I don't really..." I couldn't think of a way to tell him, really tell him how power plays between mafias never ended well for people of my blood. Under the blankets, I held onto my locket.

"I want you to be my consigliere, Peach."

The words, tumbling out of his mouth were so genuine I looked up. His eyes were bright like he'd thought it through and whatever he pictured in his mind was going to work.

"What's that?"

"My advisor. Second only to me."

"Advisor?" I asked incredulously.

"Believe it or not Peach, I value your opinion. I realised you and I see things so differently and I like that. All my life, everyone around me has failed to give me a true challenge when it came to leadership. They all agreed, had the same points. You don't."

I was silent after that, not sure how to respond. Viktor sighed, seeing eh had thrown me off a little.

"Look Peach—"

His phone rang. The melodious tone echoed in the space between us.

"Answer it," I encouraged and he did. I felt his eyes on me as he stood up and left, talking to someone called... Sunshine?

Whatever. I got up, my body cracking for sitting in one position for so long as I crossed Viktor in the living room. I felt his gaze on my back and refused to turn. I dumped my empty coffee cup and searched around the kitchen for a glass that I used to pour myself some water.

Viktor's offer bounced around in my head. It was a good deal, I know he'd protect me but I was disappointed because I wished I could be something more I guess. I had no right thinking like this because I was sure many had given their lives, the time and energy for the Bratva and my sacrifices were minuscule in comparison.

Viktor walked in the kitchen. "That was the guy who's going to help us get ready for dinner with Markov tomorrow night. Look Peach, about the offer I—"

"I'll think about it," I interrupted him. He froze.

"You will?"

"Yeah. I need the protection and I know I can help. I just really need to think it through," I said softly. "Can I sleep on it? I'm actually really tired now."

"Of course. Go get some rest. We'll come back to this later," He encouraged and I refused to look at him as I passed.

"Good night Viktor."

"Good night."

I was locked in my room not long after. I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. There was a feeling churning in my chest. Dissatisfaction? Anger? Sadness? I really couldn't tell.

Viktor was offering to protect me, give me a position that some might dream of.

Why then did I feel frustrated?