THE CONSORTIUM HEIR'S RECKONING

CHAPTER 6

Nicolas watched Ivan saunter toward them, his shoulders high and his jaw set with the confidence of a man you'd think has the world in his palm. Behind him, several muscular men streamed in.

Interesting, Nicolas thought, intrigued.

“Who is causing trouble in my bar?" The man demanded with authority. His eyes landed on Natalie in Nicolas' arms and a lecherous expression crossed his face. 

Finally, he could have her.

He regarded Nicolas and Nora for a while. Briefly, he glanced at his brother who was still on the floor, cradling his arm and jaw. He resisted the urge to shake his head as he looked away. His weak brother had eventually allowed a woman to defeat him. Shame.

Ivan tucked his hands in his pocket, and returned his attention to Nicolas and Nora.

“First, I want you to place the girl in your arms on the couch behind you,” he gestured toward the couch in the booth behind Nicolas with his chin. “Then, the both of you should get on you knees and crawl out of here. Those are the only requisite to leave here alive.”

“I told you!” Ben shouted behind them. “I told you my brother will deal with you. Brother, deal with them! Don't give them any chance to….” His voice trailed off when Ivan dealt him with a glare.

He pouted as he lowered his head and shut his mouth.

Ivan directed the glare to Nicolas and Nora. “You have just a minute to decide. Do as I've instructed or die, your time starts now.” He removed one of his hands from his pocket and casually glanced at the watch on his wrist.

He raised the wrist and showed the time to Nora and Nicolas whom, despite everything, just looked on with indifference. 

“Yoi have thirty seconds to get your assed out of-”

Ivan's warning was rudely cut short by Nora's cold laugh.

He turned to her, glaring even though he was impressed with her looks. How dare her make a sound when he was talking?

He watched as Nora turned to Nicolas and said confidently, “You only need to protect Natalie, I've got your back, master.”

Ivan’s lips twitched. “Master? What is he? Some teacher?”

Nicolas nodded at Nora, both of them ignoring Ivan. 

Then Natalie stepped forward and stopped before Ivan.

Slowly, a lecherous smile made it's way to Ivan's face as he ogled Nora. He licked his lips. “You know,” he smirked, “I like my women submissive, but you could be the first one to-”

Nora's fist connected with Ivan's jaw before he could complete his sentence.

Ivan let out a raw scream as he clutched his face and staggered back. He hadn't seen that coming. 

But he should… No woman had ever stepped up to him with the manner with which she did. They always walked up to him to offer themselves. Or maybe he had known she would do something, but the highest he expected was a slap on the face, a hit he'd barely felt. He had assumed he'll just punish her by seizing her and tying her to his bed, but the hit that hit him? He had not expected her hot to have so much impact that he could barely feel his face from the pain.

Furiously, he turned to his men who watched with mouths agape as their bosses writhed in pain.

“What are you doing, you idiots? Deal with her!” He turned to Nora, enraged. “You wench! For this, I'll deal with you. I'll make you my personal slave!”

As if on autopilot, Ivan's men rushed forward toward Nora.

Nora kicked the first one to reach her in the chest, causing him to stagger back and fall on the confused one behind him. Together, they fell on the floor in an uncomfortable position. Nora heard them groan in pain as she dealt with the rest of them.

They were no match for Nora. With so much ease, every of the thugs that dared to charge at her were beaten and cast aside.

With every one of his men crawling away, badly beaten, Ivan's chest tightened with so much fear.

He looked at Nora with wide eyes. Who was this woman? He wondered as he trembled in fear.

As Nora approached him, Ivan's entire body shook. He couldn't let her hit him a second time. He didn't think he would be able to bear the pain. He had to do something. He couldn't beg her. That would taint his image, so he did only other things he could do. 

He desperately shouted. “My boss is the Great White, the leader of the Iron Vultures.” It was embarrassing, but he had to do it. He continued when Nora still didn't back down. “Crossing the Great White will lead to a terrible fate and hurting me is crossing me, so you had better stay back!”

Even as he spoke, he felt the itch to turn around and flee but there were too many people watching.

Nora merely scoffed. "Go ahead," she said nonchalantly. “Call for help and see if it would make any difference.”

In Ivan's desperation, he felt a surge of relief as he thought that Nora was terrified of the Great White. She had no idea how terrifying he was. He couldn't wait to see her fall to her knees in his wake.

He brought out his phone from his pocket. With trembling fingers, he dialed his boss' number.

“There is trouble in the bar, boss,” he cried, stammering. He took a deep breath to calm himself so he could speak more coherently. “Some nincompoops are-”

Before he could react, Nora closed the space between them and snatched the phone from his grasp.

“Hey! Give that back!”

Nora spoke into the phone, not bothering to put it against her ear to hear what whoever it was had to say.

“Mr great white," she began coldly. “You should do well to keep the cowards you call subordinates in check. Ensure they don't provoke who they shouldn't. The ‘nincompoop’ that your boy said was causing trouble in his damned bar is my master. Make them behave because next time, y'all won't be so lucky.”

With that, she tossed the phone back to Ivan. If Ivan hadn't been fast enough, the phone would have landed on the floor.

He was still stunned that she had spoken to his great boss as she just did. With trembling hands, he pressed the phone to his ear.

Immediately, he pulled the phone away from his ear with a wince and listened to his boss as he furiously shouted at him.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and his face turned pale and slowly, he turned to Nicolas. He couldn't even look him in the face so he directed his gaze to his feet.

After his boss hung up, Ivan dropped to his knees. 

Everyone stared at him, confused.

Ben, who had managed to rise to his feet, gaped at his brother. “Brother? What are you doing?”

“Boss, what-” his men began but he interrupted them.

“Shut the fuck up all of you, and get on your knees.” His gaze, filled with fear, swept the room and he added, “Everyone!”

On Ivan's command, every single person in the bar, apart from Nicolas and Nora, dropped to their knees.

With a forced smile, he bowed his head before Nicolas. “I'm sorry. Everything was my fault. Please, spare me.” He turned to Nora. “Please, plead with your master to spare me.”