Obeying the Russian Mafia Boss: A Mob Romance (11 page)

Nausea rose within her. “Killed?” she whispered.

“Considering Mr. Chesnovak has a strict no-killing policy while he gets the Black Orchid off the ground, I find it interesting that he broke his own rule for you. Just what is your relationship with him? How did you meet him?”

Her questions barely registered. Ella gripped the side of the table and tried to breathe. Erik had the man killed? Just what kind of man was he? “I have to go. I have to leave.”

She tried to push past Dina, but the Russian girl reached out and grabbed her. “You really have no idea what Erik does, do you?”

“I don’t want to know,” Ella said as she tried to wrench out of Dina’s grip, but the woman was stronger than she looked.

“Breathe,” Dina commanded. “You can’t just walk away, Ella. Sit down and breathe.”

Seeing no other option, Ella dropped heavily onto the mahogany chair and tried to focus on her breathing. She tried counting. She tried doing math problems in her head. Her panic wasn’t subsiding.

“You’re just a stupid woman in way over your head. So innocent. So sweet. That must be why he acts the way he does around you. Listen to me,” Dina said softly. “Erik Chesnovak is a powerful man. If someone doesn’t follow his rules, his justice is swift. He is protecting you, so you don’t have to be afraid.”

Ella stared at her in disbelief. “Are you insane? What if I do something that pisses him off? I live in a house with armed guards. No one even knows that I’m here. The only person I stay in contact with is my mother, and not only is she heavily medicated, but she thinks that I’m a busy executive assistant. It would be a week before she began to suspect that I was dead. I’m a terrible maid!”

“He’s not going to kill you because you suck at your job,” Dina said dryly. “Do you have an ulterior motive for being here?”

“I just need the money.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. Keep your nose out of Erik’s business, do your job, and you’ll get your money. The only people who need to fear Erik are the people who want to hurt Erik. The guard tried to assault you, and he did it knowing that you were under Erik’s protection.”

Ella snapped her head up. “You told me that Erik killing that guard raised some red flags, and now you’re telling me that it’s nothing to worry about. Which story are you sticking with?”

“What am I supposed to think?” Dina hissed. “I thought you were just some gold digging American trying to worm her way into the rich man’s good graces. Erik protects us, and we protect him.”

“He offered me this job. One year. Enough money to pay for my mother’s surgery and then some. Surgery that she needs to live. Did I have reservations about the job offer? Of course. Am I attracted to the man? I’d have to be dead not to be. But not for a single second have I ever thought that I was anything more than a charity case. I’m not here to snag your boss. I’m here to save my mother.” Ella met Dina’s glare.

“You must be the most naïve woman I’ve ever met. You have to stay, Ella. If you try to leave, Erik will know that something is up. You’re safe here. He’ll protect you. He’ll protect all of us. Isn’t one year of keeping your head down worth your mother’s surgery?”

Ella took a deep breath and weighed her options. “What does Erik do for a living?”

“He owns a club,” Dina said with a small smile. “And that’s all that you need to know.”

Standing, Ella nodded. The money was too important to abandon now. She would try to forget everything that Dina had told her, and she would do her job. There wasn’t a chance in hell that Erik was a just club owner, but she’d suspected that for a while now. He practically had an army living with him. She’d keep her head and ignore her suspicions and all the evidence that supported them. For her mother.

“He turned her down,” she told Dina. “Valeria? He told her that he wouldn’t marry her.”

The other maid’s eyes slowly widened. “You’re wrong,” she muttered. “Erik wouldn’t do that.”

“Did he love her?”

“Love her?” Dina laughed dryly. “Hardly. That woman is a snake. But she and her father were under the impression that Erik would marry her, and they are not ones to turn down. I hope to God that he has a plan because the Yashin family is not forgiving.”

“You’re scared,” Ella observed. “Whatever you think of Erik, you think this Valeria woman is worse.”

Dina turned her head. “Get back to work, Ella. I did the office, so Erik’s bedroom is next. Keep your head down and don’t let anyone know we had this conversation. Believe me when I tell you that I trust Erik.”

Ella studied her. “So I guess the real question is whether I trust you.” Dina didn’t say anything as Ella walked away, but she knew the other woman was staring at her.

As she made her way back up to the third floor, she couldn’t help but look at everyone differently. Were the armed men really guards or were they contract killers? Were their bodies buried in the beautiful landscaping below? Did the other staff kill people? Maybe Zoya poisoned people’s food. Nestor and Oleg probably knew where all the bodies were buried.

She was torn. The dead guard was probably a ruthless killer, but she had gotten him killed. Should she feel guilty about that?

Just as she reached Erik’s bedroom, her phone rang. She pulled it out and felt her whole world turn upside down. It was the nurse’s station at the hospital. Gasping, she threw the door opened and slammed it behind her.

“Hello?” she asked in a shaky voice.

The woman on the line was brisk, but cheerful. “Ms. Davis? This is Dr. Eddison. I have some good news.”

Relief washed through Ella, and she sagged against the door. “Good news?” she repeated weakly.

“We may have a donor for your mother. They’ve passed the initial testing stages, and they’re an excellent match.”

“Really?” Ella pressed her hand against her mouth and started to giggle. “That is wonderful news. Thank you so much. What happens next?”

“Per live-transplant policy, the donor will undergo at least two weeks with an independent assessor. This just ensures that the donor is in good mental and physical condition and understands all the implication of donating a portion of his liver. Your mother’s statistics are still fairly strong, so as long as everything goes according to schedule, she’ll be in good shape for the surgery. It’s unusual for someone to offer to be a live donor for a stranger. Your mother is very lucky.”

“Have you told her?”

“I have. Heather is in good spirits. You should call her later today when she’s more awake and alert. I’m sure she’d love to share the news with you.”

The giggle turned into an uncontrollable burst of laughter. Dr. Eddison was patient with her, and finally Ella took control of her emotions.

“Dr. Eddison, you are an angel. I don’t even know what to say. What do we do while we wait?”

“The donor will continue to undergo blood tests to make sure there are no physical changes, and you and your mother will just wait. Surgery is never easy on a body, especially after a long illness. We’re going to focus on stabilizing her blood pressure and heart rate. The healthier she is for the surgery, the higher the chance of success. Keep her spirits up, Ms. Davis. You wouldn’t believe how much that helps. I’ll keep you posted.”

Ella profusely thanked the woman again before hanging up the phone. Her mother was going to be okay. She needed this job more than ever, and if that meant working for a cold-blooded killer, so be it.

“Good news?”

Ella shrieked as the devil himself stepped out of the bathroom. Erik put his hands up and stopped moving. He was dripping wet with nothing more than a towel slung around his waist. “I’m sorry. I was going to let you know that I was in here, but I didn’t want to interrupt your phone call. It sounded important.”

“They think they found a donor for my mother,” Ella said softly as she slipped the phone into her pocket. Her heart was still pounding, but she didn’t know if it was fear or arousal. She swallowed in an effort to lubricate her dry mouth. What the hell was wrong with her? This man was dangerous.

“That’s great news,” he said with a smile. “How long until the surgery?”

“We won’t know for a sure until after a couple weeks. The donor has to undergo some health evaluations, but the doctor is really hopeful. Why are you taking a shower? You’re supposed to be in your office.”

“Keeping tabs on me again?” He swept his hands through his wet blonde strands and stared at her.

Her body started to heat up, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. “I didn’t want to interrupt anything.”

“Right.” There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “Since I didn’t get a chance to eat my breakfast, I had some delivered to my office, and I spilled it all over myself. So now I’m still hungry.” She looked up and saw him eyes sweeping up and down her body.

He was a killer. She really had to keep that in mind. “I’ll just take care of the other things on my list while you finish up.”

She turned to open the door. “Stay,” he said softly. “I owe you an apology for this morning.”

Running her fingers lightly over the brass door knob, she bit her lower lip. “You don’t owe me an apology. I was out of line. Who you entertain in your home is none of my business.”

“Valeria Yashin is a nasty piece of work, and I’m sure you already know that Dina set you up. Valeria was under the impression that I was going to marry her, and she was suspicious of your presence in my household. I’m fairly traditional and predictable about who works for me.” Ella could feel the air shift around her as Erik moved closer to her and pressed both hands to the door on either side of her. “Dina obviously thought that it was important that you saw me with Valeria.”

Ella didn’t turn around. She could barely breathe, and it had nothing to do with fear. The feeling of his lips on her and his hands on her skin was still fresh in her mind. “You told Valeria that you weren’t going to marry her,” she said hoarsely.

“Yes, I did,” he murmured.

“Why?”

“Turn around, Ella. Please.”

Although he’d said please, the command was clear in his voice, and she was helpless to deny him. Turning slowly, she pressed her back to the door and met his gaze. Her body ached for him. “You don’t have to answer that,” she whispered. “It’s none of my business who you marry.”

“You’re right, it’s not,” he said as stepped even closer to her. All she had to do was move her hand just a few inches, and she could touch his naked body. A quick flick of her wrists and the towel would fall. She could wrap her hands around him and squeeze until he moaned with pleasure.

“Tell me you don’t want me,” he murmured low in her ear. “Tell me to back away.”

The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say them. All logic fled. She couldn’t see him as a killer. There was no sense of danger. Only raw desire.

Holding her breath, she reached up and trailed a finger over the hard muscles of his abdomen. He inhaled sharply, but he didn’t move as she explored.

“Ella, I’m warning you. If you don’t want this, you should stop.”

Lifting her chin, she met his gaze. “I can’t help it. I know it’s not right, but I can’t stop. You know this is a bad idea.”

“I know,” he muttered roughly. “But I don’t give a fuck.” Leaning down, he kissed her hard. As his lips bruised hers, he pressed his body against hers, and she could feel his erection rubbing against her. Need drove her wild, and she moaned in his mouth.

There was nothing gentle about his hands as he reached for the button of her shorts. He wasted no time in getting them undone and pushing them off her hips. Before her mind could even catch up, he was lifting her and carrying her to the bed. He dropped her onto the mattress, and she lay back.

She watched as he dropped the towel and crawled on top of her. There was a warning bell sounding in the back of her mind, but as she wrapped her hands around his length, she couldn’t think of anything but this. She desperately needed to feel him inside her, and nothing else seemed to matter.

“Erik,” she moaned as she squeezed. He grunted and pulsed in her fist.

Wrenching from her grasp, he pushed her shirt up and pinched her nipple through her bra. The sensations rocked her all the way to her toes, and she dug her nails into his back.

“Please,” she moaned. “I need you inside me. Now.”

Suddenly, the warmth of his body was gone. She pushed herself up on her elbows and watched as he reached for his phone. Through the haze of her arousal, she heard it ringing. It snapped her back into reality. Doused with fear and shame, she immediately scrambled to the top of her bed and pulled her knees up to her chest.

“What the hell am I doing?” she whispered.

Erik looking up from his ringing phone and frowned. “What do you mean? I gave you a chance to walk away, and you didn’t take it.”

“I know,” she moaned and shook her head. “I just can’t think when I’m around you.”

He gave her a lazy smile. “That’s not such a bad thing, sweetheart.”

“It is when it’s you. You’re a dangerous…” her voice trailed off when she remembered Dina’s warning.

His phone stopped ringing, and his eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?”

“What happened to the man from yesterday?” she asked. Her voice was full of terror, and she knew it was a bad idea, but she had to hear it from him.

“What do you care?” he asked slowly. “That man would have raped you had I not burst in.”

“I know. I’m not defending him,” she said. “Did you have him killed? Do you kill people?”

Slowly, he dropped his arm. Anger glittered in his eyes. “Now who the hell told you that?” Before she could say anything, his phone rang again. Muttering an expletive, he answered it. “What?”

Ella could hear the faint sound of someone speaking in rapid Russian, but whatever they said didn’t please Erik at all. As he straightened, his face hardened even more. Turning his back, he began speaking Russian in a low voice. Seeing her chance to escape, she slowly inched out of the bed, but she didn’t move fast enough. By the time her feet hit the floor, he whirled around on her.

“I have to go,” he said coldly. “Someone just gunned down one of my men. Get in your room and lock the door.”