Obeying the Russian Mafia Boss: A Mob Romance (14 page)

Damn, but she had been good. Tight, wet, and welcoming. Every moan he’d pulled from her had been genuine, and there was a fire in her blue eyes that he would never forget.

He’d told her that he wasn’t done with her, but he couldn’t possibly take her again. Erik had never felt so vulnerable in his entire life.

Yashin had held up his end of the bargain. Vegas had been an experience, but Erik could help but feel like it was meant to be a last meal. The older man had fed him drink after drink, but Erik only tossed a third of them back Spilling some, pouring some in other people’s drinks, he’d done anything he could think of to stay in his right mind. He wasn’t even tempted by the women, but the freedom that Vegas offered was enticing. No father to please. No people to protect. No legacy to fulfill.

With a sigh, he turned off the water and squeezed the excess from his hair. It wasn’t until he’d wrapped the towel around himself that he realized his phone was ringing.

It was Matvei.

“What have you found?” Erik growled.

“I’m sorry, boss,” Matvei said heavily. “There was a calling card in his pocket. We almost didn’t find it.”

Erik felt his whole body still. “What kind of calling card?”

“I’m not real big on flowers, boss, but it looks an awful like the ones all over the club.”

A black orchid. “He’s taunting me. Fuck. It’s either Rostilav or Valeria. Why would they kill him before they had an answer from me? Matvei, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly.”

“Yes, boss.”

Erik took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Has Leonid done anything suspicious recently?”

“No. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my friend. I know that Leonid wouldn’t do anything to go against you, boss. He was your man, through and through.”

Matvei probably wasn’t wrong, and Leonid probably died for it. As he pinched the bridge of his nose, realization dawned on him.

“This was always a set-up,” he muttered. “Yashin knew that I would never marry his daughter, but he wanted the club anyway. He or Valeria must have stopped by the club that night to look for something. She’s been charming security all month, so it wouldn’t have been hard for her to get in. They turned off the security cameras and killed him when they didn’t find what they wanted.”

Erik started to pace on the floor. “What would be so valuable in the club? What were they after? Matvei, I’m letting non-essential staff go. I want you to meet them at the safe house.”

“Dina?” Matvei asked softly.

“Yes.” Gritting his teeth, he hung up the phone. Storming into his bedroom, he ran the towel over his naked body before pulling on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Throwing open the door, he practically ran downstairs. “I need everyone in the observatory, now,” he snapped at the closest guard. “Round them up.”

Fifteen minutes later, Erik faced all the people that had faithfully left their homes to serve him. “We have a problem,” he said softly. “It seems that Yashin doesn’t want to play ball anymore. I have a feeling he never intended to. He’s more established and has more manpower than we do. In an attack, we don’t stand a chance. All non-essential personnel will go to a safe house. Four armed men will escort you, and Matvei will meet you there. You have twenty minutes to pack only the essentials.”

They stared at him, but none of them had terror in their eyes. They’d lived their entire lives with him and his family, and they knew how dangerous it could be. Nodding calmly, they dispersed. He turned to the guards.

“The house is stocked with everything you need, and there is emergency cash in the floor under the couch. I want three men on guard at all times.”

“Yes, sir,” they said as they nodded.

“Good. Go pack.”

The first person to return with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder was Dina. “What about Ella?” she asked quietly.

“She’s not like you,” he muttered. “She’s not equipped to handle these kinds of situations, and I don’t want to risk her distracting the guards. She’ll stay with me until I can find a safe place for her.”

“You’re a target,” Dina said, her voice tight with censure. “And Valeria knows how you feel about her.”

“That would be thanks to you,” he said darkly. “Don’t worry about her, and quit pretending that you have any idea how I feel. Now get your ass moving.”

As his staff filled the cars, he hurried upstairs to wake Ella. The Black Orchid could run on its own for a week, and that’s all it would take for his father to send reinforcements. He just needed to lay low until then.

It felt like running. It felt like cheating, but Dina was right. Valeria had zeroed in on Ella, and he couldn’t just serve her up to be slaughtered.

When he opened her door, she was already up and getting dressed. She whirled around as she pulled her shirt down, and he saw just a flash of skin. “Knocking would be nice,” she muttered. “Or was last night an invitation for you to come in whenever you want?”

“I don’t have time for this,” he muttered. “Pack your bags. We’re leaving now.”

“Leaving?” she asked with a frown. “And where the hell do you think we’re going? Are you kicking me out after last night? Of all the insufferable…”

Erik breathed in sharply when movement outside the window caught his eye. Four black cars pulled into the drive. Security hadn’t called in from the gate, which could only mean one thing—security was dead.

“No time to pack,” he said as he grabbed her hand. “We need to leave now.”

“Erik,” she shrieked as he pulled her from the room. “What the hell is going on?”

“Stop arguing,” he growled as he pulled her down the stairs. “We need to get as far away from this place as possible. If we can get to the club, I can get my hands on some cash, and…” he stopped abruptly and she practically fell into him.

“Shit,” he growled. “Shit! I am the biggest idiot in the world.”

“What are you talking about?”

Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the front door opened, and Valeria walked in. She smiled coldly and pointed a gun at him. “Hello, sweetheart. I heard you had a good time in Vegas without me. That was supposed to be our honeymoon.”

Erik pulled Ella tight against his back and turned carefully to keep himself between her and the gun. “There’s no need to continue the lie,” he said snidely. “We both know that you never had any intention of marrying me.”

“Well, now, that’s just not true. What woman wouldn’t want you in her bed every night? I had every intention of marrying you, but my father didn’t think you would bite. I hate when he’s right. So we had to go to plan B.” She cocked her head and waved the gun. “Is that your redheaded beauty hiding behind you?”

“Bite me, bitch,” Ella growled from behind.

“Easy,” Erik muttered. “Keep quiet.”

“She’s got a temper. Is that what you like? I have quite a temper myself.”

The door opened and her father walked in.

“The guards are gone. The grounds are deserted,” he muttered angrily. “Where the hell is everyone, Erik?”

Moving slowly, he backed Ella against the wall and slowly inched her towards the door. Their escape was only a few feet away, but they had to get around the corner first.

“The black orchid was a nice touch,” Erik said gruffly. “Leonid was a friend.”

“Leonid was an idiot,” Valeria hissed. “All I had to do was knock on the door. Fed him some bullshit story about needing to meet with you, and he walked me right in. It was about time someone put a bullet in his brain. I never did like him.”

“What do you want, Rostilav? I’m not going to just hand you the deed to the club, so your trip here was pointless.”

“I want to see her,” Valeria snapped. “Now.”

Erik stiffened. “So you can shoot her? I’m going to have to decline.”

She lifted the gun higher. “From this distance, I could shoot you and still hit her. Now, you’re quite a bit taller, so I could aim directly for her heart, and you would still survive.”

Glaring at her, he stepped aside and slowly pulled Ella out. She gripped his hand, but she wasn’t trembling. “I didn’t realize that your club was so desirable,” she said in a strong and clear voice. “I’m fairly certain there are more legal ways for someone to obtain the property.”

“Oh, this is rich,” Valeria said with a laugh. “Does she really believe that you’re a business owner?”

“He is a business owner,” Ella said with a frown. “I’ve seen the club.”

“You are just the sweetest thing I have ever seen. I’m going to take my time with you,” Valeria said with a smile. “Your knight in shining armor here is Russian mob, my dear.”

Ella turned her head to stare at him. “What did she just say?”

“An insane woman is pointing a gun at you, and you’re getting upset about what I do for a living?” he asked with a snort.

She paled considerably and stumbled away from him. “Oh my God. You really are Russian mob.”

Seeing his chance, he shoved her hard towards the corner. Valeria shrieked, and a shot rang out, but he already had his arm wrapped around Ella’s shoulder as he pulled her into the sitting room. Slamming the door shut, he locked it and pulled her across the room.

“I am going to die in this room,” Ella muttered as she looked around. “In the middle of all these stupid old antiques.”

Erik pulled up the rug from the floor and grabbed the handle on the trapdoor underneath. “Keep it together, Ella,” he said through clenched teeth as he opened the hidden door.

“There are tunnels under the house?” she asked with wide eyes. As bullets began to strike the door, he pushed her inside, followed her down the short ladder, and slammed the door shut. Locking the trap shut, he reached over and flipped on the lights.

“Tunnels is a bit much,” he said softly. “It’s more like one tunnel, and it will take us to the gate house where we can get a car. Now move your ass.”

The soft lightbulbs flickered, and she dragged her feet. “What’s to keep them from following us? I don’t want my body to rot under a mob house.”

“The door is made from solid steel. Once it’s locked from below, they can’t get in. They can’t even shoot their way in. Move!”

Ella stumbled, and Erik had to wrap his arm around her waist to keep her from falling. “I know you’re scared,” he whispered in her ear. “But I’m trying to keep you alive, so you have to trust me.” Wordlessly, she nodded.

She took a firm grip on his hand, and they raced down the tunnels. It was a half a mile to the end, and although her stride was much smaller than his, she kept up. At the end of the tunnel, a ladder led to the door above.

“Let me go first,” he said urgently.

Her chest heaved, but she stepped back. Gripping the rungs, he pulled himself up and carefully opened the door. As he suspected, the guards were dead on the floor. Pushing the door open all the way, he climbed through.

“Don’t freak out, and don’t scream,” he said softly as he helped her out. Ella’s eyes widened at the bloody sight in front of her, but she clamped her mouth shut.

He reached over and snagged the keys on the desk. Opening the door to the small office, he grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the security cars parked outside. Using the remote, he found the right car and slid inside.

“Get in.”

Starting the car, he eased out of the parking lot, doing his best not to attract attention, and headed toward the club. In the passenger seat, Ella leaned forward and rested her head on her knees. “You’re mob. How the hell can you be part of the mob? Why would hire me if you’re part of the fucking mob!?” she shouted.

“What? Just because I’m a criminal means that I can’t do something good?” he asked as he checked the rearview mirror. He was counting on Valeria and her father believing the trapdoor was a safe room rather than a tunnel.

“Where the hell are we going? I need you to let me out. I don’t want to be anywhere near you,” she said in a shaky voice.

Anxiety knotted in his chest, and he swallowed hard. There was no doubt in his mind that she would hate him after this, but if he let her go now, she was dead. Ella wasn’t the type of person who knew how to survive.

“We have to go to the club. I have a stash of cash there, and there’s something that I need to get before Yashin does.”

“What is it?”

Erik glanced warily over at her. “Evidence that several powerful men in the city are enjoying illegal services at my club. If Yashin gets his hands on that, I’ll lose everything.”

“Powerful men?” Ella shook her head and stared out the window. “What the hell have you gotten me into?”

Chapter Fifteen

Ella did her best to remain calm, but a million thoughts were jumbled in her head at once. When she woke up this morning, she was upset that Erik had slunk out of the bedroom. They were adults. He should have owned up to his actions.

But then it was hard to fault him when she couldn’t even figure out how she felt. Erik was a killer. Erik was also the best lover she’d ever had.

Now she’d been shot at, shoved down a creepy tunnel, and kidnapped. As Erik raced towards a club where apparently high ranking city officials fucked and doped their way out of reality, Ella could only focus on one thing.

Russian mob. Was she really so stupid that she didn’t see it before? A wealthy Russian with a slew of heavily armed guards? Of course something illegal was happening.

“Stupid,” she muttered. “So stupid.”

“Calm down, Ella,” Erik said coldly. “You can panic once you’re in the safe house.”

A hysterical bubble of laughter formed in her throat. “Just how long do you plan on keeping me at the safe house, Erik? I agreed to clean your house. You didn’t say anything about fleeing for my life!”

Frustrated, she beat her hand against the dashboard. “I knew your offer was too good to be true.”

“Ella, I will write you a check for five hundred thousand dollars right now if you will just take a deep breath and try to get a hold on yourself.” The car slowed as Erik turned left. Ella gazed out the window as they pulled into the club parking lot.

“There’s an awful lot of cars here,” she whispered.

“We’re open for lunch,” he said with a frown. Parking the car, he killed the engine. “That will work in our favor. Yashin won’t dare risk anything violent at the club during open hours. If even a hint of criminal activity goes public, no one of importance would dare set foot through those doors. He needs that power.”