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Chapter Thirty-nine: New Life Of Torment
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The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty: I Missed You
At the sound of Andrei's husky voice from the doorway, she jumped, whirling around. “You—you knew I was sleeping?” she stammered.His gaze was intense as he came toward her. “Yes.”She felt suddenly very small as his tall body loomed over hers. She licked her lips. “So why didn’t you wake me up and start bossing me around?”Reaching out, he brushed a tendril of hair out of her eyes. “Because you looked like an angel. I couldn't wake you up. Besides, you have been working all day. You must be exhausted.”His voice was low. Sensual. Illyra’s eyes widened as she looked up—no, not at his lips! His eyes! Trembling with awareness at how they were once again alone in his bedroom, she tightened her hands at her sides. “Um. Thanks. For letting me borrow your bed.” She edged away from it. “I should probably be getting back to work....”His eyes glimmered. “Our bed.”“What?”Andrei's large hand wrapped around the post’s polished wood. “You called it my bed. It is ours.”Her lips parted. Then she
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty-one: Being Useful
Flashes of heat went up and down her body. His hands on her shoulders were heavy, sensual, like points of light. With an intake of breath, she ripped herself away from him.“Dream on,” she said, tossing her head with every ounce of bravado she possessed. He shrugged. “Then I’ll have to find some other way to make you useful.”Illyra started to reach for the bucket and sponge, but he stopped her. “No. You are right. Enough cleaning.” He gave a sudden wicked grin. “You will cook for me.”Her jaw dropped. He must have forgotten the last time she’d cooked for him, taking a romantic date idea from a magazine. It had been romantic, all right—she’d nearly burned the cabin down, and then the firemen had been called. “You can’t be serious.”Andrea lifted a dark eyebrow. “Because you’re still a terrible cook?”She glared at him. “Because you know I would poison you!”“I know you won’t, because we will share the meal.” He leaned forward and said softly, “Tonight I am craving...something deliciou
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty two: Bad Cook
Andrei should have known not to make her cook.He’d thought that Illyra, at age twenty-eight, might have improved her skills. No. If possible, she’d grown even more hopeless in the kitchen. The attempt had been a complete disaster, even before the raw yolks had been flung all over—perhaps a merciful end before they could be added to the burned, lumpy mess in the sauté pan.Cleaning up, he dumped it all out and started fresh. Forty minutes later, he sat at the table on the patio and tasted his finished soufflé, and gave a satisfied sigh.He would not ask Illyra to make food again.Andrei knew how to cook. He just preferred not to. When he was growing up, his family had had nothing. His father tried his best to keep up the six-hundred-acre homestead, but he’d had his head in the clouds—the kind of man who would be mulling over a book of Russian philosophy and not notice that their newborn calf had just wandered away from its mother to die in a snowdrift. Andrei's mother, a former wait
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty three: Broken Victor
An hour later, Lyra was in the tent, bathed, comfortable and wearing clean clothes. And more determined than ever to escape.Okay, so her phone didn’t work and her impulsive escape attempt had been laughable. But she couldn’t stay here. Whatever Viktor thought, she couldn’t just be patient. She had no intention of abandoning Illyra for weeks in her ex-boyfriend’s clutches and trusting all would be well.Why had Viktor even insisted on keeping her here? There was no reason he couldn’t have her sign some kind of letter of intent or something, promising to give him the property. Something just didn’t add up. She felt as if she’d become almost as much a prisoner as Illyra was. Two prisoners for two brothers, she thought grimly. Could their lives get any worse? And yet...Lyra brushed her long brown hair until it tumbled softly over her shoulders. Somehow, he’d also made her feel free. As if she, of all people, could be daring enough to travel around the world, learn to drive on a Lambor
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty Four: Dinner With Her Captor
Lyra looked for him now, turning her head right and left. She pictured his handsome face, so intense, so ruthless. No wonder, under the magneticforce of his complete attention, she’d once felt infatuated—at least before she’d realized he was a liar and kidnapper. Her brief crush wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about. With Viktor ’s chiseled good looks, electric-blue eyes and low, husky voice—and the sensual stroke of his practiced fingertips, rough against her skin—any woman would have felt wildlyattracted. But her crush was over now. Her hands tightened. She wasn’t going to let him stop her from doing what she needed to do.But it couldn’t hurt to be fortified with dinner before her escape. Her stomach growled. Calories would give her energy, which would give her ideas. Lyra looked around for the dining tent. The sun was setting at a rapid pace.A man in an indigo turban bowed in front of her. “Princess,” he said in accented English.Princess...? She blushed. “Oh. Yes. Hello. Co
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty Five: Revenge Plans
She looked in shock at the vulnerability in his eyes. Since she had known him, she had never seen him that way before. Something had changed in him somehow, she thought.The warm, generous man sitting across from her in exotic Moroccan garb seemed very different from the cold tycoon in a black suit she’d met in Hawaii. Had the desert really made him so different? Or was it just that she knew too much about the manbehind the suit?“I don’t like that you lied to me about Illyra,” she said slowly. “Or that you brought me out here against my will. But,” she sighed, taking a bite ofthe tajine as she looked at the sunset, “at the moment it’s a little hard for me to be angry.”He swallowed. Reaching across the table, he briefly took her hand. “Thank you.”"It's just a lot that you're apologizing. I didn't think you would ever do that."She shivered as their eyes met. Then he released her as the servant returned with a samovar of filigreed metal. He left it on the table in front ofViktor ,
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty Six: Feeding His Eyes
ANDREI AND ILLYRAThis dinner wasn’t going at all as he’d envisioned. Growling to himself, Andrei left the dinner tray on the table and raced inside. Taking the stairs two at a time, he went down the hall and shoved open the double doors to the master bedroom, knocking them back against the walls.Illyra whirled around with a gasp.Andrei took one look and his mouth went slack. His heart nearly stopped in his chest.She stood half-naked, wearing the expensive lingerie, a pale pink teddy and silk robe he’d had a servant buy for her in Kailua. “Make it tacky,” Andrei had instructed. “The sort of thing a stripper might wear.”He’d meant to humiliate her. In spite of Illyra’s corrupt, hollow soul, she’d always dressed modestly. She never showed any skin—ever. Even when she’d done her best to entice the men at the poker game, she’d lured them with her words, with her electrifying voice, with her angelic face and slender body. But she’d been completely covered from head to toe, with jeans
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Forty Seven: Naked And Desired
Her expression changed as he said that. Snatching up the frayed sponge, she grabbed the bucket of cold wash water from the floor and, in a posture of clear fury, knelt down. He watched her slender, delectable body, wearing only the tiny slip of pink silk, moving back and forth on all fours as she scrubbed the floor. His mouth went dry.Illyra looked up.“Enjoying the show?” she said coldly. "I hope you are."Without a word, Andrei turned and left the bedroom. He returned a moment later with his own dinner tray and red wine. Still not speaking, he sat down in a cushioned chair near the marble fireplace. Calmly he unfolded his fine linen napkin across his lap.“Now I am,” he replied. "I need you to scrub efficiently."Sitting back comfortably in his chair, he took a sip of merlot. He had the satisfaction of seeing her eyes widen, of seeing her scowl. Then she turned back to her work, and he had the even greater satisfaction of watching Illyra on all fours, her body frosted with silvery
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The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Five: Can You Ever Love Me?
As Andrei finished zipping up the ball gown, he turned her to face him. Brushing tendrils of hair from her face, he looked down at her with electric blue eyes. “Are you ready? The ball is in a few minutes.”Looking up at his handsome face, Illyra tried not to feel anything. But her heart slammed against her ribs.His forehead furrowed. “Illyra ?”She turned away with a lump in her throat. “I, um, need some lipstick.” Going to the mirror, she made her lips bright Chanel red. Lifting the silk hem of her gown, she stepped into her expensive shoes with sparkling crystals decorating the four-inch heels, and took a deep breath. “Ready.”Downstairs in the foyer, Andrei took a sharply tailored black coat from the closet, wearing it over his tuxedo. Then he removed a black hanging bag from the closet. He unzipped it. In dismay, Illyra saw white fur.He noted her expression. “Don’t worry. It’s fake.”Dubiously, she reached out and stroked the soft white fur. “It seems real.”“Well.” His lips cu
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Four: I Cannot Love
He shrugged. “Perhaps she forgot something at your old apartment. You don't have to worry about her. She is old enough to take care of herself. You worry too much about her.”“Spending every penny she owns, just to go back for some old sweater or something?”Andrei pressed his lips together. Illyra saw him hesitate, then reluctantly say, “Apparently she was trying to get the police to take an interest in your case. But they laughed at her, both in Seattle and Honolulu.” He looked at Illyra sideways. “They thought our wager sounded like a lovers’ game between consenting adults.”“Right.” She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “So where is she now?”He shook his head. “The trail went cold.”Lyra was missing? Illyra opened her mouth, then stopped. Telling him her fears would do no good. She feared it would only set off another tirade from him about how Lyra was a grown woman and that Illyra should allow her sister to face her own consequences.And for all she knew, he was righ
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Three: Something Is Wrong
The next night, Illyra paused as she got ready for the New Year’s Eve ball. She looked wanly out the tall curved window of their bedroom.The wintry Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea looked nothing like Hawaii’s warm turquoise waters. It was even worse than Alaska’s frigid sea. Even in the weak, short hours of daylight, the Russian waves were choppy and gray. But the sun had set long ago, and the world was dark. The black, icy water here could suck the life out of you within seconds if you were dumb enough to fall into it.Kind of like falling in love with a man who would neither love you back nor set you free.Illyra closed her eyes. Yesterday, the workaholic tyrant had been neither workaholic nor a tyrant, playing hooky from work to entertain her. Letting people keep their jobs in his merger. Tipping that saleswoman at the boutique. Getting rid of the men who’d threatened Illyra and her little sister. And more.I’ve never forgotten you, Aurora. She would never forget the stark vulne
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy Two: A Ruined Day
She stared at him, then shook her head. “I can see how you twist women’s hearts around your little finger.”“There’s only one woman I want.” He looked at her beautiful, stricken face over the flickering candle. “I’ve never forgotten you, Illyra. Or stopped wanting you.”He felt her hand tremble before she wrenched it from his grasp. She reached wildly for her untouched glass of vodka and, tilting back her head, drank the whole thing down in a single gulp.That gulp ended with a coughing fit. Reaching around her, he patted her on the back. Her face was red when she finally managed a deep breath, wheezing as she quipped, “See? I know how to handle vodka. No problem.”Somewhat relieved by her deliberate change of subject, Andrei laughed, his eyes lingering on her beautiful face. He’d said too much. And yet it was oddly exhilarating. The adrenaline rush of emotional honesty put skydiving to shame, he thought. About time he tried it.The waiter returned to take their order, and Andrei requ
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy One: I Can’t Be Bought
Andrei had truly expected this to be a quick stop en route to dinner at the best restaurant in the city. He’d assumed Illyra would quickly select one of the most expensive necklaces in the store: the looped rope of diamonds, the diadem of sapphires, the emerald choker that cost the equivalent of nine hundred thousand dollars. But an hour later, she still hadn’t found a necklace she wanted.“Six million rubles?” she said now, staring down incredulously at the ropes of diamonds patiently displayed by the portly jeweler. “How much is that in dollars?”He told her, and her jaw dropped. Then she burst into laughter. “What a waste!” She glanced at Andrei. “I won’t let you spend your money that way. Might as well set it on fire.”He didn’t have nearly the same patience as the jeweler. “Money isn’t a problem,” he said tightly. “I have more than I could spend in a lifetime.”“Lucky you.”“I mean it. After you make a certain amount, money is just a way to keep score.”“You could always donate t
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Seventy: I’m Not A Good Man
Slowly, he turned to face her.Illyra’s hazel eyes were luminous, piercing his soul. “When we met, I thought you’d changed completely from the man I loved. But you’re still the same, aren’t you?” she whispered. “The other man—he’s just the mask you wear.”Andrei’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. He felt bare beneath the spotlight. “You’re wrong,” he said roughly. “I am ruthless. Selfish, even cruel. Don’t believe otherwise.”She shook her head. “You’re afraid people will take advantage, so you hide your good heart—”“Good heart?” He grabbed her shoulders, looking down at her fiercely. “I am selfish to the bone. I will never put someone else’s interests ahead of my own. I cannot love, LIllyra. That ability is no longer in me. It died a long time ago.”“But—”“Would a good man keep you prisoner against your will?”She lifted her gaze. Her hazel eyes were suddenly troubled, opaque, full of shadows.“No,” she whispered.No. That one word caused an unexpected wrench inside him. As the
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Nine: You Might Have A Heart
Illyra’s beautiful face came into focus. “Lyra and I have been fired like this before.” Her eyes were pleading as she clutched his arm. “You don’t know what it’s like, to always know that your boss or a single customer can just snap his fingers and take away your livelihood and your pride and your ability to feed your family.” She swallowed, her heart-shaped face stricken. “Please don’t do this.”Andrei’s lips parted. He didn’t even realize he’d agreed to her request until he saw Illyra’s beautiful face light up with happiness. He dimly heard the grateful sobs of the Russian girl, but as Illyra threw her arms around him, he felt only her. Saw only her.“Thank you,” she whispered. She drew back, tears sparkling in her eyes. “And thank you for that huge tip you gave her as an apology. I never expected that.” A smile lifted Illyra’s trembling lips. “I’m starting to think you might have a heart, after all.”Huge tip? Looking down, Andrei saw that his wallet was indeed open in his hand, an
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Eight: You Belong To Me
He stared at her, and the air around them suddenly became electrified. “Of course they matter.” He took a single step toward her. “Illyra—”A knock sounded at the door. An older man poked his head in, an American with wire-rimmed glasses and anxious eyes. “Your Highness. Excuse me.”“What is it, Anderson?” Andrei demanded.The man looked at Illyra and then cleared his throat. “We’ve reached an impasse, sir. Svenssen is demanding we retain every member of his company’s staff.”“So?”“Our company has a thousand employees we don’t need. Drillers. Cafeteria workers in Siberia. Accountants and secretaries. Dead weight.”Dead weight. Illyra ’s spine snapped straight. He would no doubt consider her and Lyra dead weight, too, with their ten years of backbreaking, low-paying cleaning jobs. Every month, they’d experienced the painful uncertainty of never knowing if their jobs would last, or if they’d be able to pay their bills. Biting her lip, she glanced up and saw Andrei watching her. His eye
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Sixty Seven: My Feelings Don’t Matter
Andrei frowned, drawing closer. “What are you...?” People passed them in the hall, two men in suits and three women in tiny skirts, all looking at them with intense interest. Narrowing his eyes, he growled, “Come with me.”He pulled her into the nearest private office, closing the door behind them. She wrenched her arm away, blinking fast. Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears as she tossed her head. “You’re out of your mind if you think...”She gasped as, without a word, he roughly yanked open her oversized coat. He saw the lingerie, the white lace bustier,G-string panties and garter belt, and drew in a breath. He looked at her darkly.“And you are out of your mind,” he said in a low voice, “if you think I’m going to let you leave.”He ripped off her long coat, dropping it to the floor. Pushing her against the wall of the private office, he kissed her hard. Illyra’s body stiffened as his mouth plundered hers. She felt the soft, demanding steel of his lips against her own. Against
