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Chapter Twenty-three: Taken
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The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Twenty-four: Reconciling With The Past
I remained unmoving in my position, my eyes fixed on Andrei. "I'm not going anywhere without my sister."His lips twitched. "I don't care what you want. Get in or I'll have him do that for you.""I'm going to scream. I'm going to yell and tell everyone you're abducting us.""Scream all you want. No one is coming to save you or your sister. I could make you disappear forever and nobody would ever come looking for you. Well, except the men hunting you for their money."As I looked at him, I knew he was right. With money and power, Andrei could wipe my existence from the world. He was the kind of man that dominated everything. "Fine." I breathed, giving up on fighting. I only hoped he would stay true to his words and bring Lyra along. Opening the door, I climbed inside the car and took a deep breath of the soft leather seats’ scent. It brought back a lot of childhood memories. Fast cars had once been my father’s favorite indulgence, back when we’d been conning rich criminals across th
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Twenty-five: Punished By The Mafia Lord
"I told you, we had —""Debts? I've heard that before, haven't I? I don't feel sorry for you. Your father was a con artist and thief. And he raised his daughter to be just like him. Too bad he didn't leave any thing but debts behind."I tried not to let the words he said sink in but I couldn't. How could he say that to me? "Don't talk about my father that way. He was not a saint but he did everything for us. You're no better than him and you have no one beside you. You're just lonely and —""I won't be lonely anymore. You might have forgotten I bought you tonight."I gritted my teeth and blinked fast, staring at the Aloha Tower and the cruise ships. Without warning, Andrei suddenly veered the Lamborghini to the right.Glancing behind us, I saw the SUV with my sister continuing straight down the Nimitz Highway, a different direction from the Lamborghini. I turned to him with a gasp.“Where are you taking my sister? Why is she not coming with us? Tell me!”He pressed down more firmly o
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Twenty-six: A Slap For A Kiss
LyraI honestly didn't believe he was going to kiss me. I didn't believe that he would ever do that. Not until I felt his mouth against my own. As he lowered his head to mine, I just stared up at him in shock.Then I felt his lips against mine, rough and hot, hard and sensual as silk. I gasped, closing my eyes as I felt the caress of his embrace like a thousand shards of light.In the backseat of the Rolls-Royce, Viktor pulled me more tightly against him, and I felt his power, his strength. He tilted my head back, deepening the kiss as his hands twined in my hair.My eyes squeezed shut.as I felt the hot, plundering sweep of his tongue, felt the velocity of the world spinning around me as if we were at the center of a sandstorm.I was lost, completely lost, in sensations I'd never felt before, in his lips and tongue and body and hands.I couldn't bring myself to understand what was happening around me, but it felt good, so good. When he finally pulled away, I sagged against him, dazed
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Twenty-seven: I Wish I Never Told You
I didn't think about what I did until I saw his expression. I had never been so scared of him until then. I shifted slightly to the door, my eyes not leaving his face. "How dare you hit me?" He asked again, and I felt heat rising to my face. "I'm sorr—sorry," I squeaked. "It was an accident." I didn't know why I apologized when he was totally at fault, but I was terrified then. "Hmmm," he voiced, rubbing the area on his face. "I didn't think you had it in you."“I get it. You don’t want me to fall in love with you. No worries aboutthat! I wasn't planning on falling in love with the devil anyway!!” A lump rose in my throat. “You turned a memory that should havebeen sacred into a mockery, and you think that makes me feel alright?” I whispered. Tears spilled over my lashes asI looked away and turned to the glass. “Don’t ever touch me again.”Silence fell in the backseat of the limo. I waited for him to apologize for his wrongs,to say he was sorry.Instead, he said in a low voice,
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Twenty-eight: Change Of Plans
I craned my neck to look right, left, then up. And up some more. The view before me was beautiful and breathtaking.“Unreal,” I muttered. "This place is amazing."Viktor flashed me a grin. “I’m glad you like it. I would be disappointed if you let your poor taste come before you this time.”I rolled my eyes. “This is your home?”“No.” He smiled at me, looking sleek and shaved in a clean suit, havingshowered on our overnight flight. “My home is in the desert, a two-hourhelicopter ride away. But this...” He shrugged. “It’s just a place to dobusiness. I come here as little as possible. It’s a bit too—civilized.”Too civilized? Was he insane?I shook my head as I looked back up at the beautiful Moorishpalace, two stories tall, surrounded by gently swaying palm trees and the glimmer of a blue-water pool.It was like a honeymoon, all right, I thought. If you were really, reallyrich. I didn't want to believe that he might have brought me there because of the wedding, but the thought slip
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Twenty-nine: Fondness For Lamborghini’s
“Yeah, why,” I muttered. My husband could seduce any woman with a smile. He could have any woman he desired. He’d melted me into an infatuated, delusional puddle with a singlecareless, stolen kiss. I wonder what effect he had on other women.I scowled. “Look. I just want to know if I’m wearing clothes you bought for someone else. That would make me completely uncomfortable.”He gave an exaggerated sigh. “They were purchased in Marrakech for you, Lyra. Specifically for you. And if you don’t believe me...” He gave me a wicked grin as he opened a drawer. “Check this out.”My lips parted as I looked down at all the lacy unmentionable undergarments. They were a lot of panties in the drawer and my cheeks suddenly turned red. No one had ever gone shopping for me, talk more of buying under wears.“You’ll never have to go commando again,” he said smugly. His eyes met mine. “Unless you want to. That would be totally fine.”I swallowed, then turned away as my cheeks burned. “Great—Thanks.”“And
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Thirty: The Russian Spy
Two hours later, my body was shaking with fear and sweat was dripping down my forehead. I didn't think it would be that hard to ride a car until Viktor had made me do it. As a child, it had been fun but as a grown adult, it felt harder than I imagined.My hand trembled on the gearshift and I felt air leaving my lungs. “I can’t believe you’re making me dothis. This is insane!” I said to him. "This is the craziest thing I have done in a while. I can feel oxygen leaving my lungs."“I’m not making you do anything. You clearly told me you had a fondness for Lamborghini's." He said. "Here is my Lamborghini. I was hoping you would have fun riding with it. Instead, you're shivering with fright."I'd changed out of my tight dress, but in spite of wearing Viktor's old rolled-up jeans and a clean, slightly tattered black Van Halen T-shirt, I didn’t feel remotely comfortable.Even though those were his old clothes, they still felt too rich for me. I felt like I was wearing the cost of my entire
The Mafia King’s Pawn Chapter Thirty-one: Betrayed
“You found Illyra,” I whispered, hands clenching at my sides. “She was in Oahu. And you didn’t want me to know.” My anger was rising and I was about to throw a fit.Viktor stared at me, then resentfully gave a single nod. I should have known that he wasn't to be trusted. How could I trust him to find my sister that he despised so much?Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath as grief filled her heart. It was the only logical thing to do besides attacking him and clawing his eyes out. “Shewas in Oahu. All the time we were there, we could have just driven acrossthe island at any time and picked her up? Why didn't you tell me?”“If we’d gone the moment you arrived at my penthouse—yes.” My eyes flew open. His cold blue gaze met mine and I knew something had changed within him. Something that I might have neglected or overlooked since I met him. For that split second, I could actually see the ruthless man everyone believed he was. “We weren’t married then. Youcould have walked away. I had
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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
