Russian Mobster's Stolen Wife (14 page)

“Fine!” Vlad spun the car in the opposite direction, heading toward their father’s home. It was the home territory seat of the Pasternak mafia. “I’ll go talk to our father.”

Mere minutes later they pulled up in front of the palatial house. Both brothers exited the car. It was Nicolai who carefully helped Lily out of the back seat. He gave her a warm smile, wanting to reassure her.

“What’s happening?” she asked softly.

“I’m not sure what will happen,” he told her honestly, “but I’ll do my best to protect you.”

“Why would you do that?” She cocked her head. “Why would you even care?”

He sighed. “Because someone should, Lily.”

* * *

Lily was afraid. These brothers were like a powder keg waiting to go off. The crazy one apparently wanted to keep her and the nice one was promising to try and prevent it. What was she supposed to do?

She followed their lead up the front steps of a huge mansion. There were men everywhere. They lounged about on the porch, not even worried that their guns were plainly visible in holsters at their sides. Once inside, there were more men in the kitchen and then a few more as she and the brothers made their way down the hall.

Nicolai suddenly turned around and gestured to a bench in the hallway. “I want you to sit here, all right? You’ll be perfectly safe here. Our father is the boss of all the Pasternaks, even your family. My brother and I will have a little conference with him, and then we’ll know more of what’s going to happen.”

“Okay.” She swallowed down a lump of fear in her throat.

She perched on the edge of the bench and tried to look composed. She was so tired of everyone else being in charge of her destiny. She just wanted a safe place to be for a while. Somewhere she could sleep without keeping one eye open. A place where there was food and shelter, and maybe even someone to talk to. Other people took that stuff for granted. Not Lily.

There was a crash in the kitchen followed by laughter from the men. She was tempted to peek around the corner, but settled for listening instead.

“You broke it!” someone shouted. “Too much more of that and you’ll wind up working in one of the whorehouses to cover your debt.”

Another man howled with laughter. “Can’t you just see him lining up with the ladies to see if one of the customers might want a taste?”

“You know how it works for the women in those places,” the first man said. “They spend half their lives on their backs and still never manage to pay off the debts that landed them there in the first place. Poor old Yakov will be there the rest of his sorry life to pay for one broken bowl!”

Lily froze, a horrible suspicion growing in her mind. Her papa had sold her to pay a debt. Did that mean she actually had to work it off?

* * *

Nicolai glowered at his brother as Vladimir spun some ridiculous tale about Lily for their father. Pyotr Pasternak was in his sixties now. He was round and balding with a jolly expression that could turn angry and vengeful in only seconds. Now he was peering at the older of his twins as though he had grown a second head.

“Ivan owes
me
,” Vladimir said emphatically. “It is my casino that suffers the loss when he does not pay his debt. Therefore this woman is mine to do with as I please.”

Nicolai snorted. “The casino is syndicate property. If you want to get technical, it belongs to our father since he’s still in charge.”

“Thank you, Nicolai,” Pyotr said drily. “Though I feel your comment is as self-serving as it is deferential.”

“I won’t lie,” Nicolai said. “There is something about this woman that makes a man want to have her. She’s a waif and yet she manages to be sexy.”

“So you want her in your bed,” Pyotr laughed. “My lusty sons!”

Nicolai shrugged. “Of course I want her in my bed. I also want to help her. I want to see what she becomes with a chance to be independent and healthy.”

Their father turned to Vlad. “So you said she is thin and needs cleaning up?”

“Yes.” Vlad gave a hard nod. “I will keep her in my home and break her in for the brothel.”

“No.” Pyotr shook his head. “I know you, Vladimir. You will use her until she is too far gone to be of any use in any of our businesses.” He scratched his bristly chin. “I will give her to Nicolai. But if she is not capable of earning the debt she owes in three months or less, you will be responsible for paying off her debt.”

“Agreed,” Nicolai said immediately.

“You cannot!” Vladimir shouted. “She is mine! I saw her first. I made the deal with Ivan. This is my woman!”

“Do you dare to argue with me?” Pyotr advanced on his son, glaring hotly at Vladimir until he looked down and began to squirm. “I may not be able to thrash you, but I have legions of men at my beck and call who can. Do you understand me, boy?”

“Yes, Father,” Vladimir spat. “I understand you perfectly.”

Nicolai watched his brother leave the office with angry strides. Then he looked at his father. “Vladimir will never give up. He wanted the toy, and you took it. Worse, you gave it to me.”

“Then perhaps you had better figure out a way to protect the toy,” his father said grimly. “We have always known it would come to this with your brother. He is headstrong, but he is still my son.”

Nicolai bowed his head, showing his father respect. Then he left the office behind.

Lily was still sitting on the bench, but her posture was rigid. Nicolai approached with caution. This wasn’t going to be easy to explain under the best of circumstances.

* * *

Lily was relieved when the nicer brother returned without the crazy one in tow. Perhaps she could actually scrape together the courage to state her case. She took a deep breath and launched in before she could change her mind.

“I’m not going to be a whore,” she said in a rush.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Did you expect we would make you one?”

“I was listening to the men in the kitchen,” she explained. “They were talking about how women pay off their debts here.”

“Ah.” He sat down on the bench beside her. He was warm and his body language didn’t seem threatening. Then he smiled at her. “I have no intention of putting you to work in a brothel. There are other options. We will have to see. In the meantime, I have a responsibility to you—as you pointed out earlier—to see that you’re fed and taken care of. You need time. I will provide a place for you to have just that.”

“Where?” She could not even imagine such a place.

“In my home,” he explained. “I won’t ask any more of you than you’re willing to give. Do you understand?”

“I think so.” She felt eager and didn’t really understand why. “But what happens after?”

“I’m not sure.” He shrugged, his lopsided grin warming her heart. This man seemed genuine, even when he was being reserved. She liked that. Then he gestured to the door. “Let’s go. I think we should start with new clothes and a warm meal. How about you?”

She could barely speak, she was so stunned. Managing to nod, Lily walked out of the house and into what she hoped was a new life.

CLICK HERE TO READ FOR FREE ON KU!