Rescued by a Mobster

by Raven Rivers

  Yuri explained patiently, “To every time there is a season. I am in my spring and you, my friend, are in your winter. It’s time to move over and make room for new beginnings.”

  “Cut to the chase,” Andrei sighed, then took a sip of the beer he’d ordered.

  “Sonovo’s decided to make some changes. I’m here to make the transition happen. We’ll need you to step down. What will it take to make that happen without spilling blood?”

  Andrei looked at him for a long, hard moment. “Do you think I don’t know how this works? If you’re here to kill me, then go ahead and do it if you can.”

  “Calm down,” Yuri replied. “That’s not what I want. What if I told you it’s possible for you to retire right now with all the money you’ve earned? You can walk away free and clear.”

  The old man continued to look at him with hardened eyes. His penetrating gaze unnerved Yuri. Was he going to have to gun Andrei Orlov down right here in this hotel lounge? He sure hoped not, since a clean getaway would be impossible. To even attempt it, he’d have to shoot the bartender and the four other guests enjoying drinks at the bar. Finally, Andrei’s face softened and he let out a long groan.

  “I’ve been doing this a long time,” he said. “I’m tired, Yuri. I’ve made my money. I don’t need more. If Sonovo can offer me his assurance that I’ll be left alone, I’m willing to step aside and let somebody else take the reins.”

  “That can easily be arranged, my friend. Please know it’s nothing personal. Our organization has to evolve, just as the world around us has evolved over the years. For example, we no longer indiscriminately kill people to tie up loose ends. Those were the old ways. I’m the new way. Trust me, you can just walk away and enjoy the life your hard work has earned you.”

  “Your offer sounds good,” Andrei nodded. “That being said, I have to wonder why a man like Victor Sonovo would let me just walk away. I may decide I don’t like retirement and come back to make trouble for you…”

  “I won’t lie. We’re going to keep you around in case we need you again. If we get between a rock and hard place, we might want your help. For example, we have a bank job we could need your help with in Tampa. It would be very lucrative for you. You could work the job, then retire.”

  “I might be up for one last job,” Andrei smiled.

  “It would definitely score you a pile of cash to add to that retirement fund of yours,” Yuri nodded. “We don’t want you as an enemy. We want you on our side. I think you know it’s better this way. You’re a smart man.”

  Before Andrei had finished his beer he’d decided to play ball. He knew things wouldn’t work out so well for him if he refused the offer. Many had gone up against the powerful Victor Sonovo. All had failed. Yuri worked with him to further learn his operation, then linked him with Sonovo for the bank job. He was proud of himself, and Sonovo was proud of him, too. He’d successfully eliminated both of his problems without putting anyone in a bodybag.

  As soon as Andrei was out of his hair, he moved the New York base of operation from a seedy bar to a mediocre restaurant. Yuri strong-armed the owner and took part ownership in the business as payment. His plan was to wait until the guy ran up his gambling debt again, as he no doubt would, then take the rest. It was his first legitimate enterprise, and he was quite proud of it. He quickly invested a bit of money into the place, upgrading the kitchen and overhauling the cosmetics of the dining room. His partner seemed to appreciate his contributions and, after paying off some reviewers, the place was jam packed almost every night. It was the perfect front and a great way for the organization to launder some of its money.

  Yuri enjoyed having a nice place to dine and conduct his business. He had a small office in the back renovated for his exclusive use, and installed a large safe in the floor that he concealed with a nice area rug. He pawed through the Andrei’s records and made a list of recommendations for Sonovo, who would be arriving shortly to check the status of things firsthand. The recommendations were based on certain criteria, the most important of which was everyone in their organization being on board with their new philosophy of less risk and more money. He knew Sonovo wanted men who could follow directions and execute them flawlessly. He didn’t need mistakes or surprises.

  After flying in Mikael, Karl, and Luka, he challenged them to each come up with a legitimate business they could also use as a front. The more intelligent and sophisticated of the three, Mikael crafted the idea of having a bookstore that also served as a coffee shop. Yuri liked the idea and green lit the venture, even though there wouldn’t be much money in it. Not all of their businesses needed to be popular cash cows if they wanted to continue flying under the radar. A quaint bookstore was a nice cover since authorities wouldn’t give it a second glance.

  Karl, on the other hand, decided on a classy nightclub. Yuri wasn’t surprised, as this fit Karl’s personality. While Yuri had laid off the booze and women, Karl thoroughly enjoyed the bottle and the ladies. He knew prying their way into a nightclub would be a bit tricky, but if anyone could do it, it was Karl. They just needed to find a struggling club with an owner whose arm was easily bent… or broken. Yuri gave Karl the go ahead to get started and sent him on his way.

  Luka presented the idea of opening a spa or hair salon knowing that most employees were independent operators. Yuri liked that idea as well. The more businesses the better, as he planned on expanding their operation and would need a variety of ways to launder the hefty amount of money they’d be bringing in.

  Big things were starting to happen, and Yuri was at the top of it all.

  ***

  Striking a match like an old-fashioned movie villain, Yuri leaned back against the cold brick building. He watched as three comrades surrounded an arguing couple. The man and woman stopped short when they became aware they were no longer alone. The man he knew well, the woman not at all.

  Spooked, his dumpy, poorly-dressed accountant immediately went on the defensive. “Why in God’s name would you creep around in the dark to see me when you know I’ll come to the office anytime you call?”

  Taking a draw off his cigarette, Yuri leisurely blew out a circle of smoke. “You tell me. Why would I come looking for you in the dark of the night, Mr. Williams?”

  Rather than answering, he spoke to the woman on his arm. “Wait in the car, babe,” he told her in a nervous whisper. “I need to talk business.”

  “I think not, Mr. Williams,” Yuri spoke gruffly. “Your woman stays until our conversation is over.”

  Shooting Yuri a desperate look, he tried to negotiate. “She’s not part of this. Look, I know you’re new, so maybe you don’t know how things work here. We don’t surprise people after hours when we want to discuss something. We call them on the damn phone and make an appointment.”

  “Things are working a new way now, Mr. Williams,” Yuri smirked. “My way. And since my organization is your bread and butter, you better get used to it.”

  “Fine,” his portly accountant sighed in defeat. “What can I do for you tonight, Mr. Kozlov?”

  “I think we’ll need to have this conversation in a more private location,” Yuri replied. “And I don’t think it’s a conversation you’re going to like very much.”

  “I… I… don’t know what you’re talking about,” his accountant stuttered in fear, noticing that Mikael, Karl, and Luka had formed a close circle around him.

  “How about we throw you in the trunk of our car and drive you out of the city? Maybe if we drag you into the woods and put a gun in your mouth you’ll suddenly know what we’re talking about.” Yuri paused to drop his cigarette on the pavement and stamped it out with his boot. “Or you can keep playing stupid and you’ll stay in those woods forever with a nice hole in the back of your skull.”

  Yuri knew no one in their right mind wanted to find themselves alone in an isolated area with four members of the Russian mob. The man’s eyes darted around from one man to the next before he responded anxiously, “Look, that’
s not necessary. I know why you’re here. There was a problem with payroll. Don’t worry… I can fix it.”

  That was the problem with accountants—they thought they were the only ones in the world who could count. “If by ‘fix it’ you mean return the hundred grand you skimmed. That will only be the beginning of your punishment.”

  “Skimmed? Sweetie, what are they talking about?” the accountant’s girl asked quietly.

  “Don’t worry about it, baby,” he replied dismissively.

  “Oh, I’d worry about it,” Yuri fired back angrily.

  “I don’t know if I would use the word ‘skimmed.’ Besides, it was more like seventy-five grand,” his accountant replied in obvious fear. “It was just an accounting error, I swear.”

  “You know as well as I do that our organization charges a very reasonable twenty-five percent interest on all loans. That rate applies whether the loan was voluntary or involuntary.”

  “Look, I… I don’t have that kind of money.”

  “Let’s just ice this clown before he steals more of our money,” Luka chimed in as he took a step towards the quivering accountant.

  “Not just yet, Luka,” Yuri replied, motioning him to back down. “I think we can motivate him to find it.”

  “Aren’t you guys overreacting just a bit?” the girl asked, clearly unaware of who she was dealing with.

  “Your worm of a boyfriend skimmed money from our payroll, debited employees for items our businesses normally provides for free, and charged hiring and training fees where none exist,” Yuri explained. “If you think our organization will look the other way because he stole from employees instead the house, think again.”

  “It’s just nickel and dime stuff. Everyone does it,” his accountant rebutted, trying to downplay what he’d done.

  “Perhaps, but it’s called ‘grifting.’ Everyone who operates in our territory pays a percentage to the house. You know this. It was part of your orientation to our business model. Don’t make me explain this to you like a child, Mr. Williams.”

  “Give me a few weeks. I can get the money.”

  “I’m afraid you’ve lost our trust,” Yuri said, shaking his head in disappointment. “Therefore, we require you to leave some form of collateral in our safe keeping.” Yuri’s eyes rolled over the pretty redhead at his accountant’s side. Her curvy form, smooth, tawny complexion, and full pouty lips placed her firmly in the beautiful category. If not for the woman locked forever in his heart, Yuri would have envied the thief currently in his employ. He had no idea why she was with such a slob but suspected it was for his newly-acquired wealth. Wealth that he had so brazenly stolen. While upset, Yuri couldn’t completely fault the guy. After all, he was a criminal, too.

  “No, not Trisha!” his accountant whined. “How about my car? It’s a BMW.”

  Speaking to his crew in their native tongue, Yuri briefly weighed their options. The three always had his best interest in mind, so he valued their opinion greatly. He asked them if he should take the girl or the car, and their response was unanimous.

  “Nyet,” he replied, still speaking in Russian. “You’ll leave the girl until we get what you took from us. Cars come and go, but beautiful women must be rare for a man like you.”

  The pudgy, beady-eyed bookkeeper was now sweating profusely. Shoving his hand through his hair, his eyes slid away. He was clearly scrambling to come up with another solution. “There has to be something else we can work out.”

  Jerking his chin to Luka, Yuri muttered a few commands in Russian and his longtime associate grabbed the stunned woman by her arm. Either she was too shocked to speak in her own defense, or she truly didn’t understand the gravity of the situation as Luka led her around the corner to their waiting SUV.

  “Mikael and Karl here have a little something to remind you how ill-advised it is to steal from your employer,” Yuri grinned, and snapped his fingers. His remaining two confidants needed no instructions and quickly closed in on the trembling man.

  After watching Mikael and Karl give his double-crossing accountant a light workover, Yuri followed them to the SUV where they joined Luka and Trisha, the attractive redhead that was now theirs. Settling into the passenger seat, Yuri noticed Karl’s bloody knuckles resting at ten and two on the steering wheel. Things like this were so commonplace in their world, none of his crew even thought to clean their hands.

  Turning his attention to the woman sandwiched in the middle seat behind him, Yuri let out a long sigh before saying, “It’s unfortunate that you got caught up in this dirty business.”

  Frowning, she wasn’t nearly as furious as one would expect at being taken by a group of strange men. “I don’t know what on God’s green earth makes you think Reginald is going to give two shits about you having me. I met him on a dating site, for Christ’s sake. This is only our second date.”

  “How romantic,” Mikael snickered.

  “I only agreed to a second date because I wasn’t sure whether or not he was a creeper or a keeper. He’s hard to read.”

  “He’s also a fool to steal from businessmen like me,” Yuri pointed out.

  “Just so you know, I’m in total agreement with the whole ‘not stealing money from your employer’ thing,” she told him. “That being said, if you took me as leverage, you’re gonna find out real quick that it’s an epic waste of time. He likes money and drugs way more than women, especially a woman he barely knows.”

  “Drugs?” Yuri questioned with a raised brow as Karl continued driving. “I wasn’t aware that he was an addict.”

  “I don’t know if he’s an addict per se, but he did come back from the restroom tonight with white powder in his nostrils. Honestly, that was a deal breaker for me. I mean, sure, I might smoke a little weed every now and then, but actual drugs? No way.” Grinning, she added conspiratorially, “I can’t afford to lose the brain cells.”

  Turing to look out the passenger window, Yuri said quietly, “You talk a lot, Ms. Trisha.”

  “I’ll say,” Mikael muttered under his breath.

  “It’s a coping strategy. When I’m nervous, I talk. My gram always said this mouth was going to get me in trouble one day.” Folding her arms over her stomach, she sighed and added in frustration, “I don’t even know why I’m trying to have a conversation about this with you. Men like you never listen.”

  Yuri’s head spun around and he glared at her. “What do mean by ‘men like me’?”

  Waving one hand through the air, she explained, “You know, rich, arrogant businessmen. Bankers, CEO’s… you’re all alike.”

  Yuri smothered back a smile and could see his men holding back theirs as well. She wasn’t freaking out over the situation because she simply didn’t realize who she was dealing with. She was innocent in the ways of the world, that much was clear.

  “Look, could you just drop me off at my place?” she groaned. “This isn’t funny anymore.”

  “Do you have work in the morning?”

  Looking embarrassed, she wrung her hands in her lap. “I’m still looking for something.”

  “No college classes?”

  “Well, no. I graduated last spring.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “I’m actually crashing on my friend’s sofa. She lives in Greenwich.”

  “I have a proposition for you, Ms. Trisha,” Yuri began. “How about you crash on my sofa instead? No matter how this ends, I’ll give you five grand for your trouble.”

  “I’m not a whore,” Trish fired back. “This isn’t Pretty Woman.”

  “I know, I know,” Yuri chuckled, realizing it was the first laugh he’d had in quite some time. It felt good. “No sex. Just you staying at my place.”

  “I don’t even know you…”

  “How well do you know the friend you’re staying with?” he prodded.

  Her eyes slid away. “We just met a few weeks ago.”

  “I am a man with honor. You have nothing to fear with me. I wouldn’t risk my reputation o
r do something that might land me in jail,” Yuri assured Trisha, his men remaining straight-faced and quiet as he lied to her. His next statement, however, wasn’t a lie. “You’ll be well cared for. None of my men will bother you.”

  “Your men? Wait who are you?” she asked, suddenly aware of the predicament she was in.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” he grinned. “Now, about your living arrangement—”

  “Look,” she said, cutting him off. “I get that Reggie owes you money, and I’m sorry he stole from you, but this really doesn’t have anything to do with me. I can’t just hole up with you. I have a life. Not much of one, but a life. That five grand would be a huge help, but I’m going to have to say no.”

  “I’m afraid that I must insist, Ms. Trisha. Please, forgive the inconvenience.”

  “This is wrong on so many levels. You know that, right?” she replied, still not as scared as she should have been. Yuri suspected the danger was giving her somewhat of a thrill. Her mouth told him no, but her eyes said otherwise.

  He admired her for a moment, soaking in her beauty. She was definitely a looker, yet his mind was somewhere else. He couldn’t help but ask himself why he preferred the memory of the woman who’d abandoned him years ago to the flesh-and-blood beauty sitting before him.

  Chapter 6

  Haunted Memories

  Jade

  Stepping into the steaming shower, Jade let the warm water soothe her torment away. She’d woken up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat yet again. Night terrors had been her regular bed partner over the last ten years. Tonight, upon waking for the briefest of moments, she’d felt the cold, moist floor of the cave beneath her feet and smelled the stench of death. That always got her out of bed and moving towards the shower. Standing there with the water cascading over her body, she slowly shut it all out of her mind for the thousandth time. No good ever came of ruminating over the darkest moment in her life. There were too many branching paths, winding roads, and rabbit holes to fall into.