Andrei: A Dark Mafia Romance (Dark Mafia Kingpins Book 1)

by Naomi West

  Yuri nodded. “Hopefully, nothing like that happens again.”

  “It won’t. It’s been a few months, and this place is booming.”

  “Hey, what do you guys think you’re doing? I don’t pay you to stand around!”

  “You know, it was a horrible idea making her head of payroll,” I whispered under my breath.

  “She’s almost as much of a dictator as—”

  “If the next word that comes out of your mouth is ‘Lorenzo’, I will bash your head in with any one of these guns.”

  Yuri chuckled. His eyes sparkled. Lately, there had been a new sort of life to him. Martina was the main cause of it. Was he fond of her? I was almost certain of it.

  Martina suddenly appeared next to him.

  “What’s this?” She snatched the velvet box and gasped. “Is this…?”

  I nodded. “An engagement ring.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re going to ask Cora to marry you?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “No, no, no.” She leaned across the counter and grabbed me by the tie. “You have to tell me everything. Where do you plan to ask her? A fancy restaurant? A secret rose garden—”

  “Rose garden? This isn’t Beauty and the Beast.”

  “You look pretty beastly to me.” Yuri snickered.

  Now that he no longer had the burden of commanding a mafia, he was much more easygoing. From time to time, he had even managed to crack a pretty decent joke. Now was not one of those times.

  “All I’m saying is that you better not fuck this up. Or else—”

  “You’ll bash my head in?” I guessed.

  “Bingo.” She examined the ring and gave a nod of approval. “She’s going to love it.”

  “Do you think she’s going to say yes?”

  “Are you kidding me? She’s head over heels in love with you.” Martina sighed. “All I can hope for is that one day someone looks at me the way that Cora looks at you.”

  My confidence flared. I had been juggling this decision for nearly a week. I had been on the fence, but now I was determined to make her mine. I didn’t want her as a piece of property or as a casual fuck but as a part of my soul, now and forever.

  Ding!

  Someone walked into the shop, and Yuri quickly shifted into his salesperson persona. He was actually quite good at it. Most people only came in intending to browse, but Yuri made it nearly impossible for them to walk out empty-handed.

  That, paired with Martina’s use of social media, meant business was booming. By her calculations, in a couple of months, it would prove more profitable than selling the illegals. This had much less overhang, all things considered.

  “Good luck!” Martina waved as I headed out the door.

  Cora was in the shower by the time I got home. We had moved into a modest cape on the outskirts of town. It was situated on two of acres of land which meant that I was free to make her scream through the night without fear of pissing off the neighbors.

  Her laptop had been left on the kitchen table—a document was open on the screen. My curiosity got the best of me. I sat down and gave it a bit of a read. The scene depicted a young woman who had sacrificed herself for the benefit of her friends.

  “And she used the last of her wasted life to save theirs…’

  Alice.

  This was Cora’s way or immortalizing her.

  I grabbed a nearby sticky note and wrote, ‘This is really good,’ as neatly as I could. Hopefully, she would be able to read it. I stuck the note to the edge of her screen, knowing that she would see it later on that evening—maybe even tomorrow morning with what I was planning.

  The velvet box burned a hole in my pocket. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for her to finish her shower—I had to see her, and I had to see her now.

  I slipped into the bathroom. There, I saw her silhouette behind the shower curtain. She ran her hands along her body. My cock stirred at the sight. Damn. Could she get any sexier? It was a question I asked myself quite often because Cora always surprised me in one way or another.

  And that was just one thing that I loved about her— she was colorful and bright, the sunshine that I had always been looking for in my life. Temptation crept up to the surface.

  Join her, it seemed to say.

  And trust me, I wanted to. But at the same time, I wanted the night to be about more than just sex. Because yes, Cora was the hottest fucking chick I had ever met, but she was beyond just a pretty face. In such a short amount of time, she had become my entire world, and I wanted to make her feel like the queen she was.

  The water turned off, and the curtain was pushed aside. Cora was startled when she saw me standing there, but I managed to catch her and wrap a towel around her wet body. In a fluid motion, I took her into my arms and into the bedroom.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Getting you nice and dry.”

  “Shouldn’t your job be getting me nice and wet?” She flashed that sensual smile of hers.

  Oh, she was making it really fucking hard to resist her.

  “Not tonight,” I said at last. “We’re going out.”

  “Out?”

  “Yes. To dinner.”

  “But I had a casserole from Martina in the fridge—”

  “It’ll have to wait until tomorrow night.”

  She pushed me aside and stood with a hand on her hip. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “Okay, okay. I made us a reservation at The Queen’s Orchid.”

  “Isn’t that the fanciest restaurant in town?”

  “No, you’re thinking of The Orchard.”

  “No, I’m pretty sure The Queen’s Orchid is that really fancy one on the waterfront.”

  Keeping my cool against mafia men? Easy. Keeping a straight face while my girl was grilling me? Not so easy.

  “Alright, alright, you got me.”

  “What’s the occasion?” She raised her eyebrow.

  “You’ll see.”

  “You know, this air of mystery really makes you look a hell of a lot sexier, and you were pretty damn sexy beforehand.” She saddled up to my body and looked up with those chocolate eyes of hers. They had become my kryptonite. But let’s be real; they had captivated me from day one. “Maybe we could forgo the restaurant and have a celebration of our own…” She tilted her head towards the bed. “Hmm? What do you say?”

  “This might be the one and only time that I ever say no to hitting the sack with you…”

  She feigned offense and held a hand to her heart. “How could you?”

  “Hopefully, you’ll forgive me by the time the night is over.”

  “What are you planning, Andrei Valeri?”

  We arrived at the restaurant, and Cora was hands down the most beautiful woman in the room. A few men tossed her suggestive looks, but she didn’t bother to acknowledge them. She just kept on holding my hand like I was the one that might get whisked away by a stranger.

  The hostess showed us to a table at the back, right by the fireplace. Before she could walk away, I grabbed the bouquet of flowers off the table and handed them to her. “I’m sorry, but they’ll get in the way.”

  She nodded. “Certainly, not a problem.”

  Cora was about to sit down, but before she could grab the chair for herself, I beat her to it.

  “Quite the gentleman tonight. There really is something hidden up your sleeve, isn’t there?”

  “I’m treating you as you deserve to be treated.”

  “Last time I checked, I’m no princess, so you don’t—”

  “You’re right. You’re not a princess; you’re a queen.”

  “Does that make you my king?”

  “Only if you say ‘yes.’ The choice is yours.”

  I had to place a hand on my leg to keep it from shaking. My heart was beating so fast that I was sure she could hear it from across the ta
ble.

  “You’re acting very strangely tonight.”

  “Am I?” I focused on keeping my cool, but I felt like I was failing horribly. After all, tonight could very well determine the outcome of the rest of my life.

  “Yes. Very much so.”

  I grabbed the menu because it seemed like a good thing to do at the time.

  Get a grip, Andrei. You’re acting like an idiot. She’s never going to say ‘yes’ if you keep this up.

  “What are you getting?” Cora asked.

  I looked up, and even though I had seen her every single day for the last few months, I was still floored by how stunning she truly was. And a natural beauty too. There wasn’t a lick of makeup on her face, which made making out with her a hell of a lot easier because I didn’t have to worry about getting lipstick all over the place.

  “Um…” It was hard to focus on such trifle matters when there was such a giant question repeating itself in my mind over and over again.

  Will you marry me? Will you marry me? Will you marry me?

  I couldn’t remember whether I had answered her or not, but all of a sudden, we had moved on to dessert. She had a great big smile on her face as she dipped her spoon into the sundae she had ordered for the two of us. It came my way, and I obediently opened up my mouth so that she could feed me.

  “Tonight has been amazing,” she said.

  “I’m glad you liked it.”

  “But you never did tell me what the occasion is. I mean, we can’t make coming to this place a regular affair. My freelancing and your gunslinging aren’t going to pay for this once our Lorenzo money is spent.”

  “Right.” I slipped my hand into my pocket.

  This was the moment I had been waiting for all night long.

  It was now or never.

  I pulled out the box and dropped down to one knee.

  Cora gasped, hands over her mouth. “Andrei!”

  I took a deep breath before taking her left hand and holding it with the utmost care like it was made of porcelain and poised to break at any moment.

  “Cora… I know that we met under unlikely circumstances, but I would not change any of it for the world. For had you made it home safe that night… I doubt I would have ever had the fortune of laying eyes on you. There are things I wish I could have protected you from, but all I can do now is promise that I’ll keep you safe from whatever it is still to come.”

  I squeezed her hand a little and looked up into her beautiful, soulful eyes.

  “So, Cora, will you marry me and become the queen I’ve wanted?”

  She didn’t even have to think about it.

  “Yes!”

  Epilogue

  Five years later

  It was the fourth of July and the Valeris, just like every other family in America, were having their annual BBQ. Andrei was at the grill, flipping burgers, Martina had done a cannonball into the pool so many times that the dog no longer barked when she did it, and Yuri was lounging underneath the shade of our apple tree cradling a beer in his hand.

  Feeling peckish, I snuck up behind Andrei and wrapped my arms around his midsection.

  “Mmm.” He turned around slightly so that he could kiss the top of my head. “You came just in time because there’s a hamburger here with your name on it.”

  “Oh, is there?” I mused aloud.

  “Mhm. But you’ll have to pay me for it.”

  “Right now? In front of all our guests?”

  “I’m willing to take a down payment now and the rest later tonight,” he said with a wink. “After all, it is the fourth of July—I expect some fireworks in the bedroom.”

  I grinned and rose on my tippy toes so I could give him the kiss he was looking for. I was about to pull away, but he pinned me in place until I became lightheaded with the lack of air. Only then did he release his hold.

  “Remember, payment tonight.”

  “How could I forget?”

  He smacked my ass with the spatula as I walked away. I jumped and glared at him, but his smirk deepened. I would have to get him back for that.

  An unoccupied lounge chair caught my attention. I had my sights set on it, but Martina had already taken up residence on it by the time I got halfway across the lawn.

  “I was going to sit there,” I said.

  “Too bad.”

  I pushed her over with a thrust of my backside, nearly tipping over the flimsy chair.

  “I don’t think this thing was made to hold two fully grown adults.”

  “Are you calling me fat?”

  “I mean… you are stuffing your face with a hamburger right now.”

  I punched her arm.

  “Jesus, can’t you take a joke?”

  “Well, I’m eating for two so…”

  “Wait, what did you just say?” Martina gripped me by both shoulders.

  “Nothing.”

  “No, you said something.”

  I took another bite of my hamburger, but that was a mistake because when Martina started to shake my frame, I nearly choked on it.

  “Tell me,” she insisted. “Now.”

  Over the years, Martina had really found her place in the family business. Her fiery personality made her confident and capable of standing up to anyone, even the capo. Sometimes, I wondered whether there was a secret fling going on between the two of them, but if there was, Martina hadn’t said a word about it. Maybe it was all in my head, but I swear I could see the sparks between those two every time they looked at one another.

  “Tell me.” And there was “the voice”. It was sharp and completely impossible to resist, especially if she paired it with that signature glare of hers.

  “Alright, alright,” I conceded. “But you can’t tell Andrei.”

  “Can’t tell Andrei what?” Yuri had appeared out of thin air, which was his usual routine. Sometimes Martina and I joked that he was a part of the shadows or something.

  I sighed. “I guess I have to tell you too.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “What?” Martina screamed.

  I had to cover her mouth with my hand, or she would notify the entire party, and even so, nearly everyone looked our way, including Andrei.

  “Congratulations.” Yuri held up his beer in a silent cheer. “I am sure that Andrei will be pleased to hear it. He has always wanted to be a father.”

  “Yeah, we’ve been talking about it and trying for a while now. I finally got a positive result and even went to the doctor to confirm that it wasn’t just a fuck up on my part.”

  “Oh, Cora, this is wonderful!” Martina pulled me into a tight bearhug. Any tighter and she probably would have snapped me in two. “When are you going to tell him?”

  “Tonight.”

  “That was quite the party.” Andrei took off his clothes and slipped into bed wearing nothing but his boxers. “I’m surprised to see that you didn’t drink. Last year, you were completely hammered.”

  “Well, I knew that I owed you some payment, and I wanted to be totally cognizant of my actions, so here I am.” I rolled over so that I straddled his body. “And I should really punish you for bringing your boxers into bed. It’s blasphemy.”

  “Then punish me,” he challenged.

  “You better be careful what you ask for…” I whispered against his ear before nipping his skin just the tiniest bit.

  “This isn’t much of a punishment…” he teased.

  “Quiet.” I got up and marched over to the dresser.

  “What are you—”

  “I said quiet.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He zipped his lips and pretended to throw away the key.

  I chuckled and finally found what I was looking for—one of Andrei’s ties. He didn’t wear them to work, so they were a bit more rare around the house. This one was a bright blue—my favorite and one I had given him for Christmas because I thought it complemented his eyes. Now it would be used to my advantage—to make him squirm.
/>
  “I love it when you get that devilish look on your—”

  I silenced him with a kiss, our lips so smashed together that they threatened to fuse together. Hungry for the man of my dreams, I forced my tongue into his mouth. I twisted it with his as my hips rubbed against his growing erection.

  Knowing that he was distracted, I used the opportunity to wrap the tie around his wrists. With a sinister grin on my face, I secured him to the headboard.

  “What’s this?”

  “Your punishment.”

  “Oh?”

  I settled myself on the other side of the bed, legs open wide. My fingers danced around my clit, teasing it slowly.

  “Oh no, you’re not doing this to me. It’s torture.” He tugged at the tie, but it wouldn’t budge.

  “You asked for it,” I said before popping my middle finger in his mouth. “Get that nice and wet for me, would you?”

  He did as he was told, and it was exhilarating to know that I had this level of control over a man that could bench press my weight and then some.

  “Good boy,” I mused aloud as I slowly pulled the finger free and brought it to my pussy.

  Just this little bit of foreplay had my juices flowing so, as it turned out, I didn’t need Andrei’s help, but it was still fun to see him obey. My finger slid in and out of my hole with the utmost ease. I pushed my hips into the air and rocked against the finger, bringing myself as much pleasure as possible. It was nowhere as good as when Andrei fingered me, but I was living for the look of desperation on his face.

  “Cora.”

  “What?” I ran my other hand along his naked chest. Goose bumps rose on his skin, especially around his nipples. I circled around them, waiting for him to gather his thoughts.

  “You can’t do this,” he said.

  “Too bad because I am.”

  Again, he tugged on the tie, and this time, I saw the knot loosen a bit. It was just a matter of time before he broke free, and then I would be in a world of trouble. But it would all be worth it just to see the hunger in his eyes.

  I added another finger to the mix. I pumped them both and moaned as the pleasure coursed through my veins. “Oh, it feels so good!”

  “Cora. Untie me.”