Protected by a Mobster: A Russian Mafia Romance (Volsky Mafia Book 1)
Page 7
But still I was confused. Seeing Dane in Ruslan’s office had unleashed anger so terrible that even now I couldn’t believe how I had acted. My mother would have been shocked by my actions. Did I feel guilty for striking him? Hell no! I felt empowered. I hungered for more.
Questions flooded my mind, but the answers eluded me. I needed advice. I needed my mother. She was the only woman that could help me understand, the only woman I knew who could help me see the right path to take.
Groaning, I eased up from the cloud-like comfort of my bed and grabbed the cell phone from the nightstand. The need to speak to my mother overwhelming me, I scrolled through my contacts and gave her name a tap. The phone rang once, then twice, before her sweet voice met my ear. My throat tightened with regret for leaving her behind, never explaining why I had to leave. Would she have understood?
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I spoke. “Mom, it’s me. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Oh my god, Liliya. Is that you, baby? Where are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mom. I’m safe.”
Hearing the sadness in Mom’s voice damn near choked me up. She had always worn her emotions on her sleeve, unable to hide how she felt, and because of the life I now knew we were drowning in, I saw just how much my mother didn’t fit in it. The mafia wasn’t a place for a woman like her. She was too feeling… too real.
“I heard your father talking about you. He said you were living in sin with a rival of his. He’s sickened by your actions, Liliya. My God, you are engaged!”
“It’s not what you think, Mom. I…”
“I raised you to be better than this. Why would you dare to shame your family like this? I don’t even know who you are anymore. What happened to you? Tell me!”
The demanding tone was one I had never heard from her mouth before. It rattled me deep inside, breaking my heart. “You have no idea what you are talking about, Mom. God forgive me, but you are the one who should feel shame for letting that man bully you into believing every word, every damn lie, that falls from his lips. You shame the memory of your very own son by taking your husband’s side in this. Yes, I’m living with father’s rival. But it’s for my protection. We are not living in sin as we do not share a bed. It’s not like that.” I huffed out a breath as my vision began to blur from the storm of tears threatening to fall. Having to speak to my mother like this was something I would never have thought I’d do in my lifetime, but it was happening. The pain was sharp and agonizingly brilliant.
Everything that had happened was changing me. Was it for the better? I wasn’t sure, but it was making me stronger and surer of myself. “Hear this, and understand it, Mother. I will not be marrying the man who killed my brother, and I will not live under the same roof as the man who ordered his death. You can, but I just can’t stomach the betrayal that your home is drowning in. I love you, Mother, I do, but I need to do what is right for me.”
Sniffling sobs met my ears and I knew my mother heard me loud and clear. I didn’t miss the gasp as I laid everything out for her. When she cleared her throat to speak, I wasn’t sure what to expect but my heart lurched in my chest anyway.
“Liliya, I…” Before my mother could finish her sentence, the phone crashed to the floor. The distinct sound of a woman’s yelp and continued cries of pain echoed through the line. There wasn’t anything I could do but listen as the violent scene played out. The angry sound of my father’s screams and curses directed at my mother stole the air from my lungs in a matter of seconds. Dear God. Just as quickly as it had started, the chaos came to a halt. Only the sound of my mother crying could be heard until the heavy breaths of a man filled the phone line.
“I’ve done everything for you, Liliya. But hear this, girl. You will regret the moves you’re making against your flesh and blood. I promise you, you’ll never see it coming.”
I stood frozen, my hand white-knuckling my phone, unable to breathe. My own father had threatened me. I knew he’d make good on it, just as he had with my brother. Bastard. Anger bloomed from the dark place inside me, twisting and turning as it moved throughout my body, digging in its claws, making me see what kind of woman I needed to become to survive my own father.
One thing I knew without a doubt was this. War was coming, and I was going to be at the heart of it. Blood would flow, but it would not be mine.
A life for a life.
****
Check out my Author Page on Amazon to discover more hot and sexy reads.
Also by Jacee
Convicted: A Mafia Romance
Dangerous Love: A Russian Mafia Romance (Grekov Mafia Book 3)
Enamored: A Russian Mafia Romance (Grekov Mafia Book 2)
Indulgence: A Russian Mafia Romance (Grekov Mafia Book 1)
Naughty Arrangement
My Russian Hero
Scent of Desire (Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance)
The Boardroom
The Professor’s Lover
Visit Jacee on the web at:
Blog: http://jaceemacguire.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @JaceeMacguire
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter One – Liliya
Chapter Two – Liliya
Chapter Three – Liliya
Chapter Four – Liliya
Chapter Five - Dane
Chapter Six – Ruslan
Chapter Seven - Liliya
Chapter Eight – Ruslan
Chapter Nine - Liliya
Chapter Ten – Ruslan
Chapter Eleven – Liliya
Chapter Twelve - Ruslan
Chapter Thirteen - Liliya
Also by Jacee