Fixing Broken Hearts

by Raven Rivers

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “Cassandra, your brother is right about another thing. Women who have the capacity to open their hearts to a mobster are rare. Your brother should not let his stripper get away.”

  “Viktor, everyone deserves to be loved. I think mobsters deserve it a little more because they have such dark lives. I’m sorry things didn’t work out with your ex-wife, and I’m really sorry she is missing.”

  He sighed and there was brief pause. “Sylvika never opened her heart to me. She just liked the wealth and power of being with a Vory. I suppose I got tired of holding out for the right woman. I got what I deserved, and I can’t even regret it because now I have a daughter.”

  “All that just means is that your special someone is still out there, probably hoping desperately you will find her.”

  “Is that really what you think?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but it’s what I tell myself when I start feeling hopeless about finding the right man.”

  He whispered, “I hope you never settle. Talking to you is so bittersweet, Cassandra.”

  “For me too, baby, for me too.”

  Ringing off, she joined her family, who were preparing for the descent.

  Chapter 6

  Invitation to Drop In

  ~ Viktor ~

  Viktor wondered what was broken in his head that he was allowing the daughter of his enemy to snake herself into his heart. Someone had abducted his ex-wife, and simple logic told him it was her family. Sylvika’s absence left his daughter alone and vulnerable. Now they had her as well.

  His plan was to play it cool until he got there, then take care of business. He knew all too well how deceitful women could be. Sylvika had been sexy, playful, and seemed so sincere during their courtship. Once he married her, she was much less engaging. After she had their daughter, she no longer even made an effort to attempt to please him. It had been a devastating blow to his ego. Although he knew they were not in love, he did think she at least cared for him on some level.

  Now, here was Miss Cassandra Nash. Her family was wealthy, powerful, and had apparently elected to have her running point on this one. He just couldn’t understand why he kept letting his guard down with her when there was so much at stake.

  There was something about her voice. She seemed so caring and honest. Each time he got off the phone with her, he realized she had taken another small piece of his heart. Viktor feared she would soon have it all. He had to find a way to harden himself to her and keep her at arm’s length. Poor Viktorija was counting on him to rescue her. He also needed to find her mother. As much of a waste as the woman was, he didn’t want his daughter growing up without a mother.

  Keeping to her word, his phone rang. Cassandra was setting up a video chat. Once he was logged on to his laptop, he smiled as his daughter sat down in front of the computer. She was telling him that she slept in a huge bed on the plane with the doctor lady, that all the clouds were light and fluffy, and that none of the men there could speak words.

  That Cassandra had set boundaries with the men about interacting with his innocent little daughter pleased him greatly. He could see Cassandra moving around behind his daughter. She was not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also graceful like a dancer. She sat on a bed with her legs stretched out, reading an e-book.

  After a while, Cassandra came over and kneeled down in front of the computer. “Would you like to see how your daughter’s healing?”

  He nodded, unable to speak.

  She helped the child take off her shirt, gloved up, and gently lifted the large bandage off her chest. Cassandra tenderly examined a large scar running between and under her rib cage.

  She could hear the man becoming upset. She began explaining to him in a soothing voice, “Open heart surgery for children is rather routine these days in the States. I perform upwards of twenty such surgeries a month myself. The incision looks a bit excessive to someone who isn’t used to such things, but let me assure you, Viktorija is strong. She’s doing really well. She has had no complications at all. Her incision site is healing nicely. She’s getting plenty of rest, water, and nutritious food. I’m ensuring she takes her medications regularly. Don’t worry, she will be playing on the monkey bars again in no time.”

  He watched as she swapped out her gloves again, then applied a new bandage. She took the child’s vitals and listened extensively to her heart. She found a heartbeat and asked the child if she wanted to hear it. The little girl nodded so she placed the ear buds in her ears. Her little face lit up. When she was finished, she put her on the bed with a remote control. Viktor could see her flipping through cartoons.

  Cassandra began to clean up.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the surgery was actually open heart surgery. I thought she needed a valve replacement.”

  Cassandra replied, “That was the original plan, however, when I went in, I realized there were several issues with that particular valve all the way down into the cardiac tissue. I had to opt for the more invasive procedure.”

  “So where did you learn your rudimentary Russian?”

  She glanced up the screen and saw the amusement playing across his beautiful face.

  “I have been involved in a medical exchange involving Russian children for a year or so. I’ve slowly been trying to learn through a language tutorial. I’m afraid I am a slow learner.”

  “Perhaps you just need a more effective teacher. Repeat after me.”

  His voice was low and he leaned towards the monitor. He said a short sentence in Russian with his name at the end. She did her best to repeat the sentence. He corrected her articulation several times until she got it right.

  She smiled and asked, “Is it a traditional Russian greeting? If I change the name at the end, will it work for females as well as males?”

  He looked a bit alarmed. “Please do not say that to anyone but me.”

  He noticed her head tilt slightly in a questioning manner. He admitted with a mischievous smile on his devilishly handsome face, “It means, loosely translated, I think you are very attractive, and I want to have sex with you.” He burst out laughing at her shocked expression. “You are innocent. It makes me wonder if any man made it to third base with you.”

  She almost smiled. “What do you know about bases?”

  His brow crinkled. “Is that not the American expression? I thought it was.”

  “Yes, that’s the expression. I’m just trying to imagine why you would even care about something like that.”

  Now he knew for sure she was probably very inexperienced with men. Only an innocent soul would ask a question like that.

  Cassandra turned the laptop around so he could see his daughter.

  “Sorry, I have to go video chat with all the Russian guys I can find now.”

  Viktor felt a jolt of possessive jealousy so powerful it took his breath away.

  Then she giggled and he scowled at being caught acting like such a Neanderthal. She picked up a couple of controllers and slid down on the bed beside his daughter. They began playing a video game involving dolphins swimming.

  Viktor had to admit it was a game only girls would like, and his girls seemed very happy. He liked the way they looked together. They laughed and sat close to each other. At one point, his little one climbed into Cassandra’s lap and they played using the same controller. His daughter began to get sleepy again. Cassandra took her vitals, then cuddled her up and slept with her for a bit.

  A man came into the room while they slept. Viktor immediately sat up. “Who are you? My girls are sleeping. Leave them be, and go away.”

  The male sat down at the desk and reoriented the computer so he could speak to Viktor face to face. “I would go away, but I promised my sister I’d make a fire in the fireplace. They want to roast marshmallows. It’s interesting that you refer to them as your girls. They aren’t, your know. They are only fifty percent yours.”

  Viktor smiled ruefully. This must
be Tony. He looked much as he would have imagined an Italian mobster to look. He had an olive complexion, brown eyes, and was wearing a designer suit without the jacket. Toney even had a gold chain around his neck. Viktor wondered why the man would perpetuate such a stereotype.

  “Well, your sister told me that I am attractive and she wants to sleep with me today.”

  Tony rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m not sure I believe you. My sister doesn’t say things like that. She is quite prim and proper.”

  Viktor responded, “She already told you not to leave her alone with me or she would be naked and in my lap in two minutes. She could do worse than me. At least I can and would take care of her.”

  “In the interest of helping you making informed choices, my father absolutely will not allow you take her to Russia. It is too wild and dangerous there. You can’t stay in the US. Even if you managed to take over the Russian piece here, that would still put you in direct competition with our family’s interests.”

  Viktor leaned closer to the camera and spoke in a low, conspiratorial voice. “In the interest of full disclosure, you and your father are misinformed. The two of you are busting your asses to keep her safe in America. Precisely because it’s America, she will never actually be safe there. In Russia, things are different. You think that it is wild and unpredictable here? You are very much mistaken, my friend. Here, I am wealthy and powerful. My family pays a large amount to the police and the military. They ensure the safety of the people I love. This kind of protection is not for sale in America, at any price. No one would dare touch her in Russia because of who I am. She would always be safe with me because I control my world and would never permit any harm to come to her.”

  Tony looked at the man, flipped up the laptop so the camera caught a glimpse of the very large skylight in the middle of the room. Tony said, “Why don’t you drop in sometime? I am certain my sister would like to see you. Just a friendly reminder, doctors never travel without their medical bag. My sister keeps everything she needs in her bag to care for the little one.”

  Viktor looked at him, nodding as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. That was an invitation if he ever heard one.

  “So, why exactly are you so motivated to get rid of your sister? She can’t possibly be that much trouble.”

  Tony shrugged casually. “Better that she’s your problem than mine. As long as she’s happy, I don’t care. It six of one and half dozen of the other. I don’t know if this needs to be said, but what the hell. If she ends up with you, just see that she is happy or returned to us. If anything else happens…well, let’s just say me and my guys are very ingenious when it comes to settling up.”

  Viktor’s eye’s narrowed and his nostrils flared.

  Tony smoothed over his threat with the charm that had made him famous. “But let’s not turn this situation into an adversarial one. We are not currently enemies, Victor.”

  “That fact alone does not make us friends.”

  “It might end up making you family though. If that comes to pass, things will be different. As long as my sister loves you, you won’t have to worry about getting whacked from one of us.”

  “What’s your interest in this situation? Besides lightening your security responsibilities.”

  Tony’s smile didn’t give away much. What he said next was surprising.

  “My father is very old school. He built his little empire the hard way. We don’t have much friction with the Russians here because…well, their business model is a little different. Your father’s man on the ground here is reasonable. Let’s just say the kind of business we do puts us in contact with quite a bit of information. Information we don’t care about in the slightest, but information Mr. Chensnokov would find lucrative.”

  “Timur’s niche is almost entirely white color bank and corporate…transactions.”

  Tony pulled an old-fashioned day planner out of his jacket pocket and held it up. “I’ll tuck this in Cassie’s bag. Consider it a little get to know me gift. Contact me if you’re interested.”

  “I don’t think that is a very good idea. I don’t want Cassandra involved in anything related to my business.”

  “Good answer. Don’t worry, it’s not incriminating. It’s just numbers, lots and lots of numbers. Most people wouldn’t know what to do with something like that, but you will.”

  Tony turned the computer back around toward his girls, and quietly left the room. Viktor thought long and hard about what the young man said. It could be a trap, he knew that. However, neither Cassandra nor her brother seemed like they were lying.

  With Sylvika, the signs had kind of been there, but he wasn’t paying attention. Now he was paying attention. Even if he were somehow mesmerized by the beautiful female, it didn’t explain why he picked up no deceit from the male. Tony seemed more interested in forging business alliances than catching him out.

  Chapter 7

  Video Chat

  ~ Viktor ~

  He watched an older female bring up a dinner tray for his girls. They sat at a little table and ate. Cassandra was bright and engaging with the child. She used hand gestures and rudimentary Russian to communicate. It warmed his heart to see that they had just about forgotten he was there. They roasted marshmallows on long sticks then jammed them between crackers with chocolate. Viktor didn’t know what they were called but he vaguely remembered seeing that in an American movie once.

  Cassandra gave the little girl some kind of short bath because she came out with wet hair.

  Just when he was going to ask her not to go to bed with wet hair, Cassandra got a blow dryer and began drying the child’s hair. The little girl played with some stuffed animals, took her medication, and fell asleep. Cassandra went into the bathroom and came out wearing a short silk robe, and quietly went through her drawers.

  Viktor couldn’t help but tease her. “Since you have all but forgotten I am here, I guess sexy lingerie is out of the question. I must admit, you look quite a bit like the woman wearing the bikini. I must be mistaken, because you stated very clearly that was not you.”

  Cassandra could not stifle a quiet giggle. She came over and sat in front of the laptop.

  “I was trying keep you at arm’s length. Sorry I lied.”

  “You are a poor liar, my beautiful friend. I could tell by your voice that you were not being truthful, so your ploy would not have worked in any event. I wonder sometimes what else you are lying to me about, little one.”

  She looked shocked, and he realized she probably didn’t lie about much.

  “My normal late-night conversation with a woman involves me asking what she is wearing, but I can already see the answer to that question is not much.”

  Cassandra squirmed in her seat and admitted, “I was looking for something appropriate to wear. I guess I didn’t leave much behind the last time I was here.”

  He sighed. “If not for having my child there I would suggest you wear what God gave you. I’ll bet that is pretty amazing.”

  She immediately slid the tie holding the robe together off. He let out an audible gasp as her robe fell open enough to show about three inches of flawless flesh running the length of her body. She smiled slightly. How adorable that something so tame was her idea of being naughty.

  “Pull the robe open. I want to see your beautiful body, Cassandra.” His voice was deep, sultry, and commanding even to his own ears.

  He watched her body warm under his gaze. He imagined her core becoming moist and ready for his touch. “Open for me. I wish to see your tender flesh with my own eyes.” Like a puppet on his string, her hands moved to each edge of the robe and she gently pulled it back. His breath hitched at the sight of dark, creamy flesh. He whispered, “My God, you are a beautiful woman. Your skin looks flawless and you have curves fit to draw a man’s lust.”

  Pulling the silken garment together again, she asked, “So when all this is over, are you still going to video chat with me?”

  “I have no plans to v
ideo chat with you—”

  Before he could say anything else, she hit mute and stood. After rummaging around, she found clothing, got dressed in a faded grey sweat suit, and lay down beside his daughter.

  As she drifted off to sleep, Viktor realized she thought he was communicating that he would not be interested in her once he had his daughter back. However, he had been trying to bring up a conversation about her visiting with him to Russia. He was keen on spending time with her in person. He sighed as he realized she would probably never do that anyway.

  Chapter 8

  Abduction

  ~ Cassandra ~

  Cassandra reached out in the night to touch the child’s forehead. Instead of the little one, she found a large male dressed in black with a grappling cord tied to his waist. Bolting up, she started to scream, but he put his hand over her mouth. Fighting him for all she was worth, she tried to pull his hand from her face.

  Jerking back his black face mask, he whispered, “Stop. It is me, Viktor.”

  Relief flooded her system and she nodded. Tugging at his hand, he finally removed it from her mouth.

  She whispered quietly, “Normal people use the damn door, Viktor. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “I came for my daughter.”

  Glaring at him, she explained quietly, “You were supposed to call me first. You can’t take her away. She needs to stay with me for another week so I can monitor her recovery. You will have to get a hotel room or stay here.”

  He snorted a laugh.

  “I’m not joking, Viktor. She needs me.”

  He stated flatly, “Then I am sorry, but it looks like you are going to Russia.”

  The man was insufferably arrogant. She wished she weren’t so captivated by his intense blue eyes. His arm tightened around her possessively. She swallowed hard and managed to force out a retort that sounded more witty in her head. “Russia’s a big place. Maybe you could tell me specifically where I’m going?”