Owned by the Mob

by Raven Rivers

  He asked softly, “So there’s really nothing special about me?”

  Her breath hitched and her hands froze for a brief second before she spoke, “I don’t think I would go quite that far. I’m certain you don’t need me to remind you of your positive attributes.”

  He placed one hand over hers and pressed it to his side. “Maybe broken men need to hear such things. I am in pain and hearing something nice about myself from a beautiful woman might make me feel better.”

  She glanced up into his expectant face and replied, “You’re kind-hearted to have responded the way you did when I was in need. You were nice and sweet to me during one of the most difficult moments of my life.”

  Being the devil he was, Alek prompted her for more. “Is that all you noticed?”

  She smiled, removed his hands from hers, and continued examining the bruises. “You’re also extremely attractive, which I’m sure is not a newsflash for you. If you will forgive me for saying so, you’re also a bit of a flirt.”

  His knowing eyes told her that this man had been around the block a time or two. Strangely enough, it did nothing to distract from his charm.

  Alek pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “I usually have coffee here every other Saturday morning around 8:00 am. I take the day after every fight off. If you ever want to check up on me and make sure I’m still kicking, you can find me there.”

  “You had this already written on the back. That’s kind of forward.”

  “I leave nothing to chance. I find that if I’m not running a good offense, it leaves me with only defensive maneuvers to choose from. No man wants to be in the situation of allowing the world to wash right over him.”

  Sharon felt her mouth drop open. This man’s words were almost an exact reflection of her brother’s. Football analogies aside, this one apparently came with built-in Tony approval, and that was a definite plus in her opinion. Snatching the card quickly from his hand, she slid it in her pocket.

  He encouraged her with a teasing smile. “Perhaps monitoring the cumulative effect of fighting on my body might prove fascinating… from a clinical perspective, of course.”

  Sitting there looking at the gorgeous man, her mind drifted back to the secret of being indentured that he’d disclosed when they first met. Though she was eager to learn more about his situation, that was not something you brought up in conversation with a casual acquaintance. Instead, she decided to walk through the door he’d opened for her.

  “I don’t know about all that. However, if you insist upon continuing to punish your body this way, someone probably needs to check in with you to ensure you’re not neglecting your medical needs. I might just assign myself to the task.”

  Chapter 9

  Back to Work

  Sharon

  Getting dressed for work, Sharon’s mind drifted back to the first time she met her sister’s fiancé. Victor was Russian. Though the man was a mob boss, he was attractive in a traditional and refined sort of way. Victor was the perfect fit for her slim, chronically-overachieving sister. They were like a perfectly matched pair.

  Alek, on the other hand, was almost the exact opposite from Victor. The tall, imposing man was absolutely stunning and totally out of her league. He had large muscles like a bodybuilder and shoulder-length dark hair that set off his blue eyes. He was immaculately groomed, had a thick Russian accent, and a playfully irreverent personality. Exuding raw sexuality and rough edges, there was nothing smooth or sophisticated about him. In other words, he was just her type.

  Strong fighters were like drug addicts in a way. Drug addicts had a tendency to develop an increased tolerance to the effects of the drugs they took and sometimes accidentally overdosed. Veteran fighters tended to develop a tolerance to the pain and sometimes lost the capacity to recognize when they were seriously injured. She certainly didn’t want to let him leave without checking him over first.

  Sharon was well aware that there were kickboxing and bare-knuckle boxing matches held on alternate Friday nights where the local gangs and underworld figures promoted fighters. Her step-father had men trained for the bare-knuckle boxing but was never fortunate enough to find a good kickboxer. Some nights it was all her father and brother talked about at the dinner table. The fighters were even invited to dinner on occasion. Sharon was on a first name basis with a couple of them because they were bodyguards for her family as well.

  The fact that the gorgeous Russian was all mobbed-up didn’t really bother her all that much since she was mobbed-up as well. Her mother had married one of the most prominent Italian mob bosses on the Eastern seaboard when she was little. The landscape of her life was littered with bad boys of every sort.

  Going back to work helped her put the accident behind her. She normally worked three sixteen-hour shifts, sleeping at the hospital over two nights, then was off eight days before doing it all over again. She liked having the days in the middle off. For the next couple of months, she was working five eight-hour shifts a week. Thinking over her options, she synced her schedule to have Alek’s fight weekends off. She hadn’t quite decided what she was doing there but wanted to have the option. Her mother had pounded into her what a terrible idea it was to mix business with pleasure, but she was leaning towards checking up on the handsome man.

  They’d texted back and forth for a couple of days. It seemed he was always working and not very forthcoming with information on his life. Being tight-lipped was a sign of loyalty and honor, so she didn’t hold it against him.

  Shortly after 11:00 pm her phone rang. When she answered it, his deep baritone voice thrilled her.

  “Are you off for the evening?”

  “I am,” she answered. “I’m off most evenings now. It’s nice to hear a friendly voice.”

  “Would you like to come out and have coffee with me?”

  “I would normally love that, but unfortunately, I’m kind of exhausted.”

  “You’re breaking my heart.”

  She laughed at the wounded quality he worked into his tone. “As well as my own. I’ll take a raincheck.”

  He murmured softly, “I’ll let you rest. Sweet dreams.”

  “You too, handsome.”

  ***

  Her phone jingled the next day around lunchtime. She ignored it, although her pulse quickened, knowing it was probably Alek. Once she got home, she checked her phone and picked up his text.

  Are you getting exhausted yet, my beautiful new friend?

  Kicking off her shoes, she collapsed onto her sofa and answered his text.

  Just about. What are you up to today?

  I am waiting outside a restaurant while my boss has a business meeting.

  Stay safe, my friend.

  You have only known me a few days. Would you miss me if I got shot?

  Good God, don’t get shot!

  I will take your response to mean Da. It is the Russian word for yes. I think you would miss me if I got shot. Just so you know, I look forward to talking with you as well. Can I call you later?

  She texted him back just one word: Da.

  I can tell you are a smart lady. Would you like me to teach you Russian?

  She responded by quoting lines from a famous Russian love story correctly in Russian.

  After that, it was on. They texted each other back and forth using a mixture of English and Russian for the better part of two weeks. It was nice that he’d decided to take things slow. Sharon’s gut told her that, since he’d asked her out and she’d declined, he was waiting for her to initiate the next invitation.

  Chapter 10

  Meet Up

  Alek

  Sharon texted him at 8:00 am the Saturday following his next match.

  I worried about you last night.

  It was a rough match, he admitted.

  Are you up for coffee?

  Yes, please. Maybe thirty minutes from now?

  See you there, handsome.

  Alek grabbed a shower, got dressed, and headed to the c
offee shop. The warm regard shown by the beautiful doctor over the last two weeks was making him eager to see her lovely face one more time. She was considerate to be concerned about him enough to check on him after his fight. He knew that probably just meant she was a nice person, but he would not deny himself the opportunity to maintain a friendship with her.

  Even if she only met him every couple of weeks, it would be a nice friendship. He liked the idea of sitting in his favorite coffee shop, watching a beautiful woman walk through the door and search the crowd for him.

  He settled into a booth and began talking with his mother. If he put off contacting her very long after she expected his call, she’d begin to worry. Not long after they’d begun to talk, his new female friend hit the door. Waving her to his booth, he didn’t object when she turned his head towards her and began running her fingers over his face and through his hair. She was so intent on checking him over that she didn’t realize they were drawing notice and that his mother was gaping at them from the computer screen.

  “Did you have a loss of consciousness at all this time, dizziness, or lightheadedness?” she asked him.

  Grinning like a mad fool, he laughed, “I’m skyping with my mother, Miss Sharon. Would you like to say hello?”

  She glanced down at his tablet and realized her mistake. “Oh! I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t know you were on a call. I can check you over later.”

  She saw the woman’s eyes get big and quickly explained in Russian, “Hello, ma’am. It’s nice to meet you. I’m friends with your son. Since I’m a physician, I like to check him after his matches.”

  She turned to Alek and whispered, “I’ll get coffee. Take your time and finish your call.”

  As soon as she stepped away from the table his mother began with her curious questions about his lovely friend. Alek tried to explain as quickly as possible, “Trust me, in America, doctors are important people… high status. She is not the woman for a man like me. I do really like her, and she is nice to me, but I cannot expect more than a friendship with her.”

  His mother replied quietly, “I don’t think that will matter to the woman if she falls in love with you. Women love with their hearts, not with an eye to status. You are strong and smart, my son. Any woman would be proud to have you for a husband.”

  Alek whispered, “That is highly unlikely. She is both beautiful and accomplished.” Alek had the feeling that Miss Sharon was interested in more than friendship, but it was much too early to get his mother’s hopes up.

  When Sharon returned they began catching up on family news and his mother filled him in on all the details of their neighborhood back home. Who was doing what, who was seeing who… the usual motherly gossip.

  Sharon slid her tablet out of her purse, flipped out the stand, and called someone as well. Alek knew it was bad manners to eavesdrop, but he could hardly help himself. He heard a man answer with a posh Russian accent. “Hello, Miss Sharon. Your sister is in the shower. Will you talk to me while she finishes?”

  Sharon smiled pleasantly at the person on the screen. “Of course, Victor. I can’t imagine why I used to think you were so intimidating.”

  Victor laughed and teased her playfully. “I am a scary mob boss, am I not? Intimidating is the image I am shooting for.”

  “Well, I don’t think you’re very scary but don’t worry, Victor—it can be our little secret. You shouldn’t be admitting to that in such a public way.”

  Laughing, the man replied, “Anyone worth hiding that bit of information from already knows, I’m afraid.”

  “Still, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

  “A good saying, for a doctor. I think you should come for a visit. I will introduce you to nice Russian men. You are much too beautiful to be all alone.”

  “There are plenty of nice Russian men right here, Victor. I don’t need you screening my dates any more than I need my family doing it.”

  “Consider it a standing offer, zvyozdochka. Here is Cassandra.”

  Her sister sounded as sweet as Sharon. “How is everything?”

  Sharon replied, “I can’t manage to get myself out of the ER. It’s driving me kind of crazy. I feel like a robotic doctor, just stitching, bandaging, and diagnosing people one right after the other all night long.”

  Noticing Alek’s head snap up, she glanced at him. He wondered if she resented giving him the once-over at her home. “Present company excluded, my friend.”

  Cassandra sounded confused. “Who do you have there?”

  Sharon turned her tablet around. “Alek, please say hello to my sister.”

  He looked up, smiled, and greeted her in Russian since Sharon had been speaking intermittent Russian with the people she’d been speaking to.

  Cassandra asked, “Who’s the gorgeous guy?”

  “A new friend,” Sharon chuckled. “I don’t know him well but he seems nice enough.”

  Her sister asked curiously, “What happened to little Georgie Starling?”

  “I had to give him up. He was pushy about some stuff that I didn’t want to be pushed about. The man turned out to be a bit of an ass, actually. Don’t say I told you so because I already know you warned me about him.”

  “What about that architect…” She paused to snap her fingers, trying to recall the man. “Shoot. What was his name?”

  “It hardly matters,” Sharon shrugged. “He wasn’t very assertive. After a while, it kind of felt like I was dating myself.”

  Cassandra giggled and said conspiratorially, “I hate it when that happens. Stay away from the ‘yes’ men. They’re the most boring dates you’ll ever have.”

  Lowering her voice, Sharon leaned closer to the screen. “It’s getting hard to find a good man. You may have snapped up the last one in the entire world.” She glanced across the table at the handsome Russian who was trying not to listen in on her conversation. Perhaps there’s one more good man out there, she mused to herself.

  Folding her hand over her chest, Cassandra looked stern. “Look, sis, you can’t give up. You’ve got to put yourself out there. Figure out what you want out of a man and don’t be afraid to make the first move.”

  Sharon sighed, her voice a mere whisper. “Maybe I’m just broken when it comes to relationships.”

  “I don’t accept that,” Cassandra consoled her. “You just need to change your way of thinking. Buck up, girl. Call in the reinforcements and go out there and stalk your perfect man like a big game hunter.”

  “I don’t know if I have it in me anymore. I’m only a few weeks away from becoming a crazy old cat lady.”

  “Don’t worry, I used to think the same thing until I met Victor,” her sister laughed. “Once you bump into your one it will seem like he was made for you. You won’t feel awkward at all.”

  Sharon giggled, admitting wryly, “Well, I have to admit your good looking mobster seems extremely happy, as do you. Don’t worry, I’m not giving up.”

  Sharon noticed that Alek had turned off his tablet and was sitting patiently as he nursed his coffee, waiting for her to finish. He was still politely looking away and tapping his fingers against his mug, clearly trying not to eavesdrop. She murmured to her sister, “Cass, sorry, but I should run. I’ll catch you in a few days.”

  Cassandra and Victor both said their goodbyes and Sharon promptly stuffed her tablet back in her purse.

  Alek looked at her over his cup. “You didn’t have to rush off the call. I would have been happy to wait for you to finish.”

  “My sister and her fiancé are very busy people. Our conversations usually don’t last more than ten or fifteen minutes.”

  “I must say, I am surprised you speak Russian. Most Americans speak Spanish or French as a second language.”

  “I wouldn’t say I speak it,” she shrugged. “More like I try to speak it.”

  Grinning at her gentle, self-effacing sense of humor, Alek found himself warming to her more with each passing moment.

  “You are bei
ng humble. You speak it quite well, actually. I am impressed. How did you learn?”

  “With Victor joining our family it really made sense to learn it, what with Victor being Russian and all. My step-father hired a tutor because he got paranoid when he couldn’t understand what they were talking about. Let’s just say my old man is thrifty. If he was paying for a high-priced tutor, then we were all gonna be sitting on that sofa right beside him learning Russian.”

  “That must have been interesting,” Alek laughed. “I was trying not to listen but could not help but overhear. This Victor called himself a Russian mob boss. Is he really a mob boss, or were you two just joking about his intimidating manner?”

  Sharon shifted uncomfortably at his question. “I really don’t like talking about Victor’s personal affairs.”

  Too curious to hold back, he asked, “How did your sister meet this Victor?

  “You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me. I love to hear stories about how people fall in love.”

  “Really? Well, my sister’s a children’s heart surgeon and she performed surgery on Victor’s small daughter. Victor and Cassandra talked on the phone a bunch of times, and by the time he got here, he was quite infatuated with her. Get this—He actually broke into our family home through a skylight and took his daughter and my sister with him to Moscow. It didn’t take her a hot minute to fall in love with him and that was almost a year ago. They’re in the process of relocating to the states.”

  Alek was shocked that the Russian had abducted an American. “Even if he is a mobster, Victor is quite brazen to steal an American.”

  “He probably didn’t even think twice about it,” Sharon shrugged. “He’s an upper echelon mob boss. He came on his private jet and brought twenty armed men. I think he was just avoiding dealing with my mobbed-up family. Honestly, he seems like a nice person.”

  Alek tilted his head and asked with a look of curiosity, “You come from a mob family?”

  “Since that was a statement rather than a question, I assume we’re getting all the embarrassing stuff out of the way first. My last name is Nash. That pretty much says it all.”