Used by the Russian Mafia Boss: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance by Bella Rose Page B
Authors: Bella Rose
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Boris deems fit.”
Ivan’s cry of outrage was lost in the cacophony of laughs and jeers coming from the assembled Rustikov men. It occurred to Dimitri that Boris’s estate must have either a skeleton crew, or no guards at all. Then he realized how and why they’d come looking for their missing boss, and how they’d known exactly where to go.
“Clever, clever, girl,” Dimitri murmured.
***
Toni kept her backpack close as the bus headed across town toward Kabalevsky territory. She felt paranoid. Of course she was carrying a huge amount of valuables in her back, so maybe she was entitled to a little paranoia. The bus bounced over a few potholes and Toni nearly came out of her seat.
“Careful there.” A male hand grabbed her arm and steadied her in the seat.
Toni glanced up to find herself staring at a very handsome man. He was probably her age with dark hair, dark eyes, and a very nice smile. He had that look, as if he were interested in maybe getting her phone number or going out for a drink or something.
Toni forced herself to relax. “Thank you.”
“Do you ride the bus very often?” he wanted to know. “I’ve never seen you here before and I take this line home from work every night.”
“I’m just going to visit my uncle,” she said uncomfortably.
Was the guy being too nosy? She couldn’t tell. In fact she was utterly aware in that moment of the vast gulf between herself and other twenty-three year old women. She was suspicious because practically everyone she knew would lie for personal gain. Then she looked at other people around her and had trouble believing they were any different.
“Would you maybe want to go out for a drink with me?” the young man asked. “There’s a place at the next stop that’s pretty good.”
She swallowed. The vast gulf between her and this man was simply too much to bridge, at least for now. She offered him what she hoped was a polite smile. “I think I really just need to get to my uncle’s.”
He shrugged. “All right then.”
The man moved away and Toni felt her eyes prickle with tears. Her mother was dead. Her father was an ass. She’d fallen in love—yes, she’d totally fallen for Dimitri—with a criminal who had only used her to get to her father. Her life was a wreck. The only option she had left at this point was to go to her uncle’s and try to regroup.
When the next stop came, the young man got off the bus. He gave a little wave and a smile, but she knew that she would never see him again. She spent the rest of the ride to her uncle’s torturing herself with images of the nice young man meeting a beautiful young woman, getting married, having a house full of kids, and then growing old together. For some reason she kept obsessing over the notion of sitting on a back porch somewhere in a rocking chair with her husband of sixty years by her side.
Finally the bus reached her stop. She could see her uncle’s restaurant half a block down. Climbing off the bus was a relief. She opened up her stride, moving quickly down the sidewalk as she eagerly approached the front doors of what could probably be considered the Kabalevsky stronghold.
“Antonina!”
She half turned in shock and glimpsed her father. Her father ! Picking up her pace, she was practically sprinting toward The Samovar. How had her father managed to get here so quickly? He should have been tied up at Dimitri’s for hours, to say nothing of the diversion she’d put together with her father and Dimitri’s men!
“Antonina, you stop right there!”
Her legs wanted to obey, but her brain was too smart to let them. She ignored his arrogant demands and burst through the front door of the restaurant as though her butt was on fire. The hostess drew back in surprise, looking as if she were ready to throw Toni right back out the door.
“I’m sorry, can I help you?” The woman cocked her head to the side and looked doubtful.
Toni sucked in a huge breath. She had no idea if her
Ivan’s cry of outrage was lost in the cacophony of laughs and jeers coming from the assembled Rustikov men. It occurred to Dimitri that Boris’s estate must have either a skeleton crew, or no guards at all. Then he realized how and why they’d come looking for their missing boss, and how they’d known exactly where to go.
“Clever, clever, girl,” Dimitri murmured.
***
Toni kept her backpack close as the bus headed across town toward Kabalevsky territory. She felt paranoid. Of course she was carrying a huge amount of valuables in her back, so maybe she was entitled to a little paranoia. The bus bounced over a few potholes and Toni nearly came out of her seat.
“Careful there.” A male hand grabbed her arm and steadied her in the seat.
Toni glanced up to find herself staring at a very handsome man. He was probably her age with dark hair, dark eyes, and a very nice smile. He had that look, as if he were interested in maybe getting her phone number or going out for a drink or something.
Toni forced herself to relax. “Thank you.”
“Do you ride the bus very often?” he wanted to know. “I’ve never seen you here before and I take this line home from work every night.”
“I’m just going to visit my uncle,” she said uncomfortably.
Was the guy being too nosy? She couldn’t tell. In fact she was utterly aware in that moment of the vast gulf between herself and other twenty-three year old women. She was suspicious because practically everyone she knew would lie for personal gain. Then she looked at other people around her and had trouble believing they were any different.
“Would you maybe want to go out for a drink with me?” the young man asked. “There’s a place at the next stop that’s pretty good.”
She swallowed. The vast gulf between her and this man was simply too much to bridge, at least for now. She offered him what she hoped was a polite smile. “I think I really just need to get to my uncle’s.”
He shrugged. “All right then.”
The man moved away and Toni felt her eyes prickle with tears. Her mother was dead. Her father was an ass. She’d fallen in love—yes, she’d totally fallen for Dimitri—with a criminal who had only used her to get to her father. Her life was a wreck. The only option she had left at this point was to go to her uncle’s and try to regroup.
When the next stop came, the young man got off the bus. He gave a little wave and a smile, but she knew that she would never see him again. She spent the rest of the ride to her uncle’s torturing herself with images of the nice young man meeting a beautiful young woman, getting married, having a house full of kids, and then growing old together. For some reason she kept obsessing over the notion of sitting on a back porch somewhere in a rocking chair with her husband of sixty years by her side.
Finally the bus reached her stop. She could see her uncle’s restaurant half a block down. Climbing off the bus was a relief. She opened up her stride, moving quickly down the sidewalk as she eagerly approached the front doors of what could probably be considered the Kabalevsky stronghold.
“Antonina!”
She half turned in shock and glimpsed her father. Her father ! Picking up her pace, she was practically sprinting toward The Samovar. How had her father managed to get here so quickly? He should have been tied up at Dimitri’s for hours, to say nothing of the diversion she’d put together with her father and Dimitri’s men!
“Antonina, you stop right there!”
Her legs wanted to obey, but her brain was too smart to let them. She ignored his arrogant demands and burst through the front door of the restaurant as though her butt was on fire. The hostess drew back in surprise, looking as if she were ready to throw Toni right back out the door.
“I’m sorry, can I help you?” The woman cocked her head to the side and looked doubtful.
Toni sucked in a huge breath. She had no idea if her
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