Mafia Soldier's Irresistible Lover (The Karzhov Crime Family Series Book 3) (5 page)

Val found Chelsea sitting in the gazebo, her eyes closed as she breathed deeply. “Chelsea?”

She opened her eyes, and Val’s heart hurt upon seeing the unshed tears there. She gathered herself together and made to stand up, but he stopped her. “Don’t.”

Chelsea shook her head. “I need to go finish breakfast, and check on Darya—”

“I saw Margot in the kitchen before I came out here. She’s got breakfast taken care of, and Darya is going to spend the day with her once James gets here.”

Chelsea looked back toward the house, then gave Val a grateful smile. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without your help last night.”

“You would have managed just fine. I spoke with your brother.”

“I bet that went well. Don’t believe half of what he tells you. I don’t.”

“He told me many things, including something about a misunderstanding that seems to have caused the rift between you two.” Val waited for her to pick up the conversation. When she didn’t, he pushed, “Tell me what happened after he set you up with Mateo Cordoba.”

Hearing the vile man’s name caused a shiver of revulsion to run down her spine. “He didn’t tell you?”

Val shook his head, taking a seat on the wooden bench next to her. “I don’t think he knows. According to him, you went with Mateo, and several days later, he was killed in a shootout with police. You disappeared. Terrence hinted that there was some belief you were hiding because of some deep affection for the deceased.”

“What?!” Chelsea barked out a harsh laugh. “Hardly! If the man could come back from the dead and be killed again, I would gladly pull the trigger this time around.”

Val knew he was asking her to dig up old, painful memories, but he got the sense that whatever had happened had remained locked up in Chelsea’s memory for far too long. “He still scares you even though he’s been dead almost ten years?”

“Stupid, huh?” Chelsea shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

“No. But it is telling. You need to tell someone what happened so you can let it go.”

“I did tell someone. Alexandra. It’s why she pretended I was her sister and hid me in her room at the hospital when Mateo came looking for me.”

Val remained silent, sensing that Chelsea was fighting an inner battle with herself and wanting to allow her the chance to win over her memories. When she softly started to speak, it took everything he had to keep his hands planted in his lap.

“Terrence sent me to make a drop and Mateo was there waiting for me. He’d been trying to gain my attention for a while before that, but I’d heard the rumors and didn’t want anything to do with him. It wasn’t until he told me how much money Terrence owed him that I even considered going with him. It was such a huge amount, and he threatened to hurt Terrence if I didn’t go with him.”

Val clenched his hands into fists, just barely managing to contain his anger on her behalf. “How old were you?”

“Fifteen. Almost sixteen. I wasn’t interested in boys back then. I wanted to finish high school and go to college. I kept thinking that if I could get away from the gang and build a different sort of life, I could get Terrence to join me. I didn’t realize until that day that I was only a pawn on his ladder of success with the gang.”

“So you went with Mateo?”

“He didn’t really give me much choice. He took me to his restaurant for lunch and we ate in his private dining room. I don’t remember much else until I woke up, tied to his bed—” She stopped talking as she relived the memory of that moment. All she’d felt then had been sheer terror.

Taking a breath, she hurried to finish telling the rest. “He kept me tied up there for two days, until I finally managed to convince him I wanted to be there. He untied me so I could take a bath, and I crawled out the bathroom window and walked along the ledge of the building until I found another open window.

“I managed to reach the street level, but two rival gangs were going at each other and I landed right in the middle of it. To make a long story short, the police took me to the emergency room and Mateo’s men saw me being arrested and managed to find out where they were taking me. He followed me to the hospital, I hid out in Alexandra’s room, and a few days later he was shot and killed by the police.”

“Sounds like the police did humanity a favor,” Val commented, amazed at the strength the woman sitting next to him had exhibited. “You survived!” He was silent for a moment, then softly asked, “Chelsea, did he—”

Chelsea knew what he was asking and immediately shook her head. “No. I don’t know why he didn’t, but other than touching me a bit and telling me what he wanted to do to me, he left me alone.”

Val was relieved that she hadn’t also suffered the trauma of being raped in addition to being kidnapped. “That’s good.”

Chelsea nodded. “Yeah.” She took a breath and looked Val in the eyes. “Why is he here?”

Val knew she needed to hear the truth, but right now she needed comforting more than knowledge. Pulling her close, he wrapped her tight in his arms, ignoring her feeble attempts to push him away at first. After several seconds, she gave up, and he smiled as she relaxed against his chest.
That’s better.

His body was in full agreement. Val angled her slightly to his side, not wanting to scare her with the evidence of his desire for her. She’d been through enough for the moment.

Chelsea hadn’t been hugged by a man in almost four years. Right before she and Alexandra had moved Darya up into the mountains, she’d been dating a construction worker with no ties to any gangs or drug cartels. Billy. A nice, normal guy with a nice, normal job. Or so she’d thought.

That had been a mistake of epic proportions, and part of what had precipitated their move away from the Denver suburb where she’d lived with Alexandra since Darya’s birth. The man had seemed nice and normal, but underneath, he’d been playing her all along. The man had only been trying to get close to her to get close to Alexandra.

Chelsea didn’t know many facts pertaining to Darya’s father, but Alexandra had told her enough to know that he wasn’t a good person and not someone who she wanted involved in her daughter’s life. When she had overheard Billy talking on his phone about sending updated photos of Alexandra and her daughter, she’d been furious and demanded an explanation.

Billy wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and had laughingly filled her in on the money he’d been promised for keeping an eye on Alexandra and her daughter. The fact that he’d been able to do so by earning Chelsea’s trust was just icing on the cake. He’d professed true affection for Chelsea, but he’d broken her trust and she’d kicked him to the curb without a second glance.

Alexandra had immediately set in motion their move, taking great care to cover their tracks, making it seem as if they’d moved out of state when in fact they had simply moved to a much higher altitude only a little over an hour away from Denver.

Now, encased in Val’s strong arms, she closed her eyes and gave into the feeling of being comforted and cared for, even for those brief moments. Her body had wanted to get closer to him since she’d first laid eyes on him, and now that it was getting a taste, she found she really didn’t want to let go.

She let her arms wrap around his back, noting the muscles beneath her palms.
He must work out a lot.

“I do. I used to be a fighter.”

Chelsea lifted her head, not realizing she’d voice that thought out loud. “Boxing?”

“MMA. I injured my shoulder and decided I like having the use of both of my arms too much to continue.”

“So now you take pictures?” Chelsea asked skeptically. “That seems like a weird transition to make.”

“Not so much. I also do some security and surveillance work on the side. Taking pictures goes along with both.”

Chelsea pushed herself out of his arms, grateful for his support but needing some answers so she could figure out the best course of action to take where Darya was concerned. “I guess I need to go find out why Terrence was looking for me.”

“Chelsea, a bit of advice?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t agree to anything he suggests just yet. I have a colleague of mine doing some checking up on your brother.”

“He told you why he’s here?” Chelsea asked.

“He did.”

“Do you believe him?” she wondered out loud.

“For the most part. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Believe me, I won’t give Terrence a second chance to destroy me. No way. I have too much riding on the future—Darya needs me.

Danil’s cell phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID before answering it brusquely, “What?”

“It’s Taro. I’ve located the girl and am in route to retrieve her.”

Danil bit back a curse. “I don’t want her retrieved. I want her eliminated. And make sure it looks like an accident. I don’t want any chance of this being traced back to me. Understood?”

“Understood. I’ll contact you when it’s done. By the way, Yoshi would like to meet with you at the end of the week. He will be travelling to Las Vegas on Friday. Meet him at the Neptune Club at ten o’clock Friday evening.”

Danil cringed but agreed. “Fine. Hopefully you will have taken care of the girl by then.”

Taro didn’t answer; he simply hung up. Danil pocketed his phone, glancing behind him to see that Pyotr was still following his progress along the sidewalk. Nikolai’s henchman had been his constant shadow and was beginning to get on his nerves. As he continued his walk, he started making plans for how to get away from his constant shadow Friday night.

The Neptune Club was a known hangout for the Asian population, and not someplace the Russian mafia would normally visit. It would be easy enough for Danil to sneak in without raising too much suspicion, but if he also had his shadow along, it would draw unwanted speculation. Speculation that could be very costly indeed.

As a plan began to form in his mind, he glanced into the mirrored surface of the building he was presently passing, pleased to see that Pyotr was already on his phone, telling Nikolai of his most recent phone conversation. Perhaps he could work that to his favor.

                                                                                    *****

Val escorted Chelsea back into the house, smiling when she was met by a very exuberant Darya, who was overjoyed to be going home with Margot for the day. It seemed that Margot had a mama cat who had a litter of kittens that were just about ready for their new homes. Darya was hopeful that Chelsea would let her have one when the time came.

After hugging the child and giving her assent for Darya to spend the night with Margot and her family, Chelsea turned to find Val watching her with a strange look in his eyes. “What?”

“You care for her as if she were your own.” He’d watched the interaction between the two females the night before, but today the trust and love between them was even more pronounced. And Chelsea made no secret of the fact that she cared for Darya more that her own life. Not having ever known that sort of maternal affection, Val was intrigued by it and wondered if that was characteristic of her relationship with the child or just how she loved in general.

“Outside of actually giving birth to her, I feel like she could be mine. Alexandra had a heart condition that limited her activity level. It didn’t show up until after Darya’s birth, but it severely limited what she was able to do with the little girl as she grew up. I’ve always been the one she’s played with, gone places with. I couldn’t love her any more if she were mine.”

Chelsea saw the look of confusion on Val’s face and couldn’t resist asking about it. “Why does that confuse you so?”

“I never really knew my mother. She and my father lived very dangerous lives and were killed when I was still rather young.”

“You were raised in foster homes?” Chelsea asked, sympathizing with being parentless, as she too had experienced the loss of her parents at a young age.

“No.” He paused, trying to figure out how to tell her that within the
Bratva
, orphans didn’t go into the foster care system. They were simply absorbed into the organization with whomever had room or the ability to provide for their needs. His needs had been taken care of by a variety of men, all of who had instructed him in their special talents, giving him a well-rounded education that had now earned him the position of one of Nikolai’s top
Boeviks
—soldiers who were willing to do whatever was necessary to protect the family.

“I was raised in several different homes. My family takes care of their own.”

“Family? Like aunts and uncles?” Chelsea asked, not fully understanding the dynamic.

“Not quite.” Val didn’t go on to explain. “Did you ever hear the gang Terrence was involved with refer to themselves as a family?” When she nodded, he continued, “Well, my family is very similar. We all work together for a common goal and to help each other.”

Chelsea let that thought rattle around in her brain as they approached the bedroom. There was something about the way Val had talked about his “family” that had her wondering if there was more to him than met the eye.
Isn’t there always? When have you ever fallen for a guy that was straightforward and didn’t have a hidden agenda?

Pushing those doubts aside, she opened the bedroom door to see her brother trying to get out of bed.

“Chels. Need to get—” The man broke off as he used his quickly diminishing strength to roll himself over to his side. “Shit! That hurts,” he complained as he lay on his back, breathing through clenched teeth.

“Stop trying to get out of bed before you hurt yourself even more,” Val commanded the man, watching the upper part of his shirt for signs that the stitches weren’t going to hold.

The man opened his pain-filled eyes and met Val’s gaze, before looking over and finding Chelsea sitting a few feet away. “Chelsea! Get over here and help me up!”

Chelsea didn’t move as Val put his arm out, blocking her approach to the bed. She paced a few steps away and then rounded on her brother, placing her hands on her hips in exasperation as Val kept his body between hers and her brother’s. “Terrence, what are you doing here? Why did Val find you lying on my front porch? Bleeding? And furthermore, how did you get up here?” Chelsea shot the questions at him rapid-fire, glancing out the window toward the driveway as she asked the last question.

She could barely make out the silhouette of a dark colored pickup parked at the edge of the driveway in the trees. “Is that your truck?”

Terrence looked at his sister and tried not to smile. He let his eyes take in her grown-up image, trying hard to reconcile it with the last time he’d seen her at the age of fifteen. She’d been able to turn heads back then, but now, she was the thing men dreamed about at night and woke up hurting for when they realized it had only been a dream. She was gorgeous in an understated way.

“The truck’s mine. As for why I’m here, I came looking for you. How in the hell did you end up living in these mountains? This has got to be about as far from civilization as I’ve been.”

“Don’t get out much, do you?” Val asked snidely, earning himself a glare from Chelsea as she stepped closer to the bed while ignoring her brother’s question.

She stepped around Val, evading the hand he tried to stop her with, and stopped at the edge of the bed. “How did you get injured?”

Terrence winced as he tried once again to push himself up to a sitting position on the bed. When the laceration on his right pectoral muscle began to pull, he glimpsed down, for the first realizing he wasn’t wearing his own shirt. “Where’s my shirt?”

“I cut if off you. You were bleeding all over it anyway. Now, answer my question!” Chelsea was quickly losing patience with the man on the bed.

Terrence looked over her shoulder at Val, then back at her. “I fell on some rocks and cut myself.”

“Rocks?” Chelsea asked, her voice full of doubt.

“Yes, rocks. I had a flat tire a few miles back and fell down the side of the mountain.” Terrence held her stare, daring her to call him a liar.

Chelsea thought back to the wound she had cleansed the night before. There had been no evidence of dirt or debris in the wound or on his shirt.
Terrence is lying through his teeth!

Glaring at him, she folded her arms over her chest and stared him down. “I don’t believe you. Now, either answer my question or I’m calling the authorities and having them come over here and arrest you for trespassing. Maybe they can help you remember how you got that nasty cut on your chest.”

Val smiled at her tenacity. She was a spitfire when she got riled up.
I wonder what she’s like when she gets going in bed. With the little girl out of the picture for tonight, maybe I should try and find out. Even if only for a taste. But first, I have to help her deal with the asshole in the bed who just happens to share the same blood in his veins.

“That cut didn’t come from any rocks.”

Terrence glared at the man standing behind his sister and challenged him, “How would you know? Seen a lot of injuries and stuff?”

“Yes. Now answer the question truthfully, or she won’t have to call the authorities. I’ll dump you in your truck and send it over the side of the cliff.”

Chelsea turned and looked at Val, shocked that he would issue such a threat in a nice, even tone. She assumed he was joking, but one look at the cold stare of his eyes and she realized he meant every word.
He really would send Terrence over the side of a cliff!

“Just tell me why you’re here so you can leave.”

“Didn’t lover boy here tell you my plan for us all to get rich?” Terrence asked her, looking from one to the other.

Val shook his head, laying a gentle hand on Chelsea’s shoulder. “No. I figured it might come better from you. You are suggesting she crawl back into bed with the same caliber of men as Mateo. Right?”

“Nah. Raul’s more sophisticated. And he likes his women with a bit of color in their skin, if you know what I mean. Although Carlos likes his women white. And he’s between women right now—”

Val had heard enough. Stepping around Chelsea, he gently pushed her behind him before grabbing her brother by the shoulder and shoving him back onto the mattress. “Shut. Up. If you even think another vile, reprehensible thought like that about your sister, I will make you pay and then…I will kill you slowly. Very slowly.”

Chelsea pulled on Val’s shoulder, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Who do you think you are to issue threats like that?”

Val leaned over Terrence, lowering his voice to a deadly whisper. “I am your worst nightmare. Right now, your sister is under my protection. That means she’s
mine
. Hurting her is the same as hurting me, and I don’t take well to being hurt. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?”

Terrence swallowed as he suddenly realized he’d never run up against someone of Val’s caliber before. This man meant business and was used to doing whatever he wanted, however he wanted. Nodding his head, he breathed a bit easier when Val stood to his full height and escorted Chelsea from the room.

Before closing the door, Val cautioned the man, “Stay in bed and rest. I will bring you some food in a bit. When she returns, I would advise you to speak respectfully to her, and truthfully. Anything less and I will take it as a direct insult to myself.”

Val didn’t wait for Terrence to comply. He shut the door and turned to find Chelsea leaning against the wall. Dealing with her brother had stolen her energy and created a whole new set of worries for her.

“Come. Let’s get some breakfast, and then I need to make another phone call and see if my colleague was able to find out anything on your brother.”

Chelsea looked at Val, then shook her head. “Why are you involving yourself in this? This is supposed to be your vacation, and here you are, getting mixed up in God only knows what kind of mess.”

“Do not worry about it,
milaya moya
. I will enjoy helping you rid yourself of this problem.”

Chelsea watched him for a moment, then turned toward the kitchen. Right now, she would take any help she could get. If Val was okay with helping her, she wouldn’t turn him down.