You Don't Know Me: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (8 page)

Tasha Evanoff

O
liver curls my hair around his index finger. ‘Why do you think that Russian gangster wanted your earrings so much?’ His voice is soft, but hostile.

I look at him with surprise. ‘I don’t know, but why do you care? I thought you didn’t mind what I did as long as I was discreet.’

In his eyes something ugly rears its head. ‘To start with, it doesn’t look like you have been too … discreet. It doesn’t take too many brain cells to figure out what was going on tonight.’

He smiles nastily.

‘Secondly, I might have been a bit hasty. I didn’t care then, but since then I have become rather … fond of you, and I certainly don’t appreciate another man throwing it in my face that he has got into your pants.’

My skin crawls, but I resist the intense urge to edge away from him. ‘What are you saying?’

‘I suppose I’m saying the rules have changed. From now on I expect my wife to be faithful to me.’

I look at him coldly. ‘And this rule is obviously only applicable to me, since you are obviously not faithful, nor do you plan to be anytime in the future.’

‘Play your cards right and that could be arranged,’ he lies, his lips grazing my neck.

I close my eyes. I’ve got to do something fast about this situation I’m in. I can’t go on like this. I know now that I could never have sex with Oliver. Maybe before, but not anymore. Not when I am in … love with Noah.

‘You don’t love me and I don’t love you,’ I say softly.

‘What’s your point?’

‘Should we really be getting married, Oliver?’ I coax. If I could just get him to call off the engagement there won’t be a thing Papa can do.

He looks at me strangely and then bursts out laughing. ‘Are you getting cold feet? Let me tell you, sweetheart, it’s much too late for all that.’

‘No, it’s not.’

‘Aww … you really thought you could persuade me to break off the engagement. Sorry, no can do.’ 

‘But you don’t really want me.’

He smiles strangely. ‘On the contrary, sweet Tasha, I very much want you.’

I stare at him in horror. ‘No, you don’t. You have other women.’

‘They are bodies. Bitches and prostitutes. I can barely remember their names. No, Tasha Evanoff, you are the prize.’ His lips twist. ‘I choose you to be my wife and the mother of my children.’ He takes my wrist and suddenly crushes it.

‘Owww, you’re hurting me.’

He squeezes harder and I grit my teeth. ‘Did you imagine ours will be a marriage in name only?’ he taunts.

I stare up at him defiantly.

‘I will fuck you hard and often. As of today I expect to be the only cock going into your tight little cunt.’

I gasp in shock.

‘You can tell that Russian dickhead that his little performance has just made your life that much more complicated. Tell him to bang good and proper now, because I expect purity from my wife. So if you are getting any smart ideas of taking on lovers, I should warn you now that I’ll put a fist through your lusty hole before I allow that.’ He makes a fist with his hand. The gesture is violent and lewd.

I become rigid with shock. This is a side of Oliver I never suspected.

‘Have I made myself clear, or do you need a demonstration of what to expect?’

I stare at him in disbelief and he grabs my hip and pulls me towards him, his erection pressing into my belly as his hand goes up my skirt. Suddenly, I wake up from my daze.

‘Yes, yes, I understand,’ I whisper urgently, my voice shaking with fear.

He tightens his hold on my hipbone until I cry out in pain. With a taunting little laugh he lets go and I close my eyes, swallow hard, and try to calm myself. I open my eyes and he is watching.

‘You really are very, very beautiful, Tasha. So white and perfect.’

Tasha Evanoff

B
y the time I get home the fear has receded to the back of my mind. As soon as I open the front door, Sergei, who is waiting patiently for me, goes mad with joy. His excited yelps and barks echo loudly in the mausoleum-like-silence of our house.

‘Let’s go see Baba,’ I say.

He licks my face.

I stand up. ‘Race you,’ I challenge, and start running up the stairs, but he overtakes me easily and waits for me at the top. I tickle him behind his ears.

‘You win,’ I concede.

He nuzzles the back of my knee. With him following at my heels, we go down the corridor.

As I have done ever since I was a child, I don’t knock but simply enter. In my life Baba is the only open book. I have seen her naked, I have seen her sick, I have seen her cry. When she fell and broke her hip, I didn’t want her to be embarrassed by the nurse or maid changing her nappies or cleaning her up so I did it all myself. She never hides anything from me and I don’t either. Not for any length of time, anyway.

She is already in bed reading a book. She peers at me from over her glasses and smiles. ‘What a lovely surprise,
Solnyshko
? Did you have a good time tonight?’

I go and sit on the side of her bed and Sergei curls up at my feet. ‘Yeah, it was okay, I guess. I auctioned my emerald earrings and they fetched £75,000 for the charity.’

‘Who bought them?’

‘Guess?’

‘A frog would turn into a hog faster than Oliver would pay £75,000 for a pair of earrings so it won’t be him,’ she deduces shrewdly.

‘You’re right. Oliver was outbid by someone else.’

Her eyes widen slightly. ‘Well, well,’ she says softly.

I stare at the pretty little piece of nail art on my big toe before looking up at her. ‘Baba, I need to go and see him tonight.’

She takes off her reading glasses, closes the book, and puts it on the bedside table.

‘Say something, please.’

‘What can I say,
Solnyshko?
Forbidding you to see him will only fan your desire to see him even more.’

‘It’s not just desire. I miss him, Baba. I miss his voice, I miss his face, I miss his touch. I even miss the sound of him breathing. He’s waiting for me. I have to go see him. I’ll go mad if I don’t see him tonight.’

She looks at me anxiously. ‘It is dangerous for you to be out alone this time of the night. I cannot condone such risky behavior.’

‘Baba. There are so many security guards outside every house on this street that it must be the safest place on earth.’

‘Still,’ she says, her eyes full of worry.

‘Even before I get to the main road a minicab will be waiting for me. I did it yesterday and it was fine.’

‘What if it is not fine today?’

‘Oh please, Baba. I’ll be careful. I promise I’ll be very, very careful.’

She sighs heavily. ‘I’m not happy about this,
Solnyshko
, but go with God and don’t be careless. You hold so many people’s lives in your hands. It’s an ugly world out there and the consequences of your actions could be great.’

I stare at her. ‘There won’t be consequences. I just want to see him one more time,’ I cajole.

She smiles sadly, because we both know I am lying. There will be consequences. I’m planning on changing everything. One more time? A three-year old kid can see through that piece of fiction.

‘Your father has gone out, but I don’t think he will stay out all night so be very careful. No matter what time you want to come back in just call me.’

‘I won’t wake you until after four.’

‘I can sleep anytime. Call me when you are ready.’

‘Thank you, Baba.’

‘Wear your jeans today. The weather forecast said it might rain tomorrow.’

I grin at her. ‘Did you know I’d go to see him?’

She grins back. ‘If I was your age, I would do the same.’

I laugh. ‘Can I leave Sergei in here? I don’t want him to be lonely two nights in a row.’

‘Of course. Bring his bed in here and put it over there by the wall.’

I stand up and kiss my grandmother’s cheeks. When I am very close to her ear, I whisper, ‘His name is Noah.’

‘It’s a good, strong name,’ she whispers back.

‘I love you,’ I say, and run out of her room.

In my own room I change quickly into jeans, a T-shirt, and sensible shoes. I find a cardigan and throw it over my T-shirt. Then I fill its pockets with dog treats. Standing in front of the mirror, I take down my hairdo and tie my hair into a ponytail instead. I make the bed with the pillows arranged to look like a sleeping person, then I call the minicab company and arrange for them to pick me up in ten minutes at the end of my street.

I look around me. Everything is as it should be. I pick up Sergei’s bed and his toys and call to him. ‘Come on, you’re sleeping with your grandma, tonight,’ I tell him. He looks at me reproachfully so I hug and tell him that one day, one day, I will take him to meet Noah.

Switching off the light, I close the door and go back to Baba’s bedroom. After I have settled Sergei and bade my grandma goodbye, I run downstairs. The house is quiet and still, and the soft soles of my shoes make no sound as I go out through the side door that locks after itself. I walk quickly towards the back of the house. The Rottweilers come to me, triggering the security lights; they make quiet whining noises.

‘It’s only me,’ I tell them, giving them little liver treats.

After I have sent them away I watch the moths fly towards the bright security lights. Just before they switch off, I start to count the seconds for the camera to come back around. The lights die and I carry on counting the seconds.

When I have counted enough time for the camera to do its sweep of that patch of ground, I run to the wall and, stepping into the grooves in it, climb over it. I drop onto the other side as nimble as a cat (I have been doing this for many years) and casually walk down the road. The taxi with the minicab company’s name printed on the door is waiting for me at the end of it. I open the door, slip into it, and give the driver Noah’s address.

My heart is hammering in my chest. 

Noah Abramovich

There is beauty in everything.

All you have to do is open up your heart

-Mahinour

T
here are no stars in the night sky above, and the air is strangely heavy and full of static electricity. A storm must be coming. I stand in my back garden smoking a cigarette, my whole body tight and strung out. It is waiting for hers.

For so many years, I dreamed of her. I dreamed of conquering her, fucking her, branding her, pulling the stuck-up Princess’s hair, forcing her to take my cock, and seeing her on her knees cowed and submissive. All it took was one night. Just one night for her to turn my dream to ashes.

If I was a tree, I lost, leaf by fucking leaf.

The tip of my cigarette glows amber as I inhale deeply. I look at my watch. It’s already twelve thirty. She won’t come tonight. It is too late. The disappointment is like a crushing weight on my chest, but I tell myself it is for the best. It disturbs me to think of her taking a taxi at this time of the night. The world is a cruel place for a beautiful woman.

I flick the cigarette away and roll my tense shoulders. Her black velvet box of earrings is burning a hole in the pocket of my pants. I take it out and open it. The jewels gleam in the light from the open doors. I tilt the box and they catch the light and look like green fire. I stroke the stones. They don’t feel cold to the touch.

I have never done anything like this before. Always kept my emotions locked away. Nothing but ice-cold concentration for the job at hand. Maybe I shouldn’t have bought them, but at that moment I couldn’t bear for him to claim her as his. She belongs to me and she will be mine even if it is the last thing I do.

Filled with a deep sense of restlessness, I close the box and drop it back into my pocket. I don’t want to get drunk alone again. I should go out. Maybe I’ll go to the club and have a drink with the boys, though the prospect doesn’t enthuse me.

I start when I hear the doorbell ring.

I turn to the sound, staring through the French doors. My heart suddenly pounding.

Fuck. She came.

I stride into the house and open the door.

‘Hi,’ she says.

Oh, Tasha, Tasha, Tasha.

I pull her in, kick the door shut and, taking her in my arms, crush her mouth with mine and kiss the shit out of her. She melts against my body. While I kiss her my hands are undressing her. Her sweater, her top, her bra, her jeans, her underwear. Suddenly I see them. I grab her wrist and bring it up.

‘He did this?’ I ask, my voice deceptively soft.

She shakes her head and I feel her trembling. ‘It’s nothing. I bruise easily.’

Fury like I have never experienced slams into my gut. I can’t even think straight with it. How fucking dare he? Who the fuck does that pompous sack of shit think he is? I won’t, I can’t take this lying down. ‘I’ll kill the fucking cunt.’

She puts her palms on either side of my face, her eyes suddenly brimming with tears. ‘Don’t. Don’t spoil tonight. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.’

I look at the sad desperation in her face, and even though it makes me sick to my stomach, I control myself. For now. Taking deep breaths, I calm myself, but fucking hell, he has made himself an unforgiving nemesis.

‘Tell me exactly what happened,’ I demand.

She bows her head. ‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘If you don’t tell me I’ll get it directly from him, and it won’t be pretty,’ I warn, my voice cold and quiet.

Her head flies up. ‘No, don’t,’ she cries.

I stare hard at her. She seems suddenly so pale and vulnerable I want to hold her tightly and never let her leave this house. I soften my voice. ‘Then tell me,’ I coax.

‘You shouldn’t have bought the earrings. You shouldn’t have showed your hand. It was a rash thing to do. Now he knows that you and I are …’ She shudders. ‘What if he tells my father?’

I don’t tell her that I wanted to show my hand. I wanted to rattle his cage. I’m not going to stand for her having to sneak around in the middle of the night to see me. I want to blow it all out of the water. I want to stand in front of her father come what may. War or not, I’ll declare that she is mine.

I bring her wrist to my mouth and kiss the blue marks his fingers have left on her skin. Her expression is troubled, and it kills me that I can’t erase that look of fear and worry or protect her. That tomorrow at dawn I will again have let her go. And while she is out of my sight anything could happen to her. Oh, God, even the thought of anything happening to her. I pull her soft body against mine and breathe in the clean, sweet smell.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from that sick coward,’ I mutter into her soft hair.

‘It’s okay. It’s not your responsibility.’

That is where she is wrong. She
is
my responsibility. Every inch of skin on her body is my responsibility.

‘I’m here now, so what’re you going to do about it, mmm?’

I feel her body wriggle and rub wantonly against mine and immediately the uncontrollable lust she always invokes in my loins overtakes me.

I pull away slightly, cup her bare breasts, and let my thumbs caress the stiff peaks. I can’t help being sinfully aroused by the startling contrast of my darker skin against her white flesh.

There is a condom in my trouser pocket and I fish it out. While I gently chew her nipples she groans hoarsely. I unzip my pants and release my straining cock. I push her up against the wall, stabbing my tongue into her open mouth and my cock into her pussy at the same time.

I plunder her mouth while my hands grab the firm cheeks of her ass and pull her even tighter against my cock. Wild and unashamed she sucks my tongue and rocks her hips into me. I release her mouth to return to her breasts. I want to see them twice their size, as they were last night. I draw the tips into my mouth and suck them roughly. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are glazed with passion. She furrows her fingers into my hair and presses my head closer to her body.

‘Yes, yes,’ she almost sobs with pleasure.

I nip one of the buds and she gasps. The sound touches something dark and forbidden inside me. I bend down to pick her up then stride to the living room. I put her down in the middle of the room and take a step back.

Let me see if she understands what I want from her.