Stolen from the Hitman: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance(188)

“Ahh, she is indeed a pussycat,” I grin, and for Mikhail’s benefit, I take her hand, kissing her knuckles. “Welcome to Bayonne, Alicia.”

I’m trying to stay calm, but I know if Mikhail is here, trouble is following him, and trouble is the last thing we need. Not with the feds, not with these slimeballs trying to take over our city and bringing in human slaves.

But I can’t say no to him. Not after all we’ve been through. Even if he is bringing the heat down on us.

“Now hands off of her,” Mikhail says, pushing away my arm before we head on inside. A few of them grin and cheer excitedly for Mikhail’s return, knowing who he is to me and what he once meant to the area.

“Some people you know?” Cherry asks, stepping close to my side as the man steps in and looks at me with the same familiar recognition that’s on my face.

“Yeah,” I chuckle, “it’s been a hell of a long time, but I like to think I know him. He’s the walking, talking reminder of my past, in more ways than one, but dammit, he’s family.”

Cherry’s eyes widen. “You mean…”

“Yeah,” I reply, stepping forward to give Mikhail a tight hug. “This towering giant is my brother, both by blood and by the Bratva” I say, looking back at Cherry with a rugged smile.





40





Cherry





I look back and forth between the two of them with my mouth hanging wide open. How could they possibly be related? Brothers? Leon and Mikhail are both stunningly handsome and undeniably Russian, but otherwise so different. Leon looks like a pretty typical — albeit hunkier than usual — working class guy, with his mischievous smile and lowkey style. But Mikhail looks like a mobster. Like an emotionless killing machine.

“Mikhail, let me introduce to you to my girl. This is Cherry LaBeau,” Leon says, reaching out and taking my hand. He releases his brother and stands next to me, beaming. He looks like an excitable puppy showing me off to his big brother, and the fact that he called me his girl is making my head spin with delight.

Mikhail is tall and straight-backed, his bearing regal and intimidating. He’s dressed in all black, his clothing neatly pressed and immaculately tailored to his muscular body. By comparison, Leon is much more relaxed and Americanized. Even though I can still sense that Russian resilience and power in him, but Leon smiles and laughs more easily. I get the feeling that Mikhail doesn’t do either of those things very often. Maybe ever.

He holds out his hand to shake mine. I oblige him quickly, my eyes wide as I look up into his stony face. “Ochyen priyatno, sestra. It’s a pleasure.”

“Same here,” I reply nervously, giving him a weak smile. He scares the pants off of me.

Then he immediately turns back to Leon and leans in to murmur, “Moy brat, I have a favor to request of you.”

Leon puts an arm around me and grins at his brother. “Anything for you.”

Mikhail glances around the room at everyone. Half the people are pretending not to pay attention, and the other half are just outright staring. Way to play it cool, guys, I think to myself bemusedly. Leon notices the same thing and rolls his eyes.

“Uh, let’s go in the back and discuss this, eh?” he suggests. Mikhail nods.

At first I assume they’re going to head into the back office without me, as I’m probably not exactly at the high level of security clearance required for whatever mafia-esque business Mikhail could possibly want to discuss. But Leon pulls me by the hand behind him, the four of us passing through a wide berth in the crowd. Everyone seems to move out of Mikhail’s way. I wonder if it’s just his ominous presence that does it, or if he has some kind of dark reputation preceding him.

When we get to the back and Leon closes the door behind us, he turns back and asks his brother, “So, what is it? What do you need?”

Mikhail replies grimly, “I need you to help me hide Alicia, bratishka.” I can tell from the way Mikhail says her name that she’s the one he loves. It’s hard to imagine such a tight-lipped, buttoned-up statue of a man having tender feelings for anyone, but there it is. And it’s obvious by the genuine concern clouding his face that he’d do anything to keep her safe. “A few months should do the trick. Then I’ll come back and see she’s sent along safely.”

Instantly I can tell that Alicia is crushed, and my heart hurts for her. Didn’t Mikhail discuss this with her? She looks way too shocked for that.

“You’ll come back?” She asks, but Mikhail doesn’t look at her. He’s forcing his hard gaze on Leon, but I can see the flicker of anguish pass his features.