Captivated by the deadly mafia boss

Lena

Micah is quiet in the car on the way to Katfish. He’s been brooding ever since he returned from Roman’s house this afternoon.

“You don’t have to come if you have things to do,” I say to him as the car pulls to a stop outside the club. “I’m sure my brothers can get me a ride home.”

“No,” he says and climbs out the car.

A moment later my door opens and his hand thrusts at me. I grab it and let him help me down from the SUV. As soon as the door shuts, Dimitri drives off, probably to find somewhere to park.

“Are you sure? You seem, I don’t know, not here.”

“I’m fine.” Again, he’s curt. We bypass the crowd waiting to get into the club and find our way to the VIP section in the back of the first floor.

Kasia and Dominik are already here, and Kasia gets up from the booth to hug me. Dominik and Micah nod in greeting but say nothing to each other.

Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed him to come to Katfish. Just because he doesn’t seem to have the same irrational hatred for my family as his father doesn’t mean this isn’t difficult for him. Especially since Roman had tried to keep me away from all of them.

Maybe that’s the problem.

“Is your father angry at you for letting me see my family? Did he say something when you were there today?” I lean over to ask Micah so my brother can’t hear me. The last thing I need is my overprotective brother getting involved.

He covers my hand on the table. “I don’t want to talk about Roman tonight.”

When I pull back to inspect his eyes, I see a familiar darkness.

“Yeah, okay.” I nod.

“Where’s Jakub?” Micah asks Dominik.

“In the office, he had an interview,” Dominik answers, his jaw clenches.

“I need to speak with him.” Micah gets up from the booth and gives me a quick look. “I’ll be right back.”

Before I can speak, he’s gone.

“What’s wrong with him?” Kasia asks.

I watch him maneuver through the crowd on the edge of the dance floor until he disappears into the sea of bodies.

“He saw his father this afternoon.” I shrug.

“That’s reason enough to put anyone in a bad mood,” Kasia says with a smile.

“What did he meet with him about?” Dominik interjects, his eyes wandering over the room. I wonder if he ever rests enough not to notice every bit of action in his surroundings.

“He didn’t say, but he hasn’t seen him since the wedding so I’m sure Roman gave him grief over it.”

“I’ll be back. You two don’t get in any trouble while I’m gone.” Dominik kisses Kasia’s cheek then gets up and leaves.

“What is he doing?”

Kasia shrugs. “He’s probably going to eavesdrop on Jakub.”

“He holds the reins too tightly on Jakub,” I say.

“That’s probably true. But enough about them, how are things with you?”

“As good as I would expect, I suppose.”

Kasia laughs.

“What?” I demand.

“I saw the disappointment in you when Micah walked away. Things are going better than good, I’d say.”

“He works a lot. Gets calls at all hours of the night.” I shrug. Putting my feelings for Micah beneath a microscope is not what this evening is about. Micah needs a night out, a few hours where he’s not working. Though I’m sure he only said yes to coming to Katfish so I could see my brothers.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“That won’t change.” Kasia’s smile fades a bit at the edges. “It’s just part of who they are. It doesn’t mean anything about you if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I’m not worried.” I straighten my shoulders. “I couldn’t care less what Micah does. It’s his life, he can do what he wants.”

Kasia laughs again, harder this time. “Lena. You’re not a very good liar.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are, but you probably don’t even know it yet. You like him. A lot, by the looks of things.” Kasia reaches across the table and lays her hand on mine. “It’s hard to understand falling in love with someone you were supposed to hate. It goes against logic, I know. Believe me.” She squeezes my hand. “I know.”

Love him?

I gear up to argue, to dispute everything she says, but there’s a sense of calm that comes over me as I think on it. Am I falling in love with him?

“Don’t worry too much over it. It’s not like you have a choice in the matter. And besides, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to love your husband.” Kasia pats my hand and sits back in her seat. “I wish Jakub would get a new DJ.”

The music had switched over to a sharp techno beat that sounded like an assault on my eardrums.

I lean back in my seat. A waiter stops at our table and delivers Kasia and me a glass of wine that we didn’t order. Dominik had it sent over, he tells us.

“When do your classes start?” Kasia sips at her fresh drink.

“Next week.” I wrap my fingers around the stem of my glass. Micah’s been gone a while and so has Dominik. The VIP section is less noisy than the rest of the club thanks to Jakub’s installment of noise-dampening features, so it’s easier to talk with Kasia, but still, a chill runs over me. Something isn’t right.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” I slide my drink to the middle of the table and scoot from the table.

“No. Don’t leave me here by myself.” She follows me from the table. “Where are we going anyway?” she asks as we wiggle past a bachelorette party.

“To find Micah.”

“He’s probably not going to like that.” She tugs on my arm. “So, let me go first. I’ll say I was looking for Dominik.”

I see no reason not to shelter behind her, so I let her get in front of me and let her lead the way toward the offices in the back.

The music fades as we make our way down the corridor to Jakub’s office. Once we’re at his door, tense voices creep from behind.

“It was a long time ago; I don’t remember much,” Jakub says. Kasia reaches for the handle, but I pull her hand away and shake my head at her.

Whatever conversation is happening inside, I want the organic version.

“But he spoke to you about my father’s business.” Micah’s tense voice comes through clear.

“He mentioned he wished he hadn’t helped build the damn stable. That’s all, Micah. Look, I partied with him a few times. We weren’t close. Most of what he said was while he was piss drunk.”

“Why does any of this matter, anyway?” Dominik’s voice chimes in.

“Roman sees it differently. He believes that you put the idea into his head about getting rid of the stables. He blames you for it,” Micah explains.

My chest twists at the news. Roman idolized Igor from what Micah has told me. If he truly believes my family turned Igor from one of Roman’s projects, that explains his taste for vengeance now. After Dominik stopped one of their shipments, it all exploded for Roman.

“It had nothing to do with me,” Jakub insists, his tone turning angry. “Igor was involved with some girl. She was the reason.”

“I think I know who you’re talking about,” Micah says, calmer now. “One second,” he says and a few seconds later he says, “Niko. What?”

I look down at Kasia, who has crouched down trying to see through the blinds of the window beside the door. She turns a curious glance up at me. What do we do now? Just stay out here and eavesdrop or get in there and find out what exactly is going on?

“He was willing to sell?” Micah’s voice starts up again. “How much… uh huh… two hundred fifty? That’s all? What’s her condition?”

A sharp tingle zips up my spine. He’s buying a woman?

“Fine, yeah, that’s good. Get the doctor to look her over.”

I shove away from the door. “I’ve heard enough.”

“Lena, wait.” Kasia pulls at my arm. “Don’t leave. You don’t know what we heard. It’s just one side.”

I try to get around her, but she’s annoyingly limber and blocks me every step I try to make.

“He’s buying a woman, Kasia. What else do I need to know? This is the man that I’m falling in love with? A man who puts a dollar value on the life of a woman?” I shake my head as the words spill free of my mouth. Tears build up in my eyes.

She hugs me tight. “Ask him about it. Assuming you know what’s going on will only cause a fight when there might not be a reason for one.”

I pull free of her embrace. “And if he tells me he did buy her? That he’s not happy with the stable but he’s going to keep working it? What am I supposed to do then? Leaving him will only cause a fight with Roman.”

She pinches her lips together. “From all the stories your brothers have told me about, I never pictured you as someone who gives up so easily.”

“Gives up? I’m not giving up.”

“Then why are you trying to run off?” she asks, folding her arms over her chest.

She’s right, of course. Before I met Micah, I would shove through that door and demand answers. But that was before. I had nothing to lose then.

My chest clenches, keeping the air from my lungs. I close my eyes and slowly drag in a breath, concentrating on my lungs filling, stretching until I can’t hold it anymore and let it out. I do this again before I face Kasia, my nerves somewhat settled.

“If he tells me he’s going to help his father, I’ll lose him,” I say quietly. “I’ll lose myself, too because I couldn’t feel this way about a man like that. I just couldn’t.”

She stares at me for a long beat.

“But you’re right. I don’t give up, and I don’t need him or my brothers to define what or who I am.” Before any wind can fall from my sails, I spin on my heel and burst into Jakub’s office.

All three sets of firm, angry eyes turn on me. But I won’t be deterred.

“What is going on?” I demand.

“Lena, what are you doing back here?” Micah asks. “I told you to stay at the table.”

“Contrary to what your family believes, I’m not some possession to be put on a shelf until ready for use.”

Micah’s jaw clenches. “Watch yourself, princess,” Micah warns, his heated glare settles on me.

“Kasia, what’s going on?” Dominik avoids me and asks his wife.

“You all disappeared, and we were just looking for you,” she answers simply with a shrug but stands firm behind me.

“What were you talking to Niko about?” I settle my own glare on Micah. It’s not nearly as fiery, I think; I haven’t had the practice he’s had. But I won’t back down on this.

“An issue that’s being resolved,” Micah says, keeping me pinned to the floor with his gaze.

“What issue?”

“A business issue.”

“Lena, leave it be for now.” Dominik touches my arm, but I shove it away.

“Did you just tell Niko to buy a woman for your father’s stable? Did you just give him the okay?” I ask. I’m not beating around the bush.

“Not exactly.”

“You told him to buy a woman though.”

“Yes. I did.” He slides his hands into his pockets as though this is no big deal. He might as well have told Niko to pick up a pizza for dinner with the casual way he confesses his sin.

“Is that why you’ve been so busy this week? You’ve been helping your father stock up the stable?”

His eyebrow arches. “I’ve been working, Lena. You know that.”

“That answers nothing.” I turn to Jakub. “And what is your involvement with all this? Roman seeks to punish me because of you?”

Jakub stands straighter, his eyes darken. I’ve never seen him irritated before, at least not with me, but now that I have, I’m not sure I like it.

“Don’t put any of this bullshit on my doorstep. I knew Igor years ago. I didn’t have any sort of business dealings or friendship. He happened to be at the same party I was at, nothing more than that. If Roman wants to blame me for Igor getting a conscience, that’s his problem.”

I can’t breathe, the air gets too thick. Sucking in a harsh breath doesn’t help; it only gets stuck in my throat. I fist and unfist my hands, trying to work the anxiety from my chest and into my fingers. I need to breathe.

“Lena, you need to calm down.” Micah steps to me. “Breathe, slow, baby, breathe slow.”

I jerk away from him. His tenderness comes from a black soul. One that puts no value on a woman. He’s his father’s son.

It would have been better if he’d just left me in the stable. Having a happy ending dangling in front of me and then ripping it away is worse. So much worse.

“Lena, calm down.” Dominik crowds me, too.

I shove away from all of them as tears roll down my cheeks.

“I hate you,” I say to Micah with a shaking voice. It’s the best I can do. There’s a clog in my chest that’s not letting anything else out. “I truly hate you.”

“Lena.” He reaches for me, intent on grabbing me, but I’m not sticking around. I’m done being the pawn in this game of men.

“No.” I turn and run out of the room and down the hall. I hear the office door open and fast steps behind me, but it only makes me run faster.

I get outside the club, past the bouncer, and eye an Uber pulling up to the curb. Two women step out and as soon as they’re clear, I jump in and lock the door.

“Hey. You have to use the app for a pickup. I can’t just take you,” the driver argues with me.

Micah rushes out of the club, looking up and down the street for me. Then his pitch black eyes land on mine, his jaw snaps closed, his eyes narrow.

“I’ll pay you twice your fee, just get me away from here,” I say.

He follows my gaze. “Yeah. Okay, sure.” The car shifts into gear, and he pulls out into traffic just as Micah reaches the car.

Once we’re a block away, I turn back around and take a steady breath. I flick away the tears on my cheeks.

“Where do you need me to take you?” he asks.

I have nowhere to go. Nowhere he won’t find me.

So, I head to the only place a woman with no options can find safety.