by B. B. Hamel
“Wow. Cool names.”
He laughed. “My wife picked them out. I would have chosen something simpler.” He handed the kid back to Kaley and looked at me. “Come on. The boss wants to speak with you.”
“Is it about me?” Kaley asked.
“Yes,” Lucas said, “it is.”
“Let me meet with him.”
“No,” I said quickly. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”
She frowned but didn’t say anything. Lucas looked at her for a second and then we left the room together, heading toward Arturo’s office.
“Interesting girl,” Lucas commented.
“Yeah,” I said. “Strong willed.”
“That’s one way of putting it.”
We walked in silence until we reached Arturo’s office. Lucas knocked and then pushed the door open.
The office was as richly furnished as any other place in the house. Arturo himself was sitting behind his big wooden desk, and he gestured at the chairs for us to sit. We walked in, but Lucas stayed standing while I sat down.
“Vincent,” Arturo said. “I heard something happened today.”
Arturo had been the boss of the Barone crime family for most of his life. He was a legend in the city since he’d taken the family from a minor crime group to one of the biggest mobs in the whole country. Arturo was well respected and powerful, although he was getting up there in years.
“Yes,” I said. “Her name is Kaley Kozlov, daughter of Anatoli Kozlov, the Russian boss.”
“And she says her son is yours.”
I nodded. “That’s her story.”
“Is he?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “He could be.”
Arturo sighed. “You stuck your dick in some Russian whore, and now you have a son.”
I cringed at the way he said that. Kaley wasn’t a whore, so far as I knew. But you didn’t correct Arturo Barone, not if you were smart.
“Yes, sir.”
“Why is she here?”
“She believes her family is going to take her son away from her because he is an embarrassment to them. She’s here looking for my protection.”
Arturo nodded. “I see. And are you going to offer that protection?”
I blinked, surprised. “I assumed you’d be making that decision, sir,” I said.
“Lucas here believes that it would be wrong to turn away a mother in need,” Arturo said. “And I believe she could be useful. We’re always looking for an edge against the Russians.”
I nodded. “Practical. I agree.”
“But ultimately, this is your decision. If you take her in, there could be serious consequences from the Russians. Consequences you may be forced to pay.”
I frowned, looking down at my hands.
Was Alex my kid?
It was possible. It was very possible. When I’d held him, I knew I had felt something deep inside me. I didn’t know what that meant, if anything, but it had happened.
Then there was the girl.
Kaley was all fire and beauty. She was tough, but she was a Russian princess, everything I’d been taught to dislike. I wanted to fuck her, but I didn’t want to raise a child with her.
But she could be useful, very useful. I didn’t know what that meant for me and her, but it could be a good thing for the mob.
I didn’t want her brat, but I couldn’t turn my back on her, not until I knew for sure.
“I’ll take on that responsibility,” I said.
Arturo nodded. “Good.”
“At least until we know for sure if it’s my kid.”
“Of course,” Arturo said. “If it isn’t your son, we will ship her back to her family as soon as possible with all our apologies.”
“And if it’s my son?”
“Well,” Arturo said, smiling, “we’ll decide that when it happens. For now, we’ll keep her here.”
I stood up. “Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t fuck this up, Vince. Keep the girl happy until we know more.”
I nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Lucas turned and left, and I followed him. He shut the door behind us.
We walked back out into the hallway where he stopped and faced me. He had this serious look on his face, and I stopped in my tracks, staring at him.
“What?” I asked.
His face broke out into a big smile. “Congrats, daddy,” he said. “You have a fucking son.”
I groaned. “Fuck off.”
He laughed and headed back toward the office.
But he was right.
Taking her in like this was basically admitting to myself that the kid might really be mine. I didn’t want him, never signed up for being a father, but the fact remained that it might be my kid.
And so I had a responsibility to his beautiful mother.
Fuck. This whole thing was a mess.
And Lucas being a dick about it wasn’t helping.
We headed back toward my office and Kaley, a knot in my damn stomach.
7
Kaley
Vince returned to the office not long after, his face haunted by something. He barely looked at me as he returned to his desk, and a few minutes later, another man showed up at our door.
“Kaley?” he asked.
I stood up. “What’s going on?”
Vince looked at me. “Relax,” he said. “He’s showing you to your room.”
“My room?”
“Yeah,” Vince said. “You’ll be staying here for a little while.”
I took a step toward him, my mouth hanging open. “You’re taking me in?”
“Until the paternity test comes back,” he warned.
“You’re the father,” I said. “You’ll see.”
He only nodded, his hard eyes staring at me. I wanted to kiss his handsome lips but held myself in check.
“Thanks,” I said.
He nodded again. I turned away and the man smiled at me. “Right this way.”
He was dressed in a suit and had an earpiece in, just like a secret service agent. He was maybe in his forties and was beginning to bald at the top. I grabbed my bag and hurried to follow him.
He took me down some twisting, long hallways, and I was lost as soon as we started walking. A few minutes later, he stopped in front of a door, swiped a card, and opened it.
I stepped inside and took a deep breath.
The room was amazing. It was a suite, with a living room on the outside and a bedroom toward the back. It was by far the nicest room I had ever stayed in, at least on par with a five-star hotel, but probably better.
“Will this be okay?” the man asked.
“Great,” I said. “This is great.”
“Good.” He checked his watch. “Someone will be by shortly to get you settled.” He turned and disappeared.
I gaped around the room and dropped my bag on the couch. “We’re safe, little boy,” I whispered to Alex. “See, we have our own room now. Daddy is going to take care of us.”
I felt weird calling Vince that. He was Alexei’s father, but it was still strange to be under his protection. Truth was, I still thought about him all the time, and I didn’t know how I felt about the man. Everything was so mixed up in my mind.
Alex and I explored the room, and I talked to him the whole time. He seemed so calm, surprisingly calm, especially considering he was an infant in a brand new place. But he probably didn’t even notice the difference.
I noticed, though. The bedroom was huge, and the attached bathroom was gorgeous. It had a full tub and a standing shower, plus all granite and marble surfaces. It was by far the nicest place I had ever stepped foot in.
I heard the door open in the other room. “Hello?” a woman’s voice called out.
I stepped out into the living room and saw an older woman standing there, smiling at me. She was probably in her mid-forties, with her dark hair in a tight bun. She was wearing modest dress pants and a button-down shirt and looked like she belonged in a JCrew cat
alogue or something like that.
“Hi,” I said. “I’m Kaley.”
“Hi, Kaley. My name is Sonya. I was sent here to help take care of you.” She stepped toward me. “Is this little Alexei?”
I nodded, smiling. “He’s a little tired right now.”
“I’m sure. It’s been a big day for him.” She came a bit closer. “May I?”
“Sure.” I handed Alexei over to her, and she took him just like a pro. For whatever reason, I trusted her right away. Maybe it was because of the Russian name, but more likely it was her bearing. She seemed so kind and helpful, and she seemed really good with Alex.
“Hello, little boy,” she said, smiling. “He’s so very cute.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“So, Kaley, I’m here to help get you settled in, but I’m also going to help you take care of little Alex here.”
I stopped in my tracks. “What?”
“Don’t worry,” she said, smiling. “I’m a nanny by trade. I usually help out with the daycare, but they assigned me to you for the time being.”
“I don’t need any help,” I said.
“I’m sure you don’t, sweetie, but this is a pretty amazing place, and you’re going to be busy.”
“I’m okay,” I said again. “I can just stay in here with Alexei.”
“Well.” She smiled and handed Alex back to me, clearly sensing my discomfort. “Let me show you some things.” She took out a little packet, just like you’d get at a hotel.
“This is your keycard. Don’t lose it. If the key unlocks a door, you’re allowed in that room. If it doesn’t, you’re not. Simple, right?” I nodded, frowning. Were they really going to let me wander around the building?
“Next is a food menu. You just call room service, order what you want, and the staff brings it up. Just like in a hotel, except you don’t have to pay a thing.”
“Really?” I asked. “You’re not kidding?”
“Not at all. We’ll bring a crib up for Alex, some diapers, really whatever you might need.”
“That’d be amazing,” I said.
“Are you breastfeeding?”
I nodded.
“Good,” she said. “So you won’t need formula. Here’s a map of the grounds. Pretty much nothing outside is off limits. There’s a lot of stuff to do, so feel free to explore.”
“Sonya,” I said, “what the heck is this place?”
She laughed, smiling. “I know, strange, right?”
“It’s just more like a resort than like a mafia compound.”
She laughed, nodding her head. “I know, I know. I like how direct you are.”
I blushed. “Sorry. Everyone knows that, right?”
“Of course.” She shrugged, looking through the papers. “I don’t know why this place became the way it is. I guess since the men have such difficult jobs, the family wanted somewhere for everyone to feel safe and relaxed.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“Plus, the Barones like to show off their wealth. What better way than to spoil every single guest that walks in the door?”
I nodded again. It made sense, but it was still all too much. Only a few hours ago I had been worried about whether my son was going to be taken away from me, and now suddenly I was staying in this five-star mafia resort, completely protected and taken care of.
The Russian mob had nothing like this. They were more spread out, less centralized. I knew my father’s people had almost as much wealth as the Italians did, but our people sent a lot of it back to Russia, where we held a lot of land and buildings.
Apparently, at least. I’d never seen any of it or been to Russia. Hell, I barely even spoke Russian, which pissed my dad off all the time.
But forget him and forget the Russians. As far as I was concerned, the second they wanted to take my son away was the second I stopped being a part of their family.
“Any questions?” Sonya asked me.
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll leave you alone. The crib will be up shortly, along with other supplies. I’ll check in on you later.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I said. “Really, I’m fine.”
Sonya sighed. “Listen, Kaley. I don’t know why you’re here or what you’re running from. All I know is I was assigned to help take care of your son. If you don’t want me to do anything, I won’t. But I’ve been helping single moms like you for a very long time, and trust me, I know how hard it can be in those first few months.”
I nodded at her, frowning. She really didn’t seem like she was a part of the Italian organization at all. Maybe she really was just a staff member sent to help take care of Alexei. Maybe people weren’t always awful and sometimes actually took care of their children instead of trying to send them away.
“Thank you,” I said.
“No problem.” She turned and walked toward the door. “One more thing. If you ever need me, pick up the phone and ask for me by name. They’ll know who I am. I’ll come running.”
“Thank you,” I said again.
She nodded. “Please, ask for help. And good luck if you decide you don’t want any.”
I smiled. She turned and disappeared out the door.
“What a strange place,” I said softy. “Right, little boy?”
He smiled up at me.
I looked down at the packet Sonya had brought up and felt something deep in my chest.
It was relief.
For the first time since Alex had been born, I felt like he was safe. We weren’t in immediate danger. Vince was going to protect me for the next three days at least, and then he would find out that he was definitely the father.
Then, who knew what would happen. But at least I was safe for a little while and could finally catch my breath.
Almost as if on cue, Alex started crying.
The work of a mother is never over, I thought to myself.
8
Vince
I gave her a night to get settled.
The mansion was a crazy place. It was easy to forget that it was a mafia compound and not a five-star resort. I spent the night in my own room on the grounds, drinking nice whisky, eating decent food, and otherwise trying to forget about the girl that was staying just down the hall.
Of course I had them put her in a room near mine. I couldn’t resist myself. Kaley was still so damn sexy, her body was incredible, and the way she looked at me with this mixture of fear, hate, and desire drove me fucking wild. My cock was hard every second I was around her.
But she was trouble, and that baby was a real problem. If I was a father, I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do.
More importantly, though, she was a Russian mob princess. Her being in our compound meant the Russians were going to be pissed, and it was only a matter of time before we heard them bitch and moan about it.
Still, I couldn’t resist her. I even got one of the childcare ladies to help Kaley out with the brat just so I could steal her away and get one more taste of that perfect pussy.
The next morning, I got up early and walked down the hall. I knocked on her door and waited.
She answered a minute later and looked surprised to see me there. She was wearing this tight white T-shirt that was practically see-through and short cotton shorts that barely covered her ass. She looked fucking incredible.
“Morning, princess,” I said.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I want to talk to you.”
She glared at me but stepped aside to let me in.
“How’s the kid?” I asked.
“In his crib in the room,” she said. “I finally got him to sleep.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You been up all night?”
She shrugged. “Newborns don’t sleep.”
I laughed. “Shit. Being a parent must suck.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “Ask yourself. You’re a father now.”
“Yeah, so y
ou say.” I walked over and sat down in one of her chairs. “Come, sit.”
She stood next to a chair, arms crossed. “I don’t take orders well.”
I grinned at her. “That’s fine with me. I think I can get you taking orders soon enough, though.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged. “Just remembering our night together. You seemed to like it when I told you what to do.”
She blushed. “Don’t bring that up.”
“Why not? You sure as hell liked me back then. You liked my thick cock between your legs. You liked getting fucked by me.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Not that long. You still think about it, I bet. Probably soaked right now just thinking about how I worked that perfect fucking pussy of yours.”
“Is that all you came here for, to talk about that night?”
I shook my head. “No. But that little outfit you’re wearing has my cock hard, so I can’t think of much else.”
“Well why don’t you go deal with that yourself and come back later.”
“How about you come over here and let me deal with it now.”
She crossed her arms, annoyed. “What do you want, Vincent?”
I sighed. “Fine. Down to business.” I put my hands behind my head, leaning back in my chair. “I want to know how you can be of use to this family.”
She stared at me for a second. “What do you mean?”
“Listen, princess,” I said. “It doesn’t matter if that brat is my kid or not. Truth is, we need something from you if you plan on hanging around here under our protection.”
“I don’t have anything to give you,” she said.
“Maybe you don’t think so, but you’re Anatoli’s daughter. You know things, as much as you pretend like you don’t.”
“I’m not going to betray my family.”
I grinned at her. “Think of it as helping your new family. I am your daddy, now aren’t I?”
She made a face. “You’re Alex’s father. And don’t be gross.”
“Not being gross, princess. Just stating a fact.” I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, grinning at her. “Now, what can you do for me?”
“Asshole. Protecting your son isn’t enough?”