Andrei: A Dark Mafia Romance (Dark Mafia Kingpins Book 1)

by Naomi West

  “Good luck out there and don’t let your guard down. A lot is riding on this moment.” Yuri took a drag of his hand-rolled cigarette and then snuffed it underneath the heel of his boot. “The fate of this entire family lies in your capable hands, Andrei.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I won’t let you down.” I tried to sound confident in my abilities, but the pressure was on. If I fucked this up or Lorenzo did something stupid, then it was game over.

  The van pulled away, and I followed. We took the backroads and had a few scouts scoping out the area to make sure there weren’t any cops hiding in the woodwork. The last thing we needed was a routine traffic stop. I doubt Lorenzo would have the patience needed to wait for us if we happened to be late. He would probably call the whole thing off and then we’d be right back to square one, and I’d have to find some other way to make Cora mine.

  Because come hell or high water, I wasn’t going to let her slip away. I had set my sights on her, and I always got what I wanted, no matter the cost.

  I tightened my grip on the steering wheel when I saw the van veer off the road and onto the dirt. A cloud of dust made it impossible for me to see. I slammed on the brakes and waited for the air to clear. Standing right in front of my car was a dear.

  “Fuck off, Bambi.” I honked my horn, and the animal went running towards the tree line.

  I called the driver. “Good work avoiding a collision but be careful about running the van off the road. There aren’t any guard rails here to keep you from rolling down the cliffside, and I doubt any of us want to swim with the fishes tonight.”

  “Sorry, sir.”

  “Keep on driving. We’re almost there.”

  I hung up and sped up so that I kept the van in my line of vision even when it rounded corners. So far, so good. If nature kept out of our way, then we would reach the quarry without a hitch. But that final stretch felt like an eternity. Maybe it was my eagerness to see Cora, to know that she would no longer be another one of Lorenzo’s victims. She would be mine—a Valeri.

  The van made a left turn. The terrain was bumpy, but the car was built to take a beating. Mine? Not so much. Luxury car companies didn’t exactly have off-roading in mind when they designed their vehicles. I was nearly thrown out of my seat a couple of times.

  “Fuck,” I swore when my head crashed into the ceiling not once but twice.

  Crunch!

  I was sure as hell that I had bottomed out, but somehow, my car kept on moving. I would have a hefty bill to pay to my mechanic once this was all over, but it would be well worth it in the end. Cora’s company was worth just about anything.

  From the looks of it, we were the first to arrive. I should have known it would be this way. Lorenzo was known for being fashionably late.

  “Should we open up the back?” the driver asked as the rest of my men flanked the van like a SEAL team ready for a special op mission.

  “No, we’ll leave the reveal for when that fucker gets here.” I glanced at my watch. Quarter past six on the dot.

  First, it was five minutes. Then ten.

  I was starting to think that the guy wouldn’t show at all, and if that were the case, there would be hell to pay because no one crossed the Valeri family and lived to tell the tale.

  The men were getting anxious.

  I fished out my phone, ready to dial Lorenzo’s number when I heard the distant thrum of music. It became louder and louder—some ghetto Latino rap where even native Spanish speakers had no idea what the fuck the guy was saying. If you were going to blast music, at least make sure it was decent.

  The trio of cars parked in front of ours. The engines turned off, and Lorenzo stepped out with a cocky grin on his face.

  “Do you have my guns?”

  “Do you have my cash and my girl?”

  Lorenzo snapped his fingers, and one of his goons carried over a briefcase. It was packed with stacks—exactly what I wanted to see.

  “You’re short,” I said.

  “Nothing gets past you now, does it?”

  A second man joined the first holding an identical briefcase.

  “Satisfied? Every last penny you squeezed out of me is here for the taking.”

  “And the girl?”

  “Safe and sound in the back of my car.”

  “Let me see her.”

  Lorenzo clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Careful you don’t insult me with all this suspicion.”

  “We’ve shaken hands, Lorenzo.”

  “So we have.”

  A thin line was being drawn, and I knew that crossing it could be catastrophic, but I wasn’t going to let this guy think he could screw me over. Men like Lorenzo preyed on the weaknesses of others; it was their fetish—how they get off.

  He waved his hand, and someone dragged Cora out of the car. She looked at me with those chocolate eyes of hers. I wanted to smile and tell her that everything would be okay, but instead, I kept a straight face. The less Lorenzo knew about my intimacy with Cora, the better. If he knew how much she meant to me, well, he would find some way to use her against me.

  “As you can see, I’ve held up my end of the bargain. Now, let’s see if you’ve done the same.”

  I simply stepped aside. Immediately, my men opened up the back of the cargo van. Lorenzo stepped inside and started rummaging through boxes left and right. His goons had their guns pointed and at the ready in case luring their boss into the van was some kind of heist on our part. I ignored them. Mafia dealings were all the same. Men pointed guns at other men, but so long as everything was in order, no one pulled the trigger.

  Today, I hoped to keep it that way.

  “So, do we have a deal?”

  Lorenzo walked over to Cora and grabbed her by the shoulder. With a push, she shuffled forward into the space between our cars. Her hands were tied behind her back and by the looks of it, a bit too tightly. Her fingers had gone white with the lack of blood flow. That discomfort to her alone was enough to send me into a frenzy, but, of course, I didn’t act on it. Such a trifle could be overlooked if it guaranteed her overall safety.

  “Now, before we make the exchange, there’s just one little thing.”

  “And what might that be?” I kept my voice level, but I had the sneaking suspicion that Lorenzo was up to something and I didn’t like it one bit.

  “As you know, I’m more than happy to make the deal, but since you think that Cora isn’t worth all that much, I’m sure you won’t mind if I take her for a spin before I hand her over, right?”

  I didn’t say a word.

  “The thing is, I haven’t had the chance since I bought her. It won’t be long, really. You can just sit and wait while I take one last stab at her.” A menacing expression colored his face.

  I wanted to pounce and rip his goddamn neck out. How dare he. Cora was mine.

  She looked at me, her eyes wide with fear. Don’t let him do this to me, she seemed to say.

  I won’t. The sick fuck might touch you—might scare you—but he won’t have you, not while I have a say in the matter.

  This, I promise you, Cora.

  36

  Lorenzo frogmarched Cora over to the front of the van and bent her against the hood. He unzipped his fly and allowed his pants to drop to the ground. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. I was banking on his bluff. He wouldn’t fuck her here, in front of all these people; his pecker was much too small for that. If I had to guess, the sick freak probably had stage fright. He would never get a hard-on with all the pressure.

  He had his eyes fixed in my direction. He was watching me—gauging a reaction. Did he think I was some sort of dumbass? I knew exactly what sort of game he was playing at, and I wasn’t going to fall for it.

  Suddenly, he slammed her head into the hood so that her cheek was flush against the chipping paint. She whimpered. That cry for help nearly broke my resolve, but I managed to keep my cool.

  Keep on playing your little game, Lorenzo, you’re n
ot going to win.

  “Oh, I’m going to have so much fun with you,” he whispered against her ear, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. “Long overdue too.”

  He pressed his hips against hers, but his boxers never tented.

  That’s right, you fucker, hide that disgrace of a dick. No one wants to see a half inch chode.

  I bet that if I had paid a sex-crazed hooker a million dollars to suck him off, she would turn down the offer.

  “I should have done this a long time ago.” He continued his stream of chitchat, clearly hoping it would piss me off. It was working all right, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. “I’ll show you what it means to get fucked by a real man. You’ve never felt anything until you’ve been with me.” He pulled her hair back. “Andrei will never satisfy you the way I can.” He rammed his hips into her body to punctuate his insult.

  My jaw tightened, but still, I did not give him the reaction he was looking for. This was all about getting off on a power play so he could feel like the bigger man. If I was reading the card right, he didn’t even want to fuck Cora at all.

  “You’re such a worthless whore.” He said that final word like it was meant as a slap to the face. “This is the only pathetic deal you helped me close, and it isn’t even much of a deal. Guns are easy to come by if you know where to look. The Valeri think they are making me an offer I can’t resist—well, I’m just doing them a favor because I know they are desperate for money.”

  His hands started to wander because if he couldn’t get a reaction out of me, then maybe he could get one out of Cora. But she didn’t make much noise.

  Good girl. Keep it up, and he’ll lose his interest. Don’t give him anything to chase and we’ll be fine.

  “So, I might as well squeeze a bit of value out of you before I let you go.” As he spoke, he squeezed her asscheek. When that wasn’t enough, he slapped her ass.

  She jumped from the impact, and he pushed her back down.

  “Don’t try to fight it. Lay down and take it like the good whore that you are.”

  She turned her face the other way. It pained me to see her in a state of obvious distress, but for me to do something would mean letting Lorenzo win, and I couldn’t allow that to happen.

  Lorenzo was purposefully humiliating me just because the opportunity had arisen for him to do so.

  “And do you know the best part? Andrei will be forced to watch.” He snickered as he lifted her skirt up higher.

  The very tops of her thighs were exposed, and I was sure that some of my men could see her private bits. I wanted to shield her from all the hungry eyes that ogled her. What she had hidden under her skirt was mine and mine alone to see and admire.

  And yet, if I acted on the impulses to protect her, then I could lose her forever. I might even tempt Lorenzo to fuck her outright, and I would never forgive myself if I allowed that to happen. She trusted me, and my judgment, and I didn’t want to fail her. I would bring her home untouched by the likes of the biggest creep in town.

  “It doesn’t look like he’s all that interested,” Cora said.

  I couldn’t tell whether she was playing into my hand or whether she felt betrayed by my lack of action.

  Lorenzo looked back, and this time, I met his eye.

  I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. You can do whatever the fuck you want to her—I don’t care.” I leaned against the hood of my car and started to pick at my nails. “Just try to make it quick—we don’t have all night to watch you pork her.” I hated myself for using such crude language when it concerned Cora, but I was really trying to sell my act. “And oh, I’d love my merchandise in one piece, but other than that, do whatever.”

  He immediately lost interest.

  Bingo.

  I saw the annoyance written all over his face.

  Double bingo.

  There was nothing better than getting under the skin of a foe. Sometimes doing nothing is the best course of action.

  “Fuck it, she’s not worth the bother.” He threw her forward so that she fell face first in the dirt. “She’s not even pretty, and she’s fat to boot.” He grinned. “Have fun fucking a pig.”

  That was his attempt at a grand-slam insult? Lame.

  I nodded towards my crew, who started to unload the boxes from the van.

  Lorenzo handed over the money. “You must be blind because there’s nothing to see in that fat fuck. She probably gave you the clap.”

  “All the better that I am getting her out of your hair then,” I said.

  His face was a bright shade of red, and a vein throbbed against the side of his neck. For a moment, I thought he was going to cap me right then and there. But he eventually turned around and walked toward his car. On his way there, he spat in Cora’s direction and kicked her, so she fell a second time. There was blood running down her nose.

  I waited for Lorenzo and his men to peel off before I went over to retrieve her. I brought out my switchblade and sliced through the rope that held her wrists together. A flash of fear crossed over her face. Was she scared of me? Honestly, I wouldn’t blame her. From her perspective, I probably looked like a massive dick—probably no better than Lorenzo himself. But I was certain that after a bit of explanation, she would understand that things weren’t quite what they seemed. She didn’t need to think that I was some sort of good guy but good enough to treat her with respect and decency.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  No response.

  Seeing as she was shivering, I took off my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She stumbled, her legs shaky.

  “Go on ahead. I’ll be at the clubhouse soon enough.” I dismissed my men with a wave of my hand.

  “Are you sure?” the driver asked.

  “Yes.”

  They didn’t argue the point any further.

  A cloud of dust followed in their wake. We had finally reached my car. I held Cora at arm’s length and looked her over for any serious injuries. As far as I could tell, all she had suffered were a couple of cuts and bruises—nothing that couldn’t heal in a few weeks.

  “Look at me.”

  Her eyes were glassy. She looked so damn vulnerable.

  Knowing that we were alone now, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. It wasn’t something I normally did. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time I had hugged someone—it just wasn’t something mafia men were in the habit of doing.

  And yet, holding her felt oh so right.

  “You’re safe now,” I whispered against her ear. “I promise.”

  37

  She didn’t say a word on the way to the clubhouse. Occasionally, I would look over and see a shell-shocked expression on her face. It never changed. Thinking it would make her more comfortable, I turned up the heat in the car until it was as toasty as an oven. I was starting to sweat, but at least Cora had stopped her shivering. Good. That problem, at least, had been solved. What still remained was the fact that I would need to explain myself and my behavior at the trade-off. I searched my mind for the right combination of words, but none of them seemed quite right.

  I took the ride home as a time to think. There was so much I needed to say to this girl now that we were truly alone, and yet, I remained as silent as a door stopper. In the end, we reached the clubhouse without exchanging a single word. I eased into my parking spot and killed the engine.

  “I need you to stay here. No one knows that I’ve bought you from Lorenzo. If they see you roaming around, they might do something stupid, and I would rather avoid that. You’ve had enough trouble to last you a lifetime.”

  I waited for a beat to see if she would respond, but she just sat there with this faraway look on her face. I passed my hand in front of gaze but still… nothing.

  I was growing concerned about her wellbeing, but the cash in my truck needed to be put in the safe or Yuri would have my head. The whole family was banking on that money, and I couldn’t let m
y personal affairs get in the way of that.

  “Stay here,” I repeated, hoping that she was secretly listening.

  Leaving her behind was difficult, but I had to convince myself that she would be fine so long as I hurried it up. So, I retrieved the suitcases from the trunk and carried them inside.

  The Valeri safe was hidden inside of Yuri’s office. It wasn’t a place where you could usually find it. He thought it a bit too stuffy for his liking. But that night, he sat behind his desk, lamplight spilling onto the surface and illuminating his face in an eerie sort of glow.

  “I hear that the transaction went well.”

  “It did.”

  I placed both suitcases on his desk so that he could count the money. He liked to count everything himself, which made the process a rather long and tedious one.

  “I also heard that you brought home a girl.”

  “I did.”

  “You didn’t tell me that she was included in the deal.” There was a critical tone to his voice. “Luis says that she’s quite the looker. I am sure that Lorenzo was upset to see her go.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Lorenzo just threw in a sweetener. If I had to guess, it was just his way of apologizing for being such a hard ass during the proceedings.”

  “And do you know the girl?”

  “We’ve had a few run-ins.”

  Yuri stopped counting for a moment. He resumed a second later, but I hadn’t missed the hiccup.

  “Well, it looks like we have more than enough money here to start our legitimate business, so I’m not complaining.”

  I could tell that Yuri wasn’t buying my bullshit excuse, but he didn’t try to push the envelope, so I wasn’t going to stir the pot any more than I needed to.

  “Everything seems to be in order here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He nodded and handed back the briefcases. “Put them in the safe, will you?”

  I did as he asked. The safe was hidden behind a painting of my father. It was a bit cliché, but Yuri had insisted on having it that way, and whatever he said was usually the law around here.