Everything petite Mia wasn’t.
She couldn’t fathom why he had sent for her.
He pushed back from his desk to stand, and she caught her breath at his broad-shouldered build. As he stalked closer to her with the air of a hunting panther, she finally exhaled raggedly, her spine stiffening of its own accord in reaction to the look in his eyes.
His gaze skipped briefly to Bruno, and he frowned. “What happened to you?” His voice was smooth and deep, like polished onyx, but with a note that disconcerted her.
“She maced me.”
O’Mara laughed and turned back to her. “Did you really?”
She lifted a shoulder. “He was chasing me. I don’t like being kidnapped.”
She hoped maybe he would deny the allegation, or seek to reassure her that she wasn’t there under duress. He didn’t even flinch.
He glanced at his goons again, pointing to the door. “Leave.”
“You sure, boss?” asked Wallace. “She’s feisty.”
Mia still didn’t like how Wallace looked at her. Like he was just biding his time until she was available.
With a roll of his strange green eyes, O’Mara gestured for them to leave again. “I think I can handle her.”
Mia should have felt better as the other men left. Felt more safe since the numbers were more even, one-on-one.
If anything, she felt worse. “Why am I here?”
He ignored the question. “Have a seat?” An offer, but the command beneath it couldn’t be denied.
But she would. She planned to deny him everything. She squared her shoulders. “No, thank you.”
He arched a dark brow. “I’d think your feet would hurt after a night at the restaurant.”
His voice held the slight lilt of an accent. Very faded, but sexy. Mia pursed her lips. “My feet aren’t your concern. Tell me why your goons dragged me here.”
“I’m Shane O’Mara.” He extended his hand, which she didn’t even consider taking. He seemed amused and with a small shrug, he dropped it back to his side. “Very well. We’ll skip the niceties.”
“Niceties aren’t really the order of the day when you abduct someone.” She shifted slightly, suddenly aware of the acute ache from her overworked feet. Damn him for drawing it to her attention.
He laughed again and damned if the silky sound didn’t do something to her insides. “Fine.” Shane walked back to his desk, propping his hip on the corner.
“What do you want from me, Mr. O’Mara?”
“Shane.”
She ignored him.
“You’re aware of your father’s…profession?”
Mia sighed deeply. “I know he’s the Avtoritet under the Pakhan of the Varnakov bratva, which makes him about number-three in their hierarchy, but I don’t know specifics. If you’ve brought me here to gain some kind of advantage, or obtain information, you’re out of luck. I want nothing to do with him or the russkaya mafiya.”
“Hmm.” Shane gestured to a wet bar. “Drink?”
She shook her head. As the silence lengthened, she asked, “What is your profession, Mr. O’Mara?”
“Shane will do.” He made her wait as he walked to the wet bar to pour a glass of something amber. “Your father and I are in the same line of work, but for different companies, I guess you could say.”
She didn’t bother to hide her disdain. “You’re a violent thug too?”
He took a sip of his drink, seeming unbothered by her appraisal. “I wouldn’t call myself a thug, honey. That’s an entirely different lifestyle.”
She rolled her eyes. “So tell me how you’re any different from the typical gun-toting, drug-selling pimp in the gutter?”
His lips tightened. “I have something most of them would kill for.”
“What?” Mia just wanted to go. Whatever was happening here was between Shane and her father. Not hurt.
“Power. I can have anything I want.”
“Good for you.” She gritted her teeth. “Now, tell me why the hell I’m here.”
He finished his drink, but didn’t pour another one as he returned to his perch against the desk, though nearer to her this time. “That requires a bit of background explanation. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to sit?”
She shook her head, aware of strands of dark hair spilling from her knot and falling around her shoulders in an irritating fashion. “Just get this over with so I can go home.”
“Indeed.” His expression sharpened. “What do you know of the mafia, Mia?”
“As little as possible.” When she had first realized exactly what her father did, Mia had made a deliberate choice to avoid it at all costs. Her stepmother had helped shield her the best she could, and Mia had remained mostly ignorant toward the evil her father committed.
“There are varying groups who oversee criminal activity in our fair city, but the three most powerful are the Irish, Italians, and Russians.” He lifted a brow. “The Russians were a bit late to the party, but they’ve debuted with a splash.”
She shrugged. “Why should I care?”
He ignored the question. “As you can imagine, there was a great deal of violence as each group protected its territory and sought to expand. About ten years ago, things got particularly violent. Even the feds in our pockets couldn’t turn a blind eye, so the heads of each family decided a truce was in order.”
She shifted again, resisting the urge to sit down in the comfy-looking chair just a few feet to her left. Ten years ago was about the time her father had started dating her stepmother, and she wondered if it was a coincidence that a Russian Avtoritet had married the daughter of an Italian don.
“They each carved out their territories and divvied up various lucrative markets.”
She didn’t really want to know the answer, but felt compelled to ask, “What does my father oversee?”
“Drugs. Particularly heroin, which is making a comeback among yuppies.”
She shuddered, hating the idea of her father putting drugs onto the streets, especially since that same poison had stolen her mother’s life. “And your group?”
He smiled, and it was a chilling sight. “The Irish have always had a special affinity with weapons, honey. That’s our main business.”
She scowled. “You’re the one to thank for that thirteen-year-old who murdered the convenience store clerk last week?”
He blinked. “Not personally, but it’s possible he got the weapon from one of our distributors.” The fact didn’t seem to bother him.
“And the Italians?”
“Sex trade, forgery, money laundering…they’re a multitasking sort.” He smiled slightly, and she refused to acknowledge how devastatingly handsome that made him. “Our little experiment is working quite well. Other branches of our families are starting to emulate our model of cooperation.”
“Isn’t that terrific? I’m so happy you’re able to set a model of mafia-ism for others.” She glanced pointedly at her watch, the action projecting a confidence she didn’t feel. “You still haven’t told me why I’m here.” If he thought she could be some kind of leverage with her father, he was mistaken. Vadim cared as little for her as she did for him.
“You can imagine how disastrous it would be if our truce fell apart. There is a lot of pressure from others higher up in our families to maintain this peace, so when something goes wrong, we have incentive to fix it.”
“I don’t care,” she bit out.
He shrugged. “We’ll see. Last month, a group of thugs stole a major shipment from your father. My people intercepted it before Varnakov found out Vadim had a problem. Your father owes me a debt.”
She closed her eyes for a second. With a deep breath, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “My father owes you. Fine. But why am I here?”
“You’re the price he’s paid, my sweet.” He made no attempt to disguise the blaze of desire in his gaze. “And I’m going to get full value.”
Chapter Two
Mia’s blood went cold at his
words and expression, but she refused to betray her fear. “You’re out of your mind. Whatever he owes you, take it up with him.”
Shane stood up suddenly, making her very aware of how much taller he was. Bigger. Stronger. “Let me clarify something for you, Mia. I went to a great deal of trouble to make sure your father owed me.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“Because I want you. I have since the first time I saw you at that restaurant. If it weren’t for your family connections, I would have just taken you.” He walked over to her and trailed the back of his fingers down her forearm.
Mia jerked away from him, away from the heat his touch stirred. “I want nothing to do with you.”
He acted like she hadn’t spoken. “With you being a daughter of one of my frenemies, I couldn’t just make you disappear. If it came back to me, there could be a resurgence of aggression. Instead, it had to be neat and tidy. I did your father a favor, and he was eager to settle it. No one wants an IOU hanging over his head, especially in our line of work.”
“My father was insane for suggesting I would just settle his debt.” She crossed her arms. “Have one of your goons drive me home.”
“I think you don’t really understand. You belong to me now.”
She glared at him. “Like hell I do.”
He shook his head. “You are going to be fun to tame, aren’t you?”
Mia wanted to slap him. Wanted to run. Wanted to lean in closer when he grasped a strand of her hair to let it spill between his fingers.
“I don’t care what the deal was with my father You aren’t doing anything to me.”
His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his wide chest. “Make no mistake, Mia. I will go to war if I have to. I will destroy your family and burn down the city to have you.”
She shivered at the threat, but shrugged. “I don’t give a damn what you do to Vadim.”
“And your stepbrother?”
Mia couldn’t hide her distaste. “I’d love to watch you rip him apart.”
Shane blinked, clearly not expecting that. “I see. Let me try a different approach then.” With the suddenness of a striking snake, he jerked her against him. “You are mine. You won’t be leaving until I release you. I’m going to fuck you a thousand ways, starting tonight.”
She had been frozen with fear for a second, but the paralysis broke when he said fuck. Mia flinched and tried to struggle free of his grip. It tightened painfully on her arms, and she knew she would have a bruise. “Let go of me, you animal.”
“I can be.” He grasped the strands of hair that had fallen free to jerk her head backward. Shane licked her neck, ignoring her squawk of protest and attempts to wriggle free. “I can also be tender. You’ll get whichever side you nurture, baby.”
She cried out with shock when he bit her at the bend of her neck, hard. She gasped at the pain.
“Now, if you’ll be a good girl and go get ready, I’ll release you.” His nose wrinkled. “I’d much rather you smell sweet than of grease and sweat.”
Mia wanted to tell him to fuck off and admit she’d never capitulate, but she maintained silence. If she could get away from him, she had a better chance of escaping this house. He didn’t have to know yet that she had no plans to cooperate.
He smiled, looking satisfied as he let go of her. With a nonchalant motion, he took a tissue from the box on his desk and dabbed the bleeding spot on her neck. After tossing it in the trash without even looking at the can, he pressed a button on the panel at his desk. “Bruno, come escort Miss Kasilli to her room.”
He let go of the button to examine her from head to toe. “You are a delicious little peach, Mia, and I’m looking forward to the first taste. I’ll join you in an hour or so.”
She didn’t speak, both because she had no idea what to say and because the nausea churning in her stomach made it impossible to converse. Anger was also rendering her speechless. How dare he think he could just take her, and she would fall in line with whatever he wanted? There was no way in hell she was going to cooperate with him.
When Bruno came a moment later, she walked behind him still without speaking. This time, Mia paid better attention to her surroundings, making an attempt to memorize all possible escape routes as she followed Bruno up the grand staircase to the third floor. They bypassed the second level, so she ignored it, knowing it wouldn’t offer any likely flight options if she couldn’t preview it.
He stopped before a pair of French doors painted a light yellow. “The boss will be up in a while, miss.”
She sneered. “I can hardly wait.”
He folded his bulk against the wall, making it clear he was standing guard.
Mia glared at him. “Do you have any idea what he has planned for me?” The blond giant didn’t reply. “You’re okay aiding him?” His only response was the slight twitch of his body, but he didn’t look at her. She sighed. “Yeah, I figured you were. You’re just like the byki my father always has around.”
* * *
Shane let go of a tiny bit of the tension he’d been carrying for months, ever since he’d first laid eyes on the sweet brunette waitress. The need to possess her had driven him for too long, and he was so tired of behaving irrationally when it came to Mia.
If only she hadn’t been Vadim Kasilli’s daughter, things would have been much simpler. He could have wooed and wowed her, and she would have been at his side—and in his bed—months ago. It had taken a five-minute conversation with Arvin Lovelle to disabuse him of the notion it would be an easy conquest. After he’d discovered her lineage and learned she loathed all things related to the russkaya mafiya, he’d known it was going to be a drawn-out campaign, and the smartest thing to do would be to walk away. If only he’d been able to do so.
It was unlikely she would feel different about mafia men with Irish roots, and he’d vowed he would forget the little brunette who had sparked such an insistent hard-on that he’d had to jerk off in the bathroom like a callow teenager between courses. And he’d still been raring to go after the dinner had concluded, frantically taking the blonde who had been his date in the alley behind the restaurant as they’d waited for the driver to maneuver the car through the packed parking lot.
Yet he’d found himself returning within two weeks, a different blonde in tow. That one had ended up sucking him off in the car as he’d moaned Mia’s name while coming in her throat. Understandably, she hadn’t been amenable to gracing his bed after that. It hadn’t mattered, because he had soon lost interest in all women except Mia.
When had he started following her? Not just having her spied on discreetly, with occasional security reports. No, he had started personally following her, like some obsessed stalker. Shane had known the behavior couldn’t continue, so he had taken steps to ensure Kasilli owed him, and he could freely collect Mia without inciting a war that would tear apart the three families in the city and bring the authorities down hard on their illegal, though lucrative, activities.
It had been a surprisingly easy maneuver to steal Kasilli’s shipment, and he’d even managed not to kill anyone. He assumed Kasilli had dealt harshly with the members of his crew who’d allowed the shipment to go missing, but that was on the Russian, not him. It had been even easier to “rescue” Kasilli by recovering the drugs, since they’d been in his warehouse the entire time.
The hardest part had been convincing Kasilli to part with Mia as a way to settle his debt.
“Why?” he had asked coldly.
“I have my reasons.” Shane had kept his response cryptic, not about to pour out his soul-destroying obsession for the other man’s daughter. It made him too vulnerable, and it might scare Kasilli away from letting him have her.
“There are certain considerations, O’Mara. She has obligations.”
Shane had firmed his mouth. “Too bad. You have obligations too, Mr. Kasilli. I’m sure we can find another way to settle our debt, if you wish to protect your little girl. Perhaps a cut of your profits?” He
’d had no interest in the money, but he’d seen the greed in Kasilli’s eyes and had known money was the old fool’s weak spot.
After a long hesitation, Kasilli had nodded and waved his hand, as though it meant nothing. “Take the girl.”
“Have her come to you.”
Kasilli had lifted a shoulder, again seeming unbothered by handing over his daughter when compared to losing part of his fortune. “Very well. I shall arrange for her to come here, and then you can transport her wherever you intend to hold her.”
Shane remembered feeling nonplussed at the other man’s apathy. He hadn’t seemed to care what Shane’s intentions were toward Mia. Kasilli’s callousness had fallen in with his plans, but he’d still felt a hint of outrage on her behalf.
He tightened his mouth as the phantom emotion haunted him again. He didn’t have to be Dr. Phil to know there was a dysfunctional family vibe there, but it was a good thing for him. It suited his purposes to have Kasilli uninvolved in his daughter’s life. It would make it easier to separate her from her old life and force her to accept her new life more quickly.
She belonged to him, and she would soon acknowledge that.
If not, he would keep her anyway. He couldn’t be without Mia until this paralyzing obsession eased.
* * *
She entered the suite, finding it had a feminine air that suggested Shane didn’t sleep here as well. How nice of him, to allow her a private sleeping space where he could consign her out of his sight, except when he wanted to come visit her for a fuck.
Despite her aching feet, Mia methodically searched every inch of the suite, hoping for a weapon. The chairs were solidly built, and she didn’t think she could disassemble them without some kind of tool, which wasn’t available. Slamming them against the wall would bring Bruno, so that was out. Whoever had prepared “her” room must have been told to take anything that could be a weapon.
The only scissors she found were a pair meant for cuticles in the vanity table drawer. There was a letter opener on the desk, but she actually laughed out loud when she lifted the flimsy plastic stick. It would slip under a flap and rip through paper, but wouldn’t do anything to flesh.
MAFIA: Dark Romance Collection Page 2