Russian Mobster's Arranged Wife

by Rose, Bella

  “Think anyone heard it?” Ivan murmured, poking his head out of her mother’s room to have a look down the hallway.

  “Not likely.” Kaylee hustled over to her mother’s bedside. “It would take a cataclysmic event to get the orderlies to stop watching the Red Sox game.”

  “So how do we go about this?” Ivan looked more than just doubtful.

  Kaylee gently touched her mother’s shoulder. “Ma? It’s time to take a little trip. Can you get up?”

  Her mother’s rheumy blue eyes opened, but her expression remained vacant. She struggled to sit up. Kaylee helped her mother, swinging the woman’s wasted legs over the side of the bed.

  “Grab that wheelchair, will you?” Kaylee gestured to the chair her mother generally used. “You’ll have to help me lift her.”

  If he’d looked doubtful before, he looked positively freaked out now. Kaylee wondered if he’d ever had any kind of experience with the elderly and figured he hadn’t. “Most people get a little nervous the first few times they do something like this, you know?”

  “I’m not nervous,” Ivan said quickly.

  “Yeah, you are. And it’ll go a lot better if you just admit it.”

  He sighed. “Okay, you’re right. What if I break her?”

  “You’re not going to break her,” Kaylee assured him. She looked at her mother. “Okay Ma, we’re going to put you in your chair.”

  Dorrie Mulnix’s expression finally cleared enough to suggest she knew what was doing on. “I can’t go out in my nightclothes, Kaylee.”

  “Sure you can, Ma,” Kaylee told her firmly. “We’re just going to a new place. You’ll go right back to bed when we get there.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. You’ll like it, Ma. It’s real swank.” Kaylee had learned a lot time ago that it paid to be confident about what she was saying when dealing with patients suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. Whether it was really true or not, they felt better if they knew someone was secure about it.

  “Ready?” Kaylee asked Ivan.

  He gave a quick nod. Kaylee mouthed the words one, two, three. The two of them swung her mother up and out of her bed, letting her come to a gentle rest in the seat of her wheelchair. Her mother’s face actually looked a little flushed as though she were excited.

  “Are we really going, Kaylee?” Dorrie asked eagerly. “I can’t remember the last time I left this place.”

  “Yeah.” Kaylee gave her mother’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I haven’t been that great about getting you out for walks and things, but that’s going to change.” Kaylee felt determined about that, at least.

  “We should go, don’t you think?” Ivan looked uncomfortable.

  Kaylee studied his expression. “You know, for a criminal, you’re awfully twitchy about this bit of rule bending we’re doing.”

  “Yeah?” Ivan’s smile belied his grumpy tone. “Well let’s say I’ve never been into human trafficking.”

  “I think this particular version of that heinous crime is a whole lot less criminal-like than staging illegal fights and loan sharking.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Ivan grabbed the handles of Dorrie’s chair. “Ma’am if you’ll allow me to help you out? Our ride should be waiting outside.”

  Ma didn’t say anything, but her wide eyes spoke volumes. Kaylee wondered if the touch of an accent coating Ivan’s words jogged any memories for her mother. Ma had never talked much about the man who had fathered Kaylee. Her only comments on the topic had generally been about how they were better off without him.

  “Check the hallway please, Kaylee,” Ivan suggested. “I’d hate to run over any staff members and blow the whole ruse.”

  “Got it.”

  Kaylee stuck her head out the door. The hallway was empty, but she could hear movement down at the nurse’s station at the junction of the four main hallways. She sucked in a breath and held it, trying to hear what was going on.

  Then she heard an all too familiar whistle.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kaylee ducked back into her mother’s room. Her heart was pounding a quick, steady rhythm in her chest and she could feel the familiar burn of adrenaline in her veins. She and Ivan were only a hundred feet away from getting her mother to safety.

  “What’s wrong?” Ivan demanded.

  “Pershing is down at the nurse’s station.” Kaylee’s voice was clipped. There was no time to waste. “Take Ma and go. Aloysha should be at the end door. You have my keys. Nurse Gail will be waiting to help get her into the car. You guys go.”

  “Kaylee,” Ivan said, obviously about to argue.

  She gazed at him, willing him with every bone in her body to just let her take the lead on this one. “Please. Trust me, Ivan. We have to get Pershing out of the equation.”

  Ivan’s jaw jumped. He was obviously clenching his teeth, probably against the tirade he wanted to unleash about her taking chances with her safety. But he said nothing. Instead, he cupped her cheeks and gave her a hard kiss.

  “All right,” Ivan said tersely. “But if you don’t call me in thirty minutes I’m coming back in here and Pershing won’t live to see tomorrow.”

  Kaylee didn’t argue about the reality of murdering a cop in the middle of a nursing facility. Ivan might be the boss of the Russian mafia scene in Boston, but that was stretching things even for him.

  Ivan shoved her mother’s chair into motion. Kaylee peered into the hallway and waved him on. Pershing was still at the nurse’s desk. She could hear him making small talk with the nurse on duty. He was probably trying to give himself a positive reputation around the place so they’d never suspect he could hurt a resident.

  The wheelchair made a swishing noise as Ivan rushed down the hallway. Kaylee didn’t breathe until she saw him hit the bar for the emergency door. He pulled her key and stuck it in the slot to stop the alarm from going off. One push, and then Ivan and her mother disappeared into the alley out back.

  The timing was impeccable. Just as the door clicked closed, Kaylee heard the telltale whistle drifting around the corner on its way toward her position. Quickly ducking back inside her mother’s room, Kaylee cast about for a place to hide.

  Her eyes fell on her mother’s bed. It was dim in the room. Only a nightlight cast a yellow glow around the cramped space. Pershing would never be able to tell who was in the bed. Making a hasty decision to follow this all the way to the end, Kaylee slipped beneath her mother’s covers and turned her back to the doorway. Then there was nothing to do but wait.

  It seemed an age before Kaylee heard Pershing’s footsteps in the hallway. He was still whistling the nondescript and yet disturbingly cheerful tune. His shoes squeaked on the tile floor. Across the room Kaylee could hear the soft snores from her mother’s grumpy roommate. At least Phyllis was guaranteed to kick up a fuss if there was an altercation in the room. Of course, the old lady wore hearing aids so she might not hear anything at all.

  “Hello there, Dorrie Mulnix,” Pershing murmured.

  It was the first absolute confirmation of his identity and Kaylee felt her mouth go dry as she realized this was really happening.

  His shoes squeaked closer to the bed and Kaylee sensed him hovering near her bedside. He made a low, chuffing noise. “It’s really too bad your daughter isn’t a little more cooperative, Dorrie,” Pershing said with obvious amusement. “I suppose we’re going to have to give her a little push, aren’t we? Perhaps a good scare will convince her I’m not kidding around here. Although,” he mused. “I don’t know why I’m surprised she’s playing the whore for Krachenko. Like mother like daughter, right?”

  It was all Kaylee could do not to leap out of the bed and strangle the man. What kind of cowardly bastard was he? She breathed deeply, forcing herself to remain calm. She had no way of knowing what he was going to try. Would he smother her? Would he inject her with something? Kaylee worried she was in over her head.

  Then the bed moved as Pershing picked up one of the extra pi
llows her mother often used to prop up her legs. Before Kaylee could suck in a breath to prepare, Pershing had slammed the square full of feathers and cotton over her face.

  Instant panic hit Kaylee hard. She couldn’t breathe and all she could taste was the pillow. Her mouth grew dry and her lungs burned for want of air. Her legs moved reflexively in the twisted tangle of sheets. Struggling to get free, she felt Pershing’s iron grip grow firmer. Was he going to kill her?

  I will not die.

  Finally her brain kicked on. Cool logic settled in and Kaylee stopped trying to use her legs. She planted her feet solidly on the mattress and stretched her arms as far as she could. Her fingers brushed a pitcher of water on Ma’s bedside table. Kaylee scrabbled for a grip, finally catching hold and managing to lift the pitcher.

  With every ounce of her strength, Kaylee swung the water filled pitcher in an arc. It bounced wildly off something hard. She felt Pershing crumple sideways and the pressure of the pillow on her face lessened just enough for her to suck in a deep draught of air.

  “What the hell!” Pershing snarled.

  There was water everywhere. That didn’t matter. Kaylee got enough air in her lungs and screamed bloody murder as loud as she could. In the next bed, Phyllis woke from a dead sleep and started screaming too.

  Pershing backed away from the bed, his gaze careening around the room as though he couldn’t process what he was seeing. Multiple sets of footsteps pounded down the hallway. Pershing slammed into the oxygen machine, which began shrieking a loud series of beeps. He looked near panic.

  Kaylee threw the covers aside and leapt to the floor. She refused to let Pershing get away.

  He finally focused on her face. “You!”

  “Me,” she agreed.

  “Bitch!”

  Two orderlies nearly got stuck in the doorway trying to enter the room at the same time. Their broad shoulders were a welcome sight to Kaylee, especially since she’d been working with them for years. She waved to get their attention. “He was trying to kill my mother!”

  Josh turned to Pershing. “Is that true, detective?”

  “She’s nothing but a lying whore!” Pershing’s tone was high pitched as if he were close to losing it.

  Josh’s expression turned dark. “I’ve known Kaylee for a good many years, mister. She’s not a liar or a whore.”

  Pershing bolted for the doorway, but Josh and his equally brawny coworker snatched the detective up and strong armed him out of the room. A nurse appeared, trying to soothe Phyllis, who looked near hysterics. Kaylee knew that was probably going to cost her later, but for now she was just starting to think things were looking up.

  ***

  “So you want us to believe that a Boston PD detective who’s been decorated multiple times, was trying to kill your elderly mother?”

  The interview room down at the local branch of the Boston PD wasn’t exactly friendly. Kaylee couldn’t imagine how bad the place would be for someone actually accused of a crime. The hard plastic chairs were punishment enough. Add in the sterile white walls and creepy one-way glass window in the room and she felt like she’d slipped into a really bad crime show.

  “Come on, Mrs. Krachenko.” At first glance, the detective sergeant who had brought her in for an interview and debriefing after her incident at Our Lady didn’t seem to be the helpful sort. His gaze narrowed speculatively. “What were you actually doing in that bed?”

  “Like I was there to hang out or something?” Kaylee rolled her eyes. “I work there. My mother had been getting threats. I decided to take things into my own hands. End of story.”

  “I’m not even going to ask you where your mother actually is. Let’s just focus on Detective Pershing’s apparent assault on a person he thought to be your mother. What would give him motive to do such a thing?”

  Kaylee took a deep breath and tried to hang on to her temper. It wasn’t like she hadn’t known it would be difficult to convince the local police that one of their own guys was dirty. “Look, sergeant,” she began slowly. “I know it’s hard to believe. Okay? But Pershing’s grandfather is Liam Shaunessy.”

  “Yeah?” The sergeant looked nonplussed. “And you’re married to Ivan Krachenko.”

  “I know that.” Kaylee decided if throwing herself under the bus was the only way to get something done, she’d go with it. “That’s why Pershing was threatening my mother. His grandfather was going to pay him off if he could collect enough evidence on Ivan to have him deported.” Kaylee gave the sergeant a droll look. “Not to mention the promotion you idiots would give him.”

  Something she’d said must have filled in a blank for the sergeant. “So you’re saying Pershing was attempting to extort information about Krachenko from you.”

  “Yes!” Finally the guy was getting it.

  “Do you have proof?”

  Kaylee rolled her eyes. “Other than the fact that I was almost smothered by a pillow while pretending to be my mother?”

  The sergeant’s expression was inscrutable. Kaylee wondered what the man was trying to hide. She’d have bet a whole lot of her newly acquired nest egg that Pershing had been telling tales around the office. And from the look of things, Pershing’s bragging hadn’t been winning him any friends.

  “Come on,” Kaylee pressed. “What do you know?”

  “Just that Pershing has been claiming to have a whole lot of information he shouldn’t.” The sergeant looked uncertain, as if he was sorry he’d opened his mouth.

  “About Yakov Rossovich,” Kaylee guessed.

  The sergeant didn’t answer, but she didn’t need him to. His expression said plenty. She’d suspected the Shaunessy and Rossovich families were colluding against Ivan. Now she had her validation. She pointed a finger at the sergeant. “What is the rumor mill saying?”

  “That Yakov is going to take over the Russian business interests in Boston.” The sergeant scratched the back of his neck. “And that Ivan is going to get sent home.”

  “Well that’s not going to happen,” Kaylee said with a snort. “So I guess Pershing has been making promises he can’t keep.”

  A slow smile spread across the sergeant’s face. “It would appear so.”

  “Does this perchance mean that Pershing is going to be a little too busy to hang around Southie anymore?” Kaylee wondered if crossing her fingers would give her luck just a little boost in the right direction.

  “I think Pershing is going to be too busy to bother the residents of Southie for a good long while,” the sergeant said with satisfaction.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ivan paced back and forth, reminding himself that Kaylee was one of the most capable women he’d ever come across. It didn’t help his alpha pride any, but when push came to shove she could definitely hold her own. Truly she was a match for him in every way. Which brought him right back around to worrying over her safety.

  Aloysha appeared in the doorway of Ivan’s study. “I thought you might like to know that a patrol car just stopped out front. Kaylee is in the backseat.”

  “Thank God!” Ivan added a few other choice comments in Russian, earning a smile of amusement from Aloysha.

  “And Boss?” Aloysha touched Ivan’s arm. “Nurse Gail is requesting a few additional items for Ms. Mulnix.”

  “Get them,” Ivan ordered roughly. “Get that woman whatever she needs.”

  Aloysha murmured an ascent in Russian. Ivan didn’t miss the fact that Aloysha’s words could be read as a reaffirmation of the oath of loyalty the members of Ivan’s family had taken when he first rose to his position of leadership. Ivan grabbed Aloysha’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Loyalty was worth far more than gold these days.

  Speaking of loyalty…

  “Aloysha, contact Yakov and Liam Shaunessy.”

  “Boss?”Aloysha raised his brows in surprise.

  “Have them meet us at Kaylee’s pub in half an hour.” Ivan wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to proceed, but he knew with Kaylee by his side he would
figure it out.

  “As you say.” Aloysha turned and disappeared down the opposite staircase.

  Ivan heard the front door open. He found himself unable to even pretend to be calm. He took the stairs down to the ground floor two at a time, arriving out of breath. Kaylee was standing in the foyer, her mouth set in a thin line of determination.

  “You’re free?” Ivan asked, knowing she would read between the lines.

  “Yes, but we need to head off whatever Shaunessy and Yakov are planning,” Kaylee said urgently. “Pershing was just their puppet.”

  “Aloysha will send a message to have them meet us at your pub.”

  “My pub?”

  “Did I forget to tell you that I bought the pub?”

  Her widemouthed look of surprise would satisfy him for many years to come. Then she returned to a look of skepticism. “Seriously?”

  “Yes. So let’s hope whatever we have to do tonight doesn’t tear the place up too badly.”

  Kaylee gently swatted his arm moments before she flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”

  “No being suspicious of my motives?” he asked.

  “Life is too short to spend it worry about stuff like that.” She waved away his concerns with her hand. “Besides, I think we’re both sufficiently underhanded enough to keep each other on our collective toes.”

  Ivan cupped her face in one hand and gave her a lingering kiss. The taste of her was perfect and the way she yielded to him was more than he’d ever expected from a woman whose strength beggared his ability to describe it.

  She touched his cheeks and pressed her forehead to his. “Are we ready to go kick some ass?”

  “You and I,” he agreed.

  She waggled her eyebrows. “Does this make me queen of the Russian mafia?”

  “I believe that title can be arranged.”

  ***

  Ivan had walked into a lot of very tense meetings in his years as a leader in the Russian network. Never had he felt so secure in himself and his position as he did right now. Kaylee paced at his side. Even wearing simple jeans, a blouse, and biker boots she dripped sex appeal and confidence. The pride he felt at having her by his side probably gave his ego an unnecessary boost.