by Bella Rose
Stanislas didn’t have to speak to convey his disgust. The man could pull a face like nobody else that Mikhail knew. No matter that Stanislas could be crotchety and stuck in the old ways, Mikhail respected his tenacity and his integrity.
“Mikhail,” Stanislas said slowly. “Go and fetch Tori back to the house. I want this ridiculous behavior to come to a stop.”
Mikhail sighed. “Yes, Boss. As you say.”
***
“WAIT!” JAMIE SHOUTED. “Your stepfather is forcing you to marry this Mikhail guy?”
Tori slammed back another shot of vodka. “Yes!”
“What is this? The plot of some silly novel set in the Regency era? Come on!” Jamie moaned. “He can’t do this, Tor! It’s not even legal. Nobody can make you marry against your will. You have rights. Just tell the old fart no and be done with it. What’s he going to do?” She waggled her eyebrows and then slammed back her own shot.
Mara was a little more circumspect. “Hold on, Jamie, what if Tori’s stepfather cuts her off? Do you have any idea how badly it would suck to be out here with no job, no place to live, and no money?”
Tori scoffed, feeling far more confident than she had a right to. “I could always run back to my mother’s family. They would take me in. And they’ve got no love for my stepfather, either. In fact, I bet they’d love to help me out!” She wondered if she was just letting the alcohol she’d drunk do the talking, or if this was really a viable solution to her situation.
Mara didn’t look convinced. “It’s not like their family is any different from your stepfather’s, Tori.” She glanced left and then right as if she were about to say something super secretive. “They’re all in the mob, right?”
Tori couldn’t stop the laugh that welled up. Her friends had been completely uncertain what to think when she’d first divulged to them that her family’s business was the mafiya. It wasn’t exactly something you told everyone. But Mara and Jamie were different. They were Tori’s BFF’s.
“That has nothing to do with this,” Tori insisted. “My stepfather is trying to get me to marry Mikhail because he thinks it will keep me safe. He doesn’t want someone else to wind up running our family business and cut me out just because I’m not his natural kid.”
“Oh, that’s sort of sweet!” Mara mused. She wasn’t much of a drinker. She was nursing a margarita while sitting at the bar. “He’s looking out for you, Tor.”
“Yeah, as long as she looks out for him and makes this Mikhail dude legit.” Jamie’s tone was snide, maybe even a little derisive.
“What’s he like?” Mara suddenly wanted to know. “Do you even know him? Have you guys hung out? Did you date at all?”
“Nope. Nada. Zilch,” Tori said irritably. “And I think that’s what pisses me off. My stepfather could have asked about that, or tried to give us time to get to know each other. But not him. He just announces yesterday that I’m going to get married to Mikhail tomorrow.”
“That is so wrong!” Jamie shouted.
Tori burst into laughter. “Let’s dance! I’m tired of talking about this.” She slammed her empty shot glass down on the bar top and grabbed Mara and Jamie’s hands. “Come on. Let’s go forget Mikhail!”
***
MIKHAIL HATED CLUBS. He hated people and crowds, loud music, and pretty much everything about the sweaty, strobe light-infested cesspools that his future bride seemed to thrive on. From the beginning, Stanislas had tried to convince Mikhail that once he forbade Tori to go clubbing, the entire issue would no longer be anything but a bad memory. The problem was, Mikhail didn’t actually mind that Tori liked to go out with her friends. As long as she kept her companions female and refrained from inappropriate touching with members of the opposite sex on the dance floor, Mikhail was content to let her have her fun.
Stanislas firmly believed that view would weaken Mikhail’s position in the eyes of his wife. Mikhail wasn’t certain he believed the old man, but for the moment he wasn’t in a place where he could argue about it. That left him here at a hated club on a Friday night plowing through a crowd of sweating, half drunken revelers in search of Tori.
“I see them.” One of Mikhail’s men, Dimitri, pointed to a knot of girls dancing and laughing in the center of the throng.
Mikhail turned and gave Dimitri a long, assessing look. “You spotted them awfully quickly. Why do I get the feeling you were looking for someone you considered a little more important than Tori?”
Dimitri looked embarrassed. “She’s with Mara and Jamie, sir. They’re very familiar to me.”
“They are?” Mikhail said, wondering whether or not this development would help or hinder. “Or were you thinking mostly of Mara?”
“Perhaps.”
“Be careful,” Mikhail warned. “Miss Vasiliev may not appreciate you crushing on her friend.”
“I’m not—” But the man stopped before he even bothered to finish his own sentence. “—as you say, sir.”
Mikhail watched his future wife twirl on her toes. The skirt of her pink dress swished enticingly around her thighs. She flung back her head, and her dark hair cascaded down her back. It was obvious she was having a good time. There was a sparkle in her eyes that had been noticeably lacking earlier.
“Sir?” Dimitri said in his ear. “Aren’t we going to retrieve the women—er, woman?”
“No.”
“Sir?”
Mikhail folded his arms and leaned back against a wall where he was out of the way of most of the foot traffic, but still had a good view of the dance floor. He spoke in Russian to ensure privacy. “They’re enjoying themselves. There’s nothing illegal or improper about that. They’re alone. They’re doing nothing wrong. I’m not going to ruin her night tonight when she’s going to be forced to stand at the altar with me tomorrow. That would be foolish, don’t you think?”
“Then why are we standing here?” Dimitri wanted to know.
Mikhail sighed. “Because in spite of what Tori might think, I care about her welfare.”
Chapter Three
Tori spun a quick circle and then grabbed Jamie’s hands. The two of them giggled like imbeciles, grinding on each other and then laughing about the ridiculousness of the behavior. Beside them, Mara was covering her mouth with her hands and looking scandalized.
“Men like that crap, and you know it!” Tori nearly shouted the words. “They think we’re doing something naughty when in reality we’re just having fun. Maybe I like a dance partner who won’t stomp all over my feet!”
Tori grabbed one of Mara’s hands and Jamie grabbed the other. Now the three of them were twirling, dipping, and spinning around each other like nymphs dancing secretly in the woods. Except they had no privacy. They were in the middle of a public dance floor, and they were most certainly garnering more than a little male attention.
“Oh!” Jamie said excitedly. “Look at that one.”
The guy she pointed to was gyrating his way toward them. The faux look of intensity on his face was laughable. Then Tori noticed that the man had a few friends along. In fact, there were four of them. This wasn’t exactly desirable, but Jamie was already crooking her finger and flirting as if she were completely drunk off her ass.
“Jamie!” Mara hissed. “That’s not a good idea!”
“Ugh!” Jamie moaned. “You’re such a worrier! Just live a little. It’s only dancing!”
Then one guy swept Jamie right off her feet and threw her in the air. Someone else plucked Mara’s hand from Tori’s, and her friend disappeared into the arms of another guy. This left two men ogling Tori and making her wish she’d chosen to wear a nun’s habit instead of her favorite pink club dress.
“Okay, time to back off.” Tori stopped dancing and stood stock still in the middle of the floor. “I’m not interested in either of you. In fact—” She had a brief inspiration. “—I’m getting married tomorrow, so I’m actually taken.” This whole Mikhail thing was going to come in handy after all. How cute. Too bad she actually had
to marry the guy instead of just using him as a convenient excuse.
One of the men got even closer. He leaned down, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a sarcastic grin. “Then you should be grateful that we’re going to give you a little fun before you have to settle down.”
“Hey!” Tori shouted.
They actually picked her up off the floor. One man had her upper body, and the other had her legs. They flung her over one of their shoulders and started swaying side to side. One of the men was touching her hair, his hands all over her, making her skin crawl. The other man began fondling her bottom. His fingers were getting dangerously close to the apex of her thighs.
“I said no!” Tori was screaming it, but her face was squashed up against the guy’s back, and nobody could hear her over the music. Her friends were busy with their own problems, and she was utterly alone.
This was so not good. Not good at all.
***
MIKHAIL FELT THE icy tendrils of violence slide through his system as he and Dimitri made their way toward Tori and her friends. The two mafiya men didn’t go quietly. They shoved dancers out of the way, broke up couples, and sent groups flying in different directions. The two men left a trail of tumbled bodies in their wake and didn’t bother to apologize. They had other things to worry about.
“Excuse me,” Mikhail said roughly. “I believe you’re touching a woman who does not belong to you.”
Beside him, Mikhail could feel Dimitri’s relief when the other two thugs let go of Mara and Jamie to join their two buddies for what was obviously going to be a confrontation. Tori’s friends were sniffling and looking pale as they huddled together behind Dimitri and Mikhail’s bulk.
Mikhail focused on the man who held Tori prisoner over his shoulder. “Put her down before I remove your arm from its socket.”
“Bullshit!” the man blustered. “There are four of us and two of you.”
“And you’re stupid enough to believe that puts the odds in your favor,” Mikhail said quickly. “Fine.”
Before the man could even take a breath to speak another word, Mikhail reached out and grabbed the man’s forearm. He wrenched it down and sideways, twisting as he did and feeling the entire thing pull out of socket. Tori began to fall. Mikhail snatched her out of thin air and set her right side up on her feet. She was obviously dazed, but he didn’t have time to worry about that now. He nudged her toward her friends who gladly pulled her into the safety of their embrace.
Now Mikhail could focus on the imbeciles he was about to dismember. The first man was still staring dumbly at his ruined arm. Then his mouth opened, and a strangled sound of pain erupted. The noise seemed to spur his friends into action. They all rushed Mikhail at the same time.
Dimitri snagged one and planted the heel of his hand right into the man’s nose. The guy went down with his hands over his face and didn’t rise again. Mikhail chopped a second man in the throat and then kicked his feet out from under him. He fell to the floor on top of his comrades. The last man turned and ran without even attempting to throw a single punch.
This left Mikhail free to turn and look at his bride-to-be. “Are you ready to go home now, Tori?”
He saw her swallow, the delicate column of her throat moving as she tried to maintain her control. “Yes. I think we’re all ready to leave.”
“Good.” Mikhail glanced around, noting the bouncers that were headed in their direction. “Because I think we’re probably about to be asked to leave anyway.”
***
TORI WAS HAVING difficulty breathing. Every time she tried to get some air, she choked. There was a tightness in her lungs and throat. She felt as if she were suffocating. Mikhail was still talking to her, but she couldn’t seem to register what he was saying. Instead, she reached out and clutched his sleeve. Her fingers dug into the strong muscle of his forearm.
He finally stopped talking and gazed down at her. The quizzical expression on his face disappeared as he seemed to realize that she was only seconds from losing her composure. “It’s all right, Tori. I’ve got you.”
Mikhail swept her up into his arms and began striding toward the exit. Behind them, Tori could see Dimitri herding Jamie and Mara along in front of him. The two of them looked pale and drawn. Nothing like this had ever happened to them before. It was unsettling to think that they could come to a place where they had been safe on so many nights before, but one bad bunch of guys ruined everything!
One of the bouncers lifted a hand, trying to flag down Mikhail. “Excuse me, sir?”
“I don’t have time to chat,” Mikhail growled. “These women were assaulted in your club. Don’t make me reconsider my decision to let this incident go for tonight.”
The bouncer stopped, letting Mikhail and Dimitri pass on their way to the door.
The big metal door bounced open when Mikhail hit the breaker bar with his hip. Cool air hit Tori’s flushed cheeks, and she nearly wept with relief. It was almost cold outside after the heat and energy of the club’s interior. She shivered a little.
“The car is right around the corner,” Mikhail told her softly. “We’ll get you inside and get you warm and safe.”
She tried to open her mouth to tell him thank you, but her lips wouldn’t seem to move. They didn’t do anything but tremble. Why did she have to be so weak right now? If anything, she needed to be showing this man how strong she was. After tomorrow, he would be her husband. She couldn’t afford to have him believe her weak.
The black SUV with the dark-tinted windows gleamed beneath the streetlamps. The engine was already humming, the lights cutting a swath through the darkness in the street. Before Mikhail could reach the vehicle, a man popped out of the driver’s door and opened the rear passenger door for them.
Dimitri helped Jamie and Mara into the driver’s side of the backseat. Mikhail gently placed Tori in the other side before he and Dimitri piled in behind them. It was a tight fit with everyone, but that seemed to have no affect on the driver. As soon as the doors were closed, they took off as though someone was in hot pursuit.
***
MIKHAIL WAS SEETHING inside. How could Tori be so foolish? Worse. How could he have let it go on the way he did? He had been trying to be reasonable. As he’d told Dimitri, he had no issue with Tori having fun. But her severe reaction to the stress was making him change his mind. He had thought she was made of stronger stuff than this! He hadn’t believed she would faint dead away at the first sign of danger. That didn’t bode particularly well for the wife of a mafiya man. He had always made the assumption that his wife would be a partner in his enterprise, not just a pretty flower to keep on the shelf.
“What?” Tori whispered. “You’re looking at me as if I’m going to shatter into a million pieces at any second.”
“Are you?” He knew his voice sounded harsh, but he wasn’t all that happy at the moment.
“No.” She sounded affronted, but then she blushed. “I’m not usually a wimp. I just—I guess I freaked out a little. That’s never happened to us before.”
Jamie piped up from the backseat. “It really hasn’t! I don’t know what the deal was with those guys!”
“I’ve never seen them there before,” Mara added. “And we go there at least twice a month on the weekends.”
“So the fact that this has never happened before means what?” Mikhail knew he was being harsh. He was still seeing Tori slung over a man’s shoulder, some stranger’s hand touching her rounded bottom. It was going to take him a good while to get over that.
“What do you mean?” Tori frowned. “You can’t judge me based on my reaction to one incident. You don’t even know me!”
“I don’t have to judge you.” He turned and faced forward, staring over the dash at the dark streets. “Stanislas has already told me everything I need to know.”
“Oh, this will be a great marriage then!” Tori burst out. “Let me just tell you now. My stepfather doesn’t know a damn thing about me! He thinks he does. He thinks he k
nows everything! But if you base your opinion of me on what Stanislas says—” She mocked her stepfather, waggling her eyebrows and pulling a horrible face. “—then you might as well figure our marriage will be done before it begins.”
“So disrespectful to a man who took you in and raised you though you weren’t even his responsibility.” Mikhail shook his head in disgust. He couldn’t abide ungratefulness or entitlement.
Tori snorted. “Yes. And can I just say how tiring it is to be reminded of that fact every single day of your life? How would you like to be force fed a constant stream of reminders that you don’t really belong? Would it make you loyal? Or would it piss you off? What if Stanislas reminded you every damned day that you owe him your position of power? That he chose you to be his successor and trusted you to lead? What if he rubbed your nose in that for the next twenty years? Would you be grateful? Or would you be tired?”
Mikhail thought of the many, many times that Stanislas had indeed said things that made it seem as if he were issuing a gentle reminder that Mikhail’s future rested on Stanislas’s good opinion. Was that really what Tori’s life had been like? And could he fault her bitterness if it had?
Chapter Four
Tori rolled over in bed, squeezing her eyes closed and wishing it were tomorrow. Or better yet, she wished it were yesterday. In fact, she wished it could be yesterday every single morning for the rest of her life. That way she would never reach her unwanted wedding day. She could just live out a happy existence as a single girl with a life of possibility ahead.
She groaned and sat up. She caught sight of her reflection in the dresser mirror and flung a pillow at the offending sight. A hard night of crying did not make for a happy morning. She was all raccoon eyes, puffy red skin, blotchy cheeks, and a rat’s nest of black hair forming a knotted halo around her face. All in all, she looked like the bride of Frankenstein.
“Not inaccurate actually,” she mused thoughtfully. “I think you could definitely classify Mikhail as a Frankenstein character. Except he’s not ugly.”