Sweat

by Tasha Fawkes

  My Mafia Boss

  Sweat

  Tasha Fawkes

  Safira Press

  Contents

  Free Book

  1. Allie

  2. Marcus

  3. Allie

  4. Marcus

  5. Allie

  6. Marcus

  7. Allie

  8. Allie

  9. Allie

  10. Marcus

  11. Allie

  12. Marcus

  13. Marcus

  14. Allie

  15. Allie

  16. Marcus

  Other books from Safira Publishing

  About Tasha Fawkes

  Copyright © 2020 by Tasha Fawkes

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  One

  Allie

  I woke slowly, but even before opening my eyes, my heart jolted as fear shot through me. Where was I? What was happening? Was I still being held hostage?

  Even as my heart began beating out of control, I remembered and forced myself to take a deep breath. Everything that happened last night came back to me in flashes. The rescue, the look on Marcus’s face when he pulled up that mask, my own emotion when I saw him standing there, a gun in his hand, his eyes wild with a combination of fury, bloodlust, and relief.

  I bolted upright in bed, only then realizing I was naked, the sheet puddled at my waist, Marcus gazing at me with a wicked grin. I gasped and reached for the sheet to cover my nakedness.

  “Leave it be,” Marcus said, his grin morphing into a smile.

  I loved that smile, especially because I didn’t see it that often. My face flushed with heat, and I knew my cheeks had turned a deep crimson. Despite his request, I didn’t feel comfortable exposing myself like this, and with a small shrug of apology, pulled the sheet up to cover my breasts anyway. He sent me a mock look of disapproval.

  Despite everything that happened over the past few days, despite the kidnapping and the panic of what might happen to me, along with the uncertainties that had battered me every moment until Marcus rescued me, I had just enjoyed the best night’s sleep that I could remember in a long time. No nightmares, no lingering sensations of terror, and no worries about my dad, nor about the business, nor about Marcus. At least not that I remembered.

  I smiled at Marcus, who was leaning on one arm, his muscular shoulders and chest bared by the sheet that snuggled around his waist. His grin gradually disappeared as I continued to stare as a myriad of emotions, feelings, and realities surged through my brain.

  “You came for me.”

  My voice was filled with wonder, perhaps surprise, but more importantly, a depth of feeling I’d never quite experienced before. He had risked his life for me. So had the two men who’d been there with him. That I felt humbled and more than grateful was an understatement.

  He placed a hand on my thigh. Despite the sheet between us, the heat of his hand on my skin warmed my entire body. “I had to, Allie. You do understand that, don’t you? I had to.”

  Emotion surged through me again. “Yes, but—”

  “I brought you into my world, but I can only protect you if you stay close to me,” he continued, all humor gone from his gaze, his expression hardened, a frown tugging at his eyebrows. “That means that you, unfortunately, can’t go back to your old life, not like it once was. After last night, nothing will be the same again as far as your past and present are concerned.”

  My heart skipped a beat as I absorbed his words. He wasn’t talking about the sex. He was talking about what had happened before that. Not just our relationship, but the kidnapping by the Russians, their attempt to use me as a bargaining chip. It also meant the repercussions of Marcus’s daring rescue, leaving three of Tarasov’s men dead. My head started to pound and dismay became the primary emotion racing through my brain.

  Never go back? He was right. This was no fantasy where my knight in shining armor came to rescue the damsel in distress from a stone tower. Real blood had been spilled last night. It could’ve been mine, it could’ve been Marcus’s, but instead, it had been Russian blood. I didn’t know a lot about their type of mafia, but I had a feeling that what happened last night wouldn’t end there.

  “Last night, my coming for you was as good as claiming you as my own. It was the only way I could halt, even temporarily, a war with Andre Tarasov and the Russian Mayifa.”

  He paused to glance down at his tanned hand that contrasted so starkly against the white sheet covering my legs. When he looked back up at me, I tried to identify all the emotions in his gaze, but with Marcus, that was near to impossible. I said nothing, knowing he would say more. His words brought me a measure of comfort, but also a deep, unsettling sensation that made me feel sick to my stomach.

  “There’s going to be trouble, Allie, but my claim that he stole my property, meaning you, may give him pause. That might not be enough to stop an outright war, but at least it’s something.”

  Property. I wasn’t sure how I felt being someone’s property, but a warmth spread in my heart at the thought that Marcus wanted me, and wanted me all to himself. Was it the same as obsession? Did that mean he thought he could control me? I didn’t think so, but maybe that’s what he meant.

  “Tarasov will want reparations for the death of his three men.” He offered a small shrug, his eyes again going distant. “Perhaps if I agree to run his guns, his drugs, and his women, we could come to an agreement.”

  “I thought you drew the line at drugs and women?” I whispered, startled by the look in his eyes when he gazed at me.

  “I always have, but if it keeps you alive and unhurt, I’ll do it. We’ll just have to watch our backs that Tarasov doesn’t attempt to betray us, not just with the feds, but with other syndicates.”

  “You think he would? That wouldn’t be a smart move on his part. Just from the little background I gained on him and his syndicate in my research, they’re in even deeper than you are.”

  Marcus lifted an eyebrow but nodded. “That’s true, but my instincts are telling me that there’s something more going on here, something deeper than just…” He fanned his hand between us.

  He sat up, placing both of his warm hands on my bare shoulders. My skin tingled at the touch. Amazing that I could still desire him so fiercely when we had just made such passionate love just hours ago.

  “I told you, Allie, that I would never lie to you, and I’ve kept that promise. Now, I need you to listen very closely to what I’m saying.”

  I pushed thoughts of sex and romance from my mind and looked into Marcus’s beautiful eyes. Again, uncertainty returned to the surface.

  “A war is coming with Tarasov, but I promise you, on my life, that I’m never going to let you go again.”

  The fierceness of his expression nearly took my breath away, but it wasn’t an angry fierceness. It was filled with emotion. Stunned by the vehemence in his tone, I stared at him. This man in the bed next to me, this man who could be so ruthless, so focused, so angry and so…violent, was telling me that he was willing to risk everything. For me. But why? It was so confusing.

  “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

  He gathered my hands in his and looked at me with such an earnest expression that I held my breath. “What I’m telling you, Allie, is that you need to understand that you’re mine now. This understanding is just between us, but it will ensure that all my associates and enemies know the truth of it. You’re
mine now. You belong to me.”

  I think that, subconsciously, I was hoping for more than a declaration of possession. That he might even say the “L” word. Before I could even ponder that, he continued, speaking softly but with determination, his voice filled with steel.

  “I need you to understand and accept that last night’s actions mean that I made it clear, indisputably clear, to my enemies that I’ve claimed you as my own. You’re off limits. And if they touch you, they touch me.”

  It was difficult for me to even attempt to define my reaction to his words, his claiming me as his own. Why I didn’t necessarily want to be perceived as a piece of property, I didn’t think he meant it that way at all. It was surreal, really, to be claimed as his property, but I began to understand what that meant to him and the people in his world. I also realized that it might just be the only way to get both of us out of this alive. I knew, instinctively maybe, that Tarasov would never forgive Marcus for killing three of his men.

  I also knew that I understood very little about what was considered honorable in this world of his. But I trusted him. “I’m trying to understand, but I want you to know that I do accept the fact that my life will never be the same again. How could it be after what I went through the last couple of days, and last night?”

  Again, it wasn’t the sex I was talking about. I was talking about the fear, the dread, and the terror I’d experienced while in Tarasov’s custody. If he had been of a mind, I could already have been across the ocean and sold as a sex slave to some pervert, never to be heard from again. The thought made my stomach go sour and my mouth dry.

  I placed a hand on his cheek. “I understand.”

  He offered a soft smile. “I don’t think you really do, not yet anyway, but you will.”

  I realized that if Marcus and I were officially a couple, though he hadn’t said exactly that, I knew that as much as I belonged in his world now, he too had become a part of mine.

  I licked my lips, thinking through all the pros and cons. Exhaling a long breath, I said, “In light of these…changes, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “Who?”

  “I think it’s about time you met my dad.”

  His eyes grew wide in surprise, but then he grinned and offered one of his typical shrugs. “Sure. I’d like to meet your dad.”

  “But first…” I wiggled my eyebrows and abruptly pulled the covers over my head just before I dove under the duvet. I enjoyed the sound of his laughter as I honed in on my target.

  Later that morning, we drove to my dad’s apartment, only half paying attention to our route. I watched Marcus, admiring his strong, veined hands grasping the soft leather-covered steering wheel until it dawned on me that I was unfamiliar with this street. “This isn’t the way to my dad’s apartment.”

  He nodded, his expression somber as he glanced at me. “When Tarasov announced his threat that day he dragged you into Niall’s office, I knew that not only did I have to get you back, but I had to protect you, your dad, and Selena from his wrath. I moved both of them into safe houses.”

  I stiffened. “You move them into…but wait, my dad’s sick, Marcus! He can’t be—”

  “It was either that or leave him exposed to Tarasov’s revenge.”

  Alarm thrummed along my spine. “But how long will he have to stay in such—”

  “He’s already out of the safe house, Allie,” Marcus said, his voice soothing. “I put him in a different apartment.”

  What? Wait. What was he saying?

  I frowned in confusion and a little bit of anger. “What do you mean, you put him into a different apartment? Where?” He had done this without asking me? Was this what he’d meant when he said I belonged to him? That I no longer had any say in regard to my life? “Wait just a minute. You can’t just go around doing things like this, with my family, behind my back! Why didn’t you discuss it with me first?”

  He glanced at me with a lifted eyebrow. “And what would you have said?”

  “I don’t know!” I threw up my hands. “You didn’t give me a chance!”

  “Look, Allie, I didn’t confer with you because I didn’t want you and your dad getting embroiled in discussions about it. I’m doing this for his safety and your peace of mind. If I had talked to you about this, what’s the first thing you would have done?”

  I considered the question. “I’d talk to my dad about it.”

  “Exactly. And what would he have said?”

  “He would have said he’s fine, he doesn’t need protection and that…that…” I crossed my arms over my chest, unsure how to finish.

  “I had a strong feeling that your dad would protest. I can understand that. I can.”

  “Then why?”

  He placed a hand on my thigh, giving it a soft squeeze. “To be blunt, I don’t want to be responsible for any harm coming to your dad because of me. Tarasov wouldn’t have had to look too hard to find your father. After we…after your rescue, he was, and probably still is, as mad as a hornet, and if he couldn’t find you or me, who do you think he would have looked for? Who could he have threatened?”

  Dad. The thought made me sick to my stomach. Was this what my life had become? Putting my friend and my father into harm’s way? I knew Marcus was right but was loathed to admit it.

  “Next time, just discuss it with me first, okay?” I muttered.

  Despite my concern, he turned to me with a small smile. “Allie, I told you that you belong to me, remember?”

  Still frowning with annoyance, I nodded.

  “By default, that means you and yours also fall under my protection. I purchased a six-month lease for a new apartment for your dad so that Tarasov couldn’t find him in his old place. As far as anyone is concerned, he has for all intents and purposes disappeared.”

  “But how did—”

  “I leased the apartment under a false name. Under one of my more obscure shell corporations. No one will be able to find your dad using public leasing records.”

  “But what about his medications, his doctors? He’s going to need continued care, and if he’s living under a false identity—”

  Marcus lifted a hand. “I didn’t give him a false identity, Allie, so please don’t worry. I just moved him to the other side of town, away from his old neighborhood so that Tarasov won’t be able to find him, and after the dust settles, won’t be likely to look. I have a plan. Depending on how things go, we can find a more permanent place for him later on, if he wants.”

  I sat back in my seat, so stunned that I couldn’t even find the words.

  My life had changed forever. For good and bad.

  Two

  Marcus

  As I wound my way through the streets of Philadelphia, constantly checking the rearview and side mirrors to ensure that I had not been followed, taking the most roundabout way I could imagine to Danny Cross’s new apartment, I continued to soothe Allie’s fears about her dad’s sudden and unexpected move.

  I could tell how worried she was about him and tried to allay the tears of worry that brimmed in her eyes. I hadn’t met Danny Cross yet and had been forced to send a couple of my men to get him moved. I did have to admit to myself that it had been a long time since I felt so nervous. I knew Allie now understood why I had moved her father, but I wasn’t sure how Danny himself felt about it.

  Still, Allie wanted me to meet her dad, and like it or not, we were all in this now, not just Allie, but her father as well. Even Selena, to a degree. I had offered to put Selena in a safe house, but she merely laughed and waved her hand at me. She told me she would gird her loins and spend a few weeks at her parent’s estate, which she swore up and down had more security than the president of the United States. She told me she wouldn’t go to their business office and would opt to do some work from home, but it was a sacrifice that she was willing to make for her best friend.

  When I told Allie about Selena’s decision, tears once again filled her eyes.


  “Marcus, you don’t understand the sacrifice she’s made for me. Her parents drive her crazy!”

  I chuckled. “Don’t worry. I told her that if she changed her mind at any time and wanted to hide away in a place of her own, I’d spring for it.”

  Allie seemed stunned by my generosity. But it wasn’t just generosity that prompted me to make such decisions. It was a sense of responsibility and not a little bit of guilt. I had put Allie into this position, and by default, anyone she cared about. While I knew that members of the Philly Outfit would never go after a syndicate member’s wife or family—it just wasn’t done—I didn’t trust the Russians or any other syndicate to follow the old-fashioned yet reasonable rules of old-school mafia life.

  Allie grew quiet, staring out the passenger side window as I navigated the streets, while for my own part, I wondered how the hell I was going to tell her father that I had fucked up his daughter’s life by bringing her into my seedy world.

  How would he react when I told him about my occupation as the leader of the Philly Outfit? That wasn’t the only issue that worried me. It was also our age difference. While Allie and I didn’t focus on that age difference, that didn’t mean her father wouldn’t.

  I was a mob boss. I was used to dealing with the worst of the worst. In this situation, however, I had no experience. I had never been…I had never felt so strongly for a woman as I did for Allie, and I was determined to protect her and keep her safe.

  Men pointing guns at me, I could face. But how did you face an irate father whose primary interest was the wellbeing and safety of his daughter? I figured, knowing Allie, that her father would more than likely find me more than unsuitable for his little girl, especially in light of what had just happened.