by Lee, Leona
Russian’s Intense Love
(Drobilka Crime Family Series #2)
By: Leona Lee
All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2015 Leona Lee
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Note: This book is part 2 of 3 in the Drobilka Crime Family Series!
Part 1: Russian’s Innocent Love
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 1
Bethany Michaels paced outside her handler’s office repeatedly, kicking herself for not connecting the dots sooner. When Vadim confessed to her his real name, she panicked. She had been barely able to allay his accusations that she didn’t work for the FBI, even though she did. Well, sort of. Not that there’s any physical record of it anywhere. When they put you undercover and treat you like Casper, a ghost you become. Bethany fought to clear her head as random thoughts flew through faster than she could contain them. Digging her nails into her palms, she tried to focus her thoughts.
How could I have been so clueless?
Well, that’s easy; you were too busy getting off on orgasms to realize that the one man who saw you as a woman instead of a freak is also the leader of one of the largest Russian cartels around. And the Drobilka cartel has their hands in more than drug trafficking. Rumored also to be involved in human trafficking and other smuggling activities, the organization has long been on every government watch list out there – and she was sleeping with the man in charge.
Fuck! How could I have missed it?
As she turned to continue her pacing, she spied Marci Chase walking casually down the hall. “Why Bethany,” she said with a smile. “What brings you to my office so early? Were you able to get the books I suggested from the library?”
Taking her cue, “Sorry to disturb you so early, Professor Chase, but I was having some difficulty with one of the translations and hoped to catch you before your first class.”
“Of course, come inside. I brought pastries,” she said and nodded with a grin as she unlocked her office door and ushered Bethany inside.
Walking inside, Bethany sat down with a sigh as her handler joined her. “So, how did dinner go?” Marci asked as she handed her a cup of coffee. Taking a sip, Bethany frowned at the overly sweet concoction. Grabbing the cup from her, Marci quickly swapped it with the other one. Bethany sniffed at the second cup suspiciously and took a smaller sip. When she realized that this one had no sweetener, she gratefully sipped the hot brew.
“Vadim’s full name is Victor Vadimar Markman,” she stated flatly, as she watched her handler’s face for a response. At her surprised look, she continued.
“The other night, one of the other girls who works at the Rubicon warned me that Vadim was the man in charge, but I assumed that she meant the club. I had no idea that she meant the cartel, and maybe even she didn’t know. So much has happened; I don’t know where to begin.” Bethany’s voice trailed off as she watched her handler sit back in her chair and drink her coffee.
“Start at the beginning, and tell me everything.” Taking a deep breath, Bethany filled her in on everything that transpired the night before, including her early morning phone call to Director Williams where he picked up on her ruse that she had taken a language translation course through the Academy, but because of her past, was not accepted by the Bureau. “And did Vadim believe you?”
Nodding her head, “Yes, I’m sure of it. It really couldn’t have gone any better, but then he…then he told me who he was, and I freaked out. I pretended to be angry with him about the accusations, and I’m sure that’s what he thinks, but I had to get out of there. I was so shocked, I was afraid that I would give myself away.”
“Have you been home yet?”
Bethany shook her head. “I was too afraid to go home. As soon as I could, I made my way here, and I’ve been waiting for you for the past forty-five minutes. What should I do?”
Marci sipped her coffee thoughtfully before replying, “I’m going to need to bring Jake in on this.”
Groaning, Bethany set her coffee down as she rubbed her temples. “Sanderson already thinks that I can’t do my job, he’ll pull me off this case for sure.”
“Is that what you want?”
“No, of course not. Well. It’s just that I never expected to return to Texas, let alone Dallas, and I’ve had so much thrown at me so fast, my head is spinning. Marci, I simply don’t know if I can keep up this charade. I just don’t want to fuck anything up more than it already is.”
“Bethany, admittedly, we took a chance bringing you in fresh out of the Academy, but until now, we couldn’t get anyone close enough because they were too easy to identify. We had hoped that with your language skills and your family history, you might be the right person, and we were right. You’ve made more inroads into identifying different members of the cartel along with their activities than anyone else has. Yes, Jake is an asshole, but he’s a damn good administrator even if I want to throttle him at times.
Before I call him, tell me what you want to do, and I will back you up. If you want to pull out, I’ll send someone over to your apartment right now to clear it out and we’ll get you out of here.”
“Can I think about it?”
Standing up, Marci headed for the door. “Let me get my class started. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. You have until then.”
After she shut the door behind her, Bethany got up and paced the room, noting that it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the hallway, but she didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself than she already had. As she walked around Marci’s office, she contemplated what she should do. To be chosen fresh out of the FBI Academy and placed into a covert position was a major coup that would be the envy of all her classmates, if she were allowed to talk to them. And the Drobilka cartel represented everything wrong with the world. To bring them down would make her career before she even started. This was exactly why she joined the Academy.
But then there’s Vadim. Sexy, magnetic, yummy. From the moment they met, he saw her as a woman and not the freak that she always felt like. She had spent years trying to overcome her insecurities from the damage her stepfather did to her body, and with one touch of his hand, he had ignited fires deep inside her that she had no idea existed. And selfishly, she wanted more. Much more. The thought of being wrapped in his arms as he licked and touched her scars had her rubbing her legs together in need.
How was she going to do her job and stay out of his bed? Maybe she did need to be removed from the case, but Marci had said that she had managed to get farther than anyone else had. How could she simply leave in the middle?
Pausing, Bethany dropped her empty coffee cup in the trashcan before rubbing her temples. She needed sleep. She needed to focus. Marci interrupted her thoughts when she knocked briefly before walking back into her office.
“So what did you decide?”
Squaring her shoulders, “I’ll stay, but I need advice.”
The two women sat together for the next hour going over various contingencies. Marci didn’t think that she should break off the relationship with Vadim, but she needed to be more cautious. Bethany adamantly refused any cameras or listening devices before reminding her handler that she still had the sunglasses in her car. If she
had an opportunity to wear them, she would, but she was not risking exposure in the event she was searched, and she agreed to carry a panic button that she could trigger in the event her life was in danger.
As Bethany was gearing up to leave, Marci told her that she would apprise Sanderson of what was going on and that they were proceeding cautiously. When she left, rather than going out the main entrance, she took the stairs, which opened out near the library, and then circled around to catch the Metro line that would drop her off a couple blocks from her apartment.
As she sat inside the air-conditioned bus, she contemplated what she would say to Vadim when she saw him at work on Wednesday.
Chapter 2
As Bethany rounded the corner onto her street, she saw Vadim’s Town Car parked in front of her apartment building. She sighed and thought about turning around and waiting him out, but the driver saw her. Trudging down the street, she waved to him before walking into her building.
When she got to her apartment, she wasn’t surprised to see her door open as she stepped inside. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone, but there were noises coming from her bedroom. She stopped in the doorway and watched as Vadim carefully searched through her suitcases and scant belongings.
“Are you looking for something in particular?” she asked as she crossed her arms.
“I think you know the answer to that,” came his surly reply.
“No, Vadim, I really don’t. And if you don’t mind, I’m tired and I’d like to get some rest.” Ignoring her, he continued to search her belongings as she watched him. “So, how did you get into my apartment this time? It’s a bit too early for the landlord to be drunk.”
“I bought the building.”
“What? When?”
“Last week.”
“Why?”
Looking up at her, Bethany was taken aback by his red eyes. It was all she could do to keep from wrapping her arms around him to comfort him. In that moment, he looked so hurt.
“The building was for sale, along with a few others. It wasn’t until I came here that I saw its potential. It’s purely for investment,” he replied as he went back to searching her apartment.
“So, you’re adding slumlord to your list of real estate holdings?”
“Malyutka…”
“I am NOT your little one,” Bethany shot back, interrupting him.
Rising to his full height and turning toward her, Bethany could see the cold fury in his eyes as she fought the urge to take a step back. At five foot, nine inches, she wasn’t particularly short, but at more than six feet tall, Vadim easily towered over her.
“Dammit, Malyutka, you ARE whatever the hell I say you are,” he ground out as he stalked toward her.
She tried to keep her voice under control while she looked at him warily. “I think that you should leave,” she told him quietly.
“No,” he replied simply as he stood in front of her. Unable to look at him, she stared at his chest. Dressed in his typical dress pants and white button down shirt, he had it open at the collar and her eyes rested on what she could see of his chest. She held her arms tighter against her chest to keep from reaching out to touch him. “Look at me, Malyutka.”
Raising her head, she looked at him and was unsure what he saw, but his expression instantly softened. His hand cupped the side of her face, and he rubbed his thumb over her lips as she licked them in surprise. With a groan, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her hard against him. Dropping her hands, she braced herself against his chest as heat began to unfurl around her.
“Tell me again to leave and I will,” he told her, as she began to rub her hands on his chest. Staring up into his face, she couldn’t do the right thing as she went up on her toes and kissed him.
Growling against her, Vadim held her tightly as he parted her lips. Whatever he had thought was going to happen was quickly replaced with the desire to consume her as Bethany melted against him. He held her head and kissed her, pouring out all his angst and anger at her walking out on him as she hungrily kissed him back.
Her hands reached for the buttons on his shirt, and she tugged his shirt open, eagerly reaching for the hard muscles of his chest. He nipped at her lips while he plundered her mouth, possessively taking what she offered as she made small mewling noises. They both were panting heavily when the kiss broke as he grabbed her arms and swung her around to the bed. Reaching for the hem of her dress, he pulled it over her head before pushing her down onto the mattress. Bethany’s eyes darkened as she looked up at him in surprise. She watched him pull his shirt from his waistband before unfastening his pants and dropping them in a pool around his feet. As he stepped out of them, his shirt found its way to the floor before he joined her on the bed.
No longer a virgin, Bethany’s fears at being less than were dispelled when she looked up into the hungry eyes of Vadim as he leaned over her. Pushing away all thoughts of feeling like prey, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer to her. His erection bounced against her leg before settling against her mound as she lifted her hips and impatiently rubbed against him.
Rising to his knees, Vadim lifted her legs and placed them against his shoulders before burying his shaft deep inside her. They both groaned with lust as her body eagerly welcomed him. Any thoughts of pretense evaporated as he set a punishing pace, rapidly pounding in and out as she dug her nails into his arms. Lifting her hips, she tried to match his pace as she met him thrust for thrust, eager to take whatever he offered. Her body wanted what he had to give, and she could think of nothing else as a series of orgasms rolled through her, causing her to spasm and clutch greedily at his cock with each thrust.
Vadim fought to keep his own orgasm from coming as he enjoyed the power he had over her while she quivered with need. Lifting her head, she kissed him deeply before sucking hard at his tongue. The combination of her actions was the final straw as his balls gripped him, briefly paralyzing him before releasing his orgasm with a roar. Speeding up, he continued to pound into her before gradually slowing down. When he was spent, he collapsed on top of her before shifting to his back and pulling her against him, as she lay sprawled against his chest, one leg lazily draped across him.
Holding her, he kissed her gently as he stroked her back until her spasms slowed and stopped. They lay together for several minutes, both too surprised to speak. Their lovemaking had been primal at best and neither was sure what to say.
Bethany shifted in his arms as her stomach growled. Chuckling, he lifted her head to look at him. “Hungry?”
“Famished,” she replied with a grin.
Chapter 3
Tuesday morning, Bethany sat in Marci Chase’s office while she was busy teaching one of her favorite classes. As a handler for the FBI, she had long maintained her standing as a graduate professor in the languages department at the University of Texas. It often afforded her the opportunity to travel without raising suspicion and her years at UT gave her a certain amount of autonomy in her activities. Sanderson had come through and provided them with all the background information they had on Victor Vadimar Markman aka Vadim Sannikoff.
Born and raised in Belaya Lisitsa, near the Siberian border, in 1976, Vadim was the middle son of Victor Markman, a high-ranking officer in the then Soviet military. Known for his cruelty, Colonel Markman was rumored to have beaten to death two different wives before eventually being killed under suspicious circumstances by friendly fire. Vadim’s younger brother was listed as deceased, and his older sister appeared to be alive and living in the family home.
As Bethany sifted through the file, she reviewed Vadim’s military record as she paused to look at what photos the research team could pull together. His military career was short-lived as he didn’t seem able to control his anger and several members in his unit were injured or died as a result of his actions. He quickly excelled when he shifted over to work as a mercenary, where he eventually worked his way up, or through, several different organizations, slowly amassing
a small fortune as a gun for hire and a smuggler.
Based on the information provided, Vadim had immigrated to the United States and had briefly worked for a man by the name of Dmitri Nardov, who according to the file, was recently indicted on several counts of smuggling, kidnapping, and attempted murder. When Vadim took over the Drobilka cartel, the once loosely organized organization was suddenly being run with military precision and had expanded outside the drug trade into more profitable ventures.
Bethany shut the file with a sigh. This was much more than she had anticipated, and the thought of going into work at the Rubicon filled her with dread. She needed to hold it together if they had any chance of shutting them down. Placing the file back in the cabinet, she locked it before grabbing her backpack. She was expected to attend school at least on a part-time basis in order to maintain her cover, and she had a language class in fifteen minutes, which was just enough time to grab some caffeine.
As she headed over to what had become her favorite coffee cart, she rubbed the back of her neck. She looked around and tried to figure out what was out of place, but the campus was alive with students and she didn’t see anything amiss. Shaking her head, she ordered a triple-shot latte and a scone before returning to the languages building. With two classes, back-to-back, she would be done by eleven and wouldn’t have to be back on campus until Thursday, assuming nothing was going on. As she walked past a group of students, lost in thought, she failed to notice the young man standing with the other students but not engaging with them. He watched as she entered the building before trailing in after her.
When Wednesday evening rolled around, Bethany was nervous about going in to work. The picture of Vadim painted by the file they had on him had her wondering about the two very different men. The original, hard as nails, quick to anger and react versus the one who rescued her from drunks and managed to turn her insides upside down with only one look. She had a hard time reconciling the two and worried that the killer for hire was simmering just below the surface of the man whose arms she felt comfortable falling asleep in.