Four under the Mistletoe: A MFMM Menage Romance (Christmas Billionaire Menage Series Book 2)

by Tia Siren

  “Very well. You may continue your work.”

  “Thanks!”

  ****

  “Hey, tell me. Is there something that I need to know about?” Anton asked as he followed Tassia everywhere she went. From the kitchen, even to the bathroom.

  “Nothing. I’ve already told you I’m fine. I’m good as a cow.” She giggled pretentiously.

  “Don’t lie to me. I know you’re keeping something. What is it? Do you have cancer, or bulimia, perhaps?”

  “Don’t be stupid! How many times do I need to repeat myself – I’m freaking fine. Don’t worry about me.”

  Although he knew she was getting extremely annoyed now, he still kept asking to find out what was bugging her.

  “Why’s your stomach getting bigger and bigger every week? Is it true you’ve been eating chocolates?”

  Her silence responded to his question. Why did he need to ask?

  “Hey, answer me. I feel like I don’t exist in your life anymore.”

  She finally broke her silence. “Do you really want to know?”

  The way she said it struck him. He knew something was not right.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “I-I don’t know if I can –“ She turned away as she embraced herself, trying to comfort her own sadness.

  “Trust me. I’ll never judge you.”

  “Anton. I-I….. I’m pregnant.”

  Chapter Eight

  Java had known it before Anton did.

  He and his henchmen were out to hunt them down.

  They would track every corner of the globe just to kill them.

  Anton knew it.

  For that reason, he decided to fly her back to America. But not to Chicago, but Pennsylvania where no one knew who she was.

  “Time is running out! It’s almost daylight. Sooner or later he’ll be here to shoot us all down. Hurry up!” The pilot shouted in anxiousness.

  Anton managed to convince his pilot friend to return her to where she came from. It was a costly move. Millions were spent just to keep her and their baby safe. He must have used a quarter of his fortune to ensure his family was taken care of.

  Rain of tears kept on pouring down her face as he wiped her cheeks in shared agony with her.

  “Why? Why does it need to end like this? Anton…. Please, please… come with me.”

  As she let her words fall, his heart was being torn in half. No one foresaw this coming. Neither him nor her. As in no one. Everything could happen in a blink of an eye.

  “I-I can’t….” He sobbed.

  “But why? We can live far away from here. In Alaska? Or even…..” She paused thinking of a place they could hide.

  “Antarctica? What? Say something!” She cried out.

  “No matter how hard we try you know he’ll track us down. You don’t know him, Tasia. He’s a nefarious man.”

  “I don’t care. If you’re gonna stay here, I’m gonna stay too. We’ll die together.”

  “Are you insane? What about the child in your womb? Our child. Don’t you care about it? Your mom? Please, don’t make it hard for yourself and me. Go now. I beg you!”

  As soon as he dropped the last word, a tumultuous sound of roaring cars dominated the quiet atmosphere in the private airport’s runway where the airplane was waiting. Her tears dried up as her heart quickened beating. She was alarmed.

  What would she do now?

  “Go now….” He pushed her toward his friend.

  She screamed and screamed. The veins in her neck almost ripped out of her skin.

  His pilot friend seized her as he pulled her into the airplane.

  “Let go of me! Anton….” She squealed.

  The plug door slammed. She could not see him anymore.

  Whirling in a circle, the propeller whistled loudly as it was about to take off. Gun shots fired in the mid-air, aiming at the airplane for it to stop. Bullets made out of bronze were no match against the steeled surface of the flying fish, specifically designed for heavy duty.

  “You betrayed us! How dare you –“ Java’s fist crashed against Anton’s jaw.

  He blocked out.

  ****

  Damped. Cold. Filthy.

  Anton’s hands were tied on a thick plumbing steel pipe under the warehouse. Mice were licking his wounds as they squeaked and squealed in delight. He was still unconscious.

  “What are we gonna with this mongrel? He’s a traitor. He deserves to be killed. He breached the rules and regulations of Sekret rynka.” One of the brothers said.

  “Just wait. We need to find out where she’s gone first.” Java spoke.

  Cold and dirty water from the drainage splattered all over Anton’s face, forcing him to wake up.

  “Hey, traitor. Wake up!”

  “Ha?” Anton weakly replied.

  “Where is she?” Java yelled.

  A sudden worry crept into Anton. Tasia?

  “Hey, I’m talking to you. Answer me!”

  A horse’s riding crop whipped against his face, head, neck, chest – anywhere it hit. It was painful like his father’s beating when he was just a kid. His most feared nightmare came to life. He hated pain. He’d had his fair of it since he was a boy. But, would he give in?

  “I-I don’t know,” He replied weakly.

  “Liar!” Another whip struck his face.

  Flesh split in half, his wound kept oozing blood. He was determined to keep his family safe. Although he never wished to leave his unborn child fatherless, he could not afford to lose them either. One way or the other, someone had to make a sacrifice.

  He already made a decision. And he was adamant to stick with it. Death’s grip had no power over him.

  “Tell me, or else I’m gonna tear you and your slut girl into pieces.”

  Slut? How dare you! Fury boiled in Anton’s blood. “Be careful with your mouth, you fat cunt!”

  Java stepped back slightly, frightened to see him turned red in wrath.

  “What would you do now? You’re bound and helpless. No one can help you. She’s not here, and she’ll be gone forever when I find the cave she’s hiding in.”

  “Don’t you dare lay your hands on her. I have many tentacles, Java. I could easily kill you in this instance.”

  “Oh, really? What about if I cut one off?”

  He whipped his left leg repeatedly to the point where Anton could no longer bear the pain in silence. He screamed in an agonizing cry, calling Tasia’s name for help. He kept on struggling, and at one point the rusty plumbing pipe broke where he was tied on.

  Java fell over by the pipe’s impact. It hit his right thigh, pushing him away.

  Realizing luck was on his side for the first time, he stood up in relief. A shadow in the drainage caught his attention. Papa? He thought as he saw his father’s reflection in the dirty water.

  It must have been his own hallucination created by his initial insensibility during the time he was unconscious.

  It as it gave him the strength to face Java.

  “I told you I have many tentacles. Bad grass is hard to die. Say your last prayer.”

  No one was left in the underground, except Anton alone.

  It was now Java’s turn to taste the dose of his own medicine.

  Chapter Nine

  Sitting by the window, Tasia’s mother, Tonya, was thinking about her daughter. She was regretful of gambling their house for the sake of her entertainment. Tasia had not come back home for over a year now. She spent Christmas alone. No gifts. No Christmas trees. Just a simple meal.

  Knock. Knock. Knock. Someone was outside the entrance door.

  “Who’s that?” Tonya yelled.

  No one answered. Instead, the knock kept on going, louder and louder.

  For goodness’ sake. Who’s that? “I’ll be right there. Hang on minute….”

  As she opened the door, a slim black woman stood before her with a baby girl clutched in her arm. She did not recognize
her. She had changed so much. That little girl she had once taken care of was now a full grown woman.

  “Tasia? Is that you?” Tears welled up in Tonya’s eyes. Disbelief clouded her mind.

  “Mama?” Tasia began to cry.

  “It’s you. Thank goodness, you’re alive. Oh, my daughter…”

  Lifting her arms up, Tonya let them rest on her daughter’s shoulders as she pulled her in closer, savoring the moment. Every second of it was more precious than diamonds. It was a gold that can never be purchased, its value beyond a price one could afford.

  The baby smiled at her grandmother sweetly, entertained by her reaction.

  “Is that my granddaughter, Tasia?”

  “Yes, Mama. Her name is Alexis.”

  “Oh, sweet heaven. She’s beautiful!”

  “Like mother, like daughter.” She laughed.

  “Where’s your husband?”

  “Ummm… Let’s talk about that inside Mama. I don’t think this is a good place for that topic.”

  “Yes, of course. Sorry, darling. Come on in.” Tonya shut the door.

  ****

  It had been days since Tasia had arrived back in Chicago. Since then, she had been praying that her mother would not ask about Alexis’ father. She thought Anton was already dead, and she did not want to keep her hope up, afraid to be hurt again.

  Since he was gone, Alexis had been her source of strength. She was the reason she found the courage to visit her mother again. Without her child, she would have gone insane by now.

  “Alright, Alexis, mommy and grandma will take you to the park. You like that, don’t yah?”

  Alexis giggled, exposing her toothless gums.

  “Mama…”

  “Yes, Tasia?”

  “Are you ready? I’m gonna take Alexis to the car, alright?”

  “Yes, darling. Just make sure you put her in the car-seat. She’s not allowed in the front passenger seat.”

  “Cool. Thanks!” Tasia made her way down the stairs to the carport where the car was parked.

  Driving to the park, Anton came to her remembrance as she noticed Alexis was sleeping. She really looks like her dad when she’s asleep.

  As they came to stop at the intersection, Tonya noticed her agitated face. “Is there something bothering you?”

  “Ha? Ah, no… I’m alright, Mama. I’m just thinking of what we should feed Alexis when she wakes up.” She lied.

  Truth be told. She was thinking of Anton.

  Sitting on a red picnic mantle, she watched her baby crawl around. How she wished Anton was there to see their daughter’s growth. But he was not. He was dead. As least that was what she thought.

  Not far off, Anton stood under a tree, trying to find the courage to approach his family. Papa, if you ever hear me, please help me be a father that I should be to my daughter.

  Since the time Anton saw his father’s reflection during the fight with Java, he was convinced his father had long desired his forgiveness. As Anton allowed himself to forgive, a sense of relief followed him all the time. It was the power of forgiveness that had taught him healing.

  A cold breeze hissed at him. Goosebumps stood up on his skin. Was it his father’s spirit who was helping him out?

  “Alexis, don’t go that far,” Tasia told her daughter.

  Oblivious to who was behind her, a hand grabbed Tasia’s shoulder. She recognized his smell and the texture of his palm. Don’t tell me his ghost is haunting me?

  Every doubt was abolished when she heard him speak.

  “Tasia?”

  She could not get it wrong. His strong, but soft Russian accent was remarkable.

  “Anton?” She excitedly turned.

  Gems of precious tears began to roll down involuntarily from their eyes. They were both speechless – tamed with surprise and gladness that miracles really do happen. And a happy ending was possible.

  “How did you find us?” She asked with thankfulness in her voice.

  “I’d do everything to find you and our daughter.”

  He shifted his gaze at Alexis while she was crawling around, exploring her skills. She got her golden brown hair from her father. Her eyes were Hazel, a little bit lighter than her mother’s eyes. But her skin tone was mixed. A little lighter than Tasia’s. And a little darker than Anton’s.

  “She’s beautiful. She looks just like you, Tasia. Can I hold her?”

  “Yes, of course. She’s your daughter, you know. Our child.” Tasia blushed.

  Taking her up from the ground, she wiggled her hands as she played with her father’s nose and eyes. Her smile was priceless. Suddenly Anton felt that same sensation of love that his father must have felt when he had held Anton for the first time.

  Watching, Tasia was crying. The tears of pain and sorrow were replaced with tears of joy and thanksgiving. Finally, they could now live in peace and harmony without worrying about tomorrow.

  She stood up, and then approached them. As she did, Anton wrapped his arm around her while the other was holding Alexis – the chain that interlocked them together.

  ****

  THE END

  Mafia Collection

  MAFIA Romance – Owned by the Mafia

  It was terrifying to have a pistol shoved in his mouth. More terrifying was the knowledge that he had no way of repaying his debt.

  “How dare you,” Grigori said. “How dare you sit at my table and gamble with me when you know you don't have the funds to cover your debts.”

  Grigori tightened his grip around Lenny's throat. Lenny looked up at him with saliva running from his open mouth and a great deal of fear in his eyes.

  “I ought to kill you now, you asshole. But I'm a benevolent man. I'm going to give you a chance.” Grigori looked at the photo on the mantelpiece. “She's very pretty, isn't she?” he said. Lenny growled at him and tried to break free. One of Grigori's henchmen stepped forward and assisted his boss in restraining Lenny. “What time will she be home?” Grigori asked, removing the gun from Lenny's mouth to allow him to speak.

  “You fucking bastard. If you so much as lay a finger on her, I'll kill you,” Lenny growled.

  “From where I'm standing, you don't seem to be in much of a position to carry out your threat,” Grigori said as he forced the gun back into Lenny's mouth.

  Lenny was forty-five, the son of an Irish immigrant father and a Hungarian dancer. His father had left them when he was two and his mother, struggling to find work as a dancer, had turned to prostitution. Neglected and alone, by the age of eight he was a master pickpocket, and by the age of thirteen he was one of the best lock pickers in New York. When his mother was murdered by a drunken client, he was fifteen. The authorities wanted to take him into care, but he'd already amassed enough money to look after himself, and he disappeared. When he came back to New York, it was as a heavily muscled strongman who lived from the proceeds of his criminal activities. In and out of jail, he managed to hide his ill-gotten gains and channel them into several pieces of real estate. Lenny was a rich man; he just didn't have any cash. In his opinion, he'd invested wisely, but he would have admitted to one very simple mistake: an evening of gambling with the Russians in Brighton Beach when he knew he didn't have the liquidity to pay if he incurred losses.

  “Dad, I'm home,” Lucy shouted. Funny, she thought when he didn't reply. Her dad always shouted to her when she got home. He loved asking her about her day at art college, sitting in the kitchen, drinking tea, and chatting with her. She hung her coat in the hall and put her satchel down on the black and white tiled floor. “Dad, where are you?” she shouted again.

  “Sit down and shut up,” Grigori shouted when she walked into the sitting room. She screamed and put her hand over her mouth.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” she shouted. She didn't sit down as asked; she walked to Grigori and began to throw punches at him.

  “Very spirited,” he said as he held her from him with one arm, the other still holding the pistol in Lenny's mouth. “Get h
er off me,” Grigori said to one of his men.

  A very large, very Russian-looking man took Lucy and lifted her from the floor. She tried to kick and bite him, but he threw her onto the sofa.

  “Quite a display of aggression, Lucy. I admire spirited women. In fact, it turns me on. Now, if you don't want to see your father's brains splattered all over this lovely room, sit still and fucking well listen to me,” Grigori snarled.

  “What are you doing to him? What has he done?” she asked, tears beginning to escape from her blue eyes.

  “He owes me money, a lot of money, and he can't pay. So, here's what we're going to do. You are going to come with me until he can pay.”

  “No way. You're not taking me hostage,” Lucy shouted as she got up from the sofa and made for the sideboard, where she knew Lenny kept a handgun. Again the large man picked her up and threw her onto the sofa.

  Grigori laughed. “I admire your fight, but it's useless,” he said. He took the gun from Lenny's mouth and wiped it on Lenny's shirt. “She's coming with us, Lenny, and there's not a thing you can do about it.”

  “You fucking asshole, I'll see you burn in hell. When I find you, I'll rip your eyes out and piss on—” Lenny didn't get to finish the rest of his tirade; Grigori pistol-whipped him into unconsciousness. Lucy screamed again and tried to get up, but the big man had learned his lesson and was holding her. “I didn't realize what a beautiful daughter he had. How old are you, Lucy?” Grigori asked. He looked horrified when Lucy's spit landed on his well-pressed trousers. “Take the bitch and put her in the trunk. I've had enough of her.”

  Lucy was thrown from side to side as the car dodged through the residential area her father lived in. She was relieved when they seemed to reach a long, straight piece of the freeway and it was a smoother ride. The tape over her mouth ripped at her skin whenever she moved her mouth, so she tried to stay as expressionless as possible. She had no idea who these men were or where she was being taken. All she knew was that her beloved father was lying unconscious in their home and she was in very grave danger.