Grievous (Wanted Men Book 5)

by Nancy Haviland

  He closed the door and left his pet alone in the darkness on the front stoop of his castle. He crossed the foyer, aiming for his office, fearing he may have just committed his most grievous sin yet.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  As Yasmeen walked around small groups of laughing and smiling friends and relatives happily greeting their loved ones, she spotted a tall, willowy blonde pushing through the crowd toward her. Kristin Sheppard. The expression on her former roommate’s face said she’d already gotten a clear view of Yasmeen’s.

  “Come here, baby girl.”

  Yasmeen was pulled into a tight, loving embrace.

  “Oh, no, no. You cannot let him do this to you. Don’t you dare let him do this to you,” Kris whispered. “He is not worth it, ma belle fille.”

  It was then Yasmeen accepted it was over. Before it even began. For a few short teasing moments, she’d known what it felt like to find the one place she truly belonged. In the darkness with her madman.

  But, now, returning to her reality, where life once more sat back after cruelly proving she was one of those people who would never be lucky enough to find the acceptance she so craved, she was in agony. Even as a pet, she wasn’t worth keeping.

  She remembered his smile the night she’d told him she’d seen a mouse, and thought about how the sun had come out when his eyes had crinkled at the sides, its golden glow warming her shadowed world for a few short moments. The damaging effects of those rays would linger, she knew. They would last forever because he’d burned her. He’d invited her in. Forced her to accept him. Then he’d burned her at the stake.

  And she’d let him because she was that desperate to be loved. Not wanted, as she’d initially thought. But loved.

  “Come on. We’ll take care of introductions later. Let’s get her out of here. Do you have a bag, Yas?”

  Her head throbbed when she shook it. Kristen said something in French that was too fast for her to track, and then Yasmeen was being led through Charles de Gaulle behind two guys with hipster beards and trendy clothes. She couldn’t get out one word as they got into a cab and zoomed through the streets of Paris.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  At the sound of a throat clearing, Lucian looked down and to the side but not all the way back. He’d expected Sorin to interrupt his quiet time sooner.

  “Yes?”

  “She wanted you to have something. I followed her instructions and left it in your room.”

  “Spencer is with her?”

  “Yes. He and his team will remain in the shadows until you give him direct orders to stand down.”

  Lucian nodded. Invasion of privacy or not; there was no way he would ever leave one of his on their own again.

  “You, er, should go see what she left for you.”

  He fully turned at Sorin’s uncharacteristic stammer to find the doorway already empty. Returning to what he’d been doing, he walked around the cross and ran his hand down the cold wood. He braced himself before allowing in the memory of how she’d sounded when she’d called out to him. He’d been doing this for an hour now, and every time he relived the sound of her need, more pressure released through the cracks in his shell.

  He stepped back, pictured the look in her eyes when she’d seen him in the doorway, and opened his mind to the sound of her screaming his name. His heart slipped that much lower into his naval cavity.

  Can’t you see I’m trying to forgive you for what you’re doing? I’m defending these decisions you’re making, excusing your behavior. But I’m scared I won’t be able to do that for much longer.

  Yet she had. She’d forgiven every last thing he’d done to her.

  Almost afraid to linger, he left the lower level and made his way upstairs. What looked to be a milk crate sat in the center of the bed. He frowned and slowed his approach. He couldn’t imagine what Yasmeen might want to gift him with. A few options drifted through his mind; a gun with a single bullet, a bottle of cyanide, a map to the nearest cliff.

  The crate moved, and what he saw when he peered over its edge couldn’t have been more unexpected.

  A kitten.

  He stepped closer and the tiny dark brown creature looked up. They stared at one another for a long moment. It held Lucian’s gaze with unwavering hazel eyes that naturally had to remind him of Markus.

  Cats come around when they want to come around. Any interaction you have with them is done on their terms. Even when it comes to affection, they’ll accept your efforts only when it suits them. You remind me of a cat.

  As he reached in to scoop the tiny feline up under her belly, his demons once again started banging around in his skull, so hard his temples pulsed with pain.

  She’d left him with a kitten. Why?

  It was then he saw the envelope half-hidden beneath the small gray blanket spread out on the floor of the crate. He brought the kitten to his chest and ran a hand over its tiny head. At his third pass over the downy fur, a motor started up. The muffled, choppy sound came from the little thing’s throat. It was purring.

  His attention was drawn to the envelope again. He reached for it and withdrew a folded sheet of paper with his letterhead on it. It was from the stock he kept in the car.

  A Christmas gift I hope you won’t refuse. If you give her some time to get used to you, and you allow her the freedom to seek you out when she’s ready, you’ll become her world. Yas

  He stared at the elegant way she scrawled her Y before reading the post script.

  P.S. Please give her a prettier name than you gave me.

  A choking feeling clawed up his throat. He allowed it to suffocate him for a few seconds before swallowing it. That took some doing.

  He eventually tucked the note into his pocket and, gently stroking his new female, he strode out of the room. He made it as far as the end of the corridor before he had to sit. He fell onto the cushioned bench below the window overlooking the frozen moat.

  It took a moment, but he eventually unhooked the tiny claws from his lapel so he could lift what would be his only Christmas gift this year. He and Markus had always made a point to exchange a few things of meaning…

  He tried so hard to block the pain coming for him as he studied the feline, turning her this way and that.

  “I understand you are female.” He spoke quietly, and in Romanian. Her hazel eyes disappeared when she blinked, but then held his once again as if she knew more was coming. “But I am afraid you, too, will suffer through a name not suited to you. But what does that matter in light of how I will cherish you?”

  He brushed his thumb between her ears and felt the vibration start up again where he had his finger holding her chin up.

  “You will be Markus. Because you are mine.”

  He brought her down and tucked her close to his heart, wincing when her pincers dug into his skin. He concentrated on the way in which she was securing herself to her new owner.

  He allowed it, welcomed it as he looked beyond the frosty glass to the darkening sky.

  “Already I am feeling the need to lock you away.” He stroked her throat with his thumb and saw his father, sister, and little brother in his mind’s eye. He tried to stop it, but couldn’t, and Yasmeen’s image shimmered to life, overtaking the vision of his dead loved ones. Her throat…

  “How could I trust that you would not leave me by choice or tragedy?” He continued his one-sided conversation with his pet, unsure to which he was now speaking.

  As the sky continued to darken and he once more experienced the pleasure of Markus falling asleep in his arms, Lucian searched for the answer to his question. He eventually found it.

  “I couldn’t,” he whispered.

  To be continued…

  WANTED MEN GLOSSARY

  Characters, Places, and Terms

  (D) = deceased

  Abel Berkman - Moretti family, Jerod Berkman’s twin brother

  Adrianna Perilli (D) - Stefano’s girlfriend

  Albert Moretti (D) – former Don of the Moretti family, Gab
riel’s father, Stefano’s stepfather

  Alekzander (Alek) Tarasov – Vasily’s nephew, Sacha’s partner, Eva and Sergei’s cousin

  Alekzandra (Lekzi) Urusski/Tarasov – Alek and Sacha’s infant daughter

  Alesio Moretti – Gabriel and Stefano’s cousin

  Andrew (Andy) Martin – Sydney’s son, Maksim’s stepson, Elli’s stepbrother

  Angela Morgan-Taylor – Sacha’s best friend, Steve’s wife

  Angelina Kirov (D) – Maksim’s mother (the blade Maks keeps sheathed at his back is named after her)

  Anton Gorlov - Tarasov Bratva, Alek’s personal guard

  Aron Utkin - Tarasov Bratva, Vasily’s personal guard

  Artur Baikov – Baikov Bratva, eldest son, Sergei’s accomplice

  Apetito – Luiz Morales’s restaurant

  Ashlyn Russo - Lore and Father Michael’s younger sister

  Baikov Bratva – main rivals of the Tarasov’s

  Bobby T - Moretti family soldier

  Boris Kirov (D) - Maksim’s father

  Boyevik (Russian) – warrior who works for a Brigadier in a Bratva, similar to a soldier in an Italian/American mafia family

  Bratva – brotherhood, organization

  Brigadier (Russian) – captain in charge of a small group, similar to the caporegime in an Italian/American mafia family

  Cezar Fane (D) - Gheorghe and Daria’s father, Lucian and Markus’s uncle, former owner of Club Pant

  Caleb Paynne - vice-president of the ODMC, Nika’s brother

  Charlie - Nika and Vincente’s enthusiastic young Rottweiler

  Claude Moraux – Fane soldier, Markus’s partner

  Club Pant – Sydney’s nightclub

  Crown Jewel – Gabriel and Alek’s luxury hotel based in Seattle

  Daria Fane - Lucian and Markus’s cousin, Gheorghe’s sister, managing partner at Portia, Dashel, and Fane

  Darren Nollan – amateur porn producer, Kevin’s cousin

  David Smythe - NYPD detective

  Dmitri Zolin – Tarasov Bratva, Vasily Tarasov’s personal guard

  Eberto Morales – Luiz Morale’s brother, Eleanor’s father, Emily’s ex

  Eleanor (Elli) Grant – Eberto and Emily’s daughter, Sydney and Maksim’s soon-to-be stepdaughter

  Emily Grant (D) – Sydney’s best friend, Elli’s mother

  Eric Halston – Yasmeen’s best friend, Miranda’s boyfriend

  Eugen – Fane associate

  Evan Pivchenko (D) - Sergei and Renee’s son

  Evangeline (Eva) Marie Jacobs/Tarasov/Moretti - Vasily and Kathryn’s daughter, Gabriel’s wife

  Evgeny Tarasov (D) - Vasily’s older brother, Alek’s father

  Fier (Iron) Fortress – Lucian’s castle in Romania

  Furio Abella (D) - Stefano’s underboss

  Gabriel Albert Moretti - current boss of the Moretti crime family, Stefano’s little brother, Eva’s husband

  Gheorghe Fane - Lucian and Markus’s cousin, Daria’s brother

  Ghost - tattoo artist

  Grigori Utkin - Tarasov soldier, Sacha and Lekzi’s personal guard, Aron’s nephew

  Ian Preston - private detective

  Ivan Tarasov (D) - Vasily’s father, former Pakhan of the Tarasov organization

  Jakson (Jak) Trisko – Moretti family, Eva’s personal guard

  Jeremy Dashel - Tarasov lawyer, Managing partner at Portia, Dashel, and Fane

  Jerod Berkman - Moretti family, Abel’s twin brother

  Justin Sheppard – attorney, Vex’s half-brother, Sacha’s best friend

  Kathryn Jacobs - Vasily’s first love and the mother of his only child, Eva’s mother

  Kevin Nollan (D) - Nika’s abusive husband

  LDF Holdings (Lucian Darius Fane Holdings) – Lucian’s company

  Loki – Yasmeen’s rescue kitty

  Lorenzo (Lore) Russo - NYPD detective, high school friend of the wanted men, Father Michael and Ashlyn’s brother, Tegan’s lover

  Lucas – Tarasov soldier, Sacha and Lekzi’s personal guard

  Lucian Darius Fane – leader of the Fane organization, Markus’s brother, Gheorghe and Daria’s cousin, Yasmeen’s “owner”

  Luiz Morales – Mexican drug cartel leader, Eberto’s brother

  Maria Moretti (D) - Gabriel and Stefano’s mother

  Mario Romani - Vincente’s cousin, manager at ROM Construct

  Markus Fane (D) - executive VP at TarMor Inc., Lucian’s younger brother, Gheorghe and Daria’s cousin, Claude’s partner

  Maksim (Maks) Kirov – owner of Rapture, high ranking Tarasov Bratva member, Sydney’s fiancé

  Micha Zaretsky – Tarasov Bratva member, Maksim Kirov’s right hand (boyevik)

  Michael (Mikey) Russo (Father) - Lore and Ashlyn’s brother, catholic priest

  Miranda Neilson – Yasmeen’s best friend, Eric’s girlfriend

  Miruna Fane (D) – Lucian’s sister

  Nebulous World Art – Lucian’s art gallery, Yasmeen’s place of employment

  Nika Paynne - Vincente’s girlfriend, Caleb’s sister, Eva’s best friend

  ODMC - Obsidian Devils Motorcycle Club

  Quan Mao - Gabriel’s personal guard

  Rapture – Maksim’s gentlemen’s club in Hell’s Kitchen

  Reynard Novik (D) - Sergei’s regular partner

  Renee Pivchenko (D) - Sergei’s wife

  Richard Jaimeson – Yasmeen’s neighbor

  ROM Construct - Vincente’s construction company

  Sacha Urusski – Alek’s partner, Lekzi’s mother

  Samnang Oung - Cambodian housekeeper

  Stefano Moretti - Gabriel’s brother, former boss of the Moretti crime family, currently MIA

  Sergei Pivchenko - Vasily’s nephew, Alek’s cousin, Renee’s husband

  Sheppard, Lupin, and Sheppard – Justin’s family’s law firm

  Sixthes – an errand boy for the Bratva, the lowest rank, look-outs/information gatherers

  Sophia Romani (D) - Vincente’s younger sister

  Sorin Arcos – Lucian’s personal guard

  Sovietnik (Russian) – advisor and most trusted individual to the Pakhan, similar to the consigliere in an Italian/American mafia family

  Spencer McLennan – Fane associate, Yasmeen’s shadow

  Steve Taylor – attorney, Justin Sheppard’s best friend, Angela’s husband

  Sydney Martin - owner of Club Pant, Maksim’s fiancé, Andrew’s mother, Elli’s guardian

  TarMor Inc. (Tarasov/Moore aka Moretti) - Gabriel and Alek’s project management firm

  Tegan Mancuso (Dr.) – close friend of the wanted men, Maksim’s best friend, Lore’s lover

  Thomas (Tom) Sheppard – Attorney at Sheppard, Sheppard, and Lupin, Justin and Vex’s father

  Underboss – most trusted individual to the boss of an Italian/American mafia family

  Vasily Tarasov - Pakhan of the Tarasov Bratva, Eva’s father, Alek and Sergei’s uncle, father figure to all the boys

  Vex Mason (Vex) - ODMC President, Caleb’s best friend

  Vincente (the Reaper) Romani – Gabriel’s underboss, Nika’s boyfriend

  Vito Mazzotta - Moretti family soldier

  Yasmeen Michaels – art gallery assistant, Lucian’s “pet”

  Yuri Davidenko (Dr.) – surgeon, private MD of the Tarasov Bratva

  Zlatan Novak– Fane associate

  WORDS/PHRASES

  A mea (Romanian)- Mine

  Bunicuţă (Romanian) – Granny, grandma, grandmamma

  Cu plăcere (Romanian) – You’re welcome

  Cum te cheamă? (Romanian)– What is your name?

  Curvă – (Romanian) – whore

  Iubita mea (Romanian) – my beloved

  Malishka (Russian) - baby

  Mulţumesc (Romanian) – thank you

  Ptichka (Russian) – little bird

  Salut (Romanian) - hello

  Vă rog (Romanian) – please

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Nancy Haviland is
an award-winning, bestselling romantic suspense author who writes about her possessive alpha males and their obsessively loved women from her home in Southwestern Ontario. Her greatest loves are her children, her playful kitty, and, of course, coffee!

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