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“Okay, doc.” He straightens in the chair. “Before I start, let me re-introduce you to my brother, the Pakhan of the Bratva.”
I hate when they say something in Russian and expect me to know what it means. “Can you please say that in English? You know I don't speak Russian, and I have enough with your brother calling me all sorts of things.” I look at Maxim. “I’ll figure out what you call me, and if it’s something fucked up, I’m going to hurt you.” Maxim smiles, showing off a dimple. My legs become weak at the sight. He has a fucking dimple? Fuck! I’m lost in his smile for a few minutes.
“Don’t keep promises you can’t keep, kotyonok.” I feel a flush creeping up my face and look away, not wanting him to see how he affects me.
“Maxim is the boss of the Bratva, the Russian mafia.”
A sudden chill runs through my body. The boss? As in he runs the mob? Why I’m still sitting and not running for the hills? Maybe because there’s a six-foot-tall Adonis you can’t seem to stop thinking about. I can’t comprehend my feelings toward him. Is it hate? Lust? Attraction? What is wrong with me? I can’t believe that no one caught my attention after all these years. But I end up infatuated with a mob boss? Funny how life works.
Andrei coughs to get my attention.
“Your dad was the Bratva’s doctor. Not a killer.” That doesn’t make it any better.
“Any time one of us or one of our men got hurt, he would be called in to treat us.” I’ve always wondered why Dad would leave in the middle of the night or have secret conversations on the phone. I thought he was having an affair, but I was so wrong. So very wrong.
“Yesterday was a mistake that won’t happen again. We called your father, and when he didn’t answer, we came straight here. We didn’t know he’d passed away. Sorry about that,” Andrei continues, looking at me sympathetically.
“He would usually go to our house and deal with the mess there. He has an office with all the supplies he may need.” That's reassuring to know that the clinic doesn’t have ties with the mob. “We want you to take his place; you seem to know what you’re doing and can handle yourself under pressure. Maxim thinks we can’t trust you, but I think we can, so I’m taking a chance with you.”
He can’t be serious? This is a terrible idea. I open my mouth to say something, but Andrei raises his hands to stop me. “Let me finish. After I'm done, you can ask and say anything you want.”
He waits for me to agree. “Fine, continue. I'll stay silent until you finish.” I roll my eyes, and he chuckles.
“This job will need you to be on call. Mob business is unpredictable; you saw that yesterday. We will pay you very well, and you’ll be under Maxim's protection at all times.”
I can’t stop myself. Being quiet is not something I can do. “Why would I need protection?” Andrei sighs. “You can’t expect me to stay quiet.”
Ignoring me, he continues, “This world is not what you think. Besides us, there’s also the Cosa Nostra—the Italian/Sicilian mob, the Mexican mob, and the Irish mob. Maxim rules over most of Miami, but some sections belong to the others.” Belongs to? What does that even mean? My head pounds from so much information.
“Your dad saw what the world is like and how ruthless people can be. He was a year into his residency, and the things he saw made him go to our father and propose an alliance between them. He’d also just proposed to your mother and wanted to keep her safe. Our family protected her, and when you and your sister came along, the protection went to you two.”
“Hold on. It was my dad who went to your father? How is that possible? For how long was my dad at your beck and call?”
“He and our father have been friends since they were young. Your father was twenty-three years old when they formed the alliance,” Maxim says.
So my dad was brought in after he met Mom. Interesting… Mom must know. How did he keep this life a secret if she didn’t? I heard him leave the house in the middle of the night. How could she not?
“If you work for Maxim, the protection will be extended to you,” Andrei says and looks at Maxim, nodding his agreement.
“Why does that sound like a bribe and a threat?”
“It’s not, doc. I’m just stating how this world works; there’s so much in the works, higher-ups, and dealings that your brain wouldn’t comprehend. One wrong move, and you could see yourself staring at the end of a gun,” Andrei says, and I shiver at his words. A gun? Why would that be if I would only be a doctor for them?
“I don't understand how I would get hurt if I would only be treating people?”
“I feel you’re going to need more protection than we offered your father.” He winks at Maxim.
“Enough,” Maxim screams so loud that I jump. What was that about? I stare at him, confused at that reaction. Why would I need more protection? I seem to have more questions than answers.
“I'm tired of this conversation. You don’t have a choice in the matter, krasavitsa. You belong to me now. Your father cared for other members of the Bratva, but you’ll be mine and Andrei’s doctor and maybe some of the women if they need it. I’ll call you when we need you, and that’s the end of this discussion. Andrei, let’s go.”
“Wait, I didn’t agree to anything.”
“Not sure why you thought you had a choice in the matter, Sophia.” I gape at him. What happened to the man soothing me from my panic attack mere minutes ago?
“Andrei, outside, now! Wait for me in the car.” Andrei gets up and leaves without saying anything. Asshole.
Maxim hovers so close to me. I take a good look at him. His eyes are a striking color of blue that holds so much pain and sadness underneath, his brown hair is more of a dark blond, the sides of his hair sheared close to his head, and the center is a bit longer and combed to the side, and he has a neatly trimmed lion mane beard. Maxim has this hard, rugged, well-put-together look that makes my heart flutter. He doesn’t say anything, just stares at me, and suddenly makes me feel very hot. God, he’s gorgeous.
