Ruby Mayhem: A Russian Mafia Romance (Vyronov Bratva Book 1)

The tension between us is heavy.

I watch her through hooded eyes as she stands before me, vulnerability wrapped in defiance. Her dark curls are a shadowy halo around her pale face, and her chest heaves with barely contained panic. I lean back against my desk, resting against the edge as I fold my arms over my chest in a subtle mirror of her posture. She hasn’t answered me. Probably waiting for me to pounce on her and claim her innocence.

That’s never been my style, and I don’t intend to start now. But my plans have taken a turn since I last saw her.

“Here is the deal,” I begin, keeping my voice steady so she’ll understand every word. “I need a wife. And an heir. And you are going to provide these things for me.” There’s no softness in my tone, no room for negotiation. I’ve played this game long enough to know when to reveal my hand. And I’ve thought this through. Sure, this wasn’t part of the original deal. But there’s a lot more that I can gain from this situation than simply digging up dirt on Theodore Avants. Establishing my family line in the organization will be good for my reputation.

Tiana’s eyes widen, and her mouth drops open. “A wife?” she chokes out. “You… you mean you expect me to marry you?”

I nod. “Da,” I confirm, the single syllable clear and final. “And you will give me a child.”

She’s shaking her head before I finish my sentence. “Oh, no! No-no-no-no!” she babbles. “Just… no!”

“I don’t think you have much say in the matter,” I smirk.

“You can’t! I won’t!” she blurts.

“I can. And you will.” I straighten away from the desk, and she shrinks back. “I always get what I want. And I want this. I own you, Tiana. You will do as I tell you.”

“My God! You’re a monster!” Her eyes are wide. Wild.

Blyad, she’s so fucking beautiful.

“I may be, but I am not an unreasonable one, Ptichka… my little bird. Once you’ve fulfilled your part of the bargain, there’s a million dollars waiting for you.” I’ve made this deal attractive, but whether she takes the money or not, she will do it because I demand it.

Tiana recoils as if I’ve struck her, her breath coming out in short gasps. “You think money will make me do this for you?” She’s frantic, a caged bird looking for an escape that doesn’t exist. It’s almost amusing.

“I am sure it will sweeten the deal,” I confirm, my gaze never leaving her face.

Her hands clench into fists at her sides as she scrambles for a way out of this. But it’s futile. I own her, body and soul — it’s going to start to sink in soon.

“Never!” She spits the word out, but the trembling in her voice betrays her fear. “I won’t be a pawn in your sick game.”

“Ah, but you are much more than a pawn.” My smile is slow, predatory. “You will be the queen I need to secure my kingdom. You should feel honored, Tiana.”

“Honored?” She backs away, her movements jerky and desperate. “You arrogant bastard! Why should I feel honored to be forced into this… this nightmare?”

“Horror suits you, Ptchika,” I taunt softly, taking a step closer. “It makes you look even more exquisite.”

“No way. No!” Tiana’s breath hitches. I can see the realization dawning on her — that her fate is bound to mine, whether she likes it or not. “You can force me to have sex with you – and I hope you’ll realize that I’ll never want to! But have your child? Never!”

I’d expected this reaction from her.

“I’ve never forced myself on a woman in my life, Tiana. And I have no doubt that you are already thinking of ways to get out of here. That’s why I planned some extra precautions.” I glance toward the nearby door. “Dima,” I call. She looks confused until the door swings open, and then her expression becomes one of panic. Half a dozen heavily armed men have just walked in, led by my second in command. Dima Smirnov’s face is stoic as he runs his eyes over her.

“What is this?” she snaps.

“Your new security team.” I sweep a hand. “There is no point in looking for a way out. They will guard every access point. You will never find a way to escape.”

“That’s… You…” She clenches her jaw, and I can almost sense the thoughts crashing around in her head. She’d definitely been planning to find a way out. Too bad. She’s not going to find one. My men will make sure of that. “It doesn’t matter. I still won’t do it. I’ll never have your child!”

I give a small chuckle. “I had considered this response from you, too.” I jerk my head at Dima, who snaps an instruction to someone beyond the open doorway. There’s a sound of shuffling and grunting, and then another figure emerges.

Tiana’s gasp is audible, and she stiffens visibly. Her eyes fly wide with shock as she recognizes the ashen features of the man who’s being dragged in. Even battered and bloody, there’s no mistaking him. Yet it takes a while before Tiana manages to get another word out.

“Please… help me…” The asshole’s voice is tremulous.

“Dad?” Her hands are hovering near her face; one flutters to cover her mouth.

“Daughter,” Theo croaks hoarsely. His hands are bound behind his back, and the beginning of a black eye is forming. “Please. Do as he says.”

She stares at him in disbelief for long moments before she meets my gaze again. “You think this will make me change my mind? This is the man who sold me. My own father! Sold me like a piece of flesh!” Her words come out in a nervous rush.

I shrug. I might have misjudged this hand, but it’s worth a try. “I think you are the type of woman with a conscience. One who would overlook old scores.”

“Well, I’m not!” She juts her jaw out. “You thought wrong!”

“Teetee. Angel!” Theo’s voice cracks. He slants a look at me. “Kirill. You can’t be doing this. The repercussions…”

“There will be no repercussions, Avants. You sealed your fate the minute you booked that air ticket.” I’d known the fucker would jump straight into action. His bags were already packed when my men arrived at the house. Flying the coop. Fucking coward.

“Air ticket?” Tiana turns her focus back to him. “What’s going on here?”

Theo doesn’t say anything. I allow myself to enjoy long seconds of silence before I speak again.

“Your father moved that million dollars into an unmarked account the minute it cleared through the system, Tiana,” I tell her. “He has wrapped up his estate and was planning to leave the country.” It still burns me to realize that I underestimated him. Even as I was luring him in with promises of more money, he was looking at ways to funnel it out from wherever he was heading. The man is more devious – and resourceful – than I gave him credit for.

“What?” She frowns at him. “Leave the country?’

“It’s not the way he makes it sound, Teetee,” he says quickly. “I had business…”

“What business, Avants? Like selling information on my dealings? You didn’t think I’d dig up the dirt eventually?” I eye him coldly. In trying to extract himself from his holdings, he’d unveiled an entire network of subterfuge. Sources who’d supplied him with details that he’d been selling to my rivals. Now I just need to figure out who the idiot’s been working with.

The blood has drained from Tiana’s face. Her throat works as she swallows thickly. I catch the sound of her indrawn breath, and it shudders before she goes on to speak, “Dad… I can’t believe this. You traded me like livestock and then didn’t even plan to stick around to make sure I’d be okay?”

“Of course, I knew you’d be okay, baby.” His tone has grown wheedling. “Kirill Vyronov is a man of honor. He’ll take care of you. I knew that all along.”

“Really?” I scoff. “Because until that closing bid, you had no idea who would be the one making the highest offer on her. Your daughter could be anywhere right now. I just happened to be the best possible outcome.”

“Oh, that’s supposed to make me feel like you’re doing me a favor?” Tiana chimes in, her eyes are flaming when she glares at me.

“Feel whatever you wish, little bird.”

Theo makes a sharp little sound. There is desperation in his eyes. Too bad I don’t have any sympathy for the motherfucker. “Baby, please! Please just make this easy on yourself. On all of us. I’m begging you.” He keeps throwing little looks in my direction. The man may once have wielded some influence in the Bratva, but he’s just been stripped of it. I’m willing to bet he’s feeling naked.

“Begging me?” Tiana’s eyes are venomous as she slants a look at her father. “You mean like I begged you not to do this just yesterday? Like I pleaded with you to consider my future and not send me to this monster, Dad?” She looks unyielding, but when the man holding Theo tightens his grip, and her father flinches, her lips pinch together. “There’s no need to hurt him!” She looks at me.

I shrug again. “That’s up to you, Tiana. As soon as he lets me know who he’s working for, the only thing keeping him alive will be your cooperation.”

She sways slightly, her hand clasped to her throat. “But… I can’t…”

“Take a seat, Tiana,” I tell her. It would do no good to have her collapsing right now.

“Or what?” Some of her familiar fire flickers, even though I can see she’s wavering. I like that about her.

“Or I will make you sit.” I jerk my head at Dima, who pushes a chair up behind her. Without further argument, she slumps into it and drops her face into her hands.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Her voice is muffled.

“Tiana… baby, if you could just understand.” Her father’s voice is choked. “I would never have done this if I had any other options. But I was backed into a corner.”

“So, you sold me?” The words are tortured. “To save your ass?”

“They would have killed me, Tiana!” Theo’s face twists. “Would you want that?”

“All I ever wanted was for you to love me, Dad.” Tiana’s voice breaks, and fuck it, something twists in my chest. This is hurting her. And for whatever fucked up reason, that just doesn’t sit well with me. “I just wanted a father who cares.”

“Of course I care,” the bastard lies. The more I see of him, the more he turns my stomach. “But I had no choice.” He looks up at me. “I knew you were getting closer to the truth. You just wouldn’t back off. And then they started…” He trails off.

“Who started?” I bark at him. “Who have you been working with?” He licks his lips, looking around anxiously. “You’d better loosen that tongue, Avants, or I will fucking cut it out!” I snarl.

Fear darkens his eyes. “Kirill, I need you to know it was never personal.”

“I don’t give a fuck. Who were you working with?” Tiana shrinks back at my rage, but it doesn’t deter me. This bastard put my business at risk. More than just my business. Several men were killed when that last shipment was hit.

“I’m… I’m sorry!” He’s babbling again. “It was-”

Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to finish the rest of the sentence. Because the air is torn by a high-pitched whine, and then the side of his head explodes. I freeze, and the man holding Theo lets go of him as glass shards spray through the air when the window shatters. Theo’s knees buckle, and he slumps to the floor, his head a mess of blood and bone fragments. In what’s left of his face, his eyes are open, wide but unseeing; terror has been etched into his final expression. Tiana screams and jumps up, her chair falling over. Blood spatters my shirt and my face, and there’s a spray of pink across her cheek too, but she seems too shocked to notice.

“Dad… Daddy!” She lunges toward him screaming, but I get there before she can find her way closer.

That’s when the unmistakable sound of gunfire starts.

My eyes meet Dima’s and our instincts kick into gear in an instant. It doesn’t take long for both of us to realize that we are under attack. It’s not the first time this happened since I’ve been running the Bratva and it’s probably not the last. But having Tiana in the midst of it ramps up my reaction time.

I can feel the adrenaline surge in me as I take in the scene around us. Time seems to stand still as each tiny detail soaks into my mind. Within a fraction of a second, I calculate the risks of each possible scenario and then decide on the best course of action. It’s not a hard decision: get Tiana out of here, and then get back in and send these cunts to kingdom come.

“Up!” I bark, hauling her to her feet. She’s still clawing at the air as she tries to reach whatever is left of her father. “Move!” The word is aimed at Dima as much as it is at her. The men are galvanized into action, and in a moment, all hell breaks loose. Theo’s body is abandoned on the floor as lead hails down upon us, and everyone dives for cover.

Bullets fly past us, whizzing by like angry hornets as my men crouch and return fire. Dima’s in full-scale attack mode, barking orders and taking out the bastards who’ve dared to invade my home. Which is just what I need to get Tiana out of here. I drag her behind a bookcase and push her firmly against the wall.

“Stay here!” I hiss at her, my hand on her trembling shoulder. “Don’t move!”

She nods, eyes wide with terror but obedient for once. Her father’s blood is still warm on my hands, and it fuels my rage as I stand up and join the fray. My men are trained for this shit, but I won’t cower behind them while they fight for me.

I dive across the room, using the expensive furniture as cover while taking potshots at our assailants.

Motherfuckers.

They thought they could take me on my turf? They have another thing coming.

Dima catches my eye across the room and jerks his head toward the hole where the window once was – he’ll take care of whatever is out there. I nod once in acknowledgment before popping off another round at a shadowy figure through the shattered windowpane.

The man falls backward with a cry, but there are more where he came from – fucking cockroaches! But at least Dima will give me enough time to get Tiana out of here.

I glance back at her; she hasn’t moved an inch from where I left her. It doesn’t last long. When I get back to her and reach out to take hold of her again, she’s galvanized into action.

“Dad!” Tiana’s nails rake at my arm as she struggles against me.

“Follow me!” I haul her off her feet and drag her kicking and screaming across the room to the safety of a nearby cabinet, ducking behind it. I poke my head out quickly and take in the sight of shattered windows and drapes riddled with bullet holes, the tattered fabric flying as more gunfire is exchanged. My men are returning fire in full fury now, raining hell at the shadowed forms that are moving quickly beyond the ruined window frame.

A quick look around has my attention stopping on the door to my strong room. The small space houses a safe for cash from various deals and my most confidential documents. No windows. Only one door, and it’s armor-plated.

There!

Yanking her arm, I charge the short distance to the door, swipe my thumb over a biometric pad, and fling it open. She’s not resisting me now when I push her inside. In fact, a glance at her face tells me she’s probably in shock. Tear-soaked eyes stare up at me in a daze. The flicker of remorse I feel is a distraction that I shove to the back of my mind.

There’s work to be done.

“Don’t you fucking move from here!” I bark as I race out of the door. I lock it behind me just to be sure she obeys.

People are going to die out here today.

But I’ll be fucked if I let her be one of them.