Free Protected by a Mobster 2: A Russian Mafia Romance (Volsky Mafia) by Jacee Macguire

on Liliya’s face as she glances in Gabriel’s direction. I don’t have to ask her how she feels about him. It’s written all over her face. She hates the hell out of him. He can be an ass, but she has to work with him until this is over.
    “Vlad, I need you to make calls to our guys and have them meet here this afternoon. Now that we know Duskin is working with the Armenians, we need to be prepared for anything. Those guys fight dirty.”
    Vlad nods and stands up, heading for the door as he pulls his phone from his jacket pocket. “Anything else, Boss?”
    “The fight has been moved up. The usual place and time… tomorrow.”
    Liliya flinches, her eyes immediately shifting down to the floor at this last bit of news. The smile she offers me is forced, which is unlike her. Gabriel notices her unease too and quickly leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
    For the first time in my life, I find that I am not sure how to approach a woman. Rising from my chair, I slowly make my way across the room and kneel down in front of her. Slowly, I reach a hand out, my thumb and forefinger lightly grasping her chin as I urge her to look at me. She doesn’t resist. Instead, her eyes meet mine.
    “It’s going to be alright,” I say, keeping my voice soft and even. Calming. “The fight was coming no matter what. It’s just happening a few days earlier than originally planned. This is good. Soon it will all be over.”
    Liliya lets out a breathy sigh as she clasps her hands together. “I... I know. I’ve just been thinking about how little we know about each other. When you win the fight, we’ll have to get married and...” She stops short and sinks her teeth into her bottom lip.
    “I too have been thinking about how little we know of each other. You want to know what I think about that?”
    Liliya smiles and nods slowly.
    “I think that we will be a good match, you and I. Trust is a big thing for both of us. From the moment I saw you at that old diner, I knew you were special. Beautiful, sure, but it was more than that. There’s a light and innocence about you that calls to me.”
    “But...”
    Placing my fingers to her lips, I silence her. She frowns back at me, that feisty irritation blooming in her whiskey eyes.
    “Let’s spend the rest of the day together. We’ll get to know one another and build off of that. Sound good?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Good.”

Chapter Nine - Liliya
    I don’t know what I expected the afternoon to bring when Ruslan suggested we spend the day getting to know one another. To be honest, I had no clue what to expect, but the simple carefree afternoon had me feeling better about what the future might bring.
    We started off by having lunch at one of his favorite restaurants. It was a small place with beautiful pictures of Russia displayed around the space. It served up authentic Russian cuisine, as Ruslan explained as we took our seats. It was warm and inviting. Romantic, in my opinion. We sat at a table in the back corner, away from prying eyes and the bustle of customers and staff. Cafe Tatiana was just lovely.
    “So this is your favorite restaurant? It’s nice.”
    “It is. It’s like going home for me. I haven’t been back to Russia in years. I miss it very much. The food here is as close to home as it gets. Do you like Russian food?”
    “To be honest, I’ve never tried it before. Well, not authentic at least. Our cooks were... well let’s just say my father had his favorite dishes and they were served often. The best way to describe them would be bland and boring. So maybe this will be a better experience.”
    Ruslan laughs, waving at the menu. His eyes light up at the obvious challenge of getting me to like not only the restaurant, but the food, too. And I find myself eager to give it a shot, even though I fear I won’t like the food at all.
    “Well, Liliya, let’s see if I can’t find something you’ll enjoy. I love a challenge. Do you mind if I order for you? The menu is