Free Owned by the Mob Boss by Ashley Hall Page A

die.”
     
    My mom’s eyes clouded over. “You know I can’t—”
     
    “Promise me you won’t stop living until…”
     
    Understanding flashed in my mother’s eyes. “I promise.”
     
    “I promise too.”
     
    For a moment, the amount of time it took for me to leave my mom’s room to return to my room and start packing, I felt better, but then the fear of leaving my mom here alone formed a terrible pit in my stomach. I threw some clothes into a suitcase, grabbed some toiletries, and hurried to the front door, where the bodyguard was still waiting for me. He took the suitcase from me, and I grabbed my cell phone and charger. There. Now I was set to go…well, as set as I could be.
     
    Before the bodyguard could open the door, there was a knock. Confused, I sprang forward and opened it.
     
    A kindly gray-haired woman smiled at me. “Hello. You must be Rachel. I’m here for your mother.”
     
    “You are?”
     
    “Yes. I’m to be her nurse.” And she bustled into the place, walking straight in as if she had every right to be there.
     
    What in the world? How did she know? Who was she? She could be anyone. A crazy person. A serial killer.
     
    I glanced at the bodyguard. He nodded.
     
    So Ivan was behind this. He was making sure my mom was taken care of while I was away. It was a touching gesture, and something I hadn’t at all expected from someone like the kind of man Ivan was. This was all happening way too fast. I had wanted to do some research on Ivan, to learn who exactly he was, but it was too late now. What was done was done. The ink had dried on the contract, and now I was legally bound to have sex with Ivan up to four times a week until he got me pregnant. And if nine months passed, and I gave birth to a girl, I would have to go through it again. Another sex binge session. Another pregnancy. Another baby to give up.
     
    Still, he obviously wasn’t a complete monster. He had not been obligated to send a nurse here to stay with Mom. It was kind of moving. It made leaving a little bit easier, and it made my heart soften a little bit toward him. Mom will be taken care of. She’ll be looked after. She’s in good hands.
     
    “Ready?” the bodyguard asked.
     
    I nodded and squared my shoulders. Time to leave. Time to take the next step.
     
    The bodyguard walked out first, and I followed him out to a sleek black car. He put my suitcase in the trunk and opened the back door.
     
    I pointed to the passenger door. “I’ll sit up with you.”
     
    “Are you sure?”
     
    “Are you a bodyguard or a chauffeur?”
     
    He grinned. “It is possible to be both.”
     
    “You aren’t transporting goods. You’re transporting a person. I’m not a special delivery. I’ll sit up front.”
     
    He closed the back door and opened the front for me. “If you insist.”
     
    “Thank you.” But I hesitated. “I don’t need you to open doors for me.”
     
    “Force of habit.”
     
    I frowned. “Because of working for Ivan.”
     
    The bodyguard laughed. “No. My mom instilled good manners into me. A man should open the door for a woman. I swear, I’m doing it to be nice, not for the job.”
     
    “In that case, thank you.” But I still hesitated. “I didn’t mean to come across—”
     
    “You’re fine, Rachel,” he insisted.
     
    I blinked. I kind of expected him to call me something more formal.
     
    “Yes.” He sighed. “Around others, I will refer to you as Ms. Nevison, but I thought you might prefer I call you Rachel when we’re alone.”
     
    “I do. Yes. Thank you.”
     
    The bodyguard was quiet for the drive, and I didn’t pester him with questions, even though I did wonder what his name was. At least he seemed like a good enough guy, and I liked that he didn’t treat me like a freak for agreeing to something so crazy. I also appreciated that he didn’t treat me like I was royalty or anything like that, although I had a feeling he treated Ivan very differently from how