Free Bought by the Russian Mobster by Bella Rose Page A

send some guys over to stay with you. And two more of our men live upstairs.”
    “I’ll be fine.” She was wringing her hands together and staring around as though she were anything but fine.
    Nicolai gently took her hands. He pried them apart and held them loosely in his own. “You will be fine. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, Lily. Look at everything you’ve been through. And even then you had the courage to run away from my brother.”
    “I wasn’t courageous.” She kept her eyes down, refusing to meet his gaze. “I ran away because I was scared.”
    “It takes a lot of bravery to run.” He lifted her fingers to his lips. “Staying—even when you’re in a bad situation—is just giving in to fear and deciding to just deal with the crap as it comes. Change is frightening.”
    “Are you afraid of change?” She lifted her gaze and it nearly took his breath away to see the naked emotion right there on her face.
    “Yes. I am.” He wondered how much he should say.  “I never wanted to lead the family.”
    “You mean in your father’s place?” She frowned as though she were having trouble putting it all together. “But you’re going to have to now, because Vladimir isn’t fit for the job?”
    “It’s tempting to just let him have it, turn my back, and walk away.” That was more than just tempting, actually. That was his preferred method of dealing with all of this.
    She cocked her head to one side. A lock of hair slid over her shoulder and rested against the curve of one breast. “But you’re not going to do that.”
    “I’m not?” He wondered why she would guess that.
    “No.” She moved closer to him, until she was staring up into his face and standing so near to him that he could feel the heat of her skin. “Deep down you care about your father’s men. You may not like all of the things that they do or how they act, but you respect the men and they’ve been your family for too long for you to just turn your back. Especially when you know what Vladimir will do with that sort of power.”
    “Damn.” He cupped her face and leaned down to press an almost chaste kiss to her lips. “How is it that you know me so well?”
    “I’ve gotten good at figuring out what people are like from watching how they act and looking at the choices they make.” She nuzzled him gently. “You took me in, even though you knew there was no benefit in it for you. And you just said that two of your father’s men are living upstairs. That tells me that you think of them like family.”
    “I’ll have to remember your powers of observation the next time I need an assessment of someone.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re a hell of a woman, Lily.”
    ***
    Lily warmed at his words. She had never thought of herself as being particularly good at anything, but Nicolai made her feel good about herself. She watched him go and locked the doors behind him.
    The silence inside this modest living space wasn’t heavy. There was an almost tranquil quality to the place. She liked being there. Walking through the rooms, she noted the worn overstuffed living room furniture and complete lack of a dining table. The paper plates stacked neatly on the counter suggested that it was used in lieu of a table.
    With nothing else to do, she began tidying up. She had already wiped down the kitchen and was headed into the bedroom when the pounding started on the front door.
    Lily sank into a crouch in the hallway. The window in the front door was frosted. Nobody could see inside. That didn’t mean someone wouldn’t break in. And she had no way of knowing who was there.
    “Nicolai!” Vladimir’s shout seemed to shake the windows. “I know you’re in there! You’re hiding her! Bring her out. Now!”
    Lily trembled. She curled up with her back to the wall and tucked her head into her knees. Burying her face, she refused to give into the fear creeping up her spine.
    “Lily!” Vladimir shouted.