Free Obeying the Russian Mafia Boss: A Mob Romance by Bella Rose, Leona Lee

been given that morning, and all it did was make her even more curious about the man, but she ate her sandwich in silence. When she finished, she gave him a small smile and headed back inside. Danil didn’t stop her or offer any more information.
    Since the empty bedrooms were relatively clean, it only took Ella another hour to finish up her assignments. With nothing else to do, she carefully sneaked back downstairs until she found the small library that she’d seen earlier.
    Most of the books were in Russian, but she did find a few English titles. They were mostly autobiographies and true crime fiction. Erik seemed to have a love for violence.
    Snagging a book, she darted back upstairs and settled in the chair by her bed. If she wasn’t allowed to explore, and the other staff members weren’t going to be friendly, she might as well read to pass the time.
    Before she opened the book, she pulled out her phone and dialed her mother’s hospital room. “Ella?” her mother said in a tired voice. “Is that you?”
    “Hi Mom,” she said brightly. “I’m on break and I wanted to see how you were feeling.”
    She heard her mother shifting around in her bed. “I’m the same as always. Today they had green gelatin for lunch. How is the new job? What exactly are you doing?”
    Ella hated lying to her mother, but she couldn’t tell her Mom that she was working as a maid. It would make her feel horrible. “I’m just helping a business owner. My new boss owns a club, and I’m helping him with whatever he needs.”
    “A club owner?” Ella could hear the uncertainty in her mother’s voice. “Ella, you can do so much better than that!”
    “It’s okay, Mom. The job is only for a year, and it pays really well. Afterwards, if he gives me a glowing recommendation, I might be able to get a better job. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine.”
    There was a moment of silence. “If you say so,” she finally said. “I’ll call you later this evening. My soap is about to come on.”
    “I love you, Mom,” Ella said sadly. She hated leaving her mother alone for this long. As she hung up the phone, she stared out the window. On the ground below, two armed men slowly paced the area. She grabbed her book and opened it, but a question still nagged her. What did Dina really mean when she asked if Ella thought Erik was a club owner?
     

Chapter Eight
     
     
    Usually on Thursdays, Erik tried to stay away from the club. Fridays and Saturdays always tested his patience, but with the club now open for lunch, he decided to pop in and see how things were going.
    Only the tables directly around the main three dance platforms were open. As business grew, Erik would expand that, but he didn’t want to overload his kitchen staff. Word spread, and more and more powerful clientele were showing up. Many were just there for lunch, but they glanced at the back room curiously. That was fine. Erik knew that it would take time to build trust. These men couldn’t afford to do anything that might damage their reputation.
    After checking on the floor and the kitchen, he walked back to the dressing rooms. His cocktail waitresses were joking around with his escorts.
    “Ladies,” he said in a low voice as he walked in. “Everything okay?”
    “Mr. Chesnovak!” they squealed.
    One by one, he chatted with them about the lunch crowd. Each of them was trained in the art of seduction interrogation, and they passed along any information he might find relevant.
    When the time came, this was how he would control the city. Hold the rich by the balls, and everyone would bow down to him.
    Assured that everything was going according to plan, he went back home and stopped by the security office.
    Knowing that he would be spending time in his office, Erik had assigned Ella some of the rooms on the first floor. Danil had informed him yesterday about what had happened on the patio, and now that his men knew that she worked there, many went out of their