Obeying the Russian Mafia Boss: A Mob Romance Read Free

stronger today. They’re taking her to run a few more tests, so I was just going downstairs to grab some more coffee.”
    Perfect . “May I join you? I remember how you handled the coffee yesterday.”
    Ella grimaced and nodded. “I won’t be keeping you from anything, will I?”
    Nothing that she needed to know about. Shaking his head, he walked her to the elevators and studied her. He was completely turned on by her. Rather than styled neatly, her red hair was a complete mess, even though she’d tried to tie it at the nape of her neck. There wasn’t a stitch of make-up on her face, and there were heavy bags under her eyes. She wore jeans and a T-shirt, and while she filled out the jeans nicely, her shirt hid whatever curves she possessed.
    She was nothing like the women he normally found himself drawn to. They were usually high profile women with lots of money at their disposal and too much time on their hands. They were always eager to waste a little time with him and didn’t expect things to last long. He moved on. They moved on. It didn’t leave him empty. He didn’t feel like he was missing anything, so he couldn’t understand his attraction to the beautiful disaster in front of him.
    Ella was probably a woman who liked to celebrate monthly anniversaries and enjoy romantic walks on the beach. The very thought made his lips curl.
    “How is your friend?”
    Her sudden question brought him back to the present, and he blinked. “Yes, my friend. I was able to even the score.”
    “You paid your debt? That’s good, right?”
    It wasn’t good for Dalinsky, but it was very good for Erik. The elevator doors opened and saved him from having to answer.
    “Have you been in California long? Your accent is thick, but your English is perfect. Of course, I hear some people keep their accents for years.”
    “I moved from Russia year ago, but I started learning the language at an early age. Are you from here?”
    “Born and bred,” she said dryly. “It’s nice, but I’d like to be able to travel a little bit. There is so much more to see than California.”
    “A woman with an open mind. I like that,” he said softly. Unable to help himself, he put a hand to her back as he guided her to the cafeteria. Like yesterday, she stiffened under his touch but didn’t pull away.
    What would she do if he slipped a hand under her shirt and caressed her skin?
    Ella suddenly stopped and pulled out her phone. “Can you give me a second? It’s the nurse’s station.”
    He heard the tremor of fear in her voice and nodded. She answered the phone immediately and walked to the corner for more privacy. When her shoulders relaxed and she closed her eyes, he could see the relief written all over her face.
    “I’m sorry about that. I’m going to have to get a rain check for the coffee. It seems that my mother forgot to sign one of the release forms for the tests. She’s sedated, and I have health care proxy, so I can sign for her,” she said.
    Was that regret in her voice? “Please don’t apologize. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
    Her smile was hesitant, and she looked awkwardly at him. He thought she might hug him or least try to shake his hand, but instead she just nodded her head and turned quickly to the cafeteria exit.
    Disappointed, he headed to the entrance of the hospital. He did need to attend to business, and now he’d just get an earlier start on it. Pulling out his phone, he sent two text messages and headed outside.
    In picking the meeting spot, Erik couldn’t resist indulging in the sunshine. He relaxed on the deck of a swanky restaurant and swirled his vodka. Around him, the street buzzed with activity. Beautiful people rushed by with their phones up to their ears. The rich swaggered by with their body guards and purse dogs. Panhandlers made their pitches, sometimes getting a payout, sometimes a glare or shove. They were all too wrapped up in their lives to enjoy the world around them. They were used to