The Dark Side: A Mafia Romance Thriller (Morozov Mafia Series Book 1)

11. Push

Jolie took out her AirPods as she stepped into her apartment. She felt better working out, massaging all the tension in her shoulders. For an hour, she forgot about the shootout, the blood on her floor, and the police station. It felt so unreal that it all happened to her. She reverted to the eighteen-year-old girl who felt lost and scared when she saw her boyfriend rob a bank. Everything about him transformed, and she no longer knew who he was. She had been in denial for most of it until she showed up at the police station, with a statement clenched in her hand.

But I”m not eighteen. And I”m not naive.

Maybe she was a little, but not enough to go on a date with Adrik without backup. She”d have to tell her mother. Not the whole truth, but some of it, so if something did go wrong, she”d have help.

Red flag: needing backup to go on a date.

”Ming! Tae-Tae!” she called out, surprised they weren”t mewing at her feet.

The floor creaked just behind her, and Jolie spun around as a man covered in black made a grab for her. She jumped back, slamming into the fridge. She dived for her panda cookie jar, swinging it as he touched her arm. She smashed it into his head. He fell back, holding his face.

Every action from there was purely instinctual.

Jolie snatched the pen off the table and ran, diving into the bathroom, slamming the door, and locking it. She clicked the pen, screaming incoherently into it, but some form of ”help” or ”hurry” got out of her panic.

She flipped her head about madly, trying to find anything to help her. There was no exit in this box. The small window wasn”t big enough for her to squeeze through. Jolie flung her gaze around, searching for weapons. There were tweezers, a razor in the shower, a bunch of towels—

The assailant smashed his fists on the door, and it vibrated from the brutal force.

”Get the fuck out of my house!” The curse word felt like a jalape?o on her tongue, but she didn”t regret it as she rummaged through the bottom of her sink. More toilet paper, candles, tampons, hairspray, and a lighter.

Relief poured over her, and she took up the hairspray and lighter.

Pieces of wood broke as the man began to break the door down.

Jolie was shaking as she wrapped a towel around her hand with the hairspray clenched in between her fingers. She held it out, stepping into the shower to get as far from him as possible. He peeled back pieces one at a time till he poked his head through, and when he did, his eyes widened.

”Get the fuck out of my house,” she repeated before spraying and igniting it. The flame expanded like a growing storm cloud, spinning over itself till it hit him in the face. His scream was gut-wrenching as he fell out of the doorway. Fire licked at the wood where he had been. She dropped the hairspray and tore off the towel, flapping it about to put out any little flames lingering behind.

Jolie didn”t know how long she had. Should she call 911 or try to make a run for it? She didn”t know if she had done enough damage to keep him from going after her. She knew if she stayed here, she”d be trapped. She wasn”t strong enough to do much damage to him, but she was quick.

Jolie took a deep breath and yanked the door open. He had flung off his mask, and his unknown face revealed a snake tattoo on his cheek. It was a millisecond pause that they stared at each other.

Jolie dashed for the door, but in three long strides, he snatched her ponytail just as her fingers licked the knob. He yanked her to the ground. Her back hit hard, pushing air out of her lungs, and she struggled to get it back, coughing. He grabbed her bicep in a painful grasp that made her cry. He hauled her to her feet and tossed her over the couch. Her ribs hit the coffee table, and she fell to the floor, curling in pain and crying.

A knock on the door sounded with a voice yelling, ”Tampa Police! Open up!”

The man ran to the open window and dived onto the fire escape, disappearing.

Jolie held the blanket around her as she sat on a gurney in the hospital. She was tired, too drained to do much else than stare. She had spent the first hour shivering. They had given her ice for her broken ribs and medicine for pain. While being looked over, she filled out a police report, and now, after three hours, she was allowed to go home.

But how was she supposed to live there after what happened?

Adrik”s card was still in her pocket, and she knew all she had to do was call, but was he responsible? How could she ever trust that he wasn”t? He”s a mobster, which was too close to the word monster.

Agent Mally approached her slowly. There was a disappointment on her face that annoyed Jolie. As if she was victim-blaming without even saying a word. Jolie already felt stupid enough; she didn”t need anyone to say anything.

”What did he look like?”

She didn”t want to remember, but his face would be impossible to forget. ”Spanish. A tattoo on his face. It was a, um…snake.”

”It could be multiple factions that hate Adrik.”

”But I”m nothing. I”m not…””You”re being watched. That much is real. Did you see Adrik today?”

She swallowed, nervous to answer, before she nodded.

”They think you mean something to him. This was a threat.”

Mally pulled up a chair and sat in front of Jolie. ”These gangs are very close-knit. They travel like a herd. And the ones that are on the outside get picked off. You aren”t in their society yet. You are still weak enough to go after.”

Hearing it made it worse. ”What do I do?”

”Get as close to the center as you can.”

Jolie knew what she was insinuating. But she wasn”t the type of girl Mally was hoping for.

”I”m scared. I”m not daring or brave. I”m a coward.”

”Not according to the police report.”

Jolie shook her head. All of that had been entirely survival. She had been terrified the entire time. There was no bravery in her actions.

”I”m not what you want. Adrik wants me to become a tutor for his daughter.”

Mally sat back, thinking. She felt defeated by such a statement. ”I don”t believe you.”

Jolie gaped at her. ”I”m telling the truth.”

”He could get anyone.”

”I know that. I told him that. But he insisted.”

Mally twisted her words around, trying to pinpoint where this piece of the puzzle fit. She had worked with this family for years. They were resilient. They”d rearrange the pieces and destroy her progress if she ever got close enough. That”s why she was cautious. ”He likes you.”

”No, he said—”

”I don”t care what he said. Adrik doesn”t date. He”s not allowed. He and his estranged wife have a deal where they can live separate lives but aren”t allowed lovers. His wife, Katia, was in love with her brother”s best friend, Nikos. And they even were thinking of running away together. But when Katia got pregnant with Adrik”s child, he found out what Katia and Nikos were planning. He murdered Nikos.”

The word ”murder” doused her in dread.

”How do you know it was him?”

”No proof, but I know.”

Jolie shook her head. ”I can”t do what you”re asking.”

”This position of being a tutor is huge. You”ll earn his trust bit by bit.”

”It”s too dangerous.”

”Only if you get caught.”

”And what are your assurances that I won”t? You”re asking me to risk my life for this.”

Mally stood, aggravated that Jolie couldn”t see the importance of this position being brought to her like a piece of cake. Mally wanted this, and Jolie was only concerned about her life. This could change the future. This could alter so many lives. Including Mally”s. If she took down the Morozov empire, all her hard work would finally be worthwhile.

”I”m asking you to think of your students.”

Jolie sneered. ”That”s not fair.”

”Nothing in life is. But you have been given an important mission. Do you think heroes sit on the sidelines and wait for something bad to happen to swoop in and save the day? Real heroes, real-life heroes, are out there every day, putting their lives on the line to save yours. What do you think cops do? What do you think firefighters do?”

”I”m a teacher. Not exactly a risk taker.”

Mally smirked as she crossed her arms. ”I don”t know about that.”

How she said it unnerved Jolie. ”What”s that mean?”

A slight shrug. ”I”ve been looking into you,” she admits. ”And that bank robbery.”

Jolie”s blood went cold.

A little giggle produced from her pink lips. ”Your ex-boyfriend wasn”t very smart. But you were, weren”t you?”

An instant denial was on her lips. ”I don”t know what you mean.”

”Is that so? I could look into it a bit more. If I can”t get into this family, I”ll have more time on my hands.” The threat lingered as Mally backed up. ”Let me know what you decide.”