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

39. Dance Party

Spending the day at the beach with Katia wasn”t as appetizing as hours of lovemaking, but it wasn”t bad either. Katia was a ball of fun when she wanted to be. She knew how to spend money and didn”t hesitate either. The Don was a massive hotel twenty levels high and a hundred rooms wide. They got the presidential suite overlooking the ocean. But for now, they laid out on the beach in a cabana, with a servant standing nearby, waiting to be called.

It would be easy to forget that Jolie had joined the Mafia and was instead out with a friend, enjoying the sun and waves. But the five men in black suits, with guns hidden in their vests, were hard to ignore, especially in this heat. Sweat built on their faces, and a few kept a white cloth in their hand, rubbing the wetness before it dripped into their eyes. The only reprieve from the sun was the black glasses they had on their faces.

Jolie could only imagine how uncomfortable they were, but if Katia cared, Jolie couldn”t tell. She embraced her role as a mafia wife with ease and the tiniest amount of awareness possible.

This is how I need to be.

Jolie dropped her head back against the bench, closing her eyes, forcing herself not to care. It was selfish, she knew, but all of this had been. Her disregarding the FBI, becoming Adrik”s girlfriend, and watching as a man was dragged away to be whipped because of her silence were all selfish.

Her conscience was becoming a ghost she couldn”t escape.

”Doesn”t this feel a little selfish?” Jolie suddenly found herself asking.

Katia giggled before lifting her sunglasses to the top of her head. ”I was wondering when you would crack. Carrying your bag yourself. Getting your own drinks. Putting on your own sunscreen. You are a peasant in the king”s castle.”

”I am not a peasant. I can do those things myself. So can you.”

”Yes. But you don”t understand the reason why I don”t. These soldiers are paid for their job like everyone else, and their job is to make you comfortable, to please you so that you are pleased with them, so they get bonuses at the end of the year that will feed their family for months. If you were to go to the hospital, diagnose yourself, and operate on yourself, don”t you think the doctors would be a little pissed? If you don”t need them, they have no job. So, I let them do the little things so they are needed, paid, and can provide for their families.” Katia returned her sunglasses and resettled. ”So, who”s being selfish here?”

Jolie sloughed, hating how right that sounded. Was she wrong?

Throughout the day, Jolie noticed herself give in, allowing a servant to carry her drink back to the hotel. They sat now at the bar, and Katia took this time to make fun of her liquor abstinence. Jolie had never liked drinking; she didn”t see the point, because she never needed to feel out of control, but guilt was a constant depressant. She didn”t want to feel guilty for liking a dangerous man, and if she had to drown in liquor to erase the ball in her gut, then maybe it was time to indulge.

The drink went to her head faster than she was ready for, and she was dying laughing. Katia was laughing with her. ”Oh, you are so much more fun this way!” She wrapped an arm around Jolie. ”You know, I think if we were not pitted against each other, and you weren”t American, we could be friends.”

Jolie grinned and agreed. ”Ahh, totally. I actually don”t have many friends.” It was depressing, and yet Katia only laughed at this. With one more sip, Jolie announced loudly, ”I got to pee!”

When she stood, the room swayed, and she held onto the table till it passed. Two drinks in, and she could feel the tingling in her fingers and toes. It was actually enjoyable.

When Jolie got to the bathroom, a guard in a black suit peeked his head in first before holding the door out for her. She didn”t understand it. She was only going to the bathroom, and no one was out to kill her.

When finished, she stood in front of the mirror over the sink. The pleasant smile on her skin drifted when she noticed Agent Mally sitting on the toilet in an open stall. She was on her phone before she looked up with a forced tight smile. ”How have you been?”

Jolie turned around to face her. ”What are you doing here?”

”Checking in.” Mally stood, dressed in a loose shirt over her two-piece bathing suit. Her flip-flops echoed in the bathroom. She went to the sink and checked her makeup. ”Want to tell me what happened to have Adrik fly all the way back from Puerto Rico in such a hurry?”

Jolie didn”t want to face her. The guilt was inches underneath, and it would take only a short dig to uncover it. ”I have no idea.”

Mally continued to smile before she reached into her purse and dropped a picture on the counter. ”Zinof Stephanov is missing. Katia”s brother. Know anything?”

Thankfully, Jolie had no idea. ”No.”

”There is a rumor that he was in charge of the attack at Salem”s. Which means Adrik would want him. Last seen?” Mally smiled. ”Puerto Rico.”

Jolie”s heart plummeted.

Mally folded her arms and leaned against the counter. The panic on Jolie”s face was so evident it was humorous. Mally felt terrible for the girl but not bad enough. Jolie was risking her livelihood for dick. It was so pathetic.

”I have been after this family longer than you”ve been alive. I am so close. Do you know what you”re doing? You”re jumping onto a sinking ship. This family is going down, and you are so stupid to think it will be a happily ever after.”

Jolie moved to go, but Mally grabbed her arm, spinning her back around. ”Listen to me, Jolie. If you aren”t with me, you”re against me. I can”t promise you won”t be caught in the crossfire. Are you willing to die for this man you just met? Because that is a huge possibility.”

The words were caught in Jolie”s throat. She didn”t want to die, but to leave Adrik wasn”t in the cards. He was a drug, and she was addicted.

Mally moved in, whispering, ”You are just another notch on his bedpost. He couldn’t care less about you.”

Jolie stiffened her spine. She would have believed Mally before and perhaps even changed sides at this very moment. But the look on Adrik”s face when she said she wanted to leave was still so fresh in her memory. He wanted her in his life, and despite how scary it was, as long as she held his hand, she could weather it.

”Leave me alone,” Jolie ordered.

”Give me information, and I will.”

The audacity that she would ask broke Jolie, ”How? I can”t get you anything!” There were almost tears in her eyes. Jolie wanted the woman to leave her alone, but like her conscience, it lingered.

Mally held up Zinof”s picture. There was a chance he wasn”t alive anymore, and Adrik knew precisely where the body was buried. ”A life hangs in your hands. Find him.”

Jolie returned to the bar, numb and miserable. She downed the rest of her drink before ordering another one. Katia watched her with concern but smiled nonetheless as Jolie sipped on her third drink. She ordered a round of appetizers before she asked, ”Hey, you okay?”

Jolie gave a tight smile and leaned into her, “Mally is here.”

Katia sank into her and hissed, “You didn’t tell me you partnered with Mally. That woman is like the plague.” Katia glanced around searching for the agent. The woman just came from the hallway, a drink in her hand saluting. Katia snapped her eyes to her drink. Jolie was a stupid woman for being caught in the middle of this. There was no way Adrik would forgive her. But his forgiveness wasn’t her problem. Katia planned to be gone before any of that disaster went down.

”Do you know how long it”s been since I”ve had fun?” Jolie asked. And though Mally was just over her shoulder in the distance, Jolie wanted to forget her.

”No, I have no idea,” Katia assured.

”A long time. A looonnnggg time.” The music was getting louder, or at least it was inside Jolie”s head. She got off the bar stool to wiggle around. ”My ex-boyfriend—you know, the one I told you about?”

”Vincent.”

”Yeah, yeah, yeah.” She sipped her drink. ”His friends would throw these bonfire parties that were insane. Like crazy, pickup truckin’, muddin” keggers in high school,” she stressed. ”High school. They were the talk of the town. And always got shut down by the police. There would be drugs, but I never did any of that.”

”Of course,” Katia patronized.

”But I danced.” She shook her hips with a wild grin.

Katia smiled. ”I knew this good girl persona was all an act.”

”What?” Jolie screeched. ”I am a good girl. I am. I was always home at curfew. I could never do what these girls did. But maybe…” Jolie leaned in, and whispered, ”Maybe I wanted to.” A sudden squeal broke out as she pointed at the door. ”That”s a DJ. Is there music tonight?” Jolie asked the bartender.

”On the roof, it”s an exclusive club. Would you like passes, Mrs. Morozov?”

Katia was hesitant. She knew what was expected of her as a wife to a mafia boss, but Jolie”s exuberance was rubbing off on her. It made her wonder when the last time was she had fun. Jolie gripped her arm, begging.

”What do you plan to wear?”

The bartender interrupted, ”It”s a pool party. What you have on is perfect.”

Jolie whispered, ”Please, please, please.”

Katia cursed internally when she heard herself say, ”Alright.”

”Yes!” Jolie squealed.

”But you need to eat and slow down a little. You cannot embarrass me by throwing up in the pool.”

Jolie sat down and began to binge. She couldn”t believe how awesome Katia was. She was caring and sweet. It made her think about why there was animosity between her and Adrik until Agent Mally”s words filtered through the haze. Adrik killed her lover.

”Can I ask you something?”

”Depends.” Katia smirked, glancing toward her. ”What?”

Jolie paused, unsure if asking was in her best interest. Her question probably wouldn’t bring happy memories. ”What happened with you and Adrik?”

Like she knew it, Katia”s smile drifted. She fiddled with a French fry and watched the people swim in the pool. ”I broke his heart, I suppose,” she finally murmured. Katia no longer saw what was around. She was back ten years when it all began. The mistakes made because of stupid love. Maybe that was why she couldn”t wholly hate Jolie. Jolie was in love, a beautiful place to be. Even her goodness was something that Katia used to possess. ”I was betrothed to Adrik six months before I turned eighteen. As you can imagine, I wasn”t happy about being forced to be with someone I never met. I mean, we live in America; I thought I”d get freedom like everyone else. But the Mafia is a world of its own. We do not follow the rules of this society. We follow the rules of our parents.” The resentment in her tone was undeniable. ”No matter how hard I fought, there was no getting around it. And even though I was in love with someone else, engaged to someone else, my father told me I would marry Adrik, or he would kill my lover, Nikolas.” The name said out loud brought with it all the times she had called him. She could see his face so vividly even after all these years. ”So, I married. What else could I have done? I broke it off with Nikolas, but he wasn”t about to give up. He found my father, got beaten, and was thrown in jail. He was a fool, and I was so desperate to be saved I didn”t think about the consequences. I believed in him even though he was nothing against the power of the Morozovs.”

Katia took a drink. It was a way to fortify her walls against the pain that would always be there.

”Adrik was young and so blindly wanting what his parents had. I”ll never downplay how well he treated me in the beginning. He wanted me to love him, but he didn”t realize I couldn”t. My heart was already in the hands of another.” Katia took a deep breath and then ripped it off like a Band-Aid. ”I cheated on Adrik, from the very beginning. For years,” she softly admitted. ”One single text message I forgot to erase, and it was over. Adrik knew immediately. Every time I disappeared. Every time he couldn”t reach me. The times I pushed him away or made up some excuse to get out of his bed. It all clicked, and my secrets were exposed.” Katia swallowed harshly, pressing a finger under her eye to push back any wetness. Then she cleared her throat and said coldly, ”Adrik killed him. Tortured him to death. Now I am without a heart, only alive to care for a daughter that should have been someone else”s.”

Jolie”s heart broke for her, for Adrik, and for torn futures. She hadn”t known it was so terrible between them. Adrik”s bitterness now made sense. He had loved Katia once. He had been in love with her.

Jolie”s belly filled with a tinge of jealousy. She didn”t want to face that.

”The only thing between Adrik and I now is hatred. Remember that no matter how good we play the game.”

Jolie giggled. ”I did get jealous. My ex cheated on me right under my nose with so many freaking girls. I was so naive and so trustworthy. I always give the benefit of the doubt, even to those who don”t deserve it. I hate that about me.”

”I”m sure that”s what Adrik loves about you.”

Katia turned her face as she thought, it’swhy I can use you, sweet girl.

Even from twenty floors below, the music on the roof could be heard, and it shot Jolie out of her chair. ”Let”s go!” She took Katia”s hand, squeezing her fingers as they rushed to the elevator. Two guards slipped into the steel box with them, whispering into an earpiece. Jolie didn”t think she would ever get used to their constant presence.

Jolie was surer than anything that she could make Katia her friend and maybe even help the strained relationship between Adrik and herself. She could be the catalyst that allowed them to forgive, and then they could work together to raise their daughter in a better setting. Children of divorce were less likely to succeed in school and were more likely to suffer from mental disorders. She saw it too many times teaching. Helping the parents could help Helina, and that was what she was here for.

A passcode allowed them onto the roof, and when the door opened, security greeted them, checking over their invitation before leading them to the main glass door and holding it for them.

The party was in full swing. Girls in thin-string bikinis were sitting along the poolside; the DJ was set up in the corner, with a strobe light and a colorful ball that twisted around to the beat of the music. The sight would have intimidated Jolie, but the liquor kept the excitement alive.

A waiter held a tray of tequila shots, and Jolie took two. She threw the first one back and cringed, stomping her foot and twisting her body as she forced herself to swallow it. Katia laughed, unhindered. ”Again, again.” Katia encouraged, and Jolie took a breath, regretted it, and took the second shot. She wanted to cry as she swallowed, her tongue sticking out in disgust. When it was Katia”s turn, the woman took it like a pro, only shaking her head and hissing.

Jolie took off her sundress and dived into the pool.

Katia didn”t know what to make of this woman. She was utterly different from hours ago, and Katia wasn”t sure if this was good. But it was going to be very entertaining.