Beautiful Deception (Bound to the Mafia #4)

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Viktor

I don’t take it too kindly when someone tries to kill me.

And someone just tried to kill me.

I stare down into the face of some man I’ve never met before. Stringy black hair covers his eyes. Tremors overtake his body. This man looks like a drug dealer but I know him not to be.

This is a Bratva man – a member of the Russian Mafia.

“So, Gleb,” I say, leaning against my desk. He shakes even harder as he kneels before me. The hard cement floor of my office isn’t helping his knees, I’m sure. My nightclub that I own is in full swing tonight. It’s beautiful and luxurious out there but in here, it’s a dark, cold place. I like to intimidate my enemies that way.

“You thought you could hurt me,” I continue. “Why is that?”

“Please. I just need money. Please.”

“You’re that lowly Bratva man, Gleb Petrov, aren’t you? We’ve never had the chance to meet. I’m Viktor Smirnov.”

His eyes narrow. “I know who you are.”

“So, if you know who I am, why in the world would you try to kill me? Why not just steal from me?”

“Because I knew if you were dead, it would be easier to steal from you.”

“Ah.” I stand up and stare down at this pathetic man. “Well, with that logic, who can lose? But it was a pretty stupid idea to try and kill me in my own club.”

I was in my office, working, when he stormed in and tried stabbing me. I overpowered him and now, here we are.

As a tall man, it’s fairly easy for me to overpower people, and Gleb is tiny and scared; not a good combination to defeat me.

“What prompted you to do this?”

“I need the money,” Gleb spits out, as if I’m the problem. As if he didn’t just try to kill me. Fucker.

“And why do you need the money?”

“Because I need it.”

“No. I’m going to need a better answer than that if I’m not going to kill you.”

He scoffs. “You’re going to kill me anyway.”

“Well, you’re right about that. But tell me. Why do you need the money?”

“I’m in debt,” he admits. “I can’t help it that I like to gamble. And now… I’m going to lose my house and no one will help me. No other Bratva man wants to help me.”

“So, you thought stealing from me was the way to go? A Bratva man who’s a lot more powerful than you. I’ve heard of you, Gleb Petrov. How you love to gamble. How you love to put your greed above your daughter.”

“Don’t talk about my daughter.”

My face is cemented in stone. “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her. What’s her name?”

“No. I’m not going to tell you that.”

“Let’s call it a mystery then. Are you doing this for her? To help her? Because, I can tell you, Gleb, that trying to kill me for money, is not the way to do it.”

Gleb is a low Bratva man on the totem pole. He’s not high ranking like I am. I never gave a damn about him until tonight. Never even met him until tonight.

But people talk within my circles. You hear names. Whispers. I heard that some Bratva man named Gleb Petrov was down on his luck but other than that, I never cared to listen to more.

“I am going to kill you.”

Gleb gasps and bends forward. “No. Please. I have a daughter to take care of.”

“Then you shouldn’t have tried to steal from me. Well, you shouldn’t have tried to kill me first. I’m not sure which one is a worse offense.” I shove my hands into my gray slacks. “You’re a stain on the Bratva. You go against everything we believe in. You don’t go against your own kind.”

Gleb sits up straighter. “That’s rich. Coming from you. You’re at war with Erik Koslov. How is that not going against your own kind?”

My eyes narrow and my spine straightens. “I’m at war with Erik Koslov because he fucked me over. He’s the one who went against me. It’s only fair I return the favor.”

My history with Erik is a long one. He pulled me out of the darkness and wanted to work with me, so I agreed. He gave me his sister-in-law’s hand in marriage but then Nadia was kidnapped by Dante Moretti, a Mafia man.

Here’s the fucking kick to the stomach: they fell in love.

Erik allowed them to marry so he could make peace with Dante.

I got fucked over there. But then Erik made a deal between me and Ivan Romanov – another Bratva man – to marry his daughter Elena.

Until Elena was kidnapped by Aiden Murphy, an Irish hitman who worked for Dante.

And they fell in love.

I could have forced Elena down the aisle but I didn’t want a woman who has fucked the enemy. My pride won’t allow it.

I declared war on Erik after that. He kept making me look like a fool and I hate looking like a fool.

So, this war that I have now found myself in is not of my own choosing. It’s one I have to partake in to get a little fucking respect. I am a high ranking Bratva man with a lot of power in this city. It’s Erik’s own fault that he kept fucking me over.

“Don’t act like what you did is the same,” I growl.

“I just need some money. That’s it. And you’ll never have to see me again.”

“That’s rich. If you were good at keeping money, you would never have been in this position in the first place. How is it that a Bratva man could fall on such hard times?”

“Because I don’t have the riches like you and Erik Koslov do. Because none of you welcomed me into your inner circles. Because I was always treated like an outcast.”

“And why is that, I wonder? It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the fact that you’re terrible with money and no one wanted to touch you, not even with a ten-foot pole.”

Gleb narrows his eyes. “You think you’re all high and mighty. But you’re not. You’re just a man like the rest of us and you will crash and burn too.”

“Stand up,” I snap. “It’s time.”

There’s no way I’m killing this fucker in my office. The stains alone would be a bitch to clean up.

Gleb does as I tell him to and I walk him out of my office and into my nightclub. My two guards stationed at the door are currently dead – since Gleb killed them.

That’s how he was able to get into my office in the first place. He just shot them in the head with a silencer so no one was the wiser.

Now, their bodies are slumped against the wall. I’ll have to deal with that before anyone else sees. It just shows how desperate Gleb is that he’s willing to commit murder in a room full of people.

I walk Gleb past my dead guards and out a back door for employees only.

The second we’re outside, he takes off running. I give chase but the little weasel is faster than I thought he would be. He’s smaller and with that comes more speed.

Enough of this.

I pull out my gun and shoot him in the leg. Except, my shot misses. Gleb manages to duck around the corner before I can actually hit him.

Fuck. I’m off my game tonight. I’ve been distracted with this war I’m now a part of.

I pick up my speed but by the time I round the corner, Gleb is gone. I see a taxi driving away up the road.

I used to be a powerful man who no one would even think to cross.

The fact that Gleb Petrov, some lowly Bratva man, thought he could cross me speaks to a bigger problem. One I need to face.

I call one of my men to come clean up the bodies of the guards before I head home.

My home in question is a large gothic mansion on the outskirts of New York. It provides me more space. More quiet. Just the way I like it.

I find my younger sister in her room, packing a suitcase.

“I am not happy about this, brother,” she says. Despite her mood, she still folds all of her clothes with a delicate nature. Her brown hair is tied up into a simple bun and her dress is elegant and sophisticated. She’s always reminded me of Audrey Hepburn in the way she moves and talks.

“I know you are not. But this is for your own safety. It’s not safe here in New York. Not when I’ve been attacking Erik’s gun supplies and he’s been going after my own. I don’t want you to get hurt in the process.”

“You really think he would hurt me? He has a daughter of his own now, from what I’ve heard.”

“Julia.” I take her hands in mine, forcing her to stop packing. “Just because Erik loves his wife and daughter, doesn’t mean he won’t hurt you to get to me. He’s still a Bratva man and we’re all ruthless.”

“You never should have started a war to begin with.”

“My pride was wounded. That couldn’t stand.”

“Your pride.” She huffs and pulls away from me and resumes placing her clothes in the suitcase. “Your pride is going to leave you all alone. Case in point. You’re sending me away.”

“Just to live with our cousins in France. Just until I know it’s safe for you to return.”

“I’ve only ever known this house.”

I raised Julia from when she was a child. At a mere twenty to my thirty-six, I had to be a father figure to her after our parents died. I took over my duties as a father to her when she was only five and I was twenty-one. Only a year older than she is now.

I’ve kept Julia in this house for her safety. Rarely do I allow her to attend functions or meet other people. It’s to keep her alive.

But right now, I have to let her go so I can keep my promise.

“I thought you would be happy to leave,” I muse. “Finally get out of this house.”

“I thought I would be too but not under these circumstances. Not when you’re at war with Erik Koslov. I don’t want to return one day to find out you’re dead.”

“I won’t die. I’m too powerful to kill.”

She frowns. “But you’ll be here all by yourself. Won’t you be lonely?”

“I have the staff.”

“No. Mrs. Colson retired. You need a new maid. New housekeeper. You’re going to be alone without me.”

“I like my privacy. I am content with it. Now, you don’t want to miss your flight tomorrow morning. Finish packing.”

“Viktor,” she calls out when I reach the doorway. “I’ll miss you when I’m in France.”

A lot of people think I hold my sister hostage. I’ve heard the rumors people have said about me – how I torture her, or keep her locked in a cage, or starve her. None of that is true.

I’ve taken care of my sister. We have a bond that can never be broken.

But for now, that bond has to break for me to keep her safe.

“I’ll miss you too.” Letting my baby sister go will be a test of my will. But I am willing to make the sacrifice if it means she’s out of harm’s way.

This way, the only one who can be hurt is me.

Inessa

My dad barges into the house in such a commotion, it makes me jump up from the couch. “Are you ok?”

He looks frantic, his hair a mess and his clothes wrinkled. Sweat stains his back. “Inessa. Oh my god. Inessa.” He grabs my face and kisses my cheek. “You’re all right. I’m all right. Oh my god.”

“Dad? What is it?”

He paces around the room, running his hands through his black hair. It’s the opposite of my blonde strands. I got my hair from my mother. In fact, I got most of my features from my mother.

“I’m in trouble, Inessa.”

Panic squeezes my heart. “Trouble? What trouble?”

“We’re running out of money.”

My eyes flick to the peeling paint on the walls. I know we need money. We’ve needed money for quite some time. The little house I grew up in used to be cute when I was a child but in recent years, it’s been showing its wear and tear.

“I know that,” I tell him.

“We’re going to lose the house,” he mutters.

That’s something I also know. My dad likes to think I don’t know things but I know a lot more than he tells me.

“What are we going to do?” I ask, hugging my arms around myself.

“I tried to get us money tonight. I tried to make us rich. But…”

“Dad… what did you do?” My father can never seem to learn his lesson when it comes to money. Ever since my mom passed away a few years ago in a car accident, he spiraled down a dark path that has led us here.

It’s been up to me to keep my dad going but I’m only twenty. As a Bratva daughter, I was taught that my only job was to marry well when I got older. But since my dad doesn’t have anything to offer any high ranking men, I’ve started to think that I’ll never marry.

I don’t have any job experience but that’s going to have to change if we don’t want to become destitute.

“Dad?”

He flinches. “I… tried to steal from Viktor Smirnov.” A gasp escapes me and it makes his face crumble. “I know. He’s Viktor Smirnov. He’s not a man you mess with. But we need the money.”

“You’re not dead. That’s good. What happened?”

“He caught me but I managed to run. I came straight here. We need to leave. If he doesn’t already know my address, it won’t be hard for him to figure it out. We have to go somewhere else.”

“Where? We don’t have any money.”

“A motel. At least for a few nights. Until I can figure out how to get us more money. I don’t want him coming here and finding you. Hurting you.”

My chest constricts even tighter. “You think he’d hurt me?”

“I’m not sure what Viktor would do. I don’t really know him. I just know that a lot of people fear him.”

My best friend, Elena Romanov – now Elena Murphy - was once engaged to Viktor. She told me that he was kind enough but then again, she didn’t really know him.

I’ve never met the man. Never even seen him before.

I’m not sure if Elena was right or not.

Ever since Elena married Aiden Murphy, my father hasn’t let me see her. He claims it’s too dangerous, now that she married a hitman. I didn’t argue as arguing with my father never gets me anywhere.

“We should leave then,” I murmur. “I’m more worried for you. Viktor knows you tried to steal from him. He’ll be coming for you.”

He hesitates.

“Dad?”

“I didn’t just try to steal from him.”

My legs almost buckle out from under me. “What else did you try to do?” I’m terrified of the answer.

“I tried to kill him,” he admits.

My legs do end up buckling and I practically fall onto the couch. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I thought that if he were dead, he’d be easier to steal from.”

“Oh my god.” I love my dad but sometimes, he can be such an idiot. This isn’t the first time he has disappointed me.

“I’m sorry, Inessa. But we need to leave. Now. Pack as many things as you can.” He runs out of the room.

I grew up knowing my father was a Bratva man. The Russian Mafia. I was prepared for a lot of things – marriage and death being the main two – but I could never be prepared for this constant state of anxiety inside of me.

The constant fear that I’ll get a call that my father is found dead in a ditch due to all of his gambling. That he upset the wrong person.

Well, now he’s done exactly that. If Viktor finds us - if he’s anything like any of the Bratva men I’ve met - he won’t hesitate to kill my father. He might spare me but I’ll be without any money. Without any protection. I could turn to Elena for help and I’m sure she’d offer it but I would feel like a terrible friend relying on her when it’s up to me to help myself.

It’s always been up to me.

I pack up some clothes and makeup and skincare and call it good. I don’t need a lot as I don’t have a lot.

“Let’s go,” Dad says, hurrying out the front door. I look back at our house once I’m outside. Will this be the last time I ever see it?

“Inessa.”

Right. We have to hurry.

We drive to a motel across the city that takes cash and settle in for the night. I don’t mind the shabbiness of the place as I’ve never really been used to luxury anyway.

“Thank god.” Dad slumps onto one of the two beds and lets out a sigh. “We made it. We actually made it.”

“But Dad… how much money do you currently have?”

He opens his wallet and pulls out a few bills. “Only a hundred dollars.”

“That’s it? That won’t even get us to the end of the week. The motel is forty dollars a night.”

“I know,” he snaps, shooting me a glare. “Don’t you think I don’t know that?”

“I’m not sure. You’re pretty keen about gambling a lot of our money away. I’m not sure if you’re aware of the bad situation we’re in.”

“Don’t talk to me like that. I am your dad. Show me some respect.”

“You put us into this mess,” I say in a quiet voice. “And you know it. So don’t say those things to me.”

His eyes scrunch up tight before he begins to cry. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

I find myself sitting down beside him and pulling him into a hug as if he’s the one who needs comfort. As if he’s the child and I’m the parent.

He clings to me as he bawls his eyes out. “I just want you to be safe. I’m sorry I’m such a fuck-up.”

I can’t tell him that he’s not. I can’t tell him that what he’s done is ok. None of this is ok. “We’ll get through this,” I say instead.

“How? We have no money.”

“Is there any work you can get? I can call Elena. Ask her if Aiden or Dante have anything you can do for a job.”

“No.” He wrenches away from me. “I refuse to work with Dante Moretti. He’s the Mafia. I don’t trust the Mafia.”

Dante Moretti works hand in hand with Erik Koslov, the boss of the Bratva. They made an alliance after Dante married Nadia, Erik’s sister-in-law. His own wife, Anya, is someone I’ve never met but I’ve heard she’s kind. Elena is friends with her and has told me that she’s a good mother and wife and friend.

But once again, I’m not a part of that inner circle. Anya and Nadia and Elena are high ranking Bratva woman. I could never be a part of their circle even if I tried. As my friend, Elena can only do so much.

“Dad,” I sigh. “You have to do something. You have to earn money somehow.”

“Why don’t you get a job then if you’re so worried?”

“I would but I have no job experience. You made sure of that. You never wanted me to work. You claimed I’d get hurt somehow. So what are we supposed to do?”

“I’ll find work,” he says in a frantic tone. “I will. I’ll make it happen.”

The sad part is: I don’t believe him.

Even if he does manage to find work, he’ll spend it all on gambling. He’ll never stop.

Which means I do need to get a job for us to survive.

“You just stay here,” I tell him.

“Where are you going? You can’t leave, Inessa. It’s not safe.” He grabs my wrist and yanks me towards him. “You can’t go. I can’t bear the idea of you dying.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t be gambling so much.” I rip my hand away. “Maybe if you hadn’t just tried to kill Viktor Smirnov, you wouldn’t be in trouble.”

“Please.”

“We need money. I’m going out to find a job.”

“It better not be as a whore.”

I flinch. “What kind of woman do you think I am? I’ve never even kissed a man because you never wanted me to date and I listened to you. So why would you think I’d go and do something like that?”

“I’m sorry,” he sobs. My dad used to be someone I was close to. But ever since my mom died, he’s been nothing but a mess. I no longer recognize him.

I leave him to cry as I take the car and drive to Elena’s apartment. She and Aiden live in a penthouse suite. Aiden makes a very good living working with Dante and Erik.

It’s been almost a year since I’ve seen her last. I miss my best friend terribly.

I have to ask the security guard in the lobby to let me up and he calls and gets permission. “Ok. Yes, you can go up,” he says, hanging up the phone.

Elena opens the door the second I knock. “Inessa.” The hug she gives me warms my soul. “Come in. Come in.”

“Is Aiden here?”

“He’s out at the moment. It’s been so long. How have you been?”

“We’re living in a motel now.” As soon as I say it, my own tears hit me. “We have no money. No way to get by.”

Elena’s eyes widen. With her long brown hair and brown eyes, she resembles a pretty deer sometimes. We always joked that we were two sides of the same coin. She with her dark hair and me with my blonde locks and pale skin. I was always a little jealous that she could tan easier than me.

“Aiden has some money stashed away in case of emergencies. I can get you some.”

“No. Not if it’s a loan. My dad will gamble it away and then we couldn’t pay Aiden back.”

“He’ll understand. You’re my friend.”

“No. What I need is a job but I don’t have any experience. My dad tried to kill Viktor Smirnov and now he’s terrified Viktor will come after him. If only I could talk to Viktor and convince him to spare my dad’s life.”

“I’m not sure Viktor would understand. He’s at war with Erik and Dante right now. And I know he’s not a fan of me after I left him at the alter to be with Aiden. But… he was never mean to me. Maybe he would hear you out.”

“I don’t even know where to meet him. I don’t even know what to say. What if he tries to hurt me? But if I knew my father wasn’t at risk of getting killed, I’d feel a lot better.”

Elena hesitates, then says, “Well… I do know some of the clubs he owns. You could try talking to him there. But Inessa, this is risky. If you want my advice, you should stay far away from him. You’re not exactly involved in Bratva business. It’s better to keep it that way.”

“But I am involved. My father made me involved when he tried to kill Viktor. If you have the addresses of his clubs, then I need them. I need to talk to him and then I need to find a job.”

“I don’t like this,” she says.

“I have no other choice. And you said Viktor was never mean to you. That has to count for something.”

“But I still barely knew him. He’s still a stranger in so many ways.”

“Elena, I can’t just sit back and let my dad die. He’s all I have left. He disappoints me and upsets me but I can’t let him die. I just can’t.”

“Ok. I’ll get you the addresses. But just be careful. Please.”

“I promise.”

I find myself standing outside a nightclub. Viktor’s nightclub. My heart is pounding as I walk inside after standing in line for an hour. I wore my best dress but I’m still so out of place. Everyone is glitz and glam and I feel nothing but shabby.

I have no idea if Viktor is even here but I have to try.

“Viktor Smirnov?” I ask the bartender. “Where is he?”

“Why do you want to see Mr. Smirnov?”

“I just need to talk to him. Please.”

His eyes rake down my body. “A pretty, innocent girl like you has no place talking to Mr. Smirnov.”

“It’s important. Is he here?”

He jerks his head towards a hallway. “In his office.”

“Thank you.” I hurry away and find myself in a dark hallway that feels suffocating. My heart is beating just as fast as the music is pumping through the speakers.

There’s only one door at the end of the hallway. After a deep breath, I knock.

“Who is it?” a deep man’s voice says on the other side. “Come in.”

Slowly, I turn the knob and come face to face with an intimidatingly handsome man. Dark hair combed back. Five o-clock shadow. A fitted suit that showcases his broad shoulders.

He frowns as he looks up at me. “Who are you?”

“I’m-,”

“Are you the maid?”

My mouth snaps shut. The maid?

“I was told that a woman was coming here today to interview for the position of maid at my house. Are you her?”

It’s then that I see the solution to my problems. It’s risky and stupid but how else am I going to get a job?

I force my lips to move. “Yes. I’m the maid.”