Taken By My Grumpy Pakhan (Mafia Daddies & Bratva Bosses #2)
Chapter 1
Chapter One
Genevieve
“Thump!”
The sound of files dumped on my table stole my attention from the medical documentary on my screen.
“The white envelope goes to the executive floor and the manila goes to security,” Richmond…
Richard, the new douchebag who moonlighted as the top intern, announced before walking off with an air of deluded superiority.
He didn't seem to realize at all that he was taking up my after-work hours, and it was already very late.
To the right of the reception, a group of men in suits and women in heels that would pay my mortgage filed out of the elevator wearing diplomatic smiles and engaging in small talk.
My spine straightened at the sight, nodding and smiling politely whenever my eyes caught any of theirs.
“The receptionist is the soul of any enterprise,” my mother’s voice echoed softly in my head. “They made sure everyone who walked into the building felt important.”
My mother used to be a receptionist, too.
I’ve carried the pride she had in her job into mine.
It wasn’t much but it made me feel like I was a part of something, like I mattered.
Like I’d finally found my place in the world and was ready to make my mark.
No matter what kind of difficulties I faced at work, I would try my best to take them in stride.
Five years in, if I stayed true to my course, remained upright and disciplined, I might be one of them. At least that’s what I told myself until it arrived.
Maybe it was a new development, maybe it had been there all the time, silently growing and waiting to be discovered. Either way, it was here now and I was aware of it and helpless. My smile faltered just as the last guest left the elevator.
Glioblastoma. I caught sight of the word before I turned off my screen, gathered the files and made my way to the elevator.
I had lived twenty-six years, volunteered at local clinics and nursing homes and never heard of the word till it stared me in the face right under the diagnosis section of my test results.
It was the moment that changed the course of my life. My dedication, dreams, hopes and safe way of going through life, none of it mattered anymore. Everything narrowed down to a single truth, I was a walking corpse.
The elevator light turned green and I stepped in, a heady booze of amber and sandalwood probably left behind by the guests immediately assaulted my senses before soft music wafted into the space.
My eyes rolled with cynicism. Two years in this firm and not once did the elevator feel this plush. I didn’t even know it had a music feature.
I leaned on the cool steel and let myself enjoy the comfort. Dying did that to you.
You realized how temporary everything is and your mind automatically makes the most of the situation. But like everything in my life, even this moment was cut short.
The elevator came to an abrupt stop, forcing my eyes open. The number fifteen flashed on the screen and the digital clock on the side showed 11:40 p.m.
I pushed off the wall, my senses heightened a notch. I knew I was born with the worst luck but surely the universe knew I was the only person in the office and 11:40 p.m. was hardly an ideal time to be stuck in an elevator.
As if on cue, the doors began to slide open. I held up the files, clutching them tightly to my chest as I pressed back into the steel box. I knew the conference room was empty, all the staff had signed out and I damn well didn’t press 15 when I got in, so what was happening?
My brain began firing with potential scenarios and how to get out of them but I’ve never been confronted by physical danger and I had the survival instincts of a fart.
I fished my pen from my pockets. It was hardly a weapon but I had seen enough movies to know it could do damage when used appropriately.
The door slid completely open.
A gasp slipped from me when I saw the man in the corner, hands in his pocket. Kazimir Ivanovich, aka my boss. Irritation darkened his icy blue orbs when they found me.
For a moment, neither of us moved. He spied me like a red splotch on a white dress while my head emptied of basic thoughts.
He was not… this was not… I took a quick scan of the elevator. Fuck.
“I’m sorry,” I finally managed to squeak when the pieces fell into place and he was already halfway in.
Of course this was his private elevator. The music, the smoothness, the smell… god the elevator was practically soaked in it now that he was inside.
“I’ll just—” He pressed the button to the executive floor before I could excuse myself, trapping us both.
The music resumed but this time, it sounded more like mockery than melody. His body was rigid and his eyes stayed glued to the door, barely acknowledging my presence.
The tension was almost palpable and the silence pressed against me from every corner. He didn’t say anything but that didn’t mean it was all good. I could feel his displeasure rolling off him in waves.
Eventually, I succumbed to the crippling anxiety.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know—” I barely got the words out when his eyes cut to me, effectively silencing me with the heat in them.
I should keep quiet. Pray the elevator moved faster and send an apology email the moment this was over but my brain was all over the place.
A late night elevator ride with my boss who also happened to be my single unattainable fantasy was hardly in my itinerary for the night and the risk of losing my job was greater than the subtle hum of electricity beneath my skin.
“It was a mistake, really.” This time, his head turned in my direction and before either of us could say a word, a heavy clang rocked the cab, flickering the lights and pushing me against him as I struggled to find my footing.
“Blyat.”
“Sorry.”
The words collided in the air between us as I registered the elevator had stopped moving. I pulled away from him like he was on fire, putting as much distance between us as the elevator could allow. A moment passed but the elevator remained still.
Kazimir brought out his phone, no doubt making a phone call but the following loud beeps confirmed what I already knew. There was no service in the elevators.
His fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, probably sending an SOS but I knew even that wouldn’t go through.
I overheard some of the guys in maintenance talking about the elevator being serviced over the weekend and the reception being a problem as a result of the thick heavy bulletproof steel used in building it.
“It won’t go through,” I blurted before I could stop myself.
One perfectly carved brow arched in question.
“The guys from maintenance said something about servicing,” surprised at how steady my voice came out despite my nerves being all over the place.
“I told them to hold it off.” The annoyance in his voice could not be mistaken.
I’ve heard Kazimir speak before. I’ve heard him dish out single word orders and religiously watched his interviews on repeat but this was my first time listening at a close range and I was not prepared for the way his voice washed over me.
It was almost as distinct as he was, a chaotic mix of accents fighting over each other but somehow coming out in the smoothest, finest blend with a hint of smokiness.
It flowed through me like it was injected into my veins and not my ears, taking my response with it.
Another string of curses, followed by more flickering lights grounded me to the present.
He pulled up the sleeve of his suit jacket, revealing a gold watch. I wasn’t surprised when I saw him tapping on the screen. He ran the most elite and ironclad security firm in the world, of course his watch was a hidden device and his shoes levitated when tapped three times.
But the scowl in his face proved another futile attempt.
“It’ll work soon,” I said, knowing damn well I was reassuring myself more than I was informing him. “It does that sometimes.”
“How long?”
I blinked. “Sorry?”
“How long has this been happening?”
“Can’t say. I’m limited to the front desk. I just occasionally hear colleagues mention that the elevator has broken down before.”
He studied me briefly before dismissing me like I wasn’t worth his time.
The silence settled again, this time heavier without the music or knowledge of an oncoming exit.
I fought the urge to fill the space with mindless rambles. I already hated awkward situations as it was but one with the man whose name slipped through your lips while you touched yourself was a different level.
A moment passed before I gathered the courage to look at him. Even in a pressed suit, he oozed raw strength. His jaw was set tight, molars flexing and relaxing while his eyes focused on the door like they were laser beams.
The flickering lights added a layer of mystery to his profile, making him even more imposing than he already was.
I’d never been in proximity to him and the initial nerves I got from trespassing into his private space was slowly beginning to give way to an entirely different feeling.
Something I had no business feeling towards him especially now.
Another curse escaped him as he retrieved his phone, tapping briefly before tossing it back into his pockets.
“Do you have anything that can work in here?”
It took a second for me to realize he was talking to me.
“Sorry?”
His expression soured the same way they did when he saw me. “Is that the only word you know?”
“No. Sorry.” I winced at the obvious error. “I didn’t… sorry.”
I shut my eyes, willing the floor to open and swallow me. What the fuck, Gen? Your job is literally to talk to people. How difficult can it be to talk to one man?
When I opened my eyes, Kazimir’s questioning look was on me. His question slowly took shape in my head.
“No.” I cleared my throat. “No, I don’t.”
Again, he dismissed me passively.
Way to go, Gen. You finally landed a moment with the man and you totally blew it. Now he must think he hired an absolute lunatic.
I exhaled gently, feeling my shoulders cave with the expired breath. My inner voice might be my biggest critic but she was also honest about one thing.