Savage Lies of the Bratva

Chapter 1

Cara

I wipe my sweaty palms on my gray suit pants and force my breathing to slow as the elevator rises.

It’s only my entire future that hinges on the next thirty minutes.

The elevator doors slide open and a young, blonde woman appears in the hallway before I can even consider bailing.

“Miss Reynolds?” she asks.

“Yes,” I answer.

“Congratulations on being selected to interview for such a competitive position,” she remarks.

I plaster a polite smile on my face even though I’m overqualified for this “competitive position.”

“Thank you. I’m so excited for this opportunity,” I tell her.

The woman, a secretary named Karly based on her badge, gestures for me to follow her before striding ahead of me, walking briskly enough to make her blonde ponytail sway back and forth in rhythm with her steps.

The entire office is quiet and immaculate.

The big boss runs a tight ship here.

God knows the vetting process is thorough enough. Not only did I have to pass a drug test and background check, but my references and former employer were scrutinized under a microscope as well. Dean, my boss in Boston, said someone from Ivanov Holdings interrogated him like he was on trial.

Somehow, I successfully jumped through every hoop required to get an interview with Dmitri Ivanov.

We pass half a dozen private offices and conference rooms, all with their doors closed. I’m starting to wonder if anyone else actually works on the floor when I notice faint murmuring and shuffling from within the enclosed rooms, my ears straining to hear anything at all.

The secretary comes to a stop at the end of the hallway in front of a set of matte black double doors, a jarring contrast from the rest of the brightly lit, minimalist-style office.

Karly smiles at me, but there’s still a glimmer of wariness in her eyes. “You can go on in. Mr. Ivanov’s waiting for you.”

Her words make my heart rate spike. But I can’t afford to look nervous. Not today.

The last thing I need is to meet the intimidating man stinking of sweat. As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a good first impression.

“Thank you,” I reply before grasping the door handles to pull the doors open.

A massive black desk dominates the room, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows and dark shelves lined with books.

I step inside, my heels clicking against the polished wooden floor. It takes only a second for my eyes to land on my new boss standing behind his black desk, his attention still focused on his work before him.

“Hello, Mr. Ivanov. I’m Cara Reynolds,” I introduce myself as I stride up to him.

Dmitri Ivanov doesn’t look up at me. He writes something down on a sticky note and places it on a large sheet of paper. Only when I get close enough do I realize that it’s a blueprint of a casino. There are so many here in Las Vegas that I can’t even begin to guess which one.

While he’s distracted, I take a moment to study him.

If I get this job, I’ll need to get to know him really well, beyond the typical information that I’ve been told by my father.

Rumor has it that he’s being appointed boss of the Bratva’s Las Vegas empire after he marries an heiress of a local Bratva family. I’ve been told that Dmitri Ivanov is cold-hearted, calculating, and as cruel as they come.

No one thought to mention that he’s also jaw-droppingly handsome. He has a sharp, deadly look about his face, like he could kill anyone who defies him with his bare hands and no regrets. But that’s typical of the Bratva. They built their reputation on brutality.

His phone vibrates against the desk. He ignores it as well.

When it stops and begins ringing again, Dmitri finally lifts his eyes to mine.

My heart jolts to a stop at the look on his face, like it’s my fault the call is going unanswered.

When he continues to study me through narrowed eyes, I can’t tell if he’s intrigued or annoyed with me.

A long, tense moment later, he straightens up and adjusts the sleeve of his black suit jacket that’s as dark as his short, perfectly combed hair. He’s tall enough and broad enough to block most of the sunlight streaming in through the window behind him.

“You’re competing with a dozen other qualified candidates,” Dmitri tells me as he flips his still vibrating phone over. “Why should I hire you?”

“You won’t find anyone who will do this job better than me.”

His eyebrow arches. “You’re very arrogant,” he remarks. “However, I also know that you have an MBA from Boston and are overqualified to be my personal assistant,” he adds, taking the sting out of his insult. “You could work anywhere, so why apply here?”

“I’m new in town. I’ve been in Vegas for a few months but haven’t found any work,” I answer smoothly. “And while I have office experience, it was only an un-paid internship while I was in graduate school.”

“Tell me, what exactly do you know about me?”

This question is definitely a trap.

“I know you’re the CEO of Ivanov Holdings,” I say. “Your company has various interests in real estate, hospitality, import-export. You relocated from New York to expand into the Southwest.”

All true. All public. All safe.

“And personally?”

I keep my expression neutral. “That you value discretion.”

“Discretion,” he repeats. “That’s an interesting word to choose.”

I say nothing.

Dmitri slowly walks around his desk toward me. My eyes trail his every move. He has a commanding presence that can fill an entire room, impossible to ignore.

I turn to face him, watching as his eyes sweep up my figure. They linger for longer than is appropriate at the top of my open blouse, peeking out from under my suit jacket.

He continues to gaze at my body intently, like he’s imagining what I look like without any clothes on and doesn’t care if I know it.

Of course, he’s a pervert on top of everything else. Maybe I should’ve worn a revealing dress instead of business attire to ensure he hires me.

I keep my gaze on his, refusing to blink, to give him a reaction. You can’t look away from men like this. They smell fear.

My father’s voice hums in the back of my head.

Don’t look small. Don’t look scared. And for the love of God, don’t look guilty, yeah?

As I hold strong, it’s impossible not to notice how blue Dmitri’s eyes are. They aren’t icy or pale, but a deep blue like being in the depths of the ocean. I’m certain someone could very well drown in them.

Dmitri continues to stare down at me, as if waiting for me to speak first or flinch. He finally breaks the silence when I don’t do either of those things.

“I handle a large workload running multiple businesses, so I need someone clever, as well as meticulous. You’ll be expected to keep up with my schedule, be available when I need you, and complete all your tasks on time.

Your job is to make my life easier. Four assistants in four weeks failed to accomplish that simple requirement. ”

Four. Wow. That statistic alone is warning enough.

“I’m certain that I can make your life much easier, Mr. Ivanov,” I assure him, lying through my teeth.

If he hires me, I’m going to make his life absolute hell before he realizes that I’m the one behind it.

As if hearing my thoughts, he takes a step, eliminating the distance between us, not touching me but close enough that I can smell the mint of his toothpaste on his breath. He lords his height over me like a threat before he lowers his voice and says, “I know why you’re really here, Miss Reynolds.”

No. He can’t possibly know…

“You may as well admit it,” he adds.

My eyes drop from his to the floor. “I-I don’t know what you mean…”

“There’s no point lying to me.”

With one commanding finger pressed underneath my chin, he lifts my face back up to his, then does that silent, intense stare thing again, as if he thinks waiting long enough will make me confess everything to him. I grit my teeth to keep my mouth shut.

Inhaling as if annoyed by my silence, he says, “You drive a twenty-year-old Miata and carry thirty thousand in student debt.”

How the hell…

I guess his background check included a credit check as well. Why am I even surprised?

“You need money,” he says. “And maybe you’ve heard that I generously reward those who work hard and are loyal to me.”

It takes everything in me not to let my body deflate in relief.

When I swallow down my nerves, and he finally removes his finger from my chin, I nod. “You’re right. I…desperately need this job,” I say softly. “I also want to be paid what I’m worth.”

“And? What do you think you’re worth?” Dmitri asks.

Here we go. I can’t go too high or lowball myself. “Fifty thousand a year to start, and a ten percent raise every six months.”

His blue eyes widen a split second before his face returns to his typical, cold expression. “You actually think you’ll last six months with me?”

Somehow, he manages to make the question sound a little filthy.

“Yes, I do.” Another lie. If I’m still here in six months, then I’ve failed horribly and I’ll be halfway down the aisle headed toward the worst man willing to line my father’s pockets.

Dmitri takes two steps backward and then holds out his hand toward me. “The job is yours then, Miss Reynolds. You’ll start right now.”

He’s actually hiring me?

The rest of his words begin to sink in when he grasps my much smaller hand in his. His grip is firmer than it needs to be and sends tingles all the way up my arm.

I can’t even speak until he releases his hold on me.

“You-you want me to start now?” I ask him.

“Yes, now,” he replies like it’s an order, leaving no room for discussion.

“Okay,” I agree.

When he turns around to walk around his desk to his chair, I use the few seconds his eyes aren’t on me to collect myself.

By the time he takes a seat, I’m cool, calm, and ready. “What would you like me to get started on first, sir?” I ask.

“You’ll stay in here with me for the rest of the day to observe how I do things,” Dmitri replies before opening a drawer and pulling out a laptop.

He drops it down on the desk in front of me.

“You’ll have access to my schedule and certain internal documents.

The laptop remains here in the office at all times.

You will not ask questions you don’t want the answers to.

You will not repeat anything you hear in this office to anyone, ever.

And you will remember”—his eyes lock on mine—”that I do not tolerate betrayal. ”

I nod. “Understood.”

I can only guess that there’s a tracker in the laptop, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not after his confidential information about money laundering and fraud scams that he’s running. My mission is very specific.

Before he can say another word, there’s a quiet knock on the double doors. Dmitri exhales heavily through his nose in annoyance. “What?”

The secretary opens one of the doors just enough to pop her head in. Gone is the haughty blonde woman I met moments ago. Now she looks like a frightened child. “I’m very sorry to interrupt, sir…”

“Why exactly are you sorry, Karly?” he snaps when she hesitates.

“Miss Suyunov says she’s been trying to reach you and needs you to call her back right away.”

That must be who was just blowing up his phone.

Suyunov, as in Annika Suyunov, daughter of Russian mob boss Artur Suyunov, and Dmitri’s soon-to-be-wife according to the whispers around town.

My pulse quickens as I turn back to Dmitri, wondering if he’ll return her call here in front of me. God, I hope so.

“Hold on,” Dmitri grits out before turning back to me. “Whatever you need should already be on the laptop.” He pushes a stack of papers toward me. “Scan these documents and store them in the Documents folder. Organize them by client. I need everything neat and in its right place.”

“I’ll get right on that,” I tell him. “I’ll be quiet if you want to make your phone call in here.”

Dmitri shakes his head as he stands from his seat and swipes his cell phone from the desk. “I’ll take it outside. Ask Karly if you have any questions about how to use the copier. You’ll need to visit HR as well for a badge and to sign some paperwork.”

“Yes, sir,” I agree.

Disappointment slumps my shoulders as I watch him follow Karly out of his office, the double doors thumping shut behind them. I turn back toward the desk, inspecting the blueprint still spread out.

Who knows what he’s planning to do with it?

Recently, the Bratva has started expanding into Vegas, interfering with the business operations of other families.

None of which are happy about the Ivanov-Suyunov alliance that would be made official by Dmitri’s marriage to Annika.

If that marriage doesn’t happen, the alliance will fall apart. The Ivanovs and the Suyunovs will not only suffer financially, but they’ll also both lose their positions in the Bratva hierarchy.

And if I do my job, they’ll be at each other’s throats and rip each other to pieces.

Dmitri Ivanov believes the war is out there on the streets, between families, between empires.

He doesn’t know that it just walked into his office.