“Listen to me,” I whisper quickly, pressing my forehead to hers. “I love you,zhivotat mi! I will be back tomorrow.”
“I stay with you,” she cries, panic rising in her voice.
“I promise I’ll be back tomorrow,” I assure her, even as I begin to loosen her grip.
Tanya steps closer and grabs hold of Simi’s arm. Instantly, rage explodes in my chest, and I growl, “Don’t grab my daughter like that.”
Without hesitation, the bitch’s hand flies through the air and connects with my face.
“Mama!” My baby cries, and before I can react, Ivan’s hand clamps around the back of my neck, and I’m ripped away from Simi.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,milo moe!” I call out as I’m forcefully shoved out of the suite.
The last thing I see is Simi straining against Tanya’s hold, her rosy cheeks wet with tears.
As Ivan pulls the door shut, I hear her cry, “Mama!”
When the door closes between us, all the sound in the suite is blocked out, and my ragged breaths are the only thing I can hear.
“Boris will hear about this,” Ivan growls while he shoves me hard. I stagger to the side, and feeling utterly devastated and broken, I walk toward the stairs so I can go down to the basement level where my room is.
Chapter2
Georgi
While Santino, our head of security, checks the cart containing our lunch, I read the text Adriano sent in the group chat I share with him and Augusto.
Adriano: I just had to fire another stripper, all because Georgi can’t keep it in his pants.
A grin spreads over my face as I sit down on the couch, typing out a reply. We’ve been best friends since our late teens. The five families in the Cosa Nostra are tight as fuck, and I get along with everyone, but Adriano and Augusto are my ride or die friends.
Georgi: Who?
Adriano: Sharon. She got it in her head that riding your dick allowed her to treat the others like shit. This happens every single fucking time. Stop fucking my staff.
Letting out a chuckle, I can’t resist provoking my friend.
Georgi: I can’t help you have good taste in women. The blame falls on you, brother.
Adriano. Fuck you. Go to Paradiso and be Augusto’s problem for a while.
Augusto: I banned Georgi from my club.
“Come eat,” Raya, my baby sister, says as she takes the silver domes off the plates. “God, it smells good.”
I get up and walk to the table, and while taking a seat, I shoot the group a last message.
Georgi: Gotta go. Take the next two to three weeks I’m gone to employ new strippers.
Adriano: Stay out of trouble in Bulgaria.
Augusto: Let us know how the meeting with Petkov goes.
I tuck my phone into my pocket, and looking at my plate, my mouth waters as I pick up my cutlery. I cut into the thick ribeye that has butter melting over the top, and when I take a bite, Raya grins at me. “Is it good?”
Chewing, I nod, and cutting another piece, I place it on the side of her plate so she can taste the steak.
Even though Raya’s creamy risotto looks great, she steals some of my crispy potatoes and roasted vegetables.
