Captivated by the deadly mafia boss

The seamstress walks through the main hallway of the apartment straight back toward Micah’s rooms when she arrives. Her introduction was rushed as she waved the two men pushing the racks of dresses off the elevator.

“Back this way, quickly now,” she says and shows them down the hall. Obviously, she’s been here before.

Dimitri steps off the elevator right before the doors begin to close on him. He’s already frowning. Micah’s cousin hasn’t been anything but civil with me, but there’s a strange sensation that crawls over my skin when he’s around. He obviously thinks being my babysitter for the day is beneath him. I would agree with him and send him on his way, but he’s one of Micah’s men. He’ll do what he’s told. No matter how unpleasant it probably is.

“Hi. I guess we’ll be in the sitting room.” I gesture toward the roaming caravan of gowns and turn on my heel to follow.

“Your sister-in-law will be here in a few minutes.” Dimitri plops his bulky form into the chair beside the elevator entry. “I’ll bring her back when she arrives.” He pulls out his phone and begins scrolling through his screen.

Dominik hasn’t texted me or called. This visit has been set up through Micah. No matter my age or my station, I’m still the useless girl who has to have everything done for her.

“That would be nice, thank you.” I force a pleasant tone, practice for when I have to deal with Kasia. Micah’s way of going about gaining my cooperation doesn’t frighten me-not after last night. I doubt he could ever make me fear his belt after what he did to me, what I begged for him to do to me. But he did have a solid point. She’s my family now, and I should hold on to whatever I can. The Ivanovs can take them away whenever they choose. For now, I’ll be grateful for what I have.

When I enter the sitting room, the seamstress-a fifty-something-year-old woman with stick-straight shoulder-length hair-flounces around the room giving her two assistants directions. Put that rack there, move this chaise, bring out the platform. It’s a whirlwind of motion, and I stay planted in the doorway and out of the storm.

“Lena?” A gentle hand touches my arm, startling me to her presence.

“Yes.” I face her, keeping my hands at my sides. I may have to be civil, but I don’t have to hug the woman whose actions have condemned me.

“Hi. I’m Kasia.” She fidgets with her purse strap on her shoulder. She’s dressed in a long dark brown knit sweater, black leggings, and a pair of black flat boots. Her thick, long blonde hair is swept to her right side, wide curls cascade down the sweater. Aside from a light coat of pink lip gloss and mascara that brings out her creamy brown eyes, she’s the picture of natural beauty.

No wonder Dominik fell so hard for her.

“Do you have any idea what sort of dress you’re looking for?” She moves her gaze to the racks being unpacked to showcase.

My shoulders sag. “I have no idea. Something… plain?” I fold my arms in front of me. “Although I think my father would expect something expensive. Something full of beads and pearls. Maybe some diamonds sewn into the seams.”

She looks at me with wide eyes, searching me.

After a long pause, I grin. “What, they haven’t filled you in on what a spoiled Polish princess I am?”

Her lips pinch together and her eyes flicker back to the seamstress.

“They haven’t said anything like that,” Kasia says when the silence stretches between us.

“You don’t need to cover for my brother. I know what he thinks of me. I’m impulsive, selfish, and reckless. I don’t appreciate everything that they’ve done for me. I’ve heard the lectures lots of times growing up.”

“Dominik has only said good things about you,” she says, but I can hear the edge.

“Dominik has only said that I will do what’s right. He’s promised you not to worry, that I’ll make everything all better because I have no choice.” I can’t help the bitterness twisting between my words.

“He’s said that you’ve been sheltered, but so was I. Our fathers aren’t terribly different when it comes to the values they hold for their daughters. Although I will say your father seems a bit kinder. He does love you, Lena.”

The seamstress walks toward us, but I hold up a hand to still her. “Loves me? He’s sold me off to the Ivanovs. Is that something a father does to a daughter he loves? I haven’t even heard from him since he signed me over to his enemy. I understand you married Dominik because your father was no better in that regard, but you were lucky.”

“Lucky how?” She narrows her eyes slightly. Whatever pleasantry we skirted around is gone.

“Dominik is a good man.”

“He is, yes. But when I married him, when he came and took me from my home in the middle of the night, I didn’t know what sort of man he was. I had no idea what I was getting into. All I was to any of them was a pawn to be moved about. Just like you, and I’m sorry for it.” She takes a long breath. “I’m sorry this has happened. I’m sorry it’s because of what I did, but I’m not sorry I did it.”

I clench my teeth. Dimitri is well within hearing distance, and he’ll no doubt report every word back to Micah.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“Those women-” She takes a shaky breath. “The women my father was transporting like cattle were abused. No one should have to go through what those women have gone through. So no. I’m not sorry that I took them from that fate. If I had to do it again, knowing what the consequences would be, I would do the same.”

She pulls photographs from her purse and shoves them at me. “Those are the women we rescued that night.” She points a finger at them as I take the pile from her. Flipping through them slowly, I see the battered women. Bruises, cuts, old scars litter them beneath the dirt and fear clinging to their faces. My stomach twists, remembering the cries of the women in the stable those few nights I was kept there.

While I was whisked away and given to Micah Ivanov, those women remained. What happened to them after I left? Are they still down there, waiting to be transported, sold into a life of slavery?

I hand the pictures back to her, my throat too full of emotion to speak.

“Micah’s father has so many others,” I say when I find my voice. I glance down the hall to find Dimitri engrossed with his phone. “You saved them, but there are more.”

She puts the photographs back into her purse and folds her arms over her chest. Pain crosses her features.

“I know. It’s an argument I have with your brother often. And now they are marrying you into a family that makes their money by selling these women.”

“You argue with him? Dominik can’t like that.” I find a small smile at the image of my brother being argued with by this woman. She’s the same size as me, practically a dwarf compared to my brother.

She grins. “He doesn’t.”

“I don’t think Micah wants to keep that part of his father’s business,” I tell her, keeping my voice low so Dimitri can’t hear. I doubt I know anything that he doesn’t, but just in case, I don’t want to cause a problem between Micah and his father.

“Dominik says the same thing. Micah’s taken on a lot of projects outside his family dealings,” she says, but a frown still tugs at her lips.

“I was surprised Micah was all right with you coming over today.”

Kasia’s brows knit together. “It was his idea. He called Dominik this morning.”

Micah planned this?

You have brothers and now you have a sister. Be grateful for them.

I’m not sure what to think about this. About him.

“If we are going be done before this afternoon, we should get started.” The seamstress claps her hands for our attention.

“Right,” I say.

“I know you’re angry with me, but I want you to know that you can always call me if you need something. If you want to vent, or cry on a shoulder, or just want someone to throw things with, I’m here.” Her words come from a genuine place of kindness, and the last bit of me that was holding on to my anger fades away.

“I don’t think I would have done any differently if I was in your shoes.” I admit. “I heard the women in that stable, heard them crying, heard their screams when one of the men came for them-” I clear my throat and grab her hands in mine, squeezing. “You did the right thing, Kasia.”

She smiles brilliantly, lightening the mood. “It’s good to have a sister again.”

I squeeze her hands again then turn to the seamstress. “Let’s get this over with. What monstrosity do you want me to try on first?”

Kasia laughs, but the seamstress’s jaw slacks in shock.

“I’m kidding,” I assure her and walk to the first rack. “Do you have something simple? Nothing frilly or goofy. Just something elegant?”

The seamstress grins and throws her hands up in the air with excitement. “I have just the thing!”