The Mafia Contract Series

Charlotte

He told me not to speak, and the bastard had better get used to it because why am I even bothering? He was so rude, and it wounded my already battered pride still further and I sit bristling beside him with the anger pushing aside any fear I have for my own safety.

Fucking savage is the best name for him and I can only imagine he received it from a past girlfriend. Imagining the torture he must have put her through makes me hope she dumped him, and it hurt badly. That can be the only explanation for his rude misogyny and as soon as we reach wherever we’re going, I am going to put in place an escape plan I have yet to formulate in my mind.

As the plane starts moving, I am full of dark thoughts toward my captor, which includes strangling him with the lifejacket cord under my seat if I get the opportunity.

To think I was concerned for him. Well, that won’t happen again and suddenly a loud bang makes me jump and before I know what’s happening, he grabs the back of my neck and pushes me face down toward the floor, yelling, “Keep low and away from the windows.”

Immediately forgetting I’m not speaking to him, I yell, “What the fuck is happening?”

“They’ve found us.”

“Who? The police?”

I’m almost hoping that’s the case, but his derisive laugh causes me to hate him all over again.

“The fucking bastards who want us dead, so if you want to live to irritate me some more, shut the fuck up and keep your head down.”

Now I’m afraid because that sounds like gunfire and it hasn’t escaped my notice that we are sitting on an unexploded bomb with all the fuel in our tanks and as the plane increases its speed, I almost expect to meet my maker in a blaze of glory.

Maybe the fact my life is flashing before my eyes confuses my already scrambled brain because I reach for Ivan’s fingers and clasp them so tightly, whispering, “If we don’t make it, thank you for trying to save me.”

The way he is crushing my hand causes me to wince as he growls, “We will die another day, malyshka. Today is not that day.”

As the plane lifts off from the ground, I hold my breath and count to ten and as we soar high into the air, my heart provides the fuel because I have never been so high on adrenalin in my life.

By the time the plane levels out and the engines stop screaming, I open my eyes and take a deep sigh of relief. So far, so good.

Ivan drags my hand with him and clutches it tightly as he exhales sharply and, to my surprise, lifts my hand and brushes his lips against it, closing his eyes, looking more relieved than anything.

As I glance down at the ink on his fingers that are brutally different to my own manicured ones, it makes me shiver a little inside. Images of what he could do with those hands to bring me pleasure make me weak, and this time it’s not because of the poison inside me. It’s him. He is the poison that corrupted me because I shouldn’t want him. I shouldn’t even like him, and I shouldn’t be infatuated with him because he is the man responsible for tearing my world apart.

I glance up as the door to the cockpit opens, and the pilot heads out, briefly causing me alarm as I question who is flying this freaking plane and he catches the fear on my face and smiles with amusement.

“It’s ok, my co-pilot has taken over.”

I sigh with relief as he sits opposite and stares at us with concern.

“Mr. Karim has instructed us to fly you to Poland, where a connecting flight will take you to Switzerland. A helicopter will transport you to his home where you will wait for further instructions.”

I stare at him in complete surprise and glance down at my rather dirty uniform and know it must appear as if I died already. Ivan is no better in his battered combats and sweater, and there’s also the part where we have no personal documentation.

I keep my mouth shut though because I haven’t forgotten his rudeness earlier, and suddenly all my questions are answered as the captain removes a manila envelope from a storage compartment and hands it to Ivan.

“Your papers are in here with new identities. Mr. Karim has arranged a change of clothing that you will find in the cabin at the rear of the aircraft. I would advise showering and grabbing something to eat. Flight time will be roughly five hours, so you may want to get some sleep.”

“Have you any other passengers?” Ivan’s voice is gruff, and I’m surprised at the question because I thought we were alone, and the captain shakes his head.

“No crew as requested by Mr. Karim. We have registered you both as passengers under your new names and there is no record of you being here at all under your original ones.”

“Good.” Ivan fixes him with a harsh glare, and I feel bad for the captain, so I smile softly and say, “Thank you so much.”

His soft gaze makes me almost want to curl up in his arms and tell him to save me, which obviously doesn’t go unnoticed by Ivan, who growls, “Thank you. We will be in our cabin.”

I think I’m more shocked than the captain when Ivan fixes him with a dark look, promising all manner of horrors and positively drags me behind him toward the rear of the aircraft.

Now my heart is thumping for an entirely different reason because he said our cabin. What the fuck is he implying here?

I follow him through a door and blink in astonishment at the luxurious room that looks completely out of place on an aircraft.

“Ivan.” My voice sounds hushed and far away as I whisper, “I’m hallucinating again.”

His low laugh takes me by surprise, and he chuckles. “My friend has more money than God. This is one of his smaller toys.”

I blink as I gaze around at an actual bedroom. Dressed in black silk sheets and fur throws is a frigging king–sized bed with drapes hanging heavy on the side. Cream leather chairs sit either side of a porthole and the white shag pile carpet looks brand new. Gold mirrors and chandeliers dress the room in the finest luxury, and I blink again as Ivan pulls me into what appears to be a dressing room, leading on to a full-sized bathroom.

I watch in disbelief as he turns on the tap and seizes a bottle of foaming oil and pours a generous amount into it and my mouth dries as he rips off his sweater and I almost pass out at the bare chest flexing before my eyes. I can’t stop staring and not because it is covered completely in ink. It’s almost tribal and the muscles and well-defined abs make me lose my mind.

A low laugh makes me raise my eyes and his eyes shine with mischief as he smirks. “Like what you see, princess?”

“Not really.” I turn away and try to get my breathing under control because I am the biggest, fattest liar in the world right now.

I love what I see. I could stare at it all night and all day if I had to. How is this man even real, for Christ’s sake?

As I look back, I almost wish I hadn’t because now the combats have joined the sweater on the floor, and it appears underwear is not required.

I quickly spin around and hiss, “For fuck’s sake, don’t you have any manners?”

“No.”

His low laugh makes the blood rise in my face as I blush furiously and I actually whimper when he says with amusement, “What’s taking you so long?”

“What do you mean?” I face the other way and he laughs. “I thought you’d be glad to rid yourself of that uniform. Come on baby, don’t be shy. Haven’t you seen a man naked before?”

I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and whisper, “No.”

The silence returns and I swallow hard and then I almost jump out of my skin when a rough hand touches my shoulders and a softer voice says, “Turn around, malyshka.”Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

“No.”

I’m actually shaking and yet he won’t give in and spins me around to face him and lifts my chin, so I’m staring into those stunning eyes and I almost whimper when he says softly, “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you. We need to clean up and change, and that’s all this is. If it helps, you take the bath and I’ll take the shower.”

“Can’t I do it in private?” I run my tongue over my dry lips, and he shakes his head slowly, an evil grin lighting up his features, making me speechless for a moment.

“I don’t want to let you out of my sight for a second.”

“But we’re thirty thousand feet in the air! Where do you think I’ll go? Or is there a docking station through that door leading to an escape pod, where I will man the controls and head back to England in time for afternoon tea on the lawn?”

Even I start to laugh as his face breaks out into a broad smile and his laughter lightens the atmosphere for a minute before I’m shocked into silence when his lips brush against mine and he whispers, “Because it would break my heart if anything happened to you.”

I blink in astonishment because where has this come from and as his lips hover dangerously close to mine, I almost think he’s going to kiss me. I actually hope he is because the tension that’s been building between us needs dealing with, but now is obviously not that time because he closes his eyes and sighs deeply. “Don’t fight me, Charlotte. Remember, you’re my prisoner and just so you know, your fighting skills could use some serious work.”

Once again, he grins, and I am so confused right now. Then he strokes my face like a pet dog and the emotion in his eyes takes me by surprise as he says softly, “I promise I won’t look. I’ll take the shower and if you face away from me, the bubbles will cover your modesty.”

Realizing I don’t have a choice, I nod slowly and step back and as his hands drop away from me, I feel the loss already. Then, as he turns and walks over to the shower, I can’t help checking out his ass as he goes.