Indebted to the Mafia King

*Tatiana*

I wake up in a strange room, my entire body sore, my head pounding, my leg muscles weak from all the running yesterday, and to make it all worse, nightmares kept me up all night, so I'm also groggy-and irritable.

Visions of my parents being murdered flashed before my eyes all night long. The blood dripping down their faces, Oleg's vicious grin, a silent scream stuck on my lips. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, only to fall back asleep and start the cycle all over again.

Each time I screamed, I woke up my babysitter. It wasn't fair to him, and at one point, I considered staging away. But I couldn't do that. I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open.

Still in bed, I look over to find that the armchair Angelo stayed in all night is empty with no sign of him ever being there, other than the fact that it is closer to the bed than it originally was. My screaming must've alarmed him enough so that he moved it closer.

Was he concerned about my well-being or annoyed that he had to keep crossing the room to get me to stop screaming?

I shake my head and run a hand through my hair. Thoughts of Angelo have me more confused than ever before. We have a common goal, but I'm still being kept here against my will. Not that I have anywhere else to go, and I doubt I'd be able to return to Russia without Oleg finding out. I'd either be kidanpperd or killed before I reached the airport.

In any case, I doubt Angelo will let me go before I give him the information he needs. He clearly answers to someone probably the Boss of whatever mafia gang he belongs to, if that's even what they are and since I have given them no reason to believe me so far, I'm stuck here.

I rack my brain for anything I can use to sell out Oleg and his empire. Anything at all- businesses, names of establishments he owes, future plans... but nothing comes to mind.

The few days I stayed in his house, I wasn't near them enough to have overheard what he was planning or anything related to any of his businesses. All he includedme in was the wedding planning, and even then, I wasn't allowed to give my opinion.

Still sitting on the bed, I go over everything I know about Oleg again-and something pops into my head. Lev and Ilya used to tell me stories of how Oleg got to where he is today-stories about what he did in the past, and business deals he had made with people all over the United States.

Why the hell can't I remember any names now that I so desperately need them?

A knock on the door has my hand darting to my chest, clutching my heart. With everything that's happened, I need to cut myself a fucking break, but I'm still embarrassed at my startle reflex.

"Yes?" I answer, my voice hesitant and low.

"Can I come in?" Angelo asks from behind the door. "Sure."

I look down to make sure I am presentable, even though he saw me quite a mess yesterday, and throughout the entire night really. The T-shirt I picked out from the closet is a bit large for me, so I don't have to worry about showing any skin. My intrusive thoughts whisper that I don't mind having Angelo's eyes on me, but I force them away, focusing on the way he looks this morning instead.

Holy fuck! He looks even better in the sunlight. His dark curls are damp and falling over his eyes. He's dressed in black joggers and a form-fitting, long-sleeve shirt that clings to his frame, revealing how defined his arms and abs are.

"Good morning," he murmurs, closing the door behind him and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I'd ask if you rested well, but we both know the answer to that question."

I nod, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. My gaze travels back down his body.

He clears his throat, and I look back at his face, scolding myself.

Get a fucking grip, Tatiana. His eyes are up there!

Clearing my throat, I say, "Thank you for taking care of me, though." My voice cracking doesn't make me sound any more confident.

He smirks and dismisses me with a shake of his head, heading for the window and pulling the blinds open. He lifts the glass, letting the cool breeze invade the room, and I shiver, pulling the blankets up to my neck.

He doesn't seem to notice. "Listen, I know we have a lot to talk about, and that none

of this is ideal for either of us," he starts, turning to look at me again. He leans against the wall and crosses his arms. "But, unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just say you're collateral damage."

I nod, following his train of thought. I've come to terms with my current situation. Right now, I'm better here as a prisoner than I'd ever be as Yakov's wife-or Oleg's victim.

"I understand," I tell him.

He changes the subject, catching me off-giard. "Feel free to wear whatever you want out of the closet and use whatever products are available here. If you need anything specific, let me know, and we might be able to geti it for you." He sounds slightly more chipper than before-maybe because we aren'st strictly talking business.

"I appreciate that." I manage a small smile, meaning it.

He shrugs, and that glum disposition slips back into place, the corners of his mouth turning down a bit. "Honestly, I'm doing the best I can with what I have. It's not as if it's ideal to keep you here for any of us, but I've got to believe I can trust you to help us out."

I feel guilty when he puts it that way. I can't even imagine what he had to say to convince his colleagues and boss that I'm worth their time. "I can't think of anything I need at the moment, thank you," I reply genuinely. It's much more than I got at Oleg's. Sure, he lavished me with couture clothing but kept me under suffocating and overwhelming surveillance. The fear I felt when I was in that house, terrified that he'd suddenly get tired of me and put a bullet to my head, was sickening.

At least here, I feel like Angelo is really trying to see me as someone who can help him instead of an enemy. And I truly appreciate him for it.

He nods and kicks off the wall. "You can get changed and head downstairs. Breakfast is ready. Just...ignore the ugly stares you might get. They'll eventually come to terms with the situation," he informs me. I watch him intently, noticing the way his jaw clenches and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. I wish I knew what's going on inside that head of his-that sexy, handsome, attactive head.

"You okay, Tatiana?"

Maybe it's because aven't gotten laid in far too long, but my body has fucking betrayed me again. I nod. "Are you, uh, going somewhere?" I gesture at his outfit. "To work out?" Judging by his damp hair, I thought he had just taken a shower, but maybe it's sweat?

He shakes his head. "That's the plan.  I'll just wait until you get breakfast, and then I'll ask Dice to stay with you."

I ignore the way my insides churn at the idea of having another man watch me, but it's not like I can do anything about it. And I can't expect Angelo to be my guard dog twenty-four/seven either.

"Can't I go with you? I'd like to vent my pent-up energy, too." The words come out of my mouth before I have the chance to think them through.

He tilts his head to the side, his eyes slightly wider than normal. "As long as you're not planning to throw a gym weight at my head and knock me unconscious, I don't see why not," he replies, his brows lifting slightly at me.

Why does he looks so fucking sexy when he does that?

"I'm not that stupid." I can't lie-the idea did cross my mind, but then, other ideas crossed my mind that I wouldn't ever follow through with eiter. Thoughts of his body on top of mine yesterday flash before my eyes. I have to look away from him.

"Okay then. You can get dressed, and I'll be waiting in the kitchen."

Angelo leaves the room, and I get up from bed, glad to have something to do with my time other than rot in this room the entire day.

Finding something to wear that won't be a nuisance at the gym is harder than I expected. I end up choosing black leggings that more-or-less fit me, although they are slightly baggy, and a woman's tank top that is a bit tight on my boobs, but it does fit. Whoever the woman is that these clothes belong to, she's a bit taller and possibly a bit heavier than me, but at least I can get into her clothing.

I walk out of the room, glad not to be followed by any thugs, and head toward the scene of food, which I hope brings me to the kitchen. I find Angelo sitting at the table by himself, drinking a protein shake.

"You said I'd get ugly stares, but I didn't bump into anyone on my way here," I note, watching as he turns to look at me.

His eyes scan me from head to toe, darkening instantly as he takes me in. He swallows what's in his mouth and clears his throat, putting down his glass.

"Everyone else had to leave for a meeting with the boss," he tells me. "But don't get any funny ideas. I can handle you all by myself." The way he grins at me and that cocky confidence causes shivers to run down my spine to my core, leaving me astounded for a second.

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Why does everything he says sound...so sexual? Or is it just me? God, I'm like a desperate, horny teenager.noveldrama

"I'll just grab a cup of coffee and a banana, and then we can go," I tell him, walking toward the counter. "I don't like to work out on a full stomach."

Angelo patiently waits for me to finish, and ten minutes later, we're in a training room. I'm astonished at how large and equipped it is-free weights, kettlebells, barbells, a large mat that covers half of the room for combat training, with punching bags hanging from the ceiling.

"Wanna start warming up with  one-on-one combat?" Angelo suggests, turning to face me.

The idea of having physical contact with him sounds risjy for several reasons, the worst

of them being the fact that I don't trust myself near him. But maybe Angelo can teach me a thing or two since I'm rusty and don't have my dad to train me anymore. Memories of the countless lessons I had with him cross my mind, and I have to push the tears that form in my eyes away.

"Sure, okay."

If he notices my change in emotion, he says nothing. Angelo and I cross over to the large mat, but instead of stopping in front of me, he walks to my left side.

"I thought I could teach you some tricks first. You seemed able to hold your own when you attacked me last night, but I noticed some flaws in your technique." He starts showing me some moves, asking me to mimic him, and then he comes close to me, eventually adjusting my stance or how I position my hands for defense.

For thirty minutes, I barely have the chance to pay attention to our proximity because whenever I lose focus, even if just for a second, he tosses me on my back to the mat, breathless.

"You need to keep both feet rooted to the floor. Otherwise, your attacker will knock you down in the blink of an eye every time," he explains, walking behind me.

He grabs me by the waist, and I fight the need to gasp in surprise. My skin burns with the touch of his fingers.

"Now, raise your hands in front of your face, protecting your head," he instructs me, his voice hoarse, his body rigid behind me. I peek over my shoulder and see his eyes slightly dilated. When his hands settle on my hips, the electricity between us is so palpable, I can't possibly be making it up-can I? Maybe it's just that this room is so warm, and there's not much ventilation, rather than that we're both attracted to one another. Sweating from all the effort we're putting into this combat thing, ripples down both our bodies, making my skin slick-making him glisten.

His breath fans against my bare skin, and I regret having pulled my hair up into a ponytail. I can feel his mouth so close to my neck and ear that I need to close my eyes to steady myself.

"What do I do now?" I ask in a whisper.

He stiffens even more behind me, but his hands don't move away from my hips.

Instead, his grip tightens on my skin.

"Oh, fuck it," he hisses, and with a swift movement, he spins me around to face him,

and the next thing I know, his mouth is on mine.