Tarnished Tyrant - A Mafia Romance

Chapter 58 Episode 58

Roger is loving my fall from grace. I want to shatter a glassover his head. The last time I saw him, he was unconscious onthe floor of Zhukova Incorporated.

I preferred him that way.

“Or maybe I would have told him to choose anotherapplicant,” he hisses. “Someone who isn’t such a tease. Ifyou’re gonna hire a girl for her t**s, she better be willing to putout.”

The grizzled man at the end of the bar calls for another round,but I can’t take my eyes off of Roger. Turning my back on himfeels turning my back on a wild animal. He’sunpredictable. I have to stay focused.

I already know what the price is if I don’t.

“I never teased you,” I snap. “You harassed me repeatedly andI was nice enough not to kick you in the d**k the way youdeserved. But I’m not sure even that would have gotten themessage through your thick head: I don’t want to have sexwith you.”

Roger’s face flushes with anger. A vein bulges in his forehead.“Is that why your new boyfriend dumped your ass, too?”

Pain lances through me at the reminder of Nikolai. The onlything that has kept me standing up and moving forward the lastsix weeks is actively not thinking about him. “Aggressiveavoidance,” I’ve decided to call it. It’s been easy because Eliseis the only other person who knew about the two of us.

I guess I forgot about Roger.

“He was not my boyfriend.”

There’s a lazy clap to draw my attention from the end of thebar. “I asked for another one,” the man hollers over.

Roger snorts. “Of course he wasn’t. You were leading him on,too, I’m sure. But believe me: anyone willing to beat anotherman up on your behalf is expecting to get some p***y out of it.And the Zhukova guy is not what anyone would call generous.He expected payment.”

It’s hard to hide my wince. Mostly because Roger is right,more or less.

Nikolai was f*****g me in his office while he had a fiancéewaiting for him. I was probably his last hurrah before the bigday and the happily ever after.

I ignore the ache in my heart and the uncomfortable swirlingin my stomach. “Drink your beer and get the f**k out of here.”

“And what if I don’t?” Roger asks, a stupid smile smearedacross his stupid face. “If you’re back in town and workinghere, that means Nikolai must not be in the picture anymore.Your bodyguard is half the country away. He’s probablyforgotten all about you by now.”

Angry tears burn the backs of my eyes. For weeks now, I’vebeen on the verge of a breakdown. It feels like every singleone of my emotional wells are fit to burst at any moment.

But I can’t cry in front of Roger. I won’t give him thesatisfaction.

“I don’t need anyone to protect me,” I spit. “Then or now. I’llhandle you myself.”

Roger laughs and stands up. He plants his hands on the bar, hisface coming far too close to mine. “There you go teasing meagain. If you want to handle me, Belle, all you have to do isask.”

He reaches towards my waist, but before I can shove himaway, a shadow appears over Roger’s shoulder.

For one fleeting second, I think it’s Nikolai. Somehow, againstall odds, he’s here to save me. Here to protect me like he

But then I realize it’s the man from the end of the bar. Helooks different standing up than he does slumped in a stool.He’s lanky but tall, and Roger is enough of a coward that heimmediately backs down.

“Ease up, man. We’re old f-friends,” Roger stammers.

“I don’t care who you are. You’re slowing down service. Hitthe fuckin’ road, bud.”

Threatening to assault me? Nobody cares. But slowing downthe endless flow of booze?

That, my friends, is unforgivable.

Roger seems to sense that there’s no way to get back in thedrunk man’s good graces, so he backs away from the bar. Withone final glance my way, he ducks out of the front door andinto the night.

The man drops back down into a new barstool and slaps thecounter. “Now, for the last fuckin’ time: another one.”

I slide another glass his way and spare him the chit-chat.

Three hours later, the bar is finally closed. I lock the front doorbehind me and step out into the night.

The only nice part of the job is this moment right here. Whenmy shift is over and it’s both too late and too early for anyoneto be out. The sidewalks are empty, the streetlights flash eerilyyellow, and the world is quiet. Blessedly, blissfully quiet.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath of the crisp night air…

And a hand wraps around my mouth.

My eyes fly open, but I don’t see anyone. Whoever is holdingme is standing behind me. I start flailing, driving my elbowsback and trying to kick at the legs behind me.

Then I hear him laugh.

“You shouldn’t be out so late,” Roger hisses in my ear. “It’snot safe for pretty women on the streets.”

It’s been hours since I saw him. Almost enough time for me toforget about him. I can’t believe he waited.

I want to argue with him. To beg. To reason. To scream bloodymurder, if all else fails. But his sweaty hand is clamped downover my mouth so tightly that I can’t even part my lips. Myjaw aches from the force.

I flail, but Roger bands an arm around my midsection, pinningone of my arms to my side. Then he starts dragging me backinto the alley.

Holy s**t. This is it. I’m going to be one of those women onthe news. Someone broken and left in a dark alley or tossed ina dumpster.

And Elise… what will happen to Elise?

Panic like I’ve never felt before courses through me. I want tofight, and I try, but God, I’m so tired. My body aches and mystomach rolls.

Even on a good day, a fight with Roger would be unbalanced.And I haven’t had a good day in at least six weeks.

Roger spins me around and slams me up against the brickwall. I lash out in his direction, but he pins my wrists to thewall overhead and grinds his hips against mine. I feel hishardness and I nearly throw up in my mouth.

“You think you can embarrass me and get away with it?” hesnarls as he fumbles for the waistband of my jeans. “Youaren’t special, Belle. You aren’t as hot as you seem to thinkyou are. And I’m gonna show you all you’re good for.”

Tears are freely flowing down my cheeks now. I’m sobbingtoo hard to be able to say anything useful.

I know it wouldn’t matter anyway. Roger is beyond reasoningwith.

Then, all at once, Roger drops away.

It’s like a hole opens up beneath his feet and swallows him.But when I look down, he’s still there, albeit crumpled into ableeding puddle of misery.

I wipe tears out of my eyes and look up to see a new figurestanding in front of me. This one tall. And broad.

“Nikolai,” I gasp, not believing my own eyes.

He’s holding a brick in his right hand. He shrugs and drops itonto Roger’s gut.

“It’s not a three-hole punch, but it did the trick.”

Roger groans at our feet. I look at him, at Nikolai, at him, atNikolai, then at my own shaking hands. I finally manage torasp out, “What are you doing here?”

“Saving you. Again,” he says. “It’s turning out to be a full-time job.”

I want to touch his face and make sure he’s real, but I’m afraidwhat will happen if I put my fingers on him. I might not beable to purge him from my system a second time.

“But how did you—When did you—I don’t understand what’sgoing on. Why are you here?”

“Let’s have this conversation somewhere else.” He jerks hischin towards a black car I didn’t notice earlier. He parkedbetween the dingy street lights, lurking in a pocket of shadow.I’d expect nothing less from him.

I shake my head. Even from here, the citrusy, peppermint scentof him is overwhelming. In an enclosed car, I’m not sure I’llbe able to handle it.

“No. No, let’s stay here. Let’s… You should go. Thanks, butI’m fine. You need to go.”

“I do need to go,” he says, glaring daggers down at Roger’sbody. “But only because, if that man moves a muscle, I’ll killhim. Unless you want to be witness to that, we should get outof here.”

“You can leave. I’m staying.”

“God, no! He showed up tonight. I haven’t seen him since—”Since you broke my heart. “I’m staying here. This is where Ilive. Where I work.” I gesture to the faded Tony’s WateringHole sign above the door. “I can’t go with you.”