Read Online Bought by the Russian Mobster by Bella Rose - Free Book Online Page B

and he was heartily sick of waiting. Perhaps he wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing. Or perhaps it was the necessity of doing nothing instead of just charging in and taking action that was nearly driving him mad.
    Then he saw the front door open and Lily hustled out of the house. She was dressed in plain jeans and a sweater that hugged her figure. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders and Nicolai was reminded once again of why this woman was worth all the trouble. She deserved better than to be stalked, frightened, and abused by his obviously insane brother.
    Carefully extracting himself from the clinging trees, Nicolai walked the edge of the yard and followed Lily’s progress down the sidewalk. She was walking with her head bent and her eyes locked on the sidewalk before her. Nicolai had no way of knowing if Vladimir was awake or not. Yet if Lily had escaped the house, there was a strong possibility his twin was still asleep. Keeping that in mind, Nicolai texted Anatoly to send a car to meet them at the corner market just a block down the street.
    Nicolai strode quickly down the street. He crossed at a narrow intersection with plenty of large, leafy trees to cast early morning shadows across the road. The path he had taken had gotten him ahead of Lily. She was walking toward him now with her head down. It took several moments for her to notice him standing beside a large tree.
     “Nicolai!” Her eager voice warmed him.
    She ran over and flung her arms around him. The earnestness of the gesture warmed him. Sweeping her off her feet, he held her close and reveled in the sensation. She was warm and soft against his body and his physical response was immediate. Something about this woman seemed to fit him in a way he didn’t yet understand.
    “I thought you were dead! I thought he had killed you too.” Lily’s tone was almost desperate. “We have to get out of here. Now.” She was already tugging him down the sidewalk.
    “You thought I was dead?” Nicolai took a firmer grip and lengthened his strides to keep up with her nearly running pace. “What gave you that idea?”
    “The blood. There was so much blood, Nicolai. We have to get away from Vladimir. He’s sure to wake up and follow.” She was obviously desperate.
    Nicolai’s anger began to boil. “What happened? Did he wake up? Did he hurt you? How the hell did he even wind up in the house?”
    “I don’t know. He just walked in and got into bed. It was dark. I—I thought he was you. I’m so sorry!”
    “Don’t be, Lily,” he soothed. “The man is insane. You had no reason to suspect he would do such a crazed thing.”
    She grimaced. “You don’t understand, Nicolai. Vladimir killed your father. I’m sorry. But I know it must be true.”
    Nicolai didn’t ask any questions. For now, he needed to get them to the corner market where their ride awaited them.

Chapter Ten
    “Are you sure Anatoly is sending someone to pick us up?” Lily didn’t understand how Nicolai could be so calm. She was practically coming out of her skin. Any second she expected Vladimir to show up. “We’ve been waiting for almost fifteen minutes.”
    “It’s all right, sweetheart.” Nicolai wrapped his arm more securely around her and held her close. He touched her hair, the caress making her feel cherished. “I promise our ride is coming. The market is busy this time of morning. All these early risers come up to get their coffee and pastries before work.”
    “It is crowded,” she agreed. “I had no idea so many people were up and about so early.”
    Nicolai started to say something, but then his face grew tense. He took a step back, covering their presence next to the building with deep shadows. She took a breath to ask what was wrong and he covered her mouth with his fingers.
    “Vladimir,” he murmured.
    A shot of pure panic raced through Lily’s veins. If Nicolai hadn’t been holding on to her, she would have bolted. She buried her face against his arm,