Read Online Clinch (The Underground Book 2) by Becca Jameson - Free Book Online
Authors: Becca Jameson
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about MMA and the underground. That was the plan.
Wasn’t it?
When he finally had them maneuvered through the crowd so that he stood next to Ivan, Katie leaned her back against him and lifted her face to speak to Ivan. “The cut is healing nicely.”
Ivan touched the barely noticeable spot above his eyebrow. “Yeah, pretty sure I’ll live.”
Katie lowered her gaze to Alena. “You must be Alena.” She held out a hand as she shouted over the crowd.
Alena nodded. “Katie?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
Ivan lifted a brow at Leo, smirking at the way Leo wrapped one arm around her waist and set the other as casually as possible on her arm. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Hell, Ivan had one hand on Alena’s shoulder and the other fisted at his side. His stance was only slightly less protective.
Ivan had moved to Chicago about a month ago. He’d slept two nights in the apartment Leo shared with Alena and Mikhail, her brother. And then he’d gotten his own place close-by.
Leo glanced down at the grip Ivan had on Alena and wondered if his feelings for the woman were purely those of a guy helping a friend out with his sister or more than that. Mikhail was very protective of his sister. Even though she was twenty-eight years old, she’d led a rough life.
Abram Gromov had managed to smuggle Alena out of Russia only a year ago. The guy had amazing connections to get that job done. None of them had ever discussed it with Abram, but Leo suspected it had cost a pretty penny. He’d been helping Mikhail make monthly payments to Abram since he’d arrived in Chicago. He had no idea what the total bill was, and he was afraid to ask.
Dmitry’s woman, Lauren, had taught Alena perfect English in the six months the two of them had lived in seclusion in the apartment they shared with Mikhail and Dmitry.
Leo knew Alena missed Lauren. She was the only person alive Alena could call a friend. It sucked, but Lauren had been the target of Anton Yenin and the Mafia in Vegas. Unless she disappeared for good, eventually Yenin would have snatched her. The bounty on Dmitry’s head was no less than hers for stealing her out from under Yenin’s men and sequestering her away for six months.
There was a hole in the rest of the fighters’ hearts without Dmitry, but it couldn’t be helped. The six men had all grown up in different Russian orphanages and had been brought over to the US by Yenin when they turned eighteen. They’d learned everything they knew about MMA under Yenin’s tutelage.
In a sense, they owed him their lives. But the man was still Bratva—Russian Mafia—and he had something enormous up his sleeve that no one could put their finger on. Sure, Yenin undoubtedly owned and operated several drug labs throughout the western half of the US, but the biggest project he had was a giant lab on the outskirts of Vegas. However, Leo didn’t buy the idea that Yenin was being closely watched by several government agencies over something as trivial as meth.
No way.
Yenin was up to something. None of the six fighters had gleaned what he was doing, but they did try to stay at least in the periphery of Yenin’s good side in case some information might filter their way.
It had been hard pretending Leo knew nothing about the FBI following Yenin’s every move, but he had no other option, and besides, he knew all of his friends were equally as leery about Yenin. None of them would be sad to see the Mafia leader go down.
The announcer’s voice rose as the fight in the ring came to a conclusion and one man’s hand was lifted into the air.
“Mikhail up next?” Leo asked Ivan.
“Yep. That fight was fast. You almost arrived late.”
There was a lull in the action as the ring cleared out and someone stepped inside to mop the sweat and blood off the floor.
“Gross.” Katie twisted her head around and cringed. “Nasty sport. Why on earth do you do this?”
Leo smiled with pride. “Love the rush. Love the money.”
Ivan
Wasn’t it?
When he finally had them maneuvered through the crowd so that he stood next to Ivan, Katie leaned her back against him and lifted her face to speak to Ivan. “The cut is healing nicely.”
Ivan touched the barely noticeable spot above his eyebrow. “Yeah, pretty sure I’ll live.”
Katie lowered her gaze to Alena. “You must be Alena.” She held out a hand as she shouted over the crowd.
Alena nodded. “Katie?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
Ivan lifted a brow at Leo, smirking at the way Leo wrapped one arm around her waist and set the other as casually as possible on her arm. He wasn’t taking any chances.
Hell, Ivan had one hand on Alena’s shoulder and the other fisted at his side. His stance was only slightly less protective.
Ivan had moved to Chicago about a month ago. He’d slept two nights in the apartment Leo shared with Alena and Mikhail, her brother. And then he’d gotten his own place close-by.
Leo glanced down at the grip Ivan had on Alena and wondered if his feelings for the woman were purely those of a guy helping a friend out with his sister or more than that. Mikhail was very protective of his sister. Even though she was twenty-eight years old, she’d led a rough life.
Abram Gromov had managed to smuggle Alena out of Russia only a year ago. The guy had amazing connections to get that job done. None of them had ever discussed it with Abram, but Leo suspected it had cost a pretty penny. He’d been helping Mikhail make monthly payments to Abram since he’d arrived in Chicago. He had no idea what the total bill was, and he was afraid to ask.
Dmitry’s woman, Lauren, had taught Alena perfect English in the six months the two of them had lived in seclusion in the apartment they shared with Mikhail and Dmitry.
Leo knew Alena missed Lauren. She was the only person alive Alena could call a friend. It sucked, but Lauren had been the target of Anton Yenin and the Mafia in Vegas. Unless she disappeared for good, eventually Yenin would have snatched her. The bounty on Dmitry’s head was no less than hers for stealing her out from under Yenin’s men and sequestering her away for six months.
There was a hole in the rest of the fighters’ hearts without Dmitry, but it couldn’t be helped. The six men had all grown up in different Russian orphanages and had been brought over to the US by Yenin when they turned eighteen. They’d learned everything they knew about MMA under Yenin’s tutelage.
In a sense, they owed him their lives. But the man was still Bratva—Russian Mafia—and he had something enormous up his sleeve that no one could put their finger on. Sure, Yenin undoubtedly owned and operated several drug labs throughout the western half of the US, but the biggest project he had was a giant lab on the outskirts of Vegas. However, Leo didn’t buy the idea that Yenin was being closely watched by several government agencies over something as trivial as meth.
No way.
Yenin was up to something. None of the six fighters had gleaned what he was doing, but they did try to stay at least in the periphery of Yenin’s good side in case some information might filter their way.
It had been hard pretending Leo knew nothing about the FBI following Yenin’s every move, but he had no other option, and besides, he knew all of his friends were equally as leery about Yenin. None of them would be sad to see the Mafia leader go down.
The announcer’s voice rose as the fight in the ring came to a conclusion and one man’s hand was lifted into the air.
“Mikhail up next?” Leo asked Ivan.
“Yep. That fight was fast. You almost arrived late.”
There was a lull in the action as the ring cleared out and someone stepped inside to mop the sweat and blood off the floor.
“Gross.” Katie twisted her head around and cringed. “Nasty sport. Why on earth do you do this?”
Leo smiled with pride. “Love the rush. Love the money.”
Ivan
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