Page 3 of Savage Boss

Every obstacle Vlad had encountered in his life made him stronger, brought him to this point. Now, in an attempt to ship him far away where he could no longer terrorize their city, the Bratva were handing him a new playground on a silver platter. America. The land of opportunities.

“Congratulations, boy.” Petrov’s deep voice boomed across the table. He gave Vlad a paternal smile. Vlad returned his regard with a nod.

After Vlad killed his father, he’d gone straight to Petrov to tell him his sister and niece were dead. It was a calculated move on Vlad’s part to approach a known enemy of his family with bad news, but it had paid off. After his grief had waned, Petrov had taken Vlad under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of the Bratva, information Vlad’s own father hadn’t given him. Vlad and Petrov had formed a wary alliance and eventually Vlad had worked the streets as Petrov’s enforcer.

If Petrov approved of the plan to send Vlad to America, then Vlad had no doubt it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. Petrov owed Vlad a blood debt from when Vlad had saved his life. Vlad had been horrifically scarred in the incident and Petrov had vowed his loyalty. Vlad now trusted the older man to have his best interests in mind.

“I will require a second-in-command to accompany me,” Vlad said boldly. “I name Boris Grekov.”

Chapter One

20 years later

Vlad was sick and fucking tired of cops. He paid these assholes a fortune to stay out of his business. They shouldn’t even be blinking in his direction. Yet here he was, languishing in a dimly lit dingy interrogation room waiting on the lead detective.

He’d been told he was needed for questioning in the murder of Dennis Yankovich, Vlad’s accountant. The chief of police had personally walked Vlad into the building, telling him it was just routine questioning because Vlad had worked closely with Yankovich. Vlad knew better. Some overeager young detective was attempting to prove himself by taking down the biggest, baddest mobster in town. They were about to find out what happened when they pissed off the Boss.

Of course he had done the Dennis Yankovich job. Vlad had decided to give this one his personal touch as a reminder to the rest of the city’s underworld not to fuck with him. Dennis had embezzled from Sitnikov and he’d ended up in the river with Vlad’s signature necktie.

Anyone who came after Vlad would find himself in a similar position, including cops who thought they could get away with sniffing around his business. Vlad had a simple rule for the cops in his town; nose around his turf, lose the nose.

Vlad was forced to wait for over an hour for the interrogation to begin, likely a calculated move meant to rattle him. He thought about leaving, since he wasn’t under arrest, but decided against it. He was curious about the man who’d had the balls to demand his presence for questioning. Clearly an idiot. Only a complete moron would know of Vlad’s reputation and still come after him.

He was about to rise from his creaky metal chair and ask for a cup of coffee when something changed. Nothing noticeable, but a slight shift in the energy of the room. He was being watched.

Vlad lifted his cold gaze to the one-way mirror and stared hard at his own reflection knowing there was someone on the other side watching him. Though he couldn’t see the person he could feel them, the gaze, the curiosity, the energy.

The door opened and in walked the most stunning woman Vlad had ever laid eyes on. She was breathtaking. Not classically beautiful but arresting. Her body was short and compact, tucked away in ugly conservative clothes that she probably thought gave her a professional image. Vlad could imagine the bounty that lay underneath though. She had severe shoulder length black hair with long bangs, but somehow the cheap haircut only served to enhance the unique beauty of her face. She had high cheekbones, wide, almost too-big eyes, dark winged eyebrows, golden brown eyes, and full lips that proved utterly fascinating to Vlad. So much so that he couldn’t speak as she introduced herself and her partner then proceeded to grill him.

He listened with pleasure as her voice drifted over her words caressing each one with an energy that felt like a lightning bolt skittering through his veins. He didn’t hear a word she said, couldn’t concentrate on the direction of the conversation, he was so absorbed by every nuance of her. The ways her lips formed each syllable, the way her forehead wrinkled in concentration, then smoothed again. The way her tidy short-nailed fingertips tapped incessantly against the metal table. The coffee stain on her blouse.

Finally, she stopped talking and shoved herself away from the table, clearly frustrated, and announced, “You’re free to go, Mr. Sitnikov. For now, please notify us if you have to leave town for any reason.”

Vlad blinked and wondered how long they’d been in the room together. He was so focused on what she smelled like, what colour her bra might be, and myriad other questions that he’d lost track of time.

He stood, stretching his long frame before striding swiftly to the door, brushing past the woman’s partner. Vlad reached for the card she was holding out, touching her fingers and allowing the feel of her to wash over him. He inhaled, catching the slightest hint of sweet feminine flesh.

“What is your name?” he demanded, his eyes on her face.

“I’m Detective McKinley and this is Detective Gruber. If you can think of anything pertinent to our investigation, please give us a call,” she told him.

“Your given name,” he growled.

She pulled her fingers from his grip and walked away, leaving Vlad staring after her wondering how fast he could get a complete file on the female cop. He wanted to know everything about her.

The day Svetlana died, his heart had gone cold. He hadn’t felt a thing towards another woman since, except for occasional and fleeting lust. He’d assumed Svetlana was the only one for him. Or that the guilt of her death made him incapable of having feelings for another.

But the cop, McKinley… she stirred something inside of him. She made him feel alive again.

Chapter Two

1.5 Years Later

She’d done it again; she’d fucking done it again. He gripped Jane’s arm tighter as he tried to come to terms with his anger so he wouldn’t give into the urge to strangle her and leave her body right there in the junkyard. Before Jane he dealt with his problems by killing them. It was an easy solution that worked every time. Unfortunately, killing his wife wasn’t an option.

But he had to find a way to control her and he had to do it soon before he really did lose his shit on her. She thought she’d seen the worst of him, but she hadn’t. Not even close.

Vlad loved his wife, more than he thought himself capable of loving any human being, but he didn’t love all of her personality traits. Like her ability to effortlessly place herself in danger while gleefully challenging every person she came into contact with. Or her stubborn insistence in continuing down whatever reckless path she was headed. And her blind determination to do whatever she pleased, regardless of consequences.

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