Page 103 of Ruthless Mafia Boss 3: Vino and Claire

His men continued to the back of the airplane, asking to see everyone’s identification.

“Mr. Romano, are you here for business or pleasure?”

I retrieved five thousand dollars from my pocket. “Business.”

Two of the officers went into the room.

I kept my attention on the asshole in front of me. “I have business with Serigé.”

The men lingered longer in the bedroom. My heart raced in my chest.

The officer counted the money. He glanced toward the back of the plane and said something in Russian.

The officers filed out of the plane.

The blond officer stretched his hand out for mine. “Enjoy your business trip in Kaliningrad,” he said with a thick Russian accent.

Once he was off the jet, I stalked into the bedroom.

“Glacier and Pyro, remove the trunk from the floor and put it in the back of my SUV,” I ordered.

I only had one business contact in Russia, Serigé. He had an excellent reputation. Usually, the police didn’t give him any problems. Serigé. always rolled out the red carpet when I had to fly to Russia. I did the same when he came to New Jersey.

I propped the trunk open, where I was forced to keep Claire until we reached our destination. I couldn’t risk anyone seeing her. That crazy asshole Ivan could’ve shown Claire’s picture to everyone he came in contact with. I wouldn’t allow that abusive fucker to get his hands on my fiancée.

Xavier drove the SUV to the property I leased for a week. The plan was to be in and out. I couldn’t stand being in Russia longer than I had to. The home was located close to the party venue.

Once the tan wooden privacy gate to the property closed, shielding us from the outside, I pulled Claire out of the trunk and into my arms. I held her for a moment. “I never wanted to do that. Lock you away. I have to protect you, Claire.” I planted kisses on her forehead.

Claire cooed. “I know.”

My team unloaded the three SUVs and brought our belongings into the house. I interlaced my fingers with Claire’s and helped her out of the vehicle. We strolled inside. Tony was already busy setting up his equipment on the right side of the expansive living room. Claire looked up at the tall white ceilings. The floors, walls, and most of the furniture were white, with a few burgundy chairs scattered around. There were some splashes of color here and there. One wall was painted burgundy. In front of it was a full bar beneath a partially wrapping balcony. The staircase was black and white, and the accent walls leading to the outdoor swimming pool were yellow. Floor-to-ceiling windows allowed plenty of natural light to fill the space.

I glanced at my watch. “It’s one thirty. We’ll arrive at the party at eight p.m.”

I turned my gaze to Xavier. “Switch out the bodyguards every hour for perimeter patrol.”

“No problem,” he replied.

“I’ll make sure we eat well while we’re here,” Claire said with a warm smile. “I’ll send Xavier out to get Russian dumplings—piroshki, my absolute favorite, some pelmeni, and pyshki for dessert.” She rubbed her belly enthusiastically.

“Sounds perfect,” Marlow agreed.

Glacier nodded eagerly. “Yes, please. I’m starving.”

Catching Claire’s eyes, I asked gently, “You sure the food won’t upset your stomach?”

She waved off my concern. “I’m familiar with Russian cuisine. Ivan made sure of that while we were together.”

I shrugged, smirking slightly. “Usually, Burger King is my go-to around here.”

Claire laughed, eyes sparkling. “Trust me, these dishes are delicious, and you won’t have to worry about bubble guts later.”

I shook my head. “Well, that’s good to know. Because we need all hands on deck.”

Claire gave instructions to Xavier on where to pick up the food.

“Boss, your room is all set up,” Lativia stated as she walked down the stairs.

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