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

was keeping the men calm.
    “Nicolai, we have to call the police,” Anatoly reminded him. The man had been his father’s second-in-command for years. Now he knelt beside Pyotr’s body. Anatoly sighed heavily. “I cannot believe this happened when I was right downstairs. You and I were in the kitchen talking about exactly this!”
    “It is not your fault.” Nicolai gently closed his father’s eyes. “This was my brother’s doing.”
    “Vladimir?” Anatoly huffed out a long sigh. “I know you are right, but that is a serious accusation. We have to have proof.”
    “Proof?” Nicolai frowned, gazing around the room and noting that nothing was touched. “I have no evidence, if that’s what you mean. But Vladimir had plenty of motives. Tonight was the first time my father told Vladimir that he would not be the heir to the Pasternak syndicate. He berated my brother and challenged his pride.”
    Anatoly cursed in low, fervent Russian. “Your brother is not the sort of man to let that go without retaliation.”
    “Exactly.”
    The sound of boots pounding the stairs made everyone shift with agitation. What was happening now? Nicolai was afraid he knew.
    “Cops!” someone shouted. “Who called the boys in blue?”
    “Would he?” Anatoly asked Nicolai.
    Nicolai nodded grimly. “Vladimir would do anything to make our lives more uncomfortable.”
    “Your brother must be stopped.” Anatoly sighed. “You were the council’s first choice to lead in your father’s place.”
    “I don’t want that responsibility,” Nicolai argued.
    Four police officers spilled into the room, a well-dressed detective following behind with a smug expression on his face. Anatoly looked to Nicolai. He spoke in Russian to purposefully exclude the cops. “You may not want it, but it is yours all the same.”
    “I’m Detective Orr. What happened here?” the pompous man demanded. The sheer arrogance in his manner made Nicolai grind his teeth in irritation. “Who murdered Pyotr Pasternak?”
    “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to detect ?” Nicolai asked calmly. “I don’t know what happened. My father and I had a drink, I left the house, and ten minutes later I got a call notifying me that something was wrong. I returned, and now you are here.” Nicolai couldn’t help himself. “So now we are saved.”
    Detective Orr did not look amused. “So you’re Pasternak’s son? Which one?”
    “Nicolai.” Nicolai shared a look with Anatoly. How was it that the detective didn’t know who Nicolai was? The local cops typically had trading cards that listed each mafia member, their status, and their known affiliations.
    “Where is Vladimir?” Detective Orr stepped aside to let the CSI guys into the room. “And everyone needs to get out of this room! This is an active crime scene!”
    Anatoly jerked his head toward the exit, indicating to Nicolai that he would be right outside if it became necessary. Nicolai offered a nod in return. He intended to cooperate with the police. It wasn’t as if he had anything to hide.
    “Mr. Pasternak?” Detective Orr prodded in a rude tone. “I don’t have all day.”
    “How fortunate since it’s night and not day.” Nicolai didn’t bother to hide the derision in his expression. “And I don’t know where my brother is. He hasn’t lived under my father’s roof for nearly a decade.” Nicolai gazed at the young man who was making notes to himself on his smartphone. “I’m sorry, who are you and how do you not already know the answers to these questions?”
    “I’m new to the division.” Orr actually puffed up his chest. “I was promoted from traffic to vice.”
    “I suppose that explains it.” Nicolai almost laughed. “If you have no more questions, I’ll just be on my way.”
    “Not so fast!” Orr put up a hand in a bang-up impression of a traffic cop. “Do you have any idea who would want your father dead?”
    One of the other officers glanced over at Orr as though he were