Mafia Boss's Fearless Lover (The Karzhov Crime Family series Book 1) by Leslie North Read Free Book Online Page B

happened to your hair?” Katya blurted out, wincing when the other women all started laughing.
    Jewel looked at her and then slowly reached up and pulled the blonde wig from her head, revealing a shiny, bald scalp. “This look prompts that kind of question. Want to ask me again?”
    Katya was so embarrassed, she couldn’t figure out where to look, but when Jewel joined in the laughter and slapped her on the shoulder, she looked up to see the mirth on the black woman’s face and relaxed. “Sorry, that was unbelievably rude of me to ask. You look beautiful with or without hair.”
    “Don’t worry. I like being able to change up my look, so I shave my head. It’s no biggie.”
    Katya looked around the room. “Do all of you wear wigs?”
    The other women laughed even harder before shaking their heads, some yes, some no.
    “To each her own,” said Chica, the bitchy woman who had served her at Nikolai’s table the night before. “So spill it. You seemed to be getting mighty friendly with Nikolai last night. Did he nail you?”
    Katya was offended by her vulgar question, but before she could take issue with it, Mickey poked his head around the corner, “You can all take off for a few hours. Come back at five. Club opens late tonight, so don’t stress.” Just as quickly, he disappeared once again.
    Katya watched the women handle the directive in good spirits. “Does this sort of thing happen a lot?” she whispered to Jewel as she walked past.
    Jewel shrugged. “It’s better if you don’t ask. Last girl who asked too many questions disappeared.”
    “What do you mean? Like…”
    Chica leered at Katya, “As in they packed her up and moved her down to one of their establishments in Mexico.”
    Katya looked at her in disbelief as she and the other women grabbed their bags and headed out the back door. Jewel stared at her for a moment and then told her with a nod, “Better hurry it up. Do you have someplace to be for the next few hours?”
    “Oh, sure. I’ve got a few errands I didn’t get to run this morning, so this works out perfectly for me. I’m gonna grab my earrings while I’m thinking about it. I left them in the bathroom last night in my hurry to get out of here.”
    “Okay, then. See you in a few.” Jewel waved goodbye and left Katya alone in the dressing area.
    She contemplated leaving herself, but her curiosity finally won out and she crept towards the blue velvet curtain. She turned the lights off in the dressing area, and eased herself into a sitting position where the curtain came together, giving her a very limited view of the bar area beyond.
    She could hear men’s voices, not all of them calm and collected. Moments later, she watched as her uncle and Mickey escorted two men into the club with pillowcases over their heads, shoving them down into chairs and then handcuffing their hands behind their backs. The men protested their rough treatment, loudly and in Russian. When the pillowcases were removed she recognized them as the men the FBI said had been following her in St. Louis.
    Did they follow me to Las Vegas?
    Questions ran through her mind, stopping when she heard Nikolai’s deep voice. There was so much menace in his tone and his words were cold and emotionless. “Who authorized the hit on the Osins?”
    Katya shivered and was glad his anger wasn’t directed at her.
    When no answer was forthcoming, she watched as both Vanya and Pyotr stepped forward, landing several punches to the abdomen of each man, causing them to groan in agony and slump forward in their chairs.
    “Just so you know I never tire of this game, however, my bodyguards do. Answer my questions, and your deaths will be painless and quick. Annoy me, and I will make sure you are still in agony when the sun comes up tomorrow morning.”
    Katya covered her mouth with her hands, trying not to cry out against the violence she was witnessing. Then she reminded herself, You did demand their deaths to avenge your parents .