Anastasya's POV.
I woke up the next morning tired and cranky, as I had hardly gotten any sleep the night before. Thankfully, Massimo had taken my slap as a hard enough deterrent, as shortly after that he left me alone. He didn't sleep on the bed with me, but I wasn't the least bit concerned.
The farther away he was from me, the better.
As I hurried to get dressed, I tried to purge my mind of all thoughts of my new husband. Yes, he was very attractive, but it didn't take away from the fact that he wasn't a good person.
He was cold, ruthless and manipulative, and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.
We shared a tense plane ride back to New York, my mind preoccupied with the loneliness of leaving the only family I had left behind, and fear of the unknown.
I fastened my seat belt and watched as the plane descended. As soon as the plane touched down, my feelings of melancholy multiplied, manifesting as deep feelings of sadness that spread through me. It hit me that I was on foreign ground, with no friends and no one to call my own. I guess I was going to have to deal with that.
A series of blacked out SUVs were waiting for us at the airport as soon as we landed in New York. However, unlike when we left Boston, Massimo and I rode in the same car as we headed to his house. I looked at the unfamiliar cityscape as the cars sped along the roads, taking in the entirely different views. After about 20 minutes, we passed through a pair of large, black iron gates and up a long, winding driveway to stop in front of a massive house. Now, growing up in the Russian mob meant that I had seen a lot of luxury, but this was out of this world. The mansion was grand and imposing, and surrounded by well-trimmed, lush greenery and beautiful marble statues placed at strategic points on the property.
“Time to begin our new life, little wife.” Massimo said as the car rolled to a stop in front of the gigantic building.
“Of course, husband,” I replied snarkily.
We got out of the car and headed towards the house, and I noticed that two women were standing on top of the marble steps that led to the entrance.
One was older and had a dignified air, the other closer in age to me, and extremely beautiful.
However, one thing was similar about them: the looks of disregard as they caught sight of me.
“Ma, sorrelina,” Massimo greeted as we reached them, “this is Anastasya. My new wife.”
So they were his mother and sister.
The sister turned to look at me, observing me from head to toe. Not one to back out of a fight, I did the same.
She seemed to have come to a conclusion after her perusal of me, and from the glint in her eye, it wasn't a good one.
“Wife, mmh? Like she's good enough for my brother.” She sneered.
“I don't care if you think I'm good enough or not. Your family was desperate enough to ally with mine, your brother had to marry me. If you don't mind, please get out of my way.” I brushed her aside, intentionally shoulder checking her as I pushed my way into the house. I had no idea where I was going, but I needed to make a statement.
I was no pushover.
I heard a chuckle from behind me, and I turned my head to see Massimo approaching.
“Fiesty, aren't you,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes, not caring about his opinion of me in the slightest.
“Where is my room?” I asked him, eager for a warm bath to calm my aching muscles.
I noticed a muscle tick in his jaw as he replies, “Follow me.”
We headed up a grand, winding staircase and down a few hallways before stopping in front of a set of doors. They opened into a large room, tastefully decorated in shades of cream and ivory, but a bit bland and lifeless. I saw my suitcases neatly piled in front of the large four poster bed that took up an entire corner of the room.
“This is your room. Redecorate it however you want.” He announced, remaining outside while I entered to survey the room.
“Thank you. And yours?” I asked.
“Right at the end of the hall,” He pointed in his room's direction before asking, “Why do you even want to know that?”
“None of your damn business,” I smiled sweetly before slamming the door in his stunned face.
I was going to show them all.
I unpacked and arranged my things in the walk in closet, then searched through my lingerie for the perfect piece. I had a plan tonight, and getting the right outfit was crucial to it's success.
I took a long, hot bath and washed my hair, ensuring that I had scrubbed every inch of my body clean. I dried myself off when I was done and generously applied my scented creams and oils, leaving my skin soft and supple with a sultry scent.
I put on my chosen outfit, a red lacy teddy and covered it up with a silk robe before making my way to Massimo's room.
I tried the door knob, thankfully finding it unlocked and entered the room. My brain struggled a bit to get used to the darkness, but I was able to make out dark wooden furniture, as well as the enormous bed that sat in the centre of the room. Everything in the room was so masculine, so…like him.
I heard the faint sound of water running from the ensuite bathroom, so I figured that he must have been taking a shower.
I quickly took off my robe and clambered onto his bed, making myself comfortable between the luxurious sheets.
I waited with bated breaths as the sound of running water stopped, and stopped breathing entirely when Massimo stepped out, only covered by a towel wrapped around his waist. His dark hair was damp, and water droplets slid down his incredibly sculpted body, running down between lines of dark ink present on his skin.
He hadn't noticed me yet, he backed me and used a smaller towel to dry himself off.
I didn't see him reach for any sleep wear, and my confidence began to falter.
What if he slept in the nude?
Now, I knew my plan was crazy, especially after I had vowed to never let him touch me, but I needed him wrapped around my finger if I was going to have a foothold in this place. He was attracted to me, I was sure about that.
And that was the weapon I was going to use to my advantage.
Thankfully, he slipped into a pair of black boxer briefs, giving me a nice view of his toned backside in the process and turned towards the bed.
However, he stopped short in his tracks the moment he noticed me.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He growled, his body going stiff with rage.
I gave him another of my saccharine smiles in response.
“Well, hello husband.”
Massimo’s POV. "There are certain things you wouldn't understand, Ana," I said, my voice gentle. I stared at her and continued. "And if I don't go out tonight, we'll both be in trouble."Ana's eyes narrowed, her expression skeptical. "Who are you going to meet with, Massimo. I just saw my brother's name?" she asked, her voice firm. I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "Just a close associate," I replied. "You shouldn't bother yourself with the details. You’ve said that before and you know I don’t trust your words,” But Ana wasn't having it. She looked like a storm about to break, her emotions simmering just below the surface. "I spoke with Nikolai a few minutes ago," she said, her voice low. "And he said he wasn't having anything to do with you, I see no reason why my own either would be lying to me concerning something which I’ve already caught him red handed."I raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the coincidence. "Maybe he called me by mistake," I suggested, trying to dow
Ana’s POV. I sat in my room, packing my bags to leave the Cosa Nostra. The weight of my decision settled heavily on my shoulders as I thought about the uncertainty that lay ahead. How would I escape New York? What dangers would I face outside these walls? The questions swirled in my mind, but I knew I had to act. I couldn't stay here any longer, not after what I had discovered about Massimo and my brother, Nikolai.As I folded my clothes and placed them in my suitcase, my thoughts drifted to Nikolai. I needed to talk to him, to understand what was going on. I picked up my phone and dialed his number, my heart racing with anticipation.When he answered, I didn't waste any time. "You're a disappointment, Nikolai," I said, my voice firm. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could almost hear the surprise in his silence."Ana, what's going on?" he asked, his voice cautious. I tried to make sense of his tone, to understand what he was thinking. But before I could respond,
Massimo’s POV. I stood, feeling a sense of desperation wash over me. "Ana, please don't say that," I begged, my eyes pleading with her. "Don't threaten to leave me. I'll do anything to make this work." Ana's expression was unyielding, her eyes flashing with determination."I mean it, Massimo," she said, her voice firm. "I'll do more than just leave you. I'll make sure you regret underestimating me." I felt surprised as I realized the depth of her anger.Just then, my phone rang, shrill in the tense silence. I glanced at the screen, seeing Nikolai's name flash up. I didn't answer, letting it go to voicemail. Ana raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you picking up?" she asked, her curiosity piqued."It's just a close associate," I said, trying to brush it off. But Ana's eyes narrowed. "Who is it?" she pressed, her voice insistent. I shook my head. "There's no point in telling you. It's not important."But Ana wasn't having it. She reached out, trying to grab the phone from my hands. "Let m
Massimo’s POVI stood on the balcony, looking out at the night sky. Marco joined me, and I turned to him with a serious expression. "Tonight, we're going on a private mission, Marco," I said, my voice low.Marco's eyes widened in surprise. "Tonight? What's the mission about, Massimo?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity. I raised an eyebrow, my expression firm. "Never question my authority again, Marco. You'll know what you need to know when you need to know it."Marco nodded, understanding the tone. "Yes, Massimo. I'll get ready." I nodded, my gaze drifting away from Marco to the figure of Martha walking across the courtyard. She was carrying a string of beads, her movements graceful.As I admired Martha, my phone rang, breaking the silence. I answered, and Nikolai Volkova's voice came through the line. “Boss, are you ready to move?" he asked, his voice crisp.I glanced at my watch, calculating the time. "I'll be with you in less than an hour, Nik," I replied, my voice confid
Ana’s POV. My phone hung up after a call. Martha looked at me with concern. "What's wrong, Ana? You look tense." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I was just trying to reach Marco. He's supposed to run an errand for me today and deliver a file from you to Massimo's office."Her expression turned thoughtful. "Ah, yes. Marco's been helpful, hasn't he?" I nodded, still feeling a bit frustrated. Isabel, who was sitting with us, chimed in. "I don't know how you trust Marco that much, Ana. He's always causing drama." I smiled wryly. "I know, Isa. But he's been loyal so far."I was surprised to see Rosalia Hazelwood enter the building. It was a shock to me as our eyes collided. We sat down, discussing the recent events and how Rosalia's actions had affected us. "She’s been taking Massimo's attention away from us, ," Isabel said, her voice laced with annoyance. "And making him the topic of the day." Rosalia listened calmly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I've just been trying to get what
Massimo’s POV. I sat in the vehicle, sipping on a glass of whisky and smoking a cigarette. Rome drove, his eyes fixed on the road. We were headed to meet one of my close associates, someone who could help us uncover more about the bomb in our secret drug barn.As we drove, I turned to Rome "Do you think this bomb was a warning?" I asked, my voice low. Rome's expression was thoughtful. "It's possible," he said. "But we need to be careful. We don't know who's behind this."Just then, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and saw a text from Isabel. "The bomb might be linked to the Governor. Rosalia has some connection to him." My expression changed, and Rome noticed."What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. I took a deep breath before responding. "It's Isabel," I said, showing him the text. Rome's eyes scanned the message, his face grim."I always knew Rosalia had something going on that we don't know about," Rome said, his voice low. I nodded, feeling a sense of unease. Rosa