The Bratva Pakhan's Curvy Obsession

CeliaFour years agoThe door closes behind me with an ominous thud, telling me what I already know—my mother is pissed. I refuse to feel guilty for calling Carlo a fucker, especially when he is. As I walk away from his house a gust of wind slams into me—fuck, that’s cold. Everything I knew would happen had. This was a waste of time. I wish I was home in bed. It’s too cold to be up this early on a Saturday morning.Almost a hundred feet up from the long driveway of the house, a large black SUV is idling. The rear windows are tinted completely black while the driver and passenger are smoky gray, so they won’t get a ticket. Whoever they are, they’re mafia. If there was any doubt the tinted windows clinched it. That and they were carefully out of shot of the cameras—that they know where the cameras are speaks volumes.All mafia Carlo does business with comes to him—usually at his huge house. A house empty of anyone except him and sometimes my mother, when he allowed her to stay the night.

Present DayCeliaI’m not two feet into the house before Carina is on me. “What happened?”I hate the fear on her heart-shaped face. Everyone says we look so alike we could be twins. All I can see are our differences, Carina is beautiful and I’m maybe cute on a good hair day. While there is the same heart-shaped as me her nose is longer and elegant—mine is small with a slight tip up at the end. Her mouth is wide and mine is a cupids bow with a thicker, fuller bottom lip and smaller upper lip. Carina takes after our mother with her skin only slightly olive. I take after Carlo with a darker olive tone that easily tanned and always had enough color most people assumed I was Mexican or something—until they saw my gray eyes. She’s also five foot three to my five foot six.Normally her green eyes are soft moss, but now they’re a clear, hard emerald. Forcing a smile, I hug her tight. “The best news, Milos asked me to marry him.”“Oh god, I’m sorry.” She begins crying. We both were afraid this

CeliaOnly I couldn’t let it go. When I told Hank, the owner and vet for the clinic I worked at, who knew my dream was to one day work with him then take over his clinic, he offered to pay for half of my school as a loan without interest. He saw it as an investment because he wanted me to take over. His son is a pediatrician in the far west suburbs. He hadn’t made any other connections to partner with and didn’t want the practice to close when he was ready to retire in ten years or so.If that was true, then maybe, just maybe, I could get Carlo to give me the rest. So more than a week after I met with Carlo, I demanded another meeting with him. Yes, I had to ask for a meeting with him.The bastard put me off for four days.He was in a bad mood the minute I walked through the door. “What do you want now, Celia?”I took a deep breath, trying not to lose my temper. “The owner of the vet clinic is willing to pay for half of my school. All I need is ten thousand. Please, Carlo—”He scoffed.

CeliaPresent DayThe enormous house Milos lives in leaves me breathless. It isn’t just that it’s huge, it’s that it’s beautiful inside and out. It’s the epitome of a classic Georgian mansion on the outside in all white marble and brick. I’m looking forward to the full tour of the place. The one time I was here I only got to a few rooms beyond the one he put me in.Before we pull up the front door is open for me. I slide out of the car the minute it comes to a stop without looking back.A woman is waiting in a gray and white uniform. She curtsies to me. “Would mademoiselle like a drink or something to eat?”She isn’t the woman who waited on me when I was here before. I wonder if the other woman is still here; then again, Milos mentioned there were three maids as well as a full-time cook and gardener here. I shake my head. “No thank you.”Peter nods to me, I follow him into a large sitting room. He points to a green silk sofa. “Sit. Milos will be home soon.”He turns to find Milos cross

Nine months agoThe world around me shatters into a million pieces. Everything in me hurts. I press my lips closed in a bid to contain the scream I want to let loose. I hold my mother close as sobs rack her body. Taking the thick wad of paper from the doctor, I mouth “thank you.” He nods before leaving us alone in the examination room.I focus on taking deep breaths. Working to control my own tears, I squeeze my eyes closed. Searching for something, anything like my therapist guided me through to center my thoughts. My place of calm where everything outside faded away. Where I breathed deep to the bottom of my lungs. There was only one place where that happened. When I was in Milos Levin’s arms. I had no idea it was even possible. Swore it was the last place on earth until the night I found out how wrong I was. I go there as I fight not to lose it for my mother.Which has to be the only reason I give in and call him as easily as I do when Carlo refuses to give me his credit card. He sa