Page 6 of His Smile
Dimitri shot him another glare that promised that thisconversation wasn’t over, before walking into the office. Mosca followed sincehe couldn’t be sure who exactly the boss wanted.
Roman was still sitting at his desk when they walked in. Ascustom for lieutenant, Mosca stopped and stood to the side of the door whileDimitri went to stand in front of Roman’s desk. The look on Roman’s face waschilling. Having spent years growing up around powerful and often volatile menin this organization, Mosca took a deep calming breath and made his faceimpassive as he waited.
With his arms resting on top of his desk, Roman twirled apen slowly in one hand as he fixed Dimitri with a hard-assessing stare. It wasanother tactic Mosca had noticed about Roman. The young boss never looked awayfrom people, his eyes always stayed focused, boring holes into his victimsuntil they began to squirm.
“Why did you invite her here?”
“Because you know as well as I do, she is perfect,” Dimitrigave Roman a look that dared him to argue.
Laughing, Roman’s eyebrows shot up. “Perfect? She wasdressed like a mushroom.”
Mosca had to stop himself from smiling. Rahina had worn herthick black hair in a giant puffy ball at the top of her head that bounced andbobbed as she moved. It did somewhat resemble a mushroom, he admitted.
Dimitri did laugh, however. “Well, that was the cutestmushroom I had ever seen. Admit it, she was nothing like you’ve ever seenbefore. Hell, she is like nothing I have ever seen before. Aren’t you a littleintrigued by her?” With his hands in his pockets, Dimitri gave Roman a levellook. “I have never seen a woman look at you without an ounce of fear likethat.”
Roman’s smile grew cold. “She has no idea who I really am,”he countered.
Somehow Mosca doubted that and seemingly so did Dimitri wholet out a snort of disbelief as he sat down. “She knows exactly what you are,the who doesn’t really matter.”
“The who as you put it, is all that matters,” and though hedidn’t raise his voice both Dimitri and Mosca felt the resounding anger behindhis smile.
Mosca remained dutifully silent as he watched Dimitriconsider his boss’s words. Roman had a point. He was a powerful figure in theunderworld. When Roman arrived in the states years ago to replace the formerboss of Boston, it made unmistakable waves across the world. Roman immediatelyset about violently taking control of the weapons and drug trade. With a suddensurge of money and power coming from America, Roman single-handedly pulledVladimir, the head of the bratva in Russia, past any rival families directly tothe top. Roman’s name became one of legends, and of nightmares: everything hedid was deadly and lucrative. Every young enforcer salivated at the chance torun in Roman’s crew. It was a promise of a fast, exhilarating life filled withsex, money, and death. But there was a price, with all that power came enemies.Within the past few years, the drug market had been silently relinquished overto the Mexican cartel leaving the organization to focus on their two primarysources of income: weapons and information, both of which required a quieterhand than Roman’s previous exploits. Mikhail Kulakov, Boston’s second boss,handled all of the weapons shipments while Roman quietly turned to thelucrative business in dealing in secrets. Though despite the reduced body countand quiet dealings, Roman still had enemies.
The silence that lingered between the two was heavy. Neitherone was going to back down. Mosca could tell there was more Dimitri wanted tosay. Although Mosca was positive Dimitri would rather take a bullet than admitit, he always suspected Dimitri looked up to Roman as a type of older brother.Mosca wanted to assume the underboss was just trying to help— that was untilDimitri spoke again.
“Well if you don’t want her, then you won’t mind if I do,right?” Mosca kept his hands folded at his front, and he used all of hisdiscipline to refrain from closing his eyes in a groan at Dimitri’s words.
Roman smiled. That slow growing smile that felt much like anarctic wind rather than an expression of endearment. “Knock yourself out.”
Tsking under his breath, Dimitri stood and walked to thedoor before turning with his own smile. A smile he forged in the years ofservice with Roman. “You’re only saying that because you know I don’t have achance in hell.” Laughing, he leaned one hand on the doorframe and lookedbeyond Roman in recollection. “I’ve never felt so rejected. She never evenlooked at me. It’s impossible to chase a girl who only has eyes for anotherman.”
~*~
Rahina not only had eyes for Roman, she had unflappabledogged determination. She arrived every day just after lunch, always wearing acombination of her dancer’s tights and leotard covered in a pair of baggystreet clothes. Without notice, Mosca watched the energetic young woman flutteraround the dangerous crime boss, paying no heed to his unusual gruff demeanorat her constant presence.
When Rahina stepped through the heavy double glass doors,everyone, no matter who they were instantly felt her presence. It was as if shewas in an injection of pure sunlight radiating through the halls, forcing hercontagious energy on everyone in the building. With lunch in hand, a smile onher face, and her hair piled to the top of her head in her standard floppy bun,Rahina would materialize at Roman’s side.
It was perplexing to watch Roman handle the dailyinterruption. After the fifth unwelcome visit, Mosca was positive Roman wasgoing to have her forcibly removed. Roman was a man accustomed to getting hisway. If there was something he wanted, Roman made sure he had it, even if hehad to forcibly bend the laws of nature to his will Roman would get what hewanted and do it all with an insane grin.
The same principle applied to things didn’t want in hislife, which only made Rahina’s tolerated presence all the more confusing. Itwas seemingly apparent his boss didn’t return the girl’s enamored feelings.Mosca had watched women come and go from Roman’s life over the years and hecould safely say Rahina did not align to the boss’s preferences. Roman likedhis women glamorous, reserved, and above all obedient; and not one of thosecould accurately describe Rahina.
Once Rahina stepped into his office, Roman’s smiledissipated. Scowling at her, Roman sat back in his chair each day and spoke toher in low deep tones as she perched herself on the corner of his desk and laidout his lunch before him. She chattered away endlessly with an everlastingsmile talking about her day all the while happily ignoring Roman’s displeasure.It was amazing and strange. It was all anyone ever talked about amongst themen. Who was the girl that could make Roman’s insane smile disappear and liveto tell about it? Why was she allowed entrance every day if the boss didn’tlike her? All it would take was one word from Roman and the guards at the gatewould never allow her through. Just one command or one look of silentunderstood order and the girl’s constant presence and infectious smile would beeliminated from his life. But Roman gave no such order. Rahina continued tobreeze up the stairs daily, waving to the various sales staff that worked onthe dealership floor and strode through to Roman’s office.
Pulling the black SUV into the private parking spot, Moscaheard the back-passenger door open before he could even close his own door. Notone to wait, Roman stepped out of the vehicle and walked around to the buildingentrance. Walking up the short set of cement stairs behind him, Mosca wonderedif Roman noticed the absence of the red Volvo on their way in. It was an hourpast the normal time of Rahina’s visit. Yesterday Mosca had overheard Romandistinctly telling the girl not to come back, but Mosca couldn’t be sure if itwas because he knew he would be out or was it just his usual command that wentignored by the dancer.
Stepping through the glass doors, they heard the sound ofher husky voice immediately. Ahead of him, Roman gave no outward signs ofnoticing her presence, but Mosca knew he had. Sitting at the sales desk, Rahinahad her back to the front as she sat at Tara’s desk. Mosca had seen the man onthe other side of the desk before, a young tech startup capitalist who recentlyhad a string of fruitful investments. He had been in a few times that monthfinalizing and securing payment for his new custom pearl white lotusfour-hundred. Following Roman up the stairs, Mosca kept his eyes trained on theback of the black puffball as the young blonde businessman smiled at her fromacross the desk. Even from the balcony, Mosca could see the situation clearly.Tara’s forced smile as she politely pushed some documents that needed to besigned forward, Rahina’s relaxed posture in her chair as she played on herphone half listening half ignoring the man. Stopping and turning toward theglass balcony railing, Roman cast a disinterested glanced towards the threebelow. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he typed in a few characters beforeresuming down the hall. Looking back down, Mosca could feel his lips curl intoa smile as he watched Rahina stiffen in her chair. With the speed and grace ofa gazelle, she was out of her chair and up the stairs, breezing past him withan excited “hello” before bounding into Roman’s office.
“Where is your car?” He heard Roman ask when she steppedinside.
“In the shop. Do you see now why I wanted a new car? Youshould feel immense guilt by the fact that I had to actually use a rideshare toget here.”
Maybe it was intrigue or maybe it was boredom, either way,Mosca was interested to see where this is going to go.
Chapter 4
Roman was staring out the jet window as it descended for landingwhile Mikhail spoke in low tones into his phone. Roman knew without even havingto listen to the words that Mikhail was talking to his young wife. The soft,almost lighter tone he used for Misha made Roman want to roll his eyes, but herefrained. Months ago, Roman could not claim the same level of self-controlwhen it came to his colleague’s love-life. It was irritating to watch the menaround him fall in love. Men who were in the same position as him within theorganization, men who wielded dangerous power and who were surrounded byoutright enemies. They were idiots for falling in love.
Hanging up his phone, Mikhail gave him a stoic look. A lookthat on the surface was seemingly impassive while underneath stared at him withknowing assessment. Roman returned him a wide grin.
