Page 29 of Beautiful Broken Obsession

“Not as many as it appears, seven. Due to security we would prefer more, we have purchased properties around us over the years.” Milos smiles as he pulls out my chair and keeps hold of my arm until I’m settled into the thick padded chair. While it could easily seat four people, there are only two chairs across from each other.

“How long have you lived here?” I do my best to keep my eyes off him.

“I grew up here. My father bought it before I was born when he married my mother. She wanted ten children, so he needed a home big enough to house all of them.”

“You have nine brothers and sisters?” I gasp.

A small chuckle. “No, only five—all brothers. My mother had an issue delivering my youngest brother and an emergency hysterectomy was done.”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry.”

Wide shoulders lift. “She was bereft at first, but she did have six children all under the age of ten, so she had her hands full.”

“She’s still alive?” I find it hard to believe Milos was once a baby. Anything other than this fully formed, enormous, imposing man doesn’t compute.

“Very much so. As I said, this is the family home. She lives here. As do I and my two brothers who are here in Chicago—on occasion. My brothers in Philadelphia will often stay when they visit her.” A brief knock sounds. “Come,” Milos calls out.

The woman is back with another cart that she pushes across the room to us. She settles chicken parmigiana on a pile of thin spaghetti and a side of baby carrots covered in some kind of glaze in front of me.

On Milos’s plate is a juicy stuffed pork chop between the same carrots I have and steamed broccoli. “My chef likes to show off. It’s rare for me to eat at home. Usually he cooks for staff who he calls heathens, and my mother is not impressed with anything.”

“Staff? How big is your home? It feels large, obviously—this room and bathroom are half the size of the house I grew up in. How far north of Chicago are we?” I’m curious and wonder if he’ll show me the place.

He shrugs. “An hour north. There are more than twenty rooms to be maintained so we have three maids, two who live in and the other fills in as needed, like when one of my brothers come to visit. When that happens my other two brothers who are in the city stay here. It’s also an issue of security, I have eight guards here full time, four of them live-in and a further six who will come in as needed.”

“So your brothers don’t live here full-time?” I want to know everything about Milos, including his family. Hm, these carrots are tasty—there is a sweet glaze of maybe honey or syrup on them.

A small chuckle heats my skin. “They prefer their condos in the city. It’s easier to bring women home.”

Heat floods my face. Even though I’m dying to ask him if he has a place in the city, I don’t dare. “When your brothers come to visit? You mentioned Philadelphia, right?”

“Yes, three of my brothers are in Philadelphia where they run our family’s interests. My younger brother is thepakhanthere, with my two other brothers supporting him the same way two of my brothers do me.”

I might have done a ton of research on the Bratva after I met him, and know thepakhanis basically the equivalent of the Don to Italian mafia. With two spies as his underbosses, their capos were called brigadier and their soldiersbratok. “I thought you headed your family. Why is he also apakhan?”

One broad shoulder lifts. “I do head our family. And among our family it’s known that for any major issue Vasily is to consult with me and will follow any decision I make. However, with the various mafia we deal with we found it best for him to have the title ofpakhanas titles are such a big deal to everyone. I have complete trust in Vasily. He wouldn’t be allowed to run our interests if not just me but all my brothers didn’t all trust in his ability.”

“So do you have the tattoos?”

I can’t help from running my eyes over his chest. I’m not sure why I’m disappointed when he shakes his head. “I have many tattoos but they are all hidden. I need to maintain the bland businessman portrayal. They are also not in the old style of your body being your testimony of deeds. My father would not allow it—too easy for the Feds to take note, then try and pin crimes to us. So I have a lion of our name, the same as my brothers. As well as several I like.” A small, wicked smile. “I was surprised to find your tattoo. Although I guess I should not have been.”

Now I’m blushing again. The tattoo is a silhouette of cat in all black—two dimensional, but it has yellow eyes. It’s on my right hip where no one is supposed to see. “That’s very ungentlemanly.”

Actual laughter comes out of him that skims down my tummy to the apex of my thighs, leaving me wet and aching. “I do believe it has been established I am no gentleman. I was not willing to leave you alone with the doctor who was intent on finding all your pains.”

I shake my head. “I can’t believe how stupid I was. Going to see miniature horses. What pisses me off is I swear I would never have been that dumb if it happened in Chicago. There was something about him that niggled at me the moment he said something. It’s just…”

“Just what,kotyonok?” Those yellow eyes are soft as they study me.

“Outside of Chicago and on a college campus meant outside of the Outfit. It meant less of the scary things that I grew up fearing. But that’s a lie. They hide their intent, but they are no less evil or out to hurt—I’ve talked to two girls already who have been raped since I got there.”

His strong jaw clenches tight. “There is nothing wrong with wanting to see the good in people. It is their wrong for being evil, not you.”

I know he’s trying to make me feel better, but for some reason I feel worse. Does he see it?

“Talk to me,kotyonok.Tell me, have you enjoyed school so far?” It’s an order.

Shrugging, I cut another piece of the yummy chicken parmigiana. “I failed a couple of classes so I don’t get to take time off this summer. Which is why I’m studying during spring break while everyone is partying. I decided to make them up over the summer so I’m not behind. And I found a roommate, he’s so sweet. He mentioned his family knows yours but he said he’d only met you once before. You talked to him, Sergei?”

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