Married to the Mafia Boss

Ivan

I can’t stop thinking about how amazing it is to be with Tori. It’s throwing me off slightly, I want her, but I feel like I’m betraying Mila. I need to get over this. Mila is gone, Tori is here now, and she’s making a considerable effort to help my family. That in itself is surprising, I never thought a Sorvino could be so useful. Yet she’s trying her best, to please me in every aspect of life. That’s more than what I thought I would get when I married her.

After breakfast, I kiss her goodbye and head downstairs with my car keys in hand. I have a meeting with Leonid at one of our warehouses to inspect the workers packing the drugs.

As I pull out of the parking garage, I get an uneasy feeling. I brush it off and join the rush hour traffic that I will sit in for a while.

My mind wanders to Tori as we slowly make our way through the streets, myself and the hundreds of others trying to navigate New York. I hate driving at this time, but I get frustrated with my actual driver because he always tries to make detours and gets us stuck in more traffic-a sweet old guy, one of my cousin’s uncles, but not a great navigator.

I arrive at the warehouse and see the usual cars parked in the bay. I park in the open so that I can get in and out and back on the road, back to Tori.

I climb out of my car and button my suit jacket. I realize I’ve left my phone in the car and bend down to get it. As I do, bullets whiz over my head. I keep ducking down as bullets rain down upon me, hitting my car but missing me. I crawl back into the driver’s side and try to keep my head down. I start the car and pull off at speed, leaving the industrial area while weaving through traffic like a maniac. I don’t dare stop or look to see if someone’s following me.

Calm but annoyed, I grab my phone and call Aleks.

“Yes, boss?”

“Someone just tried to kill me,” I roar. “Get Evgeni and Leonid to my apartment immediately.”

I hang up and concentrate on my driving. Sirens sound behind me, and I sigh, pulling off to the side and waiting.

The cop touches the back of my car and then comes to the driver’s window. I roll it down and look up at him.

He looks at me, and I see he knows who I am. “Um, just your license and registration, sir.”

I get him both, and he checks them, nods, and gives them back to me. “You’re free to go. Thank you, and sorry for the bother.”

“No problem,” I say before pulling away and driving toward the apartment.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

My guards are waiting for me in the parking garage, and I’m surrounded when I climb out of my car. I give Aleks the keys. “Take it to be repaired and bulletproofed, and tell them to send the bill to the restaurant.”

Aleks leaves, and I take the elevator with my guards to my apartment. I don’t want to freak Tori or Anastasia out, but I need to ensure they’re safe. I pause at Anastasia’s room, I can hear her talking to her friend on the phone, so I go to the office.

Tori is hunched over the reports marking through them in red pen. I clear my throat, and she glances at me. “Hey, you’re back early?”

“I was nearly killed.” I instantly see the worry in her eyes and I’m taken by surprise again. Could she actually have feelings for me? She gets up and comes to me.

“What do you mean? Are you hurt?” I can see the concern in her eyes and brush a stray lock of hair back from her face. “I’m okay, they missed, but we need to….”

“Ivan?” Evgeni calls, rushing in. “Thank God. Where did they attack you? Were you injured? Should I call the doctor?”

I hold my hand up. “They missed,” I say as Leonid hurries in. “But they knew I’d be there, and if I hadn’t forgotten my phone in the car, I’d probably be dead.”

“Thank God you’re not,” Leonid says, then he turns to eye out Tori. “Is this your cousins doing?”

Tori frowns, but I involuntarily snap at Leonid before she can say anything. “Give it a damn rest. Not everything is the fucking Italians.”

“There was an attempt on your life, Ivan, and the Italians will gain a lot from your death,” Leonid says, looking sorry for himself.

I turn to Evgeni. “Find out who ordered the hit. I want to return the favor as soon as possible.”

Evgeni leaves immediately, and Leonid perks up. “It could be the Italians. It is a possibility.”

I turn to Tori. “Speak to Don Sorvino. Find out if he ordered the hit?”

Tori nods. “I can, but they won’t tell me anything with your men there.”

“Phone your brother to collect you, and tell him to bring guards. I don’t want you getting hurt,” I say, then watch her leave.

“It’s a bad idea to trust her, Ivan. This could all be part of their plan to get revenge. Don’t you see that? You’re assuming she will be honest if the Italians did put a hit out for you.” Leonid is frustrated. I can see that. I pull my gun out, grab his shirt and slam his back into the wall, placing my gun under his chin as I growl, “I trust her, Leonid. That is the end of this goddam discussion. Now piss off and make yourself useful, and find out who the fuck put a hit on me! The Sorvinos are not the only fucking enemies I have.”

Leonid looks livid, but he won’t talk back to me. I’ve effectively chosen Tori over him. We both know that, but Leonid leaves without a word after I release him. I feel fuck all. Does he think I’m an idiot? That I don’t know who to trust.

Until Tori proves she can’t be trusted, I will trust her. I’ve given her no reason to lie to me.

I sit at my office and shoot a text to Anastasia to come to see me. I pour myself a glass of bourbon while I wait for her, sitting back and sipping on it. I go over and over in my head who could possibly have it out for me. That list is long. I’ve fucked with many people in my life as a career criminal. There’s no shortage of people who would be happy to see me dead.

I still don’t think it was the Sorvinos, though. If I die, Leonid takes over. They don’t want me out of the way until they gain some of my territories.

There’s a soft knock at the door, and I look up at my daughter. “Ana, we need to talk. Sit down.”

She knows when I’m serious and hurries to sit in the armchair in front of my desk. “What’s wrong, father?”

“There was an attempt on my life today,” I won’t sugarcoat it for her. She knows what kind of life I lead. “And I don’t know if they’ll try to get to me through you or Tori, so I don’t want you going anywhere without your security details. Do you understand me? This is serious. Don’t evade them or leave them outside. Have them with you at all times.”

Anastasia looks sad and asks, “Are you okay, though?”

“I’m fine, honey. They were lousy shots, to begin with.”

Ana gets up and comes around to hug me. “I promise I’ll take security everywhere.”

“Good girl. For now, though, stay in the apartment for the day, okay?”

She nods and leaves quietly.

I sip on my bourbon, going over my list of enemies in my head.