Ivan (An Out of the Cage Novel Book 2) Read online

  Thankfully, I haven’t seen my horrid husband-to-be since the car ride over a few days ago. I was worried that he wouldn’t bother waiting until our wedding day to take me, but the whole virgin until the vows thing seems to be part of the deal he made with my father.

  God, I’m dreading that day.

  If I marry him, then I’m stuck. Forever. And Jimmy doesn’t seem like a very nice man. In fact, the look in his eye is evil, like he would kick puppies just for the hell of it. Which means he’s going to hurt me. It’s only a matter of time.

  The guard took my cell phone the first day we got here, but there’s a landline in the room if I wanted to call someone. But who would I call? My father? He gave me away like I was just some property to be traded and not his daughter, so I don’t think he’s gonna change his mind about that anytime soon. He wants to live too much to ruin this agreement with Jimmy.

  I guess I could call Gabby, but I don’t want her to worry. Of course, thinking about her reminds me of her roommate, who I spent a few hours with several days ago. I can’t help but feel guilty for running out on Ivan or think about how annoyed he must have been when he realized I was a virgin. That poor man has some serious issues. I liked helping him find relief, and I feel so bad for him. I don’t know much about sex, but I’m pretty sure something awful must have happened to him to make it so tough for him to climax.

  I wonder if I’ll ever see Gabby or Ivan again now that I’m about to be married off to a mobster. Ivan probably doesn’t want anything to do with me, but I will miss talking to Gabby. Jimmy will still let me have friends, right? I’ll be his wife, not his prisoner. At least I hope that’s the case…

  Unsure, I figure I should try to call Gabby now while I have the chance.

  Sinking down on the bed, I pick up the phone from the nightstand and dial her number.

  “Hello?” she answers after a few rings.

  “Hey, it’s Maylin,” I tell her, since she won’t recognize the phone number on caller ID.

  “Hey, girl. What have you been up to? I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t had a chance to call you.”

  “Oh, right. Are you still working at the flower shop?” I ask, dodging her questions.

  “Yeah, I’m here right now, and we’re swamped. Some last-minute wedding they need bouquets and arrangements for before Saturday! Who waits until two days before to order all of that?”

  “Yeah, crazy,” I say with a cringe since it’s likely my wedding she’s talking about, not that I had any say in the details. All I know is that I have a dress fitting tomorrow for final alterations on a dress I’ve never seen.

  “At least they agreed to pay double, so the extra cash for overtime almost makes it worth the headache,” Gabby says. “But enough about me. What have you been up to since school’s been out?”

  “Not much,” I reply, rather than go into all the details about my father making me marry his enemy. “Just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. Cain’s out of jail, right?”

  “Yes, he is, thank God!” Gabby says with a laugh. “That was the longest three months of my life, and I never, ever want to go through that again. Since I don’t have any other brothers for the mafia to kill, we should be okay.”

  “I’m so sorry about that, Gabby,” I tell her yet again. “I really wish I could’ve been at the funeral.”

  “No, it’s okay. The Irish and Italians weren’t getting along then, but I guess they are now, right?”

  “Looks like it,” I agree since I’m marrying a man to make sure that stays true.

  “I’m off this weekend once the wedding is taken care of. Wanna go see a movie?” she asks.

  “Sorry, but I can’t. I have plans. A wedding actually,” I admit.

  “Oh, well, maybe it’s for the same one I’m working on. If the ceremony looks like someone threw up a bunch of hydrangeas, pink campanulas and purple statice, then that’s the one!”

  “Got it, and I’ll let you know,” I tell her as my eyes burn with unshed tears, wishing I could invite her, but knowing I can’t. Even if my father and Jimmy approved it, Gabby wouldn’t understand why I’m doing it or what’s at stake. “I’ll talk to you next week maybe, okay?” I ask in a hurry to end the call.

  “Sure. See you, Maylin,” Gabby says before hanging up.

  After I place the receiver back into the cradle, I swipe away the tears from under each of my eyes and try to get a grip. No, this isn’t the way I ever pictured my life going, marrying an evil man I don’t know and having to let him touch me after the wedding. But if it means my father and everyone else gets to stay alive, then it’s worth it, even if I wish I didn’t have to go through with it.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ivan

  “Hey, is Jimmy around?” I ask the man standing guard in front of the two-story brick house. Shoving my hands in the front pockets of my jeans, I try to play it cool, but it’s nearly impossible knowing that Maylin is likely right inside with a fucking monster.

  “Who the hell are you?” the enormous man twice my size asks while eying the swollen and likely now heavily bruised side of my face.

  “Ah, I’m Ivan Rivers. I want to talk to him about a job,” I explain, hoping my words are small enough for the oaf to understand.

  He scratches his shaved melon of a head a minute before he nods. “Let me see if he’s available,” he replies before opening the door and stepping into the house.

  My heart is pounding uncontrollably as I look up at the house and wait for him to come back. What if he tells me to get lost? Then what the fuck will we do to keep Maylin safe and figure out a way to kill Russo? I have no fucking idea, but whatever it takes, I’ll do it.

  The oaf opens the door again and then motions a giant mitt for me to come inside.

  I let out the breath I was holding and step across the threshold, glad the first part of the plan worked.

  Again, I get patted down and am thankful I didn’t try to sneak in my gun. I should’ve known they would check me for weapons right away before letting me talk to the boss.

  “He’s in the kitchen,” the guard says, pointing to the right side of the house after he’s made sure I’m not packing.

  “Thanks,” I tell him, deciding to play nice if I’m going to try working with these men.

  I walk through a doorway, and then I’m in a huge kitchen where a short, plump woman is cooking something garlicky and Jimmy fucking Russo is sitting at the head of a long wooden table, like the one at Mrs. Engle’s, reading the newspaper. Which only reminds me that I should’ve been raised by my mother. Even if she was a whore, she cooked for me and took care of me. She loved me, but I was raised by a stranger because Jimmy fucking killed her!

  Calm down. You can’t take the son of a bitch down until Maylin is safe and you have backup, I remind myself.

  “You look familiar,” Jimmy says when he looks at me over the top of the paper.

  “Yeah, I just saw you tonight, at Escapades,” I tell him.

  He closes the paper and folds it on the table in front of him. “Are you one of Liam’s guys? What the hell are you doing here?” he snaps.

  “Liam’s a dick,” I quickly say while pointing to my swollen face. “I’m one of his fighters…well, I was one of his fighters, but he fucking booted my ass for no reason tonight!”

  “Are you any good?”

  “Fuck yes,” I say. “He wanted me to lose a fight, and I told him fuck no. Irish piece of shit. It’s total bullshit, and I wouldn’t screw over the guys running bets on the fight.”

  “Why not?” Jimmy asks. “If he’s your boss, you’re supposed to do what the fuck he tells you.”

  Shit. I walked into that one. Now I need to figure out how to backpedal. What I have to do is think like a mob boss. They’re all about respect, power, making money…

  “He wanted me to beat one of the Italian guys, and he wasn’t gonna give me a cut,” I say. “I asked for ten percent more since it’s my reputation on the line, and he refused. G
reedy bastard wanted to keep everything to himself. I won’t lose for free.”

  Jimmy nods. “So what kind of job do you think I can give you?” he asks, and I nearly cry in relief that he bought my story.

  “Whatever you’ve got. I’m not picky,” I tell him. Jerking my finger over my shoulder toward the front door, I say, “Your men don’t seem like the brightest. None of them checked me for a wire.” I lift my shirt up to my neck to show I’m clean before he shoots me on the spot thinking I’ve fucked him over with the police. “Maybe you need another guard. One who thinks about the big picture?”

  Jimmy’s scarred jaw clenches in what’s likely annoyance that his guys were slacking before he replies. “Fine. I could use a guy with some brains, and another set of eyes around here wouldn’t hurt. Need someone to make sure my bride doesn’t run now or after the wedding.”

  “Yeah, sure. Sounds good,” I say, sounding almost too eager since Jimmy’s eyes narrow.

  “I don’t want you looking at her, and don’t even think about touching her,” he warns.

  “No, of course not. That won’t be a problem,” I say before taking a huge gamble, needing him to trust me with Maylin as much as possible. “I’m gay.”

  I hold my breath as Jimmy’s eyes widen in surprise. “Gay?” he repeats, and I nod, too late to take it back.

  “That’s okay, right?” I ask.

  Finally, he smiles. “Perfect,” he says. “And in that case, I want you keeping an eye on her at all hours of the day. Sleep outside of her room if you have to. I don’t trust the other guards not to try and touch what’s mine.”

  “You’ve got it,” I agree with a smile. While I hate this fucker’s guts, I can admit that I like the fact that he already respects me and trusts me even though he has no reason to. “I won’t let her out of my sight, and no one will touch her,” I tell him. Except me.

  “Great, because I don’t believe in security cameras,” he replies.

  “Ah, what?” I ask since I assumed the whole grounds and house was being monitored.

  “Fucking feds. Can’t trust them to not be spying on me, watching me, trying to bring me down again. I can’t let that happen, or even have a fucking probation violation. Not when it’s my time to finally rule this city!” he says, raising his voice and bringing his fist down hard on the table.

  “Right. Of course,” I tell him. “I’m not big on trusting technology either. GPS on phones and shit. That’s why I have a burner and leave it home most of the time,” I say, trying to just chit-chat with him when all I want is to throttle him and choke the life out of his fucking body.

  “Smart,” he says when he gets to his feet. “So, I want you to start tonight. I’ll show you to her room. Vinnie’s out front making sure she doesn’t go out the window, and Vince is outside the back of the house. You’ll just be an added precaution.”

  “Got it,” I tell him, unable to believe it was so easy to get in and get close to Maylin. I can’t wait to see her, to make sure he hasn’t hurt her.

  “If you’re caught not on your post, you’re fired, fairy,” Jimmy says over his shoulder as I follow him back through the living room and up the stairs. “Craig walks through the entire house and perimeter once every hour. So if you need to take a piss or grab a bite to eat, get him to cover for you.”

  Wow, and now that I know the guard schedule, it will make it even easier to spend time with Maylin. The only problem is, I don’t think I can take out all the guards to get her out of here without both of us full of holes.

  “Do you have a gun?” Jimmy asks.

  The one I bought for the sole purpose of shoving it down your throat. “Ah, yeah, at home.”

  “Good. Know how to use it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “If you shoot me or one of my men, the house goes on lockdown, and you won’t make it out alive.”

  “Only a suicidal idiot would consider trying such a thing,” I tell him honestly.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” he says with a chuckle, having no clue that was my original plan.

  As long as Maylin’s unharmed, I’ll try to figure out a better idea, like one where both of us make it out of here alive.

  Chapter Twelve

  Maylin

  My head is resting on the pillow, but I’m not asleep when I hear a soft rap of a knock on the door. I lift my head to listen closer, to see if it’s someone at my door or further down the hall. Then I hear a voice.

  “Maylin, open up.”

  That voice…it sounds familiar, almost like Ivan’s…

  “It’s Ivan. Please unlock the door.”

  Oh, my God. What is he doing here? How did he know where to find me? Is he trying to get himself killed?

  Going over, I turn the knob to unlock the door and pull it open, still not believing my eyes when I see the tall, handsome man wearing jeans and a plain gray tee on the other side.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?” I whisper in a rush as I glance up and down the hallway to make sure it’s clear.

  Rather than respond, Ivan steps inside and shuts and locks the door behind him. When he looks at me again, his greenish-brown eyes rake over me standing there in my flannel pajamas. By the expression on his face, you would think it’s sexy lingerie.

  “Has he hurt you? Are you okay?” he asks.

  “I’m fine, but how did you know where I was? And how did you get in here without getting shot?” I whisper-yell at him. Then, examining the swollen bruises on the left cheek, I ask, “What happened to your face? Did you have another fight?”

  Facial features softening, Ivan says, “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t a stripper and that you were a, you know…a virgin?”

  Ignoring all of my questions, of course, he wants to talk about the most embarrassing thing that I could go the rest of my life without further discussing.

  Crossing my arms protectively over my chest, I sigh and give him an answer so that maybe I can finally get some. “Because I figured that if I told you that you wouldn’t have slept with me.”

  “Exactly!” he exclaims in a whisper.

  “And I didn’t want Jimmy Russo to be my first,” I add.

  “God no,” Ivan agrees with a wince. “He doesn’t deserve to lay a fucking finger on you! Has he, you know, laid a finger on you?” he asks softly.

  “He, um, put his hand on my leg in the car the other day. So far that’s it.”

  “That’s all there’s going to be,” Ivan declares with a clenched jaw. “I’m getting you out of here.”

  “Really?” I ask in surprise.

  Scrubbing his hands over his face and then flinching when he hits the knot covered blue bruise, he says, “Well, not right this second, but you’re not going to marry him. Just…be patient. Your father and I are working on a plan.”

  “You and my father? That’s so sweet,” I tell him with a smile. Then after examining his face again, I put the puzzle pieces together. “He hit you?” I ask in disbelief, reaching for Ivan’s cheek to caress around the darkness.

  “Yeah, but not just because I told him I took your virginity, but because after Jimmy saw me at Escapades he would’ve recognized me. I needed an opening to ask him for a job…”

  “Jimmy gave you a job?” I ask when I remove my hand from his face. I don’t know which is more shocking, that Ivan got a job working here with Jimmy or that he told my father we slept together and he’s still alive. My father must have realized that being pissed at Ivan wouldn’t do him or me any good once Jimmy marries me and realizes we lied when he consummates the marriage Saturday night.

  “Yeah, I’m your security guard,” Ivan replies. “So, for now, just act normal. And if you see me in the hallway or whatever, pretend you don’t know me.”

  “Pretend that you’re not the man who made me sit on his face before fucking me without a condom just a few nights ago?” I clarify.

  “Yeah,” Ivan says before clearing his throat. “All of that never happened.”

  “But it
did,” I tell him, taking a step closer to him.

  “Yeah I know…” he says when he takes a step back.

  “And I really liked it.” As I close in on him, he goes backward until his back hits the door and I’m close enough that I run my finger down the center of his shirt.

  “Then why the fuck did you bolt?” Ivan barks so suddenly that my eyes snap up to his.

  “Because I was worried you would be upset when you figured out it was my first time.”

  “You should’ve stayed. You should’ve told me you were supposed to marry a mobster, and then we could’ve done something…”

  So he’s angry I left but not because I was a virgin? Thank God.

  “Done what, Ivan?” I ask, since that wasn’t a possibility. “If I don’t marry Jimmy, he’ll kill me, my father, you and everyone else who works for my dad.”

  “I dunno what we would’ve done, okay,” he admits. “But there had to be something better than trying to get you out of here without getting killed,” he adds softly before his palms come up to squeeze both sides of my hips. “You’re not marrying Jimmy, and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  “Sounds pretty dangerous,” I tell him as I reach up and hold on to his broad shoulders.

  “Could be. Doesn’t matter,” he replies softly with his lips nearly touching mine. “I, um, I better go before the guard who makes his rounds comes by.”

  Glancing over my shoulder at the digital clock, I see that it’s eleven forty-five, so I press the front of my body to Ivan’s suggestively. “The guard won’t be around to check on me until twelve-twenty.”

  Releasing a puff of breath, Ivan asks, “You’re sure?”

  “Right on the dot and not a minute before,” I assure him when I lean up to brush my lips against his.

  Breaking our kiss, Ivan shakes his head and starts to pull away. “It’s too risky.”

  He’s right, it is. But while I know Ivan would do whatever it takes to save me, it may not work, and I don’t want to waste the opportunity to be with him one more time. That’s why I grab the bottom of my pajama top and pull it over my head, revealing my bare breasts, and then shove my pajama bottoms and panties down my legs.