Russian Mobster’s Revenge by Bella Rose

kitchen. She had perhaps expected to see men gathered around the counter drinking coffee and discussing the business of the realm. It gave her pause to see a single woman with a cup of coffee. She was familiar, although Emily couldn’t place her.
    Seconds later, Emily was spotted by the woman. A smirk twisted one corner of the beautiful mouth. She really was quite a looker with her long, curly dark hair and bright gray eyes. Her skin was flawless, which made Emily hate her on principle. And there was also the fact that she now turned to Ivan and pointed her finger.
    “It looks like we’ve woken up your guest,” the woman said casually.
    Ivan was standing at the stove. He had just removed a pan from the burner and was loosening the edges of an omelet with the spatula in his hand. He slid it expertly from the pan to a waiting plate. Then he finally looked up at her. There was no smile on his face. In fact, there was nothing to indicate that the two of them had just spent the night together. Emily frowned, feeling horribly off-balance.
    “Good morning, Emily.” His tone was curt. “You’ll find we rise fairly early around here.”
    “All right,” she said slowly. “Have I missed something?”
    “No, not at all.” He gestured to his companion. “Samantha and I were just talking business.”
    Emily had the odd thought that none of her brother’s associates were quite this attractive. “Are you…are you coming back to bed?”
    “No.”
    That was all he said. It was utterly final. Worse, it felt final. Emily swallowed, wondering what had happened. He had been so kind and almost affectionate the night before. Now he was being cold. Had she completely mistaken his intentions?
    “I think the best way to begin,” Ivan was saying, “is for you to go home and put yourself together. Get some clothes and things, and report back here to work for the morning.”
    Ivan was splitting off a sliver of the omelet and placing it on a second plate. Then he set the plate in front of Samantha and grabbed a fork out of the drawer. Samantha cast a sly look over her shoulder at Emily before digging in to her breakfast.
    Emily swallowed the lump that had appeared in her throat. “All right. So you want me to report back here for work?”
    “Yes. I will have a list of tasks for you to complete.”
    “Tasks,” Emily said slowly. “Like errands? Or you have business that you need me to take care of?”
    “I suppose you’ll just have to discover that when you get back.” His arrogance was on full display. He actually exchanged a private smile with Samantha that made Emily want to grab the vase off the little end table in the hallway and throw it at his head.
    “Fine.” She grit her teeth together and tried not to show that she was affected. “I’ll just get out of your way then.”
    “Thank you,” Ivan said mildly. “I would appreciate you being back here by ten, at the latest. I have some pressing matters that won’t wait, and I need to be leaving by then.”
    “Of course.” Emily ducked her head and then turned and walked back toward the bedroom. She felt worse than vulnerable with nothing but the sheet from his bed wrapped around her body. What must that Samantha woman be thinking about her?
    Then Emily heard a female voice speak. “That wasn’t very nice, Ivan. You could have at least offered the girl breakfast.”
    “Why? She’s served her purpose. Now I need to get on with the rest of my plan,” Ivan said carelessly. “Don’t be a bleeding heart. It’s not becoming of you.”
    “I’m just saying that you may come to regret your decision, that’s all,” Samantha told him in a careless tone. “It makes no difference to me either way.”
    “You’re assuming I care one way or the other,” Ivan told her. “And I don’t.”
    Emily swiped at her cheeks. She didn’t know why she was wasting all this emotion on what had obviously been casual sex. She was a big girl. She just needed time to regroup and