Russian Bastard | A Mafia Novel ✧

Chapter 5

*Dedicated to @hopelesslysad, girl you're absolutely amazing i love you, you crack me up with every comment lmfao. Really hope we can be friends! Lots of love to you <3

The story has reached over 100 reads, thank you so much! Here is the new chapter, as promised<3

Chapter 5

Tatiana

"Have you been enjoying the party?" Pavel Vasiliev asked as he walked her arm in arm a few paces around the room.

After his speech earlier, he approached her in greeting. Pavel Vasiliev was a tall, intimidating man with the same sandy hair that his son Ivanov had. It was also in his piercing gaze that she saw where Zeke got his striking blue eyes. Deep in the depths of his eyes, she saw a man who had been through some hard years but was still very much alive.

"It's a wonderful party," she said, smiling at him. It really was, despite the conversation she overheard earlier—of Francesco and the unknown woman that put her on edge. She'd forgotten all about it after her dance with Zeke. Her thoughts drifted back to their moment. Up close, his eyes were even more mesmerizing and his arms around her had felt like a small slice of heaven had been given to her. When he disappeared into the crowd, she'd returned to find Carmen with Louis and had an amazing time dancing and enjoying the music. Nate and his associates never strayed too far.

"Your fine wine collection was particularly impressive," Tatiana added. After dancing in the ballroom, she and Louis toured through some rooms of the house and one of the rooms was their cellar. It was filled with beautifully aged bottles, their labels still perfectly preserved.

He smiled at her. "Thank you. We like to keep a stock of the finest the world has to offer," he said. She didn't know why, but she immediately took a liking to him. He carried an aura about him that just seemed to make her trust him. No wonder he was such a successful businessman—on top of being the head of a prominent mafia group.

They stopped when Nina approached them.

"I apologize as I won't be overseeing the exchange. I must stay to entertain my guests," Pavel said, gesturing to the room before turning to her. "However, I am leaving you with the very capable hands of my children."

Tatiana only nodded at him and gave him a parting smile as Nina escorted her away from the lively party, through the hallways, and to the back of the house, Nate and her guards close behind.

"Bring the truck around," Nate said into his phone as they were escorted.

They walked a few more paces before reaching wood paneled double doors. Nina led them through it into a quiet garden. It was connected to a path that led from the front of the house and was essentially the whole back of the vast mansion of the Vasilievs.

As they slowed to a stop, she saw Francesco emerge from a doorway opposite to the one they came from, followed by Zeke and an unfamiliar man, the latter two carrying cases that were handcuffed to their wrists. Just as they stood a good few meters away in front of them, Nina retreated back to the house and their truck came around from the front.

It was a sleek, nondescript black truck van that carried the craters of guns and ammunition that followed their limo on the way to the estate and had been hidden in the shadows until the moment of the exchange.

Francesco Vasiliev stood at the head of the group and bowed slightly. "My apologies princess, I've failed to introduce myself upon your arrival," he said and she stiffened at his mention of her title. She had forgotten about how Zeke called her princess earlier, too lost in the moment when he asked her to dance. But if she had any doubts before, they vanished as Francesco addressed her as princess. Her speculation that they knew of her lineage was true. She took it better than Nate, however. Beside her, he had gone rigid, shocked at how he had called her princess. "I am Francesco Vasiliev, Underboss of the family."