Russian Mafia Boss's Heir Read Online Free

down with his hands over his face and didn’t rise again. Mikhail chopped a second man in the throat and then kicked his feet out from under him. He fell to the floor on top of his comrades. The last man turned and ran without even attempting to throw a single punch.
    This left Mikhail free to turn and look at his bride-to-be. “Are you ready to go home now, Tori?”
    He saw her swallow, the delicate column of her throat moving as she tried to maintain her control. “Yes. I think we’re all ready to leave.”
    “Good.” Mikhail glanced around, noting the bouncers that were headed in their direction. “Because I think we’re probably about to be asked to leave anyway.”
    ***
     
    TORI WAS HAVING difficulty breathing. Every time she tried to get some air, she choked. There was a tightness in her lungs and throat. She felt as if she were suffocating. Mikhail was still talking to her, but she couldn’t seem to register what he was saying. Instead, she reached out and clutched his sleeve. Her fingers dug into the strong muscle of his forearm.
    He finally stopped talking and gazed down at her. The quizzical expression on his face disappeared as he seemed to realize that she was only seconds from losing her composure. “It’s all right, Tori. I’ve got you.”
    Mikhail swept her up into his arms and began striding toward the exit. Behind them, Tori could see Dimitri herding Jamie and Mara along in front of him. The two of them looked pale and drawn. Nothing like this had ever happened to them before. It was unsettling to think that they could come to a place where they had been safe on so many nights before, but one bad bunch of guys ruined everything !
    One of the bouncers lifted a hand, trying to flag down Mikhail. “Excuse me, sir?”
    “I don’t have time to chat,” Mikhail growled. “These women were assaulted in your club. Don’t make me reconsider my decision to let this incident go for tonight.”
    The bouncer stopped, letting Mikhail and Dimitri pass on their way to the door.
    The big metal door bounced open when Mikhail hit the breaker bar with his hip. Cool air hit Tori’s flushed cheeks, and she nearly wept with relief. It was almost cold outside after the heat and energy of the club’s interior. She shivered a little.
    “The car is right around the corner,” Mikhail told her softly. “We’ll get you inside and get you warm and safe.”
    She tried to open her mouth to tell him thank you, but her lips wouldn’t seem to move. They didn’t do anything but tremble. Why did she have to be so weak right now? If anything, she needed to be showing this man how strong she was. After tomorrow, he would be her husband. She couldn’t afford to have him believe her weak.
    The black SUV with the dark-tinted windows gleamed beneath the streetlamps. The engine was already humming, the lights cutting a swath through the darkness in the street. Before Mikhail could reach the vehicle, a man popped out of the driver’s door and opened the rear passenger door for them.
    Dimitri helped Jamie and Mara into the driver’s side of the backseat. Mikhail gently placed Tori in the other side before he and Dimitri piled in behind them. It was a tight fit with everyone, but that seemed to have no affect on the driver. As soon as the doors were closed, they took off as though someone was in hot pursuit.
    ***
     
    MIKHAIL WAS SEETHING inside. How could Tori be so foolish? Worse. How could he have let it go on the way he did? He had been trying to be reasonable. As he’d told Dimitri, he had no issue with Tori having fun. But her severe reaction to the stress was making him change his mind. He had thought she was made of stronger stuff than this! He hadn’t believed she would faint dead away at the first sign of danger. That didn’t bode particularly well for the wife of a mafiya man. He had always made the assumption that his wife would be a partner in his enterprise, not just a pretty flower to keep on the