The Mafia's Runaway Wife

Roman- Flashback To When We Met

12 years ago

“You heard that s**t about the Reapers ?”

“Yeah, can’t say I don’t like their methods, just too bad it ended so sloppily. I would have loved to have a drink with those crazy muthafuckers”

“You can’t be serious; you know we don’t mix with those kinds.”

“We might not mix with them, but we can’t deny that one can learn from their methods.”

“Who would have thought that Samuel the Great Reaper was actually from the Caribbean?”

I’m sitting in my office listening to my younger brother Vladimir, and Cheslav talk about the same thing I’ve been hearing all week. We’re supposed to be having a meeting, but these two fools are wrapped up in the drama.

It’s not every day you hear that the international boogeyman and soul reaper legend is real and not only real, but its head is a husband-and-wife duo from Haiti. They are black, not French as everyone had expected. Two f****d up people got married and decided to create an international underworld with a few thousand killers that have been raining terror for over 30 years while living comfortably and openly in the States.

I understand why Vlad and Chess are excited. This story shocked us all. As the firstborn and heir to the Alexeyer family, I hear and deal a lot with Mafia groups and gangs. We’re not short of our own drama, we also got blood on our hands. The Alexeyer Bratva family was founded on corpses and gore over five generations. But none of them or us have extended to the magnitude of “Le Faucheur” Reaper in French, with the slogan “Vivre c’est mourir- To live is to die”.

I zoned them out as I thought of that one picture. The file dad gave me on the Reaper was interesting, but nothing held my attention more than that one picture. Her smooth cocoa skin, bright light brown eyes, and a smile that screams and whispers your secrets at the

Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked over to Chess. “Repeat that” at the same time. In the picture, her hand is reaching out, and, for some reason, I feel like she’s reaching out to me.

“Roman, did you hear any of that?”

“Man, I was asking if you’re ready for tonight. I heard Rollo got a new batch to ship out. You know how he likes to make a big show about these trades.”

“Da, it’s been a while since I checked out his ops. I need to make sure he is staying in line anyway.”

“I heard he got a surprise guess, and I can’t wait to find out who it is. It’s been a while since I had a pet.”

Only Vlad would get excited about a slave auction. Sometimes I think my little brother is more f****d up than I am.

Around 10 pm, the guys and I headed out to Rollo’s. Knowing how crazy these events get, we took three SUVs, four guards in the front and four guards in the back. Our SUV was in the middle with my driver and 3rd Christophe in the front. We mostly use this formation for formal events, but with a turf war just ending, I don’t want any slip-ups. Plus, I trust Rollo as far as I can throw him, and I don’t believe I can throw that fat f**k an inch.

After the security checks and formalities, we head to our section. There’s some techno music playing that got majority of the crowd swaying. Looking around, you wouldn’t think you’re in Russia. Other than the people and the language, everything else looks like a nightclub you'd see in an American movie. And if this was your first time, you would have thought this was a regular nightclub, but we know different. We know that in exactly 15 minutes the main event is about to start.

We drank and waited. Rollo came on stage, making his regular speech and making sure to tell everyone to behave because we are here. We are watching. We are always watching.

The auction goes as always and I regret coming here. Different girls but the same situation. Rollo announced that he had three special girls left and the crowd went wild when the 1st of the three came out. “Ladies and gentlemen, help me welcome Anastasia Romanov.”

The guys and I looked at each other. All three of us are wondering the same thing. There’s no way it can be that Anastasia Romanov. It can’t be the fallen Romanov’s precious ice princess. Not Romanov’s last heir after we wiped out their whole known bloodline last year. Not the last Romanov we couldn’t find.

But as the overly pale girl with jet-black hair in a tight ponytail and striking blue eyes walked out, we knew. We knew it was her. Even shackled, she still walks with poise, she still holds on to her royal aura. She’s thinner and paler but she’s holding on. Even when one of Rollo’s guards tries to fondle her, whispering in her ear like a predator playing with his prey, she still doesn’t budge. I looked over at Chess and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He doesn’t have to say anything to know what is about to happen.

The auction picked up. After the bid reached up to 10 million, the buzzer went off. I don’t have to look to know that Chess had enough. Rollo looked over our section and laughed. It wasn’t a secret how Chess felt about Anastasia. I can bet my life on it that this was Rollo’s plan all along. He wanted us here for this specific reason. He knew Chess was going to close the bid for her eventually and that he bid at 30 million.

Underground rule: whoever closes the bid privately must pay three times the amount.

I can hear Chess talking to his 2nd in command, Ivan, to get everything handled. Rollo paused the auction and let the crowd recover with music and liquor. I’m ready to go but Vlad wants a pet and begged me to stay. He swears he’s going to find this pet at this said auction. I know he wants me to stay so I can help pay the bill. I’m hoping this so-called pet is within his budget and doesn’t leak into mine.

Rollo personally brought Anastasia to our section. I wish I could have wiped out the smile on his face. Everything about that coward makes me cringe. If it wasn’t for the truce dad signed, I would have wiped him out a long time ago.

Chess had them remove her chains and she sat down without a word, nor did she barely look at any of us. Ice princess in full effect. She kept her eyes on the stage. And so did the rest of us. Vlad couldn’t stop talking about his excitement. Thank God, Rollo got back to the stage to continue the charade he calls a good time.

The 2nd girl of the 3 was being pulled by two guards who looked like they had got their asses handed to them. Both had busted lips and one was walking as he had just got kicked in the balls. She put up a good fight. I can see the girl looking up at our section. Eyes connected with Anastasia, never faltering. Looking between the girls, you can sense an understanding, a knowing.

The girl was advertised as Willow De Leon. The last living heir of the De Leon, Spain mafia family. She had a caramel complexion, with hazel eyes, like Anastasia. You can tell she’s a lot skinnier than she should be, but there’s a fire in her eyes. She was sweating and breathing like she was in a fight for her life. Even with her curly hair in a ponytail, many strains stuck to her face.

The auction proceeds. Vlad was losing his mind over this girl and to be honest, if I was in the mood for a pet, she would have been top of my list. I saw her pictures before the takedown a year ago and she was a knockout. Even now, in her current state, she is still fine, but I’m not in the mood. I let Vlad do the jumping up and down. After the bid reached 10 million, Vlad closed the bid. I’m surprised he lasted that long. But knowing Vlad, he’s not about to let Chess outbid him.

The whole time, the girls locked eyes, never wavering. Before Willow gets pulled backstage, she elbows one of the guards and makes a hand sign. The crowd lost it, but I can tell that Anastasia understood the meaning. If one’s eyes weren’t trained like mine, you would have missed the subtle nod Anastasia returned. You would have missed the smirks shared between the two, but I noticed.

Rollo followed his previous actions with a wider smile, handing Willow over to Vlad. Willow slid into place without a word, no matter how much Vlad talked, she never responded. Just like Anastasia when she got to our section, both girls had their full attention on the stage. Unlike Anastasia, Willow’s emotion was all over her face. Her face showed nothing but anger and disgust, but the more she looked at the stage, the more you could see the sadness lying underneath.

Fifteen minutes, that’s how long Rollo paused the auction, that’s how long the girls had been looking at the stage ignoring their new owners. That’s how long I’ve been studying them. I’ve never met or dealt with the De Leon Mafia, but I’ve heard enough to know that our families could have been rivals. They were bigger, worse, and more well-known than the Romanov family. The Romanov family was second to us Alexeyers in Russia, but we were tied with the De Leon family in Europe.

I can’t say I feel pity or guilt for what we’ve done or what happened to the girl’s family. Their families caused them to be here. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality of our world. No one is safe, no one is untouchable in our world. The hard truth is that everything and everyone is fair game.

Finally, Rollo rolls back on stage. “Last but not least… This one is exceptional. Nothing like what we’ve had here before. I don’t even think I want to sell her. I might just keep her to myself.”

The crowd screams Nos and Boos.

“Now you know I love a good collection, but we all know I love money more. How about I show her off to you all and see if I can let her go.”

Four bodyguards came out looking disheveled. They look like they got into a fight with a bear and lost terribly. Rollo shook his head and the crowd laughed.

“See why I can’t give her up. She’s a fighter, that little one. I really might have to keep her.”

Four more guards came out holding a girl. She had a black bag over her face. Hands and feet chained. You can tell she’s black and a lot smaller than all the previous girls. The four previous guards set up a seating arrangement on the stage with more chains and locs. The other four sat her down and strapped her to the chair. She did not move. Looking at the crowd, I can tell I’m not the only one who thinks she’s either passed out or dead.

No matter how rough the guards are with her, she does not budge. Head down, they took off the bag. You can’t see her face but you can see her small dark figure, her long red and black ombre locs fell on the side of her neck, covering just enough of her n*****s through the see-through shirt she is wearing. You can see a glimpse of different tattoos all over the visible areas on her body.

One of the guards goes to take off the shock collar around her neck. Because of her size and height, the guard had to bend down to do so, and as soon as the collar came off and was retrieved by another guard, she lifted her head and headbutted the guard kneeling in front of her. Blood gushed from nose to lips, before anyone could react, she repeated the process, and the guard was knocked out.

The crowd went crazy, everyone was shocked. For someone that has seen it all, I was surprised. She lifted her head and locked eyes with the girls in our section. That same understanding look passed through them, but she didn’t hold their gaze, instead, she looked at our table and turned her attention ahead. I know she’s not looking at the crowd, she was looking above them. Head straight shoulders up, like that of the valedictorian she is.

Rollo hasn’t introduced her yet, but I know who she is. She’s the one I’ve been thinking about the past few months, she’s the one I’ve been looking for forever since dad gave me that file. She’s smaller and shorter than in her pictures, but those eyes and cheekbones are the same. The fire in her eyes could melt this whole icebox called a building if it had the power.

Rollo went on with a whole speech and the crowd was enthralled. Like everyone else, I can tell why he wouldn’t want to let her go. While it was known that there were 7 wonders in the world, she alone would fill the list of wonders to come. She alone put the other wonders to shame.

Staring at her, I didn’t even realize the auction had started. I didn’t hear when the introduction was made. I didn’t notice the bid had already reached a billion. All I noticed was her.

Vlad shook my shoulders to get my attention. With that mocking smile and devious eyes, he watched me snap out of my daze.

“So, are you just going to gawk at her while someone else buys her or let Rollo cancel the bid like he’s been announcing nonstop?”

I don’t respond, I can’t. If someone else buys her, I’ll never see her again. If Rollo keeps her, only God knows what that sick fat f**k will do to her. I shouldn’t care, nope I shouldn’t, but a part of me does. A part of me can’t let her go to anyone else. A part of me screams for her, wants her, craves her. I shouldn’t be feeling like this. I’ve never met the girl before. I’m not like the others in my family and other Russian elites that have pets. I don’t buy girls. Plus, she’s black. We don’t do blacks. Yeah, we might f**k a few in the dark where no one will know or ever find out, but we don’t make them our pets. We don’t keep them around.

So why can’t I help myself, why am I beyond drawn to this dark-skinned woman with the babyface and seeing light brown eyes?

Rollo called out 10 billion and the crowd froze. I can sense Vlad and Chess staring at me, I can see Anastasia and Willow staring at the girl on stage with worry in their eyes. I could see Rollo looking at her with longing and filth full of lust. I’m disgusted, but more I'm turmoiled.