Vasyl: Odessa Organization Book 2

  Vasyl

  ODESSA ORGANIZATION BOOK 2

  KL DONN

  Praise for KL Donn

  Hot, heavy, and dangerous! Left me wanting more and couldn't put it down! Definitely a great book!

  CHERI GRIFFITH

  Dark, raw, gritty, with twists, betrayal, lies and action. This book definitely checks the boxes. Vasyl and Nadia grip you from the beginning with their story. I loved how Nadia challenged Vasyl at every turn. They work well together. This is an excellent read. I really liked the storyline and the plot. The flow of the story is paced well too. It keeps your interest and you'll be turning the pages just to get more of the story. A must read.

  INFINITEDREAMER

  Oh wow! I was spellbound from page one. This family is dark and dangerous but they love with everything in them. I am consumed by their stories. Vasyl and Nadia’s story is raw and gritty and dark and different. And beautiful in its own way. This is the kind of book where you blink at the end and realize that you are sitting in your living room and not actually there with them. Must read! (And totally looking forward to Petro’s story!)

  ROBIN

  Copyright © 2022 by KL Donn

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover Design & Formatting by Alluring Write Productions

  Editing by KA Matthews

  Photographer: Shauna Kruse

  Model: Justin

  Contents

  Glossary

  Prologue

  1. Vasyl

  2. Vasyl

  3. Nadia

  4. Nadia

  5. Vasyl

  6. Dez

  7. Nadia

  8. Vasyl

  9. Vasyl

  10. Nadia

  Epilogue One

  Epilogue Two

  Next in The Odessa Organization

  About the Author

  Also by KL Donn

  Synopsis

  From USA Today Bestselling Author KL Donn comes a steamy enemy to lovers romance full of twists, betrayal and lies.

  Control

  My brothers are loose cannons.

  I restrict my actions, watching for when best to act.

  The enemy never sees me coming.

  She did. Nadia saw through me and challenged me at every turn.

  I want her to burn for me.

  To ignore the betrayals of her father and see only what I want to give her.

  I may be her enemy now, but soon, I’ll be her lover.

  Her only lover.

  And when the enemy tries to strike, I’ll cut off his head.

  Nadia may hate me when all is said and done, but I’ll show her I can burn for her too.

  Reader beware, Vasyl is a dark romance with triggering themes.

  Glossary

  Russian – English

  Miy kokhanets’ – my lover

  Kokhanets’ – lover

  Tato – father

  miy batʹko – my father

  moya lyubov – my love

  Mama – mother

  moya maty – my mother

  ya tebe lyublyu – I love you.

  ya tezh tebe lyublyu – I love you too

  namysto – necklace

  Tak – yes

  Ohydna Svynya – disgusting pig

  Dyad’ko – uncle

  Dobre – fine

  Prydurky – assholes

  Dorohyy – dear

  Shcho – what

  Ebat’ – fuck

  Dedication

  For my readers.

  Prologue

  VASYL

  One Month Ago.

  * * *

  Leaning against the railing of the Potemkin Stairs as the sun sets on the horizon, I turn as I hear laughter so lyrical that shivers race up and down my spine. I’ve never heard anything like it before. My eyes search for the source of the sound, and even though the person is no longer laughing, I find her.

  Light blonde hair, somewhat on the short side, round hips, and a sense of confidence that I find refreshing as she talks animatedly to the group of children in front of her.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I growl at the interruption when I see Artem Smirnov slide next to me. The man is a snake if I’ve ever met one. He owes anyone stupid enough to loan him money because of his gambling addiction, and now that he’s got his eyes on the girl I want to claim as my own, I’d like to rip his skull from his body.

  “How much do you want, Artem?” I don’t bother to acknowledge the woman. She could become a weakness before I’m able to protect her.

  From the way his eyes slither from the woman and he turns his body away as she faces us, I get the feeling he knows her. “One thousand hryvnia.”

  My bark of laughter catches her attention, and for a second, our eyes meet. When her focus slides to my companion, a frown mars her beautiful face, and I know she’s familiar with him. “Can you afford to pay that back, Artem?” I know he can’t.

  But my plans involve something a little more sinister to ensure I get what I want.

  If my suspicions are correct.

  CHAPTER 1

  Vasyl

  Climbing into the old fishing boat with Dez at the wheel in the early morning fog that rises off the Black Sea, I sit back and await arrival at the Vorontsov Lighthouse to pay Artem Smirnov a visit. About a month ago, he hit me up for money to feed his gambling habit and, as predicted, hasn’t paid up.

  I knew it then; I know it now.

  But I had one reason for agreeing.

  Nadia.

  As vicious as a dying animal and curvy as a woman meant to carry children, I laid eyes on her once.

  One fucking time.

  And I became obsessed. Entranced in her ‘light as the rising sun’ hair and contagious laughter, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head ever since. I’m distracted, quick to anger, and when I get even the faintest sound of female laughter in my ear, I want to pull my hair out because it’s not Nadia.

  My brothers, Anton and Petro, are fed up with me. Sofiy keeps hugging me, which only makes Anton grow more annoyed. He doesn’t like other men touching his young wife. Even Dez is beginning to give me a wide berth, and the kid is fearless.

  “Approaching now,” Dez calls back to me from the wheel. Since getting back from training the bodyguards at Tear Drops Bordello, he has appointed himself my official driver or guard or some fuckery. I can’t shake him.

  The seas are tranquil for the early mid-week morning. Which means our approach can be heard, and as the fog clears around the base of the lighthouse, I see her standing there like an angry little angel. I have no idea if she knows who I am or why I’m here, but from the scowl tainting her pretty, freckled face, I get the feeling she at least suspects.

  “Who are you?” The venom in her tone as she glances back towards the door leading to the living quarters tells me she wants information Smirnov’s not giving her.

  After helping Dez tie the boat to the dock, I climb out and use my timbering frame to intimidate her. Her obsidian eyes dart around us before settling back on me. “I am Vasyl Renznikov, and I’m here to see your father, not you.” Even if I want her to be my reason.

  Her eyes widen slightly, and I get the feeling not many know he’s her father. “How do you know that?”

  “I make it my business to know everything about my clients.” Vague enough, but she’s smart. I’m sure she knows why I’m here.

  As soon as I noticed the way Artem tried to avoid Nadia’s
piercing gaze that day, I dug until I discovered that he did indeed know the girl with the delicate laughter and sparkling eyes.

  “And what is that, exactly?” She doesn’t back down, and I appreciate that.

  “Not your business, miy kokhanets’.” As soon as I say the words, I know she’s going to blow, and the spitfire does not disappoint.

  “Kokhanets’? Are you serious right now? I am not your fuc–” Placing a finger across her lips, I stop her.

  “Foul words will not leave your lips in front of me unless it’s in a fit of passion.” I allow every ounce of dominance I possess to lace my words. I’m old school like my father was, and a lady should remain a lady unless behind closed doors.

  The way her eyes drop and she crosses her arms over her chest defensively, I can tell she’s at war with herself. Likely never been told what to do by a man like me before. Finally, she huffs out a breath and glares up at me. “I am not your lover, Mr. Renznikov.”

  Reaching out, I gently run a knuckle along her jaw before leaning down and whispering in her ear, “Soon, miy kokhanets’, you will be.” She gasps her outrage as I walk away and into the living quarters at the lighthouse’s base. Nadia may not know it yet, but soon, very fucking soon, I’ll be bargaining for her hand at my side.

  A light scuffle and some cursing have me turning before closing the door behind me to see Dez holding Nadia in place. A scowl on his face. “Don’t hurt her,” I warn him with a deadly glare.

  “I don’t hurt women.” He stands taller, insulted that I would imply it. The fucking kid is a genius with a gun, an expert with a knife, but he’s too fucking literal.

  “Not on purpose,” I point out as Nadia struggles more. “Stop, miy kokhanets’, or you’ll hurt yourself.”

  The struggling stops, but her eyes narrow into a glare of retribution. I like the fire in her. She may be on the shorter side, but there is the fight of an Amazonian warrior behind those frosty eyes. I look forward to seeing them turn to ecstasy instead of hate.

  “He’s a sick man. You can’t just storm in there and be an asshole.” My head tilts at her use of the swear word. It takes a second, but she swallows nervously.

  “I warned you, kokhanets’. Nothing nasty past those lips.” Full, sensual, begging to suck my cock. As her scowl intensifies, so too does the raging hard-on behind my zipper. I don’t hide the adjustment I need to make to be more comfortable.

  Her outraged gasp makes me laugh. “You’re an ohydna svynya.”

  “Maybe so, but you’ll learn to love it.” Walking away, I slam the metal door behind me and hear something drop in another room. I’m sure she didn’t mean Artem was physically sick, but he has a gambling disease that is going to get him killed. I may be the man behind his demise; I may not. Either way, Nadia will be mine one day very soon.

  “Artem!” I greet with a wide grin as I enter the kitchen, where he’s cleaning up the mess of cutlery on the floor. “Tell me I’m here to collect money and not body parts.”

  His face pales as he gazes up at me over the counter. “Well, you see, I...uh, I have some of it.”

  I knew there would be an issue. “Some?” I tilt my head curiously. “How much is some?”

  Standing, he swallows audibly before his mouth opens and closes like a dying fish. “A quarter.”

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Artem. You knew the deal. I told you how long you had, even lowered the interest for the benefit of not making you completely desolate.” Spying the butcher’s knife on the counter next to the vegetables that someone was obviously chopping, I pick it up and continue the work. Slicing peppers with an expert hand, I remain silent as I feel Artem’s eyes following the blade.

  “I’m sorry,” he finally replies. “I make so little. I can’t pay it all back and be able to take care of Nadia.”

  Stopping mid-slice, I slowly raise my head to meet his frightened stare. “I could help you with that.” His face perks up at the possibility of more money. Men like him never learn. They only ruin the people around them. “For Nadia, I could make all your debts disappear.”

  His frown speaks volumes. “What do you mean?” But he knows.

  “Give me your daughter, I’ll pay your debts.” Continuing to chop, I wait for his answer.

  “I can’t sell my child.” He sounds offended. I know he isn’t. He’d sell her in a heartbeat if I were giving him the cash.

  “Then I’ll take a finger a week until you’ve paid it back. Surely that would help keep the compulsion to gamble at bay.” For some men, it might, but not for him. I know things he doesn’t think others do.

  I know what happened to his darling wife. The mother of his gorgeous daughter. And if I don’t step in now, the same fate will befall the daughter as it did the mother.

  “I have jewelry. My late wife’s. Her family came from money; it has value.” He rushes off to a bedroom before I can stop him. Moments later, he returns looking victorious.

  “This one is worth ten times what I owe you. You could keep it as collateral.” He offers a namysto made of six coral strings of pearls. Impressed with the wealth of this man’s wife, I gaze around their quarters, wondering where that all went for a split second.

  Taking the beads from his hand, I know that these are worth a small fortune because of the ones that Anton has for my niece Lana from our own mother. I’m surprised he hadn’t sold them sooner. “Why’d you hang onto them for so long? Surely, they could have paid your debts four or five times over by now.”

  Shame washes over his face. “They are Nadia’s. She can’t know I’m using them. She’s already so angry with me.”

  “Pay me back in one week, and she’ll never find out.” But I know he won’t be able to. I’ll be back for a finger or more by then, and there will be no hiding the betrayal this man has inflicted on his only living relative.

  Nadia

  * * *

  Glaring at the man-child who has refused to release me since Renznikov went inside makes the body uncomfortable. He won’t make eye contact with me, but whenever I try to pull free of his grasp, it tightens, ensuring I go nowhere. “What’s your name?” I finally ask him when it feels like his boss has been inside for hours.

  His eyes cut to me for a second before going back to inspecting our surroundings. “Dez,” he finally answers.

  “I’m Nadia. Can you please let me go? I won’t run off. I just don’t like being shackled.” His eyes drop to where he’s holding me, and I can see he’s struggling.

  “I’m not a shackle,” he mutters. From earlier, I get the feeling that he takes things at face value.

  “No, you’re not, but I’d still like to be able to move.” He continues to stare. Letting out a long sigh, I tell him, “Look, I know my father must have done something to earn a visit from your boss; he’s been getting a lot of them lately, and I know better to interrupt any of these men while they do their business. But I’m not a piece of meat. I can listen when I’m asked nicely.”

  I raise my brows when he finally looks up at me with the most startling blue eyes I’ve ever seen. They’re so clear, they’re nearly translucent. “No running,” he responds.

  “No running. Just maybe pacing? You could pace with me.” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth because I know he will be hot on my heels now.

  When he lets me go, his stare bores into me until he’s uncomfortable again. Rotating my arm, I notice him watching me from the corner of his eye. Testing my theory, I walk to one of the benches I refurbished that sets a few feet away and sit. Not seconds later and he’s doing the same. Only I know he doesn’t like it because he can’t see behind him.

  “You can stand, you know. Make sure the invisible threat you’re looking for isn’t going to jump us from behind.” I can’t help teasing him because he’s so serious for someone so young. “How old are you, Dez?” Normally, I’d guess no more than eighteen or nineteen, but that’s so young to be working for the Odessa Organization. He hasn’t lived long enough to be so jaded.


  “Seventeen,” he answers with the knowledge of a thirty-year-old.

  “Seventeen,” I repeat, stunned. “Why are you here?” It baffles me.

  “I protect Vasyl.”

  “Why? You’re still a child. Where are your parents?” Not everything is so black and white in Ukraine; I know this. It doesn’t stop me from wishing all the children of my country were safe and loved, though. Especially this man-child who is so guarded he could be a wall.

  “Dead,” he says before turning his back and walking a few feet away. I’m not sure if that’s reality or wishful thinking.

  Touchy subject. I can understand that. I don’t like talking about my own mother’s death either, particularly given that I was there. I mostly just remember the blood. It’s part of the reason I had this immediate animosity towards Vasyl. Of course, I know who he is, who his brothers are. I realize they didn’t kill my mother, but men like them did, and I just can’t feel something for someone who could do that to a family.

  Knowing I need to back off his family, I try a subject I assume Dez likes. Vasyl. “How’d you meet Vasyl?”

  His shoulders tense for a minute before he relaxes slightly. “He saved me.” From the parents. It’s unspoken but screaming to be heard. “He gave me a second chance when I didn’t deserve it.”

  “And now you’re loyal to him.” It’s not a question; it’s fact.