Veil of Sin (Dark Mafia Romance)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

NATALIE

There's a stench of gasoline and rain, but I'm too focused on something else. My eyes remain narrowed onto the street, watching the cars as I stand hiding behind a window in one of my father's apartments—an abandoned one, really.

There's no furniture in here, just a few boxes collecting dust and a dirty brown sofa by the window. It's old, and it creaks loudly as I shift my weight from one leg to another, watching the street.

"What if they are not coming here?" Nina asks me, pressing her elbow against my shoulder as she raises further up to look more down from the window.

The apartment is on the eighth floor, and opposite the building, there's another building—the Krem Tower, which is nearly fifty stories tall.

The Karpovs own an apartment there. It goes back thirty years to when they got that apartment and my father got in this building.

Whenever they come into town, this is always their first stop. There's a club downstairs, one they control, and if anyone ever wants to find a Karpov, this is the place to look.

"Well, that's what we are here for—to find out if they are coming or not," I tell Nina before looking back at the window.

All I see is an alleyway where the club is. I can see the front of it, the bouncers, and a couple of cars parked up in front near the bins, but I can't see what I'm looking for.

It's still raining, and I can feel the water dripping from my hair onto my shoulders.

I lean back from the window and wait a few more minutes.

Nina fidgets beside me, clearly impatient. Her fingers tap lightly on the cracked windowsill, and I can sense her annoyance.

She's never been the patient one, and neither have I, but today—today is different. Today, we need to be sure.

"They always come here. Always. Every single time they visit, they stop here." I remind her.

Nina snorts. "Typical Karpovs. Always so dramatic." She folds her arms across her chest and leans against the wall, her eyes flicking between me and the alleyway below.

It's true. Every time a Karpov steps into the city, it's a big fucking deal. They never make a move unless it's something big unless they know it's going to have an impact. And showing up here, in their old stomping grounds, means they are either feeling nostalgic or planning to fuck up someone's day.

Or both.

The last time they were in town was nearly nine years ago. But that was the whole family then. Occasionally, some Karpovs came and went but none truly stayed.

Which was good.

I bite my lip, and glance out of the window again. The rain hasn't let up, it continues and it blurs the neon lights of the club's sign.

"What time were you told?"

"Ten."

"It's way past ten."

"I know," I trail my eyes across the street and then stop. "We'll wait till midnight, and if there's nothing, I'll tell Robert to take us home. Deal?"

"Yes."

The low growl of a car's engine breaks the silence that follows after Nina's word. Both our heads turn toward the direction the sound comes from, and I watch as a sleek black SUV comes into view.