Title: In the Beginning (Volkov Bratva
#1)
Author: London Miller
Genre: NA/Romantic Suspense/Organized
Crime
Publication Date: October 23,
2013
Tour Host: Dreams Come
True Promotions
Twenty-year-old Lauren Thompson left her small town in Michigan to begin a new life in the Big Apple where no one knows her name or the tragedy that had rocked her family fifteen years prior. With new friends and an intriguing new love interest, starting over is easier than she expected...but Mishca Volkov isn't what he seems. As the son of a Russian Mob boss, he thrives in a world of chaos and fear, earning the title of Bratva Captain through blood and pain.
When the two cross paths, lines blur and passions ignite, bringing them closer than they could ever imagine. Until secrets from the past threaten to tear them apart. Can they fight past their demons...or were they doomed by fate before they ever met.
**Book Two: Until the End Coming Spring 2014**
I'm not all that interesting, just to be honest, but I try
to create interesting characters. My debut novel, In the Beginning, was
released in October and the sequel, Until the End, will be released early
Spring 2014.
#1
In all honesty, he was gorgeous, like take your breath away
and just stare for a while, gorgeous. Yet, there was something a bit dangerous
about him that Lauren couldn’t put her finger on. It seemed like his presence
was magnetic, and she felt compelled to be near him.
“I would hope to think you like what you see.”
Lauren snapped out of her thoughts, blinking rapidly as she
realized she had just been standing there, staring at him…again. Clearing her
throat, she tried for a smile, extending her hand. “I’m Lauren.”
A corner of his mouth tipped up as he pocketed his phone. He
took her hand in his much larger one, his hold gentle as he swept his thumb
across her knuckles.
For a moment, it felt like they were the only ones in the
café as she stared up at him, captivated by the sheer curiosity she saw in his
eyes. Was this what it was like? That instant attraction? She had never felt
breathless before, had never felt more than a casual interest in a boy, but
right now, standing in front of him, blood rushing to her face, this was
definitely more than a casual interest.
“Mishca Volkov,” he answered softly, like it was only meant
for her to hear.
#2
It was nearly twenty years ago when Mishca met Dr. Cameron
Thompson for the first time. He had been his and Alex’s private physician. He
had never made the connection between Lauren and the doc, mainly because had
never known where the man was from, or any other aspect of his life. Whenever
they called, the doctor just showed up, no questions asked.
“Does she know of us?” Mikhail asked.
This was what this meeting was about, not about Mishca’s
personal life. Mikhail didn’t care who Mishca was with, but if it compromised
their business, then it became a problem.
“I don’t think so. She would have been what…five when her
father was murdered, yes? I doubt he would have announced his side job.
Besides, any connection we had with him was buried as soon as he went in the
ground.”
Mikhail dropped his napkin n the table, withdrawing a number
of bills from his pocket. “Talk to her. Find out. I am allowing you to handle
this situation on your own since this is your territory after all. Do not make
me regret it. You know the consequences.”
Mishca nodded, stuffing all of the photos and documents back
into the envelope, placing it in the inside pocket of his jacket.
“Was his murder our doing?” Mishca asked looking back at his
father.
Clapping Mishca on the shoulder, giving him a small smile,
Mikhail and his men left.
#3
No two men were the same when they faced possible execution.
Some begged and pleaded, trying to bargain their way out of it, promising
obscene amounts of money or anything their executioner could want. Others
stood—or kneeled in this instance—already accepting their fate, but there was
still that fear in their eyes, and even some regret. These two? They cared more
for one another and Mishca would use that.
“Give my regards to Declan.”
Shifting his aim by a couple of inches, he shot the younger
brother in the shoulder, the momentum of the bullet throwing him backwards. He
hit the ground hard, groaning in agony behind the gag, but at least he was
alive.
Blondie groaned in protest, lurching to get to him, but Vlad
held fast, holding him steady. The younger brother’s shirt was already
darkening with blood, the saturation quickly growing by the second.
“Don’t worry,” Mishca said conversationally as he wiped the
gun clean of any prints with the tail end of his shirt. “Your brother will
live, but he needs to see a doctor.”
Grabbing his hand, he placed the gun in Blondie’s hand,
wrapping his fingers around it. He didn’t seem to understand at first, staring
first at the gun like it was foreign to him, then up at Mishca.
“Let him go.”
Vlad backed off, allowing his captive to rush to his
brother’s aid. He apologized over and over again, draping the younger boy’s arm
around his shoulders as he hauled him up and out of the alley without a
backwards glance.
“How did you know he wouldn’t shoot you, Captain?” John
asked as he holstered his own weapon, looking to Mishca with a calculating
stare.
“His younger brother meant more to him than impressing
Declan.” Mishca looked around, then over his clothes. “Clean up any
evidence.”
With that brusque order, Mishca left his men in the alley,
returning to the club, making his way over to the bar, ordering a vodka for
himself and a club soda with lime for Lauren.
Mishca found her in their corner, chatting with Amber over
the pounding bass of the music. When she saw him ,she lit up, tucking her hair
behind her ear, and he couldn’t help but return her welcoming smile. She knew
nothing about what he had just done, there wasn’t any evidence on him—even
still, these clothes would be burned—and he didn’t want her to. He didn’t want
to see any other expression on her face when she saw him besides the sweet
smile that always greeted him.
“What took you so long?” She asked when he was close enough
to hear her over the music.
He handed her the glass, taking a sip of his own. “Long
line.”
#4
After a while, Lauren felt guilty. Since her father had died
when she was five, if there hadn’t been a new suspect in the following eleven
years, there wasn’t much see for Ross to do. He continued to work tirelessly,
though, all hours of the night, wanting to give her answers because he felt
like she deserved them. She had finally
asked him to stop when he began spending more time in the precinct looking over
the files instead of enjoying his off days at home.
“I was only five at the time and don’t remember much of
anything.” She stared down at a button down the front of his shirt. She didn’t
remember the night or the time before it.
“And that is why you feel this...guilt, because you don’t
remember your father.”
When he said the words that had plagued her over the years,
she nodded. “I wish I could.” And no matter how hard she tried to bring that
night to the forefront of her mind, it slipped farther away.
Mishca shifted so they were now facing each other. “What do
you remember about him?”
She looked back at the picture, smiling wistfully. “I
remember he loved me more than anything in the world.”
“Then that is all that matters,” he told her gently.
#5
At the end of the night, Lauren walked Mishca out, pulling
the door up behind them so they could talk privately. He had his hands tucked
into his front pockets, an easy smile on his lips.
“How did I do?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I liked you.”
“Good.”
She hesitated, not ready for him to leave yet. “Same time
and place as always?”
He seemed to notice her reluctance, taking a step closer to
her. She met his eyes, saw the curiosity in them and it was enough to make her
do something she had thought about for days.
Going up onto the tips of her toes, she kissed him. When he
gave no reaction, she pulled away.
She took a step back, feeling the blush in her cheeks, not
sure what else to do after doing something so bold, but he didn’t let her get
far, tugging her back by the front of her shirt until they were flush against
each other. Cupping her cheek, he tilted her face up until they were just a
whisper apart.
She wanted to think that because she initiated the kiss, he
would have known that she wasn’t going to back out of it now, but he still
hesitated, giving her the chance to back away before he kissed her. First, he
pressed his lips to hers gently, then pulled away like she had done, but in the
next moment, he was coaxing her lips to part, twining his tongue with
hers.
Lauren fisted her hands in his shirt, just above his waist,
holding him against her, but she couldn’t seem to get close enough as she
arched against him. He returned the sentiment, one hand sifting through the
heavy fall of her hair, gripping the strands. His other arm went around her
waist, his hand at the small of her back.
Neither of them cared that they were in the hallway of her
apartment building, open for all to see. Lauren sighed, the sound lost in his
urgent kisses, the way he expertly took control of the kiss, the way they fit
together and moved like they had done this thousands of times before.
She was too caught up in the moment to notice Miss. Carter,
her elderly next door neighbor as she appeared at the top of the stairs. She
cleared her throat dramatically, looking at them disapprovingly as she shuffled
to her apartment, shaking her head.
Our Review
We rated In the Beginning 3.5 Stars.
The plot, the characters, the storyline were all great. I was definitely intrigued... However, the execution was not as good as it could have been. I can get past the grammatical and spelling errors. I can even, kind of, let slide how some of the characters and places were confused. My biggest issue was that the first 50% of the book was a bit over descriptive and slow. BUT the second half was great!! An emotional suspenseful roller coaster ride that shocked the hell out of me with a cliffhanger that left my mouth hanging to floor thinking "oooooo this next one is gonna be gooooooood!!!"
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