The Russian Billionaire: A Romantic Suspense Novel

him into taking you to his house. Once there you will simply follow the map you will be given, find the thing and exchange it for a… replacement. You don’t even have to sleep with him. Invent a believable excuse and leave.”
I blink. “I think you want James Bond for this job, not me.”
She smiles. “James Bond wouldn’t work. The mark likes girls.” Her gaze drops to my mouth before coming back up to my eyes. “Girls who look like you. The job is actually much easier than you think. By the time he realizes, if he ever does, the original and you will be long gone.”
I touch my mouth self-consciously. “What makes you think he will pick me?”
“To be honest I don’t know if he will pick you.”
“I see. What happens if he picks one of the other girls then?”
She smiles confidently. “All the other girls have the same deal as you, so it doesn’t matter which girl he picks. As far as you’re concerned, you’ll have dinner at a fancy restaurant with the man who picks you and as soon as you text to tell us it’s done, your money will be released from escrow and sent directly into your bank account, making you $50,000 richer.”
“What is this thing I am supposed to steal?”
“You wouldn’t be stealing,” she says quickly. “You would be returning something to its rightful owner. It’s a tiny painting of a little boy on a beach. Five inches by six inches, it’s small enough to put into your purse, and if you’re wondering, its value is purely sentimental. As soon as he chooses you for his dinner companion another $150,000 will be put into escrow. Once you hand the painting over to us, the money will be released to you and you will never hear from us again.”
I take a deep breath. Somehow I know she is telling the truth and to be really, really honest I am tempted. She makes it sound like such easy money and we are so desperate for some, but another part of me tells me there is more, much more, that she is not telling me about this job. Five girls at $50,000 each plus another $150,000 makes it $400,000 for a painting that has no value beyond sentimental. I’m not buying it. Something doesn’t feel right. I’m not stupid enough to imagine all this money being thrown around is normal. Hell, I can even end up in prison if I get caught. Even the thought of it sends a shiver through my body.
She considers me expressionlessly. “So, what do you say?”
“Thanks for the offer, but no. If your boss wants his property back, he should really find a less underhand way of getting it back.”
The woman smiles pleasantly as she pushes her calling card towards me. “Call me if you change your mind before the 25th of this month. I have a strong feeling he will go for you and you can solve our little problem and all your big problems in one fell swoop. I might even be open to negotiating the final price.”
Then she stands and leaves.
I pick up the luxuriously thick card.
Catherine Moriarty
There is nothing else on that side of the card. I turn it over and there is a phone number. Definitely fishy. The trash is just to the left of me. I should throw it away right now, but something makes me hesitate. Then, I shake my head at my own stupidity and toss it into the trash. How the hell could I even entertain such a dangerous idea? A deal with the devil is not for me.
Lois’s boss is approaching so I get on with cleaning some glasses.
The hours pass quickly and by the time I put the key into the door of our apartment, it's late. I take my shoes off and tip toe into the house. Tonight is the only night my mom doesn’t have to work late so I do not want to disturb her if she has fallen asleep in front of the TV. She is not asleep on the sofa. As I pass the bathroom I hear sobbing. Fear grips my heart.
“Mom,” I call.
Immediately, the sobbing stops. I turn the door handle and go into the bathroom. My mom is slumped on the floor in the dark.
“Don’t switch on the light,” she whispers brokenly.
I sit on the floor next to her and take her hand in mine. Her hand is like ice. “What’s wrong, Mom?” I ask. My heart is thumping with fear.
“The doctor called. They’re going to have to bring her surgery forward. She’s not doing so good, Raine. She’s struggling. My baby is struggling to live.”
“We’ll figure it out, Mom.”
“No, we won’t. I didn’t tell you, but I lost my shifts at the grocery store last week. They’re cutting back. Not that it matters. Those shifts hardly paid for our weekly food bill.”
“Mom, I think I’ve got a way to pay for Maddy’s operation,” I whisper in the dark.

Raine
My mom shoots upwards suddenly and hits the light switch. Light floods the room. She stares at me with a strange expression. Her tired eyes transformed. I see fear and anger glittering in them.
“Doing what?” she asks, in a tight, low voice.
I pull out Catherine’s calling card from the pocket of my skirt and hand it to her. Something compelled me and I had fished it out of the trash after my shift. Then I tell her quickly about her proposition. She never takes her eyes off me the whole time I am speaking. When I come to a stop she looks at the card, then she raises her eyes and says one word. The word is harsh and full of pain.
“No.” Her voice is hard and stern.
I scramble up to my feet. “Why not? It would be easy money.”
My mother looks at me incredulously. “Easy money? Are you kidding? There’s no such thing. What if you get caught while you’re stealing this