4. Natalya
Iwatch Dominic’s broad shoulders disappear inside the house with my mouth still hanging open. I hadn’t expected him to just smile and say, well, okay there, sweetheart. I’ll sneak you in no problem, but I also hadn’t expected him to dismiss the idea so quickly. I thought he might at least think about it for a few seconds, but it’s obvious after talking to him that he was never going to entertain the idea of helping us.
I’m still staring into the house, even though he’s long out of sight, remembering the way his skin had felt beneath my fingers. I hadn’t meant to reach out to him. It had just happened, but once I’d felt the heat of his skin, I hadn’t wanted to let go. He’d tensed when I’d touched him, but he hadn’t pulled away. Instead, I’d been the one to let go when I’d met his eyes and seen what was behind them. He’d looked hungry, damn hungry, and I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve had boys at school stare at me and I’ve gotten looks while out and about, but no one has ever looked at me the way Dominic just did—like he wanted to possess every damn inch of me, like he wanted to own me body and soul. I’d been so stunned I’d let go, but now I’m wishing I hadn’t. It’s stupid and pointless since he’s way too old for me and working with my dad and uncles, but I can’t help but be intrigued.
What would it feel like to be possessed by a man like Dominic? I have no idea, but I’d like to find out. With my head swimming with thoughts I shouldn’t be thinking, I make my way back inside, following the sounds of laughter into the large room at the end of the hall. There’s a couple of leather couches and chairs and a pool table that my family is currently standing around. My cousins are sprawled out on the couches, watching the game. Svetlana’s just finished her shot when her eyes meet mine. I give her a small shake of my head to let her know the mission has failed. She frowns, but I have no doubt she’s already coming up with a Plan B.
When I take a seat on the nearest couch and look around the room, my eyes meet Dominic’s. He’s standing on the other side of the room, one broad shoulder leaning against the wall, looking completely relaxed and sexy as hell. His tattooed forearms are still on full display, and I’d give just about anything to run my fingers over his olive skin again. His brown eyes linger on mine for longer than necessary before slowly turning his attention back to the pool game.
It’s only after he’s looked away that I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I’m used to dangerous men, I’ve been surrounded by them since birth, but there’s something different about Dominic. He’s an unfamiliar danger. I don’t know what he’s capable of, but I want to find out.
After Svetlana and Uncle Vitaly lose the game, she comes and sits next to me while my dad and Sasha step up to play next.
“No luck, huh?” She keeps her voice low so only I can hear.
“Nope,” I say, nudging her shoulder with mine while I huff out a soft laugh. “He didn’t even think about it.”
“Plan B it is.”
I look over and meet her honey-brown eyes, immediately comparing them to the much darker shade of Dominic’s. “Do I even want to know what Plan B is?”
She laughs. “Probably not. Once I get the details all sorted out, I’ll let you know. Just be ready to go next Saturday.”
We sit back and watch our Uncle Matvey and Aunt Alina win every game of pool they play. We all know it’s Uncle Matvey doing it, but the way he smiles at her every time she manages a good hit or sinks a ball, you’d think that she was the one carrying the game.
When they’re undefeated, Dominic looks at his watch and smacks my dad on the shoulder. I’m too far away to hear what he’s saying, but it’s obvious he’s leaving, and I’m surprised by how badly I don’t want him to. I’ve enjoyed stealing glances at him all night, and I’m not ready for my eye candy to leave.
“He’s old enough to be our dad,” Svetlana whispers in my ear, reminding me of what I already know.
“Yeah, but he isn’t,” I whisper back.
She laughs and shakes her head. “You’re lucky I can keep a secret and that I love you so much.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I remind her.
She just lets out another laugh and says, “Not yet there isn’t, but I saw the way he was looking at you. I think someone wants to taste some forbidden fruit.”
I bark out a laugh before I can stop it, and when I raise my eyes again, Dominic is staring at me, head tilted ever so slightly with one dark brow raised as he watches us with open curiosity. I swear the dark stubble on his face has gotten even thicker since he arrived, and my fingers itch to touch him, to feel the coarse hairs against my skin.
He turns away from me when Uncle Roman says something to him, and then a few minutes later, he’s saying a quick goodbye and giving a wave to my mom and aunts. Before he turns to leave the room, his eyes meet mine one last time, and then he’s gone.
“Maybe you should run out and tell him goodbye?”
Keeping my eyes on the empty doorway, I say, “That might draw a bit of attention, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, probably. They were already asking where you were when you were talking to him on the deck. I had to tell everyone you were making him more coffee. Our family is way too observant.”
It’s a common complaint between us, but we both know there’s no changing it. There are certain things our family isn’t going to budge on, and safety is one of them. Leaning down, I slip my new heels off and grab her hand.
“Come on, we need chocolate.”
She gives me one of her big smiles. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
When we step into the kitchen, Luka and Max are already raiding the cabinets, Val and Yelena are sharing a large bowl of ice cream, and Sasha is pulling out a bottle of root beer so he can make a float.
“Keep that out,” I tell him, already grabbing a couple of large glasses in case anyone else wants one.
Luka laughs at the amount of ice cream I scoop out and tosses a bag of marshmallows on the counter next to the graham crackers Max found.
“Rough night?” he teases, leaning against the counter next to me. He has a playful glint in his green eyes when he looks down at me. My cousins are gorgeous, there’s no denying it, and all the girls in school went crazy for them, but even though we’re not related by blood, I’ve only ever thought of them as my cousins. They’re my best friends, the guys I go to when I’m stressed or pissed off or just wanting to hang out and have a good laugh.
I grab one of the marshmallows while my other hand pours root beer over my ice cream. “Don’t judge, Luka.”
“I would never.” He grabs a handful of marshmallows for himself and then takes the bottle of root beer from me so he can have a drink.
“So did you get all your Bratva talk done?” I stab a straw into my float and take a big drink, letting out an appreciative sigh. “God, that’s good.”
Max tosses a marshmallow at me, hitting me right between the eyes. He points a long finger at me. “You know he can’t answer that.”
I grin at him and eat the marshmallow he socked me with. “I know, but it’s not going to stop me from trying.”
“Seriously,” Svetlana says, grabbing the last cannoli that her dad must’ve somehow missed. “We’re not ever allowed to know anything?”
Luka grins. “Nope.”
Svetlana turns her eyes to me and rolls them. “We don’t get the cool tattoos, we don’t get to carry guns or shoot anyone, and we don’t get to know all the cool secrets. Being in a Bratva family is a lot less exciting than I thought it’d be.”
Val laughs and hands Yelena the cherry from their sundae while Luka says, “Perks of having a dick.”
Svetlana fakes a dry heave. “Gross. You do know what year it is, right? You can get rid of the loin cloth and drop the club from your hand.”
He just shrugs and takes another drink. “That’s just the way it is.”
I finish my bite and ask, “But you guys are going to be taking over, right? Can’t you just change the rules?”
“That’s funny that you think our dads are going to just sit back and fully retire,” Max says. “And no, just because we’re stepping up and learning the family business doesn’t mean we can just change everything.” He raises a brow at me. “Or that we’d want to.”
“The men in our family have always protected the women,” Val says. Yelena sneaks him a quick smile before she takes another bite.
They’ve always been close, but you’d have to be blind to not notice that they don’t look at each other like the rest of us do. So far our parents have continued an admirable sort of stubborn denial to see anything, and the rest of us aren’t about to burst their bubble.
“Maybe we don’t need protecting,” Svetlana counters.
That makes them all laugh.
“Are you kidding me?” Sasha says, joining in now that he’s finished drinking his float. “Do you have any idea how many fights I got into because you pissed someone off at school?”
“Me?” Svetlana’s feigned innocence has me snorting out a laugh.
“Yes, you.” Sasha points his finger at her. “You like to piss people off, especially people who are way bigger and stronger than you.”
Svetlana looks over at me. “Your brother’s been hit in the head one too many times. He’s clearly confusing me with someone else.”
When my brother just shakes his head at her, she gets up and walks over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a big hug. Svetlana’s taller than me, but he still towers over her.
“I’m sorry, cuz. Thanks for watching out for me.”
“It’s a full-time job,” he mutters.
“Ain’t that the truth,” she says, not even bothering to deny it.
He laughs and kisses the top of her head. “Now that you’ve graduated, maybe my knuckles won’t be bloody all the time.”
“Yeah right. We all know you love to fight.”
This time it’s his turn to not bother denying it. “Like father, like son, I guess.”
We don’t leave the kitchen until we’re all so stuffed we can barely move, and then it’s only so we can go change into pajamas and meet back up in the room that we converted into our own mini movie theater. Our other cousins eventually join us. Damien, Luka’s little brother comes in, taking a seat next to Evgeny and Sasha on one of the couches while everyone else sprawls out on either the leather recliners or the giant beanbags. Svetlana and I share one of the extra large beanbags while Yelena and Val take the one next to us. We pull a few buttery-soft blankets over us while Luka scrolls through the movie options.
Once the movie starts, my mind drifts to Dominic. I’m curious about him, way more than I should be, but no matter how hard I try to focus on the movie and shove him out of my mind, he keeps coming back. I swear I can still feel the heat of his skin beneath my fingertips and smell the spicy, woodsy, panty-melting scent of his cologne that’s best described as sexy as fuck.
I finally drift off to sleep at some point during the second movie, but when I wake, I’m still haunted by thoughts of Dominic, and the next week is one of the longest of my life. Svetlana has been tight-lipped about her plans, and the only hint she gives me is on Saturday morning when she sends me a simple text.
Tell your parents you want to sleep at the farmhouse tonight with me. Val, Luka, and Max are staying out there. We can hang out and watch girlie movies upstairs.
I know she has more planned than just a movie marathon, but I also know the less I know the better. I don’t want to lie to my parents. I’ve never had to before, and it makes me feel guilty just thinking about it. Before I lose my nerve, I find my mom in the kitchen. She’s chopping vegetables, so I grab an extra cutting board and several of the carrots she’s working on.
“Thanks, honey. These things are taking me forever.”
I smile over at her before I start cutting. “Hey, Mom, do you mind if I stay over at the farmhouse tonight. Sveta and Val are going over there with Max and Luka.”
Even though I’m eighteen, there’s no way in hell I’m going to be given the freedom that other adults have. Our world is just too dangerous for that. My mom thinks while she tosses all the cut-up carrots into the slow cooker with the roast.
“I don’t see why not. Your dad is out with your uncles, but I can send a text to Grigori and Feliks. They can stay in one of the guest rooms.”
“Mom, that’s really not necessary.”
She raises a brow at me. “I’m going to stop you right there so you don’t waste any more seconds of your precious life. You know this is nonnegotiable and that your dad will drive out there himself if he finds out I let you two go without any bodyguards.”
I know she’s right, and there’s no way in hell I want my dad driving out there, so I quickly say, “Okay. I just feel bad that they have to follow us around all the time. They must get so sick of it.”
My mom smiles at me and shakes her head. “They get paid a lot of money to watch over you all, and they know what an honor it is. Your dad and uncles would never trust an idiot to watch over you guys.”
I smile back at her, but I can’t help wishing we did have a couple of dumbasses watching over us tonight. I still have no idea what Svetlana is planning or how she thinks we’re going to get past two well-trained Bratva members and three of our male cousins, and I don’t want to. I’m more than happy to go into this blind, because I’m guessing the truth of what we’re about to do would scare me into keeping my ass inside tonight. You can’t fear what you don’t know, right?
After helping my mom cut up a few more vegetables, I give her a hug and then go to pack my bag. At the last minute, I throw in a sequined dress in a light shade of pink that I bought on a whim but have yet to work up the courage to wear. It’s way tinier than anything I’d usually pick out, but I love the way it sparkles, and the new pink heels I bought last week will go perfectly with it.
Satisfied I have everything I might need, I text Svetlana to let her know I’m ready, and less than twenty minutes later she’s knocking at our door.
“Hey, Aunt Jolene.” She gives my mom a big smile and grabs a banana from the counter. She’s cool as a cucumber, whereas I’m pretty sure I’m visibly sweating through my shirt. She gives me a chill the fuck out look as she pulls the peel down and takes a big bite. I try like hell to keep calm, but I must be doing a piss-poor job of it because as soon as she’s tossed the peel in the garbage, she says, “Well, we better get going. I told Val we’d be over there in an hour, and I don’t want him worrying.”
“You two have fun.” My mom gives us both a hug and kisses our foreheads, telling us she loves us and to text when we get there.
“I will. Love you too,” I tell her, hoping we don’t get caught tonight, because I’m not so sure I’ll be able to bear the disappointed look my mom will give me if this plan fails. Turning to Svetlana, I sling my bag over my shoulder and follow her out before I lose my nerve. My desire to follow the rules is strong, but my desire to possibly catch another glimpse of Dominic is stronger, and there’s no use denying it.
As soon as we’re in the elevator, Svetlana sighs and leans against the wall. “Tell me you packed something slutty to wear.”
I can’t help but laugh when I meet her eyes. “I packed the pink, sequined dress.” There’s no need to elaborate. She knows exactly what I’m talking about because she was there when I bought it, whispering in my ear that I had to get it like the little devil of temptation she very often is.
“Perfect.” Her brown eyes gleam with pure mischief when the elevator doors open and we step into the parking garage. Grigori and Feliks are already waiting in the black SUV that’s been a staple of my life. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have one following me. We give them a wave and then get in Svetlana’s car.
“Are you going to tell me the plan?” I finally ask when we’re about twenty minutes into the drive.
She lets out a soft laugh. “No way in hell. We still need to act normal in front of Val and the others. If they get suspicious, we’re fucked. I love you, Natty girl, but we both know you have a terrible poker face.”
I laugh at the nickname and shake my head, but I don’t bother arguing. We both know she’s right. The rest of the drive is spent singing way too loudly and definitely off-key until she turns onto the gravel driveway and the large, white farmhouse comes into view. Our Aunt Emily is really into flower gardening, and the tulip beds she planted out front several years ago are in full bloom, making the place look even prettier than usual.
Svetlana parks next to her brother’s car. It’s a gorgeous Jaguar in the prettiest burnt orange color I’ve ever seen. Sleek and sexy are the two best words to describe it, and he treats it like his baby. Val’s always been more on the quiet side compared to the others, but get him started on his car, and he’ll never shut up.
I hear the distant sound of motors revving, and I let out a sigh of relief. If they’re out riding, then I won’t have to face them for a few hours. Grigori and Feliks pull in behind us, and it doesn’t escape my notice that they’ve blocked us in with their large vehicle. When I give a worried look to Svetlana, she just gives me a wink like it’s no big deal. Apparently whatever she has planned doesn’t include her car.
The two men follow us inside. They know the drill, so they make themselves at home. They’ll sleep in shifts tonight so one of them is always awake to watch the house and make sure everything is safe, but for now, they each grab a bottle of water and head for the back deck.
“We’ll be out here if you need us,” Feliks tells me on his way out.
“Okay. I’ll let you know when the pizza is ready. Mom stocked up on the sausage and pepperoni ones you guys like so much.”
He gives me a big smile. “Thanks, Natalya.” He pats his flat stomach. “I need to be careful about all the pizza you two feed me. My girlfriend is going to start complaining.”
I laugh because the man is built like he lives in the gym. “I really doubt that.”
“She puts up with my crazy hours, but I can’t ask her to tolerate crazy hours and love handles. She’ll be kicking me to the curb so fast it’ll make my head spin.”
“If you want to sneak off and spend the night with her, you can,” Svetlana tells him, giving him an innocent I’m just trying to be helpful look. “We won’t say a word.”
He laughs and looks back at Grigori. “Can you imagine what they’d do to me if I left?”
Grigori raises a dark brow. “I don’t need to imagine it. I’ve seen it, and so have you. Your girlfriend puts up with a lot, but I’m guessing she probably won’t stick around if you come home without a dick.”
“Jesus,” I groan. “They wouldn’t do that.” When both men hesitate, I add, “Would they?”
Instead of an answer, Grigori says, “We’ll be on the back deck if you need us.”
After they leave, I look at Svetlana. “We’re keeping our asses inside tonight,” I whisper.
“Like hell we are,” she whispers back.
“Our dads apparently cut off dicks when they’re angry, Sveta. I don’t want Feliks and Grigori getting in trouble. It’s not fair to them.”
She can tell I’m freaking out, so she comes to stand in front of me, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to look at her. “They won’t get in trouble. I promise. I’ve got it all planned out, and even if we do get caught, I’ll make sure they know it isn’t their fault. I’ll take the blame for everything.”
“We’ll take the blame,” I say, because no way in hell would I let her fall on the sword all by herself. I may be terrified, but I’m not an ass. We go down, we go down together.
By the time the guys are racing out of the woods on their dirt bikes, the pizzas are cooling on the counter, and Svetlana and I have already filled our own plates. Grigori and Feliks join us, more than happy to eat supper and joke around with us. They feel like part of the family at this point, but we all know the nice, laid-back attitude they show us only extends so far. They have no problem telling us no if we try to do something that could potentially get us hurt or that they feel is unsafe. At the end of the day, they work for and answer to our dads, and none of them take that lightly.
When everyone has eaten their weight in pizza and Feliks and Grigori go back outside, Val looks over at us. “So you two want to hang out with us? We’re going to be gaming all night.” He motions his hand towards his cousin. “Max is under the impression that he can beat my high score. I told him it’s not going to fucking happen, but you know how stubborn he is.” He wiggles his fingers and adds, “He thinks those piano hands of his can beat the superior dexterity of mine.”
Max looks at him and sighs. “Piano hands? Really?”
“I’m sure your hands are super dextrous, Val” Luka says with a laugh. “And we all know why.”
“Gross,” Svetlana growls, giving them both a disgusted look but still laughing while she does it.
I laugh at my family and hook my arm through Svetlana’s. “We’re going to pass on your manly gaming night.”
“Yeah,” Svetlana says, pulling me back towards the hall. “Besides, we’re both on our periods, so we’re going to just eat chocolate and watch girly movies.”
This time it’s the guys’ turn to groan while we laugh. Val points a finger at his sister. “Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean I need to know every damn thing.”
Luka laughs and grabs another coke from the fridge. “Go watch your movies and take your menstruating asses out of here.”
“You know we don’t menstruate out our asses right?” Svetlana turns to me. “Please tell me they at least know that.”
I’m laughing too hard to answer while Val groans and Luka looks at us like he has no idea what to do with us. Max fights a grin and leans back in his chair, crossing his arms across his broad chest. I swear my cousins get bigger every time I see them. They’re already as tall as our dads, and I’m guessing they’re going to pass them by in another couple of months.
Luka shakes his head with a laugh and changes course, steering us away from the menstruation topic. “We’re leaving after lunch if you want to follow us back.”
“Sure thing, cuz.”
He can’t help but smile at the over-the-top, sweet way Svetlana says it.
His green eyes meet mine. “Don’t let her corrupt you, Nat.”
“Too late,” Svetlana and Val say at the same time before she pulls me out of the room. I can still hear them laughing as we race up the stairs to the last bedroom, the one that’s furthest from everyone else and facing the woods on the left.
As soon as she shuts the door, she turns to face me. “Okay, we’ve got a couple of hours to kill, and then it’s showtime.”
“Showtime for what? Your car is blocked in, and we have three guys and two bodyguards to get past.”
“We don’t need the car, and we’re not going to sneak through the house. My period comment means the guys will be giving us a wide berth, and they’re going to be so caught up in their gaming that it won’t matter anyway. Grigori and Feliks will be staying downstairs like they always do. No one’s going to know we’re not in here watching movies.”
“How the hell are we going to get out?”
When her eyes dart to the window, I’m already shaking my head no before the words fall from my lips. “No way in hell, Sveta!”
“It’s perfectly fine.” Her voice is annoyingly calm. “Remember those rose trellises Uncle Roman put in for Aunt Emily?”
“No,” I quickly say, already thinking of all the bones we could break on the fall down.
“They’re very secure.” She says it like she knows all about landscaping and trellis strength and the amount of weight they can handle at any given time.
“Uh-uh,” I tell her, my eyes wide with disbelief. “Your plan is for us to just shimmy our asses down one of them?”
She completely ignores my tone and instead gives me a big, happy grin. “Exactly, and then we’re going to take a short walk through the woods, and when we come out onto the highway about half a mile from the house, an Uber will be waiting for us.”
“Jesus Christ, we’re going to die tonight, if not from breaking our necks, then from being eaten by a wild animal in the dark woods.”
“We’ll be fine. We’re taking one of the dirt bike trails. Plus, I brought a flashlight.” She says it like the flashlight is the deciding factor in why this plan is foolproof instead of doomed to miserably fail.
“Our dads are going to kill us.”
Her lips lift up in her famous smirk. “Only if they catch us.”
I groan and close my eyes. “Oh, they’re definitely catching us.”
She grabs my hand and the bags that she’d already tossed up here at some point and pulls me towards the bathroom. “I told you I’m bringing a flashlight,” she mutters before shutting me in. “Take a shower,” she hollers through the door. “Get yourself all cleaned up for you know who!”
I can hear her laugh growing softer, knowing she’s probably already flopped down on the bed and grabbed the remote. Looking at myself in the mirror, I take a big breath and then get to it. I’m not going to admit that she’s right, but she is right. If I do happen to run into Dominic tonight, I want to look and smell amazing. I want to knock him on his ass with one look.
Two hours later, we’re both showered and dressed with our hair and makeup looking perfect. The dress is even smaller than I remember it being. I angle myself to the side, and peek over my shoulder at the mirror. The thin straps crisscross my bare back while the dress dips dangerously low. Good god, one wrong move, and I’m going to be showing crack.
“I don’t know about this,” I mutter.
“You look amazing, and we’re going to have the best night. We’ll remember this forever, and you have to admit it’s going to be way more fun than hanging out in this room watching movies all night.”
She has a point. We’ve done the movie thing a million times. I’m more than ready to try something different. I look over at her, eyeing the gorgeous red dress she has on. She’s wearing matching heels and lipstick, and she looks fucking amazing. Her long hair is a few shades lighter than mine, and she’s left it loose so it falls down past her shoulders.
“This is either going to be the most epic night of our lives, or it’s going to be the memory we cringe at every time we think of it.”
“I vote for the epic option. Come on, Natty girl. It’s time to shimmy our asses down the trellis.”
I laugh at her enthusiasm and fearless determination. If not for Svetlana, my life would be very boring. She helps me step out of my comfort zone and challenges me to be brave. I love her so goddamn much, and there’s no one else I’d rather go down in a blaze of glory with. This might prove to be the biggest mistake we’ve ever made, but we’re making it together.
We both sling our tiny purse straps over our heads so they can hang down across our bodies, leaving our hands free right before Svetlana hikes a long leg over the window ledge. She’d already popped the screen out earlier, resting it against the wall beside the window with a note tucked beneath it.
To whoever finds this letter,
We’re safe and fine and will be back before dawn.
Please, please, please, for the love of god, take pity on us and don’t mention this to anyone else.
Val, if this is you, I know you’d never rat me out, womb buddy. I promise I’ll explain everything when we get back.
Love you lots,
S N
When I’d read it, I’d just sighed and put it right back under the window, hoping like hell it didn’t come into play. She’s right. Val would never rat her out, but pulling the twin card only takes you so far. He’d never do anything that would jeopardize her safety or mine. He may not immediately go down and tell Grigori and Feliks, but he would try and find us, and when he did, he’d give us a hell I didn’t particularly want to face.
“Slow and steady,” Svetlana says, giving me a wink and starting her descent.
With my hands gripping the window sill, I peek out and watch her, my heart rate picking up with each passing second. I’m not great with heights. In fact, I’m really pretty fucking awful about them, and everything inside me is screaming at me to not do this, but once she reaches the bottom, she gives me a big thumbs up, and before I can question it, I’m throwing a bare leg out the window to join her, fully committing myself to this crazy-ass plan.
I refuse to look down, and for the first time in my life, I regret my choice in footwear. Sneakers would’ve been the wiser choice, but they wouldn’t look nearly as cute with this dress. Men will never understand the sacrifices women make. Taking things at a snail’s pace, I slowly work my way down, gripping the trellis until my hands ache, thankful that at least Aunt Emily’s roses aren’t in full bloom yet. This is dangerous enough. I have no desire to throw thorns into the mix.
“Damn your dress is short.”
I make the mistake of looking over my shoulder at Svetlana’s whispered words, and when I see how far up I still am, I cling to the trellis even tighter and squeeze my eyes shut.
“Oh no you don’t,” she whisper-shouts at me. “You get your mostly bare ass down here right now! We need to hurry or we’ll miss the Uber and all this will be for nothing.”
I’m not crazy about going down, but I’m really not looking forward to climbing back up and hoisting my ass through the window. I don’t even want to think about how we’re going to manage that one, so I force my eyes open and hook my foot into the next slat, slowly working my way down again. When my toes hit solid ground, I let out a whimper of pure relief.
“I don’t know how in the hell I’m going to force myself back up there.”
Svetlana’s giving me a huge smile, her eyes wide with adrenaline and excitement. “That’s a worry for later.” She holds up the two pairs of rain boots that were sitting on the porch earlier. “Here, hurry up and put these on. It’ll take us forever if we wear our heels.”
I’m completely in the following orders phase of the evening, so without a second thought, I tug off my heels and slip my feet into the rain boots that are way too big for me. Hooking my fingers through the straps of my heels, I look up at my partner in crime and give her a nod.
“Perfect. Once we’re further away, I’ll turn on the flashlight, but the moon’s full, so we should be okay. We just need to get far enough from the house. If we trip the security lights, Grigori and Feliks will definitely come out to investigate.”
Just the thought of them catching us right now makes me feel queasy, but I also wouldn’t be at all surprised if Svetlana could come up with a killer excuse on the spot. I’m guessing it would have something to do with moon phases and her need to express thanks to the divine feminine, which would account for our sparkly dresses.
Biting back a laugh, because the longer this goes on, the giddier I start to feel, we race to the woods, giving the house a wide berth before hitting one of the dirt bike trails. As soon as we can’t see the house, Svetlana flicks on the light, leading us further down the path. I’m always surprised by how loud it is in the woods at night. I’ve gotten so used to city noises that I barely register them, but as many times as we’ve been out here, it never fails to surprise me how damn loud bugs can be.
“We’re going straight to hell for this,” I whisper, making her laugh.
“If there’s a hell, I’m pretty sure everyone in the Melnikov family is headed that way, so at least you’ll be with family.”
I wrap my arm through hers and laugh. “Very true.”
She checks her phone and then picks up the pace, taking me with her, and I nearly trip over my heavy rain boots. “Come on, Nat. The driver’s almost there.”
“How does he even know where to stop?”
“I told him to park on the side of the road by the mile marker sign. I’m planning on giving him a very nice tip for his trouble.”
“He’s gonna need one,” I tell her.
After we’ve walked for several more minutes, she points the flashlight at the trees on our right. Happy with what she sees, she moves us off the path and through a denser part of the woods. I’m just about to ask her if we’re lost when we step out near the paved road. Giving a satisfied huff when she sees the car parked on the side of the road about thirty feet from us, she gives him a wave and then uses me for balance while she steps out of her rain boots and slips her heels back on. I do the same and then we stash our boots and flashlight behind one of the larger trees and make our way to the waiting car like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
The driver looks like he’s only a few years older than us, and when Svetlana opens the back door and we slip inside, he gives us both a wide-eyed, confused look.
“Do you two always hang out in the middle of the woods at night?”
Svetlana gives an easy laugh. “We just came from my boyfriend’s house. His driveway is kind of hard to see at night, so we thought it’d be easier to just meet you here.” She points back behind us. “It comes out over there, but it’s hidden from view at this angle.”
Content with her answer, he only nods and puts the car in drive, easing back onto the deserted road. “Okay, well we’ve got about an hour of driving, but I’ll get you there as soon as I can.”
I switch to Russian and ask her, “Did you tell him where we’re going?”
“No, I gave him the address to a restaurant that’s close by. It’ll be easy for us to walk there, and the less people who know where we’re going, the better.” She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Relax, the hard part is over.”
“The hard part is over?”
She laughs at my expression. “Yes, we’re out, and look around.” She does a dramatic turn of her head, looking out the back window. “No bodyguards. We’re completely on our own.”
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”
She nudges my arm with her elbow. “Just think about Dominic. I bet he’ll be there tonight.”
“He can’t see us, Sveta. He’ll tell our dads.”
“We’ll watch him from a distance,” she assures me. “He’ll never be expecting us there, especially not dressed like this.”
She’s not wrong. He definitely won’t be expecting us to just show up at his club, and the chances are pretty high that he won’t even be there tonight. I’m surprised by how badly I’m hoping he is. I want to see him again, even if it is from across the room.
The drive feels impossibly long, and by the time our driver pulls up to the curb of the restaurant, I’m tapping out a crazy rhythm with my foot and trying like hell to not sweat through my dress. Svetlana pays the enormous fee and slips him a large tip.
“Damn, thanks.” He smiles and pockets the money. “You need me to wait around to drive you back?”
“No, that’s okay. We’re not sure how long it’ll be. Thanks, though.”
He’s obviously wishing he could get another tip, but he just smiles and says, “Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch you two again.”
Svetlana returns his smile. “Maybe.”
I give him a quick smile and then follow her out of the car. He waves before driving away, leaving us on a crowded sidewalk in the middle of a city that we’ve never once been on our own in. It’s thrilling and scary, and my heart races as I follow her towards the large club at the end of the block. La Dolce Vita is written across a sign on the front of the building in a tasteful, red script, and everything about this place screams high-end. This isn’t the type of club that lets just anyone in, and that’s when it dawns on me that we have no way of actually getting through the front door that’s manned by two very muscular bouncers. We’re underage and without fake IDs or a hope in hell.
I meet Svetlana’s honey-brown eyes. “Please tell me you have a plan.”
“Of course I do.” She hooks her fingers around my arm and leads me past the long line and around the side of the building. “Kind of,” she adds right before we step into a creepy-as-fuck alley that runs along the back of the club.
“I’m starting to seriously question whether or not we’re going to survive this night.”
“Of course we will,” she quickly says and then lets out a relieved sigh when she sees a man up ahead. He’s smoking a cigarette while leaning against the brick wall. The light above him is only bright enough to let us know he’s there, but it isn’t until we walk closer that we get a good look at his face. He’s wearing a suit, and when he sees us, his thin lips spread into a smile that has the hairs on the back of my neck rising.
“Fucking hell,” I whisper in Russian just loud enough for Svetlana to hear.
She squeezes my hand and gives the guy a smile, although, unlike his, hers is more friendly than sexual.
“Hi,” she tells him.
He gives a soft laugh and takes another drag of his cigarette. “Are you two lost? Didn’t your daddies ever teach you to not walk down dark alleys at night?” His eyes run over us again. “Especially when wearing so little.”
“It’s kind of a funny story,” Svetlana says, and I know her well enough to know she’s trying like hell to sound calm. She may be the bravest person I know, but even this is a little much for her. “We forgot our IDs at home, and we were hoping maybe you could sneak us in through the back.”
He raises a dark brow at her while the corner of his mouth lifts in a wicked grin. “And why would I do that? What do I get out of it?”
“Oh my god,” I whisper, and Svetlana squeezes my hands so tightly I have to grit my teeth to keep from gasping.
“Money, of course.” Svetlana holds up several hundreds. “Our daddies did teach us to not blow some random dude in an alley just to get access to a nightclub.”
He lets out another soft laugh at her audacity.
“But I see no reason why you can’t make a lot of extra money tonight, and all you have to do is look the other way while we walk in. We won’t even make you hold the door for us.”
He takes another slow pull of his cigarette, blowing out the smoke in a long, steady stream while he thinks the offer over. After what feels like an eternity, he grins and holds out his hand. She puts the money in it, and he makes a point of looking in the other direction. Svetlana shoots me a triumphant smile as she opens the door, pulling me in with her before he can change his mind.
Loud, thumping music hits me full force when the door shuts, leaving us in a dark hallway. We keep walking, following the music until the hallway opens up, revealing a packed dance floor that’s filled with pulsating bodies, each of them swaying to the beat of the music. It looks wild and untamed, everything I’ve never gotten to experience, and my feet start walking towards the mass of bodies before my brain can even catch up.
Svetlana lets out a whoop of pure joy, right by my side every step of the way. This still might end badly, but for now, we’re free, and I intend to enjoy every damn second of it. With my head thrown back, I move to the beat of the music, losing myself in the crowd and the darkness of the club and the freedom of complete anonymity.