2. Anton
CHAPTER 2
ANTON
SAME NIGHT – MARCIE’S PARTY
S tanding on the balcony overlooking the dancefloor, I nursed my half-full bottle of beer, stealing glances at Marcie from the corner of my eye the same way I had since walking away from her after our conversation. My concern about coming had been unfounded. She hadn’t slapped me or thrown me out of the party. I’d hurt her the other night, but at least she still valued our friendship. The fear that she might hate me had been gnawing at me, and I couldn’t have borne that.
I left her so I could chat with my best friend, Ash Rominov, and his brother Mikhail, but unease lingered over refusing her invitation to sit with her. Even now, I longed to take her up on it, but I couldn’t keep leading her on.
My eyes scanned the club I knew well. Glitz was owned by the Rominovs—Russian mafia, Bratva. Mikhail Rominov was the pakhan in the UK, and I’d grown up with him and his family. They were one of my biggest clients and even considered me family, too, just as I did them. I regularly provided extra security for the events here, many of which Marcie often planned.
My gaze latched on to her assistant, Derrick, who had planned the party tonight in her honour. He was chatting with Nick and some of my men, who were also here as guests this evening. Nick waved to me and I gave him a nod. I contemplated going over and joining them, but that would mean not being able to see Marcie, and so that was not happening.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t be in her vicinity and not be able to see her for long. As I was about to turn my attention back to her, I noticed Luca arriving. Luca Orlov was another close friend of mine.
When I was talking with the Rominov’s earlier, they’d expressed their concern that Luca hadn’t arrived yet. Luca was Bratva like them, but he was also the Head of Entertainment for their entertainment venues, including Glitz, and Miki’s best friend. He’d had to drive down South to deal with a situation at another of their other clubs, but he’d been expected back earlier. Since he always showed up as early as possible anywhere Claire was supposed to be, we all thought it odd that he’d been so late to arrive.
Luca saw me on the balcony as he climbed the stairs towards the VIP area and headed my way.
“We were beginning to worry about you. Miki has been asking where you were,” I said.
“The situation at Platinum took me longer than expected and then I got stuck for a while in traffic,” he replied.
“Have you checked in with the guys yet?” I asked.
“Not yet, I’ll catch them later,” he said. “How is Suzie handling things?”
Suzie was the woman he was currently training up as the manager of Glitz. This evening was to be a test of her readiness.
“Great. There have been no issues. Are you still planning on opening your own business?” I queried. Luca had told me he was hoping to open an entertainment management business with a friend of his and had come to me for some advice.
“Yeah. I’ve been discussing things with Trent and hopefully we’ll be able to launch in a few months.” He grinned.
“How is Miki taking the fact you won’t be around as much to be his errand boy?” I teased.
“Ha, fucking, ha! He’s fine about it. I’ll still be acting as Head of Entertainments, I’ll just be delegating more and promoting some new managers to take over where needed. Got to keep everything in the family. But now things with our enemies have died down, and we’ve started offloading some of the problem areas of our business, he is more than happy for me to branch out. Besides, if things go dark again, he knows I’ll always have his back. Just like you,” he replied, and I nodded.
“Where’s the birthday girl?” he asked.
I nodded toward the table where Marcie and Claire were sipping cocktails. I bit back a smirk, resisting the urge to point out how it was like watching a cartoon character whose eyes nearly popped out of his head and whose heart almost pounded out of his chest the moment Luca laid eyes on Claire.
Luca had a massive thing for Claire, but she refused to get involved with him because of his Bratva ties. It never really made sense to me, especially considering Claire was a criminal defence lawyer who worked with criminals all the time. Plus, her cousin Gracie was living with Ash now, so the Rominovs were practically family to her.
Still, when it came to Luca, his criminal connections were something she couldn’t overlook. Claire had friend-zoned him, just like I had with Marcie. The thought of it stirred something uneasy inside me.
“Those two have been knocking them back tonight. Tequila shots and now cocktails. It’s a wonder they’re still standing,” I said, trying to shake off my disturbing thoughts.
“Headaches all around in the morning then,” he stated with a smirk.
“Yeah, they are both going to have one hell of a hangover. Especially Marcie. You missed her thank you speech and the buffet, but there are still some leftovers at the back of the room, if you want any. And you can leave your gift over there too,” I told him, taking a swig of my beer.
“If you are lucky, maybe Claire will be inebriated enough to let you kiss her,” I teased.
“Fuck you. Maybe that’s what Marcie needs to do with you, then. Get you drunk and you’ll finally admit how much you want her,” he taunted in return.
Despite insisting Marcie was just a friend, it was obvious I’d done a bloody awful job at hiding my true feelings from everyone. “Arsehole,” I muttered, and he laughed.
“I’m heading to the bar. I’ll grab you a beer while I’m there,” he called over his shoulder as he strode off.
I watched him go, his words lingering in the air. If only it was that easy, I would gladly down a few tequila shots with my Little Miss Sassy and let her have her wicked way with me. But then I’d have to open myself up to the possibility of loving her, losing her, and I couldn’t do that. I wished that wasn’t the case, but after suffering heartbreak in the past, I refused to put myself through that again.
As Luca placed his gift next to the others, I saw him chuckle at Marcie’s birthday cake, and I couldn’t help but smile. It was shaped like a chiselled male torso, with a tight shirt clearly designed to resemble part of a military uniform, partially opened to reveal a very defined chest. It looked like something a male stripper might wear. When I saw it earlier, I’d noticed the edge of a tattoo peeking out from under one side of the shirt—just enough for me to recognise it as matching my own. The cake was meant to be me.
If Luca noticed, I’d never hear the end of it. Thankfully, I didn’t think he had. It was flattering, but it also reminded me of how deeply my Little Miss Sassy felt about me—and the fact that I couldn’t return those feelings saddened me.
Commotion at Marcie’s table drew my attention back in her direction, and I watched as she walked off toward the toilets, arm in arm with Claire. The minutes dragged by as I waited for the girls to return. I took a swig from my beer, and when they finally reappeared, they headed downstairs. From the balcony, I observed them making their way to the dance floor, laughing as they twirled into the crowd. They were having fun.
I took a moment to admire Marcie from a distance, something I didn’t often have the chance to do. The short blue dress she wore was stunning, complementing her blue eyes and hugging her lush body in a way that made my mouth water.
Her warm, golden-brown skin glowed softly under the subtle club lights, the faint shimmer highlighting its smooth, flawless appearance. I longed to run my hands over her exposed legs, to feel the silkiness I could only imagine. As she swayed to the music, her long black hair flowed like a dark river over her shoulders, and I ached to bury my face in its softness.
My cock jerked, and I groaned. God, why did she have to look so bloody beautiful? How the hell was I supposed to resist a woman who looked like a goddess? And it wasn’t just her appearance; it was everything about her that made keeping my hands off her so damn hard. At that thought, my dick decided to remind me that it was hard, too. I shifted uncomfortably and groaned again, forcing my eyes away from the woman who was my kryptonite.
Finishing my beer, I tried to think of anything but Marcie. It didn’t work. Whenever she was anywhere in the vicinity, my head, heart, and cock seemed to become alert to her every breath, movement, and sultry sway of her hips. Bloody hell, I gulped and ran shaky fingers through my hair. God, the effect that woman had on me should be illegal.
“Here you go,” Luca said, passing me another beer.
“Thanks.” I took a quick swig, hoping he hadn’t noticed my discomfort.
“Where are the ladies?” Luca asked, scanning the floor below.
I gestured with the bottle towards the dancefloor.
The music picked up, and my attention stayed fixed on Marcie. The crowd around her swelled, and suddenly, two young guys were there—sidling up to her and Claire. Possessiveness surged through me as one of them placed his hands around Marcie’s waist.
My whole body tensed. My jaw clenched, my knuckles whitening as I grasped the railing.
“Problem?” Luca asked, noting the change in my posture. I didn’t need to reply as his gaze followed mine.
Marcie swayed, her back pressed against the stranger’s chest. I should have left the party then and let her enjoy herself with another. But I stayed, watching, my lips pressed tightly together, every muscle tensed like a spring wound too tight.
Luca’s shoulders squared, his expression hardening like a storm brewing just beneath the surface.
Claire was caught in the other guy’s arms, her hips moving to the beat, and Luca’s jaw tightened, his usual protective edge sharpening.
Without waiting for my response, he abandoned his drink, shot me a quick glance, and stalked toward the stairs, heading straight for the dance floor. I followed without hesitation.
Tapping them on the backs, we gestured for them to piss off. One was about to protest, but a low growl from Luca was all it took to change his mind. Luca cut in, taking Claire’s hand without a word. I mirrored him, grabbing Marcie’s wrist with more force than I intended, spinning her around until she faced me, a playful, tipsy smile already forming on her lips.
“Anton!” she gasped in delight. “You can’t seem to stay away,” she teased, her body moving in sync with mine as we fell into the rhythm of the music.
What the hell was I doing? I should’ve let her dance with that guy. If I had no intention of pursuing anything more with her, I should’ve let go. Marcie was a great woman, strong, independent—she deserved someone who could offer her the love she needed. I’d kept insisting we were just friends, but if that was truly the case, why couldn’t I walk away?
Instead, I remained with her in my arms, getting lost in the moment, in the feel of her. The warmth of her body, the way she fit perfectly against me, and the way she let me hold her so naturally. It was reckless. Irresponsible. But for a few minutes, I allowed myself to pretend. Pretend that I could be the man she deserved.
Then she leaned in, her lips dangerously close to mine, the scent of alcohol on her breath. “Anton…” Her voice was soft, pleading, and I felt the pull in my chest as she closed the distance.
God, how I wanted to kiss her. But I couldn’t. Not like this, not when she’d been drinking, and certainly not when I had no intention of being the man she needed.
With a deep breath, I pulled back gently. “You’re drunk, Marcie.”
Her frown was immediate, eyes glassy and searching, but before she could protest, I led her off the dance floor. “Let’s get you upstairs,” I muttered, guiding her toward the tables where some of our friends were sitting.
I left her with Gracie and the others, forcing myself to walk away, trying to create some distance. Yet I never went far—I never could. Laughter and gasps pulled my attention back, and there she was—Little Miss Sassy, swaying unsteadily on a table, dancing like no one was watching.
A smile tugged at my lips, even as my feet moved before I thought, crossing the room in seconds, positioning myself close enough to catch her if—no, when—she fell. And sure enough, within minutes, her legs gave way beneath her, and she collapsed.
But I was there. I caught her before she hit the floor, pulling her into my arms as her eyes fluttered open, her breath uneven and soft.
“Got you,” I whispered, tightening my grip around her, knowing with every part of me that no matter how hard I tried to push her away, I would always be the one to catch her.