4. Luka
Chapter 4
Luka
I never want to look away from the smile Lara is giving me. Her blue eyes are filled with so many things, and I want to know all of them. I want to know everything about her. I’d gone back to Dominic’s club tonight, hoping to see her, but I hadn’t expected to find her standing in a dark alley, clutching a frightened little kitten. Dominic keeps a tight watch on his territory, but I still don’t like the idea of her in that alley all by herself.
“Lara and Luka.”
We both turn to the tech who’s saying our names, and I swear Lara’s blush deepens at the sound of our names together. Standing, I hold a hand out for her, biting back the smile I want to give when her skin touches mine. Her small hand disappears when I close my fingers around hers and help her up.
She clutches Pip to her chest, and I keep her hand in mine as we follow the woman back to one of the exam rooms. She’s young, probably only a few years older than me, and when she runs her eyes over my neck, I see the reaction it brings out in her, and I don’t like it. My neck and hand tattoos are fairly new. I’d gotten them about six months ago, and I quickly noticed that it brings out one of two responses in women. They either give me a disgusted look and clutch their purses tighter, or they look like they want to rip their clothes off and spread their legs for me. The tech looks like she’s already picturing me naked, so I let go of Lara’s hand and wrap it around her shoulders instead, pulling her closer so she’s nestled up against me.
When I slide my hand up and thread my fingers through Lara’s dark hair so I can cup the back of her head, the tech finally gets her shit together and starts to do her job. She takes Pip and weighs him, doing all the preliminary work before the vet comes in.
My thumb caresses the nape of Lara’s neck, and when she sucks in a quick breath, I look down at her, studying her reaction. Her pupils are dilated, cheeks flushed, and lips parted as her breathing increases. She’s so fucking beautiful, and all I want to do is close the distance between us. I hold back, keeping my eyes on hers until Pip gives an annoyed meow at being manhandled by a stranger, pulling Lara’s eyes from mine.
She gives him a reassuring pat, and I swear the little guy is already in love with her. I can’t say I blame him. There’s something about Lara that’s impossible to resist, and when the vet does walk in, I have to force myself to put my focus on what she’s saying instead of getting lost in the woman standing next to me.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Broussard,” she tells us, giving us each a quick handshake before smiling at the kitten on her exam table. “What do we have here?”
“I found him in an alley,” Lara says.
“Oh, poor little guy.” Dr. Broussard picks him up and looks between his legs before giving a soft laugh. “Yeah, he’s a male.”
Lara tilts her head and smiles up at me, and there’s no way in hell I can resist returning it. My hand is still on the nape of her neck, and I caress her skin again while the vet finishes the exam and gets him his first shots.
“He’s a healthy little guy,” she tells us, “but he’s very young, and he’s slightly malnourished. I’d say he’s about six weeks old, so I’d recommend you get kitten food and then supplement it with kitten formula. You’ll also need to bring him back in about three weeks for more shots and another deworming, and I’d highly recommend getting him neutered at around four or five months.”
“Sorry, Pip,” I tell him, scratching under his chin. He purrs and rubs against my hand. I’ve never been much of a cat guy, but he’s quickly growing on me.
Lara and I thank the vet again, and when we’re back at the front desk, I quickly hand the guy my card before Lara can even think about paying. She looks like she’s about to argue, so I ask the guy, “Can you just keep this card on file for all future visits?”
“Sure, I can do that.” He enters the information and then I sign the receipt he gives me before grabbing Lara’s hand and leading her back out to my bike.
“Why did you pay? I was going to do it, Luka. You didn’t have to pay for all that.”
“I wanted to.”
“I can pay you back, though.”
I strap the backpack on again and hold my hands out for Pip. “Not a chance in hell.”
She bites her bottom lip to keep from smiling and hands the kitten over to me so I can get him safely tucked away. After pulling her helmet on, I reach out to make sure the strap is tight enough and then pull mine on and get back on the bike. She tucks herself in tightly behind me, and the feel of her tits pressed against my back is pure fucking heaven. Giving her calf a soft squeeze, I start the bike and head in the direction of a pet store that’s open until midnight. It’s the same one my Uncle Matvey and Aunt Alina go to for their own dog, and when I pull into the parking lot and cut the engine, Lara looks up at the large building and says, “You’re not paying for this, Luka.”
“Yes, I am, kisa .”
It seems only natural to call her kitten, and as soon as the Russian word leaves my lips, I know the nickname is perfect for her.
“What does that word mean?” She asks, furrowing her brows and then repeating it slowly. “ Kee-suh , what is that? ”
I smile and grab her helmet, resting it beside mine and then scooping Pip out of the backpack and handing him to Lara.
“It means kitten in Russian.”
She looks me over, brows furrowing even more as the blush on her cheeks darkens. “I don’t understand you,” she finally admits. “Don’t you have better things to do on a Saturday night than lug me around to the vet and pet store? And I’m pretty sure a guy with as many tattoos as you have doesn’t go around giving out nicknames like kitten.”
“You have a lot of experience with tattooed men?”
“No,” she quickly says, shaking her head and then tripping over her words when she adds, “I just thought, I mean, I assumed you wouldn’t be quite so nice.”
I hook a finger under her chin and tilt her face up. Leaning closer, I say, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m not usually this nice, kisa. ”
“So I’m getting the royal treatment?”
Her words are more breathy whisper than anything, and I can tell by the look on her face that she’s completely clueless as to the effect it has on me.
“You deserve nothing less,” I tell her, and then rest my hand on the nape of her neck again, gently leading her towards the store.
I already knew she was blushing, but when we step inside and the bright lights hit her, I can’t help but give a soft laugh at how red her cheeks are. She ducks her head and nuzzles Pip while I grab the nearest cart.
“Okay, where to first?”
She glances at the signs hanging above the aisles and points to the closest one. “Food, I guess.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We spend the next thirty minutes going down the aisles and gathering everything a kitten could possibly need. Lara is afraid to put anything in the cart since I insisted on paying, so anytime I see her looking at something, I toss it in the cart for her. Pip is going to be one spoiled cat.
“Well, that’s just cute,” I say, when we stop in front of a rack of clothes. There’s a tiny blue-and-white striped T-shirt. “He’ll look just like a Russian sailor.”
Lara laughs and holds it up to Pip. He swats at it with his razor-like little claws and then gives another purr. “I think he likes it.”
I put it in the cart and head for the next aisle. She keeps in step beside me. I’m not sure if this could officially be considered a date, but it’s the first one I’ve ever been on, and I’m enjoying every second of it.
“Have you ever been to Russia?”
I look down at her, wondering how much she knows about me. “No, my dad and uncles are from Moscow, so are a couple of my aunts, but I’ve never been there.”
“You speak Russian, though?”
“Yeah, I grew up speaking it, and it’s the language I usually use with my family. My mom’s American, and we mostly speak English with her. She’s learned Russian over the years, though, and understands it pretty well, but English is easier for her.”
“Do you have a big family?”
I laugh. “You could say that. I only have one brother, but my dad has four brothers, and they’re very close, so I grew up with all my cousins. They’re like brothers and sisters to me.”
“How many are there?”
“Eleven of us altogether, but one of my cousins recently married and had a daughter, so the family is growing.”
“I bet that’s nice.”
She sounds so sad when she says it, and when I look down at her, she’s petting Pip, looking even smaller than usual.
“What about you?” I ask, wanting to know everything about her but also not wanting to push her further than she wants to go.
She shrugs her shoulders and runs her fingers over a cat bed that looks like it’s part pillow, part sleeping bag.
“It’s just me and my mom,” she finally says, and then quickly changes the subject. “Do you think he needs a bed?”
I know she must be extremely uncomfortable and desperate for a subject change if it made her suggest adding something else to the already full cart.
My fingers meet hers on the soft, blue bed, and I graze the pad of my thumb over her wrist. When my thumb barely slips under her sleeve, she jerks her arm back like she’s been stung.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers, refusing to meet my eyes.
She looks so incredibly uncomfortable that I grab the bed and toss it next to the other supplies and say, “I think he definitely needs a bed, and I think we need to grab some toys, too. I also saw a cat carrier near the front that we should probably get.”
When she finally meets my eyes, I give her a wink to let her know I’m not upset. “He’s going to outgrow that backpack pretty quickly. I also want to get him a leash because I’m going to teach him to walk around like a dog.”
She gives me a hint of a smile and nods her head. “It’ll be really funny to see you try.”
I laugh and start walking. “I always did like a challenge, kisa .”
After we’ve gotten him everything a cat could possibly need and then some, we start unloading. When the cart is empty and things are getting scanned and bagged, Lara reaches out and grabs my forearm.
“I forgot we came on your motorcycle,” she whispers, eyeing all the supplies that we sure as hell can’t fit on the back of a bike.
I lean down and whisper in her ear. “Don’t worry, kisa . They deliver.”
“You have to let me pay you back.”
With my lips still hovering by her ear, I say, “I don’t want your money.”
I swear I hear her breath hitch when she asks, “What do you want?”
There are lots of ways I can answer her question. I can tell her how goddamn hard she makes me and how badly I want to lift her skirt and bury my face between her beautiful thighs, but I don’t want to scare her off, so instead I say, “A date. I want to take you on a date.”
“Why?”
That one whispered word is filled with a stunned sort of surprise that I don’t understand. She must have men falling over themselves for a chance to take her out, but she seems completely bewildered by me asking for a date. Pulling back so I can see her, I say, “Because I like you, Lara Swan,” and then I turn and pay the cashier, adding in extra for the delivery charge and then adding a big tip so they’ll do it within the next hour. If she’s surprised that I’ve already memorized her address from the vet form she filled out earlier, she hides it well.
We grab a bag with the kitten formula and a small fish that has a few feathers on it so he’ll have something to eat and play with while waiting for everything else, and then we leave the store. At my bike, she shifts her feet and looks at her watch.
“I should probably just take the subway home.”
I laugh and hand her the helmet. “You don’t know me at all.”
“No, I don’t.” She tilts her head, clearly trying to figure me out. “I don’t understand why you’re doing all this.”
“I’m doing it because I want to. I already told you. I like you, Lara Swan, and I want to get to know you better.” I reach out and take Pip so I can put him back in the backpack that I’ve slung across my chest. “Besides, we just adopted a cat together, so joint custody, yeah? When’s it my turn to watch the little guy?”
She laughs before she can stop it. “I don’t understand you at all, Luka, but thank you for tonight.”
“You’re welcome, and there’s not much to understand. All you need to know right now is that there’s no way in hell I’m going to just let you walk off and take the fucking subway by yourself at night with nothing but a tiny kitten to protect you. Jesus,” I mutter, shaking my head at the very idea of it. “That’s never going to fucking happen.”
She hesitates before putting the helmet on. “Can you please go into the underground parking garage at my building instead of pulling up outside it?”
“I can do that.”
Her shoulders visibly relax when I agree to her terms, making me wonder what in the hell she’s hiding. Knowing I’ll eventually get all my answers, I don’t push it. I just wait for her to pull her helmet on before I check the strap and then sit on the bike, reaching in to pet Pip while she gets situated behind me. We’ve already formed our own routine, and I like that more than I probably should. The engine sparks to life, and I reach back to squeeze her calf, but this time I caress her skin with my thumb and she tightens her grip on my abs, pressing tighter against me. I don’t think she has the faintest idea what that small movement does to me, but if she slips her hands a little lower, she’ll find out.
The apartment building she lives in is in our territory, but only barely, and I don’t like that. It’s not a shitty neighborhood, but it’s not a great one either, and the building looks a little rundown. I pull into the underground garage and follow her directions, ending up near an elevator and a stairwell that have warning bells going off in my head at just the sight of them. This is the kind of place that every woman is warned to not go into alone. The door to the stairs is propped open with a brick, and several of the bulbs must’ve gone out, because it’s more shadow than anything. The elevator is probably safer, but that’s only if no one else hops on it with her.
As soon as I cut the engine, I pull off my helmet and ask, “How long have you lived here?”
She hands me her helmet and gets off the bike. “My whole life. Why?”
I look towards the stairwell again. “How safe is it?”
“It’s pretty safe.”
Turning my head at her hesitant tone, I say. “ Pretty safe? What does that mean?”
“It means it’s pretty damn safe.”
“What aren’t you telling me, kisa ?”
“Nothing,” she mutters and then reaches for the backpack that’s still slung across my chest. I watch as she steps closer to the bike, and with me still sitting, she’s at the perfect height for me to kiss her, but I don’t. I run my eyes over her, noticing the exact moment she realizes how close our faces are. Her breath catches while her eyes widen, and then that pretty pink color spreads across her cheeks. She freezes in place, not sure whether she should lean closer or stand back up.
For now, I let her take control. I let her decide if she wants to close the distance. My patience isn’t going to last long, but there’s something about the tension between us that I’m starting to crave. It creates an ache inside me, but it’s a pleasant one—a delicious sort of torture that I’m becoming addicted to. I’m used to constant worry and obsessive thoughts, and this is a nice change. It’s just as all-consuming, but in a good way, in a way that leaves me constantly wanting more.
With a soft sigh, a pained look crosses her face before she grabs Pip and takes a step back. “Thanks, Luka, for everything.”
She starts to walk off but stops when she hears my laugh.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, kisa ?”
“Going home.” She glances over at the elevator. “I won’t take the stairs.”
I raise a brow at her. “Why not? What aren’t you telling me?”
When she hesitates, I add, “I’m not leaving until you tell me, and I should warn you that I’m pretty fucking stubborn so I’m guessing I’ll be here all night.”
She bites her bottom lip before admitting, “A couple of tenants have been mugged lately.”
“In the stairwell?”
“Yeah, but the police were here, so I’m sure it’ll never happen again.”
“Uh-huh,” I say, not believing for one second that the stairwell is no longer dangerous.
“I take the stairs all the time. It’s really fine, Luka.”
“That’s not making me feel any better,” I tell her. Standing up, I stash the backpack under the seat again and walk over to her.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m walking you to your door.”
The fear in her eyes lets me know she’d rather face the dark stairwell alone than let me anywhere near her apartment.
“Are you dating someone? ”
“No.”
“Abusive father?”
“No, I told you it’s just me and my mom.”
“Then why are you so scared?” I gesture to my neck. “Are you embarrassed of the tattoos?”
“What? No, of course not.” Her blue eyes run over my skin, and when she licks her lips, I nearly groan. “I quite like them.”
I step closer so there’s less than a foot of space between us and reach up to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, stopping to let my fingers brush along her cheek.
“Then why are you so scared?”
“My mom won’t like it.” She hesitates, and I can tell she wants to say more but stops herself before the words can slip out.
“Why won’t she like it?” I press, wanting to know what the hell is going on. “How old are you?”
“Nineteen.”
“And she would have a problem with you showing up with me?”
She pets Pip, looking like she’d rather be anywhere than right here with me, having this conversation in her parking garage at midnight.
“She’s not well.”
“If she’s sick, why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I mean not well in the head,” she admits softly. “She has a few problems, and she can’t ever find out about you.”
The idea of her mom finding out about me has her words sounding panicked and fear coming into her eyes again. I cup her face and lean down so she’s forced to meet my eyes.
“Relax, kisa . I’m not going to force my way into your apartment. Your mom will never know I was here, but I am walking you to your door. I have to make sure you get home safely.” I give her a small smile. “I’m afraid it’s nonnegotiable. I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t see with my own two eyes that you and Pip have made it inside safely.”
“Fine,” she whispers, “but she can’t see you. Please, Luka.”
“I promise she won’t see me.”
“Okay,” she whispers .
I give her cheek one last stroke and then force myself to take a step back. Not wanting to completely break contact, I take her hand in mine while we walk to the elevator. She interlaces her fingers with mine, and I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to how much smaller she is than me. There’s a strength to her, but she still seems so damn fragile, and all my instincts are screaming at me to protect her.
The ride to the fourth floor is a short one, and when the doors open, I’m not ready to let her go. It’s Pip’s meowing that gets my feet to move. He’s hungry and needs to eat, and the rest of his things will be delivered soon.
“That’s us.” Lara whispers the words and points to the door up ahead, the last one on the left.
I keep her hand in mine and follow until she stops a couple of feet away so I’m not in view if her mom were to look out the peephole. Without moving closer, I eye the door and sigh.
“Those locks are shit,” I whisper.
“They’ve worked well enough so far,” she whispers back. When it’s clear that doesn’t make me feel better, she says, “I’m making more tips now so I can have them replaced.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“No, you will not.”
I smile at her tone. “It’s already a done deal, and I’ll make sure your mom never suspects a thing.”
Before she can get her keys out, I tighten my grip on her hand and pull her closer, turning her at the last second so she’s pinned between me and the wall. Clutching Pip to her chest, she sucks in a quick breath and gives me a wide-eyed look that’s equal parts adorable and sexy as hell. Cupping her face, I lean closer and drag my nose along her cheek, breathing in the sweet scent of her.
“Luka,” she whispers, and the heat of her breath against my skin has my cock straining at my jeans.
“Hmm?” I trail my nose up her cheek and ghost my lips against her ear. “Yes, kisa ?”
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this. ”
“Doing what?”
“All of this. Why you’re here with me, why you’re acting like you want me, I don’t understand.”
I pull back just enough so she can see me. “I told you. I like you, Lara Swan.” Slowly dragging a finger along her jaw, I add, “And I do want you.”
Her lips part, and there’s no way in fuck I can resist tasting her. Closing the distance, I press my lips to hers and kiss her slowly. I don’t want to rush this. I want to savor every damn second of our first kiss, of my first kiss. She gives a soft moan when I run my tongue over her top lip, coaxing and teasing her mouth open so I can delve in deeper. She parts for me, letting me in, and I realize my mistake a second too late, because now that I’ve had a taste, I want more. I want everything.
I’ve always kept myself from women, but I can’t do that with her. I don’t fucking want to.
“Luka,” she pants, a breathy whisper against my lips that pulls a groan from mine, threatening to turn me fucking feral.
“Lara,” I whisper back, resting my forehead against hers and trying like hell to pull myself together. Thanks to Pip, I can’t press my body to hers like I want, but maybe that’s a good thing. I’m not so sure I’d survive it if my dick were pressed against any part of her body right now.
Running my thumb along her jaw, I give her one more kiss before putting some distance between us. “I’m taking you out tomorrow,” I tell her.
Her blue eyes are glassy with lust, pupils blown, and the blush on her cheeks is spreading down her neck. She looks beautiful and sexy and way too damn tempting. Unable to resist, I close the distance, giving her one last kiss. It’s hungry and deep and when I pull back and run my thumb over her kiss-swollen lips, she moans and arches up to me, and that’s when I know it’s time to leave.
“Go inside, kisa ,” I murmur close to her mouth. “There are so many things I want to do to you right now, but I don’t want any more of our firsts to happen in a hallway with a tiny kitten as a witness.”
She lets out a moan at my words and I softly nip the corner of her mouth. “I want time and space and a soft bed. There will be plenty of time for hard fucks against a wall and me dropping to my knees to bury my head between your legs any damn time I want, but not for our first time, not here and not when your screams would wake everyone on the floor.”
She lets out a soft whimper, and I drag my nose along her cheek again, allowing myself one last breath of her before standing back up to my full height.
“Goodnight, Lara,” I tell her, smiling at the stunned look on her face. I pet the kitten she’s still holding. “Night, Pip.”
I take a few steps, walking backwards down the hall so I can still see her. “I’m going to text you in a few minutes so you’ll have my number.”
“Okay,” she whispers, watching me go. “Night, Luka.”
I smile and only after she’s unlocked her door and stepped inside, do I turn and head for the stairwell. It’s dark, and when I turn on my phone’s flashlight, I can see that a few of the bulbs have been removed. Feeling downright giddy, I tuck my phone away and silently make my way down. With any luck, the fucker will still be here. When it’s clear he isn’t, I take a seat on the stairs and pull my phone out again. Typing in the number she’d put on her form, I send her a quick text.
Here’s my number, kisa. Everything okay? How’s Pip liking his new home?
While I wait for a response, I find the number for an all-night locksmith. After a quick call where I explain the situation and the large tip I’m prepared to give, he agrees to change the locks on her apartment in the morning and to say that it’s an upgrade the owner of the building is implementing. I’d thought long and hard about having him come out tonight but knew it would just make her mom suspicious.
A text is waiting for me when I hang up from the locksmith.
Everything is fine, and Pip is exploring. He likes his formula .
She sends me a picture of his furry face, mouth covered in kitten formula, and I swear a look of pure gratitude in his green eyes.
Thanks for the picture. Now send one of you.
You want a picture of me?
More than anything, yes.
She makes me wait several minutes before sending a photo, and when it comes through, I can’t help but smile. It’s perfect. She’s holding Pip up so the two of them are both in the shot, and she’s giving a shy, hesitant smile, blue eyes shining, and that signature pink blush on her cheeks. She’s fucking perfect.
So beautiful.
He is a really pretty cat.
I was talking about you, kisa. You’re beautiful.
I hear a car coming closer, and when I peek out the door of the stairwell, I see a guy pulling out several bags, balancing all the cat supplies we’d picked out earlier before slowly making his way to the elevator.
You’re about to get a delivery. He’s on his way up with Pip’s things, and the locksmith will be here in the morning. Don’t worry, I told him to say the owner of the building is responsible for it.
Where are you right now?
I laugh and type out my response.
In your stairwell.
I don’t have any idea what to say to that.
I’m just waiting for a bit to see if anyone shows.
A few minutes later I get several photos of Pip with his new toys, and the final photo is of him curled up next to her on her bed, because he’s a smart cat and has decided that it’s far better than the bed we got him. She’s tried to cut herself out of the photo, but he’s nestled by her thigh, and the sight of it has me remembering how damn soft her skin is.
I never thought I’d be jealous of a cat. I’m picking you up tomorrow at seven. Get some sleep, Lara, and text me if you need me.
I’ll meet you out front. Night, Luka. Thanks again for everything.
I put my phone away when I hear footsteps. Whoever it is is trying to be quiet, but they’re not very good at it. Keeping my back to the wall, I peek out and see a guy headed my way. He’s in a hoodie, despite the heat, with a baseball cap pulled low, partially obscuring his face. If that wasn’t suspicious enough, then the way he’s walking would be. He’s keeping to the shadows as much as possible, turning his head to make sure no one else is around to see him, and to really clinch the deal, he stops to inspect a red Honda Civic on his way to the stairwell. It’s the nicest car in the parking garage, and when he sees that it’s locked, he gives up and starts heading my way again.
Pulling back, I press against the wall, waiting for him to come to me, and as soon as he walks through the doorway, I shove him against the wall. I hadn’t wanted Lara to feel my gun, so I’d left it under the seat of my bike, but I don’t need a gun to deal with this idiot. When he tries to reach for his weapon, I punch him in the ribs.
“Fuck!” he yells, trying to clutch at his chest, but I hit him again, this time hard enough to crack ribs. He wheezes and collapses to his knees, not even trying to block the next punch. His nose breaks easily, and the poor guy is left trying to decide if he should cradle his ribs or his nose. He goes for his nose, trying to staunch the blood as he falls back onto his ass.
Leaning closer, I fist his dirty hoodie, waiting for his eyes to meet mine. “Are you the fucker who’s been robbing people here?”
“What?” he asks, coughing and choking on blood while also trying like hell to get his pea-sized brain to process what I’m saying.
I repeat the question much slower because I’m still in a good mood from Lara and I’m trying to be helpful.
“Yeah. Who the hell are you?” The words come out nasally and I laugh.
“Are you aware that this area belongs to the Melnikov Bratva?”
That gets his attention. His eyes widen before they fill with fear.
“So you’ve heard of us. Good, saves me from having to explain it very slowly to you.” I haul his ass up and then quickly let go because the guy is fucking filthy. “Come back here again, and I’ll fucking kill you. Understood?”
“Yeah,” he quickly says, nodding as fast as he can while also pinching his nose to try and stop the blood. “I won’t come back.”
“Good, now get the fuck out.”
He stumbles out of the stairwell and starts running through the parking garage, clutching at his ribs with one hand and his nose with the other. When I’m sure he’s gone, I text Val.
Hey, is Sveta with you? Think she can come tag something?
His response is immediate and not surprising.
I’m with Yelena, but we’re on our way. Sending a text for Sveta to join us. Where are you?
I text him the address and wait. Yelena is our cousin, but she and Val have always been close, very close, and we’re all still in the we’re pretending we don’t see it phase of things. They’re not related by blood, so it’s not like it’s against the law or anything, but it’s still weird enough that they haven’t admitted anything to anyone. At some point they’re either going to have to let it go or come clean about it. Judging by the way they look at one another, my money is on the second option.
I text my brother while I wait, letting him know I haven’t forgotten about his math homework. I send him the emoji that looks like a stack of books and a thumbs up, knowing he’ll figure it out. He responds with the thumbs up and the remote control emoji, letting me know that he doesn’t give a shit and he’s playing video games. When Damien was younger, one of the doctors my parents went to suggested video games, especially fast-paced, action ones, as a way to help improve his reading speed. He’s been hooked ever since.
While I wait, I look through the photos Lara sent me, making the one of her and Pip my lock screen photo. When I hear my cousin’s Jaguar, I pocket my phone and lean against the wall by the elevator so they’ll see me. He parks the beautiful car near my motorcycle, the burnt orange color looking pristine as usual. I don’t think he allows dirt on his car, at least not for long. He and Yelena get out and walk over to me.
“What’s going on?” he asks, looking around and trying to figure out what the hell I’m doing here.
“People have been getting mugged in the stairwell here. I caught the guy and left him with a broken nose and a few broken ribs, but just in case he or any of his friends decide to come back, I thought we should remind them of who owns this area.”
“So what’s really going on?” he asks again.
I shake my head at him and give a soft laugh. He knows me too damn well to be fooled by my vague answer, so I settle on, “Dominic’s newest second-floor waitress lives here. I don’t want her getting mugged.”
He raises a dark brow and looks over at Yelena. My cousin has the same eyes as my Uncle Matvey, so dark they look black, but she has her mom’s build—more lithe than curvy, and she has the same quiet nature as Val. She’s beautiful, but unlike him, I’ve never seen her as anything other than my cousin. She’s more like a sister to me than anything else. Besides, I much prefer the curvy beauty who’s sleeping above us. Just the thought of Lara’s perfect, round ass has me almost salivating. I don’t understand the effect she has on me, and I’m helpless to stop it.
“She’s working the second floor?” Val asks.
“Yeah, she just started up there.”
“Maybe we can meet her sometime,” Yelena says, giving me a grin and her approval before she’s even met Lara.
“Maybe,” I tell her. “I hope so.”
Before they can question me any more, we all turn at the sound of a vehicle approaching. When the black SUV comes into view, Val gives a soft laugh.
“Vitya is probably so pissed she dragged him out here.”
Vitya is Svetlana’s personal bodyguard, a man who constantly infuriates her. I swear her main goal in life is to get a rise out of him, but so far he hasn’t caved. It’s impressive as hell.
I see her light brown hair when she gets out of the passenger side, but it isn’t until she walks around that I see the huge grin lighting her face.
“What do I get to tag?”
I smile at her enthusiasm. The men in our family have always lead the Bratva, but Sveta and my Uncle Lev’s youngest daughter, Mia, have always disagreed with that. Sveta is happy doing smaller things like designing the tattoo we all have on our forearms or coming out in the middle of the night to tag a building, but Mia wants a gun and to be right next to us when the killing starts. She’s fifteen now, so we still have a few years to talk some sense into her, but I have a feeling she’s not going to give up easily.
Vitya is silently standing behind her, looking his usual friendly self, which is to say his mouth is in a tight line and he’s looking around for any hidden threats. He’d almost died a little over a year ago, and if Sveta hadn’t demanded they do an immediate vein-to-vein transfusion, he would have. Ever the lady, she reminds him of it any time he pisses her off.
“Inside the stairwell,” I tell her, pointing at the open door behind me. “The wall next to the stairs.”
“Sweet.” I swear she lets out a giggle when she jogs back to the SUV with Vitya following close behind. She looks over her shoulder and huffs at him. “I’m right fucking here, Vitya. Relax.”
He doesn’t answer her; he rarely does. He just stands watch, knowing it pisses her off all the more when he’s silent. She mutters something, and I swear I see his mouth turn up in a small grin before he hides it.
“Got it,” she says, turning around with the spray cans in hand. We rarely tag buildings, so she’s even more excited than usual. Tagging isn’t something we need to do. Anyone of any importance knows who we are and what areas are ours. This is more for show than anything. If that asshole or any of his friends decide to come back, they’ll see this and know it for the warning it is.
She covers her nose and mouth with a neck gaiter to protect herself from the fumes and gets to work. She takes after my Aunt Katya and is a gifted artist. She can design a tattoo, draw any damn thing you want, or graffiti a wall, all while making it seem effortless. The hiss of the cans fills the air, and we all step back so we don’t breathe in the fumes. Vitya just pulls up his own gaiter and stays close to her, keeping watch just in case.
While she’s busy, my cousins and I wait by Val’s car. Yelena leans against it, resting her ass partially on the hood, and if I wasn’t sure there was more to their relationship, the fact that he isn’t yelling at her for touching his car is proof of it. He doesn’t even seem slightly irritated by it. I swear she could turn around and kick it, and he’d just smile at her.
“I can’t believe they’re letting you out without Sergei or Aleksandr now,” I tell Yelena.
She smiles and gives a playful eye roll. “As long as I’m with one of my super tough cousins, I no longer have to have a bodyguard with me.”
“Perks to being eighteen, I guess,” I tell her.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it has more to do with you guys almost being twenty. You’re starting to take over things, and if they can’t trust you to keep me safe, then we’ve got big problems. I think my dad would prefer it if I still had at least two men watching me at all times, though.”
I smile over at her. “Uncle Matvey is never going to change his mind about that.”
“No, he is not,” Val agrees. “I think if he could lock her away safely for the rest of her life, he would.”
“He just worries,” Yelena says, defending her dad, because my cousin is absolutely a daddy’s girl. She has a very close relationship with both her parents, but there’s always been a special bond between her and Uncle Matvey. He’s overprotective, but we all know he has reason to be. It’s obvious that Val thinks he’s more than capable of keeping our cousin safe, though, and I don’t envy him the conversation he’s going to have to have one day.
“Done!”
We all turn at the sound of Sveta’s excited voice. She waves the fumes away from her face and steps out of the stairwell, tugging her gaiter down and exposing her huge smile. She’s so much like our Uncle Vitaly—always teasing and cracking a joke and more than ready to get into trouble at a moment’s notice.
“Wow,” I tell her when I step in and see what she’s created. It’s not as detailed as the tattoo on my arm, but it’s pretty fucking good for a quick spray-paint job. The Grim Reaper’s head is partially obscured by the black cloak, but you can see the lower half of its skeletal face and the wicked grin he’s giving. The scythe is raised above its head, and she even brought along some red so the blade looks like it’s dripping blood.
“Fucking nice,” Val tells her, smiling at his twin.
She returns the grin and nudges his shoulder, looking pretty damn proud of herself. Vitya stands silently a few feet away. She turns to him and asks in an overly sweet voice, “Don’t you think it looks good, Vitya?”
His only response is a soft grunt that could mean, It looks fucking amazing or I really don’t give a shit .
“Well, that’s helpful,” Sveta mutters, tossing him one of the spray paint cans .
He catches it and raises a brow.
She huffs out a breath and looks to me for help. “Can you believe this guy? I saved his life and he wants to bitch about carrying a fucking can of spray paint for me? Ungrateful.”
I laugh at her tone, because she’s clearly joking around and trying to piss him off. The dark look he’s giving her has her smiling in triumph.
“We’d better get back.” She gives Yelena a quick hug and then points to Vitya. “He gets grumpy when he doesn’t get enough sleep. Well, grumpier .”
“See ya, Vitya,” I tell him.
He nods at us before following Sveta back to the SUV. He’s been with the Bratva for years, and is one of our best men, that’s why he was assigned to Sveta. It’s an honor, but it probably doesn’t feel like one right now. I don’t know much about his life before he came to us. My Uncle Danil approved him, though, so he’s been throughly vetted. He’s quiet and takes his job seriously. I know he’d give his life to protect my cousin, and that’s all I need to know about him.
“We’d better get back, too,” Val says. “Don’t forget we’re all getting together at Dominic’s next week.”
“I’ll be there.” I hug Yelena and give them both a wave before heading to my motorcycle. “Thanks for coming.”
Val grins back at me. “Anytime, man, you know that.”
He’s right. We’d do anything for one another. Anytime, any day, anything—no matter what.
They drive off while I grab my helmet. Before I leave, I send a text to Lara, knowing she’ll see it when she wakes up.
The stairwell is safe, kisa. See you at seven.