2. Savanna #2
Sasha says something in Russian that has both dogs trotting over to their dog beds so they can chew on their bones while we eat.
I can’t help but grin at the size difference between the Beagle and Doberman—one screams danger and the other screams cuddle-bug.
It’s freaking adorable, especially when they both plop down on the same bed instead of choosing to separate.
When everyone has a plate and I’ve taken my first bite, I say, “This is delicious,” before quickly filling my fork again.
“Sasha made it,” Cindy says while giving her husband a huge smile.
Niki laughs and grabs one of the rolls that’s dripping butter. “It’s like I don’t even recognize you anymore, cuz.”
Sasha shrugs one of his broad shoulders. His eyes soften when they meet Cindy’s, but then he goes back to the empty stare I’m used to seeing on him.
“Well, I recognize that look,” Niki mutters with another laugh.
“The scary one?” I whisper across the table, even though I know everyone can hear me.
Niki meets my eyes and grins. “Yeah, the scary one. I’d be terrified of him if we hadn’t grown up together.”
“I’m right here,” Sasha reminds us.
Niki grins at his cousin. “What? You’re intimidating. We all know that, especially you.”
“True enough,” Sasha admits. “At least I took the dummies down.”
Their place used to be a large warehouse that Sasha converted into a home. It’s an open-floor plan, and Cindy told me that one corner of the downstairs used to have dummies hanging from the ceiling. Apparently Sasha prefers to use a knife, and he’s obsessive about his training.
“Wow,” Niki says, darting his eyes to the now empty space. “Where are you going to pretend to kill people?”
“I’m going to build a garage in the back. A really big one,” Sasha says and then looks at Cindy. “With locks that our kids can’t pick. We’re also adding on a few rooms to the place. We need a nursery and a couple more bedrooms since we’re definitely having more than one kid.”
“We’ve got to space them out, though,” Cindy says. “I want to get my vet tech degree before we add another little one to the mix.”
Sasha gives her a wink. “Of course, krovinka. Whatever you want.”
I look over to see Niki raising an eyebrow at me. I grin while he mouths the word perfect and rolls his eyes.
When I turn my head and see Cindy staring at the big smile on my face, I know I’m not doing a very good job of hiding how I’m feeling.
Not that it would matter. We’ve been best friends since first grade, so we’re definitely at the point where she can read me like an open book.
Instead of calling out my obvious attraction to the man sitting across from me, she asks about the paper I’m writing for my early education class.
“It’s fine when George behaves himself. I swear if that bastard deletes my paper, I’m throwing him out the window,” I say, remembering how moody my laptop can be.
“Please tell me you’re saving everything to the cloud,” Niki says, and it’s impossible to not laugh at the desperate tone he’s using.
“I am, yeah, but I still need my laptop to behave a little bit longer, or maybe a lot longer. I’m using my leftover financial aid to cover expenses for now, but I know that’s not the greatest long-term plan.
I’m trying to find a job, but so far no luck.
It’s going to take me a while to save up to buy a new one, so George needs to behave,” I say, and before Cindy can offer like she has many times before, I add, “Thank you, but no. I need to be able to do this on my own.”
My best friend nods, but I know she hates it.
I love her to death, and I know she’d love to spend all kinds of money on me, but I don’t want her to do that.
My parents are helping me as much as they can, and that makes me feel guilty enough.
They’ve worked hard to get where they are, and I don’t want to be the one who empties their bank account. I want to be able to do this on my own.
Sasha finishes off his last bite before saying, “You need to let Niki take a look at it. If anyone can fix it, it’s him.”
“Yeah, I’d be happy to,” Niki says, and I can tell he means it and that he’s not just agreeing because his cousin basically volunteered him for it.
“Perfect,” Cindy says, another big smile lighting up her matchmaking face. “Are you free tonight?”
“Cindy,” I start to say, but Niki gives a good-natured laugh and nods.
“I am, yeah.” He looks back at me and says, “If you’re okay with it, I can drive you back to your sorority and take a look at it.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like you have to,” I tell him.
“I don’t feel that way. I want to, and ever since you mentioned your temperamental laptop, I’ve been dying to get my hands on it. You’d be doing me a favor.” The corner of his mouth lifts up when he adds, “I’ve had nightmares about this thing. I’m guessing it’s riddled with viruses.”
“Do viruses make the screen turn colors and then randomly pop on and off?” I ask.
Niki groans. “Are you ready to leave now?”
Cindy laughs. “Don’t you dare. We still have dessert.”
“Did Sasha make that too,” Niki asks.
Sasha grins at his cousin. “I did, yeah.” When Cindy gets up to start clearing away plates, he grabs her waist and pulls her onto his lap. “What do you think you’re doing, krovinka?”
“Clearing the plates and grabbing dessert,” she says.
He nips at her neck and whispers something that makes my best friend blush.
This time I don’t chance a look at Niki.
I’m too afraid my face will reveal too much, that it will show how badly I wish I had something like this for myself.
Instead of facing the gorgeous man across the table, I stand and start gathering plates.
When Cindy tries to stop me, I take her empty plate and say, “Sasha’s right. You don’t need to be doing all this. I’m more than capable of loading a dishwasher.”
She grins up at me. “Since when?”
“Since I accidentally put a cheap plastic bowl on the bottom rack of the dishwasher at the Kappa house and nearly set the place on fire. Miss Francis was furious,” I say with a laugh.
Niki stands and starts gathering the rest of the dishes. “Who’s Miss Francis?”
“She’s our house mom,” I tell him. “There’s a small apartment for her, and she takes her job very seriously.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” he says. “I mean, it’s important you have good security.”
I laugh and shake my head while I walk to the kitchen counter.
“No, she’s terrible at security. She’s more focused on teaching us how to do domestic things, that’s why she’d been so appalled at my inability to properly load a dishwasher.
She made me practice loading it every night for two weeks. Believe me, I’ve got it down now.”
Turning on the sink, Niki starts giving the dishes a quick wash. “But she’s bad at security?”
I shrug and say, “I mean, we keep the doors locked at night.”
He doesn’t seem thrilled by that, but when he hands me a plate, I stack it right where it belongs.
“Very nice,” he says, eyeing my work and making me laugh. “Let’s see if you can handle this.”
He hands me several forks and a small saucer.
I scoff and say, “Child’s play,” before quickly putting them where they belong.
“Okay, now I’m really impressed,” he says.
“Good, remember this moment when you’re combing through George.”
“I will remember your exceptional dishwasher skills when I’m sifting through George’s poor, virus-addled remains,” he promises.
I put the last of the cups in and shut the door. “He might not be that bad,” I say, knowing that he most definitely is that bad and probably a thousand times worse.
“We’ll see soon enough,” Niki says before grabbing an apple pie off the counter while I get a tub of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer.
While we eat, I keep stealing quick looks at Niki.
With Sasha it’s very easy to never forget that he’s in his family’s Bratva.
With Niki, though, I have to keep reminding myself that he’s a very dangerous man who does very dangerous things.
I don’t forget because he doesn’t look tough.
He does. His build may not be as big as his cousin’s, but even in his hoodie, I can tell he’s lean and sculpted.
He’s also well over six feet tall with enough tattoos to catch anyone’s eye.
He looks the part, but there’s something about him that intrigues me, something that goes beyond what he looks like on the outside.
Maybe it’s his quiet intensity, or the way he can sometimes look almost shy.
Whatever it is, it makes me think he’d give the best hugs and would always make me feel like I’m safe.
It’s ridiculous. I barely know him, but it’s there all the same.
After we’re all stuffed, and I realize it’s close to ten, I shoot Niki a quick look. “If it’s too late, we can do this some other time.”
The corner of his mouth twitches like I’ve said something funny before he says, “I usually stay up way later than this. It’s not a problem unless it’s keeping you up.”
“No, I’m good,” I quickly say, knowing I’d happily lose sleep if it lets me spend more time with him.
“Well, all right then,” he says, grabbing his messenger bag and slinging it across his chest. “I think it’s time I meet George.”