30. Lexi
CHAPTER THIRTY
LEXI
“Lexi, you have to stop. Please. You still have the chance to walk away from this.” Robyn’s voice trembles, filled with fear.
I struggle to break free, but her grip is firm on my forearm.
“Valentin might kill you.” She shakes me, desperately pleading with me.
For a moment, I freeze, hearing his name. This isn’t merely about revenge. It’s about making Valentin feel the pain he’s inflicted on me.
“Then if you won’t leave it alone, at least let us join you,” she insists.
“No. I have to do this alone.”
With a single swift motion, I bend her hand back just enough to elicit a gasp, and then I turn and walk across the street to the club.
I stand on the sidewalk, my dress black as midnight and a slit to kill. A plunging neckline showcases my perfect breasts, and the fabric is so thin it might as well be painted.
It doesn’t take long for the security guard to notice me. “A girl like you shouldn’t be out here by herself,” he says, his eyes raking over me.
“And who says I’m alone?” I respond, my voice just above a purr.
“Then I’d say he’s one lucky motherfucker!”
I take a deep breath. “I’m here with Brigadier Volkov,” I say, keeping my voice steady.
He looks at me, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
I raise my chin and point to the tattooed V on my neck.
He contacts someone over the radio in Russian, and though I can’t grasp his words, his smirk and nod reassure me. With a gesture, he swiftly opens the red rope.
As I brush past him, my breath is catching in my throat to enter the Bratva-owned nightclub. The last time I set foot in this place, I slayed a man.
Just then, Ruby appears in the doorway. Dark circles underline her eyes, suggesting she hasn’t slept in days.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice tinged with worry.
“Petrov is here,” she replies, struggling to catch her breath.
“Is he working with Valentin?” I ask.
“I think so,” she murmurs, her voice quivering and her hands unsteady.
I squint to get a better look at her. She’s drenched in sweat and trembling, nearly as if she’s… fuck! “Are you high?”
“It’s just the pills the doctor gave me,” she replies, avoiding eye contact. Her words hang heavily in the air, charged with unspoken anxiety.
“I don’t have time for this,” I dismiss her, charging up the stairs.
With Petrov’s presence, the situation has become much more complex, and now I must confront both the men who have hurt me, each a powerful Bratva boss.
Ruby’s footsteps trail behind me, prompting me to turn and stop her. “You need to call my sister,” I urge, raising my voice over the stirring loud music, gripping her shoulders to make sure she listens.
I glance back at the security guard standing at the front door, firmly blocking the entrance. There’s no way out for me now.
She descends the stairs, pausing at the bottom to pull out her phone.
I swallow hard and run up the steps, my spine tingling with panic as I approach the VIP area. A glance around the room shows both men’s intense gazes fixed on me, patiently anticipating my arrival.
With a predatory grace, I glide across the room, a palpable tension trailing behind me as conversations falter and fade. Power and revenge emanate from me in waves. By the time I reach the corner booth, everyone else has retreated, except for a pretty blonde sitting next to Petrov.
I seat myself across from the men, placing my hands under my thighs to hide their shaking. My eyes bounce between the two evils in front of me.
Valentin’s eyes make my heart thump in my chest, unraveling the confidence with which I strode in here.
Everything about this feels foolish suddenly. Stupid Lexi. You’ve just stepped into Bratva territory without a weapon. This is a dangerous move, and I can only hope my sister arrives before they kill me.
My eyes trail over to him, and a slow grin crawls across his full lips. “Hello, Krasotka.”
Asshole! How dare he call me that after everything he did to me? He embarrassed me, laughed at me, and broke me.
My anger ignites like gasoline meeting flame, hot rage that burns away any vestige of doubt.
“Aww, Lexi. It’s so nice to see you again.” Petrov’s words may be nice, but his tongue is venomous.
“Fuck you!” I say, with a fuck-off smile.
His eyes narrow with amusement. “Tell me, Lexi, did you miss me? Is that why you’ve been looking for me?”
“I’m going to kill you!” I lean in closer, my voice low and fierce, making sure my warning is clear.
His gaze drops to my lips, then lowers, to the exposed skin of my throat. “I see the Brigadier has staked his claim.”
Valentin frames his face and directs his fixed stare at Petrov.
“Well, I no longer belong to the Brigadier,” I hear my own voice petulantly insisting, as if a stranger has taken up residence inside of me. My words come out breathless, defiant.
“Is that so?” Petrov’s voice makes my blood turn to ice water. I fucking hate this guy!
“In all seriousness,” Petrov asks, “you aren’t really foolish enough to walk in here alone and think you’re getting out alive, are you?”
“Who says I’m alone?” I challenge for the second time today, glancing at the woman holding tightly to his arm.
He scans the room, and I follow his gaze. Bratva men mingle with stunning women clinging to them, many of whom seem far too young to even enter this setting. Then he chuckles. “So, where’s your backup?” he asks, clearly amused by my assertion.
I raise my right hand high above my head. The two men exchange puzzled glances.
Once again, they have underestimated me. With just a snap of my fingers, every woman in the VIP area steps away from the men, positioning themselves behind me, their unwavering gazes fixed on the two men in front of us.
With a subtle nod, the striking blonde next to Petrov rises and sits beside me, her presence solid and unwavering as she prepares to protect me.
“So dramatic, I see,” Petrov chuckles, though there’s an unmistakable tension lurking beneath his laughter. “Reminds me of your sister.”
He takes a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, his intense gaze locking onto mine.
As he slowly licks his lips, savoring the flavor, it feels as if he’s pondering what I might taste like.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up, and goosebumps spread across my arms. “What do you think we should do with her?” he asks, his voice laced with a cruel laugh.
“I say we take her somewhere more private and have some fun with her,” Valentin suggests in a deep, resonant voice, the kind that carries an unsettling tone—a clear threat.
When my eyes narrow, a sinister smirk tips his lips. “Are you sure about that, Brigadier?” Petrov asks.
“That will send a message to her sister,” he answers, tightening his tie.
I stare at him, searching for the man I fell in love with, unsure he even existed and wasn’t just a pretense. “Valentin.”
He cuts me off with a look that could freeze flame. All I see in him now is the devil, a man who played with me and threw me away when he was done.
“I loved you!” The words tumble out, raw and desperate. “Did you ever love me?”
He glances my way, and I watch as his throat moves while he swallows. “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”
His admission strikes me like a thunderclap. Everything tilts, and sound vanishes. The moment swallows me whole. “I fucking hate you.”
He opens his eyes, meeting mine with startling intensity. “Sweetheart,” he snickers with a mocking grin, leaning back in his chair. “A guy like me doesn’t fall in love, and even if I did, it wouldn’t be with a whore.”
His words slice through my heart like a razor, leaving me even more shattered than when I first entered the room.
“You’re just as pathetic as your sister,” Petrov says, laughing.
My sister.
I turn my head, scanning the area for Ruby, and there she is, right behind me. “Did you call Elise?” The urgency in my voice is crying out.
She shakes her head with a smile. “Ruby!” I cry out.
“Come here, baby,” Petrov beckons, and Ruby approaches him, settling down beside him.
“Ruby! What the fuck are you doing?” I murmur, tears welling in my eyes.
“You had your Brigadier, and I needed someone too,” she replies, planting a kiss on Petrov’s cheek.
I release a deep, troubled sigh. I’m doing this to keep her safe. How could she not understand?
“Have you forgotten what he did to you?”
“He made up for it,” she says, nervously fiddling with the diamond bracelet on her wrist.
I tighten my fist to keep myself from raging at her and shift my body to turn away from her.
“Don’t be jealous, Lexi. Or is it, Alexis?” Petrov’s head pulls back slightly, and a menacing laugh escapes him. “I knew you’d come chasing after the Brigadier, the man you thought loved you, but broke your heart.”
This is a trap, an invitation, maybe a little bit of both.
“It’s time to go,” Valentin says, rising and smoothing out his suit jacket. He reaches out his hand to me.
Petrov stands beside him, their imposing figures casting a shadow over me. “Elise is not coming to your rescue, darling. In fact, she’s heading right into a trap that the Brigadier has carefully set for her,” Petrov sneers.
I spin frantically, searching for my friends. Their faces are filled with terror, each held at gunpoint by a menacing figure. We’re in trouble.
“Run!” I scream, and the VIP area erupts in panic as screams echo and the men grab onto my friends. But the two men in front of me don’t move. It’s me they want.
My heels click sharply against the club’s floor as a tightness pulls at my chest, a chilling feeling trickling down my neck.
Looking back, I see Valentin and Petrov hot on my heels, their dark eyes locked onto me.
Two dangerous men are hunting me. I weave through the crowd, desperate to increase the distance between us.
But when I turn around to check, they’ve vanished from sight.
I quickly make my way to the exit, aware of their presence lingering somewhere behind me.
Reaching the sidewalk fills me with relief, but I don’t dare slow my pace. Just as I round the corner, the sound of screeching tires grips my attention.
My heart races as I turn and spot a black SUV barreling toward me. Fear locks every muscle in my body, freezing me in place. In an instant, the SUV screeches to a halt beside me, and the back door swings open.
I spin around to escape, but powerful arms seize me, yanking me back toward the vehicle.
“Let me go, asshole!” I scream, struggling and thrashing, but I can’t break free from the iron grip tossing me into the back seat.
A figure lunges onto me, pinning my smaller frame and pressing his hand against my mouth to silence my desperate cries.
I gaze up, my eyes widening at the sight of the man before me. An electric heat radiates between us as our eyes lock, and for a moment, time stands still. He doesn’t move, staring down at me with those eyes that are still capable of holding me captive.
Slowly, a grin spreads across Valentin’s face as he keeps his hand firmly pressed against my mouth. He has won this chase.
But I don’t give up easily. Sorry, guys—wrong girl.
Anger churns in my stomach, making my muscles tense. I swing my hand upward, catching the edge of his lip. My eyes widen as I see blood pooling from the cut.
“What did I tell you about misbehaving?” he growls.
I struggle to break free, but he grips my arms and flips me hard onto my stomach. Heat rushes to my face as I feel him pressing against me from behind, my heart racing wildly in my chest. He plants one hand on my shoulder, leaning close, as terror-filled tears begin to well up in my eyes.
A sharp slap on my ass awakens a sting that pulses through me. A whirlwind of panic and exhilaration courses through my veins, my heartbeat pounding in my ears, rendering me frozen, unable to resist or escape. He follows with several more strikes.
“Please, just let me go,” I beg him, my breath coming in quick, panicked gasps.
“Didn’t I tell you that you’re mine, Krasotka?” he says, pulling back before closing the door, leaving me shrouded in a hellish darkness.