Chapter Thirty Willow
Chapter Thirty
Willow
I found Lev in the lounge watching the cameras when Ivan escorted me back up.
He looked awful and I didn’t know what to do except ask if he wanted a drink.
Dragna said he would be back up as soon as he sent Alina’s dad away, but that was an hour ago and now Lev and I have drank our way through a bottle of wine, five shots each and now we’re passing a bottle of vodka between us.
“I wish one of you would tell me what happened instead of you both saying it was mutual. That’s obviously bullshit and not what’s going on Lev.”
I pass him back the bottle and he takes a swig.
“It was Wills.” He says, not looking me in the eye.
I know I haven’t known him long, but seeing him so down like this instead of his usual happy self is hurting me.
“If it was mutual then why are you both so miserable. Just get back together!” I throw my hands out in front of me and Lev just continues to stare at the ground.
He takes another drink and hands me back the bottle and I’ve lost hope on how to cheer him up or even make him feel the slightest bit better.
The door to the lounge opens and I look out the office door to see if it’s finally Dragna coming back, but it’s just Ivan.
The music from downstairs blasts into the room through the open door and the next song starting has piano keys that I would know anywhere and suddenly I have a lightbulb moment. A drunk lightbulb moment but I still think it might make Lev feel better.
“Come on. Get up.”
I stand and kick his feet and he doesn’t move.
“Lev, as your sister which you once called me, I’m telling you to get your ass up.”
He looks up at me and since I’ll take what I can get and he isn’t staring at the floor in pity anymore, I grab his hand and try to pull him up.
“God why are you so big! Help a girl out here, get the hell up!”
He chuckles as he starts to stand up
“Alright, calm down. I’m up!”
“Come on, let’s go and quickly before it’s over.”
I pull him out from the office and break into a run out of the lounge and down the two flights of stairs to the main floor, bumping into everyone and dragging a drunken Lev behind me the whole time.
When he realises the song pumping throughout the place, ‘Next To Me - RüFüS DU SOL’, a smile breaks out on his face and I laugh up at him as we both start dancing.
“How the hell did you know I love them?” He asks while playfully picking me up and spinning me around.
“Dragna told me when I was blasting them in the apartment one day.”
He sets me down and we both dance side by side.
“And you remembered?”
He hip bumps me and throws an arm over my shoulder.
“Of course! You mean a lot to Dragna which means you mean a lot to me too… brat.” I exaggerate the last word and Lev lets out a full blown fit of laughter at my terrible Russian accent and use of the word brother.
“Ah Willow tree. You’re something special to have broken the chains on Dragna’s heart you know.”
“He the one who’s special.” I reply and Lev smiles at me before breaking out into song, singing to me and spinning me around and I can’t help but sing at the top of my lungs along with him.
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“He’ll be in his office.” Lev says as we stumble up the stairs.
What was originally supposed to be dancing for one song to cheer him up, turned into us dancing and drinking for another two hours together but I feel like he needed this tonight, and I’ll never say no to having a good time.
“How do you know?” I ask while trying to steady myself against the wall.
“I know him. I bet he’s been brooding in his office watching us all night on the cameras.”
“Shut up, he isn’t broody.” I hiccup and Lev pulls me in front of him by my shoulders, practically marching me to the lounge doors.
“Ha! Oh to be you and see Dragna’s soft side. The rest of us only get Mr. Grump.”
I stomp on his foot half jokingly, half serious because I feel a weird protectiveness over Dragna, even if Lev is joking.
“Be nice. He’s your cousin.” I say sternly and Lev curses in Russian while laughing before continuing to steer me on our path to the lounge again.
“Good to know you’re willing to stick up for him, even against me. You’re a good one Willow tree.”
He pats me on the head as we reach the door and we both stand outside it like two teenagers waiting to be scolded by their parents.
“Go ahead.” He gestures for me to open the door.
“What! Why me? It was your idea to order more drinks, this is all your fault!” I argue.
“He’ll kill me, but he loves you, he’ll go easy on us if you go in first!”
I roll my eyes, bad idea, now I feel dizzy and realise just how drunk I am. Not drunk enough to miss the fact Lev said Dragna loves me though.
“Shut up he doesn’t love me it’s only been a couple months, but fine I’ll go in first you big baby.”
“Mhmm, denial is a river in Egypt sestrichka.” Lev mutters under his breath and I slap his arm playfully before pushing the lounge door open.
We both stumble in giggling like two school girls but come to a halt when we look up and notice everyone in the room around the poker tables are staring at us in silence.
Ivan throws a thumb over his shoulder towards Dragna’s office and Lev looks down at me before shoving me in front of him, urging me forward to go first.
Why are they all so afraid of him?
I make my way to the office and open the door. Dragna is sitting drinking a glass of whiskey and watching all the monitors, camera angles of everywhere in the club. He looks up and me and I don’t know what to do apart from fumble with my hands.
“I was making some calls and looking for Lev earlier, I didn’t think he’d be up here and by the time I came back up, you both were already having fun downstairs.”
He takes a drink and sets the glass down on the desk before he stretches out in the office chair.
“Oh, okay.”
“What’s wrong moya dusha?” He asks genuinely concerned.
“Huh? Nothing? Are you okay? Everyone outside seems to think you’re about to bury Lev and I.” I laugh and he stands, smirking at me before he pulls me into a hug.
“I’m fine, I’m glad you had a good night and I’m grateful you pulled Lev out of whatever blackhole he’d got himself into.”
I breathe a sigh of relief and wrap my arms around him.
“I’m very drunk right now, so I’m going to lie down.” As I finish speaking he picks me up and I let out a yelp.
“I’ll take you back to mine. It’s closing time anyway.”
I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and wrap my arms around his neck as he makes his way out into the lounge where it’s still deathly silent. Seriously, what is everyone’s problem?
“See Lev, I told you he’d be fine!” I giggle as some of the men in the room start snickering but Lev just stands there not moving or speaking.
Dragna walks us over to him and sets me down. The low rumble of laughter surrounding us suddenly stops again and Lev audibly gulps as Dragna brings a hand up to cup the back of his neck.
“You good?” He asks him and a couple of seconds go by before Lev nods in response.
He pulls Lev to him by the hold he has on his neck and with his other hand he slaps him on the back a couple times like they are having some kind of bro hug.
Lev drunkly throws his around Dragna in return and I watch as relief falls over his body.
“Ona khoroshaya, moy brat. Ne oblazhaysya.” Lev mutters and I’m so drunk it takes me a second to realise he spoke in Russian and it wasn’t that I’m just so gone that I couldn’t understand English anymore.
“Znayu, i ne budu. Ya rada, chto ona pomogla tebe segodnya, no nam nuzhno pogovorit’ zavtra.” Dragna replies as I feel myself getting confused again, and sleepy.
They break apart from their embrace and Lev nods at him. I yawn and rub my eyes as I’m swooped back up in Dragna’s arms again and around us chatter and laughter starts back up as if someone just pressed play on the room.
“What was that all about?” I ask in a daze as we head out of the lounge.
“Business, something got messed up tonight and they all thought I’d take it out on Lev.”
“God you must be terrifying in business meetings if that’s how they all react.” I laugh and Dragna shakes his head.
“You’ve no idea moya dusha.”