I’d always been stronger than others, more aware of my surroundings, alert to strange people and places. But not last night. Disappointment spread through my body, ravaging my thoughts. I knew how to take care of myself, how to defend myself, yet when he snuck up on me, I was rendered useless. I shook my head and poured shampoo into my hair, the sting of the soap alerting me to the wounds on my palms, the skin torn away in patches.
Last night, I’d let my guard down from the excitement of what brought me to New York. I’d been euphoric all week, seeing the early write-ups and buzz Ginger had created surrounding the show.
No more.
I was here for my work. Soon, I’d be at Luke’s wedding, and then I could go back home to California where I belonged. I turned off the shower, grabbed a towel, and let out the deep breath I’d been holding since I woke up, but the tension didn’t leave my body.
Running the towel over my body highlighted how many scrapes and bruises I had, and my stomach clenched.
What if Drake hadn’t found me?
Another spike of terror darted through me.
I wanted to tell Drake thank you. I wanted to see him again.
For many reasons.
The pull was completely unreasonable, but it was there. Seeing him standing by my window last night made me feel safe. The concern in his eyes as he tried to help me and comfort me was strangely beautiful. All the bravado and confidence he’d been filled with earlier in the evening had been replaced with something so different.
My phone buzzed, and I wrapped my towel around me before going to see who it was that had texted. A smile replaced the worry when I saw the text from my brother.
Do I need to send out the search party? You sent the photos and went off the grid. Does that mean you found a wedding date?
I laughed. My brother knew me well. I usually wasn’t one to fight attraction if it reared its ugly head, but I recognized that was all it ever was with me—lust, human nature at its finest. I was selective. I had my standards, but I wasn’t going to deny myself either. Love was too complicated to dabble in. Too many factors could go wrong at any one time. I let out a sigh and texted back before Mitch or Alex showed up at my door.
Not that I would mind Alex. He was extremely good-looking, and we’d dabbled here and there. But that was a prime example of lust. Now if Luke had ever found out, Alex’s career would be over, so we ended it before it really began.
I texted back.
Not even. I was just exhausted and knew I had a busy week. As expected, I’ll be flying solo to your nuptials.
I stared at the screen and debated my choice not to tell Luke. We’d always told each other everything. It was how we made it through our childhood and much of our adulthood. We were all we had. We were the only family we had. We’d included Hannah in our circle, but I knew I couldn’t tell her either. I set my phone down and backed away, confident in my choice. He had Hannah, we were adults, and I didn’t need to ruin the one moment in time he wasn’t obsessed with the chase.
The black pencil skirt hanging in the closet looked less appealing than yesterday, but I wasn’t going to let some asshole dictate who I was or what I’d become in the future. I slipped the skirt off the hanger and slid it over my hips. I grabbed the white button-down shirt, and my mind flashed to Drake and the blood on his shirt. I fastened a large choker around my neck to hide the evidence, but as my mind stayed on Drake, a flutter rose in my stomach. There was something so intriguing about him.
I groaned in annoyance at my lack of willpower. Following one of the worst moments in my life, I still managed to notice how defined and strong Drake was when he tugged his shirt loose and how capable he seemed, effortlessly a protector.
But I’d never wanted to be protected.
In fact, that was the biggest point of contention between my brother and me. He essentially wanted to keep me in a bubble with a lifeline, and I’d finally broken free from that hold. It wasn’t Luke’s fault. Our lives erected that level of fear the moment our parents were taken from our lives, but nevertheless, I prided myself in being independent and thwarting most of my brother’s efforts.
And then Drake swooped in.
I slid my phone and iPad in a black leather purse and glanced around my apartment. Time to face the city streets once more. I grabbed the keys off the kitchen counter, where Drake must have left them from last night, and locked up quickly.
Ginger’s Gallery, B2B, was only a ten-minute walk, but it felt like an hour. By the time I reached the glass door, my hands were clammy and my body swam in nervous heat.
I hated what that man did to me.
My life wasn’t going to be defined by last night. It was going to be defined by this moment right here. It felt like a life chant I fully needed to believe.
I yanked on the door and the clean smell of the art gallery wafted around me. It was a calming scent, filled with oil paints and floor wax, an odd combination, but one I’d learned to recognize over the years. I stepped onto the white wood floors and looked around the amazing space.
I couldn’t believe my pieces were inside these walls. A solo exhibit in a gallery known to jumpstart the careers of many of the best-known painters of our time.
“You’re early,” Ginger said, coming from the back of the gallery. “But my team just finished. What do you think?” She raised her arms and gestured toward the filled space. My paintings hung on the walls, and several dangled from the ceiling with clear line. I’d also created a glass installation that hung from above. The clear glass balls caught the light in a dazzling way, and for the first time in my life, I was excited about what I’d accomplished.
“Even more brilliant than I’d imagined. Your team did a fabulous job.”
Ginger was only a couple of feet away. She crossed her arms and looked around, admiring her hard work.
“We actually had someone tap on the window wanting to buy that one in the corner.” She pointed at a black and white oil I called The Chase. It was one of my abstracts. “I informed him he’d need to wait until Saturday.”
I nodded and slowly walked through the exhibit, careful not to run into the occasional ladder or stepstool.
“I take it you didn’t find any dates for your brother’s wedding?” Ginger asked, walking along with me. She reached out and adjusted one of my miniature paintings. She’d clustered several of them together.
I shook my head and stopped at one of my larger pieces.
“Not even close.” I smiled and took in my work. It felt foreign, like someone else had put their time and energy into them all. Was that because they were at this gallery or because of last night?
I turned to see Ginger’s gaze on my neck, and my hand quickly reached for my choker.
She brought her eyes to mine and raised a brow.
“It’s not what—”
“My ex and I were into all kinds of things. I’m not one to judge.” Ginger gave a wry smile, and my body relaxed. I would rather that circulate through the art world than any other explanation I could come up with. “I’ll let you wander around. If you have any questions, let me know. The printer should be dropping off our programs soon.”
I nodded and wandered through the rest of the room, stopping every so often to admire how her team had made my paintings look so much better than they were.
I was in the back of the gallery when I heard Ginger’s voice echo through the space, and a blast of cold air circulated to where I was standing.
“What brings you here? Your brother send you to spy on the Mesnet sisters again?” Her voice was filled with bitterness.
I peered around the painting dangling from above and spotted Drake walking into the gallery. He was dressed in a suit that fit him perfectly—had to be custom—and my heart skipped a beat. He drifted over to Ginger. Her hands were placed squarely on her slender hips, resting on an expensive pair of ivory slacks. To say she wasn’t pleased to see him was an understatement.
I stood on my toes to get a better g
limpse, and my stomach swirled into unfamiliar territory.
“I stopped by Mia Dufort’s apartment and she wasn’t home. Do you expect her soon?” His voice was even sexier than I remembered.
Damn him!
“What does it matter?” she asked curtly.
His eyes darted across the gallery and connected with mine. The intensity behind his stare stole my breath away, and my belly filled with warmth.
My past told me to run far away from Drake Volkov, but my heart was telling me something different and I stayed right where I was.
Chapter Six
Drake
When her eyes connected with mine, it was like nothing else in this world mattered. I felt Ginger’s gaze burn through me, but I honestly didn’t care. Whatever grudge her sister held against my brother wasn’t my problem.
I was sick of carrying my family’s problems with me everywhere I went.
I excused myself and made my way to where Mia was standing. I saw pinkness surround the necklace she was wearing, and my chest clamped around my heart as I brought my gaze back to hers.
“How are you feeling?” I whispered, careful to keep my distance.
She swallowed hard and tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ear. I saw the bruising around her wrist. They say violence begets violence, but I wanted to finish the job on the sack of shit who hurt Mia.
“Much better. Thanks for asking,” she said softly, her eyes still on mine.
She looked so beautiful in her pencil skirt and thin white shirt, but that wasn’t why I was here. I was here to check on her.
That was all.
“Good. I didn’t have your number, and I wanted to make sure you were—” I stopped myself.
She wasn’t okay. I could see the unrest and worry hidden behind her expression that didn’t exist when I first laid eyes on her at the Masquerade ball. I shoved my hands in my pockets so she didn’t see my fingers ball into fists at the thought of getting another crack at the guy.
Ginger walked by us, eyeing Mia suspiciously, before her stare dropped to Mia’s wrist. I could tell what Ginger was thinking. She assumed Mia and I hooked up last night. My eyes narrowed on her as she wandered to the back room.
Just because my brother, Jax, was into freaky shit, it didn’t mean I was, but there was no point in worrying about it. I brought my eyes back to Mia’s.
She was studying me in a way that lit my body on fire.
“Do you have plans for dinner tonight?” I couldn’t believe the words left my lips. I’d promised myself I was only coming here to check on her. The entire ride over was filled with reasons I wouldn’t dare entertain anything more. The poor woman had been through enough. I didn’t need to bring her into my world. I wasn’t that cruel, but apparently, I was.
“I . . . um.” She took a step forward and grabbed my hand, a completely unexpected move, and damn if my body didn’t respond to that simple touch. “I’m supposed to have dinner with Ginger and her team tonight, and tomorrow, there’s a cocktail party for some of Ginger’s VIPs. I need to be there, and the show opens the following evening . . .” Her voice trailed off, and her hand fell away from mine.
I saw the inner turmoil run through her gaze. She was letting me down easy. My ego appreciated the gesture, but that was the only part of me that was pleased.
Women like her could spot my type a mile away, and usually, they weren’t as kind as she was when turning me down. My type was down and dirty. The ones who never expected a call the next morning. The selection wasn’t by choice. It just managed to work out that way, thanks to my brothers’ reputations.
“Totally understand. Ginger will keep you busy while you’re in New York. The woman knows how to sell art. You’re in good hands.” I began to back away, but she shook her head and closed the gap.
The insane energy running between us was sizzling, especially when I spotted a silhouette hanging behind Mia that matched her perfectly.
“I’m free every day for weeks, beginning Sunday.” Her voice was breathy and coated me with a sweetness that was destabilizing. “Except for my brother’s wedding the following Saturday.” A glint of uncertainty ran through her gaze, but she seemed to move on quickly. “Maybe you can show me around your city.”
“I’d love to.” The tour certainly wouldn’t include my normal venues. “Sunday it is.”
She ran her tongue across her bottom lip, creating the beginning of an addiction I didn’t even know existed. I swallowed air to keep myself grounded and take the lightheadedness away.
“Maybe we can keep it just between us.” She smiled, her brow quirking slightly.
“Absolutely.”
Ginger came back onto the floor from the back room.
“I’d better get going,” I began, feeling the bumbling idiot inside me wanting to make another appearance.
“Hey, I didn’t ask you.” She looked at my abdomen, and my stomach tightened, hoping she didn’t notice what she was doing to me. “How’s your scratch?”
She remembered.
I drew a breath and smiled. “The bleeding stopped and it’s healing just fine.”
“Glad to hear it.” She glanced at a few people lingering outside the windows of the gallery and brought her gaze back to mine. “I look forward to Sunday,” she whispered, and I took that as my cue to exit.
“I’ll be there at two o’clock on Sunday.”
She gave a quick nod, and I walked out of the gallery, grateful to hit the cool, crisp autumn air and regain some kind of grip on reality. In Mia’s presence, that seemed to be impossible.
My driver was waiting in the clearly marked No Parking area outside the gallery. I got inside, and he immediately turned down the radio.
“Still want to head into the office?” Viktor asked, looking at me in the rearview mirror.
I nodded, and he merged into the city traffic.
“Did you get everything figured out you needed to? Should we involve Jax?” Viktor asked.
“No need. My visit had nothing to do with Ginger.” During Jax’s divorce, I’d been the mediator between my brother and Ginger’s sister. More times than not, I wasn’t delivering a great message from my brother, but blood was thicker than water, and I did what I could to help him. But she bled him dry. The end of that relationship hardened him and made him even more unpleasant to be around. Of course, he could still turn on the charm, but as his brother, I rarely got to see that side.
“I’ll keep it between us.” Viktor pulled in front of our office building.
I climbed out of the car, but not before I bent back down and thanked Viktor for his discretion. I shut the door and looked at the tall silver building with its glittering windows. My family owned all thirty floors of this prime real estate. Our offices were at the top, with the best view and the most security.
The receptionist at the desk waved at me as I walked into the lobby. Her smile widened and her hazel eyes grazed my body before offering a greeting. That type of woman I mentioned earlier? She was it, and I’d done my best at keeping this one at bay, but she was persistent.
“Good afternoon, Samantha,” I said, not slowing down my pace as I walked to the waiting elevators and stepped inside the open carriage. The few seconds of peace only led me to think about Mia standing in the gallery, a necklace wrapped around her delicate neck to hide the marks from the night before. The way she looked at me when our eyes met told me there was a connection, but I also saw her fighting the feelings. Considering what she’d been through, I couldn’t blame her, but I was also smart enough to understand there was something more behind her unease.
I couldn’t get Mia out of my mind. The moment I saw that she’d never left the event, I began torturing myself with reasons she told me she was leaving but turned out to be very much there.
The elevator opened, and I stepped into the hall leading into our lobby. The bulletproof glass etched with the words, Wolf Industries, at the far end of the hall was important, but the three guards standing along the gl
ass probably got the point across better to whoever decided to pay a visit.
I scanned myself into our offices and told myself to push away any thoughts of Mia. My brother would be able to sniff out the distraction immediately.
Greta waved as she talked into the phone. Our receptionist was in her early sixties and took on a motherly role around us, which none of us wanted to admit we enjoyed. I walked past her and directly into my brother’s office.
“What are you so happy about?” Jax grumbled. He was sitting in his office with his feet propped on the desk and his fingers linked together behind his head.
I needed to do a better job of acting uninterested in life, mine in particular.
“Not much. Did you get what you needed from the drive?” I asked, removing my suit jacket and taking a seat in front of his desk. His view was the best one we had, but it didn’t matter to me. I tried to stay out of the office as much as possible.
“I did, but it’s going to make our timeline tricky.” He lifted his feet off the desk and leaned forward in his chair. “On Sunday, I’m gonna need you to go—”
“Can’t do it,” I told him. “Sunday’s out for me.”
My older brother stared at me quietly.
Very rarely did we ever say no, and even more unusual was having a life that would interfere with the family business.
“What about Monday?” He folded his arms.
“Not sure yet.”
“So you were successful on many levels last night?” My brother smirked.
“Not even. What about Devin?” I asked. “Or maybe, for once, we could wrangle our celebrity brother.”
Jax laughed and shook his head. Blake Volkov, one of our younger brothers, was a rising star in the soccer world and rarely had time for a visit, let alone worrying about the family business.
“Devin it is.” Jax nodded and picked up his phone, even though our other younger brother, Devin, was only two doors away.
Mia: A Standalone Romantic Suspense: A Luke Fletcher and V Mafia Crossover Novel (Luke Fletcher Series Book 4) Page 4
