by India Kells
Bowing slowly, Finch offered her his arm which she ignored. Unoffended, the man reached for the door handle.
“Nobody leaves this room.”
At Aleksei’s deep, fierce tone, Deva froze, and the familiar clicking sound behind her made her realize that Finch wasn’t the only one who had broken the event’s rules.
Finch’s civilized veneer slipped as he looked at his son with a deadly gaze. “You would jeopardize everything you have bled for on a simple woman, Aleksei? For an MC bitch who was probably backstabbing you while you thought she was sucking your cock? Don’t be fooled son, you won’t win this fight by choosing her over me. If you step away, all the money you have accumulated will remain mine, and you will be back where you started. Is this what you want?”
Deva turned her head to look at Aleksei. The gun he was pointing at his father’s head was steady and his expression fearless. “You better go now, Father. Alone.”
Finch nodded, intelligent enough not to put himself in danger, and gestured to his goons to exit. “This is not over. I do not reward treason. You chose your camp, I hope she was worth it. Because when her father knows that she’s still breathing, you won’t have her for long. That’s a promise.”
Deva didn’t know she was in survival mode until the door closed behind the devil incarnate and she could finally draw a full breath. Her body wanted to flee, and her brain was agreeing with that plan. It was difficult to think clearly, but for everybody’s protection, she needed to get her wits into gear and fast.
Lazarus put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. “Deva, I’ll arrange a safe house for you.”
Disappearing was a temptation, but not the solution.
“I’m not going anywhere. It may be the nerves talking, but something’s wrong. It’s impossible that Jamieson Finch would know who I was so quickly.”
Lance came beside her. “Maybe one of the security guys who saw your tattoo was working for him?”
“Maybe. It doesn’t sit well with me though. There is something bigger that I don’t see. A leak.”
Lazarus shrugged. “I wish I knew what it was too. But we need to move. I’ll find you a safe house, Deva. I’ll drive you to it now.”
The logical solution but again, her gut was disagreeing with it. “No offense Lazarus, but I have the feeling that Finch knows things before we even think about it. We need to move. I’ll find a solution later.”
But as she headed for the door, Aleksei blocked her path. “No, Deva.”
She backtracked from the wall of tattooed muscles. With only his pants and boots on, he was a sight to be seen, but lust had to take a backseat. “Stop right now. You think of me as a lying spy, well, you’re not far from the truth. But I’ve sacrificed my life and freedom to be here. And one thing I fled was an overbearing, directorial male so you can stuff the attitude, Aleksei.”
Lance opened his arms to stop the confrontation and ignored the fiery stare Aleksei aimed at him. “Can we continue this conversation in a safer place? By now, the parking lot should be packed with dangerous people, some of them at war. I don’t know how long the truce will stand, but the more we wait, the more complicated it will be getting out of here without a fight.”
Aleksei grabbed a black t-shirt and got his phone out. “I’ll call my Pakan, he’ll offer protection.”
Deva winced and put a hand on his wrist to stop him. “Bad idea. Unless you want to tell him you are trying to protect an MC princess, this could backfire on you. I doubt the Russian Bratva wants to get involved.”
“So, what do you suggest? We have only one gun, and there are hundreds outside. Not all waiting for us, but many begging for a fight.” Lazarus rubbed his beard, evaluating the situation.
Deva knew all of this. And from an early age, she had learned to consider them like wild animals, feeding on the weak. They couldn’t possibly get out of here, her hiding beneath her hood. They would be swarmed in a matter of minutes. The opened first-aid kit gave her an idea.
“Aleksei, go through the warehouse and get out. Oz, Lance and I will take the emergency exit door.”
Ignoring them all, she looked at the kit and took out a pair of scissors. She removed her hoodie and threw it at Lance. “Put that on… It’s so large it should fit you, and at least you will appear like you are carrying.”
Starting with her jeans, she cut them as high as she could to make booty shorts. When she noticed her underwear peeking out, she cut them off and discarded them in the trash can.
“What the hell are you doing?” Lazarus spoke, but all three men were looking at her as if she had gone mad.
She rolled her pants legs into two tight cylinders and handed them to Lance and Lazarus. “Put that in the small of your back. The bulge should be self-explanatory.”
And then she started hacking at her t-shirt, cutting at her cleavage, and shortening its length until she made sure her tattoo was clearly visible.
Handing the scissors to Lance, she turned her back on him. “Cut it higher in the back, right side.”
Lance frowned but took the scissors, doing as she asked. A few more snips and it was done. Bracing herself, she went to the sink and put her hair under the water for a few seconds, giving it a good rub and throwing her head back. The woman looking back at her wasn’t Deva Landry anymore. It was Victoria Johnson. But ten years had passed, and her curves had filled up a bit. Her training had kept her in shape, but only fully blossomed womanhood would give her full breasts and the enticing swell of her hips. The look was blatantly sexual, but it was what she was looking for. It was the look that would give her the necessary edge and power to walk out.
The three men looking at her didn’t move. Lance shook his head as Lazarus and Aleksei stayed silent. The heat in the fighter’s gaze was undeniable. “And that is supposed to help us how again?”
“Oz and Lance flank me. Act as my bodyguards, and I’ll act as your shield.”
Lazarus shook his head but went for the door nonetheless. “The most naked shield I’ve ever seen. My car is close by, and it’s in a different direction to the motorcycles.”
Taking a deep breath, Deva pushed back her shoulders and tried to remember all that she had learned so long ago. As she was about to step out, Aleksei yanked her back. Opening her mouth to protest, he silenced her promptly with a kiss. Her brain yelled not to touch him, but her body betrayed her once more, and she fisted his hair with both her hands.
When he reared back, it was his turn to fist her hair, his face but an inch away from hers. “Whatever your plan is, I’m not walking away. Deal with it.”
Deva nodded and stepped back, and walked out first into the bowels of hell.
Chapter 15
The night air was hot against her skin, but the look she got as they crossed the parking lot could have easily signed every inch of her bare skin. There were women in that mob, but the scantily clad ladies were only eye candy, always assigned and owned. And in them there was no wives or daughters; they were too precious or protected to be risked in such volatile situations. In MCs, the almost naked ones retained the most power, and she was aiming for that energy.
Aleksei took the lead with Lazarus and Lance on each side of her. From the corner of her eyes, she recognized a few faces. People that her father had dealings with, a few henchmen. And as none of them were looking at her face, Deva had a small reprieve. Her three bodyguards seemed to have grown taller and larger as they advanced in the parking lot. The goal was not to hide her, but show her off with the definite message that she wasn’t to be touched.
Many detailed her body first before assessing her protectors, and as Deva suspected, it was only a matter of time before someone tested her watchdogs or recognized her. When they went around a few sports cars parked a few yards from the street, the game was on. However, it was a man in a sharp dark gray suit surrounded by a massive entourage who stopped their little troop in their tracks. More specifically Aleksei.
Lazarus pulled her back a little and hunched
down to murmur in her ear that it was the Pakan, the head of the Chicago Bratva. The man had a shaved head, was well into his fifties and spoke rapidly to Aleksei who slightly bowed his head. She didn’t hear clearly what the men were talking about, and it was probably in Russian anyway, but the older man seemed pleased with Aleksei, clapping his shoulder enthusiastically. His eyes slid across the three others, but he seemed to dismiss them rapidly before returning his attention to Aleksei. They talked a few minutes more, and Deva could see movements from the sides, and she tensed, recognizing a couple of the Puerto Rican troublemakers from years back, who had definitely climbed up the ladder and packed on some muscle.
They needed to get out of here, and as quickly as possible. From a distance, they may have guessed that she was part of one of the MCs, but as long as they didn’t detail her tattoo too closely, she was keeping the wolves at bay.
Others lurked nearby, only keeping their distance because of the Pakan and his protectors.
Aleksei bowed one more time before his Pakan went away. She would have time later to question him about that, but now, they needed to get out, fast. The group started walking toward Lazarus’s car when a voice called behind her. Nobody listened, but the man shouted even more loudly, some other whistled. Her Spanish wasn’t strong, but she could recognize catcalls and misogynistic insults anywhere. It seemed that she would need to officially show her cards so they could finally leave.
Drawing a breath, she stopped walking and turned, ignoring Lazarus’s low curse and Lances sigh.
In front of her were three very handsome Hispanic men. If only they knew that wife-beaters and thick gold chains and watches weren’t a fashion statement. They detailed her exposed body with a lurid stare, and she almost rolled her eyes when they licked their lips at her as if it was an enticement, stupidly ignoring the three lethal men that surrounded her.
“Are you done, guys? We’re kind of busy.”
Deva took a step in their direction, ready to show them her tattoo and call them off when Aleksei circled her bare midriff with his arm and subtly pulled her behind Lance. The three men acted as a barrier. A silent face off. Worst of all, the three brainless youngsters didn’t feel the imminent danger. Her three protectors were powerhouses in their own right, and even if their opponents had street smarts, experience and ruthlessness were on her side.
Before the situation had the chance to turn sour, another voice snapped like a whip, calling the three men off. Clearly unhappy to be pulled back from a possible fight, they snarled like puppies and retreated. From a distance, she locked eyes with the man who had taken control of his crew. Hector. Deva nodded at him and realized the mess the whole situation was. Another player, another very thin line to tread, another reluctant ally, another secret.
Hector looked at her for a moment and turned to walk away. The coast was clear but not without a price. Hector was looking out for them, and she recognized a few members of the Pakan’s close guard standing at a distance. Many unspoken questions flew by. A few more feet and Lazarus unlocked his car.
As Deva turned to get in, the roar of motorcycles made her jump out of her skin, making her grip the closest man within her reach. Poor Lance had his hands full with her, but always a gentleman, he closed his arms around her shoulder and turned to put his back toward the sound. She cursed at herself for reacting that way, it was a pure knee jerk reaction, but it was the sound of her nightmares.
“Sweetheart, breathe. They are only passing by, nobody is looking at you.”
She nodded against his chest, but just waited as Lance rubbed her back in a soothing gesture. “They’re gone, sweetheart. Get in the car now, you’re safe.”
When she turned, she caught Aleksei glaring at her, but she was too shaken to deal with him at the moment. He could stew for a while longer. She slid on the back seat with Lance following suit beside her. Lazarus got behind the wheel, and Aleksei sat beside his brother. Pride wanted her to stand tall, but the frightened girl who ran ten years ago was so close to the surface, it was as if she couldn’t detach herself from her yet. After a few breaths, Deva was regaining some sort of control.
“Guys, you can drop me at my place.”
Aleksei growled, but it was Lazarus who answered. “You said it yourself, Deva, something is off. There’s too much of a risk to leave you alone. Any of us for that matter. We need a place Finch won’t know about.”
“I know a place.”
Lazarus interrupted his Russian brother. “No offense Aleksei, but we are not Bratva. It could get tricky. We need an independent place. You can go to a Bratva safe house if you want, but Deva and I need another one.”
“I’m not leaving her in your hands.”
Deva rolled her eyes, calm descending upon her once more. “You don’t trust me, you don’t trust him, you don’t trust Lance. We’re getting nowhere fast, Aleksei, especially since you trust Jamieson Finch.”
“You all only tell lies! From the start! With Finch, I know where I stand.”
“Then why are you in this car? Just get the fuck out. You want to get yourself killed at the hands of people who don’t fucking care about you, do it. I’ve taken that path once, and it broke me apart. I don’t even know why I would do it again.”
Aleksei’s silence was making her cringe.
“You’re delusional if you think you can trust Jamieson Finch to be true to his word. The more I look at it, the more I see a mess of political lies and deceitful promises. I risked and lost everything to get you out of this mess, to protect you, because I care!”
“I didn’t ask for anything.”
Deva nodded, a cold, icy ball settling in her stomach. “You are right. And I’m not offering anything anymore. All I hope is that I’m wrong about Finch. For your sake.”
Chapter 16
After a ride in uncomfortable silence, and Deva asking again to be dropped at her apartment, a tenuous agreement was reached among the men for her to grab a bag from her place, and for them to then go to Lance’s apartment to regroup. He was the wildcard of their group, and it would take a while for people to discover his name and retrace his whereabouts. Even his truck that was probably dismantled in pieces by now was a rental, under a fake identity.
Deva didn’t dare ask why Lance was so cautious, she was just glad he had been by her side when she was in dire need. Tiredness pulled at every cell of her body, and she longed for a bed; lack of sleep was starting to play games with her wits. Again, and again, her thoughts circled about the encounter with Finch. Something was off, but now, she wasn’t sure her instinct could be trusted. And Aleksei simmering so close wasn’t helping.
Lance’s place was in the business district. The sun was slowly coming up, and people were starting to mill around. Lazarus parked in the back alley, and Lance got out, checking the area before gesturing for Deva to get out of the car. Aleksei rounded the car, his gun discreetly hidden along his thigh, flanking Deva, his other hand on the small of her back. She stepped away from his touch, but the stubborn man circled her hip with his arm, pulling her side against his. The hold was almost painful, and then she knew she could tell her bed goodbye as she was probably going to be pulled into another Russian storm soon.
They all entered by the ordinary-looking building’s back door, and went up a few flights of stairs and at the end of the corridor, Lance unlocked his door. The place was quaint but clean. No frills. Fully furnished, the kitchen was small, but the living area sported a large couch. One functional bathroom with a master bedroom and a smaller guest bedroom.
The four of them stood there, immobile for a good minute until Aleksei snarled and put his fist through the sheetrock wall. Well, he didn’t stop at one punch and repeatedly groaned as his frustration, anger, and skin went through the widening hole.
Lance remained back and shook his head, probably thinking about the repair fees on his lease. Oz was hovering nearby, debating what to do. In the meantime, Aleksei was destroying the wall and more seriously, injuring his already
wounded hands. Deva wasn’t about to wait for him to wind down like the other two seemed to be doing.
“Aleksei!”
The sound he made would make a lesser woman run out of the apartment, but she wasn’t about back down.
“Aleksei, stop!” She grabbed the waistband of his pants and pulled hard. It didn’t completely move him away from the wall, but the rampage was about to restart. As he swung his arm again, blood dripping from his knuckles, she rushed in front of him and put her own hands over his fists, ignoring the blood.
The man before her was almost past of rescue, his eyes wild and the pain wasn’t even registering with him. She’d seen her father’s men in that state, adrenaline pumping through their veins, just after a killing spree. Not a surprise as the man before her was still pumped from a quick fight, surprised by her arrival, torn with his confrontation with Finch…
His arms were trembling with restraint and his gaze not quite focused on her yet.
She could have forced him to lower his arms, but the fighter was much stronger than she was and power would only trigger him more. Instead, she let go of his hands and walked into his arms.
His body radiated heat, sweat, and tension, each muscle so tight she thought he would break. When she pressed her ear against his chest, Deva heard thunder, but still held on. It was the only way she could get to her brother after a fight, and she hoped it would do the same for Aleksei too.
Gently, she started running her hands over his back until layer by layer, his muscles relaxed, and his heart slowed. His arms lowered to his sides. Only then did she loosen her grip to let him go, but muscled arms banded around her, preventing any movement.
The threat must have lowered significantly as she heard Oz and Lance moving around. And she was alone. As quickly had it had happened, Aleksei had stepped away from her, the unyielding mask of stone back on his face.
He positioned himself to encompass all three people in the apartment.
