With him being so much taller, she couldn’t see over his shoulder to see who was approaching, but when they finally reached Luka’s side, Alex hadn’t expected to see her.
It was no secret to anyone that she didn’t care for Natasha and the reason why. She didn’t like to admit it, but Alex was jealous of the girl.
She was everything that Alex wasn’t. Natasha had the long, wavy hair two shades darker than brown, her eyes the same rich color, and while Alex was petite and barely had any curves to her frame, Natasha was practically the definition of curvaceous. And more importantly, she had the attention of the one person Alex wanted.
The rules that governed Alex and Luka didn’t affect Natasha. Sure, she was technically working for the Bratva, but if Luka wanted to be with her, no one was going to stop him. There was a time when Alex thought Luka didn’t care about those rules since he had shamelessly flirted back with her on multiple occasions, but since Anya, he had stopped completely.
Alex took a step back, her gaze shifting between the two of them. She hadn’t given a second thought to calling Luka when she was in trouble. Even if Mishca would have been in town, she would have likely called Luka first, but had she known that he was with Natasha…she might not have called him.
Natasha slipped her hand around Luka’s shoulder, as if she was trying to calm him down. “We need to handle this before someone drives by. I’m sure Alex didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Her cheeks coloring in embarrassment, Alex ground her teeth together. It didn’t help that Natasha was talking about her like she wasn’t standing there, and it only made it worse that she had heard Luka yelling at her.
Just seeing them so comfortable together felt like a stab in the heart. She could remember every single time she had begged him for any little piece of him, only to be denied because ‘she couldn’t handle him.’ She knew he treated her differently than others, even joked around with her when no one else was around, but it was becoming apparent that her reading something into that was off.
Tearing her eyes away from them, she looked back to the car that was still smoking, but was slowly dwindling down. “Sorry. I should have called someone else. I didn’t realize you were busy.”
It wasn’t Luka that responded however, but Natasha. “It was no trouble at all.”
There was an edge to her laughter, something Luka seemed to catch onto. “I don’t remember calling you, Natasha. I don’t have the number for the Gilded Room. I’ve been meaning to ask, do you each get a separate number, or do you just call and ask for who you want? Maybe there’s a menu?”
“Alex, that’s enough,” Luka said.
“Is it?” she asked reaching into her pocket for her pack of cigarettes and lighter. Pulling one free, she stuck it between her lips, lighting the end of it, only to have it plucked from her lips and tossed to the ground, Luka grinding it out with the toe of his boot.
“Oh, you have some fucking nerve. Unless you’re my brother, or you’re fucking me—which neither applies to you—you don’t get to do that.” Now, she was the one who was mad.
“Not tonight, Alex,” he returned in French, earning a frown from Natasha as if she hadn’t known he could speak the language. Huh.
Maybe if he hadn’t immediately started yelling, she might have felt differently, but now she wasn’t in the mood for a private conversation.“What would you prefer then?” she asked, still in English. “Tomorrow night? I wouldn’t want to interrupt your appointment.” Her eyes cut to Natasha. “I know those can be hard to come by. Though I’ll admit, I didn’t know you booked Wednesday nights as well. Her pussy must be lined in gold.”
Natasha didn’t look offended by the statement, but her eyes narrowed.
When Luka opened his mouth, probably to chastise her again, she waved his words away. “Whatever. I’m sure you want me to wait in the car where I won’t be able to fuck up your night further. Excuse me while I get on that.”
Without waiting for a response, Alex went to his Jeep, lighting up another cigarette along the way. The burning nicotine in her lungs kept her calm as she climbed into the back, but it didn’t help when she noticed that Natasha stayed by his side.
He made a few calls, speaking in heated Russian as he explained what he needed done. First came another of Mishca’s guys who didn’t notice Alex at all, then came a flatbed that loaded the Mercedes and took off. It only took about an hour and a half, but by this time, Alex was out of cigarettes and starting to crash. While her body felt exhausted, mentally she was wide awake.
When Luka had finished and it was time to leave, he seemed considerably more irritated than when he had first arrived, that familiar tick working in his jaw.
“Alex, front seat.”
Natasha looked at him in confusion—and maybe a little hurt—Alex just looked uninterested. “I’m fine back here, thanks,” she said on a laugh, tossing the butt of her cigarette out the window.
Apparently, Luka wasn’t in the mood to be denied.
Circling the car, he nearly ripped the door off its hinges as he snatched it open, his hand slapping down on her bare thighs as he dragged her across the seat, not caring that he was exposing more than just her legs to the cold air. For just a moment, his eyes drifted down to the apex of her thighs, but she snatched the front of her dress down before he could see anything. Hooking an arm around her waist, he easily lifted her out even as she fought against him, carrying her around the front until he got the passenger door open, and shoved her inside.
One look from him told her that if she moved an inch, she would regret it.
Once Natasha had climbed in the back, albeit reluctantly, Luka peeled out of there.
The sun was just breaking over the horizon, muted shades of peach and orange bracketing out by the time they made it back to the city. Natasha was dropped off first and Alex told herself not to pay attention, that there was no point, but she couldn’t help but gaze over and immediately wish she hadn’t.
Natasha was embracing him, whispering words that only he could hear, and at the very last second, her gaze connected with Alex’s as Luka returned her embrace. She could have played innocent, acted as if she didn’t realize the effect seeing that had on Alex, but instead, she smiled.
She wanted Alex to know that she had won a fight that Alex hadn’t realized the other girl was playing. And to make sure she got her point across, she kissed Luka’s cheek as he drew away.
Turning away, Alex faced the other direction, feeling like more of a fool than she had all night.
Unrequited love, Alex thought as Luka climbed back in, felt dangerously similar to a broken heart.
Heading back into the city was a silent affair. He was still angry with her, that much she could from the way he rhythmically squeezed the steering wheel. By the time they reached the penthouse, Alex was drained and more than ready to call it a night.
Swinging the car into a parking spot, Luka cut the engine, snapping off his seat belt, but he made no move to get out. She waited, expecting him to say something, but when he didn’t she reached for the door handle, turning to face him to say thanks. She might not have liked the company, but she was still grateful he had been there.
“Luka, th—”
“What you did was fucking stupid, and if you—”
“If you’re about to lecture me,” she said cutting him off as he had done her. “Save it. I don’t need that shit from you.”
“You obviously need it from some-fucking-body because it’s obvious not getting into that pretty little head of yours. Do you not realize that you could have died out there?”
“I know, Luka,” she snapped back. “I get it. I fucked up. I admitted that. It won’t happen again, and next time I’m in trouble, I’ll make sure to call someone else.”
Exasperated, he slammed his fist down on the center console. “That’s not what this is about. Don’t you get that? I want you to call me whenever the fuck you want, but not when shit has already hit the fan. You’re having
a shit day, call me and let’s work that shit out before you feel the need to drink do reckless shit like wreck your brother’s car. You do realize he’d going to be pissed when he gets back…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell him it was my fault so you don’t—”
He twisted his body so he could see her better, and so that she could see the seriousness in his expression. “You really think I give a shit about that?”
“That’s the only conclusion I’m reaching.” But she knew that wasn’t completely true.
“You don’t think I care about you?” he asked, his voice gone soft in a way that made her really look at him. “How the fuck is it obvious to everyone else but you that I give a shit what happens to you.”
She didn’t think she had ever heard him say those words aloud, and if she had heard them at any other time, she might have been giddy, but she didn’t feel none of that right then. “If you cared about me, then you wouldn’t have brought her with you. I mean, I get it. You’re fucking her. Good for you. But don’t pretend you don’t know how I feel about you, and even if you don’t feel the same way, you could at least tell me that so I won’t—” she trailed off as she angrily wiped at her cheeks, hating the fact that even when she was mad, she cried.
“So you won’t what, Alex?” he asked, reaching to pull her hands away from her face.
God, she didn’t understand him. Why did he need to see the hurt in her? Why couldn’t he just say what she wanted him to say so she could walk away from him and be done with it all?
“I’m over it, Luka.”
Her grip on her hands grew stronger. “Don’t say that.”
“Why not?” she suddenly shouted back at him. “Why can’t you just say it, Luka. Just say, I don’t want you, Alex. Maybe then I can get past these stupid fucking feelings.”
“Because I won’t ever lie to you. Even when I want to.”
More confused now than she had been before, Alex shook her head, pulling free of him as she climbed out of his Jeep and headed for the building without looking back.
He didn’t follow.
9
____
Hiding
She felt like shit because she had nearly killed herself and had managed to nearly total Mishca’s car. Something he was not going to be happy about once she told him since he and Lauren were back home from Sardinia. Since that night, she had adamantly avoided Luka, even ignoring his phone calls. She only sent him a text now and again to let him know that she was okay so he wouldn’t come looking for her, but she knew that would only keep him away for so long.
Not doing anything else—and not wanting to put off the inevitable—Alex got dressed, heading to the club where Mishca, at least, would undoubtedly be. While she’d wanted to make an effort in her appearance, she just didn’t feel like going through the hassle, just putting her hair up into a messy bun and wearing a dress with tights.
The ride to the club was quiet and never ending, a sharp throb starting behind her right eye with each honk of the cabbie’s horn. The nausea was returning, and at this point, she didn’t think she could stay away from Snow anymore, not with what he was offering. She had already gone through the last five that he had given her, and while she was sure that she was okay without them…she was beginning to doubt that.
Paying her fare, she climbed out, waving to one of the new bodyguards as she walked by him into the club. On her way, she hadn’t missed the Jeep that was parked a couple blocks away—it was coated in mud after all—and she felt worse knowing that Luka was here. Since the night he’d left her apartment, she had made it a point to avoid him at all costs, dodging his calls, too. It wasn’t as though she were staying at her apartment anyway, so it wasn’t hard for her to get away from him.
Hiding. That was what she was doing, and a part of her knew that it was silly of her to do so. She didn’t owe him anything, nor did she have to explain her actions, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that seeing the way he looked at her made her feel ashamed.
But not enough to stop what she was doing.
Even now, she yearned to head across the city to the one place she really didn’t need to be, to see the one person who was the worst thing for her. But could he really be considered the worst when, at least for a few hours, she felt better? In those hours, she didn’t think about the life she’d been born into, the things she’d had to prove, or even the things she had to do to stay in his company. It wasn’t as if money was a problem. She could have easily paid him any amount he asked for, and then some, but he didn’t want that, not from her.
Maybe he thought he was corrupting her and got off on the idea of that, but it was hard to corrupt something that was already decaying.
Alex easily made her way toward the back of the club where the offices were and readied to open Mishca’s door, but the muffled voices on the other side gave her pause.
_____
With the boss and Lauren back from their honeymoon, Luka was needed for a quick meeting so he could discuss business and everything that had happened up until this point. Normally, he would have made it a point to ask what they had done, annoy the hell out of Mishca like he usually did, but after he picked them up from the airport, dropping Lauren off at home, he just wasn’t feeling it. Not when his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Alex.
The first couple of days after he’d confronted her had been fine—it wouldn’t be the first time she’d gotten pissed at him and not called him for a few days—but nearly a week and a half had passed and still no word from her.
Even when his phone wasn’t ringing, he found himself picking it up, willing it to beep or anything just so he could know she was okay. Breaking into her apartment hadn’t helped much, not when she wasn’t staying there, or at least she hadn’t been there when he had come by. This wouldn’t have been a problem if he had any idea where to find her.
As Mishca spoke about business transactions that needed to be completed, Luka was gazing down at his phone, reading the last message Alex had sent him before painful truths had tore them apart.
Hey Tiger, eat any frosted flakes?
That had been her version of a good morning, and while she might not have known that he didn’t eat cereal, it never failed to make him smile. This message was sent weeks ago, before Mishca had pretty much told him to stay away from her, before she’d seen the hickey on his neck and the resulting hurt on her face. He’d never given much thought to how much he looked forward to those messages, at least not until they were gone.
He missed them, and the way she would smile at him, as if he was the only person in the world who could make her do it.
A part of him craved falling into that temptation, giving her exactly what she wanted. It wasn’t because of what Mishca said that made him not go there, but rather because of who he was and the damage it would cause if she knew the real reason as to how he ended up in New York at all.
“Luka!”
He blinked, focusing back on the now irritated Russian in front of him. Storing his phone in his pocket, he folded his hands in his lap and finally focused on what Mishca was saying.
“Were you even listening?”
“No.”
There was something particularly unsettling about the way Mishca was looking at him, but Luka paid it no mind.
“The Gilded Room, shut it down.”
Now, Luka was blinking in surprise. “Do what now?”
“I don’t think I need to repeat myself. I’ll have our banker set up accounts for each of them. Keep me updated.”
Luka stood, stretching his arms above his head. “Will do.”
He was heading for the door, more than a little ready to get out of there. Whether Alex wanted to continue hiding from him was no longer going to matter. Even if she didn’t want him to, he would find her, but Mishca stopped him at the door.
“Where the hell is my car?”
It was the one question that Luka had been hoping would go unasked because the Mercedes was gone for
the moment. He’d taken it to a body shop to be fixed, not realizing that the damage done to the front of it was too extensive to fix without the price being exuberant.
If he told Mishca about the reason why his car was the way it was, he would have to explain what Alex was doing—though even he didn’t know what exactly was going on with her—but he didn’t want to do that just yet, not when he thought he could get through to her first.
“I crashed it.”
Mishca blinked, disbelieving, and Luka could almost see the exact moment when Mishca thought about killing him. He laid his hands flat against his desk, leaning his weight against them as he said, “Say that again.”
There was a knock at the door before it was pushed open, but Luka was looking at Mishca and didn’t see who was coming in.
“That again.”
His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “Don’t fuck with me, Luka.”
This was the first time in a long while that he had let someone talk to him like this for the sake of someone else, and even before, he responded violently, and was now even thinking about what he would do to take the edge off.
A different kind of irritation filled him as he tried not to react. He wished, had wished, many times that it was anyone but Alex to affect him.
“But we both enjoy it so—all right, all right,” he said putting his hands up. “It was late and dark as fuck. Ran her right off the road and hit a tree that came out of fucking nowhere, but if it makes you feel better, I can get you a hula girl for your new car.”
“Get out!”
Luka was smiling as he turned his back on Mishca, heading for the door, his step faltering as he caught sight of Alex in the doorway. He didn’t have to wonder whether she’d heard, it was written all over her face.
Her gaze skirted from his the moment they made eye contact, forcing a smile as she greeted her brother, ignoring him entirely. He didn’t want to call her on it here, but if she thought she could avoid him any longer, she had another thing coming.
Walking out to his car, he leaned against the side of it and waited, knowing that at some point, she was going to have to come out. He didn’t know how long he stood there, drawing the gazes of curious onlookers, but he paid them no mind. After at least an hour, she finally came out, her gaze immediately stopping on him, her look of surprise making him all too aware that she hadn’t expected him to wait.
Hidden Monsters (Volkov Bratva Book 4) Page 6
