by Jenika Snow
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2016 Jenika Snow
ISBN: 978-1-77339-044-4
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
TAKE ME UNDER
Bratva, 2
Jenika Snow
Copyright © 2016
Prologue
Alexa looked over at Yvgeny.
He was passed out, and if she allowed herself to lie down she would be, too.
God, she’d just slept with him; her boss, the man she cared about, but knew she didn’t have a future with.
She’d slept with the man who brought out the most intense desires in her.
She’d allowed herself to drink too much, to be more forward than she’d ever been, and it seemed Yvgeny had been just as drunk as she was.
Although it’s hard to tell with a man like him.
He was always so controlled, so calm.
And despite the fact she was drunk, and he was too, being with him had been the most intense, soul-shattering experience of her life.
And just think if we’d been sober. Just think how it would have been if we’d been both right there in the moment, alcohol not between us.
She ran a hand over her face and breathed out. No, she couldn’t bring this up, not when things might very well change. She looked at Yvgeny again, at the tattoos covering his muscular body, at the power that came from him, surrounded him
I’ve had sex with him, and he probably won’t even remember come morning.
Chapter One
“He looks like he’s ready to kick someone’s ass.”
Alexa looked up from the paperwork she was filling out and stared at Yvgeny.
“That’s how he always looks.”
Intense.
Powerful.
Dark.
Brooding.
They were at the club, and had about two hours before the doors opened. Even though Alexa mainly did clerical work, for the next few nights she’d be filling in for Zoey on the floor waitressing so Zoey and Sergei could spend some alone time out of town. It was the least she could do for her sister after all the shit that had happened just a few short weeks ago.
Even now Alexa was still thinking about Zoey’s ex, how he could have easily killed Zoey, and taken the only good thing in Alexa’s life.
She pushed those horrible thoughts out of her head and stared at Yvgeny, her boss, the owner of the nightclub where she worked … and the man she loved.
They’d shared one night together, one explosive, albeit drunken, sex-filled night months ago, and it was still what Alexa thought about. But talking to Yvgeny about how she felt, and what she wanted with him, was not something Alexa would venture into.
And not because he was part of the Bratva.
The Russian Mafia.
“Maybe someone fucked with him.”
Yeah, and when someone fucks with Yvgeny or the Bratva they get buried.
But Alexa kept her mouth shut. She knew only a handful of people that worked at the club actually knew about the Bratva, or who Yvgeny was. Everyone else was blissfully ignorant of the fact.
She knew the type of man Yvgeny was.
He’d helped kill for Zoey, had his hands in all the gritty, dark things that made up the Russian underground.
Yet after knowing that, seeing some of the depraved things that had gone down on his orders—at the club grounds, no less—Alexa still wanted him.
Right before he disappeared behind the doors that led to the hallway and to his office, Yvgeny stopped and looked over his shoulder, and their gazes clashed. His short dark hair was impeccably styled, the dark suit he wore without a crease. And despite the hard look on his face, she swore she saw something flash behind his eyes.
Or maybe that’s just me hoping for something that can never be?
****
Yvgeny shut the door to his office, scrubbed a hand over his face, and felt exhaustion deep in his fucking bones. After taking out Zoey’s ex, cutting up the pieces, and burying the fucker in different parts of the state almost a month ago, things had been pretty smooth. No Bratva issues to handle in the States, no one else to kill for the time being, but then again there wasn’t peace for long when it concerned his life.
He had no doubts Aleczander, the head of their organization stationed in Russia, would call in with some business. It always worked that way. If there were connections that needed to be sealed in America, someone that had fucked with the Bratva and fled to the States, or just some house cleaning, Aleczander called Yvgeny to make it right.
And Yvgeny didn’t have any issues in making everything squeaky clean. This was the Bratva, his life, his world, and he lived and died by that code.
That’s why it was so hard staying away from Alexa. Pretending like that one night with her hadn’t meant anything was hard as fuck.
Because it meant a hell of a lot.
He did this, and stayed away from her unless it dealt with business, because he needed to protect her.
But he cared about Alexa so fucking much.
He loved her.
He went behind his desk and sat down, but before he could do anything the phone rang. Yvgeny knew who it was before he even picked it up.
No one called this line unless shit needed to be done.
He picked up the phone. “Da,” he said into the receiver, not phrasing it like a question.
“I’m coming out,” Aleczander said in Russian.
“There’s an issue?”
“No, but I want to see how the American operations are running. It’s been my intention to come out once everything was established, and I’m doing that now. That’s not a problem, is it?”
“Of course not.”
“Good,” Aleczander said in his deep voice. “I want to be picked up at the strip at seven.”
“I’ll make sure we’re there.”
Once he hung up, Yvgeny leaned back. He had no issues with Aleczander coming. The only issue he had with Aleczander was that the head of the Russian Bratva usually brought trouble with him. It was inevitable.
Yvgeny would just have to make sure to be on point.
****
“Yvgeny wants to see you in his office,” said Anna, one of the waitresses in the VIP room tonight.
Alexa looked at the other woman, nodded, and felt her entire body tense.
She set her empty glasses down, wiped off her hands, and headed toward the back room. Two bouncers stepped aside when they saw her coming, letting her pass down the long corridor that led to the storage room and offices. As she did anytime she was going to speak with Yvgeny, her heart raced and her palms started to sweat.
She knocked on the door once she was in front of it, heard him call out for her to enter, and she gripped the handle and opened the door. He sat behind his desk, his head downcast as he wrote something down, and she stood there and waited for him to look at her.
His office was bare, with just a few minimalist pieces situated around the room, a couch, a TV, and security monitors that showed the interior and exterior of the club.
She looked back at him, noticed he was already watching her, and her heart jumped into her throat.
&nbs
p; “I trust you, Alexa.”
She nodded. Alexa had been working for Yvgeny for years, knew about all the things he did, what he was involved in, and it had taken time for him to trust her with business dealings. Although she knew about things, she also knew he kept things from her. Whether that was the Bratva code, or he was protecting her, was something she’d probably never find out.
“Aleczander is coming, and I want you to be there when we greet him.”
She straightened, hearing the name of the head of the Russian Bratva. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine.”
She knew enough about the organization that if Aleczander was coming, things couldn’t be as well as Yvgeny said.
“I’ll pick you up at six so we can be at the landing strip by seven. Have a few girls ready at the club to entertain Aleczander, and make sure the caterer knows he’s coming. He’ll know what to prepare for Aleczander and any of the men that come with him.”
She nodded, feeling really nervous for some reason. She’d never met Aleczander, but she’d heard Yvgeny and the other men talking about him enough times to know he was the one that called the shots. Whether he was at the top tier of the Bratva wasn’t something she knew—and didn’t want to know, either—but he was a very important man.
“I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.” She held her hands behind her back, twisting her fingers as being in Yvgeny’s presence made her antsy. She hated that she felt like this, hated that she couldn’t even hide her emotions well enough. Surely he could see how much he affected her? Hell, she felt like she had a neon sign flashing on her forehead screaming, “I love you, please recognize what we had.”
Yeah, it was ridiculous, and she felt like she was hanging onto something that wasn’t there, and never would be. But as the silence stretched, and as they stared at each other, she thought she could see a flash of emotion move across Yvgeny’s face before he caught himself. Maybe it was just her hopeful desires, or maybe it was something more.
But it didn’t matter either way, because even if he did want something with her, he was too much of a stubborn asshole to come out and say it.
But then again, her stubbornness ran deep, too.
Chapter Two
“Everything is all ready at the club?” Alexa asked Vasilisa, one of the girls Yvgeny had brought from Russia when he first opened the club in the States. Vasilisa helped run the business from the backrooms, doing the paperwork, organizing events, and basically kept everything running. Alexa might do a lot of things behind the scenes for the club now, but without Vasilisa things would probably fall apart.
“Yes, everything is all prepared and ready for Aleczander and the others’ arrival. Don’t worry about anything,” Vasilisa said in her beautiful Russian accent. Although she was tiny, at only five foot two, and thin enough she probably could have been a ballerina in another life, Alexa knew Vasilisa was tough as nails when needed.
After hanging up, Alexa looked out the window. They were on their way to the airstrip to pick up Aleczander. There were two other Mercedes following behind. Looking over at Yvgeny, she heard him talking in Russian to someone on the phone. No doubt it was final plans for Aleczander’s arrival. To say this was a big deal was an understatement.
She was nervous, but a part of her felt warm at the thought Yvgeny trusted her with being here with them.
Yvgeny disconnected the call and exhaled. “You’re okay?” he asked and turned to face her.
She nodded. “I’m fine.” Yvgeny looked so damned cool and collected. “Are you?”
He nodded. A second of silence passed before he spoke again. “Although, whenever Aleczander or anyone from the Russian top tier comes in, things usually tend to get … intense.”
“What do you mean?”
“Things get revealed, shit gets started, or someone … dies.”
She swallowed. “And you wanted me involved in this, why?” This was sounding like a horrible idea, whether he trusted her or not.
“I’ll never let anyone or anything hurt you.” He said it with such conviction, such intensity, and she knew that without a doubt. “We don’t hurt women, Alexa, you know that. Aleczander and the Bratva might do questionable things to some, and are lethal, but we do not, under any circumstances, prey on the innocent, Alexa.”
She nodded slowly and licked her lips. “I know, Yvgeny. I guess I’m just nervous.”
He reached out and took hold of her hand. That shock of electricity she felt traveled throughout her entire body. Here they sat in the back of this luxury car, heading toward a private airstrip to pick up a man that was—if possible—deadlier than Yvgeny, and right now all she could think about was how much she loved Yvgeny. He was so big that the interior of the car seemed to come around them even more. His big body—so muscular, tattooed, and seething with power—made her feel overly feminine.
“Alexa,” he said her name softly.
The driver said something in Russian, and Yvgeny straightened, removed his hand from hers, and faced forward. “We’re here.”
****
Yvgeny reached out and wrapped his hand around Alexa’s waist. She tensed, but he didn’t care if she found his touch awkward. He needed her close. He pulled her closer to his body, let his hand slide off of her waist slowly, purposefully because he couldn’t help himself, and took a step forward so he was now slightly in front of her. He trusted Aleczander and the Bratva with his life.
They were his life.
But with Alexa he was possessive, even if he kept that to himself. He didn’t even like other men looking at her, which was fucked up given the fact he didn’t step up and claim her.
It’s better that way. She’s safer that way.
The dark private jet that stood ominously in front of them spoke of the wealth and the reach the Bratva had. The door was open, and a second later Aleczander emerged. He took the air stairs right away, and following closely behind him were Anton, Boris, and Gregor.
“That’s him?” Alexa said from behind him.
“The first one off the plane, yes.”
Yvgeny greeted Aleczander as soon as he was off the stairs and striding toward them.
“The flight was well?” Yvgeny asked in Russian.
“Da,” Aleczander said, and looked over at Alexa. Yvgeny found himself stepping to the side to shield Alexa from the other man. It was instinct. Aleczander looked at Yvgeny and lifted a brow.
“For you?” he asked, still speaking in Russian.
“She works for me.” Yvgeny looked at Alexa for a second before bringing his attention back to Aleczander. The other three men were already behind Aleczander, their arms behind their backs, but their focuses scanning their surroundings. “I’m protective of her.” He wasn’t afraid of Aleczander, although maybe he should be, given the dark past the other man held.
But when it came to Alexa not even death itself could put fear in him.
“She’s off the table. I get it.” Aleczander didn’t back down normally, but even if he was interested in Alexa, there was enough respect between them, and the Bratva brotherhood, that he didn’t cross that line.
“I’m ready to unwind,” Aleczander said, and Alexa stepped forward.
“I’ve gotten everything set up for you and the others to enjoy your time while here. If you need anything you know you just have to ask.”
Aleczander just stared at her for a second, but he finally nodded and gave a deep grunt of approval, before heading to one of the Mercedes. When it was just Yvgeny and Alexa standing there, he heard her exhale. Looking down at her, he couldn’t help but smile.
She’d been nervous. It was clear by the way she looked relieved right now.
“You handled yourself well, Alexa.”
She looked over at him and smiled. “I didn’t think anyone could be as scary as you.” She snapped her mouth shut, as if she hadn’t meant to say anything.
“I frighten you?” Yvgeny turned so he was facing her fully. “You know you h
ave nothing to fear from me. I’d rather die than harm you.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know you’d protect me,” she whispered the last part. She licked her lips, and he looked down to watch the act. His cock started to get hard at the thought of kissing her, just wrapping his hand around the back of her head and fucking her mouth with his lips and tongue.
He’d claim her.
He’d make Alexa his.
He’d say fuck all his “good” intentions to stay away from her, and finally be with her again.
Yvgeny needed her like he needed to breathe, like the Bratva was his entire life.
I want her in my life. I want her at my side, ruling over this empire.
He turned from her, ran a hand over his hair, and breathed out. He wanted her by his side and ruling this empire with him? What the fuck was he thinking? He couldn’t have her that close, not because he didn’t trust her, but because she would be put in danger. By being with him, being his, Alexa could get hurt. Someone could fuck with her to get to him. Of course they’d have to be a fucking fool to fuck with him and the Bratva, but it wasn’t impossible to conceive, and because of that he fought with himself to stay away.
“We’d better go, Alexa.” He cleared his throat. “You know what’s going on at the club being set up for Aleczander.”
She took a second to respond, but finally nodded and said, “Okay.” She licked her lips again, and he clenched his hands into tight fists at his side. It was back to business. That was all that it could be with her.
Right?
Chapter Three
Belayev blasted through the speakers, the club empty aside from Aleczander and his men, and other Bratva family. Scantily clad women were either working a pole, serving drinks and food, or “servicing” the Bratva.
But they were all willing, all eager to be there.
