by Roxie Rivera
As if sensing her presence, Nikolai glanced to the right. His gaze skipped from Besian’s face to hers. His expression remained stoic and unmoving. There was only the briefest hint of recognition in his eyes before he returned his attention to Alexei. She swallowed anxiously at the mob boss’s dismissal of her. She hadn’t even warranted a frown. Surely that meant he wasn’t going to order Alexei to toss her out of the chapel—or worse.
Apparently unaware of the history that her husband had with Sara, Vivian smiled warmly at Besian and touched his upper arm before locking eyes with Sara and smiling again. Sara had come face-to-face with many beautiful women during her years of modeling and dancing but Nikolai’s wife was that kind of beautiful that belonged in a global glossy ad campaign for something like Cover Girl or Maybelline. She was that pretty.
She knew how to dress, choosing a black cocktail dress with a champagne pink bodice peeking through a delicate lace overlay, and accentuated her good looks with makeup. A smoky eye with a hint of shimmer. Lush red lips. A hint of blush. She’d mastered the art of hot rollers to achieve those incredible dark waves. Her jewelry choices were classic and understated, but Sara had an eye for diamonds and Vivian was wearing the absolute best.
When Vivian tugged on Nikolai’s hand to guide him to the bride’s mostly empty side of the chapel, she confirmed the rumors Sara had heard about her sweet nature. She was obviously thinking about how Alexei’s bride would feel with all those empty pews. Sara had been wondering why those pews were so light on occupants. It was clear Alexei’s wedding had been something of a rush. There were only three reasons Sara could think of to explain it.
One: Alexei was so desperately in love with this woman that he couldn’t wait even three days for a license and a quickie courthouse wedding in Houston.
Two: His soon-to-be bride was pregnant, and he wanted to assure her that he was excited about a baby and building a life with her.
Three: Something had happened—something dangerous to her or him or both of them—that necessitated an immediate marriage to protect them from the legal implications.
Or, maybe, it was all three.
After Vivian and Nikolai settled onto the front pew, Vivian said something to her husband who gave the smallest, almost imperceptible shake of his head. He slid his arm around his wife’s shoulders, and she leaned into him. Nikolai pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head. It was jarring for Sara to see the man who had terrified her almost ten years ago showing such tenderness.
“He’s as soft as a kitten these days,” Besian joked while tucking the jawbreaker wrapper into his pocket.
Zel grunted and said, “Even kittens can scratch.”
Besian chuckled as the soft tones of the ceremonial music filled the room. They stood with the rest of the guests and watched as the maid of honor, a platinum blonde in a delicate lace dress the color of a shell pink cameo, walked down the aisle. She took her place at the front of the chapel and turned back to watch the bride make her entrance.
Sara peeked around Besian to get a good look at the woman who had won Alexei’s heart—and she inhaled a sharp breath of recognition. Alexei had mentioned that his bride-to-be’s name was Shay, but Sara had never imagined that he meant Shay Sandoval, Shannon’s little sister!
Except she wasn’t so little anymore.
In the nine years since Sara had last seen her, Shay had blossomed into a stunning beauty. Sara had been very good friends with Shannon, especially since their men had run in the same street gang back then. Shannon and Ruben had been a few years younger than Sara and Lalo. Once, after one of Lalo’s more vicious attacks, she had tried to convince Shannon to get out of the life while she could. She hadn’t listened back then and Sara had a sickening feeling that Shannon was still running with her man, a true ride-or-die chica.
But Shay had always been such a good kid, so smart and ambitious and kind. Sara had been sure Shay was going places. Seeing Shay as a confident, poised young woman left Sara with all sorts of questions. Namely, where the hell was Shannon?
As if reading her mind, Besian caught her eye. There was something in his face that unsettled her. The timing of Alexei’s wedding and the news about Lalo had seemed like a coincidence to her but maybe it wasn’t. Shay was such a pretty young thing, and Lalo had always been fond of a certain type. Shannon was probably still up to her eyes in the street gang life with Ruben which meant Shay, who had always been such a good girl, would have been right in front of Lalo all the time. He would have wanted to ruin and hurt her the same way he had Sara.
Unless Alexei had stepped in to save her…
What had Alexei said on the phone? That Shay had worked with a commercial cleaning company that serviced his dealerships? Sara could imagine the two of them dancing around each other for weeks or months while their shared attraction grew and strengthened. For all his bluster about mistresses and the weakness of love, Alexei had always struck Sara as the kind of man who desperately wanted a wife and children, a family to love and support and pamper and give all the things he had been denied as a child and young man.
Apparently he had recognized those same desires in Shay. Shay who had been abused by her terrible mother and the disgusting men she had brought home with her and who had been abandoned and left with only Shannon as a parental figure. If Alexei had fallen for Shay and Lalo had tried to hurt her? Oh, shit. Lalo never would have stood a chance.
Sara felt Shay’s surprised gaze settling on her. She smiled warmly at the beautiful bride, and Shay beamed right back at her before continuing her walk down the aisle to Alexei. When she reached the front of the chapel, she handed her gorgeous bouquet of pink and white flowers to her maid of honor. Alexei grasped both of her hands in his, being extra careful with the one wrapped in gauze, and gazed down at his soon-to-be-wife with such love that Sara found herself blinking rapidly. All she had ever wanted was for a man to look at her like that, as if his entire world was wrapped up in her.
Zel’s strong fingers wrapped around hers as they took their seats. She glanced at him and experienced a heated thrill that rushed through her body. Zel intense look wasn’t one of lust or desire. It was something more, something better, something deeper. He was looking at her as if he could see a future with her. She witnessed the promise of something far greater than two wild nights in Vegas when she stared into his eyes.
Rattled by the realization that Zel might be the man she had been looking for all this time, she clung to his hand and tried not to smile too much while Alexei and Shay recited their vows and exchanged rings. She ignored the guilty sensation pricking the edges of her conscience as she sat there happy and dreaming of all the possibilities Zel seemed to be offering while her husband was cold and stiff on a morgue slab in Houston. The relief she had experienced upon learning Lalo was dead and could never hurt her again had bothered her all day. Even if her husband had been the world’s worst human being, it didn’t seem right to rejoice at his death.
You’re still letting him control your emotions. The thought struck her suddenly. As if he were still alive, Lalo’s ghost was manipulating her feelings. No more, Sara. He’s gone. Let it go.
Zel gave her hand a squeeze as Alexei and Shay sealed their wedding vows with an excited kiss. Holding tight to his hand, she stood with Zel, only letting go to applaud the smiling newlyweds. When Alexei and Shay walked back down the aisle, Zel slipped his arm around her waist and gave her hip a pat. She leaned back into him and relished the powerful wall of heat and strength that supported her. He brushed his lips against her temple, and Sara damn near swooned right there in that chapel.
After the wedding party moved down the aisle, everyone seemed to wait for Nikolai and Vivian to leave their pew first. Besian followed next and then the remainder of the guests—Erin Markovic and a bunch of single men who were either fighters from the gym or friends of Alexei’s—trailed after him. Sara took Zel’s offered arm and let him escort her out of the chapel and into the small reception area where the newlywe
ds were receiving their congratulations.
When it was their turn, she tightly embraced Alexei. “I am so happy for you.”
He hugged her back, one of his arms noticeable stronger than the other. “Thank you. It’s so good to see you here.”
Stepping back, Sara grinned at Shay. “I’m not sure if you remember me…?”
“I remember you, Sara,” Shay confirmed with a pleased smile.
A hugger by nature, Sara embraced Shay and wished her the very best in her new married life with Alexei. “I think he’s very lucky to have won your heart.”
“I think we’re both very lucky,” Shay replied softly while sharing a secret glance with her husband. Something dark flitted across her face, a memory or a thought, and Shay blinked away the shimmering evidence of unshed tears. “I wish Shannon was here, Sara. I think she’d really like to talk you.”
Sara wanted to ask why Shannon was missing from her baby sister’s wedding, but the haunted and sad glint to Shay’s dark eyes warned her not to go there. The bandage on Shay’s hand and the way Alexei seemed to be favoring that one arm sent Sara’s imagination into overdrive. She might have been imagining it, but Sara thought she could even see the faintest hint of a bruise on Shay’s neck.
Knowing what she did of Houston’s underworld, it wasn’t hard to piece all those clues together. Someone had tried to hurt Shay, and Alexei had reacted as any man with his idea of honor and loyalty and love would and had been injured in the process.
And if Lalo had been the man who put his hands on Shay…?
Zel gave her arm a little squeeze, and they moved down the very short reception line. When he steered her to the left, Nikolai stepped in front of her. He was taller than she had remembered and leaner. He might have softened his heart when it came to his wife, but Sara recognized that dangerous spark in his green eyes. This was not a man to be crossed.
Holding her breath, she waited for him to speak first. There was no way in hell she was going to risk upsetting the delicate social rules that separated them.
“Hello, Sara.” Nikolai’s deep voice had a raspy edge to it.
“Hello, Mr. Kalasnikov.”
His brow arched at her ultra-respectful address. If he was impressed or pleased, he didn’t say. Instead, he gestured to his wife and asked, “Have you met my wife, Vivian?”
Sara understood this was Nikolai’s way of clearing the air and letting bygones be bygones. Besian and Ivan and Alexei would go back to Houston and tell people that Nikolai had introduced his wife to Sara, elevating her to a woman with acceptable status in the city. It was a very old school pardon.
“No, we haven’t met.” Sara held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Vivian.”
“I feel like I kind of know you,” Vivian said with a sweet smile. “I see your billboards and your ads all the time. We have a friend in common actually. That series that was shot for your fall campaign? The one with the sort of gothic feel to it? Niels did those, right?”
“Yes, he did. How do you know Niels?”
“Yuri,” Vivian said. “Niels has done some photographs for me recently.”
Sara didn’t miss the tiniest twitch to Nikolai’s jaw. Apparently the boss wasn’t too pleased about his wife having photographs taken by Niels. Knowing what she did of Niels’s style, especially his preference for shooting nudes or almost nudes, she didn’t have to question why. “I’d love to see them sometime.”
“The next time you’re in Houston, you should come by the house. I’ll show you the photographs Niels took for me. Maybe you’ll even sit for me?”
Vivian’s talent as an artist was well known to Sara. The thought of being her muse for a day was amusing. Sara glanced at Nikolai to see what he thought about that. He nodded stiffly as if to give his permission. “I’d love that, Vivian. Thank you.”
After another minute or so of chitchat, Nikolai guided Vivian to Erin and Ivan. Besian quickly stepped over and said, “That went better than I had expected.”
Exhaling a relieved breath, Sara agreed with him. “Yes, it did.”
Zel rubbed her lower back in a comforting way. If anyone could understand what it was like to live under the shadow of a powerful man, he could. In just under twenty-four hours, he would finally be set free from the chains binding him to the Beciraj crime family—if he won.
“Zel, if you need to duck out now and head back to your room to rest, I’ll understand.” Sara placed her hand on his chest and gazed up at him. “I want you to be in the best shape possible for tomorrow night.”
He covered her hand with his. “Ivan has given me permission to stay for dinner. I have to rehydrate and refuel anyway. No alcohol or cake for me. Just lots of water and protein and carbohydrates.”
She placed a flirtatious kiss on his jaw. “Don’t worry. I’ll drink enough champagne for both of us.”
Zel dared to give her bottom a pat and kissed her forehead before taking her hand and guiding her toward the group now leaving the chapel for the private reception at the hotel’s finest restaurant. Sara wasn’t at all surprised that Alexei had managed to secure one of the best dining experiences in town for his wedding reception on such short notice. She didn’t even want to imagine what it had cost to put all of this together for Shay.
As expected, the dinner party was fabulous. The wedding planners kept on staff by the Bellagio had outdone themselves for Alexei and Shay. Not a single detail had been overlooked. The luxurious setting seemed somehow intimate. The flesh flowers were amazing. Alcohol and food were in plentiful supply, all of it top shelf or Michelin star quality. The room buzzed with laughter and smiles. It was a beautiful night, and Sara was so happy she could share it with Alexei and his new wife—and Zel.
They sat side-by-side at a cozy little table near the bride and groom. Zel’s hand was never far from her body. He seemed intent on maintaining a connection with her. She craved his body heat and snuggled in a bit closer to breathe in his incredible scent. The dinner served as extended foreplay for the pair, and by the time Alexei and Shay cut their cake, Sara was flushed and aching.
As if reading her mind, Zel tugged on her hand and dragged her away from the applauding crowd surround the newlyweds. She didn’t fight him. Stomach fluttering, she happily followed him out of the restaurant. They made their way back to her suite, stopping in dark corners and hidden alcoves to make out like teenagers.
Something about the wedding had ignited a shared lust and need between them. Sara wanted Zel. Like right now. Tomorrow night she would be dancing another private show. He would be pounding the crap out of some other fighter. They were running out of time together.
Would tonight be their last night together?
Was it better that way? To end things with the fireworks of frantic lovemaking and then go their separate ways?
Zel was just the sort of guy she’d always imagined falling in love with. Smart, funny, handsome as hell and driven for success…
Getting involved with Zel would be only too easy but it would just never work. He was obviously at a point in his life where he wanted stability, but she doubted she could provide that for him, not now. Her career required lots of traveling, incredibly late nights and hours of rehearsal. She didn’t even have her own home at the moment, just a messy room in her mother’s home and a mailbox at the business for all correspondence.
And, of course, the nightmare with Lalo’s estate was just beginning. She fully expected to be recalled to Texas to deal with the DEA, ATF, FBI and the rest of the alphabet soup of federal agencies that would want to dig through her late husband’s financial affairs. The legal bills would be incredible, and the stress would be unbearable. Zel didn’t need any part of that. He was so close to escaping his underworld ties. She didn’t need to drag him back to the dark side with her.
Recognizing that fact said something of her self-awareness, she supposed, but it didn’t make it any easier. There was just something about Zel, something about their connection, that made her wonder i
f maybe, just maybe…
But it wouldn’t do to dwell on the impossible. For the most part, Sara kept her feet firmly planted in reality, and in this reality, she simply couldn’t be there for anyone right now. Zel deserved better than some half-assed attempt at a relationship.
When they reached the double doors of the suite, all of her worries and doubts fled. She was thinking about right now, this moment, with this wonderful man. Lust blossomed in her core. Nearly breathless with desire, Sara gripped Zel’s hand as he unlocked the door and dragged her inside. He kicked the door shut behind them.
Watching the way he moved with predatory grace, she felt a thrill of excitement. His rough hands cupped her face as his mouth lowered to claim hers. She melted into him, whimpering softly against his searching tongue. But when he swept her off her feet and into his arms, Sara squealed in shock. “Ohmigod! Put me down before you break your back!”
He threw back his head and barked with laughter. “You’re not that heavy.”
Her eyes widened at his casual dismissal. She was, actually, quite heavy, but he wasn’t the type for empty flattery. The way he effortlessly carted her through the suite convinced her he wasn’t just acting macho. She really wasn’t that heavy—to him, at least.
When they reached the dining area, he knocked aside a chair and placed her on the table. Very hastily, he shrugged out of his suit jacket. Eyes wild with lust, Zel dropped to his knees and grasped the hem of her dress. He shoved it up around her waist and yanked on her thong, jerking it down her thighs and calves and over her ankle.
As he pushed her thighs wide open, Sara shuddered. The brush of air against her naked sex felt cool. She arched off the table as Zel’s pointed tongue swiped her slit and flicked her clit. The delicious sensation of his lapping tongue drove her insane.
Clutching at the table, Sara bucked against his mouth. His stiffened tongue dipped inside her and fluttered over her clitoris. Overwhelmed, she shrieked and clasped his head, keeping him right there. It just felt so fucking good. She was going to burst any second. Zel overpowered her clasp and worked his tongue around her clit. He sucked the bud between his lips, heightening the sensation.
