by K. D Clark
Gavrill waves Mikhail off. “Tell Rick not to worry about it. The Miami brotherhood is responsible for the break-in.”
Murmurs fill the room. This is news to them as well as what Gavrill’s going to say next. I try to keep my anger in check as he speaks again. “One more announcement before we’re out of here. Delaney Miller has been promised to Ivan.”
I can feel the eyes that turn on me, and I do my best to keep my facial expression stoic. It feels like my molars are going to break from clenching my jaw so tight. Everyone knows Delaney’s supposed to be mine.
“Congratulations,” Cameron says, breaking the tense silence. Everyone else joins in, congratulating Ivan.
“That’s all,” Gavrill says, walking back to his office. One by one, men walk over to Ivan and pat him on the back, giving him their congratulations, before turning to me with a look of pity. I don’t want their fucking pity. I want Delaney.
I wait until most of the room has cleared out before approaching Ivan.
“Ivan,” I say, slapping his hand and pulling him in for a half hug. He smells like a damn brewery, and I’m half-surprised Gavrill didn’t pull him aside and give him a mouth full. He’s getting soft. I can see it, and it won’t be long now before I take that spot.
“Thanks, man,” Ivan says, oblivious to the awkwardness.
“You heard she tried to run?”
His eyebrows furrow together. “Really?”
“Yeah, I found her at a friend’s house and brought her back. She’s at my place.”
His expression doesn’t change with the information. He just stares at me like he’s still too drunk from the night before to comprehend what I’m saying.
“She doesn’t want to go home.”
“Psh, well, my future wife won’t be staying with another man.”
I sit down on the stool next to him and take a drink of water that’s in front of him.
“Listen, man. I get that. But if she goes back home, she’s going to run again.”
He shrugs. “Then I’ll track her down. We’ll play a game of cat and mouse. It will be like foreplay.”
It takes all my self-control not to punch him in the face. I try to take another route. “You’d want her to stay with you until the marriage? You wouldn’t be able to have women over. You should spend your last months as a single man doing whatever the hell you want to. Let me worry about, Delaney.”
If there’s anything I know about Ivan, it’s that he’s a playboy. I can practically see the gears in his head-turning. He takes another sip of water.
“Alright, but I’m taking her out tomorrow night. Talk about some ground rules, you know? You have her number?”
The last thing I want to do is give him her number, but he’d find it some other way anyway. I pull my phone from my pocket and text him Delaney’s number.
“Thanks, man. You’re right. I should enjoy my last months of being single. Take care of her,” he says before leaving the stool and heading out of the common area.
“Alek.”
I turn to see Gavrill heading my way. “Xavier caught Maven. He’s downstairs. I told him to hold off on telling you until the meeting was over.”
I crack my neck, and Gavrill shakes his head. “We already know it was the Motown gang, so don’t get carried away.”
I rarely get to spend time getting my hands dirty since I’ve moved up in the ranks, but every once in a while, we need to get information out of someone, and I get to step in.
“Whatever you say, boss.” I walk past Gavrill to the third wing of the compound. I take the stairs down to a small sound-proof basement area. The smell of death and mildew hangs heavy in the air. A muffled scream fills the air as I round the corner. Xavier has Maven strapped to a table with a dirty washcloth stuffed in his mouth. There’s some blood surrounding him, but not enough for the crimes he’s committed. We swore Maven into the brotherhood like everyone else, but he wasn’t too happy with the job he got assigned. Instead of sucking it up and working through it until he could move on to something else, he weaseled his way into a deal with the Motown gang. He’s been working with them to move some weight. I don’t know what kind of information he’s told them, but I’m about to find out. The Motown gang has been keeping him under their protection. I sent Xavier to find an opening, which I can assume he did, or else I wouldn’t be standing here right now.
“Has he said anything yet?” I ask Xavier as I take off my jacket and set it on a clean chair. Xavier’s a big motherfucker, which is why he works as the brotherhood’s hitman. He’s sneaky, too, able to get in and out of places without leaving much behind.
Xavier shakes his head. “Just got started. I found him in a private room at a strip club. The other men were too far away to hear me, but I’m sure they know now.”
“What did you do with the stripper?”
Xavier looks uncomfortable, and warning bells start to go off in my head.
“Xavier?”
“I gave her some cash. Told her she didn’t see anything.”
I narrow a glare at him. “Get your ass back there. We don’t leave witnesses.”
“She’s not a threat,” he tries, but he won’t meet my eyes. He knows that’s nonsense.
“Bullshit. Did she see your face?”
He doesn’t say anything.
“That’s what I thought.” Maven moans on the table, and I see the screwdriver sticking straight out of his leg. Xavier must have shoved it in there right before I came downstairs. I grab the handle and twist it. Maven screams but, once again, the sound is muffled. “Can’t you see we’re having a conversation here?”
His eyes start to roll back, and I slap his cheek. “Hey, not yet; we have a long day ahead of us.” I turn my attention back to Xavier. “Go back and take care of that fucking stripper.”
He’s pissed, but he stays quiet as he walks past me. Xavier is one of my best men, so he should know better. This isn’t like him. Maven makes a choking noise, and I remove the gage. He coughs, spraying blood all over himself and me.
I let out a frustrated breath. “Are you ready to talk?”
Delaney
The sound of the front door opening and closing makes me snap my head up from the textbook in front of me. Janie, my classmate, emailed me over all the notes I’ve missed from skipping the last couple of days. Finals start next week, and I have no time to waste since it’s not like I’ve had anything to do today. I studied on the four-post bed in the guest bedroom. I’d only caught a glimpse of Alek before he left this morning, and then he’d been gone all day. I push the textbook aside and get up from the bed. I’m in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. If I were at home, my mom would have a fit about me spending the entire day in basically PJ’s. But I don’t have to worry about that here. I take the stairs to the first floor, where Alek is kicking off his shoes by the front door.
“Where have you been?” I ask, hating how desperate the words sound. It’s weird being at his house without him in it. I feel like I don’t belong, but I don’t belong at my parent’s house either. I definitely won’t feel like I belong once I’m at Ivan’s home. Did he have a home? I know nothing about the man I’m promised to marry.
Alek doesn’t reply. I look over his clothes and realize they aren’t the ones he left in. His hair holds a couple of water droplets. Where else would he shower beside his home? The realization hits me like a ton of bricks. He was with a woman. I shouldn’t care, considering I have absolutely no hold on this man, but it still hurts. I know Alek isn’t a saint, so it shouldn’t surprise me. While I’m getting ready to be married off to someone else, he can go out and fuck whoever he wants. It isn’t fair.
“Did you shower?”
“Just a piece of advice, it’s better if you don’t ask questions,” he says, barely looking up.
“Fuck you.”
He straightens and walks into the kitchen. “I’ve been working. Things got a little messy, so I showered at the compound. I had to change my clothes.”
I shouldn’t feel a sense of relief, but I do. It’s better than him sleeping with someone else. I don’t know why that thought hurts so damn bad. He’s thirty years old, of course, he’s been sleeping with women, but now that I’m staying in his house, it feels different. I have to remind myself that Alek doesn’t owe me anything.
“I talked with Ivan about you staying here.”
I cringe at his words. “What did he say?”
Alek opens the fridge and then closes it again as if remembering that it’s empty. I lean against the now finished island as I wait for his response. “He wasn’t happy about the situation, but I convinced him that it’s the best option.”
I can smell the bullshit from here. There’s no way any man in the brotherhood would just wave off the fact that their fiance wants to stay at another man’s house. Especially, Alek of all people. “Uh huh, now why did he let me stay here?”
“So that he could continue to bring girls back to his place and enjoy his single months.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course. He better not have a fucking STI. Better yet, we can have a sexless marriage. I’m okay with that.”
Alek turns to face me, placing his palms on the counter behind him. The veins in his muscular arms raise around his tattoo, making him look like the dangerous man he is.
“Ivan wants kids.”
“I hate kids,” I blurt out.
Alek tilts his head to the side. “You do?”
“Not really, but I don’t want any of my own. It’s just not something I’m interested in.”
“Is this because of Ivan or -”
“No, I’ve known for a long time. I just have no desire to have children. I know that’s a sin in the Bratva world, but whatever.” If I didn’t want kids before, knowing that Ivan would be the father makes me want them even less. The little bit I did know about Ivan was that he wasn’t exactly the most mature of the Bratva members, and that was putting it lightly.
“Hmmm.”
“What?”
“Just thinking.”
“Do you want kids?” I ask him.
“I could go either way, but if my wife didn’t want kids, I wouldn’t pressure her.”
I smile for a moment and then let it drop because I remember that I won’t be his wife. It will be someone else who will get to decide if they have kids or not.
“You don’t have any food here,” I say, breaking the tension.
He pushes off the counter and walks back towards the door.
“Get dressed. We’ll go out.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” What if someone saw us? It’s bad enough that I’m living with another man but worse if it looks like I’m going on dates with him.
“Are you hungry or not?”
I’m starving, so instead of arguing, I walk upstairs and quickly change. I don’t know where we’re going so I throw on a pair of tight jeans, a nice top, and some sandals. It’s casual, but also the top is dressy enough to fit in anywhere.
When I come back downstairs, Alek is standing by the door, typing away on his phone.
“Ready?” he says, finally looking up. I don’t miss the way his eyes roam over my outfit.
“Yeah.” I follow him out of the house and to the black Range Rover. I’ve only seen him drive the Range Rover or the BMW, but I have the feeling that there are at least a couple of other cars in the garage. I slid into the black seat, glad that it’s still warm. The weather is changing fast, and it won’t be long before the snow covers the roads. We barely get a Fall in Boston. It’s straight from summer to winter, and every year I hate it. I love the heat and being able to spend my days outside. We don’t say anything during the ride until he pulls up to a small hole-in-the-wall place.
“What is this?” I ask, scrunching up my nose.
He smiles. “You like Mexican food, Bunny?”
“Yeah...”
“This is the best place in the city.”
I get out of the car, and we step into the restaurant. It’s packed inside, and I’m surprised that Alek could find a parking spot out front. Waitresses walk quickly from one side of the restaurant to the other. I can hear the cooks yelling in the kitchen. There’s no host at the stand, and I look up at Alek with a raised eyebrow.
He chuckles. “Trust me. You’ve never had Mexican food like this before.”
He waves down one of the waitresses, who is briskly walking past us.
“Give me just a moment, and I’ll get you seated. Two?” she asks.
“Yes.”
She dashes off to drop off the plate in her hand at a table and then comes back. She wipes her hands on her apron before scanning the seating chart in front of her.
“We have a table outside on the patio. Does that work?”
“That’s fine,” he assures her. She grabs two menus and leads us through an open door to a small patio. There are only three tables out here, and one of them is full. The noise of the restaurant fades as we sit down at our table. I’m grateful that we can sit out here away from the chaos.
“I’ll be back shortly,” the waitress says, placing the menus in front of us and going back inside.
“Is this where you take all your hot dates?” I tease, but once the words are out, I picture Alek on a date with someone else, and my heart takes a small hit.
He grabs the menu. “I didn’t realize how uppity you are.”
My mouth drops open. “I am not uppity!”
He laughs. “Your father has been a senator your whole life. You’re used to nice things. I get it.”
I frown. “Haven’t you been in...” I lower my voice. “In the Bratva, your whole life? You’re used to money too.”
He shakes his head. “No. I didn’t officially join until I was eighteen after I left Russia. I grew up poor...real poor, not America poor.”
My father grew up in Russia too, but he doesn’t talk about it much.
The waitress comes back with two glasses of water. She leaves again to get us some chips and salsa, so we have time to decide what we want.
“What was it like?” I ask.
“Hmm?” he asks, his eyes drifting up from the menu in front of him.
“In Russia.”
“Cold.”
I roll my eyes. “Seriously.”
He takes a drink of his water before rolling the straw paper between his fingers. “There’s not much to tell. Vladimir and I grew up in the same neighborhood. We were poor, and the Bratva took care of us. We both decided going to America was the only way out. I immediately joined the Bratva and started making money. Vladimir tried to take the straight and narrow path, but he got tangled up.”
“Vladimir?” I ask. I know most of the Bratva members, at least the ones that lived in Boston, but there were a few I hadn’t met.
“He goes by V. You’ll meet him at some point.”
The waitress comes back and sets the chips and salsa in front of us. “Are you ready to order?”
Shit, I hadn’t even opened my menu. Before I can apologize and ask for more time, Alek grabs my menu and sets it on top of his.
“Two orders of the chicken enchiladas and cheese dip for the table.”
“Not a problem. I’ll be right back,” she says before rushing off again.
“What if I don’t like enchiladas?”
“Do you like enchiladas?” he asks.
“Yeah, but you assumed.”
His face doesn’t change as he takes another drink of his water. I feel completely naked when he stares at me like this. It’s like he can see into my soul. Like all of my truth is laid out on the table for him.
“Are you going to school tomorrow?” he asks, changing the subject.
I nod. “Yeah, I have one more final before the break.”
My phone vibrates in my purse. I pull it out to see a text from an unknown number.
I made dinner reservations for tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at seven. -Ivan
I read the message twice before looking up at A
lek, who is looking at me with a blank expression.
“Did you give him my number?” I ask. It could have been my dad or Gavrill, but Alek’s the one who’s sitting in front of me.
His jaw twitches. “Yes.”
I shove my phone back in my purse. “Great.”
“What did he say?”
“Apparently we have dinner reservations tomorrow. I can’t wait,” I say with a huff.
His features darken, and he looks away from me out to the street.
“Are you alright?” I ask after a moment of complete silence.
He won’t look at me when he answers, “I’m fine.”
We don’t say another word to each other until our food comes. I moan as I take the first bite of my food.
Alek chuckles as if the little moment he just had is completely forgotten about. “I told you.”
I wave him off as I savor every bite. I hate to admit it, but this is the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. After dinner, Alek drives us back, and I awkwardly said goodnight before heading up to the guest bedroom.
Delaney
I check my reflection in the mirror one more time. Perfectly applied red lipstick coats my lips. I left the rest of my make-up pretty light to make the red pop. I’ve pulled my nearly black hair into a pretty bun at the top of my head, allowing a few pieces to fall around my face. The only reason I’ve spent so long getting ready is to keep my mind entertained during the time between leaving school and the dreaded night ahead. I hear a honk from outside. What an asshole. Can’t he even get out of the car and knock on the door? Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life with this man? I’ve been doing my best to have a positive attitude, but now that gross sinking feeling is in my stomach again. Maybe Ivan isn’t that bad. Perhaps I’ll come to enjoy his company during this date, and I can stop dreading my wedding day.
With a sigh, I walk down the steps to the foyer. Alek is still at work, and I’m glad I don’t have to face him. He knows I’m going out with Ivan tonight. Ivan is my fiance, so I shouldn’t feel guilty. But for some reason, I do. As if going out with Ivan is somehow betraying Alek. But Alek is the one who betrayed me because, just like everyone else, he’s going along with this whole thing. No one has fought for me, not my dad, not my mom, and not even Alek. I push all my emotions down and open the door. An all-black Cadillac sits on the cobblestone circle drive. Ivan’s arm rests on the window, and, unlike Alek’s, it’s not covered in tattoos. The bottom of my flats clicks against the stone as I walk to the car. The door clicks as Ivan unlocks it, and I push down a groan.
