Give Me More (4 page)

Chapter Six

Zoey sat across from Alexa at her kitchen table. They weren’t speaking at the moment as Alexa flipped through a magazine, but when they both had the same days off they got together. Zoey knew it was because Alexa was so worried about her, because before all this went down, even though they spoke regularly, they didn’t really see each other.

Zoey looked down at the mug, stared at the tea swirling around, and felt the steam from the hot liquid move along her face. “Can I ask you something?” Zoey said, and looked up at Alexa.

“Sure,” her sister said, but was still looking down at the magazine.

Zoey was silent for a second as she thought about how to actually say this. It wasn’t her business, but her curiosity, and the fact Sergei had been pretty attentive to her last night, had her wanting to know things. Zoey must have been silent for too long, because Alexa lifted her gaze from the magazine and looked her in the eyes.

“What’s up?”

Zoey licked her lips, and figured she might as well just spit it out. “What does Yvgeny really do?”

Alexa didn’t speak for a second, but she finally leaned back in her chair and turned her head to look out the window. “He runs the club,” Alexa said.

“You know what I mean.”

Alexa turned and faced Zoey again. “It seems like you might already have a clue on that.”

Zoey nodded slowly. “The mafia?” she whispered.

Alexa didn’t move or even show expression, but then she smiled. “You say it like it’s a dirty little secret.”

“Isn’t it? I mean I would think it would be.”

Alexa smiled again. “Not to the Bratva.”

“Bratva?”

“Russian mafia, Zoey.”

They didn’t speak for long seconds.

“How do you know all this? It seems like a sensitive subject Yvgeny wouldn’t just be throwing around.”

Alexa shook her head. “He doesn’t, but people know who he is and what he does.”

“How did you find out?” she asked Alexa. She noticed the way her sister’s cheeks turned pink after she asked the question. “You have a relationship with him?”

Alexa shook her head. “I don’t think sleeping with him once constitutes a relationship. But he trusts me.”

Zoey could see the emotion on Alexa’s face then. Her sister cared about Yvgeny, but maybe he didn’t feel the same way. She didn’t say that though.

“Do you think Yvgeny would tell anyone about my situation, like anyone he worked with, in the mafia?” It sounded so weird saying that out loud.

“Yvgeny is a very private person. He knows the importance of keeping things to himself.” Alex looked Zoey in the eyes. “But I think if it meant keeping a woman safe he might tell someone, you know, for extra protection, and to be on the lookout.” Alexa knitted her brows. “Why are you asking all of this? Did something happen last night?” Alexa seemed on alert right away.

Zoey looked down at her tea again. “One of the men he was with in the VIP room seemed to take an interest in me.” She looked at her sister again. “And I liked it, Alexa, liked the way he looked at me, and talked to me.”

Yeah, she’d just said that out loud.

“If he bothered you I’d tell Yvgeny. He wouldn’t stand for that.”

Zoey shook her head. “He wasn’t bothering me. He actually made me feel nice. He walked me to my car after my shift ended, too.”

Alexa didn’t speak for long seconds, but then she exhaled. “Just be careful. This has nothing to do with what went on with Rick, but everything to do with the fact these men are dangerous.”

“And you were with Yvgeny.” Zoey didn’t say it condescending or even accusingly.

“Yeah, and that was my fault, because now I want a man that probably only sees me as that one time kind of thing.”

In only the three months she’d known Yvgeny, he didn’t seem like that type of man, but what did she really know about anyone?

“Maybe you should tell him how you feel?”

Alexa was shaking her head before Zoey even finished speaking. “No. It’s better that I just act like it never happened. I work for him, and showing my feelings isn’t really the route I want to go.”

Zoey didn’t say anything in response, because she didn’t know how to make Alexa feel better about this. She also had no experience in a matter like this either.

“I just need to focus on what’s going on now. But what I felt last night was kind of crazy.”

Alexa gave her this empathetic look. “You’ve been through hell and back, Zoey. It’s only natural for you to feel good when you’re shown affection.” Alexa’s expression changed to serious. “But please be careful. These men are dangerous. Even if I know for a fact they’d never hurt a woman because that’s one of the things they are against, they are still Bratva.”

Zoey looked at her mug and wrapped her hands around it. “There isn’t any need for worry. My life is crazy enough with adding anything else to the mix.”

But even after saying it she couldn’t deny Sergei was on her mind.

****

The following night

It had been easy to find Pavel. He’d let his drug abuse rule him, and because of that he had no judgment, had no common sense or rationalization on who or what he was fucking with. He’d abandoned all hope of rectifying anything, but then again the Bratva didn’t give second chances. Once Pavel had fucked up, that had been it … he’d been dead to the brotherhood.

“He’s already there and ready?” Sergei said to the driver.

“Yes, sir.”

After another ten minutes they finally reached the meat processing plant owned by the American based Bratva. It was on the outskirts of town, made a lot of revenue for the brotherhood, but was also used to clean the money they brought in from their less than legal endeavors.

Sergei climbed out of the car and headed into the back of the building. There were already men there, guns held in their hands, their focus taking in the perimeter.

“Take me to him,” Sergei said to one of the men.

“He’s this way.”

They moved through the warehouse, the scent of meat and chemicals strong in the air.

“What about the others that worked with him?”

“They’ve been taken care of, sir.”

Sergei nodded in approval.

The sound of their shoes hitting the asphalt echoed off the high ceiling.

They moved down a long corridor once out of the main processing room. Once at the end of the corridor they stopped at another door that would lead them downstairs. They descended the stairs, several men behind Sergei, the only sounds of their footsteps. They finally entered the last corridor and pushed open the door at the end of the hallway. Sitting in a chair in the center of the room with rope securing his hands behind his back and around his feet was a man he’d known for years.

The door shut behind them, sealing Sergei and Pavel, as well as three other men with guns, in the room. The light that hung in the center of the room, right above Pavel’s head, was barren of a shade, and cast a harsh glow in the confined room.

Serge moved closer to Pavel and looked down at him when they were only feet apart. Pavel had a bloody nose and a split lip, probably from resisting when they’d brought him in.

“You fucked up, Pavel,” Sergei said.

Pavel didn’t respond, just stared at Sergei. His eyes were bloodshot, but Sergei knew it was probably because he was high, not from anything else.

“You know why you’re here?” Sergei asked in Russian.

They both knew the answer to Sergei’s question, though.

“
Da
,” Pavel said, his voice thick from whatever he was on.

“Why?” he asked.

Pavel didn’t answer right away. Sergei gestured for tone of the men to undo the bonds on his hands and feet. There was no need for that. If Sergei were killing Pavel, he wouldn’t do it while the man was strung up like a hog. That’s not how Sergei operated.

Once the ropes were cut off Pavel rubbed his wrists and looked at Sergei. “You never were one to take someone out while they were tied up.”

“No,” he responded. “You know that’s not how I work.”

Pavel just nodded.

“So, answer my question.”

Pavel didn’t look away from Sergei after he asked the question.

“Does it really matter?”

No, it didn’t, but Sergei still wanted to know. When he didn’t respond or look away Pavel swallowed and started speaking again.

“Because I wanted to grow within my ranks. I wanted to be top tier. I couldn’t do that with the Bratva. My past was—”

“Fucked, just like many of our pasts were,” Sergei finished for him. He crouched in front of Pavel, face-to-face now.

“I’m tired of the way things were,” Pavel said in a raised voice.

“Calm the fuck down.” Sergei just shook his head. “We were close back in the day, Pavel, but you’re weak, too weak for the Bratva. You fucked up, and you know what happens to traitors.”

“Yeah, and I see you’re the hand dealing out the justice.”

“Since it’s you, yeah, I’ll be the one finishing this.” Sergei stood. “I’ll make it quick, unlike others that might have been given the job.”

Pavel nodded.

“You knew what the fuck would happen if you went behind the Brava’s back, sold our merchandise, and betrayed us.”

“Yeah,” Pavel said without apology

“Was it worth your life?”

A moment of silence passed before Pavel responded.

“I had no life, Sergei.”

Maybe he hadn’t, but that was no excuse to betray the brotherhood.

“Your weakness isn’t an excuse.” Sergei grabbed his Beretta, checked the chamber, and looked back at Pavel. “I won’t prolong this.” Sergei wasn’t about torturing, unless said motherfuckers hurt women. If that was the case and he got his hands on them … all bets were off and he’d have a lot of fun for hours with them.

“You had to know the Bratva would find out,” Sergei said.

“Yeah,” Pavel responded.

Pavel was too fucked up to care, and Sergei wanted this done and over with. Years of knowing someone didn’t matter if they betrayed the organization.

“Just do it,” Pavel said.

Pavel wanted to die that was clear.

Sergei didn’t waste any more time. He placed the barrel of the gun right in the center of Pavel’s forehead, looked into the man’s eyes, and pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gun going off had Sergei’s ears ringing in the closed off space. He didn’t flinch, didn’t even move as he watched the force of the bullet going into Pavel’s skull having the guy kick back and fall backward with the chair.

Sergei watched as a pool of blood started forming behind Pavel’s head.

“Have someone clean this mess up,” Sergei said and turned to leave the room.

Once he was out of the processing plant he grabbed his cell, and dialed Yvgeny’s number.

“It’s done?” Yvgeny said through the receiver.

“It’s done,” Sergei answered.

Normally he’d have a lot of adrenaline pumping through him after a killing, but this time he didn’t. He had this darkness filling him. A woman would have helped tame that darkness, but the only female he thought about was Zoey.

The only one he wanted was Zoey.

He got in the back of the car and told the driver to go to Yvgeny’s club. If Zoey weren’t working he’d drink. If he couldn’t fuck the woman he wanted, he could get black out drunk.

Chapter Seven

Zoey wiped off the bar and tossed the rag into the small sink under the counter. She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling tired, but her mind on one specific person.

Sergei.

She’d seen him come into the club with a few other men just an hour before. She wasn’t working in the VIP section, but that was probably a good thing seeing as she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since she’d first seen him a few days ago. Keeping her distance was probably the best move on her part.

“You off for the night?” Axel, one of the bartenders, asked. He was tying a white apron around his waist as he moved toward her.

“Yeah. Just finished closing out the register.”

Axel nodded. “Get one of the guys to walk you out to your car. And if you can’t find anyone come get me and I’ll do it.”

She nodded, having planned on doing that. Zoey looked over at the VIP section, and although it was closed off, with a two-way mirror for the VIP guests to still see out into the dance floor, she could imagine Sergei in there.

God, get a grip. There are so many other things you need to focus on right now.

But even with everything going on, her mind a whirlwind of emotions and worries, she couldn’t help but feel that undeniable connection with Sergei. There was no fear, no worry about what she wanted with him. Zoey just wanted to forget about her troubles and think about something else. She wanted to focus on the future she could have, the future she deserved. Even if she only had one night with Sergei, that was better than nothing. That was a start. That was the first step in moving past the shit Rick had thrown her way.

She wasn’t a fool in thinking Sergei would be the one she started a life with after all of this ended. She just wanted to be able to be like she used to be, to be able to enjoy the little things. She hadn’t been with a man in months. Even those few months she was with Rick they’d only been physical together a few times. But the abuse had never been in the bedroom, for whatever reason, and she was thankful for that.

Rick hadn’t tarnished her in that way, hadn’t beat her as he fucked her. She knew it could have been so much worse, and although the abuse was bad enough, she didn’t want it shaping who she was, who she’d always been.

Pushing all those thoughts aside, including the ones with Sergei, she flagged down one of the bouncers to walk her to her car. Even if Yvgeny hadn’t known about her situation, all the girls were protected this way. It was how he ran things, and it showed that although he was in the Bratva, he was also a good man.

An oxymoron, maybe, but still the truth.

As she walked out the backdoor with one of the bouncers trailing, she thought about Sergei and how forward she would have been with him if Rick hadn’t fucked everything up. Before Rick had even been in the picture Zoey had been outgoing, loved talking and meeting people, and hadn’t been ashamed of what she wanted. She’d been with a few guys before Rick, and she’d enjoyed her time and youth. And even though she was only in her twenties, so young still, Rick had snatched a part of her life away. She’d never get that back.

But you don’t have to let him take your future.

She stopped at the driver’s side of her car and looked at the bouncer. “Thank you.”

He nodded and gave a grunt, and then headed back inside.

She opened the door, sat in the driver’s seat, and locked it once she pulled it closed. For a moment she just sat there, thinking about everything she wanted to do. It had been three months since she’d run from Rick and the clusterfuck he’d caused. She didn’t know if he was dead, or if he would even come after her.

It had been three years she’d had peace without him in her life. Hell, because Sergei was helping her out with a job, a place to stay, and transportation, she hadn’t even been using her full name. There was no paper trail of her existence in town, and just thinking about that, realizing it, made her feel a semblance of calm.

“Just talk to him, see where it goes.”

That seemed so much easier than it actually was, but she was tired of being locked in her own prison. She was tired of allowing a man to control her when she hadn’t given him permission. He’d ruined her three months ago, but she was surviving now, and that’s all that mattered.

Time to take back my life.

She started the car and pulled away from the club. In no time she was turning onto the street of the home she rented from Yvgeny. But her heart stopped and her throat tightened when she saw a dark car parked right in front of the house next to the curb. The windows were blacked out, and it was an expensive, but also ominous looking vehicle. She thought about just driving on, because the thought that Rick had found her played through her head for a second. But then she told herself Rick didn’t have money that would afford him a car like that.

And then the back passenger door opened and she saw Sergei getting out.

Her heart beat double time, but she also relaxed slightly at the knowledge it was him. Zoey pulled the car into the driveway and cut the engine. Before she could even open the door and get out, Sergei was right there opening it for her. She looked up at him, the shadows concealing part of his face, his big body blocking out the streetlamp behind him.

Why was he here? How did he know where she lived?

A million thoughts rushed through her head, but she pushed all of that down. Zoey hated herself a little bit because she wasn’t strong enough to control her desire when it came to Sergei.

He’s in the Russian mafia, not to mention he worked with Yvgeny. I doubt it’s hard for him to find out information.

Zoey tried to calm down and forced herself to get out of the car. After she shut the driver’s side door closed, she watched Sergei approach. Zoey didn’t know what to say, or where to even start. She had a lot of questions, but didn’t know if she’d be strong enough to actually ask them. But what overrode all of that was the instant attraction she had toward him.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m here, and how I knew where you lived?” he asked.

Zoey didn’t say anything in response, not sure what to say, or how to even act right now. She clutched her purse, her hands shaking, her heart racing as she craned her neck back and looked into Sergei’s eyes.

“Yeah, I did wonder,” she forced herself to say.

The corner of his mouth lifted, but his focus was intense.

“The truth is I wanted to see you.”

Her heart stopped.

She inhaled, smelling his dark scent, the tingle she felt in her nose when she smelled his cologne.

“I’ve been thinking about you since I first saw you.” His voice was deep, his accent thick.

“You’ve been thinking about me?” she asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth on their own.

“I have.”

God. His deep voice. His thick accent.

Every part of her body ached something fierce. “Why?” she whispered.

He took a step closer and she moved one back, but the car stopped her from going more than a foot.

“Do I frighten you?” he asked in a low voice, and every part of her body tightened an inch further.

All she could do was nod.

“Why?” His focus was on her lips, and she found herself licking them. The way his expression changed, the fact his pupils seemed to dilate, and the need coursing through her, had Zoey wanting to just throw everything to the wind and give in.

Why can’t I give myself one thing? Why can’t I forget about everything Rick did and just live my life? Why can’t I be with Sergei?

It all sounded so easy when she said it in her head.

Because he’s in the mafia.

He didn’t answer for a moment, and then he took a step back. “I am.”

It was then he realized she’d said those words out loud, and he’d answered her honestly.