Let Me In-Dragan's Tale: The Mikhailov Brothers (10 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

YOUR WOMAN

Toni

I wondered around the kitchen for a minute longer. I needed to get my shit together. All my goals, my plans were for nothing. I was so pissed at Rosa I wanted to punch something. She should have told me. Should have warned me at least. Five years of my life working for something I wasn’t getting. I had a binder with the paint samples. Designed a new menu. I’d really wanted this bar. I stood pondering it for a moment more before a new reality hit me. Dragan Mikhailov was my boss.

From beyond the swinging door, I heard Evie’s voice and braced for it. She was pissed and I didn’t have the energy to fight.

Taking a breath, I pushed through the swinging kitchen doors to find Nico h
olding Dragan back. Evie was standing behind Sergey. And the old man who bought the banana fritters had a grin on his face.

“What’s happening here?” I asked. My eyes going to Dragan.

The old man spoke. “Just heard the rest of the Mikhailov brothers were back in Austin. Wanted to see it for myself.” He looked at Evie then. “Thought I told you to stay away from the Mikhailovs, little girl.”

Dragan had pulled away from Nico and came around the bar to stand next to me. His hand fisted my T-shirt, pulling me back.

Sergey pushed Evie toward Nico and ordered him to take her to the car.

“What the hell is happening?” I asked again, this time more loudly.

Dragan answered, “Go with Evie to the car, Antonina. Nico, take Toni with you.” He started to nudge me and I pushed away from him.

“I’m not going anywhere. Evie, what is going on?”

I turned to find Evie walking toward me. “Let’s go, Toni. We’ll wait in the car.”

“Fuck that,” I said. “I
can’t just leave. I work here.” I looked around. “Where’s Gary?”

“Dammit,
Antonina!” Dragan roared. “Get your ass out of here now!”

“Please,” Evie pleaded. I took one more look at Sergey and Dragan squaring off with the old man and followed Evie out the door. Nico right behind us
.

Nicolai tucked us into Dragan’s Audi and stood outside. His hip resting on the hood. His eyes on the closed doors of The Booth.

Evie sat next to me in the backseat, her hand shaking
, rubbing her lips.

“Toni, do you know that old man in there?”

I looked at her, bewildered. “No. I’d never seen him before this morning. What just happened?” I asked for the third time.

She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I know
him though. He volunteers at the clinic. Some old pawn shop owner.” She ran her hand through her hair. “We walked in. I was looking for you. And the Dragan was telling Dobo—”

“Dobo?” I
interrupted.

“
The old man,” she answered. “Dragan was telling the old man to get out of the chair. He had a gun.”

“The old man?” I asked. She shook her head in the negative. “Dragan! He was standing there with a gun at
Dobo’s head.”

I sank back in to the leather of the backseat. Remembering the weariness I felt the night before when I got in this car. I thought today was going to be better. It wasn’t.

“Should we call the police?” Evie asked.

I looked over at my friend. “Sergey is the police!”

“Right,” she said absently. “How’s Patsy?”

I sighed and pulled my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans. “No messages. They gave her something for pain. Told
me not to expect much for a few hours.”

“And the cut?”
she asked.

I looked at her.
“Dragan told Sergey and Sergey told me.”

I chuckled. “No more secrets with those two around,” I grumbled.

“And what a freaking shame for you. Frick, Toni and you call me a martyr.” She was frustrated with me.

“Evie, I’m not being a martyr. I’m trying to handle it.”

“Why handle it alone, Toni?” she barked.

“
Because,” I cried. “When you see how bad it is you’ll try to convince me to put her in a nursing home.” I let the tears go then. Tears for my mom, hopes. Hell, even tears for my car.

Evelyn pivoted in the seat and grabbed me, bring
ing my body into hers. “Oh, sweetie,” she purred. “I’m so sorry.”

I sat there and cried in my best friend’s arms. I’d been hiding from the truth for months. I couldn’t do it anymore.

“Mom got hurt because of me,” I wailed.

Evie patted my back and tried to calm me. “
No she didn’t Toni. You wouldn’t have left if you thought for a moment she was in danger. You are a wonderful daughter. A tremendous caregiver. I admire all you do so much.” She rubbed my back and rocked me. I loved it when she did that. “We will get through whatever craziness this is. And then we’ll sit down as a team and get Patsy’s situation figured out. If you want her home, we’ll hire staff. I’m a nurse for Christ’s sake.”

I wiped the end of my nose
on her shirt and looked down at the spot. My eyes went to her and we laughed. “Sorry,” I offered. She smiled. “Evie, I can’t afford twenty-four, seven care. And Momma’s insurance won’t cover that kind of home care. They will want her in a nursing home.” I cried again. The thought of my beautiful, funny Mom in a nursing home made me sick.

“
Sweet pea,” she said. “You know I will do anything for you.” She grabbed my face and made me look at her. “Anything. If you want her with you, we’ll figure out a plan. You’re taking everything on by yourself. Of course you’re overwhelmed.”

I
sniffled and eyed the door to the bar. “Okay, we’ll talk later. I guess we better focus on what the hell happened in there, right?”

She shrugged, leaned over and knocked on the window. Nico turned and opened the door. “Ni
colai, do you know what’s going on? Are the boys in danger?”

Nico chuckled. “Evie, I’m more worried about that ol
d man than Sergey and Drago.” His eyes cut to me. “You holdin’ up okay, Toni?”

I nodded
and the double doors opened. Dragan and Sergey stepped out. They both looked pissed. They walked to Nico, spoke to him and he got in the passenger seat of Dragan’s car. Sergey walked around the Audi, whipped the driver’s side door open, put his hand in for Evie to take. Without a word she took it and stepped out. I watched as he wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her close, whispering into her ear. She nodded and bent down to look at me still inside the car. “We’re going to our house. I’ll see you in a little bit. Love you.”

Before I could reply she was
gone, heading toward Sergey’s truck. Dragan came around the front of the car and got behind the wheel.

I waited for him to speak but he didn’t. So I did. “Dragan, what’s happening?”

Nico put his hand on his brother’s arm to still him before he got out of the car. “Drago, it doesn’t have to be Austin. Anywhere, brother. We can go anywhere in the world. You feel me?”

Dragan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Naw, brother. We’re home.”

Nico lowered his eyes and brought them back to his brother’s face. “Then, I think it’s time you laid some truth on your woman, Drago.” With that Nico swung the door open and left Dragan and I alone in the car. I watched Nico walk to Sergey’s truck. I watched it start and disappear over a hill.

“You gettin’ up front?” he
finally asked.

“Nope.”

“You’re gonna sit in the backseat the whole way to my apartment?”

“Yep.”

Dragan took off and I crossed my arms. The universal sign for ‘fuck off.’ I couldn’t prioritize what was pissing me off the most. Getting ordered out of the bar was pretty high up on the list.

Something occurred to me.
So I hopped over the center console and plopped in the passenger seat. I still had my apron on.

“What do you mean? Your apartment? I thought you were taking me to Evie.”

“I will, when I’m done.”

I looked over at him. “When you
’re done with what?”

He took his eyes
off the road for minute and grabbed my chin. “When I’m done fucking you.”

Okay, let’s add that to my list of why I
’m pissed.

I laughed. “You are kidding right now? You think I have any interest in sleeping with you?

He shook his head. “Didn’t say we’d sleep, sweetheart. Said I’m going to fuck you and you do have an interest.”

“Bullshit,” I called.

“Call bullshit all you want Antonina. I know you want me just like I want you.”

I sputtered for a few breaths. And then spoke. “What changed? I asked you to come home with me weeks ago and you looked at me like I had a contagious disease.”

“I promised Rosa I’d stay clear of you. And you were drunk. But mostly I promised Rosa.” He chuckled and continued. “I’ve fucked my fair share of drunk women.”

I looked at him, stunned. His words had pissed me off so thoroughly I felt the urge to touch the top of my head and ensure that my fontanel wasn’t opening back up. As it turned out it was just blood pressure.

He stayed silent for the remainder of the drive and I’d lost my will to do verbal battle with him. Instead I crossed my arms and waited for the inevitable stroke to take me.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

PUT IN THE WORK

The Dragan

I wanted Antonina to speak but she remained silent. Sitting in the backseat of my car. It wasn’t how I’d envisioned today going. My plan was to get the keys from Rosa, take my family out for a celebratory dinner and be between Toni’s legs by midnight.

I weaved through afternoon traffic and made my way home. My apartment was shit but I didn’t care. It was closer to the bar than Toni’s house. So my apartment was the destination. I knew I couldn’t just drive and not talk to her. I’d just been a crude asshole. But,
God I loved pissing her off. Her cheeks got flushed and I swear to fuck, her tits got bigger when she got mad at me. “Antonina, we need to talk.”

“Who is your woman?”

“Say what?” I asked confused.

“Your woman
? Your brother said you needed to ‘lay some truth’ on your woman. So, who is your woman?” She sounded pissed off.

“Antonina—”

She interrupted me. “You fuck with my head. Daily. One minute you’re a dick, the next you’re soft.” She swiveled in the seat and looked at me. Her eyes were bright, the apples of her cheeks pink. She was pissed. “You throw me looks like I’m dessert and then look through me like I’m shit. And now… I mean what the hell am I doing here? Do you get what my 24 hours have been like? Mom! My car! I don’t even know where my car is. I don’t even know what to think about The Booth. And, I just walked out on my job.” She barked out a sardonic laugh and continued. “All this, and what am I freaking out about?” I pulled into a spot in front of my building and jammed the gear into park.

Huffing, she knifed out of the car and walked to the hood. Her hands in her hair, she yanked the ponytail loose and scrubbed her scalp.

I got out and walked to her. She put her hands up, ordering me to stay back.

“Toni, listen—”

“What? Now it’s Toni? Now you call me Toni? What about Antonina? This a new strategy to fuck with my brain? What the hell?” she called out to me.

“Toni…” I started for her and she backed up again.

“All the crap falling around me and what am I mad about?” she asked.

I looked at her. Unsure if I was supposed to answer. I didn’t.

She cocked her head at me and growled, “Well, what am I mad about?”

I walked toward her again. This time she didn’t back up. Instead she met me half way. She was flushed. I could see her energy pinging off her body. “What are you mad about, sweetheart?” I asked. My hand coming to her face, I moved a lock of her hair that had blown into her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.

“Who is your woman?” she demanded.

I didn’t assess. I didn’t gauge what her reaction might be. I was going to take my first taste of Antonina like I took everything in life
. I snaked my hand behind her neck and grabbed a fist of hair, pulling her body to mine. I gave the locks a rough tug and forced her chin to tilt upward. I brought my mouth down on hers and bit at her bottom lip. I spread my legs wider and tucked her further into me. I made her whimper when my other hand went for her face. No gentleness, no soft caresses. My thumb swiped at her lips, and then I popped the tip into her mouth. I watched her eyes go bright with a myriad of emotions. But there was only one reaction I cared about. Need.

“You’re my fucking woman. Antonina.” My fist tightened in her hair and she moaned. “You were mine the moment I saw you.” I pulled my thumb from between her lips and brought my mouth d
own hard. Our teeth and tongues were instantly at war with one another. Hot and wet, she met my assault with fearless determination and a violence all her own.

I felt her body shift. Then I heard the thud of her boot on my car’s bumper,
and then my eyes shot open when she’d leveraged her weight up and off the car to wrap her legs around my waist. Her arms draped around my shoulders.

I broke the kiss when her face became level with mine. Shimmering silver-blue eyes hit my gaze. Her mouth
was swollen and red from my assault. Her lips turned up into a tiny lopsided smile and my cock, already engorged with blood, twitched a thank you for the grin she offered.

“Two things,
Mikhailov.” Her voice came out in a breathy promise.

I released her hair and glided my hands to cup her ass cheeks. She
mewed and wiggled herself into my stomach. Another jolt of appreciation came from my dick. “What two things Antonina?” I licked her bottom lip. I licked the top.

“I’m not your woman,” she began and I frowned. She grinned and continued. “
Do you live in this shithole?”

I smiled.