Hidden Monsters (Volkov Bratva #4)(26)

Alex pulled open the door, feeling the blast of heat hit her as she entered the pool hall. She headed directly for the bar, feeling multiple gazes on her as she crossed the floor. She was one of only a few females in the room. Maybe before she might have entertained the men who were staring appreciatively at her, but the idea of flirting with any man turned her stomach.

Finding a seat at the bar, Alex smiled hesitantly at the bartender, waving him over as she pulled out the ID she’d bought years ago but rarely used.

“What can I get you?”

She surveyed the limited choices up on the wall but ultimately shrugged. “Surprise me.”

As he went about mixing her drink, Alex crossed her legs, the hem of her skirt drawing up, something that seemed quite fascinating to the man sitting next to her.

He had to be as old as Mikhail and had no shame that he was ogling someone at least half his age.

When the bartender returned with a trio of shots, each of them a different color, Alex was more than ready to drink them down.

Lifting the first, she saluted her still staring neighbor, smiling as she tossed the drink back. It was like swallowing acid. The second went down a lot smoother, and by the time she got to the third, her throat was numb.

“How’s about you let me buy your next round?” he offered turning in her direction, allowing her a better look at him.

Even if she were into older guys like him, she would probably go for someone a little more…well more. She didn’t know what it really was. His suit fit well, his hair was groomed nicely, and he wasn’t unattractive, but he lacked something that made her uninterested.

“That’s nice of you, but no thanks.”

“No? What’s the harm in one drink?”

She was now realizing the consequences of accepting one little anything.

“I—”

On her other side, someone slapped down a twenty, and she didn’t have to look behind her to know that it was him. He smelled of musk and summer nights, a particularly delightful scent that she could never mistake for anyone else.

“You’re done. Let’s go.”

He wrapped that scarred and tattooed hand around her arm, pulling her from the seat before she could protest. Her admirer, however, did the protesting for her.

“Let go of the lady. I’m sure she can take care of herself.”

It was beyond obvious to her that Luka was not in the mood to deal with him, otherwise he might have made a joke, but the tenseness in his body only grew as his eyes narrowed and a dangerous energy pulsated out of him.

He didn’t have to respond to the man because whatever expression Luka was wearing, the other man paled in response and turned back to the beer he’d been nursing.

Luka wasted no more time before dragging her out, but instead of going through the front entrance, they went out through the back into a side alley.

Once they were outside, he let her go, and with her equilibrium impaired, she stumbled, nearly face planting on the concrete. She might not have had much to drink, but the shots coupled with the pills were starting to make everything hazy. Finally, the self-loathing was drifting away.

Luka, whose anger was only growing, didn’t seem to notice. He crowded her space, furious blue eyes trained on her.

“You trying to piss me off?”

Though he asked the question, it had to be rhetorical since he was well beyond pissed at this point.

She shook her head, intending to answer the question seriously, but the peace she felt brought a smile to her face, making him think she was mocking him. She drew the hair that was falling in chaotic waves up from her neck, letting the cold breeze cool her down. It felt like she was burning up.

“What are you doing here, Alex?”

Walking toward him, she hooked a finger in his belt loop, giving it a tug and she tried to bring him closer. Surprisingly, he let her.

“I don’t know.” She didn’t know anything anymore. “But I’m happy I ran into you, Tiger.”

His expression softened when she used the name, making her wonder, yet again, if he felt that inescapable draw that she felt toward him.

“What’s under there?” she asked, her finger just inches from his face as she traced the lines and contours. “Underneath the jokes, the self-deprecation, who are you really? You’re one person with me, and someone totally different with everyone else.”

“What does it matter?” And he looked like he genuinely wanted to know.

“It matters to me.”

“Why? Which side of me do you like better?”

She shrugged, smiling sweetly up at him. “I like all of you."

He didn’t seem to believe her, but she wanted him to. Needed him to.

“Why can’t you see that, Luka? I always have.”

While he looked like he wanted to rake his fingers through his hair, they just stilled in the strands, his eyes intent on her. There was no doubt about it, she could have stood there for ages trying to understand him and his thoughts, but her inhibitions were gone, and while he might not have wanted to act on it, she wanted him.

Taking matters into her own hands, Alex went up on her toes even as she pulled his head down, pressing her lips to his. Luka’s lips were firm but soft, and as she traced her tongue over his bottom lip, he parted them. Alex had the control for a few fleeting seconds, and then her back was against the brick, his hand fisted in her hair as he took over.