Hidden Monsters (Volkov Bratva #4)(47)

Luka didn’t actually speak a word as the man continued to make his assumptions. No, he waited because the moment the man gave him a reason, he would end all this.

“Word spread about the feud between the Russians and the Albanians. Kind of strange that the Russians would let someone from the very organization they hate work for them…unless they don’t know who you are. How much is that information worth, you think?”

Luka shook his head, actually taken aback by this whole situation. “Idiot. Let me see if I got this right. You come in here and try to blackmail—wait, you are trying to blackmail me right?”

The man glared but didn’t offer a response.

“Like I said, you try to blackmail me, but the problem with that is that you know who I am and what I’m capable of. So, what exactly did you hope to accomplish here? Or maybe you have a death wish…”

He must have realized the danger he was in because he brandished a pistol, aiming it at Luka’s chest. Now…there was fear in his eyes.

There was no way this guy had been doing this for little more than a few months, at least in an official capacity. Plenty of people hung around hoping to become a part of whatever organization would allow them.

He didn’t even realize that the safety was still on as he threatened him. “I want fifty grand or I’ll blow your secret and watch the Russians cut you into little pieces.”

Creative, Luka would give him that.

And maybe another day, he might have stayed and continued to play with him a bit more, but his nerves were shot and he wasn’t in the mood for this shit.

Moving faster than the man could keep up with, Luka circled him, his arm going around the man’s throat as he expertly, and quite easily, began choking him, his muscles flexing as he squeezed, but even as the man clawed at him, trying to get free, he didn’t let up.

The gun clattered to the floor as he fought to get free, landing at their feet, sliding across the floor.

Luka sighed. “You should have known never to threaten me.”

When the man made a strangled noise, kicking out with his legs, his foot connecting with the edge of the sink, Luka finally ended it, snapping the man’s neck.

He dragged him into one of the stalls, propping him up on the toilet. Though he doubted it was necessary, he took extra care to wipe down everything he’d touched, pocketing the paper towel he’d used.

Leaving the restrooms, his hands in his pockets, Luka headed back to where Mishca was waiting at the entry of the casino, along with the two men they’d been meeting.

Mishca frowned. “What took you so long?”

“Dead body in the toilet. Strangest place.”

Rolling his eyes, even as the other men laughed, Mishca led the way outside toward where their car was waiting.

When they were in the sky again, heading back home, Mishca looked over at him. “You really left a dead body in there, didn’t you…”





22

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Comfort





With Luka gone, Alex felt awkward remaining in his house without him there, but he’d made it clear that he didn’t want her to leave. Loki was still sitting proudly by her feet, his gaze intent on her, or maybe it was just the bacon she had in her hand. Not feeling very hungry anymore, she held it out to him, surprised by how gently he took it from her hand, as if he had practiced not snatching it.

Setting her plate in the sink, she carried her glass of orange juice with her as she went about exploring his house, not that there was really much to see. Apparently, Luka didn’t believe in furniture…or even a TV, but a part of her thought that there was more to it than that.

To her, his place seemed to reflect the kind of person he portrayed for others. Empty. Sterile. But she didn’t think that was what this house was saying. Empty, maybe, but the question was why. He’d once told her that people like him didn’t deserve nice things, but if he would let her, she would give him everything she could.

That was when the idea struck her. Maybe she could repay him by helping fix his place up and making it feel more like a home.

If her apartment was dirty, she hired someone to clean it. There were times when she didn’t feel like cooking, especially as of late, and chose to eat out instead. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t think of the last time she had done something for herself or the last time she had done something for someone else without getting something in return. After all that Luka had done for her over the last week, she owed him, and while she knew he wouldn’t accept money, she thought of something better.

Now, the only thing she had to do was get him to agree.

Or…she could just do it while he was gone. Sure, he’d said that he would be back as soon as he could, but sometimes Bratva trips lasted days at a time, and if she were being honest, she didn’t feel like going back to her empty apartment in the city. Why not enjoy her time out here without the constant noise and bright lights, and instead, spend it with an over-eager dog.

The more she thought about making herself useful, the more the idea appealed to her. Not to mention, it would keep her distracted for a good while because Luka had a lot of houses.

Since she was in borrowed clothes, she made sure that they were relatively old before she got started, beginning in the room where they had spent the last four days. She stripped his mattress, tossing the sheets in a corner, going through the rest of the room to gather up empty containers and bottles that she had more than likely thrown to the side during her bender. Loki was ever present, sitting off to the side, watching her every move. Just clearing the room took half an hour, and by the time she finished sweeping up and dumping the sheets in the washing machine, another twenty minutes had passed.