Hidden Monsters (Volkov Bratva #4)(65)

He tossed it, the paper ball shooting through the air to hit Luka right in the forehead as he came around the corner.

Alex and Amber both laughed, especially at the expression on Luka’s face as he looked down at the ball that had fallen at his feet, his hands out at his sides.

“Patience is key,” Klaus said with a small smile.

The longer they sat there, the more Alex realized that she actually enjoyed Klaus’ company. When he wasn’t brooding—or threatening to kill people—he was actually pretty cool to talk to.

“I need to borrow her for a few minutes,” Luka said as he took a seat beside Alex, directing his statement to Klaus.

“By all means,” Klaus said, finishing the last of his drink. “Floor’s yours.”

“Alone…”

“Just pretend I’m not here,” he suggested, but it was clear that he wasn’t trying to give them any privacy. In fact, he turned in their direction, leaning his head back against the couch.

“Fine,” Luka started, shifting so he could face Klaus better. “Since you want to air all our dirty laundry. The last time we were alone, you weren’t gentle at all. I asked you to ease into it—do you think I like being bruised?—but no, you just needed to ram it in.”

Alex spat out the soda she’d been sipping, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughed, feeling the others’ eyes on them.

Klaus might have tried to look irritated, but his twitching lips gave him away. “I need another f*cking drink.”

He got to his feet, unnecessarily giving Luka a shove as he got up. Now that his spot was vacant, there was plenty of room for Luka to move over and increase the space between them, but he stayed exactly where he was.

Despite the fact that he had successfully removed Klaus from their spot, Alex still wasn’t ready to talk to him.

“You’ve got five seconds, Alex.”

Smirking, she did the counting for him. “Five, four, three, two, one. And yet, I’m still not—”

He lifted his glass, holding it precariously over her lap as if he had every intention of spilling it on her.

“You spill that on me and I will kick your ass, Luka.”

He shrugged, grinning at her. “I like pain, gets me off. I’m sure you remember that well enough.”

Surprise made her mouth fall open, but she recovered quick enough, turning away from him, feeling the heat in her face.

She definitely remembered the way he reacted when she’d raked her nails down his back…or how everything just seemed to get rougher…

Whatever he saw on her face at the moment had him drawing closer, his gaze intent on her lips, and everyone else in the room seemed to disappear. She wanted him again, and—

“Luka, can I talk to you?”

Natasha’s voice snapped her back to reality. Alex cleared her throat, sitting back away from Luka as she waited to see what he would do next.

While his face had been open and expressive toward her, he shut down completely as he looked at Natasha.

“Go,” Alex encouraged him.

He looked at her, as though he were trying to figure out if she truly meant that.

But she did, and it wasn’t because she was trying to be petty.

Cursing beneath his breath, Luka got to his feet, gripping Natasha’s upper arm as he led her around a corner.

They weren’t gone long—though it felt like it—and when they returned, it was time for dinner. Alex took a seat next to Klaus, Luka dropping down on her other side and Natasha next to him.

Mishca sat directly across from Klaus—which encouraged the latter to fling peas across the table at him—Lauren next to him, and Amber beside her.

Besides the awkward tension between Alex, Luka, and Natasha, and the food war that Klaus was trying to initiate, everything was fine.

“Must you be such a child?” Mishca asked when Klaus nailed him in the middle of his forehead.

Launching another one, the mercenary smirked and said, “Takes one to know one.”

Alex, trying not to laugh at the indignant look on Mishca’s face, was busy cutting into a piece of chicken when she felt Luka’s hand on her leg beneath the table. She startled, jumping slightly, but no one was the wiser as she glanced at him, seeing the hint of a smile on his lips.

Shoving his hand away, she went back to her food, only for him to put it right back.

“There something I can help you with, Luka?”

He looked surprised that she was talking to him. “What do you mean?”

Rolling her eyes, she bounced the leg she was holding. “There a reason for that?”

He shrugged, reaching for his fork with his only available hand. “No, I just like the feel of you.”

In seconds, she felt the anger drain out of her.

Dammit.

“You have company. I wouldn’t want to distract you.”

He grinned. “You’ve always been a distraction.”

“Luka.”

They both looked up and over to Mishca who was glaring at his enforcer.

If looks could kill…

The reprimand was clear in Mishca’s voice. He didn’t have to say more.

“Just sitting here, boss.”

But he deliberately rubbed his thumb over her leg though it didn’t look like he had moved at all.