Hidden Monsters (Volkov Bratva #4)(88)

But that f*cking bitch, Alex Volkov, beloved sister of Mishca and the Bratva princess, had somehow dug her way into Luka’s heart, making it all the more difficult for Natasha to remain there. She hadn’t thought much of it. After all, Alex had only been a minor when she’d made her crush known and Luka didn’t seem to reciprocate her feelings.

Natasha still didn’t understand what changed between them. The only thing she knew was Luka had dropped her like she never meant a thing to him. She’d been more than a little pissed, wishing that she could do something to get back at him for getting her hopes up, but as of yet, she hadn’t figured anything out. But she would soon, and she would make sure he was as hurt by what she did as she was by him.

As the cab pulled to a stop, she climbed in the back, slamming the door shut as she gave her address to the cabbie and got comfortable.

After she’d moved out of the house with the other girls, she’d found an apartment just outside of the Bronx. Not as great as she would have liked, but she made do.

Pulling off her jacket as she entered her apartment, Natasha pulled the money from her bag, counting it out as she headed for her bedroom…until she noticed the man casually sipping his drink in the chair near her window.

“How the hell did you get in here?” Natasha asked, refusing to move from where she stood. Carefully, she dipped her hand into her coat pocket, feeling for her phone.

“I’m a friend of Valon’s—or are you calling him Luka? I really should learn to keep those straight. Oh, there’s no use in calling him, but I think you know that since he’s essentially dropped you for the younger one, Aleksandra, no?”

Anger, and something very much like jealousy, coursed through her, but she tried not to let that show. “What do you want?”

“Not much…just an address will do. I just want to have a word with her.”

She laughed, genuinely. “Right. You think I’m going to hand over the address of Alex Volkov, the sister of the Pakhan. Either you’re very stupid or very brave. If the Pakhan didn’t kill you for going near his sister, Luka definitely will.” The last was said with a bitter note, and she couldn’t have kept it out of her voice if she’d tried. “I like my life the way it is, thanks.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asked, looking at her with something akin to pity. “You were a whore for the Russians, then you were a willing whore to our friend Valon, but he traded you in, didn’t he? When he found something better? You couldn’t have enjoyed that. He was supposed to be your way out.” The man sighed, getting to his feet, leaving behind a white business card. “But you couldn’t have known that he would never choose you. He might enjoy f*cking whores, but he would never marry one.”

Anger simmering in her blood, she glared at him. “You don’t know shit about it.”

“I know more than you think. I know the only whore he ever loved was his mother. Call me when you change your mind.”

He sounded so sure like he just knew that Natasha would change her mind, but despite how she despised Alex, she valued her own life too much. Before she could offer up another retort, however, he was out the door, the lone business card the only reminder that he’d even been there.

She walked over to it, turning it over in her hands. His name—Fatos?— was scrawled across the top, a number written below it. For a man who was trying to do something unsavory, he was quite bold in leaving his name.

She was tempted—if it meant Alex was out of the picture, there would be no one else to snare Luka’s attention—but she also wasn’t a foolish girl. The likelihood of him coming back to her was slim…but if he knew about this, if she told him about the man, then he would owe her a favor.

Slipping the card into her pocket, she pulled her coat back on, leaving back out. She hailed a cab back to the city, seeing Mishca’s club not far in the distance as she climbed out after paying her fare.

His truck wasn’t outside, but he could have parked in the back for all she knew. The closer she got to the club, she found herself running fingers through her hair, checking to make sure her makeup was still in place. There was no reason Luka should have affected her this much, but somehow he’d dug his way into her skin. And instead of pushing him back, she had welcomed it.

Her mistake.

Natasha was almost to the door when she saw her, walking out, her attention on the phone in her hand. Alex looked like every other spoiled rich girl in this city.

Shiny blond hair, big green eyes, and a wardrobe envied by nearly every girl in this country. She had everything she could possibly want, but she still had to have more.

Natasha wanted to hate her, but mostly she envied how everything came so easily to her.

Finally, Alex lifted her gaze from her phone, immediately falling on Natasha as though she had sensed she was there. First came the look of surprise before she quelled it, her mask in place.

“Natasha, hi.”

Considering every name Alex had called her in the past, it was amazing that she actually knew what her name was.

“Where’s Luka?”

She cleared her throat, glancing back at the club. “Not here. Is there something wrong? Anything I can help you with?”

“Like I would ever need anything from you.”

“Listen, I was rude to you, more often than I probably can remember. I was wrong and not trying to make excuses, but I was a pretty shitty person back then to a lot of people.” Alex brushed her hair over her shoulder. “I want to apologize—No, I am apologizing. I’m sorry for the things I said, the way I treated you. If you want, I’ll tell Luka you’re looking for him.”