In the Beginning (Volkov Bratva #1)(43)

This was what this meeting was about, not about Mishca’s personal life. Mikhail didn’t care who Mishca was with, but if it compromised their business, then it became a problem.

“I don’t think so. She would have been what…five when her father was murdered, yes? I doubt he would have announced his side job. Besides, any connection we had with him was buried as soon as he went in the ground.”

Mikhail dropped his napkin n the table, withdrawing a number of bills from his pocket. “Talk to her. Find out. I am allowing you to handle this situation on your own since this is your territory after all. Do not make me regret it. You know the consequences.”

Mishca nodded, stuffing all of the photos and documents back into the envelope, placing it in the inside pocket of his jacket.

“Was his murder our doing?” Mishca asked looking back at his father.

Clapping Mishca on the shoulder, giving him a small smile, Mikhail and his men left.





Chapter fourteen:


Never Back Down


“Whose f*cking idea was this anyway?” Tristan asked as he plopped down on the couch in indignation.

For Halloween, Mishca was throwing a themed party at his club and invited them all to go. Instead of being able to pick their own costumes, different ideas were written down, folded, and thrown in a clear bowl to pick from. The idea wouldn’t have been so bad if there were separate bowls for the guys and the girls, but instead, they were all thrown in together.

Amber was dressed like a student from Hogwarts, complete with a cloak and wand that she had specially ordered for the occasion. Piper was a Playboy bunny, with height defying heels, Swarovski crystals encrusted around the shoes—Tristan claimed she rigged it. Lauren, with a bit of liquid encouragement, was a sexy nurse, a white hat with a red cross pinned to her hair.

Their costumes were rather decent, not exactly what they had hoped for, but they were definitely better than what the guys ended up with.

Matt was a fairy, with glittery silver shorts and iridescent wings. Rob was the luckiest of the three, going as a pirate, but as soon as Tristan stepped into the apartment, the catcalls started.

He had on skin tight, red leather pants with a matching corset, his blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Amber had used her skills to paint his face with varying shades of purples, blues, and reds.

“Who the f*ck writes, ‘dying hooker’ as a Halloween costume?” He turned narrowed eyes on Lauren. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

She laughed, holding her hands up. “I never thought it would actually get picked. If it helps, I think you look sexy.”

“Yea, well.” He stood, turning so his back was to her as he struggled to tug down his jeans a bit. “Kiss my ass.”

“Do you seriously have a cupcake tattooed on your ass?”

“What?”

He actually looked shocked by the revelation. They were all trying hard not to laugh as Tristan rushed over to the mirror, looking over his shoulder.

“Dammit! I’m going to kill Phoenix.”

“His bandmate,” Matt explained, his eyes bright with amusement. “They’re always doing shit like that to each other. I’m surprised there aren’t more.”

“How did you not notice?”

Tristan threw his hands up, going over to pour a shot of whiskey. “He probably did it one night after I was passed out. I never remember shit the morning after.” After his third shot, he slammed the glass down. “Let’s go before I change my mind.”

***

There were werewolves, vampires, a man in the best Jack Sparrow costume Lauren had ever seen. He even had the walk down that only Johnny Depp could master.

Spider webs hung across the ceiling like a giant tapestry, fake spiders dotted throughout—at least she hoped they were all fake. The track lights weren’t interchanging tonight, instead bathing the room in red. Smoke billowed out from a machine, the fog pouring out onto the floor.

“Hey there sailor,” a man in his late thirties said to Matt. He was short and wide, but decided to wear daisy dukes and cherry red suspenders, his chest hair on full display.

Matt’s eyes widened comically, making both Tristan and Lauren smother laughter.

The man trailed a hand over Matt’s shoulders, sauntering off as he mouthed ‘call me.’

“If I didn’t like you, I’d kill you,” he said to Lauren.

“Can’t blame her,” Tristan said slinging an arm across his shoulders. “You’re just so damn sexy as a fairy.”

“Fuck you.”

“No worries, we’ll get to that later.”

“Where are your bandmates?” Lauren asked Tristan before Matt could fire off another retort.

Tristan had got a call after they’d left the brownstone, his bandmates asking where they would be hanging out.

He scanned the crowd, a smile growing as he pointed to the bar. If she had looked herself, she would have been able to guess which guys were part of the band.

All three of them were in costume, all wearing red onesies. Not until they turned around could she make sense of their costumes. On their chests, there were big, white circles, black letters inside. Each of them were a ‘Thing.’

Thing One spotted them first, elbowing the other two. He was by far the tallest of the group and sported a multitude of tattoos that extended up to his neck. He had an easy smile and big hazel eyes.