In the Beginning (Volkov Bratva #1)(55)

“You cannot start without me, brother,” a man said entering the room.

Maybe it was his too big smile, or the way he seemed to demand attention as he walked in, but whatever it was, it set Lauren on edge. He had the same gray eyes as Mikhail, but whereas Mikhail had graying hair, this man was completely bald.

He wore a black turtle neck and black pants, complete with obviously expensive leather shoes. He was pale, a color that almost looked unnatural, but more than that, there was something dark about the man, like a radiating evil that Lauren didn’t comprehend.

He took the seat next to Anya, his smile growing as he looked at her. Her mouth tightened, but she did speak to him. At least she wasn’t just cold to Lauren.

“Sorry I’m late!” Alex called, hurrying to her seat next to the man.

She looked across the table, smiling warmly at Lauren. She smiled in return, feeling easer now that she had both Mishca and Alex there with her.

“Oh, hello there,” the man said swinging his gaze over to Lauren. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

Lauren looked to Mishca, whose easy smile was gone again.

“Lauren, this is my uncle, Viktor. Viktor, Lauren.”

Their dishes were brought out, a plate set in front of every guest, but Viktor’s gaze stayed on Lauren, like he knew he was making her uncomfortable and enjoyed it. At one point, his head canted to one side, like he was studying a bug under a microscope.

“Eto moray devushka.” It might have been the way Mishca emphasized the words that brought a screeching halt to all conversation at the table. Everyone looked in his direction.

Viktor grinned and Lauren could only assume the words were directed at him. “On a ne odin iz nas.”

Whatever Viktor had said made Mishca’s hand clench on Lauren’s thigh, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make her clasp his fingers, wanting to calm him.

“Ostorzhny dyadi.”

“That is enough, Viktor,” Mikhail said speaking up. Viktor opened his mouth to say something else, but when Mikhail cut him off and said, “Eto moy prikaz.” He immediately shut his mouth.

The tension was so thick in the room that Lauren had the urge to flee, feeling like she was the reason behind it.

“And everyone please,” Alex spoke up with a wry smile. “Do refrain from the Russian. Lauren and I can’t comprehend a thing.”

That lightened the mood as everyone chuckled softly. Alex winked at her and Lauren smiled gratefully, not knowing for sure how true Alex’s words were, but appreciating them all the same.

***

Mishca took the seat next to his father, watching the fire lick at the iron gate that caged it, the flames burning bright orange and yellow. They seemed to reflect his uneasy thoughts.

A second glass rested between the pair, but instead of the usual Vodka that was in his normal drinks, this alcohol was dark, the Amber liquid glittering in the dimmed lighting in the room. It seemed that Mikhail had been expecting him.

“You are being careless, Mishca,” said Mikhail, breaking the silence between them.

He sighed. “I know the Bratva comes first, Pakhan.”

“When we are here, I am just a father guiding his son.” Mikhail set his glass down. “She means something to you, anyone can see that.”

Mishca tensed, facing Mikhail. “Father—”

Mikhail raised his hand. “There was a time when the Vory v Zaokne did not believe in marriage—forsake your family; have no family of your own. But I loved your mother and I was able to follow my own path when I moved here from Russia. I married her, she gave me a son. Did I forsake you? No, I gave you this life.” He gestured out around him. “It may not be pretty, but it is our world, Mishca.

“Catja knew of this world, she knew the life I led. And while she did not agree with all of its practices, she ultimately accepted it. I was like you once, arrogance, believing that I was untouchable. No, you may not be harmed because of this hubris, but this girl you care for might. Are you ready to face that?”

Mishca didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t been thinking of the Bratva when he had brought Lauren here for the holiday, just of her meeting his family. That was the curse. In an unguarded moment, he hadn’t thought of his station, and for that, he may have created more problems.

“What are you saying? Should I just leave her?” Could he actually do it? Even at the thought, his hands clenched. He didn’t want to give her up anymore than he wanted to keep her in danger.

Mikhail sighed, drinking the last of his Scotch. “She is your responsibility, Mishca. Whether you keep her ignorant is your decision, but remember that any move she makes against us, you have to take care of it.”

Meaning if she ever talked to the police about them, even if she just gave a name, they would call for her death...and Mishca would have to pull the trigger.

***

The sound of her bedroom door creaking open made Lauren shoot up in bed, glancing frantically around for a weapon of some sort. Even without one, Mishca was just next door and could be in here in seconds.

But as the light from the hallway illuminated the figure in the doorway, she breathed a sigh of relief as Mishca stepped further into the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

He was shirtless, only in a pair of loose pajama pants, his hair delightfully disheveled as though he had laid restlessly in his own bed, the same as she had.