The Final Hour (Volkov Bratva #3)(28)

They all presented their IDs to the bartender when he appeared. Lauren didn’t even question how Alex had gotten ahold of a fake ID, knowing that she probably had just as many connections as Mishca did.

“I have the first round,” Natasha announced, smiling flirtatiously at the man behind the counter. “

“What are we drinking?” Lauren asked, knowing that it was important to ask ahead of time before she was given a drink that was eighty-proof.

“Not for you to know,” Amber chimed in. “Just know that you can trust us.”

“Well I would hope we wouldn’t drug her. She’s not really my type,” said Alex, giving Natasha a side-eyed glare.

“Tall and blonde is more your type, no?”

Amber and Lauren looked between Alex and Natasha though they were sitting on two different ends of the bar.

Even the bartender seemed to notice the tension between the pair, his smile growing like he expected a fight to break out at any moment.

Before things could escalate any further, Amber ordered for them. “We’ll start with eight shots of tequila, salt, and limes please.”

He wandered off to fill their order.

“That seems to be your type too, right Nat? Or do you have a wide spectrum?”

The retort was below the belt, but only Lauren and Natasha knew what she was referring to. While she might not have looked like it, Natasha worked as a prostitute for the Gilded Room, or at least that was what Lauren assumed from what she had been told. It could very well be that Natasha worked as a den mother or something over the other girls there, but that was just wishful thinking on her part.

“So tonight is Lauren’s night,” Amber said pointedly. While she didn’t know what the animosity between the girls was about—besides the fact that Luka was somehow involved—she didn’t want that to get in the way of the reason why they were all out. “That means it is our job to make sure you have a good time tonight. First, we’re getting you drunk.”

Lauren shook her head, her eyes going wide as the bartender dropped off their tray of shots.

“Oh loosen up,” Alex added. “You’re only going to get married once.”

“Fine, fine. Let’s drink then.”

“Nope.” Amber slid the tray closer to Lauren. “These are all for you.”

Before Lauren lifted the first drink, she knew that it was going to be an epic night, and once the sour, burning liquid slid down her throat, she was more than excited for it.

The night had officially begun.

Amber held firm to what she’d said, refusing to let Lauren be without a drink. Lauren had lost count of the number of shots she had taken and the various fruity drinks. Some time in the wee hours of the morning, she had drunk a bottle of water. It helped for a few minutes, but she was too inebriated to feel the effects.

Others had soon joined their party of four, cheering along with them. They had been right, it was like a right of passage, and the other patrons were more than happy to celebrate along with them.

Raising her current glass, some of the green liquid sloshing over the edges, Lauren laughed, her cheeks flushed as she climbed to her feet, announcing for all the world to hear, “I’m getting married!”



“We still doing this, Boss?” Luka asked excitedly, his gaze bouncing between Mishca and Vlad.

Sometimes, Mishca didn’t understand how Luka could enjoy causing mayhem as much as he did, but considering they had gotten a tip that one of Jetmir’s enforcers was sniffing around Mishca’s territory, Mishca was willing to let Luka free for the night.

There were only two days left before the wedding, and Mishca had tried his best to keep his business and the wedding separate, but for him to be able to do that, he also had to make sure Lauren was not in any danger. Tonight was the only night he would be able to take care of the enforcer, and he needed to get it done in the next couple of hours, hopefully before the end of Lauren’s ‘bachelorette’ party.

If it had just been Lauren and Amber, he wouldn’t worry too much about what they might do, but with Alex tagging along, she had a knack for finding trouble, and there was no telling what she would get them involved in. Probably the damn strippers she was talking about.

“Let’s move.”

In the car, Luka was like a puppy hunting a squirrel, practically bouncing in his seat as he peered through the window, looking for any sign of the man they were looking for. It felt like they’d been circling for ages until Luka tapped the glass.

“That’s our guy.”

Vlad circled the block once more, letting Luka out around the corner. Mishca didn’t want the guy to get nervous and run off, not before he got the chance to question him.

Plus, Luka liked to chase down his prey.

Mishca’s phone pinged with a new message, Luka’s confirmation that he had him. Stepping out of the car, Mishca slipped on a pair of gloves, focusing on the present, pushing Lauren to the back of his mind.

They entered the alley where Luka and the guy were waiting. Luka waved, his other hand forcing the man to remain on his knees, one of his fingers plugging a hole in the guy’s shoulder.

“You had one job, Luka.”

He rolled his eyes. “Then maybe you should have been more specific.”

“Please,” the Albanian on the ground spoke up, looking to Mishca. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Just don’t kill me.”