Time Stood Still (Volkov Bratva #3.5)(12)

Mishca was accustomed to it—he had grown up in this life after all—but she wasn’t, and it often bothered her when she saw it. Maybe it was the judgment that she saw in their eyes that she didn’t like.

He returned seconds later, two gatorades in hand, reclaiming his seat beside her. “What’s that look for?”

Lauren tok her time unscrewing the cap, taking a long sip of her drink before finally answering. “Do you ever wonder what people think of you?”

He frowned, setting his own down she could rest his hands on her left leg, slowly kneading the muscles in her calf. “What do you mean?”

“Since the trial, haven’t you noticed the looks?”

She gestured out in front of them where some of the people were still occasionally glancing over at them. When they noticed Lauren watching them, they quickly averted their eyes.

“They don’t matter. If you were to ever look at me like that, then I would care.”

Lauren fell silent, returning to her book although it was hard to focus on the words. Almost half an hour passed before a woman came over the intercom to call for their gate.

Mishca carried their bags they were keeping on board, even loading them himself. First class was significantly different from Coach. The flight attendants were friendlier, not to mention the amenities and perks that came with it. The seats were spacious, and there was more than enough room to recline the seats back with disturbing anyone else.

Lauren stepped into their row first, Mishca taking the seat closest to the aisle. As he opened his email, the screen of his laptop lighting up his face, Lauren peeked over to see what he was doing.

Within the email he was reading over, there was a set of photos attached, and while she hadn’t gotten the chance to read it, he did open up the attachments.

“What’s this for?” She asked, looking over the empty interior of what looked like a bar.

At least, that’s what she thought it was. There was a section of the wall that had shelves built into it. It reminded her of a speakeasy from the late 1920’s: dark hardwood floors, brick walls, vintage lighting along the ceilings.

“The location where Roman is thinking of opening his business.”

“You never did explain why Roman was coming to you with this. I thought you said he doesn’t answer to you?”

Sometimes it was still weird for her to think of him as ‘the bastard son’ as he had introduced himself to Lauren at the rehearsal dinner several months ago. It had been a bit of a shock to learn that Viktor had any children—let alone Alex—but that wasn’t much of a surprise since Lauren knew very little about him besides the fact that he was a shitty person.

He smiled without looking at her. “In the simplest of terms, we’re forming a sort of alliance. While Green Hill is its own place, it’s still fairly close to Brooklyn. To keep the peace, he offered me a deal I couldn’t refuse.”

Her hand drifted over his back where she knew the cross rested. She was curious to know more, but knew that no matter if she asked more, he would find a way to evade giving an answer. She was actually surprised she hadn’t gotten this much from him.

“It won’t be anything too dangerous, right?” She had to ask.

Mishca sighed, shaking his head. “It’s complicated, but if you’re worried that it will affect us, it won’t.”

“Okay.” She leaned over, kissing his cheek, feeling his move beneath her lips as he smiled. “Thank you for this, by the way.”

“Anything for you.” His smile went from playful to mischievous. “Besides, I’m sure Ross is going to be thrilled to see me.”

***

It was a relatively short flight from New York to Michigan, and an even shorter wait to pick up the rental car.

“No.”

“You didn’t even give me a chance to ask,” Lauren complained, grabbing hold of Mishca’s arm before he could take another step further. “Technically, we’re on vacation and I deserve this. Besides, I know the area better than you and can get us there faster.”

“I love you. You know this, but I would like to love you for an eternity, not just for now.”

She rolled her eyes though his words touched her. “If it matters that much to you, I’ll drive slow.”

Mishca sighed long and hard, not wanting to agree, but knowing that he would eventually cave if she turned those beautiful golden eyes on him. Reluctantly, he tossed her the keys, trying not to look frightened as he got into the passenger seat and buckled in. Once she was in, he reached over, his hand curling around her thigh, but she sighed and gently removed his hand.

“I can’t drive with you doing that, Mish.”

He grimaced. “Probably for the best.”

“No worries, Mish. I love you too much to kill you.”

He believed that, but still couldn’t help sitting up straight as they pulled off. Though they joked about it, Lauren wasn’t that bad of a driver despite her rather constant need to drive above the speed limit. Another hour in the car and they finally passed the welcoming sign to her hometown.

The way she relaxed back in the seat, her smile soft and content, made him happier than he could express, glad that he could give this to her. He could remember the way she looked at him when the question of them coming to town for the wedding came up. She had been reluctant, not wanting to put him in the position of denying her request, but he knew, just from seeing her face that day that no matter what she asked of him, even if it were virtually impossible to get, he would give it to her.