Until the End (Volkov Bratva #2)(2)

He was young, only a soldier for the Albanians, but he served his purpose fairly well. In fact, young was how she preferred them, making it child’s play to wrap them around her finger. Yet, there was only one in the years of her being in the jewelry business that refused to break…the only one she had ever gotten too caught up with to realize that she meant very little to him.

And that fact annoyed her the most.

For weeks, she had studied him, waiting for the day she could make her move. He had neither notoriety or anything of particular value himself, but knowledge was power and anything she could hold over him, she would gladly take, but it was years before she learned of anything and even then, he was careful, keeping her separate from his life with the Vors.

She had underestimated that Russian.

In the end though, she hadn’t walked away empty-handed.

Focusing back on the present, she smiled coyly at the Albanian. “Are you on guard tonight, Sebastian?”

There was no high tech equipment protecting Djegia Flaka, because there was no one bold enough to try and steal from the Albanians, especially from the particular family the diamond belonged to.

From what little information she could garner without drawing attention to herself, there would only be one person near Djegia Flaka at all times. The Besniks didn’t want to take away from the experience by having the view blocked by blokes with guns.

“I am.”

“Then maybe I’ll stay later to keep you company.”

He grinned, clearing his throat as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

The double doors leading into the ballroom were pushed open by the waitresses standing there, making way for a man that silenced the room with just his presence alone.

He was of a decent height, if Naomi were to judge, and had a rather impressive jawline that he kept clean shaven. It was a good thing since any beard that he thought to grow made the heinous scar on his face stand out more. It dissected his left eye, the skin still puckered though it was a few years old. The eye, itself, was milky white, contrasting the dark brown of the other.

No one really knew how he obtained the scar and he refused to talk about it, but to Naomi, it only added to his name.

Jetmir the Barbarian.

Some men felt the need for a ridiculous moniker added to their name, distinguishing themselves from others who performed the same role, but Jetmir was a man who’d earned his title and would gladly give a demonstration if challenged.

Tonight he was dressed in a muddy brown suit, one that was more expensive than the ones his men wore, but that also spoke to his leading role in the organization.

Tossing her hair back over her shoulder, Naomi turned in his direction, smiling broadly as she moved towards him, drawing the attention from him to her. Jetmir’s smile matched hers, though on him it was more genuine.

“Hello darling,” Naomi greeted him with a kiss on the cheek, slipping her arm around his as he led her away from the diamond and around to the guests.

She couldn’t help but take a wistful glance back at what she hoped to acquire by night’s end.

He kept a hand at the small of her back, looking down at her with his one good eye. When he spoke, one side of his mouth—the same side as the scar—would stay lax, the muscles in his face ruined as well.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Of course.”

“Let me introduce you to a few of my associates.”

Over the next hour, Naomi played the role of arm candy, speaking only when spoken to, smiling at everyone, and practically fawning over Jetmir as others looked on.

Six months. That’s how long it took her to work her way up the ladder of the Albanian Mob until she had finally landed in Jetmir’s bed and he hadn’t suspected a thing, but on her way to the top, she had witnessed Jetmir’s brutality and knew that after this job was done, she would need to disappear.

She wasn’t foolish enough to stick around and face his wrath.

As the event was coming to a close, Naomi’s heart beat just a little bit faster, knowing she was one step closer to getting the diamond. She willingly followed Jetmir out of the ballroom, winking at Sebastian on her way out.

From the insistent hold Jetmir had on her arm, Naomi knew what he was expecting when they got to his bedroom.

“You looked beautiful tonight,” he commented as he closed the door behind them, already loosening his tie.

“Aw,” Naomi cooed, playing with the straps of her dress. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were sweet on me.”

He chuckled, his smile telling her everything she needed to know. Without waiting for him to ask her, she undressed, going over to him to remove his clothes as well.

This hadn’t been part of her schedule, but she had to play the part so he wouldn’t suspect anything. It had already been hard enough to spike his drink with all of his men hovering and his insistent need to watch his food.

She gave him a slight push, climbing on top of him, kissing his neck, then his chest and slowly down his body. His hands immediately went to her hair, pulling tight as her fingers traced the edge of his boxers. Just as she was pulling them down, his hold on her loosened.

Waiting a few moments, Naomi peeked up at his face, making sure he was out before she smiled. Glad that she hadn’t needed to perform, she quickly redressed and crept out of the room.

Her clothes and the rest of her belongings had already been shipped out, small amounts at a time. The last of it was stashed in her car.