Until the End (Volkov Bratva #2)(47)

“Uh…do you work for Mishca? Or are you…” She didn’t know whether she was even allowed to ask, but she couldn’t say whether he would even answer.

“We are family, yes.”

“Oh, okay.” She guessed that answered the question.

It was quiet in the car and Lauren was at a loss as to what to say to him. Luka didn’t make it any easier for her. While Mishca’s silence was comforting, Luka’s was unnerving. From the door of the car, he pulled out a pear, then a pocket knife.

He cut a piece, and as he lifted it to his mouth, he hesitated, extending it to Lauren. Surprised, she still shook her head no.

“You might want to call the Boss.”

Not taking her eyes off him, Lauren dialed Mishca. He answered after the second ring.

“Moya globushka, what can I do for you?”

“I’m with Luka. He’s—”

“What happened?”

Even she felt uneasy by the anger she heard in his voice. “Well I don’t know where he came from, but he showed up after those men talked to me—Jetmir or something. Mish, what the hell is going on?”

“Give Luka the phone.”

She handed it over, wishing she could understand what they were saying as Luka talked unhurriedly.

“Yea, yea, keep my hands to myself. Got it, Boss.”

Lauren could hear Mishca’s angry yelling as Luka passed her the phone back. “What’s—”

Mishca cut her off again. “He’ll bring you to me. We can talk then.”

Giving up for the moment, Lauren conceded. “Fine.”

Fifteen minutes after she’d hung up with him, fifteen minutes of traveling with Luka, in that time, he hadn’t moved an inch, nor had he said a word to her.

“I’ve heard plenty about you,” Luka said quietly as he studied her like a scientist might a test subject. “Our Captain doesn’t trust easily yet here you are.”

How was she supposed to respond to that? “I haven’t heard much about you.”

Luka shrugged like he expected that. “I’m his forbidden secret. Only time my phone rings is when he wants me to do something dirty.”

Both of Lauren’s brows shot up, but she was more amused than anything else. “Good to know.”

As the familiar sight of Mishca’s apartment building came into view, Lauren sighed in relief, ready to see him and get an explanation for what was going on. Yet, they kept on.

Eyeing her, Luka said, “Boss wants you at the safe house.”

“Safe house? Is that really necessary?”

Luka flexed his fingers, tossing the knife he held end over end. “Not my place to answer.”

Since he was being so talkative, she thought she might ask about the confrontation back there. “Who were those men back there?”

“Albanian businessmen,” he answered smoothly…and a little too quickly.

“Businessman like you?”

He shrugged.

“And this has something to do with Mishca or all of you?” She questioned trying to understand. “Is that why he came to me?”

Lauren knew she should have been more afraid, especially since it had been so easy for him to find her, and with that knowledge came the thought that anyone in the complex network of underworld crime could, in fact, do that same, but she didn’t feel fear, not for herself at least.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

They took the bridge out of the city, and towering skyscrapers faded into beautiful scenery, the colors of Fall showing proudly in the leaves that clung to the trees and littered the ground. It was only a short while later that they reached their destination.

With just a glance, everything Lauren thought she understood about the Bratva changed.

In the city, besides Vlad—and now Luka—Lauren very rarely saw much security around Mishca, but outside this property, at least a dozen or more men stood around the wrought iron gate, all holding assault rifles.

They stopped at the call box first, allowing the men to check the perimeter of the car before allowing them entry. Lauren peered behind her, watching the gate close behind them. It didn’t feel much like a home, but more like a prison.

The house itself was a smaller version of the manor with what looked like a small army manning it. The car had barely rolled to a stop when Luka was opening the door, scrambling out, reaching back to offer her a hand.

As she passed, a few of the guards nodded in her direction, the rest just stared. She didn’t have time to take in her surroundings as she was rushed inside and down a flight of stairs to a basement that was just as big as Lauren’s apartment with Amber.

Mishca’s back was to her as she entered, barking instructions in Russian to the men standing in front of him. Judging from the fury she heard in his voice, he wasn’t happy.

“Mish...”

He cut off abruptly, turning to face her, the relief in his eyes making her think that whatever was going on with those Albanians was far more serious than she thought. She hurried over to him, enjoying the feel of his arms as they closed around her, his lips to her temple.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he drew back. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, just tell me what’s going on.”

“Later. I can’t explain it all now. Until I get this straightened out, you’re going to stay here. If you need anything, Vlad will be here.”