Until the End (Volkov Bratva #2)(60)

“They are playing you, brother. I—”

“Brahim.”

He hated that condescending tone when Jetmir spoke to him like he was a child. It grated on every nerve he had.

“This is no longer up for discussion. Do as your told.” Jetmir cupped his shoulder, trying to lessen the sting of his harsh words. “There will be other opportunities, give it time.”

Jetmir brushed by him, returning to the back room. Brahim expected him to shoot down the idea in the beginning, but after revealing everything Naomi had told him, then Jetmir would be all for the idea.

Yet, here he stood like an idiot, shunned by the only man these men respected.





“She’s refusing to leave until she sees you.”

“What?”

Mishca was on his third glass of Vodka though the effects had yet to kick in. He couldn’t bring himself to even turn off the emotions long enough to focus on anything else. He was so out of it, he hadn’t even known Alex had been standing there for several minutes studying him.

“You should probably go talk to her. I doubt you want Luka man-handling her.”

Mishca dragged himself from the chair, stopping at the door to look back at his sister.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she said rolling her eyes. “It would be no point in trying to keep you two apart. True love and blah blah blah.”

“We ended things.”

She laughed. She actually laughed at him, patting his shoulder. “Even I didn’t believe that would last.”

Lifting the glass, he prepared to tip the rest of his drink into his mouth, but Alex snatched it from him, smiling as she drunk it down in a single gulp.

“For luck.”

He was too tired to rise to her bait.

It took thirty-seven steps to get from his office to the bedroom. In those thirty-seven steps, he thought of every possible scenario Lauren would say to him once he was in her presence, and each one would break him.

Luka shot out of the room, laughing in earnest as he ducked, a shoe flying past him, slamming against the wall.

“I like her,” Luka said brushing by Mishca as he disappeared down the hall.

Mishca hesitated as he peeked around the corner, trying to discern whether it was safe for him.

Lauren was sitting, not looking at him as she bounced her leg, a sign that she was agitated.

“Luka bothering you?” Mishca asked, tucking his hands in his pockets, leaning back against the wall.

She smirked, the action lightening her eyes, momentarily overshadowing the darkness that was still there.

“He’s insane.”

That much everyone knew. “I thought you would be gone by now.”

That melted away the happiness on her face. “I thought about what you said last night and I’ve decided that I respectfully disagree. We’re not ending things just because of a pissing match between you and your rival.”

What. The. Fuck.

It was like he was talking to someone entirely different. Did she not remember what happened the other night?

“It won’t just be the Albanians,” Mishca said pointedly.

“But I have you.”

“I won’t always be around.”

“Then Vlad or Luka will be there. They follow me around enough anyway.”

“There’s always going to be something that will remind you of your father.”

She sighed, crossing the room until she was in front of him. Reaching up, she touched his chest, over his heart.

“Then I’ll deal with it.”

“No.”

“Now who’s the one running?” She asked softly, refusing to back down.

“What are you not understanding?” Mishca asked exploding off the wall. “You could die.”

“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

“I’m not.”

“And you think it’ll make a difference now? I may not bear your mark, but everyone knows I’m yours. You can’t just erase that.” She shoved him, making him stumble back a step. “Your enemies, whoever they may be, aren’t going to care that we’re no longer together. They’ll still use me to get to you.”

Although he hated to admit it—and he hadn’t thought of that—she was right. In her presence, he forgot his position, and he’d arrogantly paraded her around without a single thought to the consequences.

But he wasn’t ready to give in yet.

“I can still keep you safe without—”

“Okay, fine.” She threw her hands up. “Then, I’m free to see whoever I want, right? Johnny did ask me out a few weeks ago, maybe I’ll call him.”

Mishca’s arm shot out so fast, Lauren jumped. She had thought to walk past him with that parting remark, but Mishca stopped her from going anywhere.

He was surprised the wall hadn’t given away.

“Nyet.”

“Can’t have it both ways, Mish.”

“Who the hell is Johnny?”

She smirked, knowing she had got him exactly where she wanted him.

“This is what I want, Mish. I don’t know how else to tell you that. It’s time you stopped running from this. Isn’t that what you told me?”

“I don’t run from anything.”