Until the End (Volkov Bratva #2)(8)

Seeming satisfied, though Lauren didn’t grasp what she was trying to tell her, Susan stood, pressing the necklace into Lauren’s hand, going over to stand by the door.

Lauren clutched it, looking to Susan. “What are you saying?”

“We can’t help who we fall for and sometimes it may seem like they’re the worst possible choice, but even I can’t deny what I saw between you and Mishca.”

“But he lied to me, about everything,” she whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

“Then be angry with him for what he did do, not for what he had no control over.”

Lauren didn’t get a chance to respond to that as the front door open and shut, Ross announcing his arrival with a call up to them. Susan went down first, Lauren promising to be down in a minute.

She needed a moment to think.

Lauren could deal with the anger, it was the easiest to feel, but the rest of it was what she couldn’t make sense of. It seemed like Susan wanted her to forgive Mishca, but there was so much that was said and done that she couldn’t just let it go over night.

Putting it out of her mind for the time being, Lauren traveled downstairs, seeing the new building supplies near the door to the basement. Ross hadn’t gotten the boat they’d talked about, instead he chose to build one from scratch.

She really had to talk him out of watching Crime TV with Susan.

The back door was open, the smell of burning charcoal carrying through the door. The unnecessarily large grill that Ross was manning took up nearly the entire deck, smoke billowing up into the air.

He held a fork in one hand, flipping steaks as he tipped his beer up, taking a few long swallows before wiping his brow with his forearm. He was off his crutches though one foot was still in a brace. He had even begun growing his hair out, finally letting go of the strict cut he had been wearing since his time in the army.

Looking over his shoulder, Ross flashed his crooked grin. “Returning to the land of the living?”

Laughing, Lauren grabbed one of the chairs, moving it over to the shade. “Your one to talk. If you’re not sawing away at that boat, I don’t see you.”

“Touché.”

While Ross readied the steaks, Susan made potato salad in the kitchen, both keeping Lauren far from any of the food. They talked, steering clear of any tough subject—one tough subject.

When the food was ready, they set out plates on the table. Since the sun was setting, the temperature had decreased enough for them to sit outside. After saying Grace, Susan looked to Lauren.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do once you go back?”

Lauren glanced quickly at Ross before answering. “Same thing I was doing when I first got there. Concentrating on school and work.”

Ross nodded. “Good. I’ve talked to Rodriguez. He’s promised to look out for you if you ever need anything. Mishca won’t be bothering you.”

In a quiet voice, Lauren said, “Mishca.”

Ross grunted, focusing solely on his plate as he pushed his food around. It was no secret that there was no love lost between him and Mishca, especially with the events that transpired a few months ago.

And that was another thing that Lauren thought about constantly. Even if she did think about trying for something with Mishca—not that she did—there were so many obstacles standing between them. Their families would never accept them together.

“Whatever his name is.”

For some reason, though she had just voiced her doubts with Susan, Lauren spoke up for him. “He’s not the one I’m worried about.”

Narrowing his eyes on her, Ross got that scrutinizing look on his face. “Don’t even think about it. He’s not who you thought he was.”

“Thomas—”

“No, Susan, she needs to understand. This isn’t one of those romance books where everything gets wrapped up nicely in the end.” He dropped his fork on the plate, sitting back to look at Lauren. “I thought that by giving you space, it would help, but you’ve been locked away in that room and I can only imagine what ideas you might have come up with. I know these type of men, I’ve dealt with them before. They’re killers with zero remorse.”

“The hour I spent talking to Mikhail was enough to convince me of the type of men they are,” Lauren said bitterly, making them fall silent.

Lauren was staring down at the table, tears of frustration blurring her vision. Ross reached out, laying his hand over hers.

“I just want what’s best for you,” he said gently. “Even if you can’t see that yet.”

Pushing back from the table, Lauren extracted her hand. “I’m going to go check on my registration date.”

They didn’t stop her from leaving though she had barely touched her food. Even as she walked away, she heard Susan whispering quietly.





At six a.m., while the house still slept, Lauren silently dressed, grabbing the keys to the tiny Kia outside. Susan and Ross had gotten together to buy her the car, giving her a means of transportation to get around, and for when she wanted to come home.

She headed into town, stopping by the local florists’ shop, run by an elderly couple. After a few pleasantries, they put together an arrangement of white tulips and an assortment of other flowers, ones that conveyed exactly how Lauren was feeling. As she was leaving, they both gave her sympathetic smiles.