Leveled: A Novella (Saints of Denver #0.5)(45)

My heart began to race as I realized that no one would be fighting this. “Nas,” I called.

She looked miserable. “Pick your battles, shorty. You aren’t going to win this one.”

My last resort. “Sasha,” I whispered, frightfully close to tears. “Do something.”

He was already shaking his head then he stood suddenly, glowering at me. “Life ain’t fair, little girl.” He stared at me. “You of all people should understand that.”

I was out on a limb, on my own.

“Lev,” I pleaded. “Please. Don’t let her win. She’s just a woman. How much pull can she have?”

I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

Lev stood. Then he yelled.

At me.

“What the f*ck do you want me to say, Mina? That I fall over my feet to please the mother of my child?” He panted, “Yes! I do.” He walked away. “I have my reasons, and I don’t owe an explanation to anyone, certainly not you.”

He said ‘you’ like I was something disgusting. Like I was a nuisance. Like I was not worthy of the explanation that even I knew I didn’t deserve to hear.

It brought my back down to reality.

I was nothing to Lev Leokov.

And yet, he remained my everything.




Sometime after midday, after Lidiya and Mirella were gone, I made my way upstairs with my tail between my legs. I should have known this was a hard time for Lev, and I pushed him over the edge. I was sure it took a lot to do that, and I was feeling like crap about it.

Standing by the open door, I peered inside. Lev, dressed in his usual uniform of a three-piece-suit, lay on the left side of the bed, his forearm covering his eyes. It was heartbreaking to see him so lost.

I made my way over to him, kneeling next to him and speaking from the side of the bed. “Hey,” I started, gently. Reaching up, I tugged on the hand covering his eyes. He allowed it to fall, turning his head to the side to look at me. His warm honeyed eyes were full of sadness. I squeezed his hand. “Oh, sweetie,” I hushed. “I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot. I didn’t think.”

He blinked at me a moment. And when he spoke, I knew I was forgiven for my careless commentary in a situation that didn’t call for it.

“Will you hold my hand?”

I didn’t need to be told twice. Rather than moving to the other side of the bed, I stood and climbed over him, laying half draped over his right side, my right leg hooked over his hip, and taking his left hand in mine, entwined, palm-to-palm.

His right hand came around me, holding me close, and his hand stroked my back. A soft sigh escaped me as I rest my head on his shoulder, my eyes closing in satisfaction. I’d never been more comfortable in all my life. And that would be the reason I fell asleep tucked into Lev Leokov.




After my nap, I got up and showered, getting ready for the night ahead. When I returned, my makeup game strong and my hair newly straightened, flowing down my back, dressed to the nines and ready for the club, Lev shook his head. It seemed he didn’t want me at the club tonight.

I didn’t beg. I wouldn’t beg. It wasn’t the way I did things, not normally.

Instead, I tried honesty. Walking up to him, I hooked my fingers into his front pockets and looked up the whole foot to his face. “You’ve had a rough day. Let me be there for you tonight. If you feel like you want to crack heads, all you need to do is reach over and take my hand.” I shook him a little. “You’ve been there for me. Will you let me be there for you?”

He thought about it.

His response was quiet. “Okay.”

I liked that response. I showed him so by reaching up and cupping his cheeks, pulling his face down so I could kiss his forehead.




We got to the club a little after seven. The crowd always took a while to perk up. The later it got, the more crowded it got.

Tonight, however, the crowd dribbled in just as it had the night before.

Lev, spotting what I had, commented, “Something’s up.”

I frowned, nodding in complete agreement. Something was indeed up. I’d never seen the club so empty since I got here. Compared to the day I stole Sasha’s wallet, this crowd was embarrassing.

That was when Birdie approached, looking mildly anxious. “Can I have a word?”

“Of course,” Lev replied.

Her nervousness increased as she wrung her hands together. “I think you should call Sasha. Nas is on her way. I need you all to hear this.”

Lev did as she asked, taking out his cell and calling his brother out from his office. Nas arrived and sat on the arm of my chair. When Sasha arrived, he spoke kindly to Birdie. “Little bird, why are you looking so worried?”

She reached into her jeans pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Sasha. “I found this on my car when I went out for my break. It was on all the windshields. I collected whatever I could, but…” She shrugged. “Some people were bound to get them before I could remove them.”

Sasha unfolded the paper, read in silence, and then cussed softly.

His jaw tight, he handed the note to Lev. “I think we just found out where our customers have gone.”

Nas and I both leaned over the seat to read with Lev.

Aphrodite’s Kiss. New show. New girls. Completely refurbished. Faces that will stop your heart. Free drink with flyer.