Page 25 of Escaping the Bratva

“So I’m confused. Why haven’t you slept with him?” Haley asks before taking a sip of her champagne.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out! That man is fucking gorgeous,” Alyssa exclaims as she waves the bartender over. Instead of thinking about the offer I received earlier today, I vent to Alyssa and Haley about V.

I’d been invited to this charity event because of the good work I’ve done for this particular client, and of course I had to invite Haley because she worked just as hard on getting this client as I did. Alyssa received her own invitation because she got invited to nearly everything that was going on in the city. Her football player husband introduced her to a lot of people before they went their separate ways. It wasn’t long into the event before Alyssa started hounding me about V, which meant I had to tell Haley the whole story. Normally, I would leave out the part where V was involved in criminal activity, but since he’s already went to prison and served his time, it isn’t really a secret. Anyone could look up his name online and find out his history.

“Did you not just hear what I said?” I ask, leaning against the bar. I don’t want to sit down on this beautiful gown. One of my designer friends sent it to me, and it fits my body like a glove. I curled my own hair and did my makeup because I didn’t have time to schedule someone to come by the apartment. Pictures were taken at the red carpet out front, and I’m pretty confident they turned out good.

“So what? He fucked up in college. Didn’t we all?” Alyssa says as the bartender places another martini in front of her.

“He lied to me. He promised me he wouldn’t get involved in that sort of thing, but he did anyway. I can’t trust him after that.” My voice almost breaks on the last sentence, but I keep it together. I won’t cry over the past.

“But he did it for good reason. He wanted to make something of himself. His family was relying on him, Sasha. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing,” Haley says.

I can’t meet Haley’s eyes because I know it's true. If Nana were relying on me, I’d do anything I could to take care of her.

Alyssa smiles. “I can see your gears turning.”

From the corner of my eyes, I see Desiree, the host of the event, walking towards me. She’s dressed in a purple dress that hugs all her curves and compliments her tanned skin. She’s well-known for throwing events like this. I’m also helping her get her makeup line off the ground. Desiree’s beautiful in every sense of the word. Her black hair falls in ringlets down her back. Her almond-shaped eyes are lined with black eyeliner. I’m sure she hired a team to get her ready for tonight, because paparazzi tends to follow her wherever she goes. From my understanding, she spends most of her time in Los Angeles but throws events in whatever city she wants to.

“Desiree,” I greet as she gets closer.

“Sasha, I’m so glad you made it.”

“It's a beautiful event.”

“It couldn’t have happened without you putting the word out. Make sure you grab one of the gift bags on the way out.”

“There’s free makeup in there. Of course I will.”

She laughs. “You know you never have to buy any of my makeup for the rest of your life. You have a lifetime supply.”

I flash her a smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

She turns to Alyssa next. “Thank you for coming, Alyssa. Your donation means the world to this organization.”

Alyssa looks almost embarrassed and takes another sip of her drink. “Don’t mention it,” she mumbles.

Desiree looks at me, but I just shrug.

“I’ll see you guys around. I should mingle some more.”

She walks away, and every man around us turns their head to get a look at her ass. It almost makes me laugh.

I turn back to face Alyssa. “Damn, how much did you donate?”

“I like the charity this time. Charities for children always pull at my cold heart, so I donated what I could.”

“So…” Haley prompts, trying to get back on subject.

I let out a sigh. “Fuck it. I guess I’m going to V’s.”

Alyssa lets out a shriek. “I knew it!”

I grab my clutch. “Make sure to get an Uber tonight. Don't try to drive home.”

“Make sure you remind that man what he left behind all those years ago,” she yells after me as I walk away.

I stand in front of a gorgeous three-level townhouse. V texted me the address when I told him I wanted to see him. His place isn’t far from Alyssa’s house, so it had to cost a fortune. An Escalade with shiny rims sits in the driveway. I’m really going to do this. I’m going to walk in there and sleep with V. Butterflies fill my stomach. This could be a huge mistake, but I tell that small voice in my head to shut up. I want his body on top of mine and his hips between my legs. I walk up the porch steps to the front and knock. Footsteps sound on the other side before V opens the door, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that hang low on his hips. A tattoo of two sets of wings spread across his muscular chest. His warm blue eyes roam over my body, taking in the tight dress. I don’t say a word as I step around him and into the house. The kitchen and living room are completely open so it just seems like one big room. The kitchen is complete with granite countertops, a top-of-the-line stove, and oven. He closes the front door, and I turn around to look at him.

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