Page 51 of Twins for the Bratva

To our left was a dance floor with tables arranged around the edges. Against the furthest wall was a stage with a band playing. Before us, against the wall was the bar. It led right around the right side. It was the longest bar counter I had ever seen. There were about twenty bar men and women serving the crowds.

Between the bar and us, on our right, were another couple of tables. There was a big screen television mounted on one wall. I assumed they used this when there were sports matches on.

The place was fuller than I could have imagined. Staying together, we moved to the right side and scanned the room. We ordered beers and moved to one of the tables. I checked everyone entering and leaving, searching every corner, but couldn’t find Dahlia. After about ten minutes, I started feeling irritated.

“Let’s split up and see what we can find,” she huffed, rising from the table. I hadn’t even taken a sip of my beer; my stomach was upset enough. I waited until my brothers got up and went in different directions. They had barely left when I spotted her. My heart jumped into my throat, and I had to sit back down.

All of a sudden, my legs felt like Jello. I wanted to run to her and pull her out. But there were four new guards just a little way behind her. Dahlia was wearing a long dark blue dress with silver stripes. She looked incredible; I couldn’t peel my eye away.

I waited and watched. At some point, I would be able to find her alone. I just had to be patient. Looking left and right, I couldn’t see my brothers. Pressing my hand to the earpiece, I whispered. “I have her in sight.”

“Don’t do something stupid,” Mila spat back.

Before I could reply, I noticed Dahlia entering the bathroom. “I need a distraction, guy,” I whispered as I got up. Walking towards the bathroom, I kept my eyes on the guards. Piotr and Leon came into sight. I felt relieved. I was ready to take them on if needed. But I preferred to do this as quietly as possible.

Leon and Piotr walked up to each other and started arguing. This caught the attention of the guards. As they moved away from the bathroom door, I walked closer. I stood against the wall next to the door, waiting for her to come out.

As the door swung open and Dahlia stepped out, I pulled her into my arms. “Sugar,” I breathed out heavily. “I have missed you and needed to see you.”

Her arms wrapped around my neck as she embraced me. For a moment, we just held each other tightly. Pulling back slightly, she spoke in her sweet voice, filling me with immense pleasure. “I was looking for a way to contact you. I couldn’t get through, but I am so happy to see you.”

Hearing her voice breaking on her last words, made me angry. How dare these people keep her from me. I held her tight and spoke softly. “I never stopped searching and never would.”

Taking hold of my face, she spoke softly. “I love you, baby. I never want to be away from you for so long.”

Leaning closer, I whispered against her lips. “I think I’ve been in love with you for some time. I don’t want to spend another minute without you in my life.” As our lips brushed. I prepared for a deeply needed kiss, closing my eyes. But we were pulled apart before our lips could truly meet.

Hearing someone clearing his throat behind me, I swung around. Before me stood Aleksandr. His grin pulled his face in, making him appear slightly scary. He was a tall, well-built manwith black hair. He had a unibrow and dark eyes. They appeared almost black.

If not for his thin mustache, his face would resemble a skeleton with skin over it. That was what I was seeing, but it could be my mind playing with me. I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice as I stared at him. I couldn’t see any family resemblance. Dahlia was a ray of sunshine, an angel. This man before me looked like the devil.

I was ready to take him on if needed. Forming my hands into tight fists, I allowed my anger to heat me again. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a guard holding Dahlia back from me. “Let her go,” I snarled.

I could hear his authority as he spoke in a smooth, deep tone. “In a minute. I was wondering whether one of the Smirnoff family would show up. I suspected one of you had fallen in love with my baby sister.”

Looking over his shoulder, I saw the guards coming our way with Piotr and Leon. “We found these men snooping around,” The one said as they shoved my brothers toward me.

“There’s no need to be rough,” I spat, stepping closer to Aleksandr.

He chuckled as he waved at more guards to come closer. “My dear, what do you take me for?”

Feeling my anger now fully flooding me, I tapped him on the chest as I spat back. “I’m no one's fool and surely not your dear.”

Aleksandr stepped back, dusting my touch off his shirt as the guards took hold of us. “I set you up, dear,” he said, turning. I threw this party to draw you all out. I even allowed your beautiful hacker to access our systems.”

Piotr and Leon struggled in the grip of the guards, they wanted to get a hit in on this guy as much as I did. “Calm down, boys,” Aleksandr said smoothly. “For my sister's sake, I even let your little hacker escape. I needed to draw you here.”

We all stopped struggling as his words settled. “Don’t look so surprised or serious. Come on, guys, I just wanted to get you here to sort out the problems.”

“Okay,” Piotr replied slightly hesitantly. “Let’s talk then.”

“Not here,” Aleksandr huffed, walking toward a door behind the bar. The guards pulled us along. Stepping through the door it felt like we had entered another world. The warehouse we were now in looked a lot like one of the Morozov places.

These were used for getting rid of unwanted people and things. This couldn’t be good, I thought as we were dragged towards the back. As we neared the back door, it opened. More guards entered, pulling Alyssa, Cindy, and Mila with them.

“I thought you wanted to talk?” Piotr said loudly.

Aleksandr turned and looked back at us with that crazy grin of his. Waving a hand, the guards let us go. The women joined us as the guards made a tight circle around us. Standing behind Mila and Alyssa, I was able to take out my phone.

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