Page 16 of The Den of Sin
“I can’t just get up and leave,” I told her. She might have that luxury but I didn’t.
“Yes, you can. I’ll handle it all.” That was the scary part. She could handle it all in a matter of hours. I knew firsthand she could handle anything and everything. “I just want one thing in return,” she added, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
Immediately suspicious, I watched her for any hints of trouble. “What is that?”
“You go to a Halloween party with me,” she grinned. I hadn’t seen her in almost eight months, but sometimes, she acted like we were still in college. And truthfully, I haven’t been to a Halloween party since my senior year. It was my least favorite holiday. The memories of that night were bitter but I still couldn’t muster the will to regret it. Nobody had ever made me feel the way Vasili did that night. “There is this club, The Den of Sin.”
My head snapped to hers. “What?”
“Yes, can you believe it!” She continued all giddy. “Talk about coincidence. They are holding a Halloween party. I want to go there with someone, and I know you won’t ditch me. Besides, considering it was our dorm room name, it is a sign. Don’t you think so?”
“I don’t know if that is a good sign,” I muttered under my breath while my heart sped up despite my brain’s objections.
Reluctantly I recalled what happened during the last Halloween party. Even after all the cruel words spoken by Vasili, my body still warmed at the memories of that night. Nobody had ever felt like him or made my body respond like him.
“Besides, it is you that always ditches me,” I objected, pushing memories of her eldest brother out of my mind. “I’d ruin your time with my mood. I’m not exactly in the party mood.”
“Give it time,” she quickly replied, jumping at the opportunity. I didn’t shut it down firmly enough. “It is a few weeks away. I don’t want to see you drag around for months and months.” She referred to the last time I was dumped by the man I gave my virginity to. “You never told me who it was,” she complained. “And we are best friends. We are not supposed to have secrets.”
This was one secret I couldn’t share with her though. “We granted each other one secret,” I reminded her.
“So does that mean you are coming?”
I knew it was time to leave L.A., but after the encounter with Vasili three weeks ago, I knew I couldn’t be around him. I knew I should have mentioned to Tatiana that I saw Vasili three weeks ago, but it was so much easier not to mention it. I needed more time to get over him.
He won’t be there,I justified.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
I groaned, sick and tired of that sound.
“I’m visiting you in New Orleans, while I decide where I’m going next,” I told her, my mind made up.
She squealed so hard, I felt a headache coming on.
Chapter Five
Vasili
Iliked order, rules, and submission. It was what made the Nikolaev name feared among our competitors and our enemies. Our name was synonymous to power, wealth, and money. It took an iron fist and control to keep it all running like a well-oiled machine.
We owned New Orleans but our businesses expanded throughout Detroit, D.C., Los Angeles, and now we've ventured into Florida. Much to the Santos family’s dismay. And that was just in the U.S. We had businesses all over the world, starting with a bulk of it in Russia.
The Santos family has had control of Florida and ran their drugs, guns and casinos only in that territory. Over the last three years the youngest Santos, Raphael, has been working with Luciano Vitale, Cassio and Luca King, as well as Nico Morrelli and Alessio Russo. That entire bunch worked against human trafficking, which was perfectly fine with me. I hated criminals who got involved in that business. There were plenty of other ways to make money. The Nikolaev family has been against flesh moving for generations.
It was what started a feud between the Santos and the Nikolaev families - Raphael’s father, being young and stupid, moved flesh for Benito King, the scum of the mobster world, over our territory almost forty years ago. And ever since, the feud never ceased, fueled by additional wrongs. At least Raphael Santos wasn’t as dumb as his father who insisted on human trafficking. Lombardo Santos had been drinking from Benito King’s hose for the past forty years and was more than willing to play in that bloody mess.
But Lombardo Santos was dead now. Thanks to my dear brother!
I strode into my building and sensed as everyone’s eyes darted away from me before they scurried away to remain unseen. The money and power behind me made people cower. I was sure my sheer size and reputation had something to do with it too. I’ve always been a large man and when dealing with opposing crime families, I didn’t hesitate to handle things myself. It earned me a reputation that people feared, but it assured enemies wouldn’t fuck with me. Not unless they had a death wish.
I made it into my office undisturbed, only to find my brother sitting with his feet propped up on my desk.
“What the fuck are you doing, Sasha?” I barked at my brother who was reading a goddamnPeoplemagazine.
Over the last few weeks, the slightest provocation set my anger blazing. Ever since the evening I had Isabella within my grasp, drowning in her whiskey gaze and her scent.
There was no denying it, my mood had been especially sour since seeing that woman. I was in a constant state of arousal that nobody could sate but her.
