Second Best (Volkov Bratva Book 1) Read online

  I needed to find something to do.

  Now I sat in this house, I think it was a house, waiting for him to come back to me.

  The scent of cigar smoke and alcohol was heady in the air.

  No one was around.

  No guard to keep an eye on me.

  I’d been playing the good girl role for too long now. Look where it had gotten me. A loveless marriage and a boring life. Still with no friends, but that wasn’t a surprise. No matter what I did, no one seemed to like me.

  I spun around on the chair and glanced at the furniture. It was all expensive and classy. Getting to my feet, I moved toward the door and opened it. Rebel in the house. There was no guard on the door, and I smiled. Slavik clearly expected me to be good, or he simply didn’t care to have another guard wanting to kiss me.

  I had no idea where I was.

  Nibbling on my lip, I explored, checking out a couple of the rooms, but they were all vacant. Soft music played through the walls. Seductive. Somewhat alluring. I liked it. Still, no one stopped me.

  Slavik wasn’t there to yell at me.

  I set about my newfound freedom and rebellion with relish. Putting my hand on the staircase, I made my way up. Each step gave me a thrill that I was finally fighting back against the chains of my life.

  Death had always been a threat.

  Life always seemed like a gift and a curse.

  Tucking my hair behind my ear, I walked past a couple of doors. I heard moaning. The kind that I imagined couples made. I paused. On instinct, I spun away as if to hide. This was a world I wasn’t allowed to be a part of. My only sense was that of duty. I had no other role to play.

  I got to the top of the stairs and paused. No. I refused to run and hide. I wanted to know what those noises meant.

  Quickly, I made my way back. The doors were all shut until I got to the end of the hall. It was open wide enough for me to see.

  The feminine sound echoed around the room, and I felt an answering pulse between my thighs. I couldn’t help but press them together. This was arousal. Licking my suddenly dry lips, I focused on the occupants in the room. I saw a woman. With long red hair, she was completely naked, and between her thighs, she was bare. She wasn’t alone. A man stood behind her. His hand in her hair. He was naked, like her. I saw his naked body. Not a single mark of ink, but he had chest hair.

  I didn’t recognize the man or the woman.

  “Yes, fuck, just like that, baby,” she said.

  “Yeah, I can feel how tight you are.” He growled and sped up.

  All of a sudden, she tugged out of his hold, and she sank down beside him. I saw everything.

  His cock was huge, and it was covered in a condom that she pulled off. Then she covered him with her mouth.

  He groaned. His hands went into her hair and used it as leverage, forcing her to take his cock.

  I heard his moan and hers.

  When he pulled her in close and he rocked his hips fast, she gagged on his length but didn’t stop. The woman on the floor grabbed his ass as if she wanted him to go deeper. Tears fell down her eyes, and the man groaned. I watched his neck tense up and then he released her.

  The woman sat back, opening her mouth, and then I watched her swallow.

  I’d read enough books to know what she’d done. The man looked hypnotized, but he wasn’t done yet. He grabbed her, pulling her back up to the bed. Within seconds, his mouth was between her thighs, and the woman in question cried out, begging for more, and then arched up, looking like she was in a state of bliss.

  I couldn’t move.

  The man, once he was done, dropped a kiss to the woman’s lips, stood, and gathered his clothes.

  “Next week?”

  “Yes, next week, and I can’t wait.”

  “Love you, Cara.”

  I stepped back, but the man stopped when he saw me.

  “It’s okay, Drake. I’ll deal with it.”

  The woman, Cara, came to the door with a smile on her face. I didn’t know what to do. I’d been caught watching them.

  My cheeks felt hot to the touch. I was aroused. I’d watched this couple have sex, and I was so wet, it was crazy.

  “Hello, Aurora,” Cara said. “Come in.”

  “You know my name?”

  “I think I should. I was at your wedding.”

  “You were?”

  Cara laughed. “Of course. It’s not every single day I get to see Slavik married. I had to be there.”

  “You know Slavik?”

  “I do. We go way back.” Cara began to strip the bed. “Damn, fucking is so much fun, but it does sure get messy.”

  I looked at the bed. Cara seemed happy.

  I was being rebellious today, so I might as well go all in.

  “You enjoy … what he did to you?”

  Cara turned to me with a smile. “Fucking? Hell, yeah. There is no better feeling in the world than having a man rock-hard inside you.” She groaned. “Sorry, I’ve always been in touch with my inner sex goddess.”

  I frowned, looking at the bed then at Cara. I’d read about a lot of sex. The times I’d done it with Slavik, well, it wasn’t like I was lining up for a repeat performance.

  “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

  I wanted to bluff but at the same time, what I’d just seen, was it wrong to want that?

  “No.”

  “Wait, you are Slavik’s wife, right?”

  “Yes.”

  Cara snorted. “Wow, leave it to him to leave his woman hanging.” She shook her head. “Look, sex can be horrible. I’m not going to lie. With the wrong guy or girl, it can be crap. There’s no other word for it, but with the right person, it can be, well, you saw. I personally love it when Drake visits me. He knows what I like, and he’s not afraid to give it to me.”

  I felt like she was talking in riddles.

  Her gaze looked me up and down. “The life you’ve lived, I doubt many men have given you the time of day, have they? You were a virgin, if my memory serves me right.”

  “Er, yes, I was.”

  Cara sighed. “I will never understand why women don’t help each other out.” She tutted. “You know you can take care of yourself, don’t you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Cara smiled. “Slavik brought this on himself. When you’re alone, and you have these same feelings you’re experiencing now, touch yourself. We know what we like. Put your hands on your pussy, and stroke, explore. See if you like it hard or soft. You’re the only person who is going to give you that kind of pleasure.” She moved toward a drawer and retrieved a card. “If you have any kind of questions. Call me.”

  I took the card she offered. It had a couple of phone numbers.

  I went to open my mouth to ask her more questions, but suddenly, my name was being yelled, and I tensed.

  “Oh, I’m guessing someone is learning to be naughty. I like it.” She winked at me.

  I spun on my heel, about to find Slavik, seeing as he seemed intent on waking everyone to find me.

  He was at the doorway. His gaze landed on me then on Cara. She’d put a robe on, but she still looked like she’d been having lots of sex.

  “Slavik,” she said. “Did you take care of your problem?”

  “Yes.”

  He grabbed my arm, and without another word, he pulled me out of the room.

  “Ouch!” I tried to tug away from him, but he wouldn’t let me. In the end, he pulled me over his shoulder and I was being marched out of the house.

  My curiosity hadn’t been sated though. I wanted to know more about what I’d just seen. Cara had all the answers to my questions.

  It was like I’d been awakened, and now I couldn’t just accept living a half-life.

  “I want to go and talk to Cara.”

  “Not happening,” he said, growling.

  I slammed my fist against his ass. I only got the one shot in as he dumped me into the back of his car.

  ****

/>   Slavik

  My wife would be the death of me. I needed to hire a guard for her and stop bringing her on these trips. One day, they were going to get violent and she’d end up hurt. The truth was … I liked her company.

  We didn’t talk and I bossed her around, but seeing the way she acted, it was refreshing. The more I annoyed her, the easier it was to read her. She started to let her guard down, and as she did, I liked to play with the woman before me.

  I shouldn’t be enjoying my woman, but the truth was I did.

  This marriage had been a trap. I hadn’t wanted to be part of it, but it happened. As the months ticked by, I found myself more enamored by her.

  Right now, she was at the bar while I handled the final details of Cara’s in-house money trouble.

  Ivan had found a pattern, and along with it, the culprit. Brandy—fake name—had come to work for Cara as she had a drug problem. The addiction had been hidden, but the issue came to a tipping point when her dealer wanted more money. We weren’t paying her enough, and she’d started to work her way into the system to take the necessary money, stealing from all the men and women working here to pay for her addiction.

  It was sad, and she’d been dealt with accordingly.

  A knock on the door had me looking up to find Cara scantily dressed as she often was here. She made the additional effort when we arranged business meetings outside of her exclusive club.

  “I heard what happened,” Cara said. “I had no idea about Brandy.”

  I looked at Cara. I hadn’t told her who the culprit was. I was assuming Ivan told her, but that didn’t make much sense since he never came to this establishment.

  Being the boss, the leader of us all, he had to hold a certain distance. I often spoke to Ivan on behalf of Cara.

  “Prior to hiring any more employees, a full screening will be needed. Drugs, alcohol, anything that raises a flag, they will not be permitted to work here.”

  “And what if they’re hooked on the coke Ivan sells?” Cara asked. “We let them go?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?” Cara asked.

  “I’m not going to talk inner house politics with you. You know the rules. He doesn’t want addicts working for him, and to be frank, neither do I. You shouldn’t either.”

  Cara sighed. “You’re right. I’m normally a good judge of character. Brandy’s threw me.”

  “Was she a nice girl?”

  “The best,” Cara said. “She was … a strong person. She had a kid at home, I think.” I sat back and watched Cara swipe at her nose and sigh. “Oh, well, you can’t help them all, no matter how hard we try.”

  I raised my brow and she laughed.

  “Tell me, Vik, how long have we known each other? Twenty-five years? Nearly thirty?”

  “Your point?” I hadn’t counted how long I knew this woman. I’d known Ivan longer. Cara had come into our life a little later.

  “I don’t know, I guess I always imagined that you’d be the kind of guy who would know how to satisfy their woman.”

  I tensed up. “What’s your fucking point?”

  Cara closed the door, flicking the lock into place, then came toward me. She leaned over the desk, grabbing a single remote.

  A television screen in the far corner flickered on.

  It was a recording.

  I recognized my wife instantly.

  Next, the volume went up.

  “Did you touch your pussy?” Cara asked.

  “Er, I don’t feel comfortable with this.” Aurora glanced around the room.

  I turned to look at Cara. “When was this?”

  “About twenty minutes ago. Keep watching.”

  On the screen, Cara approached my wife. She was a good foot taller, but she always preferred to wear heels while Aurora wore pumps.

  “I know you touched yourself, and I know you didn’t allow yourself to come.” Cara touched Aurora’s arms, and she tensed up. “Relax. Have you ever thought about going to Vik, asking him to touch you?”

  “He wouldn’t want to.”

  Cara tutted. “You’re so very wrong about that.”

  She lifted the remote and hit pause. “You’ve been married nearly ten months now, right?”

  “Eight.”

  “Either way, that girl hasn’t had an orgasm by you. Not a single one. Are you like brain dead? Do you want to be in a loveless marriage? The whole peace-treaty thing is real. No war. No shit going on in the streets and yet, you’re not giving the woman who will one day have your children an orgasm?”

  Before I argued with her, she pressed play.

  Pissed off, I turned to the screen. If Cara had been anyone else, I’d have already killed her.

  “Slavik can’t stand me. I think he’s trying to figure out a way to kill me.”

  Cara paused, and her gaze actually focused on the camera. “Come with me.”

  I watched as Cara led Aurora to the bed. She slipped off her pumps and sat down. She’d been wearing a wraparound skirt, and as she sat, the skirt fell open.

  Cara moved on the bed. “Close your eyes.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Trust me.”

  Aurora hesitated and slowly closed her eyes.

  Cara cupped Aurora between the thighs, and my wife jolted in her touch.

  “I know this is going to seem a little strange. I’m only trying to help you.”

  “I’m not sure about this.”

  Cara flicked her tongue across Aurora’s neck, nibbling on the delicate flesh.

  “Trust me. I want to know if you’re … healthy. Make sure there is nothing wrong with you.”

  “Do you think there could be something wrong with me?”

  Anger ran up through my body. There was nothing wrong with my wife, and as I sat there, I watched as Cara moved the skirt out of the way, sliding her panties to one side, and began to finger my wife’s pussy. All the while, she whispered words to her. Words I didn’t hear because I was infuriated.

  She’d touched my beautiful wife, and I had no choice but to watch as she brought Aurora to orgasm.

  The sight alone was enough to turn me on. My cock pulsed to life. She let go completely, rubbing herself against Cara’s fingers.

  “Slavik will kill me,” Aurora said, coming down from the high.

  “No, he won’t.”

  Cara turned off the television. “I’m all for taking a woman’s cherry, but I took your wife’s first orgasm. A job you should be doing. Are you trying to make this harder than it is?”

  “Cara, I suggest you shut the fuck up because right now, I really want to fucking kill you.”

  “For making your wife see that she can have an orgasm. I saw her the other week when you were here, and she watched me, you know. Watched me get fucked, and I’d never seen a woman with so much yearning. What the fuck are you doing? Just bending her over and taking your pleasure?”

  I wasn’t about to tell her I’d been taking care of my own needs in the shower.

  Women were around me all the time, every single day. None of them appealed. Nor did forcing my wife to fuck.

  I stood up. “She’s not like us.”

  “No, she’s not, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to feel passion. There’s something about Aurora. I don’t know if it’s because she wears her heart on her sleeve, or if she’s been hurt. But she’s different. I get that, and if you actually gave it a chance with her, I truly believe you could love her. Really love her.”

  I get to my feet, slamming the ledger closed. “We’re done here.”

  “You know there’s no shame in finding her attractive or wanting her,” Cara said. “She’s not the enemy. I see the ink on her wrist. She is bound to the Ivan Volkov Bratva. She is yours. Why don’t you enjoy it while it lasts? One day when she realizes the monster you are, you won’t get a second chance.”

  What Cara didn’t know was that Aurora already knew the monster I was. She’d seen it. I hadn’t tried to hide it from her eith
er.

  I found Aurora downstairs. She sat at the bar as I’d hoped she would be the first time we came here.

  The moment I cleared my voice, she stood, and I saw the pinkness in her cheeks. She quickly averted her gaze. Rather than put her at ease, I took her hand, leading her out to the car. The driver was already waiting.

  I told him to take us home, and I sat back. I still held her hand.

  “Slavik, I need to tell you something.”

  “No.”

  “Please.”

  “No. Not until we get home.”

  I pulled out my cell phone, ending the conversation. I sent an email to Ivan with an update, checked through my mail to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, and pocketed my cell.

  The city was busy today, and the journey to our apartment took longer than I expected.

  By the time we stood in the elevator, Aurora shook.

  I held her hand still, refusing to let her go.

  Once on our floor, I told the guard to leave. I didn’t want him hanging around while I talked to my wife.

  I closed the door, finally releasing Aurora’s hand, and she spun toward me.

  “Slavik, I need to tell you something. I don’t want you to be angry.”

  “I want you to go to our bedroom, strip completely naked, lie down on the bed, and spread your legs.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t make a habit of repeating myself. Do it.”

  Aurora paled, but she turned on her heel and left.

  I removed my jacket, hanging it up on the peg. I kicked off my shoes.

  Walking into my bedroom, I placed the gun and the holster on the chair. I had weapons all over the apartment in the event of a break-in. In the past forty years, I’d only been caught once without a weapon, and I held the scars to prove it.

  I kept my back to Aurora, opening the button at my cuff, rolling each sleeve up, and then I turned.

  The first thing I noticed was her hands. They were clenched into fists.

  “I know Cara touched you. She touched what belonged to me. She showed me the video.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Aurora said. “I didn’t want to.”

  “I know what I saw, and Cara has a way of making people do what she wants.” I moved toward the bed. “However, she had a very valid point.” I reached out and grabbed her ankles, dragging her down the bed until she was close to the edge.