Second Best (Volkov Bratva Book 1) Read online

  This was going to be brutal.

  I placed my hand on Aurora’s stomach. Her entire body shook as the first punch landed, and my assessment was clear.

  The crowd started out silent, not sure which way to vote, or who to want to win. The previous winner had them all up his ass just moments ago, but now, they saw a different winner. Their cheering for the other ceased, the brutal newcomer earning their praise.

  I was right, like always.

  The new guy attacked, but he didn’t do it for the crowd. The moment the first punch came, they unlocked a beast.

  Seconds passed, and the other guy bled from his nose, lip, eye, and some from his ear.

  “Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.”

  The chants came thick and fast.

  Aurora continued to shake.

  The new one shoved the guy down onto the ground and punched him in the head. He didn’t get up, but he was still alive, still breathing.

  I watched as the one now looking like the victor stared around the room, building up the courage.

  They all screamed for blood and death.

  Aurora tensed up. “Mercy!”

  Her shout was loud, clear, and the entire basement fell silent.

  No one ever screamed for mercy.

  I wasn’t sure if Aurora would.

  She was different, I knew that, and this was a test to see just how much she was.

  “Mercy! Do not kill him. He was a champion. He doesn’t deserve death.”

  By the rules of the game, the fight should end, and he would become champion. Disappointment rang out around the room, and I watched as he disobeyed the rules of my fucking game.

  He stomped on the man’s head, three times, and I heard the break, and the twitch, rendering him dead.

  Anger rushed through me. I grabbed Aurora’s hands as cheers rang out.

  “You said they couldn’t do that?” I heard the tears in her voice.

  She’d seen death before, but this time, she’d tried to save the man.

  The crowd parted for me as the men who worked for me cleaned up the mess of the man on the floor.

  The brutal one held his fists up in the air as I stepped into the ring.

  “Slavik!” Aurora cried out, and my two guards were on either side of her. I felt the hostility of the crowd as they looked at her.

  I removed my jacket, throwing it out to my men, and the one who’d just violated my rules turned to me.

  “Sorry, mate, no rich pricks in the ring.”

  This man clearly didn’t know my name or who I was. “What’s your name?”

  “What’s it to you? You need to teach your wife not to come to grown-up games. They’re only going to get her hurt.”

  “I will not repeat myself.”

  The man scoffed and looked toward the men I allowed to run this event. The room had gone silent. Those who knew me were aware of what had just happened here. I had one simple rule. Once mercy was shouted by one person, the fight ended. No blood, no death, and they still had to pay up.

  “I don’t answer to any cunts like you. Get him and his ugly-as-fuck wife out of my ring. This is mine. No one can beat me.”

  “Ben,” I said. “What is his name?”

  “It’s George, Mr. Ivanov.”

  The fighter, George, paled. “Ivanov?”

  “Slavik Ivanov. You disrespected my rules. Insulted my wife. You had your chance to make a lot of money. Mercy allows you to have the payment of the kill without making it.” I tutted. “You won’t be leaving here tonight.”

  I saw the fear and panic in his eyes, and I felt no sympathy.

  My reputation was well-known. Within the ring, I was a monster. I’d killed hundreds of men for the sport, drawing in the wealth we needed.

  I hadn’t fought in this ring in a long time, but I made sure I was always ready. This man would know pain.

  I struck first, and George tried to defend himself, but he’d said bad shit about my wife and that, I couldn’t allow to slide. Anger rushed through me, and I allowed it to feed my attack.

  Silence rang out in the room.

  By breaking my rules, no one could shout mercy. One of my guards would tell Aurora that. I was amazed she’d done what she did.

  In a room full of bloodthirsty people, she’d tried to help save another. I hadn’t expected it. It was rare for people to surprise me, even more so for a woman. My wife was nothing like I thought she’d be. She was kind, sweet, even when the world had shit on her. In our world, all her merits were nothing but weaknesses. To me, they were a strength. Even knowing what her father had done to her. What her sister caused, she still tried to help. I couldn’t hate that.

  I didn’t hate my wife. There was nothing about her to hate. She was sweet, kind, caring, loving, terrified. She brought out the instinct in me to protect. I wanted to take care of her, to love her, to be everything she needed and more.

  George tried. He got in a couple of blows, but they were not strong enough. No one was able to defeat me.

  I took him down and staring into his eyes, I grabbed him just right. With the correct strength and the right angle, I snapped his neck, ending the fight.

  Cheers erupted.

  I ignored them. Without another word, I stepped off the floor, toward my wife, taking her hand. I led her away from the fight, out back to where the victory fighters could rest for a few moments when given the option.

  “Are you okay?” she asked as I took a seat.

  I nodded at my men to leave us alone. They’d guard the entrance into the room.

  “Yes, I’m fine.” I’d killed many men, but snapping a neck sent adrenaline running through my body.

  Tears filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks. “They told me I couldn’t help him.”

  “He didn’t need your help.”

  “This game is brutal. Does it happen every week?”

  I shook my head. “Once a month.”

  “And how many people die?”

  “I don’t keep count.”

  “Was I the first one willing to save someone?”

  I nodded.

  She sighed and swiped at her tears. “I don’t know how you can deal with that.”

  “It’s not about dealing, Aurora. The men who fight here don’t have to.”

  She laughed. “Do you think they have a choice?”

  “Some do, yeah. The ones that don’t, I have no power to stop them.”

  “I can’t believe he did that.”

  “Clearly, he thought this was his castle.” I shrugged.

  “You don’t care that you killed him?”

  “Aurora, I’m not a saint. I’ve killed more men than that, believe me.”

  Silence.

  I grabbed her hand and pulled her close. The slits in the dress made it easy to drag her onto my lap. Her knees on either side of me. I grasped her hips, drawing her down to my erection. I wasn’t hard until I looked at her.

  “You can’t be serious,” she said. “Even after what you just did? You want to?”

  “I can’t get enough of you.”

  “You’re bleeding,” she said. Her fingers hovered over my eyebrow.

  I tore a piece of her dress and handed it to her. “Wipe it for me?”

  “Aren’t you hurting?” she asked.

  I thrust my aching cock against her. “What do you think?”

  “I think you’re crazy.” She dabbed the cut above my eye, wincing. “I don’t know how you do it. I’d be crying.”

  “It’s pain.”

  “And pain hurts, Slavik. Do you think you need to go to a doctor?”

  “No.”

  She wiped my cut. “It doesn’t look so bad now that I cleaned it with a really expensive piece of fabric from this dress. There’s no repairing it, you know.”

  “As if you’d wear it again. I don’t even think you’d have the guts to donate a dress you wore that witnessed a death.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “I’m not like you.”


  “You’re not like a lot of people.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No.” I was done talking though. I held the base of her back as I pushed the dress out of my way and stroked her pussy. She was dry. The fight hadn’t done anything for her, but I needed this.

  “Look at me, Aurora. I need you.” I stroked her through the panties, staring into her eyes, making her see only me.

  She sank her teeth into her bottom lip.

  I didn’t touch her naked pussy.

  “Get your tits out,” I said. “I want to suck them.”

  She peeled the plunging neck open, exposing her tits, and I saw the tape that had kept the pieces of fabric secure over those delicious mounds. Her nipples were big, and in the cool air they pointed at me, begging to be sucked, and I was more than happy to oblige. After sliding my tongue across each peak, I sucked the hard bud into my mouth. At the same time, I stroked her pussy, working her body into a frenzy.

  I took my time, aware of the fights occurring in the other room. Once I’d taken my wife, I’d leave, and do the same again on our bed.

  Aurora whimpered, pressing her chest against my mouth. Her fingers sank into my hair, and I worked the zipper of my pants down, easing my hardened cock out.

  I tested her pussy to find her wet. She wasn’t as soaked as I’d have liked her, but enough to make me find her entrance, and to sit her onto my dick.

  She cried out, the sound echoing around the room.

  Up and down, I moved her, getting her to work my dick. With my thumb, I stroked over her clit, feeling her pulse around my cock.

  She didn’t close her eyes.

  Her gaze focused on me, and I was fucking hypnotized. There was nowhere else I wanted to be. I just wanted to hold her, to feel her wrapped around me.

  My name spilled from her lips as she came. It wasn’t strong, but I knew I’d have her begging for my cock by the time we got home. I grabbed her hips and thrust up to meet her, holding her in place as I took my pleasure.

  She moaned and I growled, spilling my seed into her cunt.

  Ivan Volkov may think I was doing this out of duty.

  My wife might have also thought I was doing this out of duty.

  I, Slavik Ivanov, knew I did this out of downright desire for my wife.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aurora

  “I was surprised Slavik allowed you to have lunch with me,” Cara said.

  I smiled across the table. “Me too. It came out of the blue.” I looked over at the beautiful redhead. She commanded attention. I’d been seated alone, my brand-new guard from Slavik’s trusted men sat three tables down, watching us. Before I’d come, Slavik had given me strict instructions on what I could talk about. Anything relating to work was not allowed. I also had to agree to tell him everything I discussed, which was slightly more complicated.

  I wasn’t sure why he’d given me these boundaries.

  Cara was supposed to be his friend. A colleague.

  “Wow, what did you do to make him happy?”

  I thought about it and the truth was, I had no idea. I shrugged. Slavik and I seemed complicated in my mind.

  Cara placed her hand on top of mine. “Please tell me he’s treating you good?”

  I smiled. “Yes. We’re getting along now.”

  She sighed. “That makes me so happy. Slavik can be a bit of a hardass. He has to be. Many are handed a position like his. He earned his.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “No. I couldn’t tell you.”

  “Oh, I won’t say anything if that is what you’re worried about.” The lie was hard for me to say, but I got through it.

  Slavik had demanded I don’t lie to him. That there were no secrets between us. It seemed reasonable. Deep down, I wanted to make this marriage work.

  “Good. I want us to be the best of friends. The moment I saw you, I knew you were different.”

  The waiter came over and Cara ordered us both a glass of wine. “Unless you can’t have any?”

  “I’m fine.” I offered her a smile.

  Slavik and I had been sleeping together often. Last night, he’d surprised me by climbing into bed only to wake me up to take what he wanted. He’d never done that before. The sex last night had led into this morning where we’d made love. I wasn’t even sure if I could call it making love.

  We had sex.

  I couldn’t think of Slavik on emotional terms. We were husband and wife through a peace treaty. To some, I was nothing more than his possession. We weren’t a love match.

  The waiter came back with our wine and Cara shooed him away.

  “It has been a busy couple of weeks. Business is booming. Anyway, back to Slavik, I’m so pleased he’s been able to find a good wife. For the longest time, I figured he’d spend it jumping from one woman to the next.” She winced. “I’m so sorry. I hope I haven’t upset you.”

  I forced a smile. “You haven’t.”

  “Good. We all know men are dogs. They see a woman and just jump on them for the fun.” She sighed. “Anyway, Slavik was … he wasn’t the king you see now. The ruler of states and his section. Ivan and Slavik are bastards of men who ran the original Bratva within this area, in fact. It was many years ago, long before your time. They lived on the streets. I should know, it’s where I joined them. There we were, three brats on the streets. No one wanted us. Slavik’s father was a brigadier, like him. He knocked up a whore, and because she refused to pay for an abortion, she got killed and Slavik ended up on the streets. So sad. He’d fought for every single meal he had. He’s a natural-born fighter. Ivan was a similar story, only … he had a stutter. Of course, his father, who was the boss back then, couldn’t have a son who stuttered.”

  “Wow.” This was all news to me. “Was the Bratva as big then as it is now?”

  “No,” Cara said. “You see, by kicking them out of the streets, their fathers thought they were so clever. Removing the problem. What they didn’t realize is by doing what they did, they created enemies. Two men who wanted nothing but revenge. They took over the streets. Together, they became a unit. It started small. Fights. Taking on turf. Robbing. You name it, Slavik and Ivan have done it. It took many years for Ivan to get over his stutter. It was so cute at one point.”

  Cara smiled. “Anyway, word got back to their dads. Ivan and Slavik had built up this reputation in their late teens and decided to target Bratva territory. Slowly, they took it over until one day they had the meeting to end all meetings. Slavik and Ivan went in with their fathers, and the story goes they were the only two to come out. The others were removed in body bags. They took the Bratva and made it what it is today.”

  “I had no idea about that.”

  “There is so much going on around everyone. No one really knows the truth, but it’s there if people are willing to see it. More often than not, they refuse.”

  “What about you?” I asked.

  “Me? I was the one to help negotiate the meet. From a young age, I knew sex and women were the key to a man’s downfall. Give them the right pussy and goals, and they’re putty in your hands. They’ll do whatever you want. I helped bring them both to power by using my many skills.”

  Cara smiled, but there was something off about it. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it, but alarm bells began to ring inside my head. The smile also didn’t quite reach her lips.

  “You must be very proud of them,” I said.

  “I am. It’s great. They rule with an iron fist.”

  “How come you’re not a brigadier?” I asked.

  Cara’s fingers tightened around the glass she held. “A woman is never a brigadier, Aurora. I was given the option, but the truth was no man would ever respect a whore.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I grabbed her hand, and she smiled at me.

  “It is so … hard to make friends.”

  I agreed.

  “You must have a whole lot of friends.”

  “No, I don
’t.” I sipped at the wine, not enjoying the taste.

  Cara signaled to the waiter, and we ordered our lunch.

  “I find that hard to believe,” Cara said.

  “What?”

  “You not having any friends. There must be loads of people who adore you.”

  This time I forced a smile to my lips. “No. I’ve … for some reason, I don’t know why, I’m not liked.” I glanced down into my glass, insecurities rearing their ugly head. “I mean, I’m always there and I am a good friend. I keep secrets and I’m always on time, and I’m willing and able to make it work, but, no, for some reason, I’m … never liked.”

  “They’re idiots,” Cara said. “We don’t need them in our life. Screw them.” She held up her glass. “To new friends who don’t suck.”

  I clinked my glass with hers.

  She controlled the conversation, which I didn’t mind. She talked about clients and stories with Slavik, which I enjoyed. Whenever she spoke of her customers, sex was always mentioned, and it would often have me thinking about Slavik.

  Cara was the one to end our lunch. I moved my food around.

  Gus, the guard, paid for my meal and escorted me out of the restaurant. We were waiting for the car to come when the first shot was fired.

  Within seconds, I was on the ground as gunshots rained down on us.

  “I’ve got you,” Gus said. “Stay down.”

  I couldn’t move. My heart pounded and fear crawled up my back.

  There was a sudden break, and Gus was on his feet, firing back. “Call for backup.” A phone was thrown at me. I turned it on and found Slavik’s number. I dialed the number as pain exploded in my shoulder.

  “Help!”

  I screamed the one word, panic rushing through me.

  Gus came to me, and with his help, we ran for cover. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

  Everything seemed to fade around me, the noise becoming more like static.

  My eyes felt heavy and the dull throb in my arm made it impossible for me to focus. Who would shoot at us? I never got to figure that out as the world went black.

  ****