Second Best (Volkov Bratva Book 1) Read online

  ****

  Slavik

  The party had long ago ended. Wives were gone. Children were nowhere to be seen. The only people left were men, available women, and whores. Ivan sat at the head, looking like a king, which was exactly what he was. In front of him was the woman who had been hanging off me earlier.

  Dana was her name, and he had proof of her treachery. No one could outrun the Volkov Bratva and they certainly couldn’t betray it. There were many enemies of Ivan’s wanting to take over. They didn’t like the new era we all worked within. The treaties he built. The places he ran. The rules he implemented.

  I did.

  I was loyal to him.

  My life was in his hands.

  I’d die for this man. I owed him everything, and he knew I’d do anything for him. The moment he told me to marry Aurora Fredo, I’d done so without argument. My wife was different. The truth was in marrying Aurora to me, her father had given us the greatest of insults.

  It was known far and wide the second daughter wasn’t perfect. To many, she was the ugly, fat let-down. The real prize was her sister.

  What Fredo didn’t know was Ivan had wanted Aurora from the start. Again, I had no idea why he wanted her, only that he did. What I didn’t like tonight was seeing them together.

  I didn’t love my wife.

  Our wedding night had been a fucked-up mess.

  My order from Ivan had been clear: consummate the marriage and produce the bloody sheets as per tradition in Aurora’s family. I’d done that, and even the memory of it grated on my nerves.

  She’d been terrified but duty-bound.

  The moment I touched her, I found her so fucking dry, it didn’t matter what way I’d taken her, she’d have been hurt. Getting it over with had been a challenge. I’d moistened her up with my saliva, pretending I was getting my dick ready as I’d done it.

  I hadn’t touched my wife in a week, and it wasn’t like she complained. She slept stiffly on her side of the bed, rarely moving. I had to wonder if she slept at all.

  Some nights, I found myself watching her.

  She had long brown hair, a temptation I didn’t allow myself to give in to. It would be so nice to run my fingers through the length, to wrap it around my fist, and to jerk her back against me as I fucked her long and hard. To show her what our wedding night should have been like.

  Instead, I watched.

  I craved.

  But I didn’t give in.

  That would be pointless. At this time, I didn’t even know if I liked my wife. We didn’t talk.

  I stared at the scene before me, and the truth was my dick was not getting hard.

  Dana’s face was already covered in cum. As per Ivan’s instructions, we’d created an orgy. Fuck to your heart’s content, and only when he had Dana where he wanted her would he strike.

  That time was now.

  One of the soldiers had his dick inside her ass. One of his hands gripped her hair, holding her head to the floor as he rode her anus. All the while, he had his gaze on Ivan, waiting for the signal.

  The moment Ivan nodded, the soldier pulled her up against his chest, held her hair tightly, and placed the blade against her throat.

  It took her several seconds to realize what was going on. Anger, fear, and sadness all danced across her eyes.

  “Volkov, what is the meaning of this?”

  “You think I wouldn’t find out? First you steal from me, then you hand it straight to our enemies, and now I’ve got their fucking shit running in my clubs. In my city. You fucking dirty slut. You should know that I would find out. Nothing is ever hidden from me. Nothing.”

  “No, please. No. I don’t want to die. They made me do it.”

  Ivan got up off his seat and walked down to where Dana knelt. Tears streamed from her eyes.

  He got close. “You think I don’t know about the payment? How you’re a couple of mil up on takings?”

  Dana’s eyes closed as the reality of what she’d done and been caught doing finally sank in.

  The blade swiped across Dana’s neck, blood spilling from the wound. She cupped her neck as the soldier pulled out of her ass.

  It was done. The deed was finished.

  I watched, and I didn’t care.

  Greed got people killed. Far too many people were lured into a trap by the green stuff. Dana had taken a bag of our coke, our own special blend that was worth so much more money than she sold it for. Once they got the chemist on it, they adapted it and changed the formula. We’d been made truly aware of the damage when ten people had been found overdosed in our clubs within one night.

  This was a new part of Ivan Volkov’s era. He didn’t want people dead. Dead clients meant product didn’t move. He liked to keep people alive.

  Again, a new first.

  Ivan clicked his fingers, signaling the party was over. Dana’s body would be disposed of. Unclaimed. Dead and useless.

  “You needed an elaborate party to do that?” I asked, following him out toward his car.

  “No, I needed an elaborate party because it fucking entertains me.”

  I only ever talked to him as a friend when we were alone. The moment we were surrounded by others, I was the loyal subject.

  “You know your wife was so fucking bored tonight, don’t you?”

  “Leave Aurora to me,” I said.

  Ivan chuckled. “I think I made a mistake in allowing you to marry her. You clearly don’t see the wild woman waiting to be unleashed.”

  This did make me snort. The soldiers were a close enough distance away that I didn’t have to play any other role. I could be myself. “Are you sure you’re looking at the same woman?”

  “Are you sure you’re even looking at the right woman?”

  This made me pause. “I know my wife. She’s submissive. That’s what they trained her for.”

  Ivan clicked his tongue. “There you go again. I have to wonder if I should demote you and keep that wife of yours. Look into her eyes, my friend. You will see.”

  He climbed into his car, bringing our conversation to a close.

  We’d been friends for a lifetime already. Together, we’d grown up on the streets. I’d saved him from being killed more times than I could count.

  We had a plan. A goal that would make this city ours. When we were kids, the Bratva were … hot tempered, and in truth, their vision wasn’t big enough. They worked small. Petty criminals. They didn’t see the big picture.

  Ivan Volkov had. He was the big picture, and now, he ran half of the country, which he divided into six areas. I controlled area one. The biggest with the main cities all bowing down to my rule. Ivan only ever dealt with his brigadiers, his main men.

  I was aware of the men he sent out to all areas. The spies he used to control everyone. It was how he learned of betrayals, of the greed, and of course, the rats. Everyone was in his pocket.

  Even though he was considered the fiercest and most evil person around, he was also fair. If you didn’t cross him, you lived. If you showed loyalty to him, then he took care of you.

  The moment you turned your back on him, betrayed, or stole from him, well, your days were numbered.

  Watching the car leave the parking lot, I stood there as the cleaning crew came. They nodded at me. I was on first-name terms with most people in Ivan’s control. I made it my business to know everyone.

  I’d always been a firm believer that knowledge was power, and when it came to keeping Ivan in control, I was willing to do whatever it took to keep him there, even marry a woman I didn’t trust.

  It was late when I arrived home. The guard I’d assigned to Aurora’s care stood at the door, waiting for my signal to leave. I gave it to him. There were always guards around. Soldiers. Men designed to help us gain power and to forever grow stronger. They rose up the ranks, claiming to be the best everyone had to offer.

  After taking a quick shot of the finest whiskey, I headed to the bedroom. Aurora was still awake, but the moment I entered the bedroo
m, she closed the book she’d been reading.

  When all of her belongings arrived at my penthouse suite, I’d been surprised. She didn’t have many.

  Books.

  She’d had close to three hundred books. All in paperback. I’d gotten the designers in, and one of the spare bedrooms had been converted into a library for her. I’d also granted her a credit card in my name to which she’d not spent a single penny. We’d been married a week, and I’d known other men in my position had been near bankrupt in that time by how wild their wives’ spending could be.

  I glanced at my wife. She wore a silk negligee that showed off her full tits. I hadn’t given myself the pleasure of looking at her entirely, but one day soon, I intended to look to my heart’s content.

  Removing my jacket, I took my gun with me. I didn’t go anywhere without at least two guns and three blades. I was a precautious man. I’d survived this long with them, and I wasn’t about to ruin my chances by fucking it up and letting down my guard. I’d seen what happened firsthand to men who got sloppy. They ended up dead, and I knew because I’d been the one to kill them.

  Once inside the bathroom, I stripped off my clothes and stepped beneath the cold water of the shower. I didn’t like taking hot baths or showers. I liked the shock of the cold. It kept me alive and alert.

  Also, I didn’t linger too long doing one thing. Men struck during these times. I’d lost count of the number of men I’d taken out while in the shower.

  I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around me, picked up my gun, and walked back into the bedroom. With my back to Aurora, I put the gun beside my bed and checked the time to see it was a little after three.

  “You need to be careful around Volkov,” I said.

  I had no idea why I was giving her the warning. If she died doing something stupid, it was on her. I wouldn’t take responsibility for her mistakes. She was the enemy. A foreigner to me.

  “I didn’t seek him out.”

  Her voice was so low, I only just made it out.

  I turned toward her, and she immediately shrank away. I didn’t need her fear. “Do as I say.”

  She nodded her head after a few seconds’ hesitation, which pissed me off. While I’d been in the shower, she’d already put the book down and had sunk beneath the covers.

  My dick was hard, but I was in no mood to fuck an ice queen.

  I turned off my light, removed my towel, and climbed into bed.

  The bed shook a little. I was sure she cried, but it wasn’t my problem. I had a lot of shit to do over the next few days, but sleep didn’t come to me.

  My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I could make out her outline. A sniffle escaped her. Time ticked by, and she finally fell into a fitful sleep. It was while she slept that I moved in close. I didn’t touch her, but I felt her body heat and breathed in the heady scent of lemon.

  It was just one of the many parts of Aurora I found … intoxicating.

  Chapter Two

  Aurora

  There had to be some kind of survival in never seeing your husband. There had to be. The days turned into weeks, then months, and it wasn’t long before I’d been married for a grand total of three months and four days. Yay. I was still alive.

  Still alive.

  Still ignored.

  But it was moments like now that I actually lived for.

  On rare occasions, Slavik would demand my presence at parties, social gatherings, and the necessary dinner at a restaurant.

  The latter was always the hardest. They tended to be the two of us. He’d look the part but spend the entire time either talking on his cell phone or to a guard. I’d sit and have to listen to his tones of Russian.

  I’d thought about starting to learn, but so far, I hadn’t pushed my luck. Now these occasions, where we sat for dinner with a group of people, I could get through them. Slavik sat beside me, ordered my dinner, and complimented me. Played the role, saying all the right things. For a short time, I could pretend this was normal.

  At least at this dinner party, there were other women. Three of whom I sat close to. They were talking about their latest designer gowns. I had no idea who I wore but they seemed to.

  I nodded and smiled, laughed at the right points, and even told a few jokes. Sofia, Irina, and Amanda were all beautiful women. They were destined to be married to three of the other brigadiers under Ivan Volkov’s rule. I wasn’t sure who they were going to marry, but by the rocks on their fingers, it was a pretty big deal.

  “You know, I was thinking we could all do lunch,” I said.

  In the last four months, other than being with Slavik, I spent most of my time indoors, unless he ordered me to shop.

  It would be nice to make some friends in his world.

  No one called me from mine. No distant friends or cousins. Even my sister didn’t have time for me.

  I smiled as the women agreed.

  Feeling the need to use the bathroom, I excused myself, feeling happier than I had in a long time. This dinner could be the turning point, where I finally found some people. The bathroom was divided into two sections. One was lit, and the other was in darkness. For some odd reason, I decided to go to the opposite side, shrouded in darkness. I used the toilet, flushed, and was washing my hands when I heard the giggling.

  “Can you believe her?”

  I recognized Amanda’s voice. I stepped back into the toilet stall. Who were they talking about?

  “My face hurts from smiling so much,” Sofia said.

  “Tell me about it. If Slavik wasn’t here, I would have been able to ignore her. Do you know what they call her?” Irina asked.

  “No, what?” Sofia and Amanda asked.

  “The fat Italian. Honestly. People feel sorry for Slavik. I don’t know how he puts up with her. He could do so much better. I know my dad tried to get me thrown at him, but Volkov decided the Fredo girl was more important.” The jealousy in Irina’s voice was clear to hear.

  So, where I thought I’d made a connection with these women, it was all an act.

  “Did you see the dress?” Amanda asked. “She looked like a cow. All Slavik has to do is say the word, and I’d do anything for him. I heard on her wedding night, Slavik had to cut himself because he couldn’t find her pussy through the layers of fat.”

  It went on and on. Between them using the bathroom, washing their hands, and applying makeup, they continued to insult me. Once they left, I stepped out of the stall. It wasn’t the first time this had happened.

  I stared at my reflection. My hair had been curled by the male hairstylist Slavik had hired. He’d wanted to cut my hair, but I refused, and so he curled it.

  Tonight … I thought I looked pretty. I guessed I was wrong.

  Tears shimmered in my eyes as I looked at my reflection, and my smile wobbled. “What did you expect?” I took a deep breath, calming down my nerves, and finally, the tears faded.

  Time to go and play a role.

  I stepped out of the bathroom and took my seat back at the table. My hand shook as I reached for the glass of water.

  Amanda, Sofia, and Irina were back at the table, and I kept my gaze forward.

  Slavik’s hand brushed mine. I turned toward him as I jerked my hand away from him. My entire body shook.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  He didn’t need to know that another hope and dream had just been dashed. My pity party was my own.

  My heart raced and I sat back. I ignored the women at my side and stared across the table. Ivan stared right back at me. I didn’t know what to do, and so I looked down at where a slice of chocolate cake waited for me.

  It looked delicious with the dark frosting and the moist cake, but I felt sick.

  “I ordered dessert for you,” Slavik said.

  “Thank you, but I’m not hungry.” I sipped at my water.

  “I don’t suppose you’ve got some news to tell me?” Ivan asked, silencing the table as he ta
lked.

  When he spoke, everyone else shut up.

  Heat filled my body, and I made sure not to look at Ivan.

  “No news.”

  “So no little babies coming our way? The next generation of good strong men?” he asked.

  Babies. We’d have to be having sex to have babies, and that wasn’t happening.

  “No babies,” Slavik said.

  “Aw, Slavik, you break this poor man’s heart. I want to see more children.”

  This entire conversation was getting to me.

  “May I go home?” I asked.

  As I asked, I knew it was incredibly rude of me, but I needed to get away from here. I had to have a break and leave. The thought of staying here, well, I needed distance from the women, from Slavik, from duty.

  Gazes turned from me to Ivan, and he nodded. “Of course, my dear.”

  Slavik clicked his fingers, signaling Sergei, but Ivan tutted. “No, your wife is clearly feeling unwell. We’ll talk another time. Go with her.”

  Ivan’s word was law.

  So, together, we stood. I made my escape toward the exit. Sergei already had my coat, which I took, grateful.

  Slavik came back and held out a small white card.

  “Amanda said you needed to organize a lunch together.”

  I stared at the card for several seconds before I reached out to grab it. Without question, I tore it up and threw it in the trash. I wasn’t going to make friends with people who talked behind my back like that. All my life I’d been alone, and I could continue to be so.

  Wrapping my arms around my body, I stood outside, waiting for the car. Slavik stood beside me. He was so much taller than me. Muscular as well. From the glimpse I’d gotten of him on my wedding night, I knew he was heavily inked, and he clearly worked out a lot.

  I gritted my teeth as the car came into view. Sliding into the back seat, I tried to hug myself against the door, but I couldn’t get close enough. Slavik was too close.

  He pressed a button that raised the partition, separating us from the driver. We now had privacy.

  “Do you want to tell me what is going on?” he asked.

  “Nothing is going on. I didn’t need you to take me home. I was happy going with Sergei.” I sank my nails into my palm as I stared out the window.