Where to go next was a decision Deva left to the men in the car. Hector was driving his ride, and Aleksei was sitting silently beside her in the back seat. She didn’t even look out the window, her eyes transfixed on the gun lying on her lap.
Would she have been able to kill him? To kill her father? Was it in her? That tainted part of her genetics that she had fought against convinced herself she had left behind, had controlled and wasn’t so far away anymore. Was it a lie? She was an MC princess, she had witnessed the ugly, the violent and the ruthless firsthand. Her body may not show the marks, but her soul did. It was deeply imprinted.
Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and found that small string inside her, that barely lit path she had fought for a long time ago, one that built her up when she had lost Johnny. When the world she had known had been crumbling down. There, in a hidden corner of her mind, she had stored all the good, the soft and the vulnerable. Memories of her mother, of laughter and belly tickles. Endless hugs and the warmth of her brother when he was sitting close. And even in that memory, there were moments where she saw her father smiling, ruffling her corkscrew curls with a loving touch.
It was that part of her, devoid of darkness that helped her rebuild herself, re-center herself to finally find Deva. And it was that same girl, now a woman, who would find her way through all this mess of blood and ashes. The payment of her debt to Beatrice may destroy who she was once more, but she would survive and find the path back to where she wanted to be.
The seat shifted, and she knew Aleksei always had an eye on her, always wondering. The man was a mass of contradictions, and everything she didn’t want. In her new life, she had lovers, even men she considered boyfriends. They were nice, reliable, funny. Why couldn’t she grow a strong attachment to any of them?
Deva knew why, and it was because of her own darkness. These good, decent men, how could they understand her? It was impossible to change her past, to erase the links to the underworld completely. And that answered her question quite clearly. No white picket fences for her. Not in this lifetime as forever she would have a dark fog of danger swirling around her, tainting the people who would touch her. However, there was one thing she knew. She wouldn’t go back to her old life, even if her father stopped being a threat. Aleksei was Bratva, and his choice would never make him hers.
A large hand wrapped around one of hers, squeezing gently. The Russian was everything she had fought against, and yet, she squeezed his hand back. It was incomprehensible why she trusted him. He was a cage fighter, a mobster, dangerous, volatile... and dependable, reliable, caring, sexy. A knight in the darkest armor she could find, one with jagged edges and ink. She would have him until it was all over. Deva would repay her debt to Beatrice, and if all went as she hoped, maybe she could help Aleksei too. Because she could lie to herself, paying her debt to her friend wasn’t the only reason she was continuing this mission anymore.
“Deva?”
Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes as the car came to a stop. She blinked several times and saw that they were in front of The Drake Hotel. As they stopped, Aleksei gently took the gun from her lap and put it under the seat in front of him.
“Why are we here?”
Aleksei’s face softened a hint of a smirk on his face. “You were really out of it, weren’t you? My uncle has a room here. It’s the safest place for the time being. I don’t want to go back to my condo and Lance’s apartment may not be safe enough.”
When she hesitated, he cupped her cheek and made her face him.
“What? Talk to me, Deva.”
“I’m repeating myself, but I think it’s a bad idea to involve the Bratva anymore than it already is. Not until we know the hold Finch has on them.”
Hector turned from the driver’s seat. “I’m about to get a ticket any minute now, but what the hell, let’s have a chat, my friends! I would agree with you, Deva, but Aleksei told me the room isn’t Bratva. I have a couple of other hideouts, but it would involve my own people. Something is fishy, but I can’t think about it now. I need to take care of Mex and his men before they start a carnage of their own. And my boss is waiting for me. I’ll try to find more information, but I don’t have any idea what the result of all of this will be. Or what will be required of me. I say you have a 24-hour buffer, tops before Hell floods us with shit.”
Deva rolled her eyes at his words and the Puerto Rican smirked. “You simply have the wrong images in your head, Hector.”
“Yep, that’s me. I’ll try to dig a little more. But I suggest you call those people who helped you, and that friendly blond giant to help you dig fast. Not that I’m against what you did to Mex, but it will come with consequences, even if it was his daughter who pulled the trigger.” Hector’s gaze flicked to Aleksei, and both men nodded before it settled on Deva again. “Take care, Deva.”
Deva nodded and touched his arm. “Thank you, Hector. Be careful, okay?”
The man winked at her, and as soon as she and Aleksei got out the car, he was on his way.
She had never been inside The Drake before. Definitely not MC-style digs. It looked like the dark castle from some gothic tale. It was beautiful and posh. Very posh. When she glanced down at her jeans and blouse, Deva realized she was far from the appropriate dress code required to even cross the threshold, but Aleksei didn’t seem to care. One warm hand in the small of her back, he led her to the top of the stairs and into the lobby that glistened like a jewel box. Crystal chandeliers sparkled, and the sweet scent of immense fresh flower arrangements all around made her feel as of she needed much more satin and tulle.
Aleksei didn’t even get as far as the reception area, the concierge seemed to recognize him on sight and called them over. The man was well into his fifties, sharp and polished, the perfect look required to work in that sort of place, Deva guessed.
“Mr. Voronov, welcome back to The Drake.”
He took the man’s hand and smiled. “Thank you, Trent. This is Miss Landry. She’ll be staying with me.”
The man turned to her and bowed slightly. “Welcome to The Drake, Miss. If you need anything, I’m entirely at your service.”
Deva blinked before forcing herself to smile. She was so out of her element, it was almost comical. “Thank you.”
“Your usual suite is ready for you. Do you need help with your luggage?”
Aleksei almost shrugged. “It was a spur of the moment thing; would you be able to get us some clothing?”
Unfazed, the man nodded. “Of course, Mr. Voronov. Let me know what you require, and I’ll find what you need. Let me escort you to your room.”
“No need, Trent. I’ll text you a list of items in a minute.”
“Perfect, Sir. Miss.”
And just like that, without signing anything, or giving any sort of credit card number, she was whisked into an elevator. Aleksei obviously knew his way around, and they soon were inside what Deva had exactly imagined a suite would look like. They entered a vast living room with high windows offering a stunning view of Chicago. With creamy carpet and a plush dark brown sofa, the area was designed for lounging. On the right side, two opened French doors were leading to a white king-size bed.
“The bathroom is through the room. Why don’t you go and take a bath, soak for a while, while I ask Trent to get us some clothes? Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something?”
Her body felt like lead, and she couldn’t come up with an intelligent answer. Aleksei frowned and gently pulled her to him and pressed his cheek to her forehead. The same way she remembered her mother doing when she was a child. The same as she had done to him not so long ago. The tenderness of it mixed with her memories filled her eyes with tears.
“You’re a bit hot but not feverish.” And when he pulled away to look down at her, his eyes widened. “Deva? What’s wrong?” And before she could even reply, she was back again in his arms, a fierce hug, surrounded, engulfed by him. Her nose buried in his chest, she inhaled deeply. Damn, she didn’t want to, but even his scent grounded her. She was in deep trouble. But right this minute, it didn’t matter if she had to suffer the torments of hell later on. She needed him more than she needed to see the next sunrise.
Circling his torso, she rested her palms on his muscled back, relishing the contact. Aleksei banded one arm around her waist and the other he fisted in her hair, his nose buried in the crook of her neck. For a long moment, the only sound she heard was their breathing and the soft whooshing sound of his heart.
So very slowly, his hold relaxed, and he stepped back. His touch was so caring when he caressed her cheek and replaced a few strands of wild, curly hair behind her ear. From the first moment she had met him, he had been cocky, sarcastic, rude. But this side of him, was dangerous to her resolve, and she could easily waiver.
“Go take a bath, Deva. Relax. Let me take care of the rest.”
Was it uncertainty she saw in his eyes? He turned away so quickly, Deva wasn’t sure what she had seen.