The night air was hot against her skin, but the look she got as they crossed the parking lot could have easily signed every inch of her bare skin. There were women in that mob, but the scantily clad ladies were only eye candy, always assigned and owned. And in them there was no wives or daughters; they were too precious or protected to be risked in such volatile situations. In MCs, the almost naked ones retained the most power, and she was aiming for that energy.
Aleksei took the lead with Lazarus and Lance on each side of her. From the corner of her eyes, she recognized a few faces. People that her father had dealings with, a few henchmen. And as none of them were looking at her face, Deva had a small reprieve. Her three bodyguards seemed to have grown taller and larger as they advanced in the parking lot. The goal was not to hide her, but show her off with the definite message that she wasn’t to be touched.
Many detailed her body first before assessing her protectors, and as Deva suspected, it was only a matter of time before someone tested her watchdogs or recognized her. When they went around a few sports cars parked a few yards from the street, the game was on. However, it was a man in a sharp dark gray suit surrounded by a massive entourage who stopped their little troop in their tracks. More specifically Aleksei.
Lazarus pulled her back a little and hunched down to murmur in her ear that it was the Pakan, the head of the Chicago Bratva. The man had a shaved head, was well into his fifties and spoke rapidly to Aleksei who slightly bowed his head. She didn’t hear clearly what the men were talking about, and it was probably in Russian anyway, but the older man seemed pleased with Aleksei, clapping his shoulder enthusiastically. His eyes slid across the three others, but he seemed to dismiss them rapidly before returning his attention to Aleksei. They talked a few minutes more, and Deva could see movements from the sides, and she tensed, recognizing a couple of the Puerto Rican troublemakers from years back, who had definitely climbed up the ladder and packed on some muscle.
They needed to get out of here, and as quickly as possible. From a distance, they may have guessed that she was part of one of the MCs, but as long as they didn’t detail her tattoo too closely, she was keeping the wolves at bay.
Others lurked nearby, only keeping their distance because of the Pakan and his protectors.
Aleksei bowed one more time before his Pakan went away. She would have time later to question him about that, but now, they needed to get out, fast. The group started walking toward Lazarus’s car when a voice called behind her. Nobody listened, but the man shouted even more loudly, some other whistled. Her Spanish wasn’t strong, but she could recognize catcalls and misogynistic insults anywhere. It seemed that she would need to officially show her cards so they could finally leave.
Drawing a breath, she stopped walking and turned, ignoring Lazarus’s low curse and Lances sigh.
In front of her were three very handsome Hispanic men. If only they knew that wife-beaters and thick gold chains and watches weren’t a fashion statement. They detailed her exposed body with a lurid stare, and she almost rolled her eyes when they licked their lips at her as if it was an enticement, stupidly ignoring the three lethal men that surrounded her.
“Are you done, guys? We’re kind of busy.”
Deva took a step in their direction, ready to show them her tattoo and call them off when Aleksei circled her bare midriff with his arm and subtly pulled her behind Lance. The three men acted as a barrier. A silent face off. Worst of all, the three brainless youngsters didn’t feel the imminent danger. Her three protectors were powerhouses in their own right, and even if their opponents had street smarts, experience and ruthlessness were on her side.
Before the situation had the chance to turn sour, another voice snapped like a whip, calling the three men off. Clearly unhappy to be pulled back from a possible fight, they snarled like puppies and retreated. From a distance, she locked eyes with the man who had taken control of his crew. Hector. Deva nodded at him and realized the mess the whole situation was. Another player, another very thin line to tread, another reluctant ally, another secret.
Hector looked at her for a moment and turned to walk away. The coast was clear but not without a price. Hector was looking out for them, and she recognized a few members of the Pakan’s close guard standing at a distance. Many unspoken questions flew by. A few more feet and Lazarus unlocked his car.
As Deva turned to get in, the roar of motorcycles made her jump out of her skin, making her grip the closest man within her reach. Poor Lance had his hands full with her, but always a gentleman, he closed his arms around her shoulder and turned to put his back toward the sound. She cursed at herself for reacting that way, it was a pure knee jerk reaction, but it was the sound of her nightmares.
“Sweetheart, breathe. They are only passing by, nobody is looking at you.”
She nodded against his chest, but just waited as Lance rubbed her back in a soothing gesture. “They’re gone, sweetheart. Get in the car now, you’re safe.”
When she turned, she caught Aleksei glaring at her, but she was too shaken to deal with him at the moment. He could stew for a while longer. She slid on the back seat with Lance following suit beside her. Lazarus got behind the wheel, and Aleksei sat beside his brother. Pride wanted her to stand tall, but the frightened girl who ran ten years ago was so close to the surface, it was as if she couldn’t detach herself from her yet. After a few breaths, Deva was regaining some sort of control.
“Guys, you can drop me at my place.”
Aleksei growled, but it was Lazarus who answered. “You said it yourself, Deva, something is off. There’s too much of a risk to leave you alone. Any of us for that matter. We need a place Finch won’t know about.”
“I know a place.”
Lazarus interrupted his Russian brother. “No offense Aleksei, but we are not Bratva. It could get tricky. We need an independent place. You can go to a Bratva safe house if you want, but Deva and I need another one.”
“I’m not leaving her in your hands.”
Deva rolled her eyes, calm descending upon her once more. “You don’t trust me, you don’t trust him, you don’t trust Lance. We’re getting nowhere fast, Aleksei, especially since you trust Jamieson Finch.”
“You all only tell lies! From the start! With Finch, I know where I stand.”
“Then why are you in this car? Just get the fuck out. You want to get yourself killed at the hands of people who don’t fucking care about you, do it. I’ve taken that path once, and it broke me apart. I don’t even know why I would do it again.”
Aleksei’s silence was making her cringe.
“You’re delusional if you think you can trust Jamieson Finch to be true to his word. The more I look at it, the more I see a mess of political lies and deceitful promises. I risked and lost everything to get you out of this mess, to protect you, because I care!”
“I didn’t ask for anything.”
Deva nodded, a cold, icy ball settling in her stomach. “You are right. And I’m not offering anything anymore. All I hope is that I’m wrong about Finch. For your sake.”