122.
Third Person POV.
Andrei had been constantly checking up on Vera since David’s trip to Miami. He would always find her grousing in her bedroom or sleeping. It had worried the man but he preferred that to having Vera go out. And for obvious reasons too.
Peter and the Sokolov twins were in town.
So, Andrei goes on and off in Vera’s apartment. His was just down the hallway.
About three hours ago, he surreptitiously came in and checked on Vera. There he found her with her friends.
Andrei took a sigh of relief and went back to his apartment.
Inside his apartment, he took his cigarettes, lit them up, and relaxed his body on the lounge chair, smoking and drinking.
Of course, not without his gun present. He had gotten a good teacher for David and was briefing David on the basics of being a mafia.
It marveled Andrei how David had cooperated, putting aside his reputation. In the whirlwind of thoughts, Andrei fell asleep unknowingly.
Hours later…
He propped up from the lounge chair with a hoarse sigh evaporating from his lips.
A fleeting look at the clock told him it was already ten p. m
“Shit! I slept that long?” He said aloud in a gruff voice.
The man had wanted to relax back into his chair but something kept pushing him to check on Vera.
Begrudgingly, he stood to his feet and walked away from his apartment, down to Vera’s.
He opened the door with his key and snaked inside. A look around the living room and kitchen showed no signs of Vera.
“Where is she?” He whispered to himself, barreling into the room.
Shocked, Andrei didn’t find Vera.
Fanatically, he brought out his phone and checked the location app on his phone.
By all the signals the GPS gave, Vera was in a club.
“Fuck!” He cursed, knowing things could go wrong now.
The mafia might find her because they love running their shits in a club.
On a whim, he dashed outside and began walking frantically down to the car park.
The valet greeted him, wanting to delay Andrei with long talks as the mafia had instructed.
However, he didn’t regard the valet.
Instead he took the car into the garage and shoved it into the road, driving to the club.
*
*
*
Vera’s POV.
I am still, watching the brooding man. Hell, if I think Andrei is scary, this man here is scarier, with a taut jaw, intense dark eyes, a tiny yet scary scar, and a deep, dark voice.
He’s an epitome of danger.
Well, too bad, I don’t give a shit about anything today. Instead of allowing the fear to cripple me, I pipe up.
“Hey…handsome.” I slur, bringing the wine to his face. “Want some?” I wink.
He takes the cue and pushes the stool beside me backward before settling on it.
“I never knew a girl could be as warm as you are.” He says with that dark voice of his.
“Aw, I’m flattered. But thanks. I can warm up to anyone I want.” I blurt, drinking.
Thoughts about David want to sneak in but I push them all back.
The man chuckles. “You sure about that?” He asks.
I give a look that says ‘don’t try me’ and nod. “I can warm up with anyone I want,” I repeat for emphasis.
“That’s impressive. What’s your name?” He asks, looking keen.
Something tells me the man is looking into my soul, searching but I’m too mindless to care.
Absently, I say. “Vera…” A smile drawl from my lips. “Vera Ivanovna.” I wink.
Through my fogged mind, I realize the swing of recognition on his face.
He hums low in the back of his throat.
“I’m Anton Sokolov.”
I wrinkle my brow at his name.
Our last names sound Russian.
Wait…does that mean I’m Russian? Truly? I thought to myself while he watched me.
“Does my name sound familiar?” He asks but I whoop a short laugh.
“Not at all.” I wave him off. Then. “Are you always in this club?”
He toss a look around and shakes his head.
“Not at all. This is my first time here.”
“Oh, wow. Where do you come from?” I pipe up, growing a bit interested.
He smiles devilishly which makes my skin crawl.
“I’m from Russia.” He states, proud of his destination.
“That’s wonderful. So what brought you here?” I ask.
I wave the bartender over and shoo my empty glass to him, mouthing that he should fill it up.
“To fetch my pride. You see, she means a lot to the power I want to gain in my world.”
My eyes widen at his words. “Wow! You’ve a bride? Gosh, that’s incredible.”
As I say that, I circle my fingers over the glass the bartender has filled and sip from it.
“Yes, Vera.” He picks a glass for himself and begins drinking. “I’m only new to New York. And I’m just an inch away from getting her…”
Before he could rattle off, I put my fingers in my bag and bring out my card.
“Here, just call me if you have anywhere you want to go to, hmm?”
I don’t know what I’m doing. I guess seeing David enjoying another woman’s lips has damaged my mind. If not, why am I giving him my call number?
Anton takes it and studies the card, a smirk creeping up his cheeks. With a dark voice, he answers.
“Great. I’ll be sure to give you a call.”
I watch him stash the card into his pocket and then.
“Mind if we dance a bit?”
I should resist him and say no but remembering my lover is out there dancing with a woman and kissing her, I accept the offer.
Fastening my hand on his, Anton leads me to the floor.
The music hammers in the background creating a symphony with the chattering voices in the background.
“Tell me about yourself,” Anton says, that knowing look on his face burns into mine.
Then and there I rattle off the little things about me and he pays attention.
While I’m saying that, our bodies press against each other, our steps falling into sync.
The man tights his fists around me, shaking his head at every word I say.
“Oops…” I giggle when the music changed from classical to Chris Brown’s music, Under The Influence, and before I know it…
Anton twirled me around, my back pressing into his broad chest.
His hips rocked into mine.
The drinks I took are already working its course in me so I laugh hard at the way he handled me now, but seeing it as anything.
Absently, I rock my hips and body into his, loving the grunts erupting from his lips.
Knee-deep into the erotic dance, I feel something cold pressing into my body from behind.
I’m too tipsy to look, too broken to care. With that Anton’s grip tightened around my waist.
I’m so mindless to notice him ushering me away from the dance floor with every step we take.
“Oh, where are we going?” I ask when I see he’s gone past the bartender.
“Somewhere special! You’ll see.” He says in a gruff voice.
I was just about to protest and free myself from him when he suddenly grunted in pain, stepping back.
Like the wind, someone launches himself at Anton, smacking his face!
I hurry forward, wanting to separate them.
My breath stops quickly when I figure out who that is.
“Andrei?” I call in shock, watching him breathe heavily.
Andrei throws one more punch at Anton and as the man staggers, clearly dazed and unprepared for the attack, Andrei turns to me with an intense look.
“How dare you!” I rattle off as he storms into my space.
“No time for that, lady!”
At that gruff words, he pulls me into a fireman’s carry, taking me away from the vociferous club.
Out in the dark of the night, he throws into the car and buckles me in.
“Let me go! You…” I almost curse him but hold back.
“Over my dead body, Vera! You don’t know who that man is! I advise you to stay the fuck away!” His face holds no hint of amusement.
I quickly remember David’s photos with Claire and blurt.
“Everyone is bad to you and to David. He claims he loves me but what did he do? Cheat on me with that whore!? So pathetic!”
I hit my hands on the windows, wanting to escape but it doesn’t budge.
“I’d rather stay with that stranger than go back to that cheat!”
“Who told you that, Vera?” Andrei asks, annoyed.
“Huh. Pretending like you don’t know?” I roll my eyes. “Go to your social media and find the fuck out!”
Instantly, Andrei pulls out his phone, and thumbs through until his eyes land on the screen.
“Fuck!!” He bashes the steering wheel as he curses.
Looking back at me, a different look crosses his face.
“Vera…listen…”
“Don’t give me that sermon, Andrei. David…he has broken my heart.” I say as tears drop from my eyes…
It hurts…so much. It fucking hurts me like crazy!
I didn’t know when I flushed myself in Andrei’s arms, bawling while he did that which David should be doing to me.
Giving me that comfort I seek.
It’s strange but Andrei’s doing it, comforting me while David is out there with another woman…
With Claire.
He chose her over me. At last.
To be continued…