Lyosha looked at him for a long moment, almost sizing him up before he shook his hand and smiled. Sort of. It was more or less like a baring of his teeth.
Mila blinked at him. What was wrong with him?
Juan, completely unfazed, squeezed her shoulder as he stood. “I’ll see you Tuesday,” he said, taking a step back from the table. “I’ll meet you in the lobby at eleven thirty?”
She nodded before looking back at Lyosha. “Hey, you.” She slid off the chair and gave him a quick hug—and tried not to sniff him like a total perv. It was hard because he smelled so good, all masculine and yummy, and she wanted to bury her face in his chest. “I didn’t think you even liked clubs,” she said as she stepped back.
Before he could respond, Dominique approached their table and picked up her drink. “You didn’t have to watch all our drinks. You should have been out on the dance floor.”
“Trust me, it’s for the best. I’m like a fish flopping around and no one wants to see that.” Her sisters and mama all had rhythm, but not her.
Dominique giggled and Lyosha’s mouth curved up in amusement.
“What the heck are you doing here?” Dominique asked. “Oh my God, did my husband send you?”
“Your husband is here,” he said dryly. “He rented the VIP room for the night and bought bottles of champagne for everyone upstairs.”
Dominique threw her head back and laughed. “It’s really hard to get mad at him when he does stuff like that.”
Lyosha wrapped his arm around Mila’s shoulders, taking her by surprise. “Come on, everyone’s going to head upstairs.”
“You’re working, then?”
“Sort of,” he said quietly, so low she could barely hear him. “Viktor gets nervous about Dominique being out. He’s…overprotective. So here we are.”
“VIP section and champagne? I’m with her, it’s kind of hard to get mad about that.”
His lips curving up once again, he nodded at the bouncer standing in front of the VIP section as they headed inside. And he didn’t take his arm from around her shoulders, something she found she liked a whole lot.
Suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t stayed home alone. Turned out that saying yes to things had an upside.
Chapter 6
He watched Lyosha across the crowded nightclub, the multicolored lights strobing obnoxiously. After being in prison for so long, he didn’t like this atmosphere. Once upon a time he had. He’d craved being out and being seen by others.
But not now. There were too many sweaty bodies, too many flashing lights.
Lyosha had his arm around a petite dark-haired woman with great curves, and was holding her to his side protectively. It was the same woman he’d seen Lyosha out with before, at some sort of movie thing. They weren’t physical, however. No kissing, no sex. Or he didn’t think so. They didn’t stay at each other’s place overnight. Which just meant Lyosha was as stupid as he’d always been. If he had a woman like that?
He wouldn’t just be friends with her.
Still… When Lyosha watched her, when he thought no one was looking, there was a hunger in his gaze. He wanted the woman. She definitely mattered to the bastard, and he was going to make sure he took what Lyosha wanted.
Lyosha had taken from him. Now he would take back from Lyosha. He would make him suffer first though.
It was just a matter of planning.
“Need another drink, sweetheart?” A tall woman with blonde hair and big breasts sidled up to the table, her tray outstretched. She’d been selling shots, working the floor for tips. Her skirt was short, showing off mile-long tan legs, her strappy top cut low, and he had no doubt she was doing well tonight.
“Nah, I’m good, but thanks.” He slid her a twenty anyway, since he was taking up a table.
She pocketed it, sliding it into a black apron that blended with her tight black skirt. Instead of leaving, she lingered, her gaze falling to his mouth. “I haven’t seen you in here before.”
“Just moved back to town.” His gaze flickered to her low-cut shirt. He did not need a distraction right now, but she was hot.
“Yeah? Where from?” She absently played with the long silver chain around her neck, the one that dangled right between her impressive cleavage.
He paused, his immediate instinct to lie. But he decided to go with the truth. He wasn’t looking to score tonight and it didn’t matter what she thought. He was just here to do recon.
His gaze flickered over her shoulder as Lyosha and the woman disappeared up the stairs into the VIP room. “Prison.”
“Oh yeah?”
He focused on her again, looking at her face now. She didn’t seem turned off or afraid. No…there was something else there. Interest. “Yeah.”
“For what?”
He found himself smiling at her bold tone as she sized him up. “B and E shit.” Which was…partially true.
She lifted a shoulder as if to say she understood. “My brother and cousin got put away for that too. Look, my name’s Brooklyn. I get off at two…well, two thirty after cleanup.” She slid pretty, pink-manicured fingers into her pocket, pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled what he assumed was her cell phone number on it. “I’m going to be partying with some friends after work. Call me if you want.”
Fuuuuck. He shouldn’t take it. But he found himself pocketing it, and even if he wanted to convince himself that he wouldn’t be calling her, he knew he would.
She was all long legs, big tits and a pretty mouth. He’d be a moron not to call her, not to take what she was very clearly offering.
And he was not a moron.
Which was why he was also going to leave right now. He’d seen what he came to see and couldn’t risk getting spotted. Lyosha was still working for Viktor, so some things hadn’t changed at least. Supposedly Viktor had gone straight now, but that didn’t matter to him.
And he didn’t give a shit about Lyosha’s boss.
Just Lyosha. He was the one who was going to hurt.
And then he would die.
Chapter 7
Mila kept a steady pace as she jogged down the sidewalk. Even after staying out later than normal last night at that club, she’d made herself get up to work out.
She was getting used to the new neighborhood, the new area. Everything around here was so different from where she’d grown up, different from the places she’d lived while going to school. It felt as if there was more space here, even with her building being a condo. They’d touted the insulation, gardens, and multiple pools as part of the sale, and so far everything was living up to her expectations. She’d never wanted for anything growing up, not truly, but this was still a big change.
“New chapter,” she murmured to herself as she increased her speed a fraction, savoring the burn.
As she jogged, she scratched the back of her neck. A weird little tingling started at the base of her neck, making her glance over her shoulder. It felt silly, but for some reason she felt like she was being watched.
She was just getting used to a new place, that was all. She’d mapped out a couple different routes for jogging, and this neighborhood was quiet enough. Thankfully there were other people out jogging or walking their dogs. There were dogs everywhere, making her wish she had one too. That was next on her list in this new phase of life—once she got settled and could dedicate enough time to a pet.