by Lee, Leona
She was snapped out of her thoughts when a waitress dropped off drinks at their table. “Um, we didn’t order these,” she told her.
Pointing to the table with the college guys, “Nope, they did.”
Staring at the drinks, “Maybe we should send them back,” Bethany began.
“Not on your life,” Charlotte answered. “If you don’t want yours, I’ll drink it,” she told her as she lifted her new drink up. “Come on, girls, a toast to renewed friendships.” As Bethany lifted her almost empty glass, she clinked glasses before setting it down.
“So, do you drink at all?” Susan asked.
“Sometimes, but it always seems to end in disaster, and since I have class tomorrow…hey, I can have a good time without alcohol.”
Susan got up from her stool and grabbed the empty glass. Sniffing at it, “What is this? OJ?” At Bethany’s nod, “Let me go get you another, and I’ll let the bartender know that if any other drinks are ordered for us not to make yours with alcohol.” As Bethany smiled in appreciation, Susan headed to the bar.
While she was gone, Charlotte asked, “So, have you called your folks to tell them that you’re in town?”
Bethany shook her head, “I have nothing to say to my mother, and my aunt moved to New Mexico where she could grow marijuana somewhat legally.”
Bursting out laughing, Charlotte replied, “You know, you would have been far more popular in high school if you shared your aunt’s stash.”
“No way. She guarded every plant.”
“And your mom? Is she still here?”
“Last I heard, she had found a place closer to the prison where she could visit her husband. Given everything that’s happened, she chose her side and it wasn’t me or Davis.” Before she could finish, Susan returned to the table and set a fruity drink in front of her decorated with a mini umbrella and a piece of pineapple. “What’s this?”
“Fruit juice that doesn’t look like fruit juice,” Susan replied as she slid back into her seat.
Sniffing at it, Bethany took a careful sip before nodding her head, “It’s good.” But she completely missed the look Charlotte gave Susan.
As the evening progressed, the girls continued to talk and laugh as various men came up to ask them to dance. While Bethany had always shied away from dancing, she found herself out on the dance floor more than once as she attempted some of the simpler line dances. When a slow dance began, she was about to leave when her partner grabbed her hand and swung her in close.
“And where do you think you’re going?” he asked as he pulled her into an embrace and began to move her around the dance floor.
Stumbling, Bethany giggled, “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not very good at this.”
“That’s okay, sweetheart, just let Jack take care of you.”
Giggling, Bethany leaned heavily against him. “I don’t know why I’m so lightheaded; I’ve only been drinking fruit juice. And who is Jack?”
“I’m Jack,” he replied as he swung her around the dance floor before leaning in to sniff her breath. “And from the way you smell, I’d say you’ve been drinking rum.”
“What? No. It was only fruit juice.” As realization hit her, she tried to pull away from Jack, but he had maneuvered her to a quieter area and was attempting to pull her into a section for employees only. “Hey!” Bethany called out as she tried to pull out of his grasp. “Let me go, you big oaf.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. The way you’ve been tossing drinks back and flirting all evening, it’s time for you to pay up.”
Struggling, Bethany tried to pull away. “I said, no!” As she looked frantically around, she realized that no one was paying attention to her and she couldn’t be heard over the music. Jack was dragging her down the hall when he stopped.
“Get out of my way, man. This one is mine.”
“But the lady said no,” came a silky reply.
“They always say no when they mean yes. Now move.”
“Or what?” As Bethany looked up, she was relieved to see Vadim standing there with his arms crossed. He was dressed in his typical dress slacks and white shirt, and she once again noticed how good looking he was. And big. He easily outweighed Jack by fifty or more pounds and it was pure muscle. As she tried to pull her arm free, Jack tightened his grip, and she cried out in pain.
“That’s it!” Vadim stepped forward, and suddenly Jack was dangling from his hand as his feet fought to touch the floor. Slamming him up against the wall, his head made a sickening sound before he slid to the floor.
“Is he…”
“He’s alive. Now, come on, we’re leaving.”
“But my friends…”
“Those are NOT your friends,” Vadim answered through clenched teeth. “Who the hell do you think has been giving you alcohol all night?” As Bethany stared at him in disbelief, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the exit. Walking out into the night air, her head began to clear as she realized that she had traded one male for another.
Pulling her arm free, he stopped to look at her impatiently, “Where are you taking me?”
“My place.”
“What? No! My car is that way, I’ll just go home-”
“You are in no condition to drive!”
“Well, I’m NOT going anywhere with you!”
As they continued to argue, Vadim lost patience with her, and he shoved her into an alley. Pushing her up against the wall, he leaned heavily against her, as her eyes opened in sudden awareness of his erection as he ground it against her. “Is THIS what you want? Because if that’s the case, you only had to ask.”
He felt her nipples harden against his chest as he pressed against her. Sliding his knee between her legs, he lifted her slightly, forcing her to grab his arms for support. All fight left her as she felt her insides turn to liquid fire.
A slow smile crept across his face as he watched her shift from fight to arousal. “It looks like this was exactly what you wanted, malyutka.”
“I am NOT your little one,” Bethany managed to answer, but her eyes were rapidly becoming unfocused for an entirely different reason.
His hand slid behind her head, he held her still as he looked down at her. “You are whatever I say you are,” he told her as he dipped his head down.
Gasping in surprise, Bethany was unprepared for the gentle assault he laid to her mouth as he plundered it with his tongue. He held her head as he explored her mouth, encouraging her to respond. Her hands tightened on his arms, and she moaned as she kissed him back. Groaning, he captured her tongue as he sucked on it, causing her to squirm against his knee as pleasure shot through her body.
She was completely lost to the sensations until she felt his hand on her side, lifting her shirt.She shook her head as she managed to push her shirt back down. Stepping back, he pulled his shirt open to reveal scars buried under tattoos.
“I told you before, malyutka, you aren’t the only one who bears scars.” Staring at them transfixed, she tentatively reached out her hand to trace what looked to be a severe burn from a cigar. “Car cigarette lighter,” he said simply as she looked up at him. She dropped her gaze as she leaned in and traced it with her tongue. He sucked in his breath.
Holding her head, he tangled his fingers in her hair as he encouraged her to keep going. Normally, he was like her and didn’t want anyone touching him, but her fingers were magical as they lit up long-dead thoughts of tenderness and the potential for incredible passion. While he knew he shouldn’t get close to her, he found that he couldn’t get her out of his mind, and since she was currently so willing, what harm would it cause.
Bethany’s hands slid under his dress shirt as she freely touched his chest. She had never met anyone else like him, and she found his responses to her touch intoxicating as she wondered if she would feel the same way. As his hand went back to the hem of her shirt, her self-doubts crept in and she managed to push away from him. Staggering slightly, she touched her lips as she looked at him.
&n
bsp; “Th…thanks for walking me to my car,” she mumbled as she turned quickly and trotted across the street to her car. She slid into the driver’s seat, shutting and locking the door behind her. Putting the key in the ignition, she did one of the things she swore that she would never do, drive drunk.
Out the side window, she saw Vadim leaning against the wall watching her. His shirt was still open, and he was completely unconcerned. Shaking her head, she knew that she would never be that comfortable with her body, as she started the car and drove away.
Chapter 8
Bethany walked into her handler’s office at nine the next morning. While she had been up since six, she spent most of the time berating herself for her conduct the night before and for not figuring out that there was alcohol in her drinks. How could she have been so stupid?
She smiled thinly at Marci’s graduate student, who pointed her to Professor Chase’s inner sanctum. Sitting down at her desk, she flipped open the files on the Drobilka cartel and began checking off the names of those she had met. So far, only five out of the fifteen known associates, and Vadim was not one of them. Bethany wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse as her interest in him had spiraled beyond professional.
Voices alerted her to Marci’s arrival as she excused her student. Opening the door, she walked in followed by Sanderson.
“What do you have to report?” Sanderson demanded without preamble. Flipping open the files, Bethany pointed out those men that she could identify, but was unable to give much more information. She knew that when the club was closed, there were often meetings there and sometimes they brought in club workers to help. Her goal was to try to get one of those assignments and possibly gather more intel on their smuggling operations.
“Anything else?” Marci asked, as she looked at her.
Taking a deep breath, Bethany vaguely filled them in on what happened the night before and that she had kissed Vadim.
“Well, if you’re going to fuck one of them, the least you could do is choose a member of the cartel,” Sanderson interjected sarcastically. As Bethany was about to protest, he held up his hand to silence her. “Look, if I had my way, you wouldn’t even be here. You’re too green, and you should have never passed the background checks, but it’s because of your background that Turner wants you here. So, I’m stuck with you, and you’ve brought me nothing of value. And what’s worse, you’re ready to fuck the first muscle-bound guy who caught your eye.”
As Sanderson took a breath to continue, Marci interrupted. “That’s enough, Jake. She’s only been on the job for three days, and simply because Sannikoff isn’t on the list doesn’t mean he isn’t a person of interest.” As he opened his mouth to protest, she held up her hand to silence him. “Why don’t you go back to the office to push some papers around and leave the field work to us? I’ll let you know if we need anything.”
After he left, she turned back to Bethany, “I wish I could tell you that he wasn’t always an asshole, but I can’t. So, shake it off and let’s get to work.” For the next couple of hours, Bethany detailed as much as she could about the club and they discussed potential options for her to get closer. Marci agreed that it wasn’t a good idea for her to admit that she was fluent in Chinese as it might come in handy should they come into the club. As Bethany was about to leave, Marci stopped her. “I know that it might be hard, but don’t fall for this guy. He’s bad news, and since you’re only starting out, it could end your career before you even started.”
As Bethany left campus, she couldn’t help but wonder how she wasn’t going to fall for what might possibly be the only man who wouldn’t find her hideously unattractive. Sighing, she checked her text messages as she got into her car. There were two from Charlotte; one asking how she was doing and the other claiming that the alcohol was all Susan’s idea. Tossing her phone in her backpack, she drove out of the parking lot wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her day.
Chapter 9
Wednesday rolled around faster than Bethany anticipated. She had managed to avoid calls from both Charlotte and Susan, who seemed offended that she couldn’t see that no harm had occurred. But then again, she didn’t bother to tell them about Jack.
Walking into the club, she nodded to the men who were sitting at their regular table and headed to the locker room. Setting her stuff down, she jumped when Vadim came up behind her. How did someone so big manage to walk so quietly, she thought as she looked at him, unsure what to say.
“About the other night,” he began before Bethany interrupted him.
“I should have called to thank you for saving my butt. If it wasn’t for you, I could have been raped. Or worse. I’m not sure what you were doing there, but you were definitely in the right place at the right time.”
“It’s my bar.”
“What?”
“The bar. I own it.”
Smiling at the irony, “Do people know that…”
“One of the most popular bars in Dallas is owned by a Russian immigrant? Nyet. I’m just the money guy.” Turning, he was about to leave, but he paused, “I’m glad that you’re okay.”
“Thank you. Again,” she said to his back as he was already on his way out the door.
The club was busy for a Wednesday night, and they had placed more customers in her section. Working the tables, Bethany put on a friendly face as she tried to keep track of the many different discussions. Many of them seemed to be talking in some sort of code or they would stop talking when she drew near. Pretending not to notice, she continued to hover and tried to maintain the attitude of overzealous employee and not undercover agent.
As she was preparing to leave that night, Vadim was once again by the exit. “Are you available tomorrow around lunch time?”
“I have class in the morning, but I’m out by eleven.”
“Khorosho. Be here before noon. We have a private party coming in.”
Nodding her head, Bethany thanked him before walking to her car, smiling. Finally!
###
When she met with Marci that morning, she couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice at the prospect of starting to get some actual intel on this group. Her handler wanted her to wear a recording device or take pictures, but Bethany refused. They were very strict about the uniforms and since she didn’t wear glasses, the sudden addition of eyewear would call too much attention to herself. She promised that she would be careful and would pay attention to what was going on.
When she got to the club, she quickly changed into her uniform. As she prepared to walk out, Vadim met her holding something in his hand. “Turn around.” Raising an eyebrow, she did as she was told. “Lift your hair.” She felt him attach something around her neck. Turning to look in the mirror, she could see that it was a mother of pearl pendant.
“What’s this for?”
“Anyone who works a private party wears one. You’ll return it with your uniform before you leave.”
As she walked out onto the floor, she was surprised at the clusters of men sitting around different tables. Several of the more popular dancers were already onstage, and she spotted Brandy taking orders as she waved.
Squaring her shoulders, Bethany grabbed her tablet and headed to the first table. As she made the initial rounds, she realized most of the customers were Chinese. Trying to keep the excitement from showing, she introduced herself and pretended to practice saying “hello, how are you,” with some of the men. As the afternoon progressed, she caught snippets of conversation, much of which had to do with an upcoming shipment through Galveston. Slowing down to gather empty glasses, she was able to pick up on an approximate date, but still had no idea what the cargo was. She was glad that no one knew that she understood Chinese, otherwise they wouldn’t have been so open around her.
Around five, the groups broke up as the men began to leave. The other girls had already left as Bethany tallied up her tips before heading to the locker room to change. Vadim caught her before she went in so that he
could retrieve the pendant. Handing her an envelope with her afternoon’s wages, he told her she didn’t have to come in that night.
As she changed her clothes, she realized that the envelope seemed fatter than usual. Opening it, she was surprised to see that she was paid twice what she normally was for half the time. Exiting the locker room, she went to find Vadim thinking that he had made some sort of mistake.
She heard talking coming from the office and headed over there. Without thinking, she walked through the open door and stopped short. Several men were clustered around a computer, as a young man was translating the different conversations. Looking down at the desk, she saw that the pendants housed a recording device. They had bugged her! About to back out of the room before they saw her, she caught what the young man was translating. He was lying!
As she stepped back, Vadim picked up his head, “Sorry,” she stammered. “I had a question, but it can wait.” Backing away quickly, Bethany didn’t get anywhere as Vadim put his hand on her arm stopping her.
“What is it?”
“What?”
“Your question. What is it?”
“Oh, I, uh. I think you paid me too much,” she finally managed to answer.
Smiling, he explained, “Everyone is paid more for private parties. Was there anything else?”
She shook her head no and started to pull out of his grasp when she heard the young man speaking. She tensed when she heard him give false information. Picking up on her tension, Vadim tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her into the room. The others were intent on the translation as he stared at her. Bethany attempted to pretend that she didn’t understand, but every time the young man lied, her eyes gave her away.
“What. Is. It,” he demanded as she fought to pull her arm free. Finally managing to twist free, she backed up quickly.
As she started to leave the room, she whispered, “On lzhet,” before she ran for the exit. Once outside, she didn’t stop for a breath as she scurried to her car and jumped in. Oh shit! I told him he was lying. I’ve killed him, she thought as she sped away.