by Belle Aurora
However, my father did not raise no weak-ass bitch. No. When they took a shot, I took a shot. It felt like battery acid simmering in my stomach, but my smile remained unwavering. And seeing Anika giggle behind her hand made it worth it.
I went upstairs and drew a nice, hot bath for her in the en suite attached to my room. The vanilla-lavender-scented bubbles smelled divine and sweet. I put towels within reach, lowered the lights, and turned on the jets.
When I spotted Anika hesitating in the open doorway, I said, “Take your time, okay? We’re in no rush.”
Her slight nod was enough. I left her to it. But just as I went to exit the bathroom, she called out to me. I turned, and what Anika said broke my heart. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Nas.” She looked devastated, as if she already lost me. Her voice shook. “You’re my best friend.”
I stepped back into the room and took both her hands in mine, dipping slightly to look her dead in the eyes. “Forever and always, babe.”
Anika shook her head—and was she hyperventilating? “Maybe.”
Huh? Was she crazy?
“Ani,” I started. “You’d have to do something pretty freaking bad to lose me as a friend.”
“I know” was her hushed reply, eyes bright with unshed tears.
Wow. She really was a mess.
“Exactly,” I offered reassuringly with a squeeze to her fingers. I held such confidence in her that I added, “Never gonna happen.” Releasing her hands, I pointed at her ominously and ordered, “Do not get out of there until you’re nicely wrinkled. You hear me?”
Ani’s lip tugged up into a strained smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
I joined Mina and Cora, who were in the process of getting ready. Mina slid her yoga pants down before pulling on dark jeans. “Nas, what happened? Is she okay?”
The quiet, curious questions were ones I didn’t have an answer to. I pulled my tee up and over my head as I raided my walk-in closet for something to wear. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Cora, in her panties and bra, slipped into a pretty black-and-white mini-dress. It showed a lot of skin, coming midthigh. “Poor thing. She looks shaken up.”
She did. I’d never seen her act like this before, as though she was scared of her own shadow.
I was not an optimist. I tried to be—I really did—but more than anything, I was a realist. I’d learned that when something smelled like shit, there was shit nearby. So, when I entered the bathroom without warning, uttering, “Sorry, babe. I just need to grab my—” my heart stopped with my words.
The sight of Anika’s back had my feet glued to the spot.
Unable to speak, my eyes took it all in. Mottled bruises lined her spine and shoulders. The marks on her upper arms had faded to a greenish-yellow color, telling me they had been there a while.
“What the fuck?” was all I managed to get out.
Anika’s face dipped, and she exhaled quietly, “It’s nothing.”
Come again? I beg your pardon?
The sounds of Cora and Mina talking told me they hadn’t heard my exclamation.
My legs began to work again, and then I was moving. With an air of determination, she sat up straight in the bath and spoke. “Really. It’s nothing.” I couldn’t help but notice the way she was avoiding my disturbed gaze. “I, uh, started dancing again.”
“What?” I frowned skeptically.
“I’m dancing again,” she repeated.
My eyes narrowed. “You never said anything.”
“Well—” Irritated, she retorted a little sharply. “—you haven’t really been around, Nas.”
Her shot met its target, and my gut sank.
She was right. I hadn’t been.
Pushing down the sudden guilt I felt, I slowly let out a doubtful, “You’re telling me you look like this from… dance?”
There was no light in her eyes. “Yes.” She licked her lips and laughed humorlessly. “You’d be surprised how hard it is to get back into it when you’ve taken seven years off. My body isn’t as flexible as it used to be. I’ve fallen down over and over again. I twisted my ankle last week. It was the reason I wore flats to work.”
Yeah, I wondered about that.
The red flag in my mind continued to wave. But I had no real reason to doubt her.
My cynical nature had me asking, “You’d tell me if you were in trouble, right?”
Anika blinked a moment before she looked up at me without an ounce of emotion and said, “You’re the only person I trust.”
My bullshit meter went off when I noticed she didn’t quite answer my question. My love for my friend, however, told me that Anika wouldn’t keep secrets. Not from me.
Calming slightly, I took another look at her back, and out came a brutally honest, “You look like shit, babe.”
Anika laughed then. A real laugh. Musical, tinkling laughter. And the longer it went on, the tightness in my stomach loosened. Even more so when she looked at me and the warmth had returned to her eyes. “I know.”
I loved Anika. She wasn’t just a friend. She was family. And I protected my family.
If anyone even attempted to hurt her, I would kill them without hesitation.
“I worry about you,” I disclosed grudgingly.
Immediately, she returned, “I worry about you,” a sharp brow rising with meaning.
Yeah, okay. I got the point. We had to communicate better.
I blew out a long breath. “I’ve been a shitty friend.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I should’ve pushed harder. Made you talk to me.”
So, I guess I wasn’t the only one feeling lacking and guilt-ridden.
When Anika was finished with her bath, I helped her into a high-necked, tight black dress with long sleeves that hid her bruises. My every instinct yelled at me to keep a closer eye on my friend. And if I found something was wrong, not even God could stop me from getting answers.
Anika exited the bathroom, and while Mina whooped, Cora let out a loud wolf whistle. Like the awesome people they were, they hyped Anika up until she was laughing awkwardly, completely red in the face at the nonstop compliments.
Once I outfitted myself in the little dusty-rose dress that came off the shoulders and into long sleeves, I slipped into nude peep-toe heels and grabbed my matching nude clutch. With a final look in the mirror, I fluffed my hair, the long, dark tresses falling down my back in waves, then applied a mauve-pink lipstick, and we were good to go.
It was 8:00 p.m. when we arrived at a little Italian place none of us had been to before, and one look at the menu had me salivating. It held all my favorites.
Carbs, carbs, and more carbs.
Our food arrived, and we ate enthusiastically. We talked loudly to be heard over the dinner crowd, laughing with each other. The going consensus was that we all officially loved this restaurant. Another few drinks and easy conversation followed. When I got up to use the restroom, I sneakily took care of the check, much to the annoyance of the girls.
Whatever. They’d get over it.
Close to 10:00 p.m., we all hopped in a cab and arrived at our destination soon after.
My stomach clenched in excitement as we skipped the line and headed on in. It was the hottest nightclub in New York, and, lucky for us, my cousins owned it.
Smiling, laughing, and chatting away, we eagerly entered The White Rabbit.
5
Nastasia
The club was packed, and the sea of bodies on the dance floor seemed to move as one in waves along to the thick, sticky beat of the music. Anticipation bubbled up inside me. I knew I wasn’t the only one, because we all just stood there, smiling down at the throng of patrons. We needed to let loose. Needed it.
If we were going to let our hair down anywhere, this was the place.
The Alice in Wonderland-themed nightclub had a reputation for being elite, and you could see why. The big black-and-white tiles on the dance floor warped and swayed, twisting, becoming smaller and small
er as it reached the middle, opening up to the illusion of falling down a hole. A rabbit hole, to be precise. There was a colossal statue of the Cheshire cat to the right that people lined up to take selfies with. Servers in all shapes, sizes, and colors walked around in skimpy costumes, holding trays. They were either dressed as Alice, in long blonde wigs, tiny blue pinafore dresses with puffy sleeves, white fishnets, and white pumps, or they were dressed as sexy white rabbits, hair up in a high ponytail with a poofy white tail, long fluffy ears, white stockings, and a black-painted nose with whiskers.
Pride I had no business feeling swept through me.
So, sue me.
Leokovs knew how to run a club.
I took Anika’s hand, she clasped Cora’s, Cora entwined her fingers in Mina’s, and I led them to the left of the dance floor. I let him know we were coming, and as expected, he was waiting for us at the entrance of the VIP section.
Nikolai Leokov, my cousin and owner of The White Rabbit, smiled widely at the sight of me, and the second I spotted those trademark Leokov dimples, I picked up my pace, my walk turning into a jog. The moment I was close enough, he opened his arms, and I threw myself into them, laughing happily.
I didn’t care if I seemed eager. I did not get to see my cousins often. We all had businesses to run, and in the case of Nik, he played the role of doting father to a growing family during the day.
His gruff chuckle warmed my ear, and he rocked me side-to-side, then kissed my hair. I closed my eyes, breathing him in. His scent was uniquely Nik. Expensive leather and sandalwood.
There was something about him. Whether it was his height, or build, or honey-warm gaze, he had the ability to make me you feel safe, untouchable.
I wasn’t bullshitting my brother. I would never put my friends or family in harm’s way. And with Nik watching out for us, The White Rabbit was a safe place. We were protected within these walls. No one was going to mess with ex-members of the firm.
Music blaring, Nik pulled back to look me over, his eyes crinkled in the corners. “Damn. I still can’t believe you went from knobby-kneed to catwalk model.”
Firstly… aw, how sweet.
Secondly…
“Hey!” I punched his arm, feigning outrage, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “I was never knobby-kneed, thank you very much.”
From behind Nik came, “Yeah, you were. I never met someone who had to grow into their knees before.” A grinning Max Leokov, Nik’s brother, came into view, and my heart was so full to bursting. With a happy squeak, I jumped, and he caught me, chuckling. He squeezed me tight, holding the back of my head with a gentle hand. “You look good, sweetheart.”
When Max set me down, I pressed a long, noisy kiss to his cheek, then used my thumb to wipe away the lipstick stain I left there. “I missed you guys.” Looking around, I asked, “Where are your women?”
It had been a while since I’d seen the girls. Tina, Nik’s wife, was the sweetest thing you’d ever meet. She reminded me of Anika. Helena, Max’s wife, was so darn cute and hilarious. Nat was the fiery redhead married to Asher, Nik and Max’s adopted brother. She and I were so alike it was scary. Then came Lola, the small brunette with a contagious smile. Her husband was Diego, better known as Trick, Nik and Max’s cousin from their mom’s side. And, finally, there was Mimi, all-around badass who just happened to prefer a taco over a hot dog.
Nik’s expression turned soft. “They’re not here tonight.” And when my face fell, he put up his hands in a placating gesture. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. Blame ’em for becoming moms.”
“Someone’s gotta wrangle the little terrors,” agreed Max, who then added with a light chuckle, “and I sure as fuck ain’t qualified for the job.”
Yeah. I got it. It sucked, but they were mommas and had different priorities now. “Well,” I allowed with a smile, “at least I got to see you guys.”
“You know you don’t need an invitation, Nas,” Max chided.
Nik quickly agreed. “You’re welcome to come by whenever you want. Tina and the girls would love to see you.”
God, they were sweet. Genuinely thankful for the offer, I uttered, “I’d really like that.”
You could definitely tell Nik and Max were brothers. They had the same olive-toned skin courtesy of their mom, dark hair, and they both bore the Leokov whisky-gold eyes. But more than that, their smiles were identical. And while Nik had a single dimple tugging at his cheek, Max had two.
Undoubtedly, many a woman found themselves head over heels for these men, and don’t get me wrong, I got it. My cousins were kind of gorgeous, and their sisters? Whoa. Stunners.
Max spotted the girls behind me. “Oh, shit,” he said teasingly. “There’s more of ’em.”
Both men greeted the girls with hugs and kisses, leaving them breathless, and for some unknown reason, when Max kissed Mina’s cheek and called her “baby cuz,” her cheeks turned red, and she giggled. Loudly.
They escorted us upstairs to the exclusive, closed-off section of the club, and when a white rabbit approached wearing sheer white tights and heels, whiskers and all, Nik told her, “Carrie, these girls are family.”
Carrie seemed to understand what that meant, because she smiled, then inclined her head. “Yes, Mr. Leokov.”
“I’m sorry to have to leave you, but I got some shit to take care of. You ladies have a good night, and if you need me for anything—” Nik motioned to the tall, blonde bartender. “—tell Sheriff, and he’ll let me know. Okay?”
Nik and Max said their goodbyes, and the friendly waitress asked, “What can I get you to drink?”
We prattled off our order, and when the woman returned with our glass slipper shots, I took out my wallet. Placing a silken, gloved hand over mine, Carrie smiled with meaning. “Family doesn’t pay, ma’am.”
We don’t?
The girls stilled, and then Cora probed, “They don’t?”
“No.” The cute waitress held back a laugh.
Immediately, Cora leaned forward and stated, “Then I’m gonna need another two rounds of these things.”
I slapped her arm. “No, you don’t.” I turned to Carrie. “No, she doesn’t.”
But the waitress just winked at me, then replied to Cora, “Coming right up.”
We watched her walk away, and I spun to glare at Cora. Knowing she was being a shit, she turned out her hands, the very picture of innocence, and chuckled. “What?”
“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered, and she picked up a glass, shooting it down with a grin and wince. She was lucky I loved her. Taking a quick pic of her, I sent it to a man who didn’t deserve her, then placed a glass in front of Mina, then Anika. “Drink up, ladies, and don’t worry about a damn thing. I’m on duty tonight, and I promise to hold your hair out of your faces while you barf.”
Cora put a hand to her heart and tutted. “And they say chivalry is dead.”
Anika didn’t need further encouragement. With an eager smile, she downed the shot in one gulp, then made a face. “I feel better already.”
Not wanting to be left behind, Mina threw the glass back, winced, then coughed out, “Me too.”
My phone vibrated in my hand.
Alessio: Would you fucking stop already?
I sniggered to myself.
Me: No <3
Another round of shots was thrown back, and for once, I was quite happy to sit back and watch my girls have a great time. I wished we lived in a world where four women dressed the way we were, drinking, and having a good time could be guaranteed their safety, but too many times had women been blamed for things that happened to them while under the influence, using what they were wearing as an excuse.
Tonight, I would be their sentry.
“So, Anika,” Cora got right into it, peering across the booth with mischievous eyes. “You got your eye on anyone at the moment?”
The apples of her cheeks blushed prettily, and when she picked up another shot, I figured she wasn’t going to answer that que
stion. But she took the shot like a boss, then slammed the glass down onto the table, and wheezed out, “There is one guy. Was one guy.”
My ears perked. That got my attention real quick.
“Who?” came out of my mouth immediately, and it came out loud.
Anika rolled her shoulder, seeming to regret her admission. “It’s not important.” She let out a light laugh, but there was no humor in it. “It doesn’t matter. I messed up there. Waited too long. He doesn’t want me anymore.”
Huh?
That was not plausible.
Anika was basically the ideal woman. She was loving and gentle. I’d literally seen men fall over themselves just to be awarded a second of her attention. But, of course, she remained modest. It was frustrating as shit that she had no idea of her appeal.
She was so oblivious at times it hurt.
Mina frowned in confusion. “You’re smart and pretty and loyal. How could he not want you?”
The moment Anika responded bitterly with “Lev didn’t want me,” a look of stunned surprise left her, and her mouth gaped. “Mina, I—”
My brain slapped a hand to its mouth to muffle the howling scream that came out.
Oh nooo.
She did not just say that.
But Mina, the saint, just waved her off. “We’re not talking about Lev. We’re talking about your elusive beau. You said he doesn’t want you anymore. That means he did at one point.” She prodded gently, “What changed?”
“Yeah.” Curiosity had always been my downfall. I turned my entire body to face Anika. “What changed?”
The alcohol had loosened her lips. Her brows bunched, and her lips pulled down, her expression full of regret. “I said some things to him. Things I thought I meant at the time, but I didn’t. I guess I said what I said because I was scared of his intensity, and now, there is no second chance.” She shrugged, and a watery smile wobbled at her lips. “We can’t go back.”
No. It couldn’t be over before it began. Anika was sunshine and joy, and she deserved happiness.