by S. C. Ellen
I chuckle at his confidence. Normally I would be turned off by that, but my drunken state thinks he is working it on all cylinders. “Wait, what did you just call me? Kukla?”
“Doll. It means doll. Perfect name for you.”
The alcohol flowing through my veins is making my head and thoughts a bit hazy. “Where are you from, exactly? I can’t place your accent.”
With a glint in his eye, he grabs hold of my hand. “No more talking. Now we dance again.” He leads us through the sea of bodies and back onto the dancefloor.
A fun techno song plays over the speakers, and I feel him back me up against him. I move my hips to the beat of his, and in no time, we are both moving with the same rhythm again. Dmitri has moves, that much is obvious.
However, in my sluggish state, I can’t help but search the crowd for a familiar pair of deep green eyes, wishing just for a moment that it were him who was dancing with me like this, and not a stranger. I can’t find him in the pool of growing bodies, and I shake the thought right out of my head.
Yup, I am definitely drunk.
He shouldn’t be getting to me like this, seeing as I rightfully despise the guy. Besides, he’s as much of a stranger as this guy grinding up against me is. Not to mention a complete asshole, as well.
I need a distraction.
I turn around so that we are now face to face. Our hips are still moving to the beat and our lips are an inch apart from one another. His hands are everywhere, on my waist, hips, and legs.
I’m beginning to enjoy being so carefree with a stranger until he begins to get a bit rougher with his movements.
“Whoa, there, tiger, not so hard, okay?”
An evil smile plays on his lips, and his hold tightens against me. “You mean you’re not the kind of girl who likes it rough?”
“Excuse me?” And that’s when my vision starts to turn hazy and I know something is definitely wrong. I attempt to push him off of me, but his hand grips onto my waist, almost to the point of pain.
“Let go!” I shout, or at least I feel like I’m shouting. I try to get out of his grasp as a wave of dizziness washes over me. Something is definitely not right.
His once-handsome face contorts into an ugly sneer. “No. I don’t think I will.”
“Hey! Stop it!” My voice trails off, and I feel myself being dragged off to one of the exits in the back of the club as fear works its way up into my throat. It’s then that I know I’ve been drugged and there is no way I can attempt to break free from his strong grip, especially when I feel my limbs getting heavier and heavier.
My shouts fall on deaf ears because of the loud music, and there is nothing I can do about it. My mindless and fun escape from reality is now going to turn into my worst nightmare.
We’re getting close to the door when I feel the strong force of someone ripping Dmitri off of me. I stumble over from the sudden movement, and catch myself on the brick wall before I can connect with the ground.
I lean against it, watching the scene play out in front of me with hooded eyes. Carson has the collar of Dmitri’s shirt locked in a death grip with clear murder bright in his eyes. “I should fucking kill you right now.”
“You wouldn’t dare, yeblan,” Dmitri seethes as he pushes Carson’s hands off of him.
“Think I’m scared of a little Russian pussy like you?”
Crap! Did he just say Russian?!
“If you were smart, you would be.” Dmitri is vibrating with anger, and I see a crowd surrounding us with a few of his Russian buddies closing in behind them.
“Come on… Carson, let’s… just go…” It’s getting harder to speak, and my vision is going in and out at an erratic pace now.
“I would listen to the girl if I were you.” He smirks at Carson and that sets him off again.
I am seeing double at the moment, and I can barely keep my eyes open, but I am pretty sure I just saw Carson deliver a punch, landing it straight at Dmitri’s jaw. Even in my hazy state, I can feel a wave of tension wash over the club, causing me to feel more nauseous than I already am.
I blink, and then I blink again, trying to rid myself of the fog I’m in. I’m able to get a brief moment of clarity when I notice a few of the Russian men reach into their waistbands, probably to grab at their weapons, but Dimitri lifts up his hand and halts them.
“Not here, boys. We’ll deal with this elsewhere, where there are fewer eyes.” My vision goes blurry shortly after that, but that doesn’t stop me from catching the evil glint in Dmitri’s stare, and the promise held in his voice.
Bodies start to morph, and the air feels like it’s suffocating me to the point of panic. I try to scream, I try to say anything, but no words escape my lips. Am I even standing up anymore?
“We definitely will,” Carson venomously affirms.
Voices. I can hear voices, but where are they coming from?
“I’ll see you soon, kukla. I’ll make sure of it.” A chill works its way down my spine at Dmitri’s words, sending me to spiral even further down the rabbit hole.
Seconds could have passed, or maybe even days, but I finally feel someone pick me up and throw me over their broad shoulder.
Stars fill my vision, and then my brother’s distorted face comes into view. I want to reach out to him, but my arms are like jelly.
“What the fuck was that about?” Jase asks, looking angry and slightly scary.
“Your sister decided it would be a great idea to get fucking wasted and fuck around with the head of the American bratva! That’s what the fuck just happened. She shouldn’t drink if she doesn’t know her goddamn limit,” Carson fumes.
I really want to scream, “Excuse me? I didn’t fuck around with anybody! And I didn’t know that he was Russian, let alone the leader!” but I can’t because the effects of the drug won’t let me. I know if I try, my words will sound like gibberish or won’t come out at all. The room is now spinning, and I start to feel strangely numb. I fight the urge hard not to give in to the drug and let it take me under, but the effects are strong and I’m starting to lose the battle.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” I hear Jase say. “If Dad hears about this…”
“We won’t tell your dad,” Carson declares.
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t need to know. He’s got enough shit to deal with as is. I’ll handle it.”
“What the hell is going on?” I hear Tessa ask, letting out a terrified gasp, “What is wrong with Alayna?”
“What do you mean? You’ve never seen her drunk?” Jase asks with an air of concern.
“I’ve seen her drunk, Jase, but not like this. She only had a glass of champagne, and the single shot from the round Carson sent over!”
“Shots?” Carson questions, sounding enraged. “I didn’t send over a round of fucking shots!”
I try desperately to hang on, I really do, but soon my eyes feel as heavy as my body does, and suddenly everything around me goes black.
Alayna
I feel like death the next morning. The pounding headache I wake up to and the bad taste left in my mouth has me regretting ever going out in the first place. Or ever again.
I slowly sit up in bed and notice that I am in nothing more than a thin cotton T-shirt and underwear that I definitely didn’t have on the night before. I immediately begin to freak out and try to piece together last night’s events.
The night is a blur, but I do remember the Russian man named Dmitri. Shit, did he spike my drink? He couldn’t have, because I didn’t even order one when I was with him. My mind settles in on Nina, and the smirk she sent me right after I took the shot. Could she have done it? But why would she?
I run a hand down my face…this is so messed up. The sad thing about it is I don’t even remember getting back home, let alone putting my pajamas on!
I reluctantly get out of bed and the room starts to spin. I hold on to my dresser for balance, and once that feeling clears, I make my way over to the bathroom.<
br />
With a cold shower, my teeth brushed, and a couple of Advils later, I am feeling a tad bit renewed. The aroma of fresh coffee brewing and the smell of bacon in the kitchen makes my mouth water. I head downstairs and find Carson making breakfast, shirtless…once again.
“Hope you made some for me, too, I am starving,” I say as I make my way over to the coffee pot, pouring myself a delicious cup.
“I assumed you would be, seeing as you puked up everything you consumed last night.”
I wince. “I can’t believe that happened. If it wasn’t you who sent the shots over, then who was it?”
“Probably the same Russian bastard who tried to keep me preoccupied with mindless bullshit so Dmitri could make his move on you.”
I sighed, “Or maybe it was Nina?”
His brows furrow together. “Why would she? She works for the familia.”
Well, that’s news to me. I never thought a woman could work for the familia, other than to be their plaything. I drop it, knowing how crazy I probably sound, and get back to the real reason why I came down here. I take a deep breath, looking sincerely at the man before me. “Thank you, Carson, for saving me last night. If it weren’t for you stepping in, I would have been a goner.”
His face remains impassive, but his eyes hold a softer expression as he places a plate in front of me at the table. It is filled to the brim with the most delicious looking scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. I dive in, and he takes a seat across from me with his plate in tow.
“It just proves that your father was right in keeping you protected. Something tells me that trouble seems to follow wherever you go.”
I shrug. “What can I say? I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.”
“You’re quite the smart ass, you know that?”
“And you’re quite the cook,” I say with a hint of surprise as I return to eating. Who would have thought he’d be good in the kitchen?
“Do you have work today?” Carson asks after a few minutes of silence.
“No. I’m off on Sundays. Why?” I finish my plate and place it in the sink.
“I have to go back to my place and get a few things, and seeing as you can’t be left alone for even a second, it looks like you have no choice but to come with me.”
As much as I would love to do absolutely nothing today, I’m not going to dwell on it too much, because I do kind of owe it to him for what he did for me last night, so I nod in response.
“We leave in five.” He states and with that he gets up, places his dishes in the sink, and exits the kitchen, throwing his last bit of peace over his shoulder, “By the way… you’re welcome for breakfast… and for saving your life.”
A grin works its way across my face as I silently watch him disappear from the kitchen.
Hm. Maybe he is not so bad after all.
I quickly load the used plates in the dishwasher, and I head upstairs to freshen up. Once I’m ready, I make my way into the living room where I find Carson already waiting for me.
“I would like to drive, if that’s alright,” I begin.
“Why?”
“Because with how I am still feeling… I would hate to empty my breakfast out onto your leather seats by your unruly driving.”
He looks at me for a brief moment, before throwing me my keys. “Good point.”
I catch them and give him a satisfied smile. He follows behind as I make my way over to my truck. It’s an all-black, fully loaded, pick-up, and I absolutely adore it.
Carson cocks an eyebrow as he takes a seat on the passenger side. “I can’t believe you drive this thing.”
I turn to him with a confused look, “What’s wrong with it?”
He runs a finger across his chin, holding back a smug grin. “Nothing, it’s just that you’re so tiny, I would never guess that you would be able to handle something so big.”
The double meaning behind that isn’t lost on me. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.” I roll my eyes, turning the truck on. “Now, where to?”
“Take a left out from here and hit the highway. I’ll tell you where to go from there.”
I make my way onto the main road as he takes a cigarette from his fresh pack. “Do you mind?” he asks, signaling to the cigarette in his hand. I shrug indifferently because I’ve been surrounded by men who smoke my whole life, so smoke doesn’t really bother me. But to get permission from me to do so? Now that is something different. Letting it dangle from his lips, he flicks the switch on his lighter to ignite the end of it and takes a long drag. He absentmindedly runs a hand through his hair, exhaling a cloud of smoke from his mouth, and I almost veer off the road at the sight of him.
He must have sensed my stare because, just like an invisible pull, his eyes meet mine, bright with question. I focus my gaze back onto the road in front of me, tightening my hold on the steering wheel.
After a few minutes of silence, Carson clears his throat, “Your father must have known they would come for you first. If I weren’t there, that Russian bastard could have easily used you as leverage to take us down, or even fucking worse,” he angrily curses, taking another long pull from his cigarette.
A knot forms in my stomach at his words just thinking about the outcome that could have happened if he hadn’t been there to stop it.
“It would do you good to keep your guard up, Alayna, and not be so trusting, especially with the life that we live in. There are many who would love to see the familia crash and burn and wouldn’t hesitate to use you as a pawn to do so.”
He sounds so much like my father just then. Wiser way beyond his years, and the darkness in his eyes is proof enough that he had to learn that lesson the hard way.
We’re stopped at a red light when I finally turn to him. “It must be hard to be so guarded all the time. Always having to worry about the person next to you, and their motives. How do you do it so easily?”
“You can’t really compare it to anything else when it’s all you’ve ever known. I’ve lived this life long enough to know that everyone always has an ulterior motive.”
An unwanted question slips through my lips, “Do you?”
He looks at me for a long moment, longer than usual. “The only motive I have is to not fuck this job up, and so far, it’s proving to be tougher than I originally thought.”
My eyebrows draw together. Is he still talking about what happened last night? “Look, I’m sorry for what happened yesterday. I genuinely didn’t know he was—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Well, then what were you…” A honk sounds behind me, signaling that the light has turned green.
“Make a left here,” he tells me, dropping the conversation shortly after that.
I make a quick left, and drive through a quiet and peaceful neighborhood with a bunch of modern houses lining the street.
We drive into a cul-de-sac, and he points out a very nice-looking, two-story home at the end of it. I park in the driveway, and we both head up to the front door in silence. He pulls out a set of keys from his back pocket and opens the door. I follow quickly behind him, and the first thing that hits me is how dull it is.
No pictures, no art, not even a vase, or a room painted with any sort of color. Just white walls and black furniture.
He heads upstairs, and I take a seat on one of the leather couches, not sure what else to do. As I wait for him to get whatever he needs, I check my phone.
A missed call from my mom, and a couple of texts from Tessa.
I ignore the missed call, and quickly read the messages.
Tessa: Hey, are you okay?
Tessa: Hellooooo, Earth to Al?
Tessa: Seriously freaking out here…are you still alive?
I chuckle at her invasiveness and type a quick reply back.
Me: Yes, I’m alive! Appreciate the worry tho xoxo
She responds back in the matter of seconds.
Tessa: No problemo xo
I hear shuffling from the
stairs and see that it’s Carson carrying a large suitcase.
“Got everything you need?” I ask.
“Just about.” He makes his way outside and places his suitcase in the trunk, going back inside to grab a duffle bag, as well.
I get up from the couch and mindlessly look around the house. It obviously hasn’t been used much since he’s bought it.
“You ready to go?” Carson asks, once he’s finally all finished.
Leaning against the bare wall, I ignore his question, and gesture around the room, “Do you typically not put up pictures?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” I ask, confused.
He shrugs, “I have none to share.”
“Not even of ones of your family?”
Almost instantly, Carson’s demeanor changes and anger is prominent in his expression. “I didn’t bring you here so I could get interrogated about pictures, Alayna. Now are you ready to go or not?”
I let out a huff of breath at his change in attitude toward me. “I’m just trying to get to know you better, Carson. It’s called being kind… and polite. Something you know nothing about.”
“Kindness is weakness, and I don’t show either.” He tersely declares.
I can’t believe him. What the hell is his problem now? “I’m not out to get you, Carson, you can cut the whole ‘asshole’ act with me.”
He smirks with that infuriating smug smile of his. “Who said I was acting? This is me, sweetheart. Take it or leave it.”
“What is your problem?”
He looks at me incredulously, like I’m obviously missing something. “Come on, Alayna. Don’t play dumb with me, it’s not a very good look. I know your father must have told you some things about me.”
Anger hits me straight away, and I set my foot down. “Look, I don’t know what kind of life you had growing up, but that doesn’t mean you can shit on the rest of the world because of it!”
Something must’ve triggered him again, because before I can blink, he is suddenly right up in my face, and the glare he is giving me is almost murderous. “You have no idea what the hell you are talking about. You don’t know a fucking thing about me,” he spits with venom clear in his voice. “My demons run deeper than you could ever wrap your head around. I’m shit to the fucking world because the world was shit to me. So, stay the hell out of my way, or I promise, sweetheart, the only thing that will be needing saving is you. From me.”