Aurora


    “I was surprised vik allowed you to have lunch with me,” Cara said.


    I smiled across the table. “Me too. It came out of the blue.” I looked over at the beautiful redhead. Shemanded attention. I’d been seated alone, my brand-new guard from vik’s trusted men sat three tables down, watching us. Before I’de, vik had given me strict instructions on what I could talk about. Anything rting to work was not allowed. I also had to agree to tell him everything I discussed, which was slightly moreplicated.


    I wasn’t sure why he’d given me these boundaries.


    Cara was supposed to be his friend. A colleague.


    “Wow, what did you do to make him happy?”


    I thought about it and the truth was, I had no idea. I shrugged. vik and I seemedplicated in my mind.


    Cara ced her hand on top of mine. “Please tell me he’s treating you good?”


    I smiled. “Yes. We’re getting along now.”


    She sighed. “That makes me so happy. vik can be a bit of a hardass. He has to be. Many are handed a position like his. He earned his.”


    I frowned. “What do you mean?”


    She shrugged. “No. I couldn’t tell you.”


    “Oh, I won’t say anything if that is what you’re worried about.” The lie was hard for me to say, but I got through it.


    vik had demanded I don’t lie to him. That there were no secrets between us. It seemed reasonable. Deep down, I wanted to make this marriage work.


    “Good. I want us to be the best of friends. The moment I saw you, I knew you were different.”


    The waiter came over and Cara ordered us both a ss of wine. “Unless you can’t have any?”


    “I’m fine.” I offered her a smile.


    vik and I had been sleeping together often. Last night, he’d surprised me by climbing into bed only to wake me up to take what he wanted. He’d never done that before. The sexst night had led into this morning where we’d made love. I wasn’t even sure if I could call it making love.


    We had sex.


    I couldn’t think of vik on emotional terms. We were husband and wife through a peace treaty. To some, I was nothing more than his possession. We weren’t a love match.


    The waiter came back with our wine and Cara shooed him away.


    “It has been a busy couple of weeks. Business is booming. Anyway, back to vik, I’m so pleased he’s been able to find a good wife. For the longest time, I figured he’d spend it jumping from one woman to the next.” She winced. “I’m so sorry. I hope I haven’t upset you.”


    I forced a smile. “You haven’t.”


    “Good. We all know men are dogs. They see a woman and just jump on them for the fun.” She sighed. “Anyway, vik was … he wasn’t the king you see now. The ruler of states and his section. Ivan and vik are bastards of men who ran the original Bratva within this area, in fact. It was many years ago, long before your time. They lived on the streets. I should know, it’s where I joined them. There we were, three brats on the streets. No one wanted us. vik’s father was a brigadier, like him. He knocked up a whore, and because she refused to pay for an abortion, she got killed and vik ended up on the streets. So sad. He’d fought for every single meal he had. He’s a natural-born fighter. Ivan was a simr story, only … he had a stutter. Of course, his father, who was the boss back then, couldn’t have a son who stuttered.”


    “Wow.” This was all news to me. “Was the Bratva as big then as it is now?”


    “No,” Cara said. “You see, by kicking them out of the streets, their fathers thought they were so clever. Removing the problem. What they didn’t realize is by doing what they did, they created enemies. Two men who wanted nothing but revenge. They took over the streets. Together, they became a unit. It started small. Fights. Taking on turf. Robbing. You name it, vik and Ivan have done it. It took many years for Ivan to get over his stutter. It was so cute at one point.”


    Cara smiled. “Anyway, word got back to their dads. Ivan and vik had built up this reputation in theirte teens and decided to target Bratva territory. Slowly, they took it over until one day they had the meeting to end all meetings. vik and Ivan went in with their fathers, and the story goes they were the only two toe out. The others were removed in body bags. They took the Bratva and made it what it is today.”


    “I had no idea about that.”


    “There is so much going on around everyone. No one really knows the truth, but it’s there if people are willing to see it. More often than not, they refuse.”


    “What about you?” I asked.


    “Me? I was the one to help negotiate the meet. From a young age, I knew sex and women were the key to a man’s downfall. Give them the right pussy and goals, and they’re putty in your hands. They’ll do whatever you want. I helped bring them both to power by using my many skills.”Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Cara smiled, but there was something off about it. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it, but rm bells began to ring inside my head. The smile also didn’t quite reach her lips.


    “You must be very proud of them,” I said.


    “I am. It’s great. They rule with an iron fist.”


    “Howe you’re not a brigadier?” I asked.


    Cara’s fingers tightened around the ss she held. “A woman is never a brigadier, Aurora. I was given the option, but the truth was no man would ever respect a whore.”


    “I’m so sorry.” I grabbed her hand, and she smiled at me.


    “It is so … hard to make friends.”


    I agreed.


    “You must have a whole lot of friends.”


    “No, I don’t.” I sipped at the wine, not enjoying the taste.


    Cara signaled to the waiter, and we ordered our lunch.


    “I find that hard to believe,” Cara said.


    “What?”


    “You not having any friends. There must be loads of people who adore you.”


    This time I forced a smile to my lips. “No. I’ve … for some reason, I don’t know why, I’m not liked.” I nced down into my ss, insecurities rearing their ugly head. “I mean, I’m always there and I am a good friend. I keep secrets and I’m always on time, and I’m willing and able to make it work, but, no, for some reason, I’m … never liked.”


    “They’re idiots,” Cara said. “We don’t need them in our life. Screw them.” She held up her ss. “To new friends who don’t suck.”


    I clinked my ss with hers.


    She controlled the conversation, which I didn’t mind. She talked about clients and stories with vik, which I enjoyed. Whenever she spoke of her customers, sex was always mentioned, and it would often have me thinking about vik.


    Cara was the one to end our lunch. I moved my food around.


    Gus, the guard, paid for my meal and escorted me out of the restaurant. We were waiting for the car toe when the first shot was fired.


    Within seconds, I was on the ground as gunshots rained down on us.


    “I’ve got you,” Gus said. “Stay down.”


    I couldn’t move. My heart pounded and fear crawled up my back.


    There was a sudden break, and Gus was on his feet, firing back. “Call for backup.” A phone was thrown at me. I turned it on and found vik’s number. I dialed the number as pain exploded in my shoulder.


    “Help!”


    I screamed the one word, panic rushing through me.


    Gus came to me, and with his help, we ran for cover. Sirens could be heard in the distance.


    Everything seemed to fade around me, the noise bing more like static.


    My eyes felt heavy and the dull throb in my arm made it impossible for me to focus. Who would shoot at us? I never got to figure that out as the world went ck.