Time Stood Still (2 page)

“If you’re worried that he’s sticking
his
dick in
me
, no worries. He’ not.”

Even Luka glared at her this time.

Ignoring Mishca entirely, she returned that glare. “What? It’s the truth.” Back to Mishca. “Any
way
, as I was saying. The chick you slept with came waltzing back, tried to have her killed by crazy ass Albanians—no offense there, Tiger.”

Luka smirked, but didn’t offer a response.

“Oh, and let’s not forget
my
mother hired a mercenary to take her out. I mean, if I was her, I’d think I’d married into the worst family
ever
.”

“And you had the nerve to get shot on her wedding day,” Luka added looking reproachful.

Mishca didn’t respond to this. He didn’t admit that he had thought of all this before. Even worse, though they didn’t mention it, Lauren had planned a trip for them after the wedding for their honeymoon, but the chaos that had ensued following the day had prevented them from going. She had never spoken about it, but while he was still recovering, she’d been the one that had had to cancel all of their reservations. Though she would never voice how that hurt her, he knew it did.

“What do you suggest then?” Mishca asked candidly, willing to listen to Alex’s recommendation. If there was one thing he could say about her, she believed in true love and grand acts of affection.

“Don’t go to Brazil,” Luka said with a laugh. “The last time you took her there, you were busy getting off with the crazy bitch that got her kidnapped. Word of advice,
never
go back to that fucking country. Fucking memory is a bitch. It lingers.”

“I am dangerously close to throwing you out,” Mishca warned.

Giving him a look of mock hurt, Luka said, “And I am
dangerously close
to not giving a single shit. Not. One.”

“What he means is,” Alex said jumping in, “you should something really special for her. You know, a thanks-for-sticking-by-me-though-I-bled-all-over-your-wedding-dress kind of thing. Isn’t Susan and Ross getting married this weekend? That’s a start.”

“Wait.” Luka held his hand up, looking over at Alex. “
Michigan
? You want them to go to
Michigan
for a honeymoon? It’s boring as fuck there. What are they going to do, fish?”

Rolling her eyes, Alex said, “I didn’t mean for them to stay there for the honeymoon, but wait until they’re
there
for her to surprise her with the honeymoon. I’m sure you wouldn’t know anything about surprises since the only affection you know how to give is leaving money on the bedside table for your—”

Luka lost his easy smile, his gaze turning cold. “Don’t call her that.”

It was like watching two opposing forces come together. Alex climbed to her feet, bending down in front of Luka, her face inches from his. She had always been bold, refusing to back down from anything, but Luka was just as stubborn, and the two of them together promised trouble.

“Or. What?” She asked, not flinching away from the hostility that was bleeding out of him now.

A muscle jumped in his jaw as he slowly moved to his feet, his teeth grinding together, restraining himself if only for Mishca’s sake. “You’re acting like a damn child.”

A dangerous light entered her eyes as she stabbed a finger against his chest, not caring that the enforcer was nearly twice her size. “That’s what I am, remember? Can’t have it both ways,
Luka
.”

Luka opened his mouth to respond, but Mishca spoke up first. “Enough.”

Normally, their bantering was entertaining—as long as he wasn’t in the middle of it—but there was clearly something Mishca had missed about their relationship since he had last been in a room with the pair of them. On the surface, it just looked like there was normal animosity there, but Mishca could remember what he felt when he argued with Lauren, and seeing this…he could imagine that this was what he looked like.

“Aleksandra, I need a minute. Wait out at the bar and when Luka is done here, he will take you home.”

Surprisingly, she left without further argument, snatching up her purse on her way out, making it a point to slam the door behind her. While Mishca was staring at Luka, Luka was focused on the door with a look that said he was only a second away from going after her.

“What was that?” Mishca asked folding his arms across his chest.

“What was what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. With Alex, that arguing, what
was
it?”

Luka shrugged, finally turning so that he was facing Mishca, though his face was wiped clean of any emotion. “Friendly disagreement.”

“What you do with those girls at the rooms, I couldn’t give a shit about. My sister is not one of them. I ordered you to watch her, make sure she doesn’t do anything reckless as she’s prone to do. The dark shit that you’re into, do it on your own time. You’re not what Alex needs.”

Luka didn’t make a joke, nor did he make any playful remark to Mishca’s words. The person he was seeing now reminded Mishca of the one that broke his finger.

“I’m not good enough for your sister, got it. We done here, Boss?”

That wasn’t actually what Mishca had meant, but it didn’t look like Luka would believe him even if he explained that.

Looking up at the set of monitors mounted to the wall behind Luka, Mishca saw Lauren—and Klaus?—coming through the entrance.

“You—”

“We done?”

Deciding it was best to let him go, Mishca nodded. Before he was out the door though, Lauren and Klaus entered. Her smile was big and warm, as it always was, at least until she looked between Luka and Mishca.

“What’s happened?”

Luka, at least for her sake, tried to wipe away the tension on his face, giving her a smile as he mussed her hair, though he didn’t offer a response. Even if he was upset with Mishca, he wasn’t going to take it out on her.

“All’s good.”

He opened his arms to Klaus next who scowled and took a step back. “Touch me and—”

“How many times have you threatened to kill me already?” Luka asked, and that playful tone to his voice was back as he forced his arms around the mercenary. In a stage-whisper, Luka asked, “Can you feel it, Red?”

Klaus grumbled something beneath his breath as Luka rested his head on his shoulder. “Get the fuck off of me.”

“I feel a bromance coming on.”

“I thought you two didn’t like each other,” Lauren said with a frown. “You said Klaus was a bully and he was the reason your face was so beat up a couple of weeks ago.”

Apparently, Luka had disappeared for a night and when he returned the following morning, he’d had a black eye, a bruised face, and bloody knuckles. By the time they saw Klaus again, his hands were mostly healed, but didn’t deny that he and Luka had gotten into an altercation though neither was willing to confess as to why it happened.

“He was a bit resistant, but he’s come around. Right, Red?”

Klaus looked to the ceiling as though it might be able to provide him with an escape. “Sure. Now, get the hell off me.”

Luka did, finally, let him go, but he kept one arm slung around his shoulders. “Red will walk me out.”

They left with very little fuss, leaving Lauren shaking her head in their wake. Mishca went back to his desk, picking up the pen he’d thrown down earlier.

“How was your meeting with Roman?” She asked, coming around his desk, mindful of the papers there before she sat on it.

“He’ll more than likely move on it within the week.”

She was silent after his response, prompting him to look up at her. Reaching out to him, she twined her fingers with his, pulling him to his feet, spreading her legs slightly to bring him closer.

“I missed you today.”

She kissed the underside of his jaw, his own arms going around her to pull her flush against him. Mishca tilted her face up, intending to only kiss her briefly, but as his lips touched hers, he delved deeper, wanting the contact.

His hand slid down her spin, spanning over the curve of her hip, resting there.

In this moment, he enjoyed being lost in her because he finally had her exactly where he wanted her without interference.

…At least until his phone rang.

Sighing, he pulled away, just far enough that he could get his phone from his pocket, checking to see who was calling.

He looked to Lauren.

“Need to take that?”

“I’ll only be a minute.”

Kissing his cheek, she hopped down from his desk, smoothing the front of her dress. “Take your time.”

***

Since it was still early, and Mishca wouldn’t be needed back at the club until later that night, Lauren ordered takeout from one of their favorite restaurants, waiting for Mishca out at the bar. Luka and Alex were already gone from what she could see, leaving only the bartenders and a number of the bottle girls preparing for the night.

Not only them, but there were a few of Mishca’s new security trying to look unassuming as they stood near majority of the entrances.
 

It was turning out to be a rather unassuming night, at least until there was a commotion near the entrance. Lauren spun around, trying to see what it was all about, but couldn’t see through the crowd forming.

Sliding off the barstool she’d been perched on for the last ten minutes or so, Lauren headed in that direction, a figure immediately appearing in her peripheral. She knew, without having to look, that it was probably Alik.

He was new and older than Lauren—probably around Mishca’s age—and worked for Roman. Only when Luka was preoccupied, and he happened to be in the area did he stay around Lauren for any length of time.
 
Unlike most of the others that Lauren had come across, Alik didn’t have the Russian accent. In fact, he sounded like he was born and raised in the heart of Brooklyn. She couldn’t explain it, but he reminded her of Luka. Maybe it was the blond hair, or the way an air of menace seemed to surround him—or just the fact that while the others made a point to dress impeccably, he and Luka were the only two in street clothes. Except, while Luka had a long mane of curling hair, he had nothing on Alik’s. He always kept his hair out of his face, pulled back into a man bun that worked for him.

Alik seemed nice enough, though he didn’t talk much, and seemed to have a rather quiet intensity about him.

“Shouldn’t you be letting them handle this?” He asked casually, still trailing her.

Lauren didn’t see Roman in the near vicinity, so she wasn’t quite sure why he was still there. “I’m sure you’ve already sent Mishca a message or something by now,” she said with a small smile.

He shrugged because they both knew she was right. “Can you at least let me handle it? Your Boss wouldn’t like anything happening to you, right?”

And that was another peculiar thing about him. He either referred to Mishca by name, but when he was talking to her, he always referred to Mishca as “her Boss.”

“Of course.”

When they got closer, it was much easier for them to get to the front since the crowd parted easily for her. A man with a face reddened by anger, his hands in fists, tendons sticking out in his arms, looked like he was ready to shove through the bouncers.

Placing a hand on Steven’s shoulder as a silent stand down, Lauren smiled pleasantly, not deterred by the man’s anger.

“Can I help you?”

“Who the fuck are you?”

There was something particularly unthreatening by someone she
knew
wasn’t a part of the life she was now involved in. Was it still dangerous? Yes, but this man, whoever he was, had nothing on some of the few individuals she knew personally.

Seeming to not really care about the question he’d just asked, he went on. “Where is Christina?”

In just seconds, Lauren looked him over, assessing his mental state. His eyes were dilated, sweat beading at his brow, and considering the fact that he’d wiped his nose at least five times since she came upon him, he was more than likely high on something.

“Hold on.” Lauren made a show of looking around, not truly expecting to find someone by that name, but towards the back of the crowd, she saw a girl partially concealed by a number of people that were too busy observing the man to notice her.

The fear in her eyes was clear and even clearer was the fact that she was the girl that he was looking for.

“Considering I know everyone here by name, I can assure you there is no Stephanie here. If there is anything else…”

Wiping his brow with his shirt sleeve, he shook his head hard. “I saw that bitch run in here.”

He made the mistake of taking a step forward, like he meant to move Lauren out of the way, Alik had his hand against the man’s chest, shoving him back a few inches.

Shoving Alik back too—who barely moved an inch—the man was clearly in the mood for a fight, even if he now had to fight someone of the same strength. Alik, who who was definitely reminding her of Luka as he readied for a fight, was ready to launch himself at the man until two things happened.

One, Lauren ordered him not to, if only because bailing him out for attacking a civilian would take a lot of time and unneeded attention—though if they were being honest, he really didn’t have to listen to her.

Second, Mishca and Roman were right behind her, both formidable in their own way, and if she were on the other end of that untapped rage, she would definitely be afraid.

Mishca’s hand went to the small of her back first, his way of telling her that he was handling it now. “
Poyti
—
Go
.”

Even though she knew of what he did and how he did it, he still didn’t like for her to see it.
 

Turning on her heel, Lauren headed back towards the bar, but stopped, whispering to Alik, “That girl in the corner, that’s who he’s looking for.”

She gestured with a tilt of her head, and as he scanned the crowd for who she indicated, nodding once.

Not waiting for him, she went back to her seat, glad for the cover that the crowd was providing though it was clearing up now that Mishca had taken the belligerent man from the entryway. Since the shooting—a night they would never forget—he was careful to keep the clubs as clean as possible, so however he had gotten this situation taken care of, Lauren probably didn’t think she wanted to know.