Vik by Belle Aurora

13

Nastasia

I was goingto fuck a bitch up.

As I kept peering up at the offending couple, my lips thinned, and I thought back on what I had done so badly in my short life that I was being punished like this.

I was a decent person. I didn’t lean one way or another, good or bad, but I minded my business when necessary and only got involved when required. Always spared a smile for children and the elderly. I ate well. I didn’t drink in excess. I hadn’t touched drugs since my twenties. Yeah, I had an attitude, but I was loyal, kindhearted, and generous to those closest to me. Brought up Russian Orthodox, I no longer followed any specific religion but never begrudged or ridiculed someone for their beliefs. I donated clothes and money to charity, sponsored a child in a third world country, and tried to do my part to be kinder to the environment.

Sure, I could have been nicer to people, but had you met some?

They sucked.

If I could wrap up my life in a neat little bow, I wasn’t a bad person, I hadn’t committed any real wrongs, and my family loved me.

So, why did life insist on being a rabid bitch to me?

My blood boiled as I seethed inwardly, my face the picture of calm. The music blared, and I glanced over at the stage as Bleeding Hearts’ own Diamond Dozen danced in their little sexy outfits. Anika slid past me, reaching over to grab a bottle of Patrón Gran Platinum, pouring the shots effortlessly. Tonight, she was dressed as a slutty Red Riding Hood. Our newest bar bitch, Francesca, moved around us in a flawless dance, taking orders as she went. The cowgirl costume she wore was so tiny the curve of her ass showed every time she reached up to retrieve liquor bottles off the top shelf.

I knew some women had a problem with how we were dressed, but my view was that it was only oppressive if you felt oppressed, and none of the girls here did. In fact, most of us felt empowered by the fact that we could make a man do just about anything we asked simply by flashing a dude an inch of skin.

Like a well-oiled machine, we worked seamlessly, and we got shit done.

It was a Friday night, and we’d be open until 2:00 a.m. It was busier than usual, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Our tips alone would be completely worth the excess ass grabs.

The apprehension in me had eased some, but knowing what I knew now, I understood that Vik would not be climbing into my bed this night. He would have to work ’til dawn, and that brought on mild angst within myself that I would just have to figure out on my own. I couldn’t be shielded by his arms forever.

The bar flap lifted, and Birdie, the bar manager, sashayed on in, taking an order without pause. Her brown skin shimmered in the low light, her cheekbones lighting up with every flash on stage. Her eyes drifted to where my laser vision was pointed. She poured a couple of whisky neats, took the customer’s money, then yelled over the music, “Rein it in, girl.”

My teeth were locked tight, and my eye was twitching.

I was trying, but it was hard.

As though he could feel me burning holes into the skull of the woman seated beside him, laughing openly and touching his forearm, his brow knotted, and he twisted his body, his gaze resting right on me. The moment his eyes met mine, I lowered them, but it didn’t matter. I was sure he’d seen me.

And, yeah. Maybe tonight wouldn’t have sucked so much if Fawn, one of the newest members of the Bleeding Hearts family, hadn’t casually stopped by the bar with her tray, an excited look on her face and an innocently happy “Isn’t Vik just the sweetest?”

Behind the bar, four sets of eyes turned on her, and the intensity in our matching gazes must have had an impact, because quite suddenly, Fawn’s smile fell.

Now, Francesca had only been with us a couple of months. She was loud and opinionated, but there was something about her that resonated with me. It hadn’t taken long for her to guess that Vik and I had a complicated history. So, when she asked point blank if Vik was on the menu, the glower I’d given in response was all she needed to put her hands up in a placating gesture, along with a muttered, “Got it. Off limits.”

Yeah. Chessie was a smart woman.

Fawn, regrettably, was as naïve as they came. She still wore the smile of a woman who hadn’t yet had her heart broken. She still had an innocence about her that hadn’t yet been shattered. And worst of all, she was button-nosed cute and dressed like a sexy little doe.

That little nose turned up as she squinted endearingly. “Oh. Is there a no-fraternizing policy here?”

My God. She was Bambi levels of sweet.

“Something like that,” I offered.

Chessie then added, “Listen, sweetheart. You don’t shit where you eat. Find a guy outside of work and bang him ’til your ears bleed, but keep your workspace clear.”

Fawn looked like she’d just swallowed her tongue when Birdie laughed. “Listen to these girls, baby. They know a thing or two about it.”

And when Fawn’s innocent gaze landed on Anika, she nodded sympathetically. “Workplace relationships are messy. We don’t want messy.”

Fawn looked devastated, and I felt both shitty and victorious. But my stomach clenched violently when she smiled, then shrugged. “I guess I’ll just have to settle with a little flirting.”

Before I could object, she was halfway across the room, sashaying toward him. I kept a close eye on her, but when I saw Vik wasn’t engaging, I calmed mildly and let it go.

I shouldn’t have.

The next night before opening, I strolled backstage to find Birdie when I heard them talking and stilled, eavesdropping just behind the curtain.

“No way.”

“Girl, I seen it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m just warning you is all. That woman is scary.”

“She don’t look it to me.”

“That’s ’cause you haven’t seen her fly across a bar in platforms and try to knock some poor bitch out for talking to her man.” She paused. “Trust me, Vik’s not worth the misery Nastasia will pile on you.”

My eyes narrowed as I listened in.

“Well, that little doe was flirting with him last night, and she didn’t do shit, so maybe she’s over him.”

My heart beat faster.

A thoughtful sound came. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

Another woman piped in, and this voice I recognized. The heavy Jersey accent was a dead giveaway. “Who gives a fuck if she gets mad? I don’t care if he’s got a woman or a wife or any of that shit. If I say he’s available, he is, and it’s up to him to prove me wrong.” I could damn well hear the smirk in her voice. “I never have a problem with competition, seeing as I always win.”

Oh yeah. That’s nice. Real nice.

A round of scoffs went through the room, and when Lush let out an annoyed sounding, “What? You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you. Hell, let’s start a kitty going. I wanna get paid.”

My jaw tightened almost painfully when I heard one girl call out, “I’ll take that bet.”

“Me too.”

“Girl, I’m only participating in the hopes of seeing you get your smug ass beat.”

And Lush simply replied, “Please, bitch. I was raised on these streets. She ain’t nothing I can’t handle. You think that prim and proper princess could take me on?” The words dripped venom. “I’d like to see her try.”

Another one of the girls tried to talk sense into her. “Honey, don’t do it. You’re gonna end up signing your own death warrant.”

“Oh please.” God, Lush was cocky. “Y’all making it sound like she’s got actual pull, when we all know as long as we keep Sasha happy, he’s gonna keep us around. It’s just good business.”

Bitter laughter sounded, then another dancer chimed in. “You know what else is good business, babies?” A slight pause, then, “Minding your own.”

Sounds of approval went through the air. I waited another thirty seconds before I strode into the dressing area, and when the women spotted me, some of their faces paled while others’ eyes widened. And because I wasn’t a complete asshole, I smiled and looked around at everyone but Lush as I complimented, “Wow. You guys look hot.”

They preened and smiled and all talked at once, clearly loving the attention.

So, when Lush uttered, “Bitch, I know I look good,” while giving me the stink-eye, I looked her deep in the eye and smiled in a way that didn’t reach my gaze.

“I’m sorry,” I told her, appearing contrite, “I don’t remember your name.” And if looks could kill, she would have flayed me then. “I try to remember everyone, but we’ve had such a big turnover these last few months that names seemed inconsequential.”

Lush knew what I was doing. It was clear that as much as she didn’t like me, I did not like her.

“Wait.” I snapped my fingers. “They call you…” I pretended to struggle. “Big, or thick or something, right?”

Her eyes narrowed on me, and she spoke through gritted teeth, “Lush.”

I feigned ignorance. “Right, yes. Lush. That’s it.” I tilted my head in thought. “It’s weird though. When I looked over your resume”—her eyes widened, and she swallowed hard, her gaze begging me to stop playing—“I could have sworn your name was Martha.”

The laughter that erupted around me was deafening, and I watched Lush die a silent death.

Yeah, bitch. I can play too.

Satisfied that the disposable dancer now knew I wasn’t someone you fucked with, I watched her cheeks flame and kept my stoic gaze on her. “You know, when you work in close proximity to people, you really shouldn’t go out of your way to piss them off.”

What had she said?

Oh yes.

I repeated her words mockingly. “But… what do I know?” My eyes darkened dangerously. “It’s not like I’ve got any actual pull.”

The dancer next to Lush reached out and shook her shoulder as she laughed, and Lush glowered at her, letting out a caustic, “Don’t touch me, bitch.”

Another round of hooting laughter sounded, and I took my leave. Just before I left, I heard one of the girls call out to Lush, “I told you. Didn’t I tell her? I told her not to fuck with that woman.”

Then another. “Girl, you’re on her radar now.”

And finally, “You’re walking on thin ice, Martha.”

More laughter sounded, and I left it at that, knowing the girls would rib her ’til it hurt.

Sasha taught me how to fire a gun when I was fourteen. Lev bought me a switchblade and showed me the most efficient way to do the most damage with as little force. Vik trained me self-defense and boxing so I could take care of myself when he couldn’t. I was no shrinking violet, and I sure as shit wasn’t scared of this skank.

I might not have been brought up on the streets, but I was raised by wolves, and our pack thrived on the taste of blood. She was lucky I had only nipped in caution rather than rip her pretty little throat out.

Now, as I watched Fawn practically bounce on the spot in excitement as she spoke with Vik, it was about all I could handle. When she put both her hands on his arm and leaned in, laughing at something he said, something clicked inside my head.

I was a normally sane woman.

Rounding the bar, I threw the flap open hard and heard Anika say, “Nas, where are you going?”

Chessie chuckled and let out a singsonged, “Uh oh. Fawn’s in trouble.”

I barely heard Birdie over the music. “Nastasia, you be kind. She doesn’t know any better.”

Sure, she didn’t know any better. But she would.

Yeah. I was a decent person, but there was one exception to the rule.

I did my best to quell the beast that always seemed to take over whenever Vik was within arm’s distance of another woman and approached with a serene smile on my face. The young woman in the doe outfit smiled widely as I approached. She held her tray to her chest, and the way it made her tits pop was impressive.

“Hey,” I said good-naturedly, trying not to scowl at how cute the deer-like ears looked on her. “How do you think you’re doing tonight?”

Fawn responded with a light bounce. “I think I’m doing all right.” She looked up at Vik, and the want in her eyes was not missed by anyone. Her lashes fluttered. “Am I doing okay, Vik?”

No matter what he wanted you to believe, Viktor Nikulin was not a moron. He knew exactly why I was standing there, what had drawn me near. He knew me well enough to know that my eye was twitching and why. And because Vik was smarter than he made out, he did not poke the bear.

Dipping his chin, he hid a sly smile, then lifted his face, which now wore a well-practiced, passive expression. “You’re doing okay, kid.”

Kid.

Beautiful.

My mind blew a chef’s kiss.

I bit the inside of my cheeks to hide my smile of satisfaction. The way her face fell told me she didn’t need that additional cruel taunt. She got the point; she got it real quick.

“Is he bothering you, Fawn?” And because I was feeling extra spicy, I spun on Vik and narrowed my eyes dangerously in warning. “You’re not getting paid to flirt with the waitstaff, Viktor.”

He leaned his hip against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, his muscly biceps flexing deliciously.

The way he looked at me, his hooded gaze lowering appreciatively to my cleavage, had me feeling bold. The black teddy, thigh-high stockings combo was suddenly a new favorite. It was definitely going into the regular rotation.

When he licked his bottom lip slowly, my mouth dried. He looked me over lazily, as if he had all the time in the world. And if I were being honest, for as long as he wanted to look me over the way he was, I would make the time.

“Nas.” One word. One syllable.

One caution.

The way he breathed my name had me stumbling over myself.

Lord. Why did his voice always sound like sex?

My stomach twisted harshly as a sudden flashback—Vik pumping into me from behind, one strong arm wrapped around my waist, hauling me back into his thick cock as the other arm came up between my breasts, his hand gently wrapped around my throat, his teeth biting down on my shoulder—had me lightheaded.

I didn’t want an audience, so I waited until Fawn scurried away with a quiet apology before I said, “She’s young.”

Maybe Vik didn’t get my meaning.

“She is,” he agreed, looking over in her direction, and the longer he stared, the harder my heart began to beat. “She’s also cute.”

Or maybe he did.

Jealousy tore my insides apart. And although I felt like my world was falling down around me, I did what I always did when I felt this way.

I readjusted my crown and pretended I was fine, when all I ever wanted was to take my place on the throne beside his.