Sasha responded, “Yeah. We’ll go ahead with it. All the security and bar staff will take it. As the roster rotates, they can pick a day off of their choosing to attend, and they’ll be reimbursed for their time.” He paused. “And Lev? Feed your fucking pet before she expires.”
Glaring at Sasha, I ran to Lev’s defense. “I’m not even hungry.”
Just as I finished saying this, my stomach gave an excruciatingly whale-like growl. And it went on for what seemed like days.
I turned to Lev, cheeks heating in embarrassment. “I’m okay, really.”
But he was frowning down at me, looking mildly ashamed of himself. He leaned toward me and spoke for my ears only. “I’m sorry.”
I whispered back, “Don’t apologize. You’ve been so generous, Lev.” I reached over to squeeze his arm. “I can’t thank you enough.”
His brow low, he muttered quietly, “I wish you would’ve told me you were hungry. I’m not very good at reading people, Mina.”
How had the situation reversed so quickly? Why was I the one left feeling like I’d done something wrong?
At the sorry state of him, I apologized. He was obviously embarrassed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that you’ve been so nice to me and I didn’t want to seem like I was being ungrateful. The next time I’m hungry, I’ll tell you. I promise.”
He nodded as a plump, grey-haired older woman with glasses dressed all in black walked into the room holding a plate of eggs and bacon with sautéed mushrooms. It smelled incredible. She set it down in front of Sasha then smiled up at Lev. “Morning, Mr. Leokov. What’s this morning’s fare?”
Lev’s lip tilted up at one side. “Good morning, Ada. I’ll have oatmeal, please. And Mina will have…” All three of them looked at me. Lev waited patiently while Ada smiled encouragingly. Sasha watched me with a hawk’s eye.
“Oh,” I started, uncomfortable with the attention. “I’m not fussy. Anything will do, really.”
Ada clucked. “Anything is not a food, honey.” She smiled. “I can do eggs and bacon, pancakes, toast, waffles, oatmeal or cereal, or I have some freshly baked blueberry muffins. What’s your poison?”
I smiled at the kind woman. “Eggs and bacon sounds great.” I was already salivating at the look of Sasha’s plate.
“Scrambled?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
She winked. “Be back in a jiffy.”
I was not shocked easily, but what happened next stunned the speech out of me. Sasha stood with his plate, walked around the table, and placed it in front of me. He walked back to his seat, sat back down, and he did this all without a spoken word.
I blinked down at the plate for a moment before I looked up at him. He stared, his gaze cutting, and I wondered if this man was as hard as he wanted people to believe he was.
“Thank you,” I said softly, sincerely.
He broke eye contact, lifted his paper high enough to block me from his view, and continued reading. “You’re welcome.”
I ate slowly, savoring every bite of the fluffy scrambled eggs, the tender, garlic-garnished mushrooms, and crispy bacon. It was perfect, and I secretly wanted to leave my seat, walk into the kitchen, and hug Ada half to death.
Lev watched me eat. He did it so obviously that without even turning my head to catch him in the act, I felt it.
I lifted another forkful of eggs to my mouth before I heard a door open. A woman called out, “I’m home!”
The food suddenly felt heavy in my stomach. Women did not like me. They found whatever issue they could with me, and I never really understood it. I always tried to be nice to everyone.
A tall, stunning brunette with long wavy hair, a wide mouth, and gleaming white teeth stepped inside the dining room pushing a stroller with an adorable little girl in it. She was dressed in jeans, heels, and a caramel-colored sweater. Her light brown eyes immediately lit on me. Her smile fell. “Sorry. I didn’t realize we’d be having company.”
Stepping forward, she leaned down to kiss Lev’s cheek and uttered, “Brother mine.” She turned and did the same to Sasha. They accepted her kisses graciously. She didn’t need to mention the fact that Lev and Sasha were her brothers. Anyone could see they were closely related.
She walked to the farthest seat, pulling the stroller up close to her, unbuckling the young girl, and lifting her out. “I’m Nastasia,” she uttered distractedly.
Lev responded for me as I chewed. “This is Mina, the new bargirl.” Then he did something unbelievable.
He smiled.
It was wide, and shining, and perfect. His teeth were white and perfectly straight. He had a single perfect dimple cut into his cheek, and his face was perfectly transformed with it.
My God.
My heart stuttered as I realized just how handsome Lev was. I mean, he was attractive before, but now he was incredible. Delicious.
The woman, spying Lev’s smile, handed the little girl to him, and again, I was surprised when he took her without complaint, sitting her onto his lap and hugging her gently before kissing the top of her head.
Nastasia looked back at me, her smile fading rapidly. She regarded me much as Sasha had. She was unsure of me. And I didn’t blame her one bit.
Her little girl was gorgeous though. She had the family’s light brown eyes and dark hair, but unlike the rest of the people sitting at the table, her hair curled into sweet, bouncy ringlets and was currently styled into high pigtails. It was hard to watch her and not smile. She was adorably chubby, and her lashes were so long that she looked like a porcelain doll.
Nastasia’s stare became borderline painful. I needed to do something and quick.
Standing, I walked over and stopped a foot away from her. She looked up at me, and a single brow rose. I stuck my hand out. “Sorry, I had a mouthful of eggs. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I’m Mina.”
Her eyes narrowed at my hand and, eventually, she took it, shaking it slowly. “Call me Nas. Everyone does.”
She released my hand and I took my seat, picking up my fork. I glanced at Nas, who watched her brother and daughter with a tender look on her face. I couldn’t help but smile at the woman. “She’s beautiful.”
“I know.” Nas smiled softly. “So does she.”
Sasha stood, walking over to Lev. “Give me my girl.”
Lev handed her over, and Sasha kissed her cheek lovingly, speaking softly into her little ear as she snatched up his decorative handkerchief and shoved it into her mouth. I sat there, suddenly confused.
Whose child was this?
Ada brought out another plate of eggs and, spotting the plate in front of me, she smiled at Sasha, replacing the plate he’d given me. As she passed Nas, she leaned down and kissed her head before placing the oatmeal in front of Lev. She was walking out the door before she asked Nas, “You want something, honey?”
Nas suddenly looked tired. “No, I ate on the plane. Thanks anyway, Ada.”
Lev stated, “I’d like to ask why you’re home early, but I have a feeling I already know the answer to that question. How was the flight? Did Lidiya fuss much?”
It was then the little girl started babbling. “Eeya. Eeya. Eeeeeeeya.” She looked at Sasha and said, “Asha. Ma Deeya. Deeya.” She looked at Lev and stuck a hand into Sasha’s mouth. I was stunned that he offered no complaint and that he simply smiled around the tiny fingers. “Otet. Papa. Papa. Otet.” Nas came next. “Azeeya. Azeeya. Ma tetu. Tetu.” Then she glanced at me, blinking before turning to Sasha and uttering an unsure, “Zzzzhena.”
Sasha huffed out a soft laugh around the fingers, and little Lidiya smiled a toothy grin, her eyes smiling just as Lev’s had.
I turned to Lev and smiled. “She kind of looks like you.”
He turned to me, his eyes full of amusement. “That would make sense.” He paused a moment before adding, “After all, she is my daughter.”
Chapter Eight
Mina
Nastasia drove in silence, and I was thankful for the song on the radio
for making a ridiculously awkward situation a little less awkward.
After Lev told me that Lidiya was his daughter, leaving me officially shocked, the conversation took a quick turn as Lev stood with the little girl, walked over to his sister, kissed her on the cheek, and thanked her for bringing Lidiya home. The next words out of Nas’ mouth were in another language. Although she spoke softly, the words sounded harsh. Sasha added to the conversation, and Lev responded easily. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought they might be talking about me. When the three of them turned to look at me, it became clear I was right.
Rude much, guys?
Lev kissed his daughter’s head but spoke to me. “You need something to wear tonight, and I’m afraid the clothes you have aren’t appropriate. Nastasia will take you shopping. Buy whatever you need.”
Buy clothes? With what? Love? “In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have any money.”
His brow rose. “I know you don’t. Nastasia has my credit card. You’ll buy whatever my sister thinks you need.”
The protest began before he even finished. “I can’t accept that. You’ve already done too much.”
Sasha eyed me closely, searching my face for a sign of deception, but I meant it. Nastasia’s hard eyes softened, but only slightly. Lev glowered at me. “I threw away your clothes with the intention of replacing them. At the very least, you’ll need a pair of jeans and a coat that fits.” He sighed, irritated. “You don’t even have any undergarments.”
Thanks for bringing that up in front of your whole family, asshole.
That was true though. He did throw out my clothes, leaving me with little to work with. My shoulders slumped. “Okay, well, how about we call it a loan? You can dock my pay until I’ve reimbursed you.”
All three of their faces took on a look of disbelief.
No one spoke until Lev let out a firm, “No.”
I stood taller, crossing my arms across my chest. “I’ll be paying you back, Lev, whether you like it or not.” After a short pause, I admitted quietly, “I don’t like owing people.”
Nastasia rolled her eyes and groaned, taking my wrist and dragging me toward the door. “Don’t bother, little girl. He won’t give in.”
Now, as we drove in silence, I slid down farther in my seat and sighed. “Any chance you’ll let me borrow some clothes and tell your brother we bought them?”
She looked at me then, and with her eyes covered with sunglasses that made her look like a model, she peeked over the top of them. I didn’t miss the slight curl of her lip. “I’m a whole foot taller than you, and you weigh less than me. Besides, I don’t lie to my brothers.”
“Great,” I muttered.
Another few minutes of silence then she started, “Listen, I don’t know you, so no offense and all, but if you fuck over my brother—”
I didn’t let her finish. My shoulders rigid, I cut in, “I haven’t known your brother for more than twelve hours, but in that time, he has been extremely kind to me, and I would rather eat my own tongue than do something to hurt him.”
Silence.
“Not many women would have the lady balls to speak to me so boldly, let alone cut me off.” Her lips pursed in surprise.
Perhaps it was a compliment, but I was still pissed at her assumption. “Your brother seems like a smart man. And he’s always a step ahead of me. I’d like to think he knows what he’s doing, even if I don’t know why he’s doing it.” I kept it real. “Your brother doesn’t know it, but he saved my life.”
She turned back to the road, indicated left, and turned into a mall parking lot. “I will beat you bloody if you do anything to make him regret that.”
Placing my chin on my knuckles, I looked out of the passenger window and grumbled, “Got it.”
The clothing store Nas took me to was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Upon entering, we were served champagne, which I sipped once before putting it down, because it tasted like a thousand smarmy assholes. The clerk stood by, assessing me as Nas told her what I needed.
I was shoved into a dressing room that smelled of wildflowers and was the size of a single bedroom, with three outfits in hand. As soon as I undressed, Nas pulled the door open and stepped inside.
Squeaking, I used my arm to cover my boobs and hissed, “What the fuck are you doing?”
She snorted. “You got nothing I haven’t seen before, kulka.” At my clear panic, she rolled her eyes. “Relax, Max. I just wanted to see how the clothes fit.”
“Turn around,” I ordered.
She watched me closely. “Jesus.” She finally turned. “Prude much?”
Reaching for the closest dress, I threw it over my head. “You can turn around now.” I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was black, tight, and undeniably sexy, but… “This isn’t me.”
Nas stepped closer, pulling at the garment, her brow furrowed. “I think that’s kind of the point, right?” She stepped back, assessing the dress on me. She shook her head. “No, no. Not good. Try another.”
She turned before I could ask her to and I was grateful. I took off the black dress and tried on the white one. In very much the same style, tight and tailored, but this one had a pencil styled bottom. I liked it.
From the way Nas smiled, she liked it too. “Yes. Put it in the yes pile.” After trying on all the other clothes, it was clear that nothing else looked good on me. Nas cracked under the pressure, growling, “You’re so fucking thin. You look sick.”
It was said in anger, and I knew I shouldn’t have taken it to heart, but I did. Turning my back to her, I hid my shining eyes, blinking away tears of shame. I knew what I looked like. I didn’t need reminders. The way I looked made me sick. I know I looked ill. I felt ill. Did she think I had a choice?
“Hey,” she uttered softly then awkwardly added, “sorry.” I nodded, still facing away from her. She sighed. “I’ll have this wrung up and we’ll try somewhere else, okay?”
The latch of the door closed gently behind her, and I quickly changed into my too-big jeans, scruffy white tee, and Lev’s oversized sweater, slipping on my flip-flops. From outside the door, I heard Nas talk to the clerk. “We’ll take this one. The rest we’ll think about.”
“Very good,” the clerk stated. “That will be $849.00. How will you be paying today, miss?”
Before Nas could respond, I flew out of the changing room in a rage. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?”
The clerk sniffed with derision while Nas glared openly at me. “The hell is your problem?”
“No!” I shouted. Looking directly at the clerk, I spat, “That dress is not worth that much money. Do you know how many starving kids you could feed with $800.00? Do you?” My voice shaking, I muttered, “Shame on you.”
Without waiting for a response, I made my way out of the uptight boutique, my feet rushing to get somewhere—anywhere away from there. I made it a short distance away before Nas came running after me.
“Yo! Wait up, you little fucktard.”
“Piss off,” I turned my head, hissing.
She caught up to me thanks to her ridiculously long legs. “So the kitten has claws.” She grinned. “We might get along after all.”
We walked side-by-side, and patiently, she let me walk off the anger. She chuckled and I side-eyed her. “What?”
Stopping, she laughed harder, clutching her stomach and wiping away tears of mirth. When she got herself under control, she snickered, “You should’ve seen the face on that stuck-up bitch after you walked out.” She straightened herself, placing a hand to her chest, and imitated the store clerk, “‘Well, I never!’”
I couldn’t help it. I snorted. I laughed softly, then harder, until I was hooting in hilarity. “At least I gave her something to talk about with her stuck-up friends.”
We came across a bench and I sat, Nas taking the place beside me. “So,” she began, “what are we going to do about the clothes situation?” I opened my mouth, but she held her palm up to stop me. “Before you come
out swinging, we’re going to have to compromise.”
I bit the inside of my lip, chewing on it while I thought up a suitable solution. With a sigh, I swung my arm out in the direction of the boutique. “I don’t need stuff like that. I wouldn’t spend that much on principle alone. You know how long I could’ve lived on the streets with $800.00?”
Her face softened, as did her tone. “How long have you lived on the streets?”
“Since I was seventeen.” I quickly calculated. “I’m twenty-four now, so around seven years.”
She nodded slowly. “You never applied for help or housing?”
I shook my head.
“Why?” she enquired.
I glanced at her. “Honest answer?”
“Nothing but.”
“Takes about eighteen months to two years to get placement. It got real bad for me.” A small shrug then I took it deep. “I guess I never expected to live that long.”
Nas turned away from me then, keeping her eyes on the ground, contemplating something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. We remained in a comfortable silence, enjoying it immensely, when she spoke. “Okay, so where are we going next? We need to get you something to wear tonight.”
I huffed out a long breath then smiled. “Any thrift shops around here?”
Her brow rose. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those, let alone wearing clothes that someone else owned.” She quickly added, “No offense.”
“None taken.” My smile turned into a grin. “Give me an hour. I’ll bet I can even find something for you.”
She scoffed. “Not bloody likely.”
My smile was cat-like. “Want to make a bet?”
Our trip to the thrift shop lasted almost two hours, and by the end of it, Nas was a convert. As promised, I found something even she couldn’t deny was amazing. She snatched up the Italian leather cropped jacket, and when I took it to the counter, I managed to talk the price down to thirty dollars. Nas watched with wide eyes, clearly impressed. She later told me that retail on a jacket like that would’ve cost a minimum of $400.00.