Second Best (Volkov Bratva 1)

We grew up together. Our lives were bound with one another, but Cara, she wasn’t the same person.

“I know what you have to do,” Cara said. “Do it. You think I won’t do it again? Next time, I’ll be better. Next time I’ll make sure every single person you love is dead long before I put a bullet in your head. I’ll make you all suffer. This … this will be a party in comparison.”

Ivan pulled out his gun as Cara continued to rant, pressed the muzzle against her head, and pulled the trigger. I let her go.

Her corpse lay on the ground.

I looked at Ivan for a split second before I went to my woman. Aurora collapsed against me with a sob. Her body shook in my arms, and I ran my hands all over her, trying to make sure she was okay. To find any sign that she was hurt.

“She was crazy,” Aurora said. “You were going to kill me.”

I cupped her face. “No. I was never going to kill you. I’ve seen how Cara is, and I knew she’d hurt you. She would have killed you, Aurora. All I did was get her away from you.”

I slammed my lips down on her lips, not caring about the men who surrounded us. They were already following Ivan’s orders, dealing with the body and the cleanup. All the information Cara had gathered would be destroyed. Breaking the kiss, I stared into my woman’s eyes. “I love you.” I spoke the words slowly so she wouldn’t have any room for doubt.

The amazement on her face made me laugh. “What?”

“I’m in love with you.” I could have lost her. One wrong move today and she … no, there was no way I’d let it happen. I refused to even think of losing her. “I will never hurt you, Aurora. Never. You are my fucking life, and not just because of the baby.”

“You know?”

I groaned. “I’ve known since the attack at the restaurant. I know you heard Ivan. I didn’t want you to think I knocked you up on command. I got you pregnant because I can’t take my hands off you. I’m in love with you, Aurora. So much so, you drive me crazy.” Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out the folded tickets I had stored there. Cara had messed with my plans. “I wanted to give you this on your birthday, but Cara, she … you know how it is.”

Aurora looked up with tears in her eyes. “You remembered my birthday?”

“I never forgot it. How could I forget one of the best days? You were born on it.”

“Fucking gross. You’re supposed to be my fucking beast, and here you are spilling your heart out.” Ivan made a vomiting noise.

I kissed my wife before turning toward my best friends. He looked sad. Our men were all gone. “You okay?”

“The cleaning crew is outside. I figured I’d let you finish your little declaration before I brought you in.” He turned to Aurora. “It’s nothing special he’s gotten you. A month alone with him on a honeymoon vacation. In the meantime, I get to step in here and deal with his shit.”

“You’re babysitting,” I said. “Nothing more.”

Ivan rolled his eyes. “Let’s get out of here.”

He looked pissed off. Not that I could blame him. Cara, Ivan, and I went back a lifetime. We were each other’s best friend. The one person in the whole world we could rely on.

Leaving the building, I put Aurora in my car and told her to stay. I walked to Ivan, who stood watching as the building began to burn.

“I thought you said the cleaning crew was here?” I asked.

“It is. They’re doing what I told them.”

I glanced over at the building. The flames were engulfing it, taking up all of Cara’s betrayal in smoke. “You okay?”

“Yeah. It just goes to show you never really know anyone, right? Cara was supposed to be on our team.”

“Who did she mean?” I asked.

“What?”

“It sounded to me like she thought you betrayed her. Who was the woman?”

Ivan smirked. “There is no woman.”

The lie was easy to detect.

“Remember who we are, Slavik,” Ivan said, putting his sunglasses on. “And if you ever betray me, your wife will belong to me. I’ll keep you alive just to make me watch you hurt her.”

“I won’t ever betray you.”

He looked at the house. “Funny, Cara once said the same thing.”

There was a difference between me and Cara. I wasn’t in love with Ivan, and I didn’t feel cheated.

I watched as Ivan climbed into his car, and he snapped his fingers for his driver to start moving.

I went back to Aurora.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“For us, yes. For Ivan, that I can’t tell.” I cupped her cheek, drawing her in close. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to wish you a happy birthday.”