Lev (Shot Callers 1)

Oh, boy. I was ready for that kiss.

He checked his watch. “Shall we head off? We start work in forty-five minutes.”

I stood quickly. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Ready for you to kiss the shit out of me!

Lev took care of the check, cocooned my hand in his own, and then walked us to the car. “Our date…it was nice.”

“Yeah,” I murmured in agreement. “We should do it again.”

He let go of my hand, helping me into the car.

Hmmm.

No kiss.

He drove in silence, my fingers playing with his across the center console. Before long, we were at the club and stepping out of the car.

This was it. I could feel it.

I waited for him to open my door, stepping out gracefully. I smiled up at him and his eyes returned the sentiment. He placed his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “Come on. We have work to do.”

I understood that. I wouldn’t dream of being unprofessional, not when I had been handed this opportunity when I literally had nothing. And yet, as we walked on into the club, disappointment filled me, and one thought circled my mind.

Where’s my damned kiss, Leokov?

Chapter Twenty-Five

Mina

Service was slow this evening. Although we only had four of the smaller tables empty, we were all feeling the tension. Were the customers we’d lost to Aphrodite’s Kiss lost to us forever?

The thought scared the crap out of me, being that it meant I would be out of a job. I couldn’t afford to be out of a job. I had a very delicate subject to bring up with Lev. That subject being me moving out.

I had secretly been going to Nastasia’s in the mornings and house hunting. There were a few good options, but I didn’t have enough saved in just over six weeks to warrant me blowing all my dough at once. I needed at least another two or three weeks to get into a comfortable position. I didn’t want to mooch off Lev. He had done nothing but support me since he found me, and I was beginning to think I was becoming a nuisance.

Damned Anika and her comments from this morning!

They were playing on me.

When Lev and I walked into the bar and separated to head off in our designated areas, Nas stopped me before I headed behind the bar. “What did you do to my brother?” It was an accusation if I ever heard one.

My brow creased. “What do you mean?”

She turned, throwing her arms out in his direction. Then she leaned toward me and whisper-hissed, “He’s wearing jeans!” She shook her head, eyes wide. “What the fuck?”

Oh, that. I rolled my eyes. “I asked him to wear them. I’d never seen him in jeans. He looks great in them, don’t you think? Much more approachable.” I turned to look over at him at the very same moment he turned to look at me. I smiled and lifted a hand in a timid wave. “That ass, though. Grrr.”

Lev winked at me.

He freaking winked at me.

And my stomach flipped.

“Ewww,” Nas muttered, then her voice gentled. “I can’t believe he’s wearing jeans. I don’t know what you’re doing with him, but keep doing it. He’s loosened up a whole lot since you got here, kukla.”

I was too sad to register that she had paid me a major compliment. Instead, I pouted. “He said he would kiss me tonight.” I turned to look at her. “He hasn’t kissed me yet. I want it so bad it hurts.”

Nas’s eyes widened. “I’m going to pretend we’re not talking about my brother here for a second and tell you that if you want something, you’re going to have to fight for it.” She leaned against the bar. “Those are the rules.”

My mouth parted in shock as I glared at her. “There are rules? Why didn’t I know this?”

She shrugged. “You were homeless. I don’t think homeless people are down on the rules.”

I clicked my tongue and bit my thumbnail. “Damn being homeless to heck.”

Nas nudged me with a chuckle. I liked when we joked around like this. It was soothing. It felt so normal to have a friend to kid around with, and yet, it was so foreign to me.

I joined Birdie behind the bar and, with a quick hug in greeting, we started to work. It wasn’t long into my shift before Brick told me that Sasha wanted to see me in his office.

Sasha made me nervous. He always looked as if he had an ulterior motive. Perhaps it was hidden to the general eye, but I’d known many people like that on the streets and could spot them a mile away.

I knocked before stepping inside. “You wanted to see me?”

He stood by the side of his desk, going over some paperwork. He was dressed in a black tailored suit and white shirt. Sasha was tall, and I was sure that whatever he was hiding under his suit was close to the perfection I had seen on Lev. His dark brown hair cut into a faux-hawk, his frosty brown eyes looked up at me. “Shut the door behind you.”