I suddenly felt like a small kid trying to play catch-up.
I tensed, my eyes directed outside the window.
“Don’t worry, princess,” Nikolay said close to my ear. “Remember, you’re ours. You walk out there with your head held high and know this: no other fuckers can get to you. I won’t let them.”
I smiled and nodded, his words bringing me comfort, even if it was for a brief moment in time.
I was safe.
The driver—a man I didn’t know—climbed out of the car and went around to open the door for us. Damien and Gabriel came out of the car first before Damien reached in for me. Nikolay helped me out, tugging my dress down when it pulled up slightly as I moved.
I rolled my eyes, even if I did appreciate him keeping me from flashing Gabriel. I had a feeling Nikolay was going to drive himself crazy all night, obsessing over my dress. Damien’s lips twitched as I placed my hand in his.
He brought me close to his side. I tilted my head back to look up at him. He grasped my chin between his pointer finger and thumb.
“You look beautiful, pet.”
I felt my shoulders relax marginally under his praise, despite the crowd.
“Everyone will look at you, wanting to know this exquisite woman I have on my arm tonight. But that’s all they’re going to get to do. They come near you, and I want you to tell me right away. Or Mikhail.”
“Not Nikolay?” I asked softly.
Damien grinned. “You can tell him if you want, but I can’t promise you there won’t be a show.”
A show meaning … Nikolay losing control in front of everyone?
I grimaced. Yeah, I wasn’t going to tell Nikolay anything.
Damien traced the curve of my bottom lip with his thumb, drawing my attention back to him.
We didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then Nikolay and Mikhail climbed out of the car, and Damien looked away from me.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s get this over with,” Nikolay said.
We walked inside, and I knew they didn’t rehearse this, but everyone seemed to have gotten into position, with Mikhail taking the lead, and me on Damien’s arm, while Gabriel stayed on my other side, though he kept a respectable distance from me. Nikolay took up the rear, following closely. A mask seemed to come onto the men’s faces: Damien was closed off and powerful, Mikhail was charming in a conniving way, and Nikolay just looked menacing.
I knew Damien was technically considered “the head” of the Bratva, while Mikhail acted as the Sovietnik, the councilor, and Nikolay as the enforcer, though I didn’t really see a difference in power between my men.
They seemed to all work as one. They even shared a woman—me.
We went inside a spacious place. It was the opposite of what I had come to believe a strip club was. Men and women were all dressed up for the occasion. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought these people were respected members of society.
At the back was a vast bar operated by at least seven people. Much of the floor space had a seated area with tables and comfortable chairs facing a huge stage.
If I didn’t know this was a strip club, I would have thought it was a 1960s theater. It certainly had the charm of one.
But right now, there were two women performing on stage with a pole, doing dances that I never thought I would be able to do. They were also beautiful, in great shape, and were each currently wearing only a black thong that covered nothing.
I sneaked a glance at Damien, wondering if he was affected by these beautiful, talented women.
I pulled back in surprise when I found his dark eyes already on me.
Busted.
I looked away quickly, taking peeks at Nikolay and Mikhail. Mikhail was talking to Gabriel, so he wasn’t looking at the stage, and Nikolay was busy looking around the room, glaring at other people.
Damien laughed, drawing the attention of everyone, and pulled me back in his arms.