“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“What was it?”
“A bear, of course. You’ve seen it. It’s the one near your name that’s standing on its hind legs.”
“Your parents were okay with that?”
“My mom wasn’t thrilled, but there really wasn’t anything she could do about it. My dad was head of a Bratva, and I was the oldest son. That comes with certain responsibilities and expectations. That tattoo symbolized my becoming a man. It meant that I was pledging my allegiance to the Bratva and beginning to learn the ins and outs of it so I could run it one day.”
“Wow. I think I was probably busy braiding friendship bracelets at twelve.”
“I’m glad you were. I love my family, and I wouldn’t change things, but it wasn’t an easy way to grow up.”
She reaches over to pull me closer, giving me a sweet kiss on the lips. “I’m sorry things were so hard and that you didn’t have a carefree childhood.”
I cup the back of her head and deepen the kiss, knowing we’re attracting attention, but unable to give a fuck. I can’t resist tasting her when she’s this close. When she lets out a soft moan, I smile and pull back. “Everything about you is so damn sweet.”
The waitress comes back before she can respond and takes our food order. Being with Nina is so much better than I ever thought a relationship could be. She’s fun to be around, easily making me forget about the stress of work, and she’s refreshingly kind. There’s not a single part of her that’s rude or stuck-up. She doesn’t look down on other people, doesn’t try to make them jealous, and she doesn’t try to use me. Nina’s a goddamn breath of fresh air, and I find myself falling more and more in love with her, even though I already feel like I love her as much as any one person can love another.
When neither one of us can eat any more, I pay for the meal and leave a generous tip. Once we’re back in the car, I turn to her and ask, “Do you want to go check out a club while we’re out?”
She looks away from me and fidgets with the hem of her dress. “Um, sure, yeah, if you want to.”
Confused by the reaction, I hook a finger under her chin, turning her back to me. “Baby, we don’t have to go. There’s just a popular nightclub that’s up for sale, and I was thinking about buying it. I thought we could take a look and you could tell me what you think of it.”
“A nightclub?”
“Yeah, what kind of club did you think I was talking about?”
The look on her face has me feeling like an ass. “You thought I wanted to go to a strip club?”
“Well, you do own two,” she says in her defense.
“Zolotse, I would never take you to a damn strip club.”
“Because I’d fall short in comparison?”
“God no,” I quickly say. “Because I wouldn’t want you surrounded by a bunch of horny men. I’d end up killing someone, or more likely several people.” I cup her face and brush my thumb over her lips, smiling when she gives me a quick kiss. “Baby, I have no desire to go to a damn strip club. I have no desire to see another woman naked. You’re all I want, and you’re all I need. Please don’t worry about that. I have men in charge of those clubs. They take care of everything for me.”
“I don’t mean to sound like a jealous wife. I just still find it hard to believe that you’re interested in me. You should have a model on your arms, Vasya.”
I laugh at the absurdity of what she’s saying. “I’m glad you have no idea how truly beautiful you are,zolotse, because I think it would be impossible to be aware of it and not be a vain ass. You’re stunning, sweetheart, and you take my damn breath away every single time I look at you. I wake up feeling like the luckiest bastard on the planet for getting to be married to you, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why you want to be with me, but I don’t question it. I’m too busy being grateful.”
“Vasya,” she whispers, pressing her lips to mine. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
She rests her hand on my thigh as I drive us to the nightclub. The place is packed, and there’s a line outside the main doors. The crowd looks to be mainly college-age, but I see a lot of couples in their late twenties and thirties. The place must make a killing on the cover charge alone, and when you add in all the overpriced drinks, I’m guessing the club is pretty much all profit.
I park as close as I can and then take Nina’s hand for the short walk to the club. When we’re close, she starts veering off like she’s going to join the end of the long line. I laugh and pull her closer.
“Zolotse, we’re not waiting in line.”
She eyes the large bouncer checking IDs. “We’re not?”
I lean closer and give her a wink. “Your husband owns this part of the city.”
