“Ha! Oh to be you and see Dragna’s soft side. The rest of us only get Mr. Grump.”
I stomp on his foot half jokingly, half serious because I feel a weird protectiveness over Dragna, even if Lev is joking.
“Be nice. He’s your cousin.” I say sternly and Lev curses in Russian while laughing before continuing to steer me on our path to the lounge again.
“Good to know you’re willing to stick up for him, even against me. You’re a good one Willow tree.”
He pats me on the head as we reach the door and we both stand outside it like two teenagers waiting to be scolded by their parents.
“Go ahead.” He gestures for me to open the door.
“What! Why me? It was your idea to order more drinks, this is all your fault!” I argue.
“He’ll kill me, but he loves you, he’ll go easy on us if you go in first!”
I roll my eyes, bad idea, now I feel dizzy and realise just how drunk I am. Not drunk enough to miss the fact Lev said Dragna loves me though.
“Shut up he doesn’t love me it’s only been a couple months, but fine I’ll go in first you big baby.”
“Mhmm, denial is a river in Egyptsestrichka.” Lev mutters under his breath and I slap his arm playfully before pushing the lounge door open.
We both stumble in giggling like two school girls but come to a halt when we look up and notice everyone in the room around the poker tables are staring at us in silence. Ivan throws a thumb over his shoulder towards Dragna’s office and Lev looks down at me before shoving me in front of him, urging me forward to go first.
Why are they all so afraid of him?
I make my way to the office and open the door. Dragna is sitting drinking a glass of whiskey and watching all the monitors, camera angles of everywhere in the club. He looks up and me and I don’t know what to do apart from fumble with my hands.
“I was making some calls and looking for Lev earlier, I didn’t think he’d be up here and by the time I came back up, you both were already having fun downstairs.”
He takes a drink and sets the glass down on the desk before he stretches out in the office chair.
“Oh, okay.”
“What’s wrongmoya dusha?” He asks genuinely concerned.
“Huh? Nothing? Are you okay? Everyone outside seems to think you’re about to bury Lev and I.” I laugh and he stands, smirking at me before he pulls me into a hug.
“I’m fine, I’m glad you had a good night and I’m grateful you pulled Lev out of whatever blackhole he’d got himself into.”
I breathe a sigh of relief and wrap my arms around him.
“I’m very drunk right now, so I’m going to lie down.” As I finish speaking he picks me up and I let out a yelp.
“I’ll take you back to mine. It’s closing time anyway.”
I give him a quick kiss on the cheek and wrap my arms around his neck as he makes his way out into the lounge where it’s still deathly silent. Seriously, what is everyone’s problem?
“See Lev, I told you he’d be fine!” I giggle as some of the men in the room start snickering but Lev just stands there not moving or speaking.
Dragna walks us over to him and sets me down. The low rumble of laughter surrounding us suddenly stops again and Lev audibly gulps as Dragna brings a hand up to cup the back of his neck.
“You good?” He asks him and a couple of seconds go by before Lev nods in response. He pulls Lev to him by the hold he has on his neck and with his other hand he slaps him on the back a couple times like they are having some kind of bro hug. Lev drunkly throws his around Dragna in return and I watch as relief falls over his body.
“Ona khoroshaya, moy brat. Ne oblazhaysya.” Lev mutters and I’m so drunk it takes me a second to realise he spoke in Russian and it wasn’t that I’m just so gone that I couldn’t understand English anymore.
“Znayu, i ne budu. Ya rada, chto ona pomogla tebe segodnya, no nam nuzhno pogovorit’ zavtra.” Dragna replies as I feel myself getting confused again, and sleepy.
They break apart from their embrace and Lev nods at him. I yawn and rub my eyes as I’m swooped back up in Dragna’s arms again and around us chatter and laughter starts back up as if someone just pressed play on the room.
