Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3) (34 page)

I
smiled at Oni. She was wearing a silver sequined top with a black miniskirt and
black fishnet stockings. “Do you guys take turns hanging out in the lobby just
in case we decide to go somewhere?”

She
laughed. “Pretty much. I heard it was Shae’s birthday, and I figured you guys
would be going out.”

I
looked at Igor, who now appeared to be taking wardrobe instructions from the
mafia. He was dressed entirely in black. “Do you guys want to join us for
dinner?”

He
smiled tightly. “That’s the order we received from Nonna.”

Shae
linked her arm in Igor’s. “Good, then you can be my date.”

Igor
brightened instantly.

I
linked my arm in Oni’s as Cory tracked down a taxi. The six of us climbed into
the broken down van. Since we had no particular restaurant in mind, we let Oni
choose. We arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes later.

Cory
decided to sit by me at dinner. He thought it might deter dark and sinister men
from approaching me. I questioned the strategy since I wasn’t the only woman in
our group targeted by the mafia. Shae had been targeted too, and she looked breathtaking
in a red wrap dress with strappy red heels. She had worn her hair up last
night, but tonight it hung down her back in beautiful brown waves. Sammi was no
eyesore, either. Her glossy black hair contrasted nicely with her white sheath
dress. She paired the dress with long white boots that were decorated with
chrome buckles and heels. Cory definitely had his work cut out for him.

We
ate dinner while Oni and Igor argued over which dance club they should take us
to. I wanted to go someplace that would fall under the radar, someplace Maxim
and Konstantin weren’t likely to go. Oni thought we’d be safer in a more
upscale place. Igor thought we should ditch the club scene entirely. His
preferred course of action was to pick up some vodka and party in our hotel room.
Oni won out in the end. I marveled at her powers of persuasion, which really
were quite impressive considering her young age.

We
sang happy birthday to Shae when the dessert torte arrived. Cory settled the
bill. Igor flagged another van, and we left for the dance club.

There
was a long line to get into the club, but Oni spoke to the bouncer, who then
waved us through the red velvet rope. The guy practically drooled on Shae. He
reached out to touch her hair, but Cory didn’t miss a beat. He wrapped his arm
around Shae and escorted her through the door. Oni linked her arm with Sammi,
and Igor did the same for me.

The
dance club boasted a contemporary vibe with white booths circling chrome
tables. An eclectic assortment of neon, black, and strobe lights were scattered
all across the ceiling. The entire bar glowed.

We
were greeted by a hostess, who looked entirely too young to be in a bar. She
was wearing a low cut blouse, a micro-mini skirt with ruffles, and insanely
high heels. She escorted us to a booth near the dance floor, which was tucked
against a mirrored wall.

We
ordered sparkling water and one round of shots so we could toast Shae. I eyed
the people on the dance floor while we waited for the waitress to return with
our drinks. The music was pulsing. It really wasn’t all that different from the
erotic techno music played at dance clubs in the United States. I leaned toward
Shae. “Notice anything odd about the people on the dance floor?”

Shae
nodded. “They’re all women.”

I
glanced curiously at the other booths and the tall bar tables that were
interspersed throughout the club. The vast majority of them were filled with
men.

Sammi
folded her elbows on the table as she studied the dance floor. “Every single
woman is dancing alone and preening in the mirror.”

I
looked at Oni. “Why are all the women dancing alone?”

She
looked confused. “Men don’t dance. They come here to watch the women dance.”

Cory
looked at Igor. “Are all your dance clubs like this?”

Igor
nodded. “What can I say? We like to watch women dance.”

A
slow smile slid acoss Cory’s face. “You have no idea what you’re missing.” He got
a mischievous look in his eyes as his attention shifted to Sammi, Shae, and me.
“Let’s show them what they’re missing.”

The
waitress arrived with our vodka shots. Cory paid her, then lifted his shot
glass. “To Shae!”

“To
Shae!” we cheered before knocking back the shots. Shae reached for my hand as
the four of us filed onto the dance floor. Oni and Igor remained seated with dubious
looks on their faces.

My
heart began to race. I had seen Cory dance in Germany. Every move he made
smacked of sex. I had no doubt this was going to land us in some serious
trouble, maybe even get us kicked out of the club.

The
other women on the dance floor eyed us curiously as Cory reached for my hips.
He settled his leg between mine as Shae began to dance with Sammi. Cory held
one hand in the air as he began to grind in time to the beat. He stayed a
respectable two inches from my body, which didn’t do much to temper the erotic
moves he made with his hips.

I
closed my eyes and tried to relax into the music while he loosened up my hips.

Shae
wedged in between us as we rolled into the next song. Sammi sidled up behind
Cory. She circled around him as she dragged her hand provocatively around his
back and chest. Cory flipped her around so she was facing us, then held her in
place as he began grinding against her bottom.

That’s
when I noticed the other women on the dance floor had stopped dancing entirely.
They stood gaping at us instead.

Shae
motioned one of the women over. She smiled nervously as she began dancing with the
two of us.

Cory
grabbed Shae when the DJ slid into the next song. Sammi danced with me and the
new girl. Two other women joined us. I tried to pull Igor to the dance floor. He
shook his head, then relented as Oni joined me in tugging on his arms. Oni and
I took turns showing Igor how to move his hips as we danced with him.

Cory
reached for my hips as he began dancing behind me, so Sammi joined Igor and Oni.
Shae danced with the new girls. I was breathless and ready to return to my seat
when the music finally slowed, but an unfamiliar arm wrapped possessively around
my waist. I was yanked back against a well-muscled chest.

I
closed my eyes as Maxim pressed his body into mine and slowly began to move. He
kept my back pinned to his chest as his right hand moved just below my breast.
The other hand wound through my hair until he reached the nape of my neck. He tugged
my head to the side and slowly licked my neck. “You enjoy sex,” he whispered
into my ear. “I can tell by the way you dance
.
” He kissed me just behind
the ear, then latched onto my neck. He consumed my neck with open mouthed
kisses, then sucked in long hard pulls.

I
whimpered as I felt him harden against me. I tried to put some distance between
us, but he tightened his hold. I couldn’t move an inch. What’s worse is the guy
was actually turning me on. My eyes flitted nervously around the room. Cory was
slow dancing with Sammi. They both had their eyes closed, and neither appeared
to notice that Maxim was holding me. Oni and Igor were making out in the booth,
and Konstantin had Shae pressed against the mirrored wall. A number of the men
who had attended the dinner with Maxim last night were now slow dancing with
the girls who had been dancing with us. “I… I didn’t think Russian men liked to
dance,” I whispered hoarsely.

Maxim
chuckled as he turned me in his arms. His hands slid down to my bottom as he
fit my body to his. There was no stopping the desire that shot through my body.
Maxim’s eyes darkened as my nipples hardened against his chest. “We prefer to
dance in bed,” he murmured as he lowered his lips to mine. His tongue swept
through my mouth. He teased and prodded my tongue as he laid claim to my mouth.

Maxim
deepened the kiss as he backed me up against the mirrored wall. My eyes flew
open when I felt the cold glass against my back. Three men in black stood
between Maxim and the rest of the room. I couldn’t see over them to determine where
everyone else was.

Maxim’s
hand slid over my breast. He pinched my nipple hard, clearly aware of my
distraction. His hips ground against mine as the kiss turned more consuming. My
heart stalled as my dress inched higher. I was certain he’d be buried inside of
me if it rose any higher, especially considering the thong I was wearing
underneath. “Maxim,” I rasped. “You… you have to stop.”

He
growled in warning. “I could take you right here. There’s not a single person
who could stop me.” He immediately began ravishing my neck.

“I…
I could stop you,” I suggested. I knew the thought was ludicrous, but I
couldn’t think of any other way to distract him.

Maxim
stopped kissing my neck. His hand remained possessively on my breast. He
shifted his weight to hold me in place while he pinned my hands above my head.
“I’d love to see you try,” he taunted as he ground his hips into mine.

His
next kiss took me by storm. Desire pooled in my lower abdomen, then pulsed between
my legs. I was mortified to find myself suspended on the edge of an orgasm,
when the guy wasn’t even supposed to be touching me. My mind scrambled for some
way to break free. I couldn’t hit him because my hands were pinned above my
head, and my thighs were pressed so firmly against the wall that I couldn’t even
lift my foot.

Maxim
shifted his hands so a single hand held my wrists above my head. His fingers
swept teasingly between my legs. He groaned when he felt the thong. “You’re so
wet,
kotyonok
. You want this just as much as I do.” He reached for his
zipper.

I
opened my mouth in protest, but his lips crashed violently against mine. I
slammed my eyes shut, knowing it was only a matter of seconds before he was buried
deep inside of me.

I
gasped when Maxim was suddenly pulled off of me. I pulled my dress down, then
stood trembling against the wall. The three men who had been serving as a
protective barrier between us and the room were now conferring with Maxim. They
were motioning toward the other side of the bar where a fight had broken out.
Some man was attempting to drag a woman by the hair as another man flung a bar
stool at him. I slowly slid from behind Maxim and made a run for the bathroom.
I could only hope that one of my friends had seen me.

My
hands shook as I splashed cold water on my face, neck, and chest. “This is bad…
very, very bad,” I muttered to no one but myself. The other women in the
bathroom eyed me warily.

Sammi
suddenly pushed through the door. “We have to go!”

I
grabbed the sink. “I know! How are we going to get out of here?”

She
grabbed my arm. “Come on! The rest of the group is meeting us out back.”

“How
do you know where to go?” I asked breathlessly.

“I’ve
been trying to find a way out of this place ever since I saw Maxim pin you
against that wall. I hope that felt as good as it looked… because it looked
really, really good.”

I
yanked my arm from her hand. “God, Sammi. I have a boyfriend!”

She
shot me an annoyed look as we pushed through the exit door. “If screwing that
guy becomes a matter of survival, then you might as well enjoy it.”

I
scowled at her. “Somehow, I don’t think Rafael is going to see this quite the
same way.”

*
* * * * *

I
had barely gotten my silk camisole and pajama shorts pulled on when someone began
beating on our door. “Kristine, are you in there?”

My
eyes widened as Shae brought her finger to her lips.

The
pounding continued. “Kristine, open up! I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

I
backed against the desk. “He sounds really upset,” I whispered anxiously.

Shae
quickly pulled her pajamas on.

The
pounding stopped.

I
glanced questioningly at Shae.

She
shrugged.

I
took a step toward her, and the door exploded.

Shae
ducked as bits and pieces of wood sprayed across the room.

I
braced myself against the desk as Maxim and Konstantin stormed into the room. Maxim
stopped just short of me. He looked livid. “You have got to stop running away
from me. I was worried someone had gotten a hold of you. I wasn’t even sure you
were alive.” He reached for my arm and yanked me from the desk. His eyes
softened as he pulled me in for an awkward hug.

My
eyes were still wide as he released me. “What did you do to that door?”

“Don’t
worry about the door. I’ll have it replaced,” he growled irritably.

I
stepped around Maxim and peered toward the door. Cory and Sammi stood gaping in
the hallway. Another guy pushed between them as he entered the room.

Maxim
reached for my arm. “We need to talk… alone.”

My
eyes flitted toward the bed. “Okay, but not in here.”

His
eyes searched mine questioningly. He huffed out a breath. “Fine. We’ll talk in
the lobby.” He immediately pulled me toward the splintered door.