Chapter 14
Deva pulled back her hoodie and removed her cap, running her fingers through the long tangle of dark curls. She put the first aid kit next to her and opened it. Aleksei may have cleaned some of the cuts with water, but she remembered several deeper gashes from the fight that would need more medical care than water and soap. As she prepared what was needed, Aleksei walked back, a single towel wrapped low around his hips. She may have seen him naked on several occasions, but him standing there, battered, bruised, and pissed off in a white towel, it was difficult for her not to admire this warrior. And deep down, she was glad for his level of fitness and that he could dispose of his opponent quickly.
Instead of coming over to sit beside her on the bench, he went and stood toe to toe with Lazarus. The two men were about the same height, Lazarus being slightly bulkier than his brother under his dark suit. The tension between the two men was thick and trembling with restrained anticipation.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Aleksei, I’m worried about you.”
The Russian snarled and inched even closer. Deva looked at Lance who had uncrossed his arms and stood at the ready.
“You don’t belong here. You have no right to worry.”
“You are my brother.”
“I don’t have a brother!” Anger was clearly consuming Aleksei, and Deva doubted that he would be able to listen to anything that Lazarus would say. “Where were you when I needed you the most? Nowhere! So, keep your empty promises and get out!”
Lazarus lifted his hands in appeasement, but now Aleksei roamed the small space like a caged animal. When he finally locked gaze with her, his words were like spewed poison. “And you! How could you even be here? King was the one who brought you here, wasn’t it? From the beginning, I knew something was wrong with you, you were hiding something from me. It was this son of a bitch’s idea to put you in front of me? As a distraction? Was it on your to-do list to jerk me off and fuck me?”
As she got to her feet, Deva saw Lance move to position his body closer, ready to defend her. And before she could even react, Aleksei’s aggression turned to her knight in shining armor. To his credit, Lance stayed cool as ice. Thank goodness for a man capable of taking orders.
She shook her head and put an arm over Lance’s forearm. As she touched him, Aleksei snarled, but Deva ignored him. Instead, she smiled at her blond protector and stepped in front of him. It would take more than a tattooed, grumpy fighter to tick her off.
“Don’t touch him!”
Aleksei’s eyes turned dark at her outburst, and Deva debated what the best course of action was. They were still in dangerous territory, so far, she had been lucky not to be recognized, but that luck wouldn’t hold indefinitely. They needed to get out. So, digging herself a hole was the only option.
“I knew coming here wouldn’t be a walk in the park. I needed help, which Lance offered freely. And this man who claims to be your brother seems to care about you. And from what happened in your last fight, and the conversation you had with your father, I’m worried too. All the people in this room are on your side, trying to help you.”
“I. Don’t. Need. Help.” And in a gesture of defiance, he threw his towel to the side and turned to put his clothes on. Thank goodness, his wounds were not bleeding as much as she anticipated. Deva was about to pull her hair in frustration as he continued to ignore her when the locker door flew open.
“Well, isn’t this a cozy meeting. And here I thought I would be alone congratulating my champion.”
The man dressed in an expensive gray suit was flanked by two mean-looking goons. His black hair was streaked with white at the temple, but it was his gray eyes that were a dead giveaway. Even though she had never seen him, the voice was familiar. Jamieson Finch had arrived.
His smile had a wicked twist that made Deva’s stomach lurch. Due to security, she knew that everybody in the building was weaponless, but for the first time in very long time, she itched for a gun in her hand.
The older man turned to Lazarus and shook his head. “Well, boy. You seemed to be where I expect you the least. How brotherly of you to come and cheer on Aleksei.”
Lazarus clenched his teeth at the taunt and made a move, but the goons at Finch’s side reacted instantly.
Finch pursed his lips, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, boy.”
It was Lazarus’s turn to see red. “I’m not your boy. Never was. You only use your sons as you see fit.”
The look on the older man’s face was almost benevolent. “Aw. What a mean thing to say. But you were always a difficult child. How is your mother?”
“Safe, you fucking piece of shit.”
Deva wondered how Lazarus could hold himself together. She knew Finch had tried to kidnap and kill his mother, and in his shoes, she would already have ripped his throat out.
“Son, watch your language. A lady is in the room.” When Finch’s eyes slithered to her, she felt cold and dirty. She knew scum inside out, and that was the worst of them all.
Finch’s eyes slid to her breasts, and she was glad to be covered by the large hoodie. “Imagine my surprise when I learned that Victoria Johnson was in the house, the only daughter of Mex Johnson of the Dark Blood Row MC, the most important and dangerous club in the area. A neat resurrection story if you want my opinion. Everybody thought you were dead for years, my dear. It nearly drove your dear father mad. Especially on the eve of your marriage. A runaway bride. How amusing. Did you think you could seek protection from Aleksei?”
Deva didn’t dare look away. “I don’t need protection.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. The groom you were destined for was a great catch, but Aleksei Voronov is not without charm or power. Or money.”
