The Salvation of Vengeance (Wanted Men #2) (5 page)

Her limbs weakened slightly with an anticipation she had no business feeling, a reaction she almost missed around the nerves crowding her system. She should be focusing on Kevin and that damned memory stick—not a brooding mobster. In a few short hours she might have her and her brother’s freedom in the palm of her hand. They could be in the clear by morning.

Trying not to let her hopes get too far up there in case she was wrong about what she’d seen Kevin do in the hotel room, she continued on down the hallway, only to falter when the door she’d been standing across from swung open.

The handsome Asian man that was always hanging behind Gabriel stepped out. His almond-shaped dark eyes were sharp, his expression tight, but he relaxed when he saw her.

“Hello, Nika,” he greeted her in the smooth, laid-back tone she remembered from Seattle.

“Hi, Quan. Nice to see you again.”

“And under better circumstances.” He tipped his chin, indicating a door farther down on the opposite side of the hallway. Still twenty feet away. “Eva was worried you might not make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss her wedding for anything.”

“That’s what Gabriel told her.” He flashed a toothpaste-commercial smile. “I won’t keep you.” He nodded, and she moved on as he disappeared into his room once more.

She knocked when she reached the correct door, and a stranger opened it for her. A tall dark-haired man she’d yet to meet, but she knew who he was. Eva’s father.

Vasily Tarasov had left Eva and her mom after Eva was born, hoping to protect them from his mafia ties. But he’d always remained in the background, keeping a watch on them from afar, until Eva’s mother had been killed in a car crash a couple of months ago. That’s when Vasily had made his presence known to his daughter.

“Nika,” he said with a smile that killed it. Having celebrated his forty-fourth birthday only a week ago, his dark hair and striking blue eyes mirrored Eva’s. God, he was stupid handsome.

“Mr. Tarasov?”

He nodded and held out his hand. “Vasily, please. Come in,” he invited after she shook it. “It’s nice to finally meet you. My daughter speaks very highly of you.”

“You as—”

Eva came out of nowhere and threw herself into Nika’s arms as her father closed the door.

“You’re here,” her best friend whispered while Nika tried not to cringe in discomfort at the tight embrace. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“She was worried you wouldn’t make it,” Vasily said wryly.

Nika swallowed the lump that rose in her throat and stroked her hand down her friend’s silky black hair. “Wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” she said quietly.

She and Eva had been best friends since seventh grade, and there wasn’t another person on this earth, other than Caleb, who Nika loved and trusted more. They’d gone through high school and onto college together but had been separated when Eva moved to New York to transfer to Columbia. The beautiful smart-ass.

“Can I get you girls anything before I head downstairs?” Vasily asked as Eva stepped back with a slight frown.

“No. I think we’re okay,” she said distractedly, eyeing Nika’s dress. She turned to her father. “We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Okay. If you change your mind about what we spoke of earlier, let me know. I know I said I wouldn’t give you away, and I still won’t, but I will walk you down whatever makeshift aisle Samnang has put together.”

Eva smiled. “I know you would. But I think we’ll stick to the plan. You understand—don’t you, Daddy? I don’t want you to be hurt by my decision.”

Vasily frowned. “Eva. This is your wedding. And I already told you, if you’re happy, I’m happy. I just wanted you to know the option is there.” He kissed his daughter on the top of her head and nodded at Nika before leaving.

“Is everything okay?” Nika asked when Eva stared at the closed door a moment too long.

“Yeah. I just hope he’s being honest with me. I told him I didn’t want—” Her fingers came up to cover her mouth, and she shook her head. “Sorry,” she said as if through a tight throat. Nika clasped her free hand and understood immediately.

“Your mom.”

“I don’t want to do this without her.” Eva’s attempted laugh came out more as a sob. “It seems so cold of me to be having even such an informal wedding this soon after her death. I would have been happy to go to a justice of the peace, but I wouldn’t do that to Gabriel. He deserves more than that.”

“I’m sure he understands.”

“He does. I told him that when I used to think about my wedding day, my mom was always such a huge part of it. She was supposed to walk me down the aisle.” She coughed and dabbed under her eyes, blinking quickly. “I feel bad for my father, but I just can’t bring myself to give that job to someone else—not even him. I’ll walk in alone. That way she’s next to me, even if only symbolically.”

“Oh, Eva.” Nika kissed her friend’s cheek with a loud smack. She sniffled through another hug and couldn’t help but be grateful her own parents hadn’t witnessed her sham of a wedding.

Eva cleared her throat and reached for a tissue from the box on the coffee table behind them. “Okay. Enough of that. Uh, is Kevin downstairs?” she asked in that careful voice she and Caleb used whenever they asked about him.

“No. He went to see his cousin. I’m on my own.”
For good, if all goes well later
, she added to herself.

“Really?” Eva’s eyes widened at the news with a slowly revealed joy.

Nika smiled and nodded back. She had to be careful. The last time they’d been together, before Eva’s ordeal at the hands of Stefano and his underboss, Furio, Nika had admitted her hatred of Kevin. The past couple of weeks, she’d been putting off talking about why she’d said what she had when they’d spoken by phone, but if Eva cornered her and pressed the issue, she wasn’t sure what she could say to explain it away.

“Okay. At least you’ll be able to relax. That’s good. And stop looking at me like that. I’m not going to ruin your night by asking about it. Now, come see your dress.” Eva reached out and snagged her wrist to drag her across the large bedroom and into a massive closet. “I’ll need you to do my hair; then we can change and go down.”

Nika held her breath as Eva unzipped a white garment bag. Inside hung a gorgeous shimmering olive-green creation. The simplicity of the dress added to its beauty. It would be knee-length and fit slim but not tight. It had capped sleeves that were littered with tiny beads that sparkled like stars. Nika reached out and turned it . . . and tried not to groan out loud when she saw three long crescent-shaped slits cut out on the upper back.
Shit.

She pasted a smile on her face and attempted to gush. “It’s gorgeous, Eva. I love the color.”

“You sure?”

She tried harder. “Absolutely. It’s perfect. Did you choose this shade to complement my hair or Gabriel’s eyes?” She quirked her brow. Gabriel had mossy-green eyes.

“Both?”

“That’s what I thought. Well, you did great.” She unhooked the hanger and folded it over her arm. “I, uh, need to use the washroom, so I might as well change at the same time.” She held tightly on to the black wrap she was now thanking God she’d had the foresight to bring with her.

“Good idea. It’s right across there.” Eva motioned out into the bedroom. “Let me know if you need a hand with the zip—it looks like it could be awkward to reach.”

Nika nodded, but she knew she’d become a contortionist before asking
anyone
for help dressing her.

She was walking out of the luxurious bathroom only minutes later, her gold dress now in the garment bag, her black wrap, unfortunately, hiding what was a beautiful bridesmaid dress.

“You can’t wear
that
.” Eva was standing in the middle of the bedroom, frowning at the wrap. “Take it off and let me see. The gold shoes actually match perfectly, but if you don’t think so, I have silver ones in the closet.”

“I’m good with these and this.” She snuggled into the wrap. “Everywhere I go I’m frozen lately. I need all the help I can get, so leave me alone.” She made a playful shooing motion. “I’ll show the dress off once I’ve warmed up. Now sit.” She tossed her spare dress to the bed and motioned to the chair Eva had already placed in front of the full-length mirror mounted on the wall. “The resemblance between you and your dad is ridiculous,” she added as a distraction. “Tell me how things are going. Is he nice?”

Eva went over and adjusted the thermostat on the wall before coming back to sit. She started chattering enthusiastically, if a little nervously, about her father and the ease with which they’d slipped into a comfortable relationship.

Nika breathed a sigh of relief and started styling her hair.

CHAPTER 4

Thirty minutes later, Nika was descending the stairs beside Eva, looking enviously down at the expression on the groom’s face as he waited at the bottom. He clearly approved of his future wife’s wedding night appearance. So did Nika. Her best friend had never looked so beautiful.

Nika had given Eva’s straight onyx hair some loose waves, and it fell in a shiny mass over her bare shoulders and down to the middle of her back. The wedding dress she’d chosen had thin straps holding up the white satin that flowed in a smooth, straight line down her slim figure. The cowl neckline showed no cleavage—as was Eva’s way—and the hem was a tad longer at the back to give it a short train. Her jewelry was a pair of diamond earrings and matching bracelet—a wedding gift from her father. Eva had said she’d almost choked the night before when he’d presented her with the “blue box.”

Nika’s favorite, though, was the fine gold ankle bracelet Eva wore that was hidden beneath the hem of her dress. It had been her mom’s, and Eva said when Vasily had seen it, he’d quietly shared with his daughter the story of how he’d presented that very anklet to Kathryn in the hospital only hours after she’d given birth to Eva. Nika was sure her friend would never take it off.

“Isn’t it customary not to see the groom until just before the ceremony?” she murmured to the now-blushing bride.

“It
is
just before the ceremony,” Eva reasoned. “We’ll be starting in a few minutes.”

Remembering what the absence of her mother meant to Eva, Nika shut it and silently swooned at the tenderness with which Gabriel greeted his bride when they reached him at the foot of the stairs. He cupped Eva’s face in his large hands and kissed her twice, soft as a whisper. The guy was freaking huge.

“You’re spectacular,” he said quietly against Eva’s lips.

“So are you,” she replied, running her hand down his chest. “Thank you for not wearing the tux.”

“Thank
you
for not making me.” Gabriel turned to Nika and nodded his dark head. He kissed her cheek. “You look lovely, Nika. We’re glad you made it.”

Clearly no one had thought she was going to show. Damn Kevin and his refusal to allow her to see her loved ones. She’d had to beg off or cancel plans so often she obviously had a reputation for it now.

“Is my brother here yet?” she asked, looking beyond the empty foyer.

Gabriel tilted his chin behind him. “He and Vex are already inside the main room.”

He held an arm out to each of them and brought them across the honey-colored marble tile of the foyer to enter a large, stunningly decorated, room that was well occupied. Caleb and Vex excused themselves from a conversation they were having with a man Nika suspected, from the various news updates Eva had given her, was Lucian Fane. Lucian was an extremely wealthy, influential businessman who wore power like a shroud. Reports claimed he had questionable business practices. Intimidated, Nika didn’t even make eye contact with him.

Maksim Kirov and Alekzander Tarasov nodded from where they stood beneath a beautiful painting of what was unmistakably Lake Como, Italy. Quan stood to the side of the entrance, with a younger guy that looked a lot like Gabriel. Four other men Nika also didn’t recognize were scattered around, eyes intent, bodies at the ready. For what, she hoped she never found out.

“Hey.”

Nika was taken up in another of those hugs that had her struggling not to groan, but it was one she returned with even more strength and affection than she’d given Eva. She inhaled her brother’s scent—traces of motor oil and leather but with a touch of cologne tonight. God, she’d missed him. Loved him something stupid.

“You look beautiful, Nik,” Caleb said quietly, kissing her on the forehead as if she were still ten years old.

She kissed him back, wiping at the gloss she left behind on his cheek. “Thanks. So do you.” It felt as though they hadn’t seen each other in months, when it had only been a few weeks.

He looked around distractedly, his espresso-colored eyes cold. “Where is he?”

“Not here.” She felt good saying it.

His gaze flipped to hers. “What?”

“He had something else to do.”

Warmth made an appearance, and she got her brother’s real smile, crinkled eyes and all. He was the beautiful one. He looked so much like their dad, with his short dark hair and brown eyes, only their father hadn’t been tattooed. But they did share that strong jaw and cheerful disposition. “That’s good. That’s real good.” Caleb gave her arm a squeeze and went over to greet the others, earning a glare from Gabriel when he gave Eva the same type of greeting he’d just given her.

She held tightly to her wrap and suffered through one more hug from Vex. “How are you, lovely?” asked the big blond. With his near-shaggy hair and vibrant blue eyes, he looked more like a surfer than the president of a notorious biker club.

“I’m doing okay. You?”

He loosened his hold but didn’t release her. Oddly, he tilted her chin back with a knuckle and peered down at her. What was this?

“I think everyone’s a little better now that you’re here,” he said before breaking the weird contact and turning to Eva’s father, who’d just strolled over. “Vasily.” He extended his hand.

“Hey, kid. Shouldn’t you be elbows deep in a carburetor somewhere?”

“My toys will still be there when I get home,” he chuckled.

“Didn’t I tell you that’s how it would go down? Minute they walked in, the lineup formed.” Maksim, who’d just joined them, grinned, his unusual silver eyes flashing wickedly. “Come here,
malishka
.” He pulled an eye-rolling Eva in for an affectionate embrace. “Allow me one last grope before you completely destroy me by marrying this . . . angry-looking Italian. What’s wrong, G? It was just an innocent hug, as much as I’m sure your woman wishes it wasn’t. No chaperone this evening? I should take advantage.”

Nika blinked when she realized that last bit had been aimed at her. The way Maksim bounced from topic to topic at warp speed was like watching multiple TV shows at the same time.

She wanted to curse when she felt her cheeks heat. Red hair and a blush did not go well together. She accepted a lingering kiss that landed a little too close to the corner of her mouth—the guy smelled great—and tried to keep her smile natural. She was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. She straightened her wrap again, worried it might slip and reveal something it shouldn’t with all the touchy-feely going on.

“Are you okay?” Eva whispered at her elbow. “You look flushed.”

“Oh, uh, I’m good. I’m just not used to being mauled.” She cringed inside at the way that sounded. She should be used to it. Kevin had mauled her breast only hours ago. The fact he was completely impotent with her was the one blessing in the whole mess of a marriage. But that didn’t stop his roving hands. She shuddered from the memory of that unwanted touch. “So, you ready?” she asked for probably the fifth time since arriving.

“You
are
cold,” Eva exclaimed in hushed tones. “I can’t believe you have goose bumps. I’m trying not to get sweat stains.” She rubbed Nika’s arm in an effort to warm her up. God, if she only knew what had caused them.

“Told you,” she mumbled. At least she wouldn’t have to defend her choice in clothing anymore tonight.

“I’ll be glad when this part is over. I wish we’d gone to the courthouse.” Eva looked around nervously.

“Really?” Nika said with mock surprise. That look had nothing to do with Eva missing her mom. “But I thought being the center of attention, everyone staring at you, was your thing?” It was no secret her bestie hated all the attention her looks garnered. Eva was drop-dead gorgeous and had been stared at for the better portion of her adult life. As a result, she almost went out of her way to be as invisible as possible.

“Shut up,” Eva muttered as she started rearranging a beautiful bouquet of white flowers in a vase next to her elbow, even though they were already perfect.
Uh-oh.

Eva also went into OCD mode when she was anxious.

“Don’t start with that,” Nika said softly, taking her friend’s hands in hers. “I was only playing with you. Everything is perfect.” She balked at the tears that suddenly glimmered on Eva’s lashes when she nodded.
Shit.
“Don’t you dare. Can you even imagine the ‘weaker sex’ jokes if you make us cry in front of
this
group?”

That earned her a shaky laugh and kiss on the cheek. “I’m so glad you’re—”

“Go for the lips next time, girls. Add a little hand action. A few moans. Arch your backs. And, yes, I could make you millions.”

Maksim received identical only-in-your-dreams looks from both of them. And a grumbled “Fuck off, Kirov,” from Gabriel.

“Watch your mouth, Maksim,” Vasily grunted, his lack of a smile showing he wasn’t amused. “Leave these two out of your depraved fantasies or you’re going to find yourself without the proper equipment to follow through.”

A thin older man came over with a large tray filled with a variety of beverages. He handed glasses around the group, obviously knowing who drank what, and then turned to Nika and Eva.

“Please, what might I get you ladies?”

Eva introduced him as Samnang, their housekeeper, and asked for white wine for both of them. “I’ll come with you and—”

Samnang shook his head so hard his brain must have rattled. “No, no. You stay. Aside from Miss Tegan, you’re the only other lady who’s been brave enough to take one of these boys on.” He chuckled as he turned to Gabriel, his tone proud. “And Mr. Gabriel, no less. Your wish is my command, Miss Eva.”

Something in Nika’s chest jerked. Who was Miss Tegan? Could she be Vincente’s girlfriend?

“I heard my name. Sammy? What kind of stories are you telling now?”

A blonde woman who looked to be a couple of years older than Nika joined the group. She gave Samnang an affectionate kiss on his wrinkled brow.

“Nothing you wouldn’t tell yourself,” the older man reassured her before hurrying off.

Nika absently worried her bottom lip as hellos and kisses were exchanged. Who was she? Or more accurately,
whose
was she? Nika wondered as she shook the woman’s hand when Maksim introduced her as
Dr.
Tegan Mancuso.

“Would you stop doing that.” Tegan gave the grinning Russian an elbow. “I swear he thinks
my
occupation will get him laid,” she said to Nika, who felt herself relax, assuming now that this must be Maksim’s girlfriend—who was clearly secure enough not to mind him flirting with other women. “Not going to change your mind, huh?” she put to Eva, who shook her head and smiled. “I don’t blame you—he’s a catch.” Tegan winked at Gabriel and then looked around, her shoulder-length hair shimmering. “Where’s Vin?”

The social smile fell from Nika’s face as if an avalanche had hit.
Vin?
Why was she so familiar with Vincente that she could call him Vin? And why did the thought of them together make Nika feel sick all of a sudden?

“I’m going to grab a drink and go find him. He should be here by now.”

Tegan walked away, curvy hips swaying, legs looking endless in a fitted black skirt and high heels. Nika was pretty sure the cerulean blouse the doctor was wearing had been “borrowed” from Eva’s closet.

After giving Samnang, who’d returned with her and Eva’s wine, a strained smile as she accepted the glass, Nika took a huge gulp and wished for the bottle.

“Who was that?” she whispered to Eva as casually as she could.

“Tegan has known the boys since high school. She’s nice. She and Maksim are friends, like me and Caleb. Really close. In fact, she has her own room upstairs and seems to spend more time here than she does at her apartment in Brooklyn. Quan caved and is a permanent fixture around here, too.” Eva glanced at the men. “So believe me—I’ve appreciated the female company.”

Nika nodded weakly and took another drink from her glass. She felt very much out of her element. Awkward in a way she never used to feel in social situations. Before Kevin, she’d have enjoyed all of this, meeting everyone who was becoming a part of Eva’s life, verbally sparing with Maksim, putting him in his place for his suggestive comments. Now? She just felt anxious and in need of a breather.

“I’m going to get some air before things get going,” she said to no one in particular as she made for the open doors on the other side of the room.

“I’ll come with,” Caleb announced.

Knowing her brother was pretty much going to mimic Velcro all night, and not minding that in the least, she didn’t protest and led the way out into the mild night. She inhaled the fresh air mixed with the faint scent of chlorine from a huge, beautifully lit pool.

“Oh, wow.” She went over and squatted to dip her fingers in, sighing at the warm feel of the water on her skin. “What I wouldn’t give to strip and dive right in,” she murmured to her brother, who’d come to stand beside her.

“Feel free. I’m sure no one here would mind.”

Oh . . . shit.

Vertigo hit her at the sound of that deep, rough voice, and before she knew it, Nika’s equilibrium took a vacay and she started to tip. Caleb grabbed her arm and saved her from fulfilling her wish of dunking in the calm waters. He yanked her back and into a stand.

With her heart hammering, Nika peered around her brother’s shoulder and looked straight into those near-obsidian eyes she saw every night in her dreams.