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  She blinked away tears then turned her face down to stare at the ground by Philippe’s feet. “I missed you, too,” she whispered. And then she was gone, rushing out of the bar and down the hall to the ladies’ room. We all watched her leave.

  A long silence followed.

  Sasha let out a sigh. “I told you to come straight to me, Neige.”

  Philippe responded miserably, “I never stopped loving her.”

  At my soft gasp, all eyes turned on me. I flushed and sputtered, “H-hi, I’m Mina.”

  Sasha glowered at me.

  I glowered right back then followed Nas into the ladies’ room. I sat on the bathroom vanity, looking at the closed door that separated us, waiting patiently for her to stop crying.

  In Nas style, she flung open the door, her face blotchy and her eyes a nice shade of red, and uttered angrily, “Makes sense for men to have cocks since they’re all dicks.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Mina

  Our bartending lesson had concluded with the arrival of Philippe Neige. I was curious about the man who could bring a woman like Nas to tears. On the way home, I asked carefully, “So, I’m guessing Philippe is an ex-boyfriend?”

  Nas tried to ignore me, but the silence was too thick to overlook. “We were engaged for a short time. It was a whirlwind romance. It was over before it even began.”

  “What happened?” I queried in my most sympathetic tone.

  She sighed, aggravated. “He did what all men do eventually.” She paused to add quietly, “He disappointed me.”

  “Did you love him?”

  Nas went quiet. She breathed in slowly and replied on an exhale, “I’ve only ever loved one man. And Philippe wasn’t him.” Quickly changing the subject, she asked, “What about you, Mina? Have you ever been in love?”

  “Yes,” I responded easily. I side-eyed her, itching to spot her reaction. “I fell in love with my brother.”

  She did not disappoint.

  “Ewwwww,” was out of her mouth before I’d even finished. “Please tell me you’re joking. If you’re not, I’m going to pull over and ralph, because that’s fucking nasty.”

  I leaned back in my seat, laughing. “He was my foster brother. No relation.” I grinned. “God, you’re good value.”

  She smiled then, reluctantly. “Bitch.” She shook her head. “Tell me about mister brother man, then.”

  “I was twelve when I first got put into foster care. I was one of the lucky ones. The first family I was placed with was the one I stayed with till I took to the streets.” My brow furrowed. I hadn’t thought about Maggie and John Peterson for a long time. “Maggie was everything I needed at a time I’d lost it all. She was wonderful. John, her husband, was just as good. He included me in everything, made it like we were a real family. They had a pair of twins, five-year-olds, who adored me. Ben and Chris.” I smiled. “I taught them how to ride a bike.” I sighed.

  “Uh oh,” Nas began. “Something big is coming. I can feel it.”

  “When I was sixteen, Maggie came into my room. She looked kind of worried. That was when she explained that her son from her first marriage was going to come live with us after his father had a run-in with the law. I didn’t know what the big deal was. This was her child. I mean, why was she even explaining this to me? I told her it was okay. I even told her he could have my room if he needed it, that I’d sleep on the couch.” My voice turned soft. “His name was James. He was almost eighteen, a star football player and absolutely gorgeous.”

  “Boom. And there’s the kicker.”

  I grinned. “He was sweet, and funny, and a total flirt. He was also the first guy to have the guts to kiss me, right in the backyard, under the noses of Maggie and John. I fell in love with him so effortlessly.” I chuckled at the memory. “Before long, we were sneaking kisses all over the place, and he would slip into my room at night after everyone else had fallen asleep.” I sighed dreamily. “We’d talk all night long until talk got in the way of kissing. And then I turned seventeen. One thing lead to another, and soon we were doing a lot more than talking and kissing, if you know what I mean.”

  Nas grinned. “I do. I really do.”

  “The story ends with us being careless and getting caught, Maggie blaming me for leading on her son and calling me a little tramp. Me realizing that no matter how much I loved Maggie, she was not my mother. And I was gone the next day.”

  “She called you a tramp?” Nas uttered, appalled.

  I nodded. “A little tramp.”

  “And then you disappeared on ‘em.” Nas paused and added thoughtfully, “I’ll bet she’s thought about you every day since you’ve been gone.”

  Her statement made my heart stutter. “You think?”

  “Um, yeah. She called a seventeen-year-old girl a nasty name in anger and that girl took off, never to be seen again.” She snorted. “I’d say she’s paying every single day for what she did, just by the memory of you. Serves her right, stupid bitch.”

  I didn’t want to believe Maggie could have been suffering from guilt this entire time. Sure, she’d called me a bad name, but it didn’t compare to the fact she’d taken me into her home and made me part of a family for close to five years. She deserved more than to live like that.

  As soon as Nas dropped me off at home, I searched the house for Lev, finding him downstairs, sitting in a rocking chair, cradling a sleeping Lidiya, and speaking soft words into her curly hair.

  I stood in the doorway unnoticed for a long while, watching this man be a father to his daughter. My throat thickened with emotion. Lev was proving to be more than I originally thought him to be.

  With a soft clearing of my throat, Lev turned and caught my eye. I lifted my hand in a gentle wave and he lifted the little girl, carrying her across the room and tucking her into her toddler bed. He picked up the baby monitor, stepped out the room, and turned the device on. I backed away from the door as he closed it carefully.

  My expression was tender when he approached. I’d forgotten my purpose momentarily. Placing a hand on his forearm, I squeezed gently and whispered, “You’re a good daddy, Lev.”

  Looking mildly embarrassed, he ignored my compliment, but didn’t step away from my closeness. “How did you do today? When Nastasia is determined to see something happen, she can be overassertive.”

  Linking my arm through his, we walked down the hall together. “You know, your sister might be a badass, but she knows how to motivate a person.” I smiled up at him. “I didn’t drop a single glass. Not one. And I now know how to make about ten different mixers. So I’m ready for tonight. Bring it on.”

  He stilled, pulling me to a stop, searching my face. “You look to be in better spirits today. I’m glad.”

  My face became void of expression. “Four days ago, you took me off the streets, fed me, gave me a place to sleep, and offered me a job.” Slowly, so there was no mistaking my intentions, I stepped forward, slid my arms around his waist, and pressed myself into him, squeezing gently, resting my head between his pecks. “Thank you is not enough of a phrase to express how grateful I am that I met you, Lev Leokov.” I breathed in the sandalwood cologne he wore. “You saved my life.”

  He didn’t hug me back, but he reached up and stroked my hair kindly. “I would do it all over again, mouse.”

  I pulled away an inch, my arms still around him, to look up into his face. “It can only get better from here, right?”

  His expression glum, he cupped my cheek with a warm palm. “Of course.”

  It was then I remembered my initial reason for interrupting him. Stepping back, I linked my arm through his once more. “I need your help.”

  He didn’t ask what for; he simply responded a determined, “Anything.”

  And I knew—I just knew—he wouldn’t let me down.

  ***

  Mina

  From the moment I stepped inside Bleeding Hearts, I knew my anxiety had returned with a vengeance. I wasn’t sure what had brought it on, but I
was definitely feeling the pressure after the fourth glass had slipped from my hand and shattered as it hit the floor.

  Nastasia pulled me aside. “What gives, dude? You were doing so well today!”

  I sputtered angrily, “I don’t know! Jesus.”

  Anika came over, looking somewhat sympathetic. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’ve got a bachelor party coming in. They’ll be here in ten and I’m their server.” She looked at Nas, her striking blue eyes concerned. “What are we going to do? I don’t think I can leave Mina behind the bar tonight, not without someone to help.”

  I slapped my hands over my face. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry, Nas. I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

  Anika spotted something by the door and straightened. “Dammit,” she smiled widely as she muttered through gritted teeth. “They’re early. I have to go play hostess. Nas, stay with her, please.”

  The second Anika had left, my stomach eased.

  Nas sighed. “Come on.” She took me by the shoulders and shook me once. “You can do this. I know you can. I told Lev I had you. Don’t make a liar out of me, short stuff.”

  Nas’ pep talks were mildly threatening, but they did the job. Tilting my head from side-to-side, I cricked my neck. “I got this.”

  “You got this,” she repeated.

  “I’m gonna make this horse my bitch,” I grumbled.

  She grinned. “Fuck yes, you are.” She pushed me along, slapping my ass in encouragement. “Get out there and serve drinks, and don’t freaking drop anything.” I glowered at her. Using her fingers, she drew a big smile onto her face. “Service with a smile!”

  I looked around and when I was sure no one was watching, I flipped her the bird.

  She laughed and I felt eyes on me. Turning toward the far end of the club, by the stage, I found Lev looking right at me, unblinking. And his eyes…they were full of mirth.

  He’d seen what I’d done. I was caught.

  My face heated. I could hardly ignore him. He’d seen me look right at him. I lifted my hand in a two finger wave. He jerked his chin in response. I smiled and mouthed, “Sorry.” I wasn’t sure, but it looked like he mouthed back, “Get to work.”

  I settled behind the bar, took orders, and served drinks. I did this without further incident, and over the course of the next hour, made a hundred dollars in tips.

  A man named Jeremiah came to take over for me while I took a fifteen-minute break. He wasn’t as tall as the other men who worked here, but he definitely made up for it with his good looks. He had longish brown hair, slicked back, a beard, and tattoos running up his arms. He wore tight black jeans, a tight black tee, and had an easy smile. I took the hand he extended and was surprised when he lifted it to his mouth to press a kiss on my knuckles.

  It seemed to happen a lot around here. My reaction was the same as when Tommy had done it. I giggled and covered my flaming cheeks with a hand. Jeremiah sent me off for my break, but I was intercepted. Lev stood in front of me, but his eyes were trained on Jeremiah. And he looked angry.

  No. Not angry.

  Pissed. With a capital P.

  “Hey,” I called over the music, tugging on his sleeve.

  When he looked down at me, his face softened dramatically. He leaned down and stated, “Jeremiah sleeps around.”

  “Oh,” I uttered, unsure of why I needed to know this.

  Lev nodded, a piece of his hair coming loose and draping itself down across his forehead. “He likes to flirt.”

  Reaching up, I pulled on his jacket until his face was low enough for me to fix his hair. I checked him over, fixing his bent lapel then smoothing his vest before pulling his jacket closed. “Is that your way of warning me about unsavory men?” I looked back at Jeremiah. “He’s quite handsome though, isn’t he?”

  Lev spoke through gritted teeth. “I didn’t realize he was your type.”

  He moved to walk away, but I stopped him by grasping his wrist. My brow furrowed at his arctic tone. “I don’t really have a type, Lev. I haven’t had a man show interest in me since I was sixteen-years-old.” I shrugged. “It’s a nice feeling, to be wanted.” I reached out with my free hand and touched his forearm, above the wrist I was gripping. “But thank you for warning me. Consider me cautioned.”

  His golden eyes roamed my face, relaxing immensely. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  My body warmed tenderly. God, he was sweet. I grinned. “Then we have a common interest.”

  He took the hand at his forearm and squeezed it. “Men are dogs. They’ll say and do anything to get a woman to sleep with them.”

  I couldn’t see him being one of those men. I uttered quietly, “But not you. Right?”

  His eyes closed and he shut them tight as he nodded. Releasing my hand, he urged, “Be careful, Mina. Your innocence is more appealing than you know.”

  And then he was gone.

  Doom and gloom, I thought. Then a small smile tilted my lips.

  How very Lev.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mina

  It was Friday, and I’d officially been employed by Bleeding Hearts a week and a half. You couldn’t get the smile off my dial even if you tried. Over the past five days, I’d met every single employee, taking the time to find out a little about them without giving away too much about myself. When asked where I hailed from, I told the majority of the dancing girls that I moved around a lot as a kid, unknowingly earning myself the nickname Gypsy.

  I understood that strippers didn’t have the best reputations, but the girls I met were lovely. All but one, of course.

  A small Hispanic woman with big brown eyes, smooth skin the color of coffee, strong on the milk, and curves that made men lose their ever-loving minds sneered at me. They called her ChaCha. It was hard to be nice to ChaCha when she looked at you like you smelled of shit.

  People heard the girls calling me by my new nickname, and then soon enough, the technical and security staff, bartenders, and even some patrons were calling me Gypsy.

  I didn’t mind. It kind of gave me a sense of belonging. I mean, friends normally gave you nicknames, didn’t they?

  It made my heart smile.

  That is, until Anika told me that Russians did not think highly of gypsies, and looking down at me, eyes lowered sympathetically, stated that she’d tell everyone to stop calling me that.

  Putting on my biggest, flashiest smile, I thanked her but told her not to bother, because I liked it.

  Take that, Miss Prim and Proper.

  As my mind eased into the job, so did my tension, and I was becoming a crowd favorite. People wanted the gypsy to host their bachelor parties and paid ridiculous amounts to have me wait on them exclusively.

  I didn’t understand it, but I was sure it had something to do with what Nas taught me when she took me out for lunch yesterday.

  The moment we sat down, she sat up straight and laid it out on the line. “We have to talk.”

  “Yeah, about what?” My heart started to beat faster.

  Part of me thought I was being fired and Lev didn’t have the balls to tell me himself. But what she said next just baffled me. “Don’t take this personally or nothing, okay? But I thought when you settled a little it would come out naturally, and now that I can see it’s not going to happen, I’m going to have to teach you.”

  I sipped at my lemon water, running my fingers over the condensation on the outside of the glass. “Teach me what?”

  She took off her glasses and grinned. “How to flirt.”

  I blinked at her then snorted. “What for? It’s not like I’m looking for a boyfriend or anything.”

  She sighed, and reaching up, she rubbed at her temples as if I were trying her patience. “Mina, you’re a bar bitch at a gentleman’s club.” She paused a moment. “I didn’t want to have to put the pressure on, but you’ve been booked to host a bachelor party on Saturday night.”

  Momentarily stunned, I gaped. Then I sputtered, “W-what? Why me? Can’t A
nika do it? Make Anika do it!”

  Nas glared, speaking slowly through gritted teeth. “They don’t want Anika. They want the gypsy.” She leaned across the small café table to get into my face. “And they’re going to get the gypsy, or I’m going to kick the gypsy’s ass. You feel me?”

  Sliding down in my chair, I whined, “I don’t want to. I’ll spill their drinks all over them. They’ll complain to Sasha, and then I’ll get fired.”

  “You haven’t dropped a glass since your second day. You can balance a tray. You’re getting more orders filled than any of us expected of you. And you have the men captivated.” She pinned me with a sincere stare. “You’re doing great. Even Lev thinks so.”

  Whining Mina vanishes as intrigued Mina appeared. “Really? He said that?”

  “Yes, he said that, just this morning.” Her brow furrowed. “You two are living in the same house. What the heck do you guys talk about?”

  I shrugged. “Not much.” I tilted my head in thought. “It’s almost like every time I try to start a conversation, he gets all weird on me.”

  Nas’ expression shifted. She spoke quietly but defensively, “It’s not his fault, Mina. It’s just the way he is. I don’t expect you to understand, but trust me—he can’t help it.” She followed this with, “Don’t judge him. He’s not being rude; he just doesn’t know how to be social.”

  I blinked at her protective tone. “I’m not judging him, Nas. I just have questions. Like, why won’t he talk to me about himself, and why the hell does he lock us into his bedroom at night?”

  Nas sat back, her mouth agape. “You’re sleeping with him?”

  “What?” I flushed and almost shouted, “No!” I huffed out an unimpressed laugh. “He doesn’t trust me not to steal from him, so he told me as long as I’m staying with him that we’ll be sleeping in the same room. I sleep in the bed, and he sleeps on the pullout.” She didn’t look convinced. I sipped at my water, my mouth suddenly dry. “I swear we’re not bumping uglies, Nas. I swear.”

  A small smile graced her pretty face. “I honestly wouldn’t care if you were; it’s just that he doesn’t let anyone…” She faded out, shaking her head, suddenly smiling like a loon. “You have no idea how much of a big deal that is, Mina. But we don’t have time for that, so never mind.” She cleared her throat, sitting up straight. “Right, so, flirting one-oh-one with Nas has officially commenced.” She winked. “Take note, little Mina. Women would kill for the information I’m about to give you.”