Page 101 of The Game
“Dobro pozhalovat' vo t'mu, malen'kaya babochka.”
CHAPTER 50
Alice
“Absolutely not.”
“I’m not asking permission.”
“There is no fucking way.”
“There is. We have five minutes until we have to leave.”
“That’s plenty of time to change out of this one strip of fucking fabric,” Jameson seethes, plucking at the spindly spaghetti strap on my shoulder. Swatting his hand away, I bend at my waist as I am seated on the couch, fastening up the ankle strap of my insanely high heels. My ribs sear painfully, their brands bandaged and cleansed, the thought of being marked in such a way by them making my pussy clench for the millionth time today. Doing my best to shove those wanton thoughts away and focus, I fasten the other strap. If anyone has practice in these death traps, it’s me. Plus, it feels sort of like a little nod to Meg, for she herself taught me the best way to strut it.
Once done with the clasp, I raise my eyes. Tristan stands near the TV in our living room, arms crossed, eyes wide, brows raised. It’s sort of cute, how he can’t decide if he likes my dress or despises the fact that it’s worn to intentionally lure every piece of shit in Seattle. Finally, my eyes flash to Teddy’s. He’s simply smirking, donned in a fitted black suit, looking as dapper as I’ve ever seen him.
“You said you wanted to help,babochka, not flaunt your tits to men double and triple your age,” Jameson growls, not letting this die. On any other night, he wouldn’t dare question me, what I am wearing, because I know he enjoys the view, the notion that it’s his arm around my waist and his twin’s fist around my neck. Right now, he’s going to make us late. Nick and Jonah are in a van outside of an exclusive club, one that straddles the underworld and normal society. It was Meg’s last known location, and Teddy and I know the man that owns it.
She always complained about him, how old he was, how he popped a few blue pills before coming to the circus to try and get it up for her, but it never worked, and she was forced to do humiliating things to herself instead. I’ll act as the bait, lure him outside, where Teddy will grab him and take him to…wherever it is he tortures his victims. Nick is only interested because this man’s son hurt Ellie. If we get the answers we need, we’d solve quite a few problems with one fell swoop. So as I stand and fist my hands on my hips, setting my jaw and glaring at Jameson, I hold my ground.
His eyes dip to my painted lips before they rise to meet my gaze, and I have to fight my smirk of triumph. Teddy came over early to help me get ready, layering on his trademark black eyeshadow as I smoothed my hair down to perfection, parting it in the middle and allowing it to swish against my bare back. The dress I wear is black silk, barely hitting below my ass, the front swooped and low. If I bend over, everyone gets a free show.
Good thing I’ll be protected by some of the most lethal killers on this planet tonight.
“I’m not flaunting anything. I’m luring creepy ass men who deserve…whatever it is Teddy will do to them…” I say with a wave of my hand, muttering the last part as my stomach churns. His jaw ticks, his eyes narrowing.
“You’re going to put me in an early grave,da?”
Smiling broadly, I put my hands on his shoulders, so much taller with my heels, and brush a kiss over his cheek, pausing to whisper, “You can punish me later, daddy.”
When I pull back and see how dilated his eyes have become, I bite my lip and saunter over toward Tristan, allowing him to place the strap of my purse over my shoulder. Teddy snorts, shaking his head as he stalks by on his way to the front door.
“I should bend you over right now, fuck you on this coffee table, then make you take my cum down your throat,” Tristan growls, pressing his nose to my hair as shivers erupt over my flesh. Jameson smirks.
“She’d like that, brother, just like she did on our first night together. Just like last night.”
The memories flood, along with overflowing happiness. Although what I am about to do should feel dangerous, I am not afraid. They’re doing a fine job of keeping my anxiety at bay. Flicking my eyes to Tristan’s, I face him fully, allowing my pebbled nipples to slide across his chest before I step toward the hall, satisfied as his nostrils flare and he fights a groan.
“Just know I’ll be dancing for you tonight,” I say with a sultry wink before I saunter out, swaying my hips as I do, my devils following me into the night.
* * *
It’s been months since I’ve been around so many people, since music has thudded so loudly in my brain it feels as though my ears will pop. This club is packed, and although I know how nasty the clientele is, it is far less dingy than the circus. I at least have that to be thankful for.
Tristan and Jameson stalk the dance floor while Teddy circles the perimeter. Keeping my eyes from swishing to the two-way glass office that overlooks the bar and patrons below, I do my best to entice that nasty fucker upstairs. Sidling up to the bar, I sweetly order a vodka cranberry, my eyes never leaving the drink as the bartender prepares it. If I'd ordered nothing more than a soda, he may have alerted the owner. These assholes are about as suspicious as they come. I’m just thankful I never met the man who tortured Meg for years. So as the bartender slides me my drink, I knock it back in one gulp, Tristan snorting in my ear through a small headphone.
“That’s my girl.”
A soft smile wavers on my face as I push away from the bar, eyes set on the dance floor. My heels scrape lightly over the smooth floor strewn with all manner of detritus, the packed bodies sweltering in their accumulated heat. Every step I take feels as though it is equivalent to an entire mile, each forward thrust of my foot symbolic of all I’ve endured to get to this point. For years, I was a timid girl. Then, I was made fearless by my devils, only to be ripped away from them and thrust into the arms of a different type of darkness.
It’s always been them standing beside me, protecting me, but here and now, the hunted has become the hunter. And it feels so fucking good. I will bring justice to Meg, to Bethany, to Ellie, to anyone else harmed by this sick fuck. For once, I have something that the men in my life cannot replicate, and it makes me stand a little straighter, a seductive smile gracing my lips as I push my way to the middle of the dance floor with my head held high, ignoring all the pestering requests to have a dance or if I want a drink.
It ends tonight, this chapter in my life. I am not naive enough to think that by bringing down Dick, Daniel, and this old guy, that everything will topple and the world will be saved. There’s so much more evil lurking in these streets, but I’ll be able to close the door on those who chose to fuck with me.
I may not be a Stefanov by blood alone, but I have their name, and I have all the intrinsic attributes I need to be fully one of them, now. It’s literally been branded into me, and it fills me with wondrous awe that they gave me their true names last night, not in speech, but in actions, for those are always louder. I’d often wondered why they had such American names, but it wasn’t something that I ever felt I needed to pursue. Now, I know why. The thought has tears pricking my eyes in happiness, for if Vasily never met my mother, never extended his love and unending kindness to her, I’d never know them, my boys, my twins, my demons I will rule alongside over this wretched underworld, righting the wrongs and tipping the scales back in favor of the innocent.
He took us from the ashes of a life not worth living, saved us both with his selflessness, and loved in the purest of ways. To know their death was caused by another’s hands…a terrible shiver races down my spine, and the vodka settles like fire in my belly, my eyes slitting into a glare as I pause in the middle of the dance floor. I’m not sure how I know, but I just have this feeling that tonight I’ll be gifted the revenge I’ve waited so patiently for, revenge I never asked to be given, for I knew it was mine all along.