Inked Adonis (Litvinov Bratva Book 1)

Nothing has ever been more beautiful than the sight of my bleary-eyed best friend in a beat-up rental car.

The second Hope pulls the car into the lot of this godforsaken gas station, I come limping out from my hiding place behind the gas station. It’s been hours of standing and waiting, pressing my back against the bricks and hoping no one from the dealership has come looking for me.

The cuts from the rope around my wrists throb in time with my pulse. Every heartbeat sends fresh waves of agony through my mangled ankle, and the gouges from the dog attack feel like they’re on fire. The lingering effects of whatever drugs Ilya pumped into my system have my head spinning, my vision blurring at the edges.

But I force myself forward anyway.

Hope always swore she’d help me bury a dead body, no questions asked. I finally believe her.

Hope climbs out of the car, and the instant she sees me, her face goes ghost-white. “Holy fuck, NoNo. What in the hell happened to you?”

I throw myself at her, not caring about the stabbing pain or how I probably reek of fear and forest floor and dried blood. My best friend catches me as my legs give out, holding me up when I can’t hold myself. “I’m fine,” I manage through chattering teeth.

“Bullshit. You look awful.”

A watery laugh bubbles out of me. “I know. But I’m okay. I’ll be okay.”

“Should we sit down or—” She looks around the gas station. “I can buy you a Little Debbie snack or something. Have you eaten?”

No. Not in hours. Days, maybe. But I shake my head. “There’s no time.” I grab her wrist, tugging her toward the car with what little strength I have left. Even that small movement makes black spots dance in my vision. “We need to leave. Now.”

The trees at the edge of the lot seem to be watching us. Any moment, Ilya’s men could emerge from those shadows. Any moment, Samuil could appear to finish what his brother started.

“Was anyone following you out of the city?” I ask as we stumble along.

Her face screws up. “What are you— Nova, what the fuck is going on? I haven’t heard from you in days, and when I do, it’s some cryptic, breathy phone call about needing to pick you up. I could tell things were bad, so I didn’t ask questions. But I have to ask some now. Namely: what the fuck?”

She’s right. I owe her so much more than this.

“Once we’re in the car,” I promise.

She sighs and climbs into the driver’s seat, pulling her door shut. Then she faces me. “We’re in the car. Talk.”

I fumble for the lock button and nudge her arm towards the ignition. “Start the car. Please.”

She eyes my bandages. Dried blood cakes the edges. “Are these all from the attack Mrs. Shea called me about? She said something happened with Berry. I tried to call you, but⁠—”

“Is Berry okay? Did she get hurt?”

“Forget about the damn dog!” Hope cries out. “I care about you. I was fucking scared, Nova. You disappeared. I went to the hospital looking for you and no one would tell me anything. Your apartment was empty. You weren’t at the penthouse. Where have you been?”

“I was at my father’s house.”

Hope’s breath catches. “They called Tom? Shit.”

“I think it’s more likely that Tom called them,” I admit. “I’m pretty sure he’s been watching me for a while.”

Her hands go still on the wheel. “Why would he be watching you?”

“Because of who I’m involved with.” I swallow. “Because of Sam.”

“Please tell me you are not involved in the middle of whatever shady shit is going on between your mafia-connected boyfriend and your corrupt cop father, Nova. Please promise me at least that much.”

I can only shake my head. “I won’t say anything. The less you know the better.”

“God fucking dammit!” She slaps her palms against the steering wheel. “This is bad, Nova! This is really fucking bad.”

“I know! I know.” My chin wobbles. “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this, Hope. I just… I didn’t know who else to call. I had no one else. There’s no one⁠—”

“Shut up.” Hope grabs my good hand, squeezing it tightly. “I’m your best friend. It’s moments like this that I shine, okay? You can always call me.”

I drop my face into my hand and whimper as the stress of the last two days crushes me like a ton of bricks.

And it’s nowhere close to being over.

But the tears eventually ease. I wipe my eyes on my forearm. “I need somewhere I can hide out. Lay low for a few days. Or weeks.”

Maybe a few forevers, actually. I don’t see how I survive otherwise.

“Luckily, you have me.” Hope reaches into the backseat and returns with a duffel bag. “You gave me nothing to work with, and I still knew things were going sideways. So I packed you a go bag. Toiletries, underwear, changes of clothes, a brush. Also, that moisturizer I told you about that makes my under-eyes look⁠—”

I hurl myself at her across the console, hugging her neck. “Thank you.”

“Deodorant,” she chokes out. “That’s in there, too.”

I peel away with a wince. “Sorry.”

She waves me off. “No worries. Also—do you remember that cabin my parents bought? The one that was supposed to be my college tuition, but then I became a personal assistant and crushed their hopes and dreams? Well, I’m taking you there.”

I’m already shaking my head. “You can’t. Take me to a motel or⁠—”

“Even with the cash I stashed in that bag, you don’t have the money for a motel—and, thanks to Katerina, I won’t for much longer, either. This place is free and only forty minutes away from here. It’s where you’re going.”

I want to argue, but she makes good points. I’m low on money and options. Plus, she’s finally started the car and is driving, and I don’t want to say anything that might make her pull over. I want to keep moving.

“Good,” Hope announces when I don’t respond. “Then we’re in agreement. Over the river and through the woods, to Hope’s parents’ vacation house, we go. Try to rest. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

She’s not wrong. I lean my head against the cool window, watching trees blur past. But every time my eyes drift closed, I see Ilya’s savage smile. Hear his whispered threats about what his brother will do to me.

Sleep isn’t safe anymore. Nothing is.

I didn’t mean to doze off, but there’s drool on my chin and an indentation of the lock button on my cheek.

“Yuck.” Hope leans forward to peer down the endless dirt road stretching in front of us. Trees line the path on either side. There’s no hint of any cabins anywhere, but there are enough mosquitos to kill an elephant. “I know this is a far cry from the tropical sexcation Samuil took you on, but⁠—”

The look on my face is enough to make Hope trail off. She pinches the bridge of her nose. “There was no sexcation, was there?”

“Sorry.” I wince.

She shakes her head. “You know what? I don’t want to know. The less I know, the better, right? That’s what you said, and I’m starting to agree.”

“I wish I could tell you everything, but it’s not safe, Hope. You shouldn’t even be here right now. Actually—” I point to the side of the road. “Pull over here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

She snorts. “You’re on crutches, NoNo. You can barely walk on pavement. How are you going to hike through this mud?”

“I made my way through the woods before. I’ll be fine. And I don’t want you any closer to this mess than you already are.” I gently pull on the wheel, steering us to the shoulder. “Please, Hope.”

She relents with a sigh. “Fine, but only because the next turn takes you to the cabin.” She pulls a key and a cheap flip phone out of the glove compartment and presses both into my hand. “Stay as long as you need to, okay?”

I reach across the front seat and pull her into a hug. “Thank you, Hope. Seriously.”

“Anytime, anywhere, babe. Always.” Her voice is thick as she squeezes back. Then she pushes me towards the door. “Now, you better get going if you’re gonna hobble to the cabin before nightfall.”

I almost smile at that. Almost.

Then I climb out of the car and watch her pull away.