SIX
Anton
"What the hell are you doing, Savannah?" It's the first time I haven't called her by the little pet name that I've bestowed on her.
Why the fuck did she steal my gun? And why is she pointing it at me?
"You tell me! You brought me to the middle of nowhere."
I really wish that I hadn't loaded the gun with bullets. She's cocked the safety off, so she seems to know what she's doing, and her hands aren't shaking. Is it the adrenaline or something else?
"I brought you so we could go camping," I say. "The gear is in the trunk. You can have a look if you'd like."
She glances from me to the back of the SUV. She can't see the trunk's contents from here, and I didn't bring that much stuff. I was planning on roughing it with her. I had wanted to sleep under the stars and get to know her but figured a tent would come in handy if the bugs got to be too much.
"Really? Camping on a second date?"
"I didn't know we were dating," I say and quirk a grin, attempting to disarm her emotionally.
Hopefully, I can retrieve the gun if I make her realize I'm not that bad of a guy. She's probably flustered after that stupid FBI agent showing up at the club, putting scary thoughts into her head about who we are and what we do.
"I just thought," her nose scrunches and the look of irritation crosses her face, "you brought me out here to kill me!"
"Why would I do that?" I ask, my voice calm and even. That FBI agent got inside her head. "Is that what that man told you? That I murder people."
"Not in so many words," Savannah whispers. Her brow furrows, and she slowly lowers the gun. I grab it from her and put the safety back on before shoving it back into the glovebox.
"He was following me this morning," I say, trying to explain what I know to her as best as I can. "I saw him at the café when we bumped into each other. No way it was a coincidence." It's the first time I recall seeing him before Club Sage. "He must have seen us together and figured he'd get to me through you."
I need to be more careful, especially if the feds are snooping around, following my ass and harassing the girls at the club.
"I didn't tell him anything," Savannah says, her voice softer, calmer. "I'm sorry I pulled your gun on you."
"So am I." I run a hand through my unkempt hair and give a throaty laugh. I never thought I'd see the day when one of the dancers snatched my gun and had the opportunity to kill me. I also never expected to sleep with one of them.
I exhale a heavy breath. "Come look at the stars with me," I say and climb out of the vehicle. The air in the SUV is heavy and oppressive from what just transpired. I need a little distance and space, not necessarily from Savannah but from all of it.
I want to leave it behind.
But I can't.
I'm part of the bratva. They're my brothers, and I will never be able to escape their clutches. Not that it's all bad. I like working for Nikita. And Mikhail is a fine Pakhan. I have no complaints about him running the show. It would just be nice not to look over my shoulder and worry that my ass could get thrown in prison for the shit I've done.
Another life, maybe. If you believe in that sort of thing.
I open the trunk, and the lid lifts, revealing the contents stored inside. Savannah comes around the passenger side to stand with me, taking notice of the tent. "How'd you know I love camping?"
"I took a guess," I say. She could have been the kind of woman who hates the outdoors, but even if that were the case, we could lie out under the stars and stare up at the night sky. I've never had a woman say no to doing that with me. Not that it's a regular occurrence, but I was young once—what feels like a lifetime ago.
I grab the bag with the tent and poles inside and bring it out of the SUV. There's a clearing in the forest, a perfect spot to camp under the stars. The tent I got allows one to sky watch while being inside, perfect so that we can fall asleep under the stars.
Using the vehicle's headlights, within a matter of minutes, I have the tent set up, and I toss in a sleeping bag and open it up for us to lie on together. I grab a second sleeping bag and open it up as a blanket if it gets any chillier.
"Come lie under the stars with me." I don't wait for Savannah to answer. I grab her hand and tug her to follow me into the tent.
We shuffle onto the sleeping bag, and I lay my head on the plush, oversized pillow. Savannah curls right up beside me, sharing my pillow as we stare at the night sky.
I want her to relax and unwind. But I also want her to tell me everything the FBI agent said to her tonight. I need to know how much the feds know and what they have on us, if anything. I'm guessing not much, or they'd raid the place.
She stares up at the sky. There's a heaviness that looms over her.
Is it because she's tired?
It's well beyond the early morning hours, and soon the night sky will offer a beautiful sunrise that will be difficult to see among the trees. The clearing gives us the perfect view straight above but obstructs everything around us, with dancing shadows and branches twisting for miles in every direction.
I run my fingers over her arm, a gentle caress over her bare skin as I pull her closer and roll onto my side. I want to kiss her, devour her, and show her what it's like to be worshipped by a man obsessed with her.
"I'm sorry that I doubted you," Savannah says, her voice barely above a whisper.
"He got into your head, that's all." It's not as though Savannah has been working with me for years or is part of the bratva. She's probably the easiest to turn, and that's what that stupid federal agent had been counting on.
Savannah emits a heavy sigh. "Are you dangerous?"
Her question catches me off guard. I had expected her to ask about the business, if I've murdered anyone before or even what we do as bratva.
"I'd never hurt you, kitten," I say. "You shouldn't fear me." I don't point out that if she betrayed me and spilled my secrets to the FBI, I'd have no choice but to hurt her.
I am dangerous.
Ruthless.
Cruel.
Savage.