Russkaya Mafiya

Chapter 3

EMILY

Tate's eyes widen and his irises grow dark, as he looks me up and down. My heart speeds up as soon as I catch his scent. I draw in a deep breath, my mind going a million miles an hour.

I can't help but feel completely blindsided. I'm going to strangle Avery! I can't believe she didn't tell me that Tate was coming. I would have pretended I was still asleep had I known.

Tate's changed his clothes since class. Now he has on a fitted white V-neck that clearly outlines his muscles and his tattoos are on full display. Light wash blue jeans hang deliciously from his hips, and I know from that picture they look amazing from the backside also. God, he looks amazing.

Tate leans in close, overtaking my space. His nearness startles me and forces me to back up against my door. I can't let Tate get any closer or else I will more than likely drag him inside my apartment.

I sputter out, breathless, "Tate? What are you doing here? I was just about to leave with Avery."

He grunts, leaning slightly closer to my face, "Yeah, she's with us, I came up to get you. Do you have a coat or something to cover up with?"

Tate keeps glancing at my shoulders and legs disconcerted. I know he's talking to me, but all I can think of is, God the stubble on his cheeks makes him look fantastic. Luckily he can't read my mind.

"To cover up with? Did it get cold outside?" I'm confused, it was so hot earlier.

"It's decent out, but you're showing a lot of skin with that dress on. Maybe you should wear some pants?" He suggests while raising his eyebrow.

Tate crosses his arms across his chest, causing his shirt to stretch as his muscles bulge. I don't know if it's supposed to intimidate me to change or what. It's not going to work. I can't believe the nerve of this man and his caveman tactics. First, it was the growling and now he's telling me what to wear. If I wanted to be controlled, I would have stayed with my psycho ex.

"You are so not telling me what to wear. I've dressed already and this is what I'm wearing." I declare sternly, "I'm meeting Avery, not you. Even if it was you, I still would not go and change!" I place my hand on his chest to give him a little shove away from me. When I make contact with his pecs, his nostrils flare. He glares heatedly down at me, as if I'm dinner.

"Let's just go. Avery and Cameron are waiting in the car." He growls out suddenly, looking pissed when he turns away and stomps down the hall.

Geez, is this man always so broody? I thought I was too serious all the time; clearly, Tate has me beat. What on Earth could possibly be so bad in his life? Tate's beyond gorgeous, has money out the yin yang, and appears to be somewhat intelligent. I swear I'll never understand men.

I trail behind him and when we get outside, I see a blacked-out, lifted Tahoe with beefy tires parked at the curb. I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that Tate would drive something like this. He just earned some cool points with his choice of vehicle. Most of the guys from where I'm from have lifted trucks on big tires.

"What happened to your Mercedes you were in the other night?"

I've been told by London that I'm a very inquisitive person. I, however, tell her I have special snooping privileges with her since she's my best friend. Maybe she's right, I am nosey. I'll never admit it to her, though.

Tate glances back at me with a huff and opens the passenger door for me to get in. "I drove the SUV because I wanted you to be comfortable with the extra room."

I get in and his comment floors me. Tate was thinking about me when he picked out which vehicle to drive? That means he had already planned to see me tonight. If he was thinking about me though, then why did he have to go and be an ass to me about my damn clothes? Ugh, God this man is so confusing!

Avery leans forward, tapping me playfully on my shoulder, "Emily! Damn girl, you look hot! I see Tate found your place without any problems." She looks entirely too pleased with herself and it makes me want to throw something at her.

I smirk, "Glad someone appreciates my outfit, Tate wanted me to go back and change." I shoot him a smug look. Take that, big boy!

Cameron starts chuckling until Tate glares at him in the rearview mirror. He starts driving and doesn't say anything for a while. I can hear Avery and Cameron talking low with Avery fake giggling at random things. Yeah, they are so going to f**k, if they haven't already.

I'll admit I'm a little jealous. I wish I could get with a guy and not worry about all the complications. Perhaps I should have a one-night stand? It's okay to scratch the itch, and then send them home, right? Guys do it all the time, so why can't I? I think that would be a safer option for me. No possible crazy boyfriend or posting photos of us, that sort of thing.

Maybe that's what I'll do tonight. I'll see if there's anybody worth having a one-night stand with. The idea sounds ludicrous really, since I've never done that sort of thing before. I know Tate will be pre-occupied, most likely with multiple women. I can't blame them though, he is so handsome. Obviously, Cameron and Avery are getting close, so I'm going to try to have some fun tonight.

"So where exactly are we going anyhow?"

I've been pretty much nowhere since I moved here. The most I've seen of Tennessee so far was the highway, the rest stops I made to get here and the surrounding lakes. The drive was beautiful, with lots of trees and grassy hills. The road through Arkansas was horrible, all the bumps and dips. Thank God it was a quick drive through it or I would have gone nuts.

Avery leans forward between the seats, right when I turn to look into the back seat. She gets so close we almost butt foreheads and I jerk back. She laughs and I grumble. Crazy girl scared the s**t out of me!

"We, my friend, are going to OO7. It's my favorite club in the whole wide world! We are going to get our drink on, dance on, and our freak on!" She smiles manically and I grin back.

"What is this, are we stepping into a James Bond flick?" I inquire, curiously. They all chuckle around me, and I peer at everyone inquisitively for some answers.

Avery happily chortles out, "Oh no! I want to see your reaction when we walk in. You will just have to wait and see. Geez, their martinis are out of this world! We are going to shake our booties until our feet feel like they want to fall off!" She seems to always know exactly what to say to bring a smile to my face.

"Girl, you are such a dork! I'll dance, but no drinking for me."

I never know when I might need all my senses intact. I know one day he's going to be waiting for me in a dark parking lot. Keeping alert could save my life if I'm ever in that position.

"What?! We have two good-looking men who are more than capable to carry our asses out of there if needed. You are getting toasted, Emily!"

I've learned the hard way not to rely on men, I'm not about to start now. I shake my head minutely, "I'll dance, but no drinks for me."

"We will see!" Avery sings, and plops back. She is pretty much sitting on top of Cameron. He looks thrilled about it though, so whatever, none of my business.

Tate glances over at me and does that one-arm extended thing, men do when they drive. God, he's delectable right now, all serious. His forehead does this little crinkle thing like he's thinking about something hard, then he shakes his head and faces forward again.

"Huh? What was that just now?"

"Nothing," he mumbles.

Nothing my ass! "Umm, no! You just did a little head shake thingy."

"Just stay close in the club, okay? There will be a lot of people there you don't know, and I don't want you getting lost."

Christ, this man. "Seriously? I'm twenty years old, Tate, and believe it or not, I am a grown woman. This is not the first time I've been to a club." Perhaps I just tie a rope to his belt buckle at this point?

"I'm very aware you are a grown woman, Krasaaveetsa (beauty). Just trust me, please," Tate grumbles. After a moment he relaxes his features and stares at me wearily.

"Okay stud, since you asked nicely. I guess I'll stick close. But if you start getting overly bossy, I'm gone."

Turning, I watch out of my window as we drive. There is only so much Luka ‘Tate' Masterson I can take. He's so handsome, and then he opens his mouth and ruins it.

I think I'm going to call the bossy ass side ‘Luka' and the sweet man hunk side ‘Tate'. That makes it's easier to break up the two personalities. s**t, what if he's a narcissist or something? That would be my luck, entice yet another psycho. Well, if I did appeal to him. I don't think he's that interested though. He's made it clear he doesn't see me in the booty call picture, so maybe he's not attracted to me?

I burst out, quickly before I have a chance to think it through, "Do you have a personality disorder?" I gaze at him curiously. The people with personality disorders will admit it, right?

Tate glares, fuming for a few beats before he growls, "f**k! I'm just going to drive, okay?"

Man, he looks pissed. Yep, he could totally have a personality issue. The back of the SUV got dead silent, too. I wonder if they think the same thing.

I stay silent. I know he didn't mean it as a question, it's best if I just keep to myself.

"Christ! No, Emily, no personality disorder, okay. f**k! Did you ever think maybe you're a little naïve and I'm just looking out for you?"

Tate's cheeks are flushed angrily and he looks like steam could come out of his ears at my little question. That was completely uncalled for. He didn't have to get so heated, it was an honest query.

I feel my blood start to boil, embarrassed by his outburst insinuating that I'm naïve. He has nerve. How dare he talk down to me in front of our friends!

"Naïve? Naïve?" Swinging my head back towards him, angrily, "f**k you, Luka!" I shriek, riled up. "I'm sure I've been through way more s**t than you could ever imagine!"

Huffing, I turn back to my window. "Just forget I said anything, okay? Just be broody and drive and I'll keep my naïve thoughts to myself." Crossing my arms angrily I stew in my thoughts. Tate grunts and turns up the radio to a newer song I've never heard before.

Asshole. d**k. Motherfucker. He has no idea. None! He has the balls to call me naïve. We just freaking met! No wonder he's single. Wait, is he single? He probably is if he makes comments like that to women.

We head through Knoxville to get to the club area. The lights and traffic make my heart beat faster with excitement. It feels big to me, but then I came from a small town. We don't have all the people and busyness unless you head to one of the cities.

Everyone is so supportive of the Tennessee Vols. It reminds me of home and all the football fans around Austin with the Longhorns. I can't wait until I have some free time to check out the museums and the farmer's market right by the college.

We end up at an area that has a bunch of shoebox-sized clubs and stop in front of the largest. The building is a dark gray color, and has a large silver sign that says ‘OO7' with lights illuminating it.

Wrapped from the front entrance to around the building is a long line of people. Everyone waiting is dressed to the nines, with the majority focused on their phones.

After circling the lot a few times, we eventually park. Tate hops out, rounding the vehicle quickly to open my door for me.

I hesitate only a moment when he reaches for me, and then I grasp his hand to let him help me climb down from the raised SUV. At least he has some manners.

Avery happily loops her arm through mine and we practically run to keep up with Cameron and Tate's long-legged pace. Avery hobbles like she may break her ankle in her gorgeous, high shoes. I love her outfit but I would probably kill myself in those shoes.

She leans in, eyes lit up with mischief and starts whispering in my ear. Her nose bumps into me a few times; she's so close it makes me chuckle.

"My God, Emily, I about died when you asked him if he has a personality disorder!" Avery whisper-yells, "Cameron's face was so red from holding his laugh in, he looked like a fat tomato! I thought Tate was going to explode." She flails her arms with mine in tow, "He looked like he wanted to rip someone's head off! You are freaking crazy and the s****l tension between you guys is insane!" She giggles, but I don't like what she's implying. I am so not going there with Tate Masterson!

Rolling my eyes, I grumble, "Ha, s****l tension my ass, he's a jerk face that needs to relax a little. I would not let that man have s*x with me, no matter how hot I think he is. He's infuriating!"

She grins big and then squeals, "I knew you thought he was hot!"

"Shhh!" I quickly check to make sure the guys didn't hear her, but they are walking ahead, deep in their own conversation. "That's all you heard out of that?"

Shrugging, she smiles and gestures for me to look forward. We finally make it to the entrance after our trek through the parking lot. Avery and I step up on the curb, me helping her so she doesn't fall over and I glance up at the building again. The sign appears huge and almost magnetizing up close.

I'm guessing that apparently Tate knows the guys up front because he's heading right for them. Maybe we'll get lucky and get to bypass this long line.

There are three tall, largely built men dressed in black, whom I'm assuming are the bodyguards or door guys. One normal-sized guy in the middle is dressed in a sharp black suit with a strong nose and short black scruff on his face. He oozes money and self-confidence. The suit guy turns to Tate and nods at him.

"Luka, moy brat."

Whoa! What is that? That sounded so sexy!

"Viktor," Tate rolls out in his deep, raspy voice and nods back.

He doesn't stop, just walks right in. We all shuffle in, close behind Tate. As we get through the door, I hear the men start talking in a language I don't understand. With the music, it's hard for me to catch any piece of it.

Making our way into OO7, I'm instantly hit with trance-like music. It's like I've entered a different realm or something. The lights are dim and flashing to the beat of the music.

It's busy but not so crowded that you have to bump into every person you walk past. There are beautiful, exotic-looking females dressed in red or black fitted dresses. They must be the servers, because they carry around trays full of different colored martinis and pass them out to whoever asks for one.

Do you have to prepay or something in order to get drinks? This is awesome but looks so ridiculously expensive. I didn't even get asked for an ID. I'm only twenty; I hope I'm allowed to even be in here right now. No one said anything about specific age requirements.

I feel like I just fell down the rabbit hole in ‘Alice in Wonderland' as I take in everything. In the middle of the club is a two-story dance floor surrounded by glass walls. It almost appears as if they are in a giant glass elevator.

Well, obviously this is why the club doesn't seem too busy inside. The majority of people are dancing. I glance to Avery and she nods her head upward.

Looking up toward the ceiling, I expect to see ceiling beams or maybe dancers or something. I never expected to see a silver Aston Martin, suspended from grey metal cables above us.

This place is insane! It's like walking onto the set of a James Bond movie. No wonder Avery loves this place so much!

Avery yells, "Let's get a table," trying to make up for the loud, thrumming music. Both of the guys nod at her and I give her a thumbs up.

Tate leads us to the VIP section. Even though the club is posh enough as it is, they still have a section sanctioned off. I walk up a few stairs, lined with rope lighting, to the raised section. The smaller area holds about ten different sized, round booths.

As soon as our butts hit our booth, a server is waiting with a friendly smile on her face. I bet these women make a ton in tips; they are all so gorgeous.

"I want a Cosmo, please!" Avery perks up, eagerly.

"Courvoisier on the rocks," Cameron rumbles.

"We will both have bottled water," Tate orders, gesturing to him and me, before I have a chance to say anything.

"Thanks, but you can have a drink if you want to, Tate," I turn toward him and offer loudly.

"Nah, I don't drink a lot. I like to be aware of my surroundings and stay in control of my body."

Hmm... Something else we have in common. I'm sure it's for entirely opposite reasons, but at least he's out of d**k mode from earlier.

Avery grabs my hand and starts tugging to get me out of the booth. "Come on, Emily, let's go hit the dance floor, I freaking love this song!"

‘Cracks' remix by Belle Humble is vibrating off the walls. I love this song too. It's perfect to move to and get lost in.

Avery downs half her drink and jumps up out of the booth, pulling me in tow. The guys stand up with us and I pull back on Avery, peering up at Tate, confused.

"What about our drinks? Shouldn't we finish them first? It's not safe to leave them and come back."

I'm not about to take unnecessary risks just because a couple of guys are with us. I feel a little safer that we are in a group but I have to try and think about stuff safely.

"Don't worry about the drinks, everything will be okay. The server is called a Table Assistant here." He nods at our lady handling our table. "It's her job to watch our drinks, jackets, purses, and anything else we leave behind. She will even walk you to the restroom for safety, in case you feel unwell or need a cool towel or whatever. There is a girl assigned to each table."

I'm impressed; what a great idea for a club to keep people safe! So many women have gotten taken advantage of by date rape drugs or being out alone.

"Wow! That is such an awesome idea!"

I smile at him and we make our way to the dance floors. There are a few and we head straight for the large one in the middle. Avery and Cameron automatically start dancing together.

Well, this is a little awkward. I look to Tate, unsure, to see if he feels the same as me. He meets my eyes wearing this sexy little smirk on his face. His lips kind of go up on one side and he has some hot-ass dimples. Sweet Jesus, I could seriously lick his dimples. He's so yummy when he finally starts to relax.

He reaches out and lightly pulls me toward him. Tate leans in closely. He's so warm; it feels like his whole body is wrapped around me. I guess I didn't realize just how big he is compared to me. I always see him and Cameron next to each other so he doesn't appear that big.

He draws me in more and lowers his lips right next to my ear. I can feel his breath flutter against my neck and it's giving me goose bumps. His body molds to mine as we dip and move to ‘Cracks.'

The beat is insane on these speakers. Mixing the music with his firm body and warm breath turns me on. Maybe he's not so bad after all.

"So, little one, why did you decide to go to college here?" Tate's voice has a deep, rich timbre and it makes me want to snuggle even closer to him. If I could crawl into his pocket right now, I think I would.

Shrugging, I go with a basic answer, "I just thought it was a decent school. A good place to start my life, you know? What about you?" I don't really want to delve into my personal life with him.

"Pretty much the same for me." He returns my same answer and it makes me a little suspicious.

I take in the servers and all the drinks being handed out so freely.

Turning back to Tate, puzzled, "I don't understand, I keep seeing people take drinks off the server's trays. Did they prepay or something? I don't remember seeing you pay for anything either." I scan the floor again to see if anyone goes to the bar, but they don't.

He shakes his head, "There's a door fee when they come in. A hundred dollars per person if they drink. They can drink as much as they want from the server's trays. It's all good quality liquors, so it's a more than fair price." He gestures to the bar and I glance back at the long, oak bar top, running almost in a large circle.

"If anyone wants certain premium liquors, champagne, et cetera, then they can order it from the bar and pay the bartenders. If they don't drink, then they only pay twenty-five dollars for a glow band." Tate nods towards a young girl dancing next to us with a lit up bracelet. "When they are ready to go, a door guard will remove their glow band so they can leave."

He pulls me back to him as we sway to the beat, "The glow bands have sensors in them, in case someone under twenty-one tries to take them off while in the club, to drink. As you can see though, how everyone is dressed, this place attracts a certain older wealthy clientele with younger women."

I huff a small laugh, this guy could work here if he wanted. His scent surrounds me the entire time we dance, pulling me into craving more of his touch.

"Geez, you must come here a lot, you know everything." Probably where he gets his booty calls he was talking about the other day.

"Eh, I stop in once or twice a month to check out things." He shrugs.

We dance for four more songs until I decide it's time to sit for a few minutes and get a drink. I'm a little out of breath and my feet are hurting already. I wave for Avery to follow but she just shoos me to go on without her.

Avery attends college on a volleyball scholarship, and playing the game keeps her body in great shape. She looks like she's not even a little winded, whereas I probably look like a wet cat at this point.

After a quick break, we head back to dance some more, and Tate pulls me close to him again. It seems more familiar and we start to really get into it.

I rest my hands on his solid chest and I swear I can feel something by his n*****s. Holy s**t! He has barbells in his n*****s. That is so freaking hot.

I start to rub over his n*****s, being brave for the first time in so long. It's erotic and we are already grinding to the sensual beat. I feel like I'm in a drunken haze, yet I've only had water tonight.

Tate moves his hands down my back until he's closer to my ass. I softly rub over his chest and arms. His arms are flexed tight and I can't stop picturing him holding me while pushing inside of me.

I close my eyes tightly, breathing deeply to get myself back under control. Tate smells f*****g edible, making my mouth water in anticipation each time I feel his breath while he talks. I keep craving to be able to suck on his n****e rings.

My eyes shoot open when all of a sudden he's gone, and I almost fall forward.

He grumbles, "That's enough, I'm done."

Tate starts walking back toward our table and Avery sends me a confused look, questioning what just happened. I shrug, because hell if I know what I did.

She quickly makes her way to me, "What happened, Emily?"

Cameron's already caught up to Tate so we head back to the table behind them.

I shrug, "I have no idea. He just said it was enough and he was done. I know he's probably a little pissed he hasn't gotten to dance with other females by now, but it's not like I'm making him dance with just me. I would be more than happy to go find someone who wants to dance if that would make him happy."

She bursts out laughing, flashing a bright smile, "Are you insane, woman? You can't possibly think that with what he's been doing!"

I scrunch my nose, "What do you mean ‘with what he's been doing'?"

"Holy s**t, dude, I think you might be blind! We need to get you some glasses, like, yesterday. While you guys were dancing, anytime a guy starts to come near you, Tate snaps his fingers and points at the guy." Avery snaps her fingers and makes a circular motion then points with her right finger, demonstrating, "then a bouncer comes, grabs the guy and drags him off." She giggles again, "Trust me, Emily, there were probably five guys trying to come dance with you, but Tate isn't having it."

My vision clouds with anger upon hearing this. I'm so mad right now at his nerve, I could burst. How dare he?

"Are you kidding me?"

"Ha! No way, dude, he isn't letting anyone near you." She points at me and shakes her head, thoroughly amused.

"You know what, Avery?" I huff, "Go sit with them. I'm so f*****g over that man, and I'm the one who's done! Not him. I'm not dealing with any more of his attitude tonight. I'm going outside."