Page 33 of Born into Blood

Once I’ve said it, it dawns on me that maybe he just means he never took the women out, maybe they just hooked up and he doesn’t consider that a real date.

“Oh, no you don’t,” he says, putting his face right in front of mine so I have no choice but to look at him. “Stop thinking whatever the hell it is that you’re thinking, because it’s not true.”

“How do you know that?”

“If it has anything to do with me and other women, then it’s not true, kisa. You’ll just have to take my word on that.”

I’m too stunned to speak, so I just watch as he grabs my seatbelt and buckles me in, making sure it’s secure just like he had with the motorcycle helmet. Only when he’s satisfied I’m as secure as I can be does he pull back and settle into his own seat. With the push of a button, the engine purrs to life, and then he’s shifting and easing us into the busy traffic.

“Do you like fancy restaurants?”

My stomach knots at his words. “I’m okay with whatever you want to do.” When I start to fidget with the bottom of my skirt, he reaches a hand over to rest on top of mine.

“That’s not what I asked, kisa. Just be honest with me. Do you like fancy restaurants? Is that where you’d like me to take you?”

The idea of walking into a ridiculously overpriced restaurant while everyone stares at me makes me feel like I might vomit.

“No,” I whisper. “I’ve never been to one, and I really don’t want to.”

“Thank fuck,” he says with a soft laugh. “I’d put up with it for you, but I was really hoping you’d say no.”

He shifts into another gear before bringing his hand back to my thigh. “Do you trust me, Lara?”

I turn my head to look at him, studying his shadowed profile, and decide to keep going with the honesty thing.

“Yes. Maybe I shouldn’t because I just met you, but I do.”

He looks over, giving me a quick smile before putting his focus back on the road. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. I took a gamble and put in a food order before I picked you up.”

Grinning, I look back out the window, trying to figure out where he’s taking me. The most popular strip club in the city is not at all what I had in mind, but when he pulls into the parking lot at Pink, I’m so stunned, I’m speechless. I just stare at the long line of men outside the club, trying to figure out how in the hell Luka thought I’d like this.

“Interesting choice,” I finally say, breaking the silence.

He hears my less-than-thrilled tone and squeezes my thigh again. “You said you’d trust me,” he reminds me.

I don’t say anything while he drives us around to the back of the building, pulling to a stop right in front of the back exit. He stays in the car, grabbing his phone and sending a quick text. Less than a minute later, a young man is running out with two big bags of food. Luka slides his window down. They have a conversation in Russian while Luka takes the bags. The guy doesn’t even glance in my direction. It’s like I’m completely invisible.

“What the hell?” I say when he runs off to go back inside. “He wouldn’t even look at me.”

I take the bags and set them carefully between my feet and then look over at Luka again. I can tell he’s trying to decide what to say.

“The truth, remember?”

He grins. “Already throwing my words back at me?”

“It’s only fair.”

“True enough,” he agrees. “He didn’t look at you because that would’ve been seen as disrespectful.”

“How would it have been disrespectful? I don’t understand.”

It’s still light enough for me to see the intensity in his green eyes when he says, “Because you’re mine, and he doesn’t get to look at what’s mine.” When it’s obvious I’m too surprised to speak, he looks at the building in front of us. “My family owns this club. They own a few clubs in the city.”

He turns back to me, and when I’m still quiet, he says, “You want honesty between us?”

I give a soft nod.

“You know who my family is, don’t you?”

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