Page 22 of Paved in Venom

“Would you do that?” I can’t help but ask.

His grey eyes stay on mine when he says without hesitation, “Yes,” and I believe him. I have no doubt that this man would kill without a second thought if anyone dares to touch me tonight, and it’s a damn comforting thought.

“Okay,” I say, letting out a breath. “I’m ready to go then.”

“Simona,” he starts and then lets out a breath, “I’m going to have to treat you differently in the club. Do you understand that?”

“Like how?”

“I can’t show up with you after spending so much money to buy you and then be kind. I have to act like I own you, like I own every part of you. I can’t be hesitant with how I touch you. I need to know you’re okay with that before we do this.”

I think about what he’s saying, trying to understand if there’s a hidden meaning in there. I’ve been to very few nightclubs, and never to anything even close to a strip club or sex club or whatever the fuck kind of club this is, so I have no clue what goes on inside them. My heart speeds up when I start to think of all the things that might be expected of me.

“You’re not going to make me do anything, right?” I feel like a giant idiot when I add, “Like sex or whatever?” To hide my embarrassment I just keep talking, which only makes everything worse. “Because I don’t want to do that. I don’t know what this club is like, but, I mean, are you going to have to prove that you’ve claimed me or whatever? I can’t do that, Danil. I feel stupid enough walking around in this dress. I’m already out of my comfort zone, like big time. I’m not sure how much more I can handle.”

He grabs my upper arms and squeezes them gently. “Just relax,” he says, and I can hear the soothing tone he’s using. It’s the let’s talk this crazy woman off the ledge voice, but even knowing this, it doesn’t make it any less comforting.

“I would never make you do something like that,” he says. His thumbs gently run over my skin, making goosebumps break out along my arms. “I just meant that I’m going to need to touch you, put you on my lap, hold you close, that kind of thing, and I can’t be hesitant when I do it.”

I lick my lips and think about what he’s said. “Okay,” I tell him. “If that’s all it will be, then I can do that.”

He nods and gives my arms one last caress before he lets me go so I can put on my heels. As I slip them on and my feet immediately start to ache, I promise myself that I’m going to burn them when all this is said and done and get myself a comfy pair of Converse All Stars. Fuck that, I’m getting several. I want a pair in each color.

Danil notices my grimace and offers me his arm as we walk up the stairs. I take it, leaning on him for support. I’m running on pure fumes and adrenaline at this point. It’s been a long fucking forty-eight hours, and I’m still feeling jet lagged from my initial flight to Romania. Shouldn’t it be canceled out since I’m back in America? If that’s the case, my body didn’t get the memo. I have a feeling Danil’s going to have to carry me out of the club tonight.

The others are already waiting for us when we enter the living room again. The penthouse is gorgeous, not that I expected anything less. If they’ve got the money to shell out 3.5 million like it’s nothing, they’re obviously not hurting for cash. It’s too dark to see what’s beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, but the city is lit up, and I’m guessing it’ll be one hell of a view when the sun’s up.

“Ready?” Vitaly asks. He and Lev and Roman have changed into suits, but Matvey is still wearing his jeans and hoodie. Emily hasn’t changed either, and Roman’s arm is wrapped around her upper chest, holding her body up against his. It’s a protective hold, and I know there’s no way in hell she’ll be leaving the safety of the vehicle tonight, no matter what happens.

“Yeah, we’re ready,” Danil says.

I keep my arm wrapped through his as we walk to the elevator. I’ve never seen a private elevator like this, didn’t even know people could have their own elevators that opened right into their homes. Turns out there’s a lot of things I didn’t know about, some of which I wish I was still ignorant of. We all manage to cram in, and even with my tall heels, I feel like I’m being swallowed up by the men around me. They tower over me and Emily, but instead of feeling scared, I feel safe. There’s no way in hell anything’s getting through this wall of muscle. I grip Danil’s forearm tighter, and he places his hand over mine, giving it a soft squeeze.

When the elevator opens up onto the parking garage, Matvey walks over to a black Camaro with Lev while the rest of us get into a black SUV that is apparently bulletproof, because that’s a fucking normal thing for someone to have. Roman drives with Emily in the passenger seat and the rest of us get in the back. I sit between Vitaly and Danil.

“You sure you want to go in alone?” Vitaly asks once we’re on the main road.

“I think it’ll look less suspicious,” Danil says. “I’m going to try to make this as fast as possible.”

Vitaly gives me a playful wink. “That’s what he tells all the ladies.”

A laugh slips out before I can stop it. This is not a lighthearted situation at all or a topic that’s in any way funny, and I’m pretty sure that’s exactly why Vitaly cracked a joke. We’re all wound up too tightly, and some of that tension eases off a little when Roman also laughs and Danil mutters something in Russian that has Vitaly smiling even bigger.

Several minutes later, we pull into a small club, and it’s not at all what I was expecting. It’s pretty nondescript, and this area of the city looks shady as fuck, but the parking lot is full of expensive cars. No one would park a Jaguar in this area and then just leave it unsupervised for hours at a time, and yet they’ve all chosen to do just that, and not a single one of them looks vandalized in any way.

Roman parks next to a red Lamborghini and Matvey takes the space next to us. Danil gives my hand another squeeze before saying, “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I tell him. “It’s not going to be for long.”

“No, it won’t be,” he assures me before opening the door.

“Text if you need us,” Roman tells him.

“Will do,” Danil says, stepping out and then offering me his hand to help me down. Before we walk off, he gives the top of Matvey’s car a couple of soft smacks, letting him know we’re on our way in.

I eye the building in front of us. It’s bland with nothing but a small sign that reads Red Viper above the front door. There’s a very large bouncer standing out front, looking straight at us. Nothing about this place screams, Come on in for a cold one! This place must operate on word of mouth alone, and I’m guessing not even that is enough to get you through the front door.

“Okay, Simona, time to put on a show,” Danil whispers.

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