Free Sex, Lies & Nikolai by R.J. Lewis Page A

to steal formula and feed a baby instead of getting fucked up with Natasha. Not that she’s a bad person. She’s one of the best I know, but we were very wayward back then. Now she’s struggling to make ends meet for her sick mother, and we’ve drifted apart.
    “She’ll get you in with him,” Benji adds. “That’s all I’m saying.”
    “Franko’s a thug,” I tell him.
    “But he takes care of her,” he repeats, stressing the point. “Just think about it. I’d choose Franko over Nikolai any day.”
    “Then why did you go to Nikolai when you could have gone to him?”
    He grins mischievously. “And seduce men? I don’t think Franco would have had much confidence in me.”
    Franko gives me the creeps, but I don’t tell him that. I don’t like talking about this anymore. I turn away and pretend to busy myself. “Let’s get back to work, Benji.”
    He thankfully drops the subject. We go back to work, and I knock out the next hour with my head stuck on the moment before Nikolai had kissed me. I can almost relive it; the scent on his body, his chest exposed, his body warmth pressed against me.
    The tension was addictive.
    The rush… explosive .
    It makes the morning surprisingly easier to endure.
     
    *
     
    By afternoon, things have finally slowed down. Benji has cleaned up the store and Ivan has just arrived, stopping to pat his nephew on the shoulder before he pulls him aside for a word. Minutes later, Benji leaves in a huff, and Ivan comes out with arms crossed.
    “Is everything okay?” I wonder.
    It’s not like Benji to storm off like that, especially when he’s been so motivated all morning.
    Ivan gives me a long look. “I can’t abandon him.”
    I just nod, feeling utterly lost. I don’t even want to know. This is their business, not mine. Whatever just happened can stay between them. But Ivan keeps staring at me, and I’m feeling more uncomfortable by the minute.
    “Can you do something for me?” he finally asks.
    I fidget. “What is it?”
    “I have a little bit of money aside I can spare for the idiot. Can you deliver it to Nikolai for me?”
    My eyes widen. Does this guy have short term memory loss? “I just told you Nikolai doesn’t want me handing out money to him.”
    “Yes, here he doesn’t.”
    “What’s stopping you?”
    “I have bad back.” He emphasizes this by grabbing at his hipbone instead of his back.
    I resist rolling my eyes. “Ivan –”
    “Nikolai can’t keep his eyes off you, Alina. You are my best option right now.”
    “Why right now? Why not get Benji to do it?”
    “Benji is frightened, and they’re threatening him. Even if he gives them some money, they’ll hurt him anyway. The sooner I give Nikolai something, the safer Benji will be. Doesn’t that mean something to you? He may be a fool, but he doesn’t deserve to get hurt.”
    I don’t respond. I turn away and stare at the other side of the store, letting him know how unhappy I am about this. Ivan never struck me as weak. Is there nobody Nikolai doesn’t intimidate?
    On that note, I don’t want to see Nikolai right now anyway. The thought gives me anxiety. I can only handle short encounters with that man. I mean, look what happened last night. Alone in a room with him and I’d lost my senses.
    “You know he’ll be soft with you,” Ivan continues. “You’re beautiful, and he stares at you a lot. It’s the best option available for me right now.”
    Yeah, for you . Not for me.
    “You want me to go to his shop?” I ask with reluctance.
    Ivan’s shoulders relax. “He won’t be there.”
    “How do you know?”
    He raises his phone that I didn’t realize he was holding. “I just called his shop to let them know you were coming around.”
    My brows come together in surprise. “This was before you even asked me if I was going.”
    He shrugs. “You wouldn’t have said no. Your life is brittle, and finding a new job would be a nightmare in this economy.”
    My breaths slow as I stare