Weaving through the traffic on her customized Harley, Ana enjoyed the feeling of the wind whipping against her face. Her skin felt cold and numb but as her eyes watered against the onslaught Ana enjoyed the feeling. Her long hair swirled all around her as the wind waved through it, making her feel like a night goddess, zipping through her shadowy kingdom. She loved moments like this, when she was truly alone. Ana had nothing holding her back. As her highly powered engine spinning two wheels that propelled her forward, she always imagined she was speeding away from past demons on nights like this. Ana veered right and got off on the Hwy 33 exit, knowing the road ahead far too well. It was one of 7 routes that would lead her to her greatest addiction and she knew the roads by heart. Every twist and sharp turn, every crack in the asphalt, every bump in the road, Ana had memorized and catalogued.

Tatyana, also known as Ana, was 21 years old in years, and 57 years old in experiences. Her mother, Tamara Atriz Jackson, was the head chef at a 5 star restaurant that belonged to the Aleksandrov crime family, which is where she met Sergei Dragovich, a driver and part time hired gun-man for the Aleksandrov family. The two had fallen in love and one year later Tatyana was born, leaving her mother dead in the process and her father crazed from the experience. He always remained busy, carrying out assigned assassinations or conducting business dealings overseas so Ana was raised in the Aleksandrov household with the twins. Dimitri, the don of the Aleksandrov family, had two twin sons, Nikolai and Mikhail. They were 18 years older than Ana.

Ana was always a bright child. Her hazel eyes were wide and vivid, barely missing a thing even at a young age. She noticed behaviors and mannerisms. She knew you didn’t talk about certain things, family business stays in the family, don’t ask any questions, and most importantly, don’t snitch. Snitching is the lowest of the low, its betrayal against your own people. Snitches get stitches, enough said. Ana watched all of the dealings of the house. Took note of those few members who were there one day and gone the next, never to be mentioned again, took note of the fancy dressed business men who conducted business behind closed doors, and all of the hushed tones and murmurs.

Living in the Aleksandrov house taught Ana everything she needed to know in life. At first Ana kept to herself, staying in her room upstairs reading and only leaving her room a few times to eat or take her mandatory self-defense classes. The lessons were mandatory because Dimitri and Sergei both agreed that she should know how to keep herself safe in case anything ever happened. Dimitri raised Ana like she was his own daughter. He was a close friend of Sergei and knew that he was going through a tough time. The few times Ana encountered her father he was kind enough, doing the customary, hug, kiss, how’s school thing, but there was definitely awkward tension. Sergei could not look at Ana without seeing her mother, and no matter how much he loved his daughter, being near her was too painful. Eventually, Sergei was killed in a hit gone wrong, leaving Ana without any close relatives. She became a ward of the mob.

Dimitri took her in. It was an unspoken transition, Ana was living in the house anyway so there wasn’t much that changed except now she no longer expected visits from her absentee father. Mikhail and Nikolai tried extra hard to make her feel included. They would practice her hand to hand combat with her, giving her pointers when necessary but mostly leaving her extremely sore by the end of it. Nikolai took Ana to a range to teach her how to fire a gun and aim to kill, and occasionally Mikhail would braid her hair while they watched a movie. The age gap and lack of shared blood didn’t matter to them, they treated Ana like family. Eventually, as Ana reached 18, it became apparent that she didn't really have a purpose within the family. She’d home schooled, had zero interest in going to a university, but she wasn’t content to free load off of the family. She wanted to work.

Despite her perfect aim, Dimitri, Mikhail, and Nikolai all refused to let her do any work involving fighting or death, they all offered her cook books, knitting needles, and other useless pastimes that Ana had no interest in. Eventually they found a way for her to get an adrenaline fix without serious danger. After sneaking out to one of the major Aleksandrov street races and entering under an alias, Ana had found her calling. Of course, Dimitri knew it was her but after seeing her race, and giving a very stern lecture, he decided that she could drive his cars in the races.

When Ana began racing officially she was a sight to see. At 5’6, she had long legs and wide hips that she used to her advantage when she strutted through crowds. Her heart shaped face, childlike dimples, and small button nose gave her an innocent look while her devilish smirk and wide honey-chestnut colored hazel eyes made her alluring. Her milk chocolate skin was smooth and baby soft to touch. Once she hit 16 men began to take notice of her body. Puberty had given her many useful assets, mostly in the form of 34D’s and a shapely round butt. Much to Dimitri’s dismay, she love her newfound attention, which meant Mikhail and Nikolai accompanied her almost everywhere she went even though she could keep herself safe. 

 Ana shook her head, smiling to herself as she remembered all of the antics gotten herself into trying to prove to the Aleksandrov men that she was a big girl now.  Ana arrived at the gathering, slowing down her bike so that she could weave within the crowd of people gathered waiting for the main event to begin. She revved the engine, a warning to anyone stupid enough to walk directly in front of her bike to back away as she made her way to her chariot. Ana kept her own eyes peeled, observing the spectators, and the challengers. It was easy to tell the difference between the two. The spectators featured scantily clad females in low cut tops, booty shorts, and tight skirts, or well-dressed business men checking on their investments or gambling some of it away. The challengers however were a different story. There were various gangs and micro- mafia, each wants more money and status. Most of them sported scowls and tattoos, and most were giving Ana curious looks. This was a common reaction to her arrivals. She was a female, in a place where females were little more than toys to be played with and discarded. However Ana lacked the excessive makeup, swaying hips, and exposed skin that the other females were displaying. To add to their confusion, Ana’s bike was far too modified. That type of hardware would only be with a female involved with the race, or with a direct link to Nikolai’s mafia, both made Ana a symbol to be feared. Ana wasn’t sure how she actually felt about being feared. The fear kept her safe to a certain extent. People who knew of her connections knew that any wrong done against her would bring hell down in the form of Nikolai Aleksandrov’s mafia. The fear also made her a symbol for anyone stupid enough to attempt a hit against Aleksandrov’s army.

“Tati!” a deep masculine voice barked, snapping Ana out of her deep sea of thoughts. Only two people called her by that name and Ana knew that was her cue to go where she belonged, Ana sighed and steered her bike to the left, out of the crowd and into the Aleksandrov’s designated area. It wasn’t roped off but the large crowd steered clear of the area. A semi- circle of show cars surrounded the faux-VIP area. Within it, top and mid-management Mafioso’s drank and joked merrily. It was a neutral area that provided a way for the big time players to get to know each other and speak about certain aspects of business. Of course, no serious discussions went on here. The heavy business dealings were schedule for later dates, in more heavily guarded hotel suites with less wandering ears.

Ana cut the engine and got off her bike. Her thighs tingled from the lack of the bikes vibrations. She ran a hand through her hair and unzipped her black Dolce & Gabbana leather jacket before stretching her back. She was greeted by the harsh cold wind dancing across her lower stomach as her tight baby tee rode up. She’d dressed for the occasion in dark wash jeans that looked like they had been painted on, a white tee that barely covered her navel, allowing her diamond navel ring to play peek-a-boo, and a jacket to keep her warm. A stylish pair of deep purple Louboutin's completed her racing attire. Ana weaved through the small group of people, nodding greetings to a few old business associates who she knew and approached the man who she knew the voice belonged too. Nikolai was leaning against the side of her car while a familiar pair of toned thighs and an amazing ass bent over the hood.

“You know the car won’t spontaneously change Misha, you don’t have to check under the hood every time I race.” She chided, knowing Mikhail hated his nickname. Mikhail stood and shut the hood of her customized black on black Dodge Charger and turned around to face her. Having both twins looking at her sent a punch straight down to Ana’s gut, she always forgot how good looking they were. They were both 6’4 with dark hair, dark brown eyes that made you feel like you were drowning in them, and strong cheekbones. Both had broad shoulders, powerfully sculpted arms, and heavily muscled chests with 6 pack abs that led down to strong legs, muscular thighs, and asses that would make any woman swoon. There were differences though. Mikhail’s hair was curlier while Nikolai’s hair was straight. Mikhail had one dimple on his left cheek while Nikolai didn’t have any dimples. Mikhail had a short slightly scruffy beard that he often rubbed while in deep thought while Nikolai preferred to be clean shaven. One thing that they both acquired through life was the various tattoos necessary for symbolizing men of their status and positions. The stars on their knees that meant they would not kneel to anyone, the ones on their chest that signified their high rank, the various gothic crosses, and other tattoos had other meanings, and almost all of them matched.

“Tati, I have 50 grand on this race, make me proud ya?” Nikolai said, grabbing her shoulders and bending down to place his forehead on hers. Their eyes met and Ana nodded her head before Nikolai hugged her briefly and walked off. 50 grand wasn’t a lot of money for the Aleksandrov family, but Nikolai was competitive and hated to lose. It wasn’t like there was anything to really worry about though. Ana always won. Period. Whenever she raced her driving skills were top notch, she took dangerous risks with speed and always came out on top. Ana watched Nikolai walk away before turning back to Mikhail. She watched him wipe the grease off his hands with an old rag while his gaze travelled up her body, instantly making Ana’s skin feel hot. When his eyes met hers Ana’s breath caught and Mikhail smirked. When Ana had reached the age of 19 they had both discovered their attraction to each other, which led to a very foolish night and an awkward morning. After that they settled into a friendly routine of ignoring each other’s looks and dancing on the fine line between friends and lovers.

                They watched each other for a short while, wondering who would make a move but eventually Ana nodded and began to walk towards the driver’s side of the car, feeling Mikhail’s eyes following her she put some extra sway into her walk. When she reached the side of the car Mikhail zipped around to her side and opened the door for her. Ana quirked an eyebrow and met eyes with Mikhail again, holding his gaze as she slid into the car. Once her seatbelt was on he closed the door and tapped the top of the car twice before walking away. Ana watched his ass as he walked away. It was perfect, the denim stretched across it beautifully and shifted as his powerful legs took long strides. The sight of his ass brought thoughts of long midnight hours to Ana’s head. Images swirled, featuring her and Mikhail horizontal and groaning while he surged his thick length inside of her and she dug her nails into his ass and she bit into his broad shoulder to keep from crying out his name and….. Ana shook her head clear of the naughty thoughts and took a deep breath and blew it out. She needed a clear head for her race.

Ana started the Charger and headed for the line of cars all waiting to begin the race. Ana watched the curvy blonde bombshell sway in between the cars to the center of the line with a red bandanna in her hand. Her walk was accompanied by swaying hips and numerous whistles and cat calls. The girl giggled and Ana rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on the steering wheel to keep her annoyance at bay. Ana hit a few modified buttons on her steering wheel and bobbed her head slightly to the opening notes of Skrillex’s “Bangarang”, waiting for the blonde to stop her flirting and wave the damn flag. Ana’s eyes drifted to the NOS gauge even though she knew she didn’t need to. Mikhail always made sure it was full.

When the blonde, who Ana had decided to call Skankastica, finally began to slowly raise the flag Ana smiled and revved her high powered expensive engine. This was her moment, the calm before the storm. She waited, letting the sound of her slow steady breathing drown out the excited cheers and taunts from spectators and engines surrounding her as all the drivers watched the red bandana. The blondes lips moved, counting down.

3…

2….

1…

GO!!!  The blonde waved the flag and the cars sped off, Ana leading the pack as her tires squealed and she shot off. She slammed her foot down on the clutch and switched gears and the car took a brief pause before lurching ahead again. Ana pressed down the accelerator as she neared the first turn and zipped around it. Only 3 other cars were close to her, she counted them as her main competition and pitched a sharp right at the first turn and quickly righted her vehicle while pushing the accelerator again to lead her up the hill. Only one more car was close enough to her, the others had fallen back. The last car, a tacky orange Mustang with broad pinstripe decals pulled up beside her until they were neck and neck. Ana glanced over at the driver but found heavily tinted windows greeted her. She scowled and focused on the next turn. She tried to turn quickly and throw off the other driver but she lost some traction, putting her behind. Ana cursed under her breath as the heavy bass of the dubstep rocked the car, and shifted gears again, pitching the car forward. Once she was tied with the car again she glanced over and was surprised to find that this time the window was rolled down and a smug smirk greeted her. From her glance she caught a cute face and blonde hair. Ana smirked and flipped off her competition as they neared the finish line. She heard him laugh which only pissed her off. Ana watched as they approached the finish, measuring the distance in her head so that she could time her attack perfectly. Closer….closer….Ana hit the NOS at the last minute, jerking her ahead of the Mustang and zipping her through the finish line. She jerked the wheel to the side, twisting the car around so that it faced the rest of the cars just speeding through the finish. The crowd roared, most of them just happy to see such dangerous activities, though some looked angry and upset. Ana stepped out of her car and sighed, she never understood why people gambled on races.

Ana shut her car door and walked through the crowd. She didn’t have to worry about the car being taken, Nikolai would take care of it. She was walking towards her bike when she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Ana turned around and was surprised to see the blonde driver who got close to winning.

“You’re a very good driver beautiful girl.” He praised, with a lop-sided grin. He was wearing a flannel button-up and low hanging jeans that hung on him loosely. “I’m Keith.” He held out his hand and waited for her to respond. Ana looked at his hand briefly, stunned for a moment. It was rare for her to have interaction with people outside of the Aleksandrov family and even when she was away from the family she kept to herself. Ana looked back up at Keith who was smiling at her brightly, and she decided that his smile was…predatory. Like he knew a secret that she didn’t know. Ana began to observe Keith carefully. His sunny blonde hair and tan told her that he spent a lot of time outdoors but Ana couldn’t get much more than that. He was muscular and had a boyish face but there was something haunting behind his eyes. At one point they were bright and cheerful but then a shadow would pass across them, making them darker. Ana blinked, realizing she’d kept him waiting for a reply and suddenly feeling rude she thrust her hand out towards him and gave a small half-hearted smile.

“I’m Ana-” before their hands could touch a large hand grabbed Ana’s forearm from behind while another arm wrapped around her torso. Ana gasped and followed the arm that connected to the hand to find a scowling Nikolai standing next to her. Ana frowned slightly, where had he come from? She twisted to find to owner of the arm around her abdomen, only to find Mikhail over her shoulder, his predatory gaze landing on Keith as he tightened his arm around her, tugging her closer to the heat of his body. Ana could feel the tension rolling off of his body, and it was definately directed at Keith. Based on Nikolai;s firm grip on her arm, the twins did not want her to interact with the newcomer. But why? The air between the four was like ice. Nikolai was glaring, Mikhail was glaring, Keith was smirking, and Ana was confused. She was missing something here, but for the purpose of avoiding a fight, she broke the frigid silence.

“Umm Keith these are my friends. Friends, this is Keith.” Ana said, trying to move from out of Mikhail’s hold but his arm only tightened more. Ana rolled her eyes, clearly the angry Russian boa constrictor didn't want to let her go. Keith met Nikolai’s stare directly and Ana had to give him credit, it took a strong man to do that. Ana noticed that Keith’s demeanor had changed. His eyes seemed sharper, more electric blue. Instead of the bright happiness that was there before now there as a cold calculated sense in his eyes. He was standing up straighter, he’d raised his chin and straightened his body. What once seemed like a cute laid back guy had become something much more powerful and slightly sinister.

 “Nikolai.” Keith said, nodded a greeting. Nikolai nodded back.

“Kirill.” Nikolai said. Ana frowned and looked back and forth between the two before realizing that Kirill must be Keith’s real name. Keith’s eyes drifted to her and he flashed her that dazzling smile again.

“You have a lovely driver, you must be careful. Beautiful things are often stolen.” Keith said. He glance at Mikhail breifly, letting Mikhail know that the last bit of Kirill's sentence was directed at him. Ana felt Mikhail's body tense behind her but he said nothing. Kirill however, looked slightly satisfied, as though he had gotten the reaction he'd wanted. He nodded goodbye and walked away. Ana blinked and turned her head to look at Nikolai.

“Well….that was a bit of a dramatic exit.” She said, frowning at Nikolai's stoic expression. She once again attempted to free herself from Mikhail's hold. Mikhail’s reply came in the form of a growl as his arm tightened around her, pulling her back closer to his chest. Nikolai watched his brothers’ reaction for a moment before turning away.

“Tati, go home. Now.”

Across Town:

John Elijah Thomas flopped down on his futon and sighed. He’d spent the better part of the day moving into his new apartment and now he could officially relax a bit before returning to work on Monday. He planned on spending Saturday unpacking and Sunday getting some much needed rest. Being a police officer was a stressful demanding job. Dealing with people who let the scum of the earth walk through crimes without any retribution, people covering for criminals, and people constantly making his job a living hell. Yet the biggest thorn in his side was the Aleksandrov crime family. Murder, prostitution rings, drug deals, you name it the Aleksandrov’s were involved. They controlled all other crime families, the one lion charge of the entire jungle. It was extremely stressful. Every time they got an inch closer there would be some sort of problem with the witness’s statements, files would go missing, witnesses would have fatal accidents, and the department would have to start the investigation all over again. But now John could relax at his new apartment, miles away from business and investigations.