Chapter Seven
In which Alexi is trying for self-control and Lucya is in favor of him losing it.
Alexi…
This girl is quite a revelation.
The Lucya I remember was shy and awkward, always flitting from place to place, spending most of her day trying to avoid other people. Now, she’s all grown up and not afraid to run her mouth and ask impertinent questions.
The thing is, no one ever questions me. About anything.
I am the monster that people turn away from, they cross themselves as I pass by. But notKolibri.
“Have you forgotten what I do for my Bratva?” My tone’s mild, but she must feel the underlying menace that I try to soften. “Do you think this line of questioning is wise?”
“I know what you do,” she says, lifting her chin. “They call you the Angel of Death for a reason. But… you’ve always protected me, and I came out to that alley tonight because I’ve been so homesick and you were standing there and you felt like… You felt like home to me.” Quickly rising, she starts to clean up the rubble of our dinner, her cheeks flaming red.
“Stop.” I took her wrist, feeling the delicate bones under my fingers. She’s warm, shockingly so, almost hot. I haven’t feltwarm in… I can’t think of a time. “You’ve worked a full day already. You’re a guest and I’ll clear the table.”
“Well, technically, you’ve done a full day’s work too,” she says before slapping her hand over her mouth.“Bozhe moy,I have to stop talking!”
Now, I laugh and she looks horrified, as if I’ve sprouted fangs and sunk them into her neck. “Sit down before you say anything else you’ll regret.”
She’s poking at the fire when I come back from the kitchen and I see she’s added some wood - several logs - based on the blaze roaring up my chimney.
“Should I order another cord of firewood? Based on your pyromaniacal tendencies, we may not have enough to last the night.” I hand her a bottle of water, leading her back to the couch.
“Sorry,” she mumbles. “We have this boring gas fireplace at our place, one of those slim, modern horizontal ones that gives no heat whatsoever. It’s nice to have a real fire again.”
“Do you miss St. Petersburg?”
“I miss the smell of the city, like pine and old parchment. I miss my favorite library, where I could check out a book and sit next to their enormous fireplace.” Her remarkable eyes dim. “I miss my mother.”
“Have you been back since she sent you here? To visit?” I’m employing my considerable self-control to keep from scooping her onto my lap and kissing away that little crease between her eyebrows.
“No, Mother didn’t think it was a good idea.”
I might call one of the Dubrovinbrigadierswho owes me after I forgave his gambling debt. Keeping an informant in another crime family’s organization is common sense, no matter how friendly my Bratva might be with theirs. I want to know what Lucya’s uncle - the perverted old fuck - is up to. He’s notorious for running girls and drugs through St. Petersburg, something his brother would never do.
But Andry is dead and the Dubrovin Bratva is not prospering under Rurik’s control. He’d sell off his nieces in a heartbeat if it benefited him.
There’s silence for a moment, just the crackle from the fireplace and finally, she lets out a deep sigh.
“Spasibo,thank you. For all of this.” She tugs uncomfortably on her borrowed t-shirt. “I should really be getting home, though. I have work in the morning and you-”
“I am watching you sleep tonight and waking you up every few hours to make sure the concussion I gave you isn’t serious,” I interrupt. “You will sleep in my bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“Alexi, I’m not taking your bed. I can fit anywhere and you…” She makes an awkward waving motion, like she’s displaying me as a game show prize.
“Yes, I’m aware that I’m much, much bigger than you, my littleKolibri.”I take a step toward her and she moves back, eyes wide. “I made sure that I could fit comfortably in any corner of this apartment when I remodeled it.”
I wind one of her long curls around my finger, pulling her to me “You are so very sweet, but you will sleep in my bed.” Her face is inching closer, until I can feel her warm breath on my lips. “You will get some much-needed rest. You will take your pain meds. You will let me take care of you.”
“Why are you doing this?” she whispers. “Being so kind to me?”
“I pulled you from that frozen pond when you were a little girl,” I say. “From then on, your safety became my responsibility.”
“Well…” She’s up on her tiptoes, thanks to my grip on her hair. “You did just nearly kill me. So does that reverse the whole responsibility thing?”
