“Fuck no. No. I used to work for her. She’s head of a powerful mafia family in Russia.”
My eyes go wide. “She’s a mafia boss? Wow.”
“Yep. A fucking evil one.” He guides my hand to his side, where his scars live. “Her family is responsible for these on me. When she kissed me, I wanted to kill her. And trust me, if it didn’t risk your life, I would have.”
“My life?” I almost gasp.
“I’m sorting everything, Lily. Please just trust me. There is a lot more to this, more to me, that I need to tell you, before you decide whether we can ever be anything more. Whether what we had in Monaco really can be our future.”
I swallow hard. “What else?”
“I promise, I will tell you everything soon. I have a few loose ends to tie up. And then, I’d like to try and win you back.”
I smile. “Win me back? I’m not a prize, Drago.”
He nods. “I want your heart, Lily. And I want to give you the fucking world in return. That’s what I’d like. But, I don’t want you to just give me your forgiveness; I want to show you exactly what you mean to me. No doubts. No pushing each other away to save ourselves.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me? You could have just told me to shut up and tell the truth.”
He runs a hand over his face. “I thought it was for the best. That I could let you go and you’d be happier without me.”
I tut, wrapping my arms around him and cuddling into his chest. He squeezes me tight.
He pulls me back into a hug, and I melt against him.
“The sage worked. We’re friends again,” I whisper.
As he starts to pull away, I shake my head and cling tighter. I need this. I need him.
“Just another minute, please,” I whisper against his chest.
His hand rubs slow circles up my back. “You can have them all, lastochka. All my minutes belong to you.”
I tip my head back, looking up at him. “You need to get some sleep, Drago. You look exhausted.”
His lips curl into a grin. “Are you looking after me?”
I drag my hands up his chest. “Someones got to, right?”
He pulls back my lip with his thumb. “I’ll make this right between us, Lily. I promise.”
I smile softly at him, resting my cheek against his palm. “I look forward to seeing you do that.” I tease.
“Oh, Mom is meeting me for lunch at my gallery tomorrow. I need to get a bit of work done while I’m there, too. Are you okay to come with me?”
He frowns, his jaw tightening.
“I’ve got to go to New York for a few hours. I’ll be back early evening, I expect. Charlotte can take you.”
I tilt my head. “Charlotte, Declan's wife?”
He grins. “She’s one of the most deadly assassins in the world, Lily. I trained her. I trust your life with her.”
“So fucking cool.”
He chuckles. “Yeah. I wouldn’t wish her past on anyone, though.” He tells me, with a sadness in his voice.
I stifle a yawn. “She’s happy now, though, right? I guess bad shit can lead to good.”
