“Everything I put my mind to, I deal with.”
“Are you ever afraid?”she asked.
He looked up and saw real concern within her gaze.
“No, I’m not.”
She nibbled her lip.“Sometimes I feel fear.”
“I used to,” he said.“Not anymore.”
“I find it hard to believe you would be afraid.”
“We all feel fear, Anastasia.At some point.”
“When did you stop?”she asked.
“When the pain stopped mattering.”He shrugged.“It was the way I survived.”
He wasn’t going to tell her that the only time in recent years he had felt true fear was with her.The thought of losing her.The thought of someone having the power to take her away from him.He could not handle that level of loss.
She was his everything.And she didn’t even know the power she held over him.
****
Anastasia looked aroundthe bedroom and saw true potential.Based on what Dmitriy had told her, she could imagine this being a loving home.It was sad to know the previous owners didn’t have any children or family to leave it to.
She could imagine they had put a lot of love into the room.The whole design was for people who loved this place.Each doorway was hand-carved.Even the few pieces of furniture, although covered with dust, looked handcrafted.It wasn’t what you would get in random shops or large furniture outlets.
Anastasia stood in the main bedroom.Dmitriy had left her some clothes on the bed, and she nibbled her lip.Instead of putting on the clothes, she left the bedroom.Ever since she had left her parents and the Bratva life, knowing there was always a risk that people could come to kill her, she had stopped dreaming.There had been a short time, when she had thought about having a family and a life outside the Bratva, without the threat.Over the years, she had watched normal families.Some of them had been at parks, or in shops, or just on the street.She had watched how normal they were.They didn’t have guards with guns.There was no threat to their lives.Men were not chosen to marry the women.
She knew it wasn’t always sunshine and roses for everyone.There was real pain.Real trauma.But it was a life she had wanted and would fantasize about.She would watch movies and television shows, and it was like a craving she couldn’t let go.
When she first left her parents and was cast out, she had thought about seeking what she wanted.Find a man, fall in love, have a family, have a new life, but she knew that being a Babkin came with too much risk.There were too many players.If her family fucked up, she would still have to pay the price.
Stepping out of the bedroom, she made her way down the hall.Being with Dmitriy was one of the only truly selfish things she had done.She knew it was stupid of her to fall for this man.He had killed her family, and maybe growing up, knowing death was happening, seeing it with her eyes, had warped her brain.
Her family had known the risks.Everyone did.They made their choice, just as she made hers.
She made her way to the main sitting room, where Dmitriy had several guns on the table.Even though she stood silent, observing him, it was like he knew someone was there, as he immediately turned to look at her.
“Are you okay?”he asked, frowning when he caught sight of her in only a towel.
This was stupid.There was a chance they were not going to survive the week.If the Gambino family had somehow invaded Nikolai Gnesin’s home, there was only a matter of time before they were hunted down.She and Dmitriy had also burnt her parents’ home to the ground.This was going to add up, and someone would put it all together, and when that happened, whatever peace they had would be gone.
“I’m fine.”She gripped the knot of her towel and pulled it open.
The towel fell to the floor, and Dmitriy got to his feet.She stepped toward him and put her hands on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her.Neither of them spoke for a second, nor did it seem they moved.They just stared at one another.Time stood still.
She needed time to stand still, just so she could bask in this moment with him.She didn’t want it to disappear.
He stroked her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear, and she took a deep breath.Anastasia didn’t know which one of them moved first.Just that one moment, neither of them was moving, and then his mouth was on hers.
This wasn’t gentle.This was fierce.And she wanted every second of it.She grabbed his t-shirt and started to yank it off his body.She didn’t want to be the only one undressed.She wanted to feel him, skin to skin.
Dmitriy helped her remove his shirt, and she tossed it to the ground, throwing it out of the way.He growled her name, and his lips were back on hers, but they didn’t linger, even as she ran her hands down his back, pulling him in close.
“Fuck,” he said.“You’re driving me crazy.”
