“It’s okay, Dimitri. I know I wasn’t just some sort of bet. I know you weren’t using me,” I explain softly. Hell, I had alotof time to think things over while I was being held captive, and most of my thoughts were consumed by Dimitri. I had a lot of regrets, but the biggest one was how we had left things between us. I was upset, consumed by the mounting overwhelming pressure of the wedding, and I let it get the best of me. I accused Dimitri of some awful things and interpreted his silence as agreement instead of letting him tell me how he truly felt.
“How…how did you know?” he questions.
“Because you saved me. And if even a piece of what I believed was true, you never would have put yourself in danger to rescue me.” Tears fill my eyes as I stare into his familiar blue eyes. “You risked everything, including your own life, in exchange for mine.”
“And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat,” he confesses.
Even if he’s never said the words, even if he never does, I know that Dimitri loves me. Maybe he always has.
And maybe I have always loved him too.
I let the notebook fall from my fingers as I grip Dimitri’s face and pull him closer, our lips locking into an intense and hungry kiss. I pour my heart and soul into that kiss, letting him know exactly how I feel. And he kisses me back just as fiercely. His lips claim, press, demand. My head tilts back as he deepens the kiss, angling me exactly where he wants me. His rough thumb drags along my jawline, slow and deliberate, before he grips tighter, holding me steady as his tongue traces the seam of my mouth. I open for him, and his tongue quickly conquers mine. His large hands cup my ass, pulling me impossibly closer and grinding my center down on his towel-covered erection as he groans into my mouth.
Dimitri pulls back, and I meet his molten gaze. “Savina,” he says, his voice raw and rough. He opens his mouth to say something more; but suddenly, his cell phone rings, filling the room with a melodic tone. “Fuck,” he mutters under his breath before gently kissing my lips one more time. “It might be my brother.”
Maybe he has news about Darby.That thought has me scrambling off of Dimitri’s lap, so that he can retrieve his phone from the kitchen counter. I admire his muscular back as he answers his phone and talks in Romanian to the person on the other end.
A few minutes later, he ends the call and turns to tell me, “It was Andrei.”
“Oh,” I say, disappointed. “His nose still broken?” I ask with a smirk.
Dimitri huffs out a laugh. “I think he got it fixed.” He runs his fingers through his damp black hair. “He just wanted to let me know that the Irish Mafia are sending in fresh men from Dublin. I took out the entire clan, including their captain in the warehouse, so I guess they’re going to replace their dead boss soon.”
“What does that mean for Darby?” I question, my hands trembling in my lap.
“I’m not sure. I told him to find out anything he can about her and Cillian.” Then he adds, “Don’t worry, Savina. When we get back, I’ll do everything in my power to find your friend.”
When we get back.Oh yeah, right, because all of this is only temporary. We’ll be back to reality soon enough, and then I’ll have to deal with the consequences of our actions. I’ll be married off to Pavel, and Dimitri will probably run off to another country or something, never to be seen or heard from again.
Tears fill my eyes as I sit there somberly. A moment later, Dimitri walks over and kneels before me.
“Don’t cry,” he whispers, his dark brows knitting together as his blue eyes lock onto mine. He cups my cheek with his large palm, his thumb wiping away the stray tear trickling downmy cheek. “Everything will be okay,” he tells me, but even I can hear the doubt in his voice.
The only thing I know for sure is that nothing will ever be okay again after I say,“I do”.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Savina
“YOU HAVE ALCOHOL,”I say in surprise as I raid Dimitri’s cabinets. We’re running low on supplies, but he told me Andrei will be here within the next day or two with food and necessities. And so, until then, I thought I would go through every cupboard and figure out what supplies we have in the meantime. And it’s not like I don’t have time to kill or anything. Things have been pretty boring around here, but it’s also been nice, peaceful, calming. The total opposite of my life back home, so I’m not really complaining.
“Of course I have alcohol. What kind of secret, cool hangout spot would this be without booze?” Dimitri asks with a quirked brow, and it has me giggling.
“So, let’s play a drinking game,” I start, but he groans in protest. “Come on, it’ll be fun. I promise.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he huffs. But when I give him my best puppy dog eyes and pouty lip, he reluctantly says, “Okay, fine.”
“Okay?” I ask with a smile. “Yes!” I cry before pumping my fist in the air. “Finally, something fun.”
“Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?” he mutters with an eyeroll.
I grab a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses and take them to the table where he’s currently sitting. I sit on the other side, facing him and say, “Let’s start withnever have I ever. If you at some point have ever done the action in question, you have to drink.”
“I’m familiar with the rules,” he offers wryly.
“Okay, great. I’ll start. Never have I ever gotten drunk before.”
Obviously, we both drink to that. The vodka goes down smoothly, so I’m thankful for Dimitri having bought the good stuff instead of the cheap kind that burns your throat and makes you swear off drinking for the rest of your life.
