Chapter 10

ANASTASIA'S POV

He kisses my forehead. “Of course, you can always say no. My mother taught me forcing women to do things was despicable. And I'm terrified of her.” He smiles.

“What's her name?”

“Larisa Sokolov. She's about this tall,” He holds his hands to his chest, “This mean,” He holds his hand up a little higher, and this beautiful," He holds his hand above his hand grinning childishly.

It's cute.

“Why would you trust me?”

“It's common knowledge anyway. Besides," He grins, “If you ever try to hurt her, I'll kill you! If my father doesn't first.” He drops his mile. “He's like a guard dog. Even worst than Brutus.”

“Who's Brutus?” I ask.

“The guard dog."

I nod. Makes sense.

“Anyway— about Hawaii—”

“Hey, hoebag," A woman burst in the door.

I thought she was addressing me, but she wasn't.

“I told you not to call me that," He sighs.

“Fine, bitchfish.”

“That doesn't even make sense,” He scoffs.

“Whatever," She pops her gum, ignoring me.

Pulling out a knife she starts....whittling away at the door.

“Why are you doing that?”

She shrugs. “Mindless vandalism.”

He sighs, getting out of bed.

“This is my sister Natalia. She's a raging lunatic, not unlike yourself. She's adopted.”

Natalia carved into the wood, flipping her middle finger.

“I'm glad I'm adopted. You're a bunch of weaklings."

And there it was. My partner in crime. My second. Possibly my new best friend.

And her nails are gorgeous!

“Don't you hate when you're adopted and the only representation you have is spineless men who are supposed to be gangsters."

She paused, glancing at me. She pulled her knife from the door, pointing it at her brother. “You, marry her. Or I'll cut you."

He rolls his eyes. “It's too early for a knife fight Natalia. You know the rules."

“I'm a fucking Mobster! I don't follow rules!”

“Fuck you Natalia! Let me just...get my knife okay? Damn!”

“Hurry the fuck up bitchfish!"

“Don't call me that! Gimme a second, I gotta choose a good one." He grumbled heading out of the door.

Then it's just me with the homicidal manic with a knife.

“Have you met Dad yet?”

“Nope,” I say uncomfortably, pulling up the cover. Very...eccentric family he has here.

“You shouldn't. You have to be conditioned before the wedding.”

“Oh! I'm not marrying your brother!”

“Of course you are!" she says dully, opening the door.

“Now I'm about to Target his liver in what's supposed to be a mock attack, but is actually a real attack in which I am venting my frustration and inferiority complex that is the root of many of my poor decisions. Dueces.”

She even says dueces.

• • •

I missed the knife fight. I know, I know, I suck but...well I didn't want to be there in case a blade strayed and also... I have to get away.

From the Sokolov Family.

They're nothing but trouble.

I slip out of the door. I'm almost to my car, I open the door only to have it shut. I jump back and there he is, looming over me with a troubled smile.

“You're not leaving? Are you?”

He's asking a question like he knows I want to break up with him. Wait! We're not dating.

Like, Don't you love me? Anymore?

Or, Is that blood? I smell? This how you identify a true lunatic.

I swallow.

“Yes. I'm going home. Aren't you in the middle of a knife fight?"

He smiles. “Of course not. I won. My sister is tending to her wounds. Let me cook you some food before you g—"

“No! That's okay. Listen, Nikolai—

He looks at me, “Yes?”

“This is the last time we'll meet. This was fun but it's over now. We're eneimes—”

“You want to be enemy?" he asks innocently. “But I don't want to be your enemy."

Okay. I swallow, looking away from the heartstopping adorable face he's making. His hair's in his eyes, and they're all big and round, and ugh! He's like a puppy. He's giving me puppy dog eyes does the treachery never end?!

“Listen," He starts deeply, leaning into his arm. Leaning into my lips. “I'm a little obsessed with you. And...I want to get to know you better."

“I don't think that's a good idea, Nikolai,"

He grins breathlessly, taking my hand. “Why not? We're almost perfectly matched. You are a Queenpin in the making, I am Don in the making. We don't have to have any secrets, any boundaries...we can just...be. Don't you want that?”

When he puts it that way, it sounds unreasonable to be opposed to dating someone who descended from the slaughterer of my family.

“Nikolai—”

“Hear me out," He says earnestly. So I do. I look him in the eyes, and hear what he has to say. “I know our families don't get along. And I know why. But that doesn't matter.”

“This doesn't have to be a doomed Romeo and Juliet love. We can unite families. Or...we could try, and if we don't work, we can go back to killing each other casually.”

Killing casually, is the best killing. So relaxing.

“I really like you, Anastasia. Really, really like you.” He smiles hopefully. ”What do you say?"

Y'know he almost sounds like a normal, rational human being.

But we both know that isn't nearly the case.

“Nikolai. If I say no...what will do?”

He smiles crookedly. “I guess we'll have to see.”

“So you're threatening me," I bristle.

“No," He soothed. “It's not a threat. I'm don't plan on you saying no. Anyway, if I were, wouldn't you just try to kill me. And what I have to do then," He grabs my chin roughly, “Huh? Cause I can't just let you kill me.”

I sneer. “You think you'd win?"

“I think we're evenly matched. I guess it would it depend."

“Are you lying."

He pulls me close. “I promise you, I'll always be honest. I hate liars, you know that.”

“You honestly think we're evenly matched?" This disbelief coats my tone I can't help it.

I just never would have guessed someone like him would admit that.

“In speed and strength? Absolutely. I dare say intellect. You're like my perfect equal. That's why I'm so interested in you. And we're almost equally attractive. You have a slight edge though—you have tits.”

“You have abs."

“So do you.”

I smirk. “I do. Don't I?" I work fucking hard for those abs.

He smirks back, knowing he's damn near convinced me. “How about before you go, we work out again? My sister's gone, probably plotting my death."

“After that, will you let go home without a fight?" I can't believe I'm agreeing to this but...the man has a point.I mean, how often do you meet someone who you have chemistry with, a shared background.