Chapter 36.“Dear, you didn’t tell us you were visiting. I’d have made my signature Marconi’s, this is such a surprise.”Lily’s mother said, bustling about the small kitchen, pulling half-empty jars and leftover vegetables as though a feast could be made in minutes. “I didn’t know myself.” She scoffed, if only her mom knew she wasn’t bluffing. “But here we are. I’ll be staying for a little while.”Her mother turned, her hands now settled on her waist as she looked at her. “And Mr Kalashnikov is fine with that?”She nodded, her mom’s gaze lingered suspiciously for a while before turning back to the cooker.“Couples of this generation,” she muttered under her breath. “Impossible.”Lily forced a smile. She was happy to be home, happy to breathe the familiar air of her family, yet it only deepened the knot in her chest. Why had Dmitri brought her here? From everything she had come to know of him, he was not a man who let go of what belonged to him—not even for a moment. If she was in dang
Chapter 35The look on Dmitri’s face was enough to make a man tremble but Grandpa Yuri had seen them one too many times to be shaken.“So be it then. Since she’s already here I might as well say it. I want her gone.”The space around them froze.“What kind of joke is this?” He asked.“No joke here, grandson. You’ve painted a terrible image for our family. Some might even say you are starting to look weak.”Dmitri’s jaw locked in place. Their assumptions were starting to get on his nerves. “Stand there love.” He looked to Lily who nodded and walked away a few miles.He looked back at Grandpa Yuri.“And what makes you think I care what people think?”This time Grandpa Yuri, took his voice down like he was about to whisper. “I don’t care what you think but I won’t let my family be perceived as weak. It’s either you get rid of her or I give your cousin the title as Don and still dispose of her.”That made Dmitri flinch a little. Not because Grandpa Yuri threatened his title, heck, he was
Dmitri had been awake for hours, watching Lily sleep. At some point in the night, she’d rolled from her side of the bed until there were barely two centimeters between them, her soft, even breathing fanning his arm. He couldn’t deny how beautiful she was, so peaceful even, one might even believe she was naive and little minded as she looked and not so curious.He watched her chest weave in and out, her legs carelessly pressing against his morning wood. If she moved even a fraction more, he wasn’t sure he could stop himself. Shit, she had no idea how much restraint it took from him to not fuck her senseless in her sleep.She yawned once more, her body shifting as she adjusted on the bed. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes, less brooding face of Dmitri.Though, why did he look like he was wrestling invisible demons?“Tservna, do you enjoy testing my control this much? I can’t promise I won’t take your right now.”Lily was a little lost, not until she felt something hard a
Lily cleared her throat. "Well, if you must. Were there many? Any... serious ones?"She tried to sound professional, but her voice was a little tight. She hated the idea of him with other women, even in the past. It made her feel... possessive.Dmitri laughed, a low, rich sound. "Serious? 'Serious' is a word for business deals, Lily. For threats from rivals. For how much coffee Gabrielle drinks." He winked."My past was... fulfilling. Let's just say, I'm a man who appreciates beauty. And I've been fortunate enough to encounter it many times." He leaned closer, his voice dropping."But none of them held a candle to the fiery, sarcastic, and surprisingly timid journalist sitting across from me now."Lily's face turned bright red. "Dmitri!" she gasped, half-annoyed, half-flattered. "Stop that! I'm trying to work here.""Are you?" he challenged, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Or are you trying to dig for details you shouldn't be? Trying to figure out if I'm as good in other areas as
Lily walked to the single bedroom door. She opened it. Inside was a small, simple bed, neatly made. Only one bed. Her stomach twisted. Of course.Forced intimacy. It was the theme of her life now.Dmitri came back inside, sliding the phone into his pocket. He looked at her, his eyes serious. "My empire is stable. For now. But they will be looking for us. They know I'm alive. That means they will be more desperate."He saw her looking at the bed.A hint of a smirk touched his lips. "Comfortable, princess?" he asked. It wasn't about the bed's comfort.Lily crossed her arms. "Very. If you enjoy sleeping in a literal sardine can with a terrifying mafia boss."Dmitri chuckled, the sound deep and warm."I enjoy knowing you're close enough to protect, Lily. And close enough to remind me of what I'm fighting for." He walked towards her, slowly, deliberately. The exhaustion, the fear, the night's interrupted passion, it all built between them, a thick, living thing.He stopped just a step away.The
The SUV bumped along a narrow, dirt track, the trees growing thicker and taller around them. It felt like they were driving to the edge of the world. Lily had lost all sense of direction hours ago.Her body was tired, her mind buzzing with images of the night. Dmitri's brutal grace, the silent fall of the men, the frantic escape. It was a lot to take in. Her father's face, bruised and still, flashed in her mind. The nightmare was coming for her, even while she was awake. She shivered.Finally, Gabrielle slowed the SUV, turning sharply into what looked like a hidden path. After a few more twists and turns, a small, dark shape appeared through the trees. It was a cabin. Rustic. Isolated. Very, very far from any resort.Gabrielle parked the car a little distance from the cabin, hidden by thick bushes.The other two security vehicles parked further back, out of sight. "We're here, Boss," Gabrielle said, his voice quiet.Dmitri nodded. "Secure the area. Then check inside. Standard procedure.