Chapter 11 - Oleg

She is like a little bird in my hands, delicate and terrified. She feels small and I have this overwhelming urge to protect her. I wrap my arms around her, cradling her.

I carry her upstairs to the main bedroom in the safe house. Her scent washes over me, sweet and warm like wild orchids and magnolias. Perhaps a hint of honey. She smells incredible. It draws me closer to her as the scent sinks into me.

The remnants of the kiss we shared in the car, and how quickly it escalated, are still flowing through my body. Burning like a fire waiting to devour everything in its path.

She can tell me as much as she wants to that she hates me, that she is angry with me, but she can’t hide the way her body reacts to mine. It's obvious she is attracted to me despite our disagreements. We clearly share some kind of physical connection and even though we have issues with communication, the chemistry is undeniable.

Gently, I place her onto the bed, but when I step back, I can see how badly she is still shaking. My heart pulls towards her. I need to make her feel safe. I need her to know that nothing can happen to her here. She is safe now.

I lift the blanket off the bottom of the bed and wrap it around her body, dragging her back onto my lap as I sit on the bed, resting my back against the headboard. She snuggles against me, barely making a sound.

She just needs a moment to realize that we are no longer in danger.

I think she might be in shock.

“Raisa, I promise you, we are safe here,” I assure her softly.

She has her face buried against my chest and her trust in me floods me with warmth. I wish she could be this receptive to me all the time. Things would be so much easier between us.

She doesn’t understand, and perhaps I am only starting to understand now, but I want her to be happy. I want what is best for her and I want her to want to be around me.

There is something about her that captivates me and I am starting to just give in to those feelings.

I want her.

I want her safe.

I want to protect her from everything and everyone.

She snuggles against me and lets out a slow breath, as though she is finally starting to calm down. Her body is no longer shaking so badly.

I brush my hand across her cheek. Her hair has come lose and is wild around her face and over her shoulders. Using my fingers, I do my best to smooth it out while I talk quietly to her.

“Are you feeling a little better? Do you need anything at all?”

She shakes her head. “I think I’m ok now,” she says softly. But she doesn’t move away from me.

“I think I should make you something to eat. We didn’t even stay long enough at the party to have any of the food. You probably need a little sugar after—after what happened now.”

“Maybe.” She shrugs. I don’t think she is ready to make any kind of choices, even ones as simple as whether or not food would help her feel better.

So, I decide for her, and just lift her up and carry her downstairs, the blanket still wrapped around her.

I set her down on the kitchen counter, her legs hanging over the edge.

“We have—“ I pull open the cupboards, looking at what they stocked the safe house with. “Spaghetti and—“ I pull the packet of spaghetti out, find a can of mushrooms and some packet of cheese sauce. In the freezer, I find bacon and toss it into a sink of hot water to defrost it quickly.

I hold up the food options, showing her what we have.

“It’s not going to be the best spaghetti you’ve ever had, but it should do the job,” I chuckle, seeing her eyes locked onto me. She is watching my every move. She looks focused, sharp with heightened awareness—like a small animal, ready to run at any moment.

But I notice that a small smile touches her lips when I joke around in a relaxed way.

Good. That’s what I want to see.

While I cook, I chat about other things, helping her to relax more and understand that this is a safe place. She hasn’t spoken at all, but her eyes are softer and calmer.

She seems to be doing a lot better by the time the food is ready.

She lets the blanket drop off her shoulders when I hand her a hot bowl of creamy spaghetti with mushrooms and bacon. “This smells really good,” She says, taking it from me.

I lean against the counter and eat, standing next to her. She swings her legs while she eats, innocent and sweet.

She really is gorgeous.

There is something so special about her. She has a unique beauty that glows through her.

“Are you feeling ok now, Raisa?” I ask, finally thinking she is ready to talk about what happened in the car.

“Yes, I was just—it was terrifying. I have never been in a situation like that before,” she sighs.

“Ever? I thought your family was involved in a lot of mafia situations. “

“I told you earlier, I have always tried to stay out of the Bratva life. I never wanted anything to do with any of this stuff. It’s not the life I wanted for myself.”

Guilt stings into me. So she has never seen what it can really be like. No wonder she was so scared. No one has ever shot at her before. No one has tried to take her out.

I am the reason she now knows what it feels like to be shot at.

I sigh.

But then I realize that it is very unlikely that it was me they were after.

“Raisa, have your brothers been the target of any attacks or threats since you arrived in this city?”

She sighs, putting her empty bowl down on the counter next to herself. “It’s been constant. It really stresses me out, but when I bring it up with them, they brush it off and tell me it’s just part of what has to happen for them to establish themselves. I don’t think that’s true. I want it to stop before something terrible happens and I lose one of them.”

I shake my head, wondering who is targeting them. One of the other families definitely has it in for them and is determined to try and chase them out if they are being constantly attacked like that.

“You’re right. It’s not normal. They obviously have a strong enemy hell-bent on getting rid of them. I know they’ve been pissing a lot of people off since they got here, so it’s no surprise, really.”

“Ok, but what can they do about it? How can they stay safe when people come after them like that—I mean—is that why we got shot at tonight?”

I nod. “I think that they were targeting you . It was a warning to your brothers. There are very, very few people who would come after me that way.”

She bites at her lower lip. I love it when she does that.

She looks lost in thought.

I step close to her, resting my hands on her legs, then I reach up and lift her face up towards mine with my hand below her chin.

“Raisa, let’s make a deal.”

She tilts her head, her eyes narrowing towards me. The bright blue of them seems to intensify. “What kind of a deal?” She says, skeptical, nervous to make deals with the man who kidnapped her I assume. She is smart to be cautious. I can’t fault her on that.

“The kind of deal that will keep your brothers safe.”

I brush my hand over her cheek, her skin is warm and soft. My thumb brushes across her lips and my body sparks with need.

I push it down, doing my best to deny the way she makes me feel.

Now is not the time to explore our physical attraction. She’s been through too much tonight already.

“Alright—what do you want in return?” Her eyes pierce into me.

“If you cooperate with me—and if you can convince your brothers to cooperate as well—I need them to work with me on this—then I promise to keep your family safe. No harm will come to them. They will have the full protection of the Dubrov clan.”

“Will your brothers agree to this as well?” she asks with doubt in her tone. “None of them sounded happy when they found out we were married.”

“You let me handle and worry about my brothers. All I need to know from you is that you can handle your own brothers.”

“I will do my best,” she says, nodding. “I accept your deal. As long as you keep my family safe, I will cooperate with you.”

I feel relief wash through me. Finally, I seem to be getting somewhere with her—and with my plan to resolve the issues without violence.

It’s crazy—I never imagined it would be so difficult to get people to want to avoid war. Now that she has agreed to the deal, tomorrow we can head back home and she will start properly convincing her family that this is what she wants—and that it is for the best. I will have to speak to mine.

We will need to put a protective detail on her brothers. I can’t have someone taking them out after I just made a promise like that.

My brothers aren’t going to be happy about it, but I think if we have a proper sit down, they might hear me out and understand my line of thinking.

After dinner, we both head upstairs to the bedroom. There is only one bed and we have to sleep next to each other. This sends a thrill racing through my body. Again, I push it aside.

Raisa keeps throwing nervous glances towards me as she gets ready for bed. In the closet, she finds an oversized t-shirt—well—it's oversized on her. When I wear it it’s tight. She turns her back to me and I turn my face away when she lets the dress drop down her body onto the floor and slips the t-shirt over her head.

I clench my jaw.

Now is not the time.

Raisa walks to the side of the bed and sits down. Then she pulls the blankets up and slips beneath them. She snuggles down against the pillow with her back turned towards me and her legs curled up as she lies on her side.

I lie on my back with my one arm behind my head. Waiting for sleep to claim me, but she is too close to me and it’s distracting.

My eyes trace the delicate curve of her neck and the shape of her spine.

Raisa seems to fall asleep easily, her soft, deep breathing letting me know that she is resting. I am relieved that she is feeling safe enough to sleep.

As I am just about to fall asleep, relieved that she is ok, she rolls over and shifts up close to me in her sleep and snuggles against my chest.

I grit my teeth.

My body burning with need for her.

I close my eyes and do my best to ignore it, but it is impossible, and it's very late when I finally drift off to sleep.

But even in my dreams—all I can think about is how close she is to me.